The month of May, the final month of summer vacations for the kids was relatively easy. That is because the elder son is going to school, and the younger son is not much of a nuisance then. 🙂 The elder son celebrated his 15th birthday, and we pulled out all stops to make it enjoyable for him. That his school reopened just a day before his birthday was a bit of a dampener but we extended the celebrations over the weekend. His grandmother had come down specially for his birthday and that made him happy.
Having my mil around is a huge help to me. She helps with household chores, cutting veggies and cooking. Gives me more time for my work. She also covered all the books of the younger son. Most importantly she is empathetic. She understands and relates to my struggles as a fellow woman and tries to alleviate them. Such a blessing!
May was also the month when G and I went for an overnight trip with two other couples. We left our children behind, and I think it must be the first time we took a trip like this. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and I think it is time to do more of these. The kids had grandma at home and managed quite well without us.
I recently made a nice batch of avakaya (Andhra style mango pickle) that turned out so good. My mil gave her stamp of approval and has taken back a bottle with her to Hyderabad. Made me feel so stoked. Isn’t it nice that for once the mother is taking pickle made by the children? 🙂
Update on the tooth is that after some more work, it is painfree now. I have to leave it alone for a couple of weeks before the remaining root canal work can be done. Looks like this is going to stretch some more. At least the pain is gone, and I do really like the dentist. She is very methodical, thorough and soft spoken.
The best part about the month is that I got the regularity back in my fitness routine. I have been sticking to working out 5-6 times every week despite going out plans or celebrations. I have been updating my progress on my twitter handle @rachnaparmar. Do follow my journey. As I don’t really take my weight and rely on how I fit into my clothes as a good measure, I was oblivious to what my weight was. But when I saw that I piled on some weight due to pleasure trips made in April, I weighed myself. So, I have lost about 2 Kgs since then and plan to lose more to be in the shape I was in earlier. I would like to eat cleaner and hopefully June would be that month for me. One thing I have done is reduced my salt intake. It helped me with less bloating around my periods and also threw me off burgers and junk outside. My God, how much salt do those things have! Also, I have realized that due to my disciplined multiple meals in a day, I just don’t have the stomach for binge eating or all-you-can-eat places. It is good in a way as that is never good for the body. So that is the update on the fitness and health front.
We, in Bangalore, have been fortunate to receive regular showers thus keeping the temperature under control (at the cost of inviting the ire of my friends in other cities),
Summer is the perfect time for gorging on mangoes. Those from my mil’s backyard were a great treat. I also got other mango varieties from a neighbor’s farm. Also got to gorge on some jamun and jackfruit. So grateful!
Work is going at a steady pace. I am itching to expand my projects. Let’s see how things pan out.
How was your May? Parents, raise your hands if you are looking forward to June because schools are reopening. 🙂
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Do join Vidya at Gratitude Circle Hop.
I must say you have a great MIL, what a blessing and that trip without kids sounds something out of this world….
Stay blessed 🙂
Indeed, a blessing! Thanks Prasad. 🙂
Good to see your May going well…still a few days to go ☺️
It has been very hectic for us, but some accomplishments here and there kept us happy.
Enjoy your June…being fit is the best we can do to ourselves!
Thanks, Alok. Wish you and Saru a wonderful June as well.
It’s a true grateful month for you, Rachna. Having a MIL who cares and is a mother to you is always good to deepen the bond. In the past, I had horrible time with my tooth for a whole year and it sucks big time. Hope you better now. I think that I also losed few kilos with my yoga practice four times a week.
Have a super end of month and amazing June:)
mean to say lost*
Yoga is so good, Vishal. I am glad that you are practising it regularly. Thank you for your warm words and hope you have a lovely June.
Interesting how you usually say “The Husband”, “The Younger Son”, “The Older Son”, but….”My MIL”! You must love ’em mangoes!
I noticed that too and smiled to myself 😀
I didn’t notice it till you guys pointed it out. 🙂
I do love mangoes and no specific reason for the the/my usage.
Nice to hear that schools are reopening. My little ones vacation just started and I m still struggling to keep her busy n happy. A mini getaway without children must be fun and interesting. Once in a while parents should go to such vacations. Avakaya n mangoes I miss them the most. Lucky you. All the best ?
