Laughter of a child

Laughter of a child
Like pearls
Falling on the floor
Like dew drops glistening on leaves
As the early sun warms the air
Like warm breath on a cold rainy day

transitions

This year's got to be The year of transitions for me and my family. A new baby in the house. My older daughter is adjusting to her role as a big sister as also moving onto schooling. Its been hard on her. And we are shortly going to relocate to a new house in a new city. That means choosing a new school for her. A new set of friends. Not only for her but also for us. My husband is between jobs. He is grappling with a choice to continue sailing vis a vis a shore job. Things are muddled unclear hazy. Its stressful groping in the fog without a clear direction or knowing what might happen. While there is a sense of adventure at the change and novelty, there is also apprehension and the longing to settle down to a familiar rhythm. So until then we are swimming in strong currents through the stream of transition.

Cycles for free

Isn't this a wonderful idea to go green.

Gadgets to the rescue

I am the sort of person for whom a book called " gadgets for dummies" would make a perfect gift. I am forever catching up on the gadget horizon and usually by the time i have figured out one its outdated. But of late life's been made easier with few.
Being a new mother and that too the second time means having no time to spare. Motherhood is a little like fire fighting. You respond to the needs of your kids in present time and the enormity of the responsibiltiy seldom dawns on you. Add house work and freelancing to it. A mother can put any circus juggler to shame.
But all is not lost. Enter ... Gadgets - to the rescue.
Having a smart phone is mandatory. While they are useful to make phone calls, you dont have to sit at the desktop to stay conected to the WWW. Checking mails or FB updates is a breeze. You can check out YOUtube or pinterest or anything else that fancies you on the web. PS. You can also get some work done checking your work mails. :)
To take things further, get a wifi. Its like a key that will open up the doors to many life saving devices.
Once you do that, investing in a tab makes sense. Again you can stay connected and browse in bed. Its definitely more pleasurable browsing than on your phone. I watched Usain Bolts olympic gold medal winning race on the ipad via YOU tube replaying it many times for it was such an incredible race and fantastic to see him explode ahead of his co runners!
Get a bluetooth hands free. I don't recommend it for drivers because it still distracts you from the road ahead but it's a must have arsenal for a mother. While it keeps you away from phone radiation, it importantly frees up both your hands for all that diaper changing oil massaging baby bathing activities. So you don't have to miss important calls. Of course getting used to a bluetooth head set is a different game altogether. I still pick up the phone and put it to my ears wondering why i can't hear a thing before it dawns on me to plug in the bluetooth.
Then there are Apps that you will find useful.
Ibaby- Its easy to use and you can record how long your baby sleeps/feeds or when s/he poops or wees with a touch of an icon. You can do it in the middle of the night in a sleepy stupor without much strain.
Wattpad. I downloaded many classics that i read on my phone while my baby feeds. There isnt much else you can do at that time.
Alternatively you can get a book reader a la "a kindle". The best part? You pay on line for an e-version of your favorite book and it can be downloaded to your kindle in a matter of minutes. While nothing can match the pleasure of browsing for books in a shop, on line shopping makes life easy in times when theres paucity of time. I have to mention here that I am reading Bill Bryson's "A short history of nearly everything" right now and find it totally addictive. Its like going thru' all your science school books in a stretch and finally making sense of it. Well, almost!
"Out of milk" is a good apps that lets you make your shopping list on your phone as and when you remember them. So you don't have to call your husband a hundred times while he is at the super market. You can sync it with his phone and update the shopping list.
Last but not the least, download blogger apps so you can blog from your phone in bed while feeding sessions or when the kids have slept and you refect on things that you just have to share with friends.
If there are other essential apps you know of, let me know. I am all ears.
Of course once in a while you have to forget all gadgets and just enjoy the baby in your arms. There simply isn't anything more adorable. And you see a bit of heaven everytime the little one catches your smile and smiles back shyly in the middle of feeding. Only a mother will know that bliss.