The Day of the Dead!

Oct 31st Halloween day - It was not just like any other day. It was not just about trick or treating, wearing scary costumes, lighting bonfires, carving pumpkin lanterns and telling & listening to scary stories. This day marked the end of harvest season. It's an ancient Celtic festival at which time it was believed that the barrier between This world and the Other world was removed so that the dead could visit the living :-) .

Now, let's see what Kavya & Oviya did for last Halloween. Both went 'Trick or Treat' to the nearby vet hospital & the pet store with their dearest pet pal 'Snowy'. Everyone was dressed up for the occasion. We had 2 bumble bees & a fall gift basket. They loved their costumes. I know, it was funny & not scary :-P. Wooahh... It was so much fun meeting other dogs who were dressed up too :-) .

             

While they were nearing their 2nd birthday, Kavya had a bunch of vocabulary & Oviya had a bunch of her gymnastic moves :-) . Their understanding was growing rapidly & their attitudeushas based on their likes & dislikes. They wanted our attention all the time, cried when we didn't play with them, circled us all the time - It all only meant one thing... They were showing their abundant love & affection :-) .

Sometimes, dads have to go that extra mile to make kids happy :-P . And the great winning look in the kid's face is priceless ;-) .

My unspoken words...

We had to undergo lot of stuffs in Kavya & Oviya's 22nd and the next few months. Both were running & jumping, rolling & falling & getting hurt. It was so tricky & exhausting to watch them every moment & running behind them all day. Apart from these, they developed strong temper tantrums too. They get angry or upset easily, cry with loud screams, fight for no reasons, laugh for silly things. Managing their feelings were increasingly complex. While double the fun seemed to be there, I was also able to feel the heat of double the trouble too :-) . Both had their own boundaries & thresholds. Kavya screams for pouring water over her head, Oviya screams for wiping her wet hair... Hold on! Sometimes, it wasn't over yet :-P. By taking a deep breath, I would just continue the rest of the day ending up with bedtime battles :-\ . Not all days are rough & not all days are smooth too :-) .

We had a birthday party & a housewarming ceremony where we were all dressed up traditionally differing from the rest of the day. Even though we live in a foreign country, I guess our tradition & our traditional dresses always bring a smile & eagerness among both of them. They loved to wear glittering dresses, asked for bangles & chains, showed patiently for keeping bindis. Watching them wear our traditional style is little special :-) .

On the other hand, they are naughty & stylish too :-) .

Sigh!!!! Among all the things happening, I don't know why Kavya had to go through the toughest phase. She was already getting sick very often, at least twice in a month. On top of it, she got Pneumonia on October 10th 2013. She got wheezing for the first time. We didn't knew it initially. She had tough time breathing and had rapid inhaling & exhaling cycles. She was given steroid & nebulizer in the nearby minute clinic to stop her symptoms of wheezing. She recovered soon, but became dull & weak. Later from the lung specialist we came to know that he suspects pediatric asthma in her ( This type of asthma lasts during the childhood, maybe until age 3 to 5. Rarely it comes back during adulthood too). This wasn't devastating. We have a strong hope that she would recover soon from wheezing & the medicines she's now taking. I know that she needs more concentration & we would do everything possible to support & make her feel better. We, the parents have to be strong to make her strong.

Dear Kavya & Oviya,

We always wanted you to know,
You both are an incredible presence...
Rain or shine, peak or base
Happiness or sadness
Mom & dad will always be there
To hug you tight, blow you kisses
Watch you grow, Hold your hands

And love you to bits & pieces :-) .

"Hope" - This small word gives a big meaning to life. Never, ever, let go of this :-)