From my Pink Diary.......

It is a gloomy day outside but I have plenty of sunshine inside my house!

The kids insisted that I must give them packed lunch from home as they love food cooked by their Ma. Even though physically I am not in the ‘fit state’ currently and the “side effects of chemo therapy” try hard to pull me into the vortex, the kids always get the best out of their mom. I had no option but to pull myself out of my lethargy and we sat down to decide on the menu!!

Settling down to a common menu is the most crucial part of the whole thing as the taste buds of my kids are inclined to different directions – the son swears by anything ‘spicy’  and the daughter practically lives on ‘sweet’. After much deliberation and with due consideration to my health status, we froze the menu to “sandwich with baked sliced potato and juice for break, chicken fried rice with crumbled fried egg for lunch and banana for dessert”. We went off to sleep with a firm instruction from both of them that they would assist me in the kitchen in the morning and the alarm was set at 5.45 am in the morning.

As the alarm went off, I could see them springing up on their feet, out of bed (what a surprise!!) and I was shaken gently,” Ma, it’s time to get up.” With two deputies by my side, who seldom see eye to eye to each other, the kitchen turned into a battle ground within minutes – we forgot to decide what vegetables and spices should go into the chicken fried rice, the previous night!!

We chopped garlic and discarded (it smells garlicky when she opens the lunchbox), we chopped onion and discarded (he does not particularly like to chew on onion in between chicken pieces), we chopped capsicum and discarded (both do not like the slight bitterness in them) and finally could put some chopped carrots in the hot oil in the wok!

……and moment I mentioned to add some sauces , the sonny pushed me aside and pulled down 5 of the sauce bottles from the cupboard in a blink and churned out a deadly looking concoction as if he has been training in a culinary school for ages while me and the daughter ,watched him in bewilderment. Just to drive out my fear, he put a spoonful in his mouth and immediately spit it out almost on his sister. Her expert comment was not far from her lips,” Ma, dare not add it to the fried rice. The sauce looks like weird kind of blood but even the vampires would refuse to drink it” and hid behind me to save herself from her brother’s ire. We lost precious 15 minutes by that time from our schedule and I had to finally pull out the ultimate from my armory….

“Babies, why don’t you watch TV for 10 minutes and let me concentrate on your lunch pack. Otherwise, you have to eat from the cafeteria”. Before I could even finish my sentence, the title song of “Hey Jessie” was on full blast on the TV screen!! This trick never failed so far!! I finally got the kitchen under my control!!!!

By the time, they were ready with brush, bath and uniform, smelling nice and looking fresh, I somehow managed to hand them over their lunch pack and give them a peck on their cheeks as barely there was time for an elaborate “have a good day, babies”. They left home happy and satisfied but not before reminding me my day’s tasks:

“Momsickle (my daughter calls me lovingly), don’t forget to take your medicines on time and eat and drink as much as you can. “

“Don’t forget to carry the card for the doc when you go to the hospital today (they prepared a card for my doc as a token of their gratitude that he has taken care of their mum)”

“Dada and Didi (their grandparents), please make sure that you take her out for a walk in the morning as doc said”

“Please do not forget to inform Popsickle once you are back from the hospital”

…….and finally, “Love you Ma” and the lift door opened.

I was thoroughly exhausted with this one hour ordeal as it was time for the “chemo medicines” to get the worst out of me but I am ready for the day till the time they come back home, hug me and turn the house upside down again before kissing me good night!

I must make the most out of my “pink days” as I am now allowed to eat anything without looking into how much calories I am packing, I am allowed to use my time in any which way I wish to and I can dump myself onto the sofa whenever I feel like as I know the rest will be taken care of by my Ma in the kitchen!!

Have a lovely and healthy day, friends……..