100 Happy Days - Day 30

Going for a moonlit walk with B made me happy today.

What you may think

We went for a romantic after dinner walk.

What really happened

We set out for a walk to take a breather from the tantrums of a sick two year old. When we stepped out we were pleasantly surprised by the moonlit sky, but smartphones in hand, we spent most of the time trying to get the perfect picture!

100 Happy Days - Day 29

The sound of crisp leaves followed by giggles of laughter made me happy today.

What you may think

That the family had a lot of fun jumping in the dried leaves.

What really happened

The kids did have a lot of fun jumping in the dried leaves, on the same day they enjoyed the summer sun. Wait it's early August,  and we are clearing dried leaves? What are we heading into, winter like autumn?

100 Happy Days - Day 28

Looking through ethnic wear, and trying it out with the kids made me happy today.

What you may think

We were shopping or getting ready for a party to wear the ethnic accessories.

What really happened

With kids busy doing something,  I sneaked away to get things organized and kept in order. Before I know two young ladies were all over,  pulling out things, giggling and trying out accessories, making future plans, fighting over whose is what. And instead of getting some work done,  we spent an hour just trying out things and being silly.

100 Happy Days - Day 27

Seeing the panda family up close and the absolutely cute 11 month old baby cub made me happy today.

100 Happy Days - Day 26

Having a picnic at the backyard, with loved ones and delicious food, made me happy today.

What you may think

We have many such picnics in the warm evenings of summer.

What really happened

It was our first backyard picnic of this summer. With the dawn of the last month of summer today, came a gentle reminder of the near of the end to a phase. There was a moment of panic, of things that had to get done, and of all the things planned but never got done. A resolution was made to enjoy what was left of summer.

100 Happy Days - Day 25

Seeing our little guest, who lives in our backyard, eating to its heart's content from the bird feeder made me happy today.

What you may think

He is a frequent visitor,  and makes us and the kids happy.

What really happened

He has not been a frequent visitor but been living in our backyard for about two months now, ever since he was a few days old. It is almost like his world begins and ends in our backyard,  has not known anything else. He is content eating out of the bird feeder and strolling around in the yard. He is a joy to watch, especially for the kids. But with it he also brings about a lot of other emotions. I already dread the day he is going to discover the external world and leave his temporary home behind!

100 Happy Days - Day 24

Seeing an American Goldfinch bird, feeding on a Basil plant in my backyard, made me happy today.

What you may think

We are treated with sights of these rare birds ever so often in our backyard.

What really happened

We have lived in this house for five years now and have finally been successful in attracting these birds this summer. Seeing a Cardinal, a Blue Jay and now a Goldfinch in our backyard is slowly becoming a reality. It took trying out 2-3 kind of bird feeders, and finally figuring out that one at ground level, carefully placed near tree branches works the best. But not with out paying the price of cleaning it ever so often, because of rain, ants and another friendly guest in our backyard. (Hopefully he will feature in one of my posts soon)

100 Happy Days - Day 23

Riding on the new route of the metro train that connects the big city closer to home, made me happy today.

What you may think

We are frequent travelers to the big city and don't miss out on any happening events there.

What really happened

Our travel to the city is limited to only a few times in a year. Life gets caught up living in the suburbs, and feeling content that we live so close to unlimited access to a variety of museums and places of interest. The feeling of contentment even got better with the new train. The list of things to visit,  can be postponed indefinitely to another day.

100 Happy Days - Day 22

Cleaning an old pencil box with A and giving it a face lift and filling it with last year's supplies that could be reused for school this year instead of buying new, made me happy today.

What you may think

I scored a deal to convince A and am going to save some pennies this school year.

What really happened

It was indeed a happy moment to hear A's explanation of how much plastic she saved by reusing some of last year's supplies. We had been talking about this ever since school closed for summer break. Did I feel proud and also save some money this year? No! I splurged on a personalized pencil pouch for being so proud of her!

100 Happy Days - Day 21

Spending some time on organizing paper work,  made me happy today.

What you may think

I am a highly organized person, spending time regularly on taking care of such things.

What really happened

I love organizing things and dream of being a highly organized person. But what stumps me usually is making time for it and keeping up with the organized system. I finally made time to organize some paper work that had piled up for months. Though I got a good start, I am far from being done.

