The planets align again!

 I didn't think it would ever happen again. For the planets align only once in a lifetime isn't it? But they did again! And we ended up celebrating papa and K's birthday in person together again! 

The birthday week kick started with mummy 's on the 4th of July. It was a busy day. Chiyaa had an open evening at her to be secondary school. The evening was packed. But we managed to get some cake and chicken for mummy in the afternoon since we expected a busy evening. It was a lovely sunny day. Mummy enjoyed a nice little walk with my sister. Papa mowed the lawn and did some cleaning activities around the house. It was the proper countdown to their return as papa kept saying. They are slated to go back to India on 2nd August and we could feel the pangs of separation as the birthday week approached. But then life goes on and we take pleasure in the small things that are bestowed upon us. I was happy that again mummy was with the people she literally dotes the most. She is also a very closed person with a small social circle which mostly entails family. She is closest to her daughters and loves being with her grand-daughters. So, I was pretty sure that, with no gifts, no big celebrations, she was still at her most satisfied.

3 days later it was K and Papa's birthday. By the stroke of luck it was a school holiday for the kids for teacher training. It was just pure coincidence and again something that had never happened before!! We took the day off and planned a day trip to York. Pumpki had gone there to a chocolate museum and she was keen that we all go there and experience what she had. And here Wham! came another brilliant coincidence. It was World Chocolate Day! It was all getting tied in a neat little parcel by some divinity. The trip at York's Chocolate Story was quite good. We stopped by for some lunch and then walked over one of the parts of the Roman walls that were built to protect the city of York. It was quite an experience. But by this time, the sun was getting on everyone's nerves. It was becoming a bit too hot and tiring especially for the kids and Papa. There were a lot more sights to see, but we decided to take the train back home. We quite enjoyed the trip and it was a wrap to a good day spent together.  

The days together might be drawing to an end, but we are so loving all the sweet moments that we can capture. I could not thank God enough for these days. 

Fingers crossed dear Chiyaa

 Chiyaa has been the most emotional component of our lives. When she was born, K and I could not have our parents near us to support us. We had to go through the entire ride of being new parents in a country which was not our native. It was a big learning experience but also a very handson and emotional one. We have many emotions and gone through many experiences for the very first time with her. 

Sending her to daycare was another monumental time for us. She took ages to settle down and it ripped out hearts dropping her every day. She used to cry and squirm in the pram even when we neared her day care. I had to literally tear myself from her and goto work. But then eventually after what seemed like eternity, she settled down and started loving her nursery. 

For most kids, nursery naturally leads to a local school. But we had to leave Leeds. She had to say her goodbyes to her nursery before the designated time. It felt like a relationship cut short, abruptly, untimely and painfully. She was given such glorious praise and good wishes by her nursery mates and her carers and even mummy and I who went to pick her up on her last day had tears in our eyes. 

But life is moving on. In a new town she started a new life in a new school. She didn't have the usual settling in sessions that the local kids might have had. She was thrust into the school. She took a few weeks to settle down and a new friend was instrumental in that. Her friend, her friend's brother and Chiyaa used to greet each other with the loudest hugs and shouts when they greeted each other. It was finally falling into place.

But then, life hit her and us again. K got a job in Leeds and we had to move back. We got her placed in a local school. She had a very very tough time forging new friendships all over again. Her teacher was phenomenal in settling her. She formed some friendships with some older kids, but they left school, she formed some friendships with her after school clubs but they came and went. She never had a good solid friend. There was shuffling in her class in the middle of school which landed her in  a group very unlike herself. She struggled through the next 4 years. K and I kept ruing, that a good level headed kid like her just needed one friend to make school life just a bit easier. But for some reason that was being denied to her.

She starts high school in September. On 6th July they had a trial day at her new school. She was in a group where she knew no one. She said she was fine with it. ' It will be a fresh start' is what the mature lil girl said. I dropped her at school hoping and praying she found a bunch of people to hang out with. We saw the some  known faces and I asked her why didnt she just say hi. She went ahead and one of the people hugged her and they all started talking. I had tears in my eyes. As she went into the big school building, I stood hoping she  would cope and survive.

When I went to pick her up, she came with a smile and my eyes watered again. She had some one from her school in her group. She chatted with a group of known people during lunch. She did not feel alone or left out during the day. My hope and prayer, May this be true for the next 5 years. All she needs is one friend.