Making Lemonade...

I had started off on a self improvement trip sometime earlier…A new job and a new city as well as some domestic challenges ensured that the program has been in the backburner for sometime…But now the time is ripe to revive it…There were couple of things I was doing in the meanwhile. One was to start an exercise regime, which got dropped in between because the gym upstairs is being renovated…I can't motivate myself to walk on plain ground…I like the treadmill better…But now I will start off again, and try to walk on plain ground till the gym gets ready…The other thing I have tried is to bring some good food to the table…the focus is on taste and variety and not health, sinjce both hubby and self feel we don't celebrate our lives enough...Having a maid in the house means that I don't get the kitchen to myself…A cleanliness freak of a mom doesn't help either…So I have decided to restrict this to buying fruits and chicken…

The theme now is on celebrating life…Juggling a job and home is becoming more and more challenging by the day…My obstinate resolution of not letting a maid be my child's caregiver is taking a toll on my mental peace…I am literally at the mercy of my mom and dad since they are pretty sure that my in-laws would not lift a little finger to help…I have several options in front of me:

1. Quit job and stay at home: The problem with this is that there won't be any money at home…Hubby is planning to give an exam soon and would like a break from work himself…

2. Hubby quits job and looks after baby: The first part is going to happen, but if he decides to do the looking after baby part, then its like taking a pleasure trip on your study hols, and I am not sure its fair to him.

3. Give baby to maid: I don't think I can bring myself to do this.

4. Send baby to playschool: This is fast emerging as a desirable option for me, though I am not sure my baby will like it…These days most play schools have nannies who are just like maids - they are not educated or qualified to look after kids, and I have personally seen small kids being whacked in a playschool near my house, for the big 'Crime' of losing their bladder control in the class.

5. Start a business: In the initial days atleast this is going to be even more hectic than a day job, hence I am ambivalent about this as well. Though I feel in the long run, this is the best I can wish for….I am looking for an internet based business idea..anyone?

Anyways coming back to celebrating life…we both love travelling, although with the baby travel has become much more difficult…I do not know what I do wrong, but I hardly get any time for myself when I travel with him….And we are both crankier after the trip than before…

I wonder whether there are any good resorts at a distance of less than 45 minutes drive from Cochin city…

I recently attended an excellent training program where the trainer said that once every 20 days you should ask yourselves "When was the last time I did something for the first time?" …Well, I am going to try and do this…

I am also planning to do something that will bring a smile to my face every day…On some days it could be playing with my baby, on others it could be reading a book…It can even be as simple as making my bed…I am now promising myself that I am going to start my day thinking of something I should do to keep me happy…and before I go to bed, I shall evaluate whether I was successful…If not, I will do something to bring that happy smile to myself…and no matter how much others may try to irk me and pull me down…I am going to go ahead with my day focusing on this one thing…Till it gets done, I shall smile in anticipation and after its done I shall smile in satisfaction…I am not going to let life pull me down, unless a major tragedy happens…Till then, its going to be happiness always...