Nirupama P.R.V.'s Blog: Catty Opinions of a Book Loving Couch Potato, page 10

Lens of Gratitude- Day 27

Sunday again and I could not be happier. As usual, the list is short and sweet in observance with this day of leisure.

I am grateful for:

Fowl Language comics. Those cartoons are so funny!!
Stir fry vegetable rice recipes- so healthy, so delicious and so filling!
The husband for being a pro at making said stir fry dishes!!

Have a blessed and happy Sunday!!

Lens of Gratitude – Day 26

A lovely Saturday and it’s time for listing Gratitudes.

It’s my Dad’s birthday and that of course makes for my biggest gratitude. For being a pillar of strength, for being the anchor of my life.

Lens of Gratitude – Day 25

It’s Friday!!!!!

Okay, I know. The days are passing like we are stuck in Groundhog Day, but come on. The promise of weekend, the idea of not having to rush about, except on self imposed deadlines, does hold merit.

I’m excited today for Story Hour for the kiddo. A regular occurrence on Fridays, the kids enjoy their library teacher reading stories via Zoom. I peeked in last week, and it was so heartening to see the radiant impish little faces listening with rapt attention.

What else am I exited about? We got the kiddo a Robotic Set some time back. This weekend will be opening time. I took a Robotics class in college; so I am sure I will be annoyingly sharing stories. But what I am actually delighted is the way STEM toys have become prolific. Such entertaining ways for children to discover and enjoy science and engineering are a small but crucial step towards improving not only the diversity in the field but also the perception that STEM is hard, boring and only meant to be understood by a gifted few.

Among other things, I finally finished a Historical Romance this month, thanks to the habit of reading a few pages here, a few pages there. So, my Reading Count is slowly but surely cruising forward. Every page counts!

School, Science, STEM, reading- outwardly, this has turned out to be quite the cerebrally inclines gratitude post. But in reality, fun, fun, fun!!!!

Stay cheerful, stay blessed, and have a good weekend ahead.

Lens of Gratitude- Day 24

Hello everyone, who else is amazed that we are hurtling towards the last quarter of the year?

In March, all I could think of was getting by a day at a time. Six months have passed. The days dragged, but they still passed.

So, I am grateful for ‘routine‘. It provides the crutch of comforting familiarity. Especially with kids, you have to just steel yourself, set aside the Worry Party and focus on getting things done. This ‘truth’ has helped me out in grief and it certainly has helped ease the days during these excruciating times.

I am also doubly grateful for ‘routine’ as they are excellent cues when you want to add a habit. Since I did not have a daily blogging habit, I have pencilled it in the few minutes after I pack of the kiddo for her morning meeting, before I set about with breakfast for me and the rest of the family.

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The third point I would like to add is for my kiddo’s preschool teacher for this awesome tip. Use a plush toy like a puppet to instruct the kiddo. It works so awesome for reading as well. I have been using it for our little one to get her to stay while we read. (She’s in the actively whizzing stage) It works wonders not only to sustain her interest but also to help her associate objects and names. Win- win.

Those are my 3 gratitude points for the day. What are you focusing on today?

Stay optimistic, stay grateful.

Lens of Gratitude- Day 23

There are 99 days left in 2020 as of today.

With less than 100 days to go, I am working hard to craft a narrative of 2020 that is will help me remember the year kindly. I am also sure the exercise will assist me in tiding the year over.

Thankfully, the past 20+ days of deliberate focus on things I can be grateful for have shown me that it is indeed possible. This was not the motive behind commencing on my Lens of Gratitude 30 day challenge but it has been a fabulous by-Product. (Gratitude #1)

One of the points I personally am grateful for is writing about my Reading Challenge. Not only did it keep me accountable, but also because it is causing my own child to have her own Reading Goals. (Gratitude #2) She has even taken to recounting the five question summary for books she reads on her own just like what she does for school. Clearly my quest to keep her interested in books despite digital distractions is slowly showing results. Yahoo!

