The year that was !

2009. A year to remember.
It wasn't just another year for me. Major changes and upheavels, and even more major moves in my life. As a mom too, it wasn't just another year. Life changed for the better.

• For starters, my kids turned a year older.
• There are no more diapers to change.
• There are no more feeding bottles to sterilise.
• There's more place on our bed now.
• There's more time for myself due to the kids' schools.

Ok !! so what's the downside ? Everything has to have another face. And so does all the above changes too. Let me just jot down all the issues I've dealt with them over the last year.

• Turning another year older just means more and more questions, some embarassing, some remarkable !! Turning another year older just doesn't mean another candle on their birthday cake... it also means that they look forward to their birthdays even more than us. When they were babies, birthdays were celebrated just for the parents fancy, amidst a very-crying and confused birthday boy. But now, they decide what cake they want, what theme they like and even the dress. Birthdays now are more an enjoyable event instead of some gruelling task, because there are more hands to share and more heads to plan.
• Another year also means doing things all by themselves. Starting with toothbrush, to cleaning their own #$** , to bathing and eating and tying their own shoe-laces, to going to the nearby shop and buying chocolates for themselves. Wow, so many tasks for their little body and brain. While some tasks are still to be achieved, some are done to almost-perfection. Doesn't this prove that they are a year older?

• Diapers are now a distant past. With two kids having less than 3 yrs of age difference between them, I spent the last 5 and odd years on diaper changing. First for the first one and the second baby followed. The three main ingredients on my shopping list were

1. Diapers
2. Wet wipes
3. and more diapers.

Now that both are off-diapers, it feels so weird to travel along with them with just my handbag!! Well, the downside is the constant search for hygienic washrooms in malls and the seldom bed-wettings. Hmmm, I'll let another year to pass by to write that bed-wetting has also almost diminished !!

• Milk !! Since I was a student-mom during my first delivery, I had to depend on formula milk for my elder son. Formula not only included those expensive milk powders, but also included redundant cycle of cleaning, washing and sterilising those feeding bottles. The process, which couldn't be stopped even for a day made me do the same thing for almost 5 yrs again, akin to diapers. That stopped too. Suddenly !! My younger one, seeing his older brother wanted to drink from a cup like big boys !! And so, mukti from the bottles saw the light.

• Another milestone this year is a major one. How can I miss this one? The kids sleeping all on their own, in their own bed , in their own bedroom, the entire night, all by themselves !!! OK...am going overboard. But the point here is, yes... they have shifted to their rooms and I suddenly find my bed a bigger place. The irony is that I spent the first few nights making rounds from their room to ours, making sure that my puppies were intact. Insomnia almost crept me, not being able to digest this sweet fact. Not to mention, I've spent some nights sleeping along with them in their room, when my younger puppy wailed in sleep. But the point ? My kids have grown. Move over !!!

• And, with my younger one joining playschool too, I have more time for myself now. It might be for a mere three hours, but it helps me get recharged. No doubt about it. But, do I have to mention that their schools make me wake up at 6'o clock in the morning, prepare snack and lunch boxes, get them ready and bid them goodbye !! Phew.... the mornings have now a gruelling schedule and to think that this routine wouldn't change for atleast another decade or so, makes me yearn for weekends at least. Those two days are the only days when I can kick back and laze around in my bed for as long as I can. Poor me !! But it's worth it. And am not the only mom who's doing this !! So, just stay put.

And so, this new year will see my elder one turn 6 and my younger one 4.
Two boys.
Varied interests.
Same parents. Lol.

Wishing the coming year to be an even more eventful one, with my elder one's music classes and my younger one's impending cricket sessions. Was life a calm one before the kiddos? I seriously doubt so. In fact, I don't remember much.

Wishing everyone a very happy new year and hatsoff to all the moms !! Every year is important for your kids development and only mommies know that we cannot rest until they fly off to their own homes. Even then, we look forward to even more new years, anticipating life to come to a full circle. Don't we ?

Ciao, my dearies..... Cya in the new year !!!!