100 Happy Days - Day 20

Going for a nature walk with the girls and collecting random fallen things for a collage project, made me happy today.

What you may think

That I am a super creative mom and keep the kids busy with projects like this and at the end of the day we had a beautifully handmade collage hanging on our wall.

What really happened

We finally thought of/found time to go for a nature walk and pick things. The last time we did it was probably 4 years ago. Though the walk was fun, the scorching heat of a july summer's noon, kept us busy puffing most of the way. We came back too tired, just perfect for Av to take a good nap. Before we realized the day's chores caught up with us, leaving just a basket full of picked goodies from nature sitting by the door.

100 Happy Days - Day 19

Harvesting a ripe, red, plum tomato from my garden, made me happy today.

What you may think

That I have a lush vegetable garden in my backyard, where I grow vegetables of all kind. And every evening dinner is prepared with freshly picked produce from the garden.

What really happened

In a feeble attempt to try a hand at growing a vegetable garden, we have some pots trying to satisfy the needs of space seeking vegetable plants. So far we have to our credit,  some saplings of cucumber screaming out for space, a drying up basil plant, sprouting cilantro and methi seeds, and a lonely tomato plant, which we had bought from the store bearing a single fruit. Today that tomato fruit ripened after weeks, and the plant went back to silently praying for more fruits.

100 Happy Days - Day 18

Experiencing one of the best experiences with loved ones and seeing smiles on their faces, made me happy today.

100 Happy Days - Day 17

A picnic lunch by the river surrounded by hills made me happy today.

What you may think

It was a scenic lover's haven and I had a relaxing lunch with the family.

What really happened

For once that is exactly what happened! The only negative, the place is about 4 hours drive from home.

100 Happy Days - Day 16

Bags almost packed for an up coming trip made me happy today.

What you may think

That excitement is in the air and things were carefully packed for all the fun in store during the next few days.

What really happened

Things in the beginning, were packed with excitement and care, making sure we have everything needed for the trip.  The excited screams of the kids coupled with the nervousness of dealing with them in the car during the long drive, diluted the excitement by end of day.

100 Happy Days - Day 15

Spending some alone time with myself made me happy today.

What you may think

That I took some time off to treat myself at a spa or some retreat away from everything.

What really happened

I stepped out to run some errands, leaving both A and Av with my parents, who are visiting.  It was bliss to just be without being interrupted by questions or commentaries on observations. But all at the price of big tears flowing down Av's cheeks after she woke up from her afternoon nap and couldn't find me!

100 Happy Days - Day 14

Image Source: www.etsy. Com

Finding hair ties that don't hurt and learning how to make them made me happy today.

What you may think

I am a craftsy person and an expert at all things DIY.

What really happened

I am far from being a craftsy person but have a thing for handmade stuff and all things simple and earthy. (Even the word organic can sometimes be too fancy for me) So in quest of that simplicity, and the detest of retail prices for something so simple I am excited to get some fold over elastic from the craft store and try this myself. If not anything I can definitely cut and tie knots!

100 Happy Days - Day 13

Having some silly giggly girly fun with my 7 year old made me happy today.

What you may think

I have the liberty to have this kind of fun with her every other day.

What really happened

The only one on one time I get with her is when Av is napping. And in that small window of time, there are numerous things that have to get achieved. For this is the ideal time to do stuff where we won't get disturbed,  that time for fun never gets to come up on the priority list. That basically leaves us both hungry for fun time with each other.

100 Happy Days - Day 12

Cooling off with ice cream at the end of the day made me happy today.

What you may think

I enjoyed the ice cream and relished it till the last bite. And I probably do this every so often!

What really happened

After a lot of fighting against the good voice inside me that warned me not to indulge in an ice cream,  I finally succumbed. The first few bites was so satisfying, until I was reminded of the harsh truth. I was supposed to be on a diet to shed those extra pounds that I had bagged(ahem) in the past few months. 

100 Happy Days - Day 11

Watching the kids play at the soaking water fountain made me happy today.

What you may think

I had a really relaxing and fun evening with the family.

What really happened

I was having a really fun evening, watching the kids enjoy as they got soaked at the water fountain. There is nothing more relaxing than hearing laughter and giggles. But the price for all the fun, was a really tired toddler who had a severe meltdown on the drive back home, washing away my relaxed mind.