Thanks Shilpa. Oh yes, we parents do need our own breaks as well. 🙂
Hugs! Sounds like a nice May, Rachna! Good to know your MIL came over–how wonderful it is for kids to spend time with Grandma. Also great to know you and G went off on a trip. And yes, you must do it more. It is amazing how supportive children become as they grow up.
Good to know about your dental work progress 🙂 Same boat here, although, no root canals this time.
Fitness really is the priority as it takes care of our overall health. I am back into my regime too, and in fact, am joining a walkathon tomorrow morning in our area.
I’ve had a pretty offline May and am loving it. Rather than fight my problems, I am embracing them and seeing how best I can manage.
Thank you so much for linking up… I wish you all the best on the health and work front. And oh, I miss school reopenings and book coverings. Sigh.
I am happy that you are always so positive in your approach, Vidya. Thanks for your lovely wishes.
May is one of my favourite months because I spend most of it in Lucknow.
You are fortunate to have such a wonderful MIL who connects with you woman to woman. Oh and that she carried your pickle – that’s a huge thumbs up for your cooking abilities. I continue to carry back pickles from home!
I so need to get back to my fitness routine. I did make something of a start this week – but they’re just baby steps. For now I’m hoping I can keep this up. Will catch up on twitter. I could do with someone motivating me constantly.
How lovely, Tulika! Though I belong to Unnao, I haven’t been to UP in decades now. No family left there except for distant relatives. I miss those days in my nanihal. Sigh! I wish mum was around because I knew that she would pack off so many goodies to take back with me. With vacation, fitness plans go for a toss easily. I am sure June would be much better for you. Do let me know and I can keep checking on your fitness goals once in a while. 🙂
Avakaya pickle sounds awesome 🙂 And yes, you do need to make those couple trips more often… life passes by so quickly. Enjoy it.
Thanks, Roshan. Very sound words those.
Such a wonderful month you’ve had. So glad to hear about the tooth troubles easing up! Must be a relief. I love trips away with just the husband. I’ve come to cherish them more after the last few years 🙂
I loved that recipe you wrote about the pickle. So tasty! Had me drooling. Of course, I won’t make it because, you know me and cooking 😉
May was pretty relaxed for me because we were off from work and I haven’t even blogged as much in the last two weeks. Taking it easy before we get back to the routine from next week.
Have a blessed June and hope you make your fitness goal 🙂
I wish, Shailaja. I have had a lot of downs in May but the ups were worth talking about. 🙂 Thanks for your warm comment on the recipe post too. Your appreciation is always a shot in the arm for me. I am glad that you took time off in May to recharge your batteries. We all need that. Hope you have a great June as well and hope that you are keeping up with your workouts.
You are indeed lucky to have such a darling MIL! God bless her!
Good to hear about your tooth problem getting sorted slowly and steadily. Basically, it all zeroes down to the kind of dentist you have. If he/she is kind and soft-spoken and caring, then a visit to their clinic need not be like a visit to the gallows! 😀
Good to hear your month going by smoothly…may all your months pass by this way….
Mine has been…not so okay. It’s too bloody hot (excuse my language!) so can’t think of venturing outdoors for an outing. Waiting for the rains desperately now. Fitness routine is now getting back to normal. Let’s hope the next month brings along with it some respite from the heat and some peace and joy in our Mumbai life!
May wasn’t smooth at all, Shilpa. I had many hiccups which I choose not to write about. It’s better to focus on the good stuff to feel more positive. 🙂 But thanks for your warm wishes as always. My dad was telling me how terribly hot it is there. I am sure Mumbai will see the rain gods soon.
