MERRY X-MAS and HAPPY 2010

DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.....

HERE IS OUR WISHES TO YOU ALL FOR THE WONDERFUL YEAR AHEAD !!

WISHING YOU POSITIVE THOUGHTS, JOY OF SHARING , PEACE AND TRANQUILITY !


Check out this beautiful link... MERRY CHRISTMAS




This song is sung by my 9 yr old daughter. I love the innocence in her voice :-)



Silent Night Holy Night ( Cover by Neeharika) | Music Upload

This song is sung by my 6yr old, Nishant. The lyrics is perfect for all year round.


Let there be Peace on Earth ( By Nishant 6 yrs) | Music Upload

GIFTS of Love and Care

I really love this poem, as it resonates with my thinking.

********** GIFTS ************

What shall we give the children?
A new year is almost here.
Toys and games and playthings,
As we do every year ?

Yes, for the magic of toy land,
Is part of the new year lore.
To gladden the heart of childhood,
But I shall give something more.

I shall give them more patience,
A more sympathetic ear.
A little more time for laughter,
Or tenderly dry a tear.

I shall take time to teach them,
The joy of doing some task.
I 'll try to find time to answer,
More of the questions they ask.

Time to read books together,
And take long walks in the Sun.
Time for a bedtime story,
After the day is done.

I shall give these to my children,
Weaving a closer tie.
Knitting our lives together,
With gifts that money can't buy.

By : Isla P. Richardson.

Power of Thoughts

"A thought or a any tiny idea that forms in your mind actually has mass. Hypothetically think that the thought is an actual thing, measurable entity with a measurable mass. A minuscule mass of course but mass nonetheless. If thought has mass, then thought exerts gravity and can pull things towards it. If many people start focusing on the same thought, then occurrence of that same thought begin to merge into one and the cumulative mass of this thought begins to grow and therefore the gravity grows. If enough people begin thinking the same thing then the gravitational force of that thought becomes tangible and it exerts actual force, and it can have measurable effect in our physical world. "
From : Dan Brown's " Lost Symbol "

I completely agree with this. The same is true in the collective consciousness, Satsang , Prayer circles and so on. No wonder there is so much of power in prayers and group meditation. Our thoughts play a very important role in our life and our destiny. The more positive thoughts we sow in our universe, we will experience more positive vibrations. Let there be Peace on Earth, through our collective positive thoughts. - By: Janhavee

A Promise By Guru Ji

PROMISE

If I had to promise you something, what would it be?

I can’t promise that you would always be comfortable…
Because comfort brings boredom and discomfort.

I can’t promise that all your desires will be fulfilled…
Because desires whether fulfilled or unfulfilled bring frustration.

I can’t promise that there will always be good times…
Because it is the tough times that make us appreciate joy.

I can’t promise that we will be rich or famous or powerful…
Because they can all be pathways to misery.

I can’t promise that we will always be together…
Because it is separation that makes togetherness so wonderful.

Yet if you are willing to walk with me,
If you are willing to value love over everything else ~

I promise that this will be the most rich and fulfilling life possible.
I promise your life will be an eternal celebration,
I promise you I will cherish you more than a king cherishes his crown,
And I shall love you more than a mother loves her newborn.

If you are willing to walk into my arms,
If you are willing to live in my heart,
You will find the one you have waited forever….
You will meet yourself in my arms… I promise.

Poem written by H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Freeze I'm Ma Baker...gimme all your money !!

How many Years of Experience do you have MOM ??

Moms are extra careful and never try to cut corners and hence can have those bad days often. One day it could be Nishant getting into trouble at school or just giving me hard times....it could be Neeharika not keeping up at school. Its as stressful as for me as for them. I try to manage it well, but sometimes cave in, on one of those gloomy days. It so happened, that i was totally stressed out and started crying. Nishant saw me with tears and said..."oops..this is not good. I will go and get Akka, she is the best". Neeharika, comes in and asks me why i am crying? I told her that both of you trouble me so much that i can't handle it better and feel helpless sometimes, and so i'm crying. Neeha said..."Well Amma, we are just kids and we are learning. And you need not be stressed out so much because you are learning too. You have only 9 yrs of experience of being a mom and so it will take sometime for you to handle the stress". Nishant said...."She has 15 yrs of experience...Neeha you are 9 yrs and i am 6 yrs old, that makes it 15. So she has 15 yrs of experience. "


Guess, Moms Stress level is inversely proportional to the experience :-)

Psychic or Sidekick

A conversation started during dinner with kids. We were talking about some abilities or power that some people possess. Neeharika said Psychic has some special powers. Nishant (6yrs) joined in and said yes, i too know about Psychic. I asked him what he knows about Psychic ? Well ! he said" "a psychic is someone like Robin. In Batman and Robin, Robin is Batman's psychic. " We had a nice laugh....and then, I told him that this Robin is a Side- Kick for Batman and not his Psychic. Obviously his next question was, does that mean Robin helps Batman to Kick people??

