Jenny's Top Ten

Though it might not be the ideal location, we have kept our PC in our dining room.  The reason for us doing so are plenty, most important one of which is that we hardly have space for it anywhere else in the house.  But there is another equally important factor.  Getting Jenny to sit still during the course of an entire meal is almost impossible.  We might distract her to sit quietly initially by giving her something to eat or pick on but that will not last one.  So, we put music videos on the computer and she will watch those.  And if one would think that it could be any music, think again!  Unless it is a song she finds interesting, she will create a scene until we change the song!  She is a girl who knows what she wants.  It might be a silly topic for a blog, but I thought I should share her favourite songs (Reader Beware: the choice of songs does not necessarily mean I like them!)

Presenting, Jenny's top ten music video choices (I have provided the YouTube links to the videos)

1. K'naan - Wavin' Flag  - She absolutely adores this song.  It can be version featuring David Bisbad or Nancy Ajram or Will.i.am or the solo version; she couldn't care less.  This is one song that will stop her in her tracks
2. Shakira - Waka Waka -  I don't know what she sees in this song, but she likes it
3. Sean Kingston - Eenie Meenie (ft. Justin Bieber) - Here I agree with her.  The song really sounds nice
4. Smile.dk - Butterfly - The less said about this song, the better.  I mean, how many times can one listen to this song and not feel like smashing the computer!
5. David Guetta - Memories (ft. Kid Cudi) - Maybe not the perfect video for a kid, but as long as she just enjoys the music, I guess it should be fine
6. Yolanda Be Cool vrs DCup - We no speak Americano - Very funny Charlie-Chaplin-styled music video
7. Celine Dion - I'm Alive - Very nice song....very interesting to listen to...and the video is perfect for kids
8. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Wonderful music....everybody should listen to it
9. Celtic Violins - Again, very nice to listen to
10. Ke$ha - Tik Tok - Hate the girl, dislike her to the core, but catchy music (My favourite is the Simsons version of the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0Bx2phCINw )

We cannot even think of going somewhere without these songs of hers...even when we plan a trip to Kerala, these videos will be copied and taken along.  After all, the girl is too young for her own i-Pod and we parents need to take care of her needs! :)

The big day: Jenny's First Birthday

Have you ever seen kids on weekends?  5 days a week, a stampede couldn't get them out of bed.  However on weekends, they miraculously awake before everybody else.  Ditto here.  I mean Anuja and I were already excited enough but on that day, Jenny was up and awake by quarter past 5!  And that, too, wide-awake!  We wished her, fed her and then took her to Church.  We attended mass and the celebrant blessed her.  That took care of the formal part of the birthday. 

A taxi had been arranged to pick up my mother and Anuja's parents.  They arrived 90 minutes late, but by then, we had breakfast hot and ready for them!  In the previous blog, I had mentioned an artistic friend of mine.  He came over and the two of us inflated around 3 dozen balloons in one hour!  His wife (also an artist) prepared some pencil drawings (which she coloured with crayons) based on the theme we had used for the cards.

By half past 4, my brother-in-law, my friend and I transported the balloons to the venue and spent more than an hour decorating the central area.  Hotel people were kind enough to help out.  By the time we were done, it was already past six and my wife informed me that people were already en route to the venue.

Guests: I wish to thank all my friends and relatives who attended the function.  Apart from a handful of people, everybody else was almost precisely on time!  And I especially wish to thank Nitesh, who came all the way from Mangalore for the function.  It felt so nice to be in the presence of friends and loved ones.

We had the cake cutting (during which one friend scared the group by bursting a 'Party Popper').  Cake was very good; very light and chocolaty like a cake should be.  Then the food.  I think I can safely declare that everybody liked the food...I myself found it very tasty.  And there was plenty to go around (we even had enough to take some home, which was enough for the rest of the weekend).  By 9 o'clock, the last guests left (it was a children's party, so no party after bedtime!!!) and I settled the bill and went home satisfied.

This was the gist of the party.  But how did the birthday girl like everything?  She loved it.  She wasn't cranky and she did not cry once (as long as people were not trying to carry her!).  She enjoyed the lights, the balloons, the cake and everything altogether.  In fact, when my friend Sandeep came, Jenny started giggling and laughing, as if his coming was the highlight of the entire evening!  Even after we came home, Jenny kept talking and talking (in her own language) about the events of the day and how she enjoyed the party.  By 11, we forced her to go to sleep.

One year...it's been one year since Jennifer has come into our lives.  I just cannot believe it how time has gone by.    I cannot even imagine a life before Jenny.  I know from the times she has been in Kerala how I cannot bear not having her at home.  I cannot express the joy I get by just holding her...by looking at her toothless smile...by hearing her babbled words...by getting intoxicated by her innocence.  I have enjoyed being a father all this year...and I can only look with wonder and anticipation on what all to look forward to with Jennifer in my life.

(Photos of the party can be seen @ http://tilput.jalbum.net/Jennifer's-1st-Birthday/ )

1st Birthday Series: Final Preparations

The final week before the birthday went by in a blur.  There were things to be done and on the other hand, there was nothing much remaining to be finished.  It's a paradox.  I took a friend along to the birthday venue (a friend who is much better at 'art' than I will ever be!).  We inspected the hall and decided how to decorate it.  The next day, another friend and I (yes, I do have more than one friend!) we went to Sahib Ibrahim Street (parallel to Commercial Street) and got ourselves all the decorative "this 'n that" one could want for a party.  The shop keeper also used the opportunity to educate us both that 'Birthdays are all about celebrations and fun'....maybe because we weren't buying enough!

After that, the cake had to be ordered.  I knew from the very outset itself which cake we wanted.  I had tasted it before at yet another friend's birthday and knew that this cake was 'the one'!  Wife and I decided that the cake should not be round (as cutting and sharing a round cake among 50 guests might turn ugly) and placed an order for a 3 kg Dutch Truffle cake from Daily Bread.  

The next couple of days were relatively calm.  We just had to sit back and make ourselves go crazy with paranoia that we left things out or that we planned things poorly or that the venue was insufficient or that the cook might mess up and so on and so forth.  My sister-in-law arrived two days in advance which was a huge help.  She shared the responsibility of taking care of the kid, which gave Anuja and myself more space and time to dedicate to worrying!

However, the big day was finally at the doorstep.  We were prepared and ready.  There was no turning back now.  It was time... (more in the next blog!)