We have nine fish! No, make that 29!

Last Sunday, the husband, Kavin and my parents went to the market to buy basic supplies like veggies and fruits.

I had the whole house to myself, so I was basking in the quiet( with occasional squeals from Naitik) and enjoying some 'me' time with recorded episodes of Masterchef Australia. Little did I know what was in store for me in the next hour.

An excited family returned, armed with all the items for assembling a fish tank!

All I could do was open and close my mouth like a gold fish! Clearly,I felt ambushed. I stared at my parents, who shrugged the 'don't-ask-us-we-had-nothing-to-do-with-it' shrug.
But when you have a charged toddler bobbing up and down and a grinning husband setting up the tank, all you can do is accept that you have been beaten and join them.

So the swimming inhabitants were four tangerine fish, a couple of black mollies, a pair of dollar fish and a sucker fish.
"All peaceful and relatively clean fish", said my better half, clearly very excited.
The non swimming entities- two plastic plants, a pump, gravel and a bubble blowing toy crocodile( named Crockea) And the tank was ready!





After calming down a very wound up toddler, we settled down for the night and I had fishy dreams (not of the marinated ones on a plate!)

The next morning, as I went to say hello to the fish, I noticed some tiny black specks swimming around in the tank- dirt? I wondered.





Turned out, the female Black Molly was preggers and she chose our tank to deliver. Knew there was a nanny around, I suppose. So we had twenty tiny little baby black mollies swimming away, with their little tails and fins beating with fervency! The new mother that I am myself, I immediately felt like nurturing the fry. Given a choice, I would've probably distributed mithai- but I knew I would be called mental, so I contained myself.

Feeling protective towards the new babies, I googled all I could about baby mollies. Found out that their parents eat them! Immediately considered buying a breeding net, but realised the Molly couple were sweet, caring parents and preferred fish food to cannibalism. The other fish don't bother them as well.





So all you people who suddenly find Molly babies in your fish tank, feed then powdered fish food often, see if they're getting troubled, if they are, buy a breeding tank and let them be there for a week or so before you change the water.

I now feed my baby mollies thrice a day and keep counting them to ensure none are being eaten. My kids are feeling a bit ignored.They're growing at a phenomenal rate and the week is almost up. What next? More growth. I can feel it in my gills.

Naitik's first holiday!

We're back from a lovely holiday! And yes, I have been away from the blog for quite a while. Tch, tch- I know, not a great sign for a newbie blogger. I should've have been keyboard happy, churning out two posts a day, but oh well I'll put in my excuse as- "was caught up with a lot".

I hope you're done with rolling your eyes.

Anyways, belated Happy Diwali!!! I hope all your string lights worked well and all your lovely clothes still fit you post stuffing yourself with the Diwali eats!

We just celebrated Junior's first Diwali and his first holiday! Taking advantage of the husband's three day holiday, we headed out for a beach vacation to Guhagar.

A quaint census city along the Konkan in Ratnagiri district, Guhagar boasts of one of the cleanest beaches in Maharashtra state. That's not it's only offering. Fresh, local delicacies(seafood), age old temples(Durga Devi and Vyadeshwar temple), coconuts and a scenic lake also form a part of the Guhagar holiday experience.

From Mumbai, Guhagar is a good six hours drive. Add a couple more if you include loo breaks, munch breaks and throw up stops( we had a couple) in the journey. The route from Mumbai to Guhagar is from Panvel via Khed to Chiplun and finally, Guhagar. Alternatively you could reach Dabhol and take the ferry across to Guhagar. (Kids would love this but the drive afterward is bumpy)

While I wouldn't have dared to take the six hour plus car drive back when Kavin was an infant (he'll be car sick,too much  sea breeze isn't good and some such new mommy fears) we were much more confident with Naitik. That's what experience does to you.

So Naitik, us and half the house were packed into the car to Guhagar.  We left at the break of dawn, so that we could beat the traffic and ignore any gastric rumblings arising out of boredom.

I love my sleep. I love travelling, but I love my sleep more. So I prefer travelling during the day because trying to nap when your insides are rattling is not my idea of sleep(I completely rely on entertainment during my travel). But I make a few exceptions and getting to Guhagar beach pronto is one of them.

Take my word for it- you could have only the beach on your itinerary for three whole days and not have enough of it. It is so consuming that it makes you forget that dusty, rumbler lined, nauseating journey.

Every day, or you can say every phase of the day at the beach is a canvas of surprise.

You'll find a crowd of shells washed ashore one time, a galaxy of starfish on your next visit. To make the most of it, one should wake up before the sun, walk along the waves to catch a glimpse of seagulls having their breakfast to a splash show of dolphins!

Kavin went berserk with his beach set on the sand and worked up an appetite running after the crabs. Why, even the little three month old of mine enjoyed the beach under a large umbrella on his rocker! 

So, after three days of soaking up the lovely sun and sand, we returned to Mumbai, with a monstrous load of sandy laundry, feeling content.

Take this offbeat trip with your family. Make the most of the sea and the sand. Explore the beach till you know its very core. We have some more exploring left to do, we may return, Guhagar.