[image error]Li’l one also coming onboard the Bookworm Express

I wrote last week about how schools are also adding Arts and Music to the virtual curriculum. So, kids know that these are equally important, not just STEM subjects. I did not realize how much I had enjoyed and absorbed the lesson until I crafted a musical instrument for the lil one last night. A shaker made from an old baby bottle, some cornflakes and hurrah, instant music. It occupied my tyke for several precious minutes while I wrapped my kitchen business. Fantastic!!

Isn’t life amazing when you believe it truly is? Call it confirmation bias at its best or simply the power of manifesting positive thoughts, it works!

In the words of Henry Ford,

Whether you think you are right or wrong,

You are Right!

On that encouraging note, have a good day and let’s make the last stretch of 2020 count.

Lens of Gratitude- Day 22

Hurrah!! Fall has officially arrived.

Today I am grateful for living in a city that is so filled with natural beauty. This town is with its gorgeous trees, undulating terrain and water bodies fills me with so much joy any time I step out. It’s simply gorgeous.

My second gratitude is for the different ‘Days’ that abound. Did you know today is Ice Cream Cone Day and White Chocolate Day? It’s also Voter Registration Day here in the US. Given the times we are in, festivals, ‘days’ – all these help keep us from wallowing in the unending cycle of uncertainty and mandatory monotone.

My third appreciation of the day is for Adele. Yes, the singer. Our younger child loves her songs and they work like a charm to calm her in the car. Seriously, she is a big fan and will calm down as soon as she hears the crooning of Rolling in the Deep or Skyfall. (It makes car trips soooo much easier)

Those are my three gratitudes of the day. What are you focusing on ?

With only a 100 days to the end of the year, I what will you choose to train your attention on?

Please choose hope and optimism. Stay grateful, stay blessed.

Lens of Gratitude- Day 21

A new week, a new start and we are slowly easing into Fall.

I know it starts tomorrow officially, but nature has already started her glorious colorful transformation where we live. Yayy for Fall and apples and pumpkin spice. (Gratitude #1)

Also, how many of you have been reconnecting with old friends and acquaintances? I was messaged by an old mom friend of mine who had moved away. (Gratitude #2) It was amazing to catch up, if only by text. And photos.

As an aside: We parents, of this generation, feel compelled to share an embarrassingly large number of pics and tidbits about our little and not so little cherubs. A lot more that our parents did, thanks to smartphones and the ability to click every grin and waddle. Our parents did too, just with actual photo books and albums.

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I feel this tendency is a trait that is introduced immediately when the baby implants. Have you seen parents go berserk sharing ultrasound pictures and proclaiming how the baby swam/ waved/ kicked? What are your thoughts?

My final gratitude is for Hope.

There are 101 days left in the year.

A hundred if you exclude today. This has been an excruciating year for all of us, but we still have more than a 100 days to shape our memory of it. We can’t choose or control many things, but we can choose to shift our focus to the good. We can control where we pay attention, where we focus our efforts.

What are you going to spend the remainder of these 101 days? What (else) will you try to recall 2020 for?

Monday Motivation

[image error]Virtual Hugs to start the Week!

Lens of Gratitude- Day 20

A glorious Sunday- and a day of relaxation.

I’ll keep my list short and sweet. On my gratitude list are-
The experience of enjoying an Escape Room that I set up for the kiddo.
Discovering the show ‘Connected’
Making Broccoli Bhajji aka broccoli fritters. So yumm!!

With a hope that your Sunday is rejuvenating as well; stay happy, stay cheerful !! Adieu!!

Lens of Gratitude- Day 19

It’s Saturday- and a relaxed day of ahead of us.

The day is already off to a fabulous start and I could not be more grateful.

The baby slept till 8 am
The kiddo woke up at 6, told me and then spent two hours reading a book. She reads aloud, so we are always sure what she’s up to.