Mia gets out of school at lunchtime, so often we sit and have a bite on the grounds of the American club... she tells me about her morning, sings me her favorite songs and munches on french fries (the girl will only eat french fries these days!).
Other days, I get together with my wonderful lunch bunch girls - of whom I CANNOT get enough of and our time is always too short ... we have been to some great lunch spots and always enjoy each others company.
We head home or to the markets for errands. Some days, Mia just needs the respite of our home and a chance to chill out, paint, watch Tom & Jerry and have some "white milk." Other days, I drag her out so we can get the necessary sundries and such. I think we've found our Mary Poppins (a/k/a/ Cook/Ayah) so starting this week, Mia can stay at home in the afternoons and Shanti will also help with the shopping!
Since my normal circuit in Delhi is only about a 10-15 minute radius, we really can fit quite a bit into one afternoon if needed, including several stops at various markets, stopping in for a cuppa at someone's home, even some days a quick walk to the playground for some swing time.
Soon after that, it's time to head back to school (I really do love that campus! Good thing, since I spend 75% of my time there, it seems). Tony gets released first and it's always pleasant and refreshing to have a couple of minutes to chit-chat with the other 1st grade moms. Double kisses fly, the younger siblings race around and giggle, and we all quickly share the woes of our day.
After we've collected Tony, we all head to the coffee shop - a new addition on the school campus - to get a little snack, have some more chit-chat with parents (usually the parents of older kids as there are two separate gates for arrival/departure and at this point, we're on the "high school side") and wait for Terran.
The staff at the coffee shop really is darling and know most of the littles by name ... this is what Mia's hot chocolate typically looks like!
We grab our slew of backpacks, balance the cappucinos in our take away cups, open up the bags of popcorn, eat the last of our carrot cake and head to the car. On the way, we phone Kushal and say (the same thing EVERY afternoon) ... "Kushal, we're ready at the gate" ... and magically we walk out of the turnstiles to see him waiting.
Once we get home (just a quick 10-15 minute trip) all of the NORMAL things commence. Just as if we were back in the States ... homework, video games, snacks, the cooking of dinner (or here lately, the ordering of pizza), baths, book reading, crafting and painting and then FINALLY ... bedtime.