No wonder, its always great to get down to the kids level and enjoy their little discovery with words...and wild imaginations :-) :-)

Shibi_ drama_by_KCA_09

Priest : Riya
King Shibi : Ritu
Eagle / Agni : Raashi
Dove / Indira : Maya
Sevak : Nihaal

Rama_exile_by_KCA_09

Grandma : Namita
Grand-daughter : Nisha

Rama : Suhas
Sita : Mahi
Kaikeyi : Ruchika
Dhasharata : Priya

Irvine Students Arjuna Ekalavya Sacrifice Play

Participants

Arjuna : Nishant
Ekalavya : Samarth
Dronacharya : Prerana

Concentration Play by Irvine Kannada Childrens

Participants

Dronacharya : Neeharika
Yudhishtra : Madhulika
Bheema : Shalini
Arjuna : Prakruti
Nakula : Sharad
Sahadeva : Arjun
Duryodhana : Ashwin
Dushyasana : Nidhi

The King and his 4 Queens

The King With Four Wives

Once upon a time there was a rich king who had four wives. He loved the fourth wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best. He also loved the third wife very much and showed her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another. He also loved his second wife. She was his confidante and she was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the king faced a problem, he could confide in her to help him get through the difficult times. The king's first wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining

his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife but although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the King fell ill and he knew that his time was short. Thus, he asked the 4th wife, I have loved you the most endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?

No way! replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.

The sad king asked the third wife, I have loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?

No! replied the 3rd wife. Life is too good! When you die, I am going to remarry! His heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?

I'm sorry, I can't help you out of this time! replied the 2nd wife.The very most, I can only send you to your grave. Her answer came like a bolt of thunder and the King was devastated.

Then a voice called out: I'll leave with you and follow you no matter where you go.

The king looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, because she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved the King said, I should have taken better care of you when I had a chance!

Our 4th wife is our BODY. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look great, it'll leave us when we die.

Our 3rd wife is our POSSESSIONS, STATUS and WEALTH. When we die, it will all go to others.

Our 2nd wife is our FAMILY and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

Our 1st wife is our SOUL, often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the ego. However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go. So cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now! It is your greatest gift to offer the world.

The Living Garden

PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:

1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:

1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:

1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another

NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS:

1..Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another

TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME:

1. Thyme for each other
2..Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends

WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE. THERE IS
MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

Whats Eaves Dropping Anyway ???

Neeharika and I were having private chat about the day we had. Nishant tried to hear using one of those pretend extended ears...like in Harry Potter.


Neeharika said immediately ..."Stop! Eaves dropping Nishant...thats not nice" Nishant said...." No i'm not eaves dropping, i am just trying to listen to your private talk"


Neeharika said " thats eaves dropping." No.....! its not X-mas yet...said Nishant. "What ? " said Neeharika....."What in the world do you think eaves dropping is ...anyway ??"


Nishant said " Well, on X'mas eve, Santa goes to houses and drops gifts down the chimney" and that is called Eaves Dropping..... I am not Santa and its not Xmas yet....Did you get it "


All three of us had a very nice laugh at Nishant's witty explanation.

I am in love with my daughter's Art.

Butterfly Catching

My Daughter Neeharika, loves to be with Nature. Summer is here and our garden is full of wonderful blooms. She loves butterflies and she created her own butterfly catcher. She used a twig from one of the tree, a paper bowl and a fruit netted bag, in which grapes or cherries are packed in the grocery store. I love her creation and her innovation. They wanted to try if their creation would work....It worked indeed and she was absolutely thrilled. She has the brains of my father !! He would definitely be proud of his grand daughter :-) After observing the butterfly...she let it free.

Whats Your Motivation ? My Kids Just Want to be in the NOW and Blow Beautiful Bubbles :-)

One of my school friend shared this interesting piece of information about Motivation.

I believe that things around you, are messengers of the Universe. We just need time and patience and
" Just Listen to Inner Self" and Lo...the answers are right in front of you...but we wander hither and thither.

Now look at this simple, yet profound message from an unknown author.



MOVTIVATION :


What are some of the secrets of success in life?

I found the answer right there, in my very room.

THE FAN SAID =======>BE COOL

THE ROOF SAID=======>AIM HIGH

THE WINDOW SAID ====>SEE THE WORLD

THE CLOCK SAID =====>EVERY MINUTE IS PRECIOUS

THE MIRROR SAID=====>REFLECT BEFORE YOU ACT

THE CALENDER SAID===>BE UP TO DATE

THE DOOR SAID ======>PUSH HARD FOR GOALS


Carry a Heart that Never Hates.
Carry a Smile that Never Fades.
Carry a Touch that Never Hurts.


HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY !! and SHARE YOUR HAPPINESS with A SIMPLE SMILE :-)

My Mom is a Recycle Driver

Image from Tree-Hugger --- Thanks!


Being a mom comes with a huge package deal, with lots of surprises and some perks too :-) Lots of decision has to be made impromptu and mom's have to be on the go all time. With a huge rear view mirror, always wondering and keeping a watch about whats happening in the background, even when kids are not around :-) Phew !!! No wonder its said MOMs work 24 X 7...dreams can be pleasant or it could be a nightmare. I Would say Angles & Demons :-)

When my son Nishant was 3 years old, I asked him why he troubles me always. His answer was " Amma, I trouble you because I have lots of job for you" Hmm! I thought is it just a wise comment, can I take it as a grain of salt. Well, I guess not.

