Most parents I know regret the fact that their children have taken after their spouse. They secretly wish that their children were more like themselves. For me it is completely the opposite. I am really glad that both my children have taken after their father. It works out extremely well for me, as their father himself is on the move quite often. In such a scenario, just looking at both of them, I see glimpses of him in the food we eat, in the way we go for walks, in the way we roll over with laughter. He is always midst of us even when he is miles away. I…

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” -John Lennon When asked what I wanted to become when I grew up, I used to say, “A Dad!” I guess that is the reason Pavan​ gets to travel so much. Didn’t realize, God would grant my wish of being a Dad, while being a Mom at the same time!!!

Toyna and me squatted on the floor trying to get some Hindi revision in order. Yog feeling left out, tried different means to get our attention. From scribbling on the books, snatching pencils and trying to tear the books, he tried his best to rescue Toyna from me. When everything failed, he came to his last tried and tested technique – Hitting and Scratching. He caught hold of Toynas arm and pinched and scratched her. I turned to give him my dirtest possible look, trying to tell him it is not OK to hurt others. He acknowledged my look with one of sweetest smiles, maintained the eye contact with me…

Since the last few years, tooth extraction in our house has been synonymous with the Tooth Fairy. It started with giving Toyna something to look forward as a child, in return for the painful extraction. Six to seven extractions later, she is no longer scared, but for some unknown reason, the tradition of the tooth fairy still continues. Since the tooth fairy is somehow supposed to know Toynas wish and grant it, I have to try and get to know Toyna’s wish and pass it on to the fairy for her midnight shopping spree. One more extraction today, and I casually asked Toyna, “So what do you think the Tooth…

Yog’s morning walk starts when we leave to drop Toyna to the school bus. Toyna’s school teachers at the stop, are very fond of Yog and love to play with him. Yog, on the other hand, has different set of preferences, which are in this order: 1. Dogs, 2. Automobiles, 3. Stones, 4. People. He, therefore, rarely obliges the teachers with any attention. Today, as we dropped Toyna to the stop, one of the teachers implored Yog to play with her. When Yog didn’t concede, she retorted, “There are no dogs today! Play with us, at least today!” With that she burst out laughing, but I was red in embarrassment. To…