today is deepavali.
Told myself that i will make an effort to make a treat out of it, bring back memories, create our family’s own little rituals that the kids can fondly remember as they grow in this adopted country.
it’s so hard to bring this kind of excitement from within. very much like teaching religion. going to the temple, putting your hands up instinctively when you see a tiny temple, or a god’s statue, a procession, seemed ingrained. it’s not something that was taught. I see my kids not doing the ‘instinctive’ thing – i have to remind them. tell them to have conversations with God, which is not such far flung from the truth, but that definitelyw asn’t the name it was referred to while i was growing up.
anyway, i digress.
woke up early – thank heavens the clock changed – and gave the kids a semi-oil bath [no nuvvulanoone, and sunnipindi though] and new clothes – sweatshirts, trackpants, and flannel shirts, even managed to find DH a new shirt. the dressy desi clothes will be reserved for the diwali that we celebrate over the weekend.
no idlis or sweets for celebrating Ravan’s death, but just honey bunches o oats, and waffles. piano class, and vocal practice amidst my toddler running like a whirlwind thru’
promised them that dinner will be good!
promises should not be made in haste. promises made even in haste will have to be honored.
so yeah, ive been cooking since 1 pm. nothing fancy, steamed beans for curry, lime rice, tomatillo pachadi, green pepper pulusu, and now comes the dreaded ‘sweet’ – i don’t like sweets, ok, lemme rephrase. i like them enough to eat, not to cook. i guess i’ll just make some payasam, and maybe some daal. whats a festival without good old muddapappu.
it’s 4.30 now, and k1’s off to art clss, k2 is videogaming away [donno why mr.kelly isn’t giving any hw the past few days], and k3 is trying very hard to annoy her anna. i have urad dal soaked, and will need to make some vadas. yikes! i never can get that perfect circle hole in the middle, but i will not give up.