Nishant is going to be 6 this month. He has been studying about Keeping the Planet clean and recycling. One of my friend told him that he can make money if he picked up litter lying on the street. Well, what impact does that have on him or me ??? When I'm driving him around, he would throw a fit in the car whenever he saw CANs and plastic covers on the street. He would want me to stop the car, right then and there, so he could pick it up. I wouldn't be able to stop the car in the middle of a busy street, can I ?? The other day we were driving back from SFO and we stopped for a quick lunch in a rest area. He found some trashed plates and cups on the street. He picked everything up and brought it back to the van. This disturbed me...and i asked him why he was doing this, and he said he wanted to clean up and make money. I had to explain to him, the difference between trash and recycling stuff.

We walk to school some days and on his way to school he picked up a littered soda can. I asked him to leave it where it was and get to the school. He asked me, to pick it up on my way back home and trash it at home. Since I was continuing on my morning walk, it just slipped my mind. When I went to pick him up, his 1st question was..." Did you pick that CAN up" I said Ooops!!. He made sure I drove by that spot and he picked up the CAN and brought it home and dropped it in the re-cycle bin :-)

He wants to be a Litter Police and I am his Recycle Truck Driver :-)

Now i know, what will keep him occupied for this summer, " Beach Cleaning !!!!"

Everyday is Beautiful and its a NEW Experience !!

HELLO !! WORLD.......

A LITTLE ABOUT MYSELF....

I have just started to Blog. My interests are Philosophy, Music ,Photography and Teaching Kids. I believe in simple things which has profound meaning. I love to be with kids and talk to them......their thoughts amazes me. It puts everything in a different perspective. I often wonder why I didn't choose Child Psychology as a profession. I have 2 wonderful kids from whom i learn that life can be as simple as them for a complicated ME :-) :-). I have no limitations to learn...the spectrum starts from a 2 yr old to 92 yr old. There are a wide variety of wisdom out there to learn and capture in this life time. Here I will post everything thats beautiful under the SUN.

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POTATOES OF DIFFERENT COLORS AND SIZES....ITS MEANING OF LIFE !!!!



"
A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game. The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number of people he/she hates.

So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some 3 while some up to 5 potatoes. The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes in the plastic bag wherever they go for 1 week.

Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended....

The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes with you for 1 week?". The children let out their frustrations and started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game. The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just 1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred in your heart for your lifetime???"

Moral of the story:

Throw away any hatred for anyone from your heart so that you will not carry sins for a lifetime. Forgiving others is the best attitude to take! Love others even if you don't like them.


Remember : You yourself are not a perfect person so do not judge anyone rashly


True love is not loving a perfect person but loving an imperfect person perfectly

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Here is something, i compiled for the New Year Season's Greetings. When I see a picture some verses comes to my mind and I just write it up randomly. Check out some of my husbands and my photography. Please turn on your speakers and listen to wonderful music of the awesome pianist Kieko Matsui as you watch the slide show.


One day, my 5 year old son Nishant got into trouble at school. I was very upset with him and didn't talk to him, the whole day. Everyday, he will beg me if he can sleep next to me, and has his way finally. So as usual, he started his ordeal....I said i am a little upset with him today, so i don't know what to do. He said " Just Forgive Me Amma" Well, he made my day...I still couldn't talk...just gave him one tight HUG :-) :-) Sweet Dreams to Nishant !!"

Singing is my passion. My husband and kids have a great ear and talent for music too. My husband has learnt to play by the ear. He started off by playing Harmonium and now he has a synthesizer, with which he released his first album in 1996. Second one is all ready, but still waiting for some final touch ups. My daughter and my Son are my 1st ever fans, just as i am theirs. My Daughter " Neeharika" is a great artist and perfectionist. My son "Nishant" is singer and a clown of the house. He can pick up any tune that i sing and sing along with me.


I always believe in "Do your Best and the Best will come back to you...Boomerang Effect !!!

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I have joined a musical community " Muziboo" its a great place to be for music lovers. There are lots of talented folks out there, whose voice is mesmerizing, and there are those who has the gods gift of creating music. I have made quite few good friends and they do help me shape my musical venture for the better.

I have tried my best to cover the songs of some of the wonderful singers of Bollywood. There is always some variations and its not an exact replica. Please listen with open mind and leave your positive feedback, this will enable me to improve and grow better in this musical venture. Appreciate your time on my blog and love hearing from you. THANKS !!

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This is from the movie "Masoom"(1983).
My 9yr old daughter sang this along with me. Originally sung Gauri Bapat


Lakdi Ki Kaathi ( Cover By Janhavee & Neeharika) | Upload Music



This is from the movie Qurbani.
This song is famous for the background singer Nazia Hassan
as well as the actress Zeenat Amaan.


Aap Jaisa Koi Mere ( Cover by Janhavee) | Upload Music