sar ka Taj

A new school year... a new teacher and the year's first parent visiting night.

My apt with Mrs D is at 740 pm. i pull on my fave levi's and slip into a pretty semi casual banana republic blouse... the teachers at school dress formal. i wanna look my best. my hair is freshly washed and i have a 'feel good' feel about me.
i am running early... i like being early coz i hate to keep people waiting.

Mr H, the principal is at the front doors...greeting parents and is full of cheer. Forest school PTA is set up front... selling some stuff. i don't pay attention as i make my way to room 8. another parent is with Mrs D. I kill time checking out the bulletin board outside Rave's room. The wall is filled with the kid's assignment on 'my favorite law'...along with each child's picture. My kid thinks the best law in the country is 'to not steal.' :)

i smile to see the prints i sent in to Mrs D of the Halloween pics i clicked of rave and her class are featured on the board as well.

740... Mrs D walks out to greet me... as she walks the other parent out. I love how polite people are here. We shake hands warmly and sit down. The small talk is qickly done...Mrs D has a sore throat... from having talked to 20+ parents ...all day long I bet.

She walks me through Rave's grades... comprehension, vocabulary, reading, grammar, spelling, and math. my kid has aced the grade mostly. a coupla 80's. No surprises here.

Mrs D goes on to tell me... what a wonderful kid my girl is.
To quote her 'Calista is my best student.. She is so polite and well behaved. I wish all my kids will be like her. I know its not fair to say this...but there are times when i tell my kids to look at Calista and try to be like her'
I can feel the tears hit my eyes... i say something funny to ease the moment.
I walk away on cloud nine.

on the way out i stop at the PTA desk... to buy an arms length of raffle tickets. as always i am outta change and grope for 25c to get ONE ticket instead. i scratch my name n number n drop it off... without caring to ask what or when the draw was.

I hit the grocery store to pick up milk n cookies... when my phone goes 'Jai ho'
apparently i won ... n my prize... a 'turkey basket'
i am asked to come pick it up. i double back... while listening to 'yeh... tumari meri baatein... hamasha yuhi chalthi rahe....' as my mind wanders home... to the sender of this beautiful song.

the basket weighs a ton...has a whole lot of goodies... for a wholesome thanksgiving meal for 10.
20 pd turkey... gravies, stuffing's, sauces, veggies, mashed potato, thin mints, pumpkin pie filling, even juice.

i am thankful today... for my girl... my sar ka taj.
i plan to say thanks... by donating the turkey basket to the local soup kitchen.