Don’t know why but had a feeling of deja vu while reading this post. Probably, because I have seen most of your updates on FB & Twitter 🙂 Good to know that you are doing better on the toothache front. Also, good that you guys when for a trip with friends, sometimes you need to do such things. S and I bunked office one-day last month and went out for a movie and lunch. It’s so hard to find time with each other when we are both not exhausted. We are hoping to do that more and more. Hope you have a wonderful June , Rachna 🙂
Hope you have a wonderful June as well, Naba. I have no relatives closeby to leave the kids with and they are pretty chipku too. So this was the first overnight trip without them. 🙂 The initial few years with kids are very exhausting but it gets better, at least physically, once they are older. 🙂
Nice to know that you have a sweet and supportive mother in law..I did leave my kids in both the grandmothers house so that they can spend some time with them instead of TV..My mother in law made vathals,vadams and my kids loved putting it in the terrace.
http://www.simpleindianmom.in/is-water-retention-the-reason-behind-your-weight-gain/
Wow, your may was super active. Glad that you were able to enjoy some couple time together. Belated birthday wishes to your elder one ? I am slacking on my exercise due to winter… I need to get some inspiration from you ?
Your May sounds pretty fantastic! 😀
You are blessed to have such a wonderful MIL who understands your struggles as a woman. Mine only adds on to my struggles as she thinks women should do all the work all the time.
I took up fitness in May too. I always was a pretty active person but now I am taking working out and eating right very seriously. I quit rice and white foods for a week and lost 2 kilos. Wow! I workout at home or go running as often as I can or indulge in a game of badminton every weekend. They do wonders to your body and mind.
A vacation is due for me and I have been overworked, but May did leave me with a lot of lessons and strength.
Bangalore weather is finally returning to its old days and it is such a relief!
Hope you have a blessed June as well.
Wow! You have one cool MIL! I wish they were all like that… compassionate human beings, first and foremost.
Over here, the summer hols continue. I am getting bored out of my skin at the store. Most of the kids have gone to visit their dadi-nanis, so I am more-or-less jobless at the moment!
I know what you mean by eat-all-you-can places. My sister and BIL once took us to BBQnation when we were visiting them in Delhi. I got full just after the starters! That made them quite disappointed, as it was a lot of money wasted. They swore they’ll never take me to such buffet places again!
I didn’t know you and Tulika were UP-ites too! I hail from Kanpur! 😀
Your mil surely seems to be the nice sorts… God bless… Your avakaya pickle must be good if it got her stamp of approval. These are actually the small joys of life we need to be greatful for. Hoping to catch up on more health and fitness progress on your Twitter handle..
Lovely to read about the positives for May, Rachna. It’s great to have a mil you can bond with. Trips without kids should be indulged in one has the support system. Last year the kid stayed back at my parent’s place and it kind of felt good to have just the husband and myself for a few days. Helps to re-connect as a couple.
Happy to know about the progress on the tooth front. I have a terrible set of teeth, so I understand.
I need to restart with these gratitude posts. I’m not too regular.
You had a good month and I am happy for you. Mangoes, pickles and time with family are few best things of life. Good to know that the toothache is at bay.
You know what? I fit into clothes are that good 5+ years old but I haven’t lost a gram. So for me it’s like a battle. 😛
wishing you expanded horizons at work and a happy June, Rachna!
Thank you, Parul. If you fit into your clothes well, then you have nothing to worry. I never worry about weight. I don’t even weigh myself. It is only when I felt the bulges in the clothes that I got a bit concerned. 🙂 I am loving your Yoga updates and good going on that front.
What a positive post, I felt good just reading this! Indeed there is so much to be grateful for in our lives, if we only pay attention. It is such a blessing to have a supportive and affectionate mother-in-law, isn’t it? I am also fortunate in that department 🙂
I wish we will also get some rains here, soon!
Thank you, Beloo. You are absolutely right. I guess, I enjoy doing these posts because they help me focus on every tiny positive. Good to know that you have a wonderful mil as well. I hope the rains have reached there by now.
We went on an amazing road trip on our 10th anniversary having left our kids with my parents and it’s definitely a phenomenal experience after many years!
Yay for the mango pickle!! It definitely is quite an achievement to receive that stamp of approval!
Sadly, no parents closeby to leave the kids with. Yes, it truly is quite an amazing experience after all the years. Thanks about the pickle. We have already consumed half of the pickle so far. 🙂
Nice to read your May update Rachna.. it must be back to school time now. Son turning 15 years old, wow that’s quite something. And pickles, and that too Avakaya, great. I have never tried making one as a summer ritual. I liked your youtube videos too…waiting for more. I have been very late in posting my gratitude post this time.