Days of Ishaan

lakshya

2012-01-29T12:04:00.000+05:30

ishaan has been asking me about being a soldier and the fantastic life of the soldier with rockets and guns and all.

so i sat him down and played "lakshya" - the movie, to show him what it takes to be a soldier, and what a soldier's life is like.. in parts..

an hour into the movie, he has made up his mind - mumma, i will never be a soldier.. i want to be an astronaut... and fly space vaala rockets..

sigh! any movie suggestions for astronaut reality checks?

update: so halfway thru the movie, mater started crying...quiet, silent vala... this was such a shocker for ishaan.. the poor guy just doesnt know what to do!! he is genuinely, truly, shocked beyond belief. mater is one of those ppl who dont cry. he is trying to get over the BIG shock.. i may have scarred him for life! :-)

when mater lost her earphones..

2012-01-29T12:01:00.001+05:30

ishaan broke my only good earphones set.

Instead of shouting at him, I said quietly, "don't do things that can hurt other ppl. "
ishaan: "when did u become so cute mama? Pehle to Maine app ko itna cute bante huye nahi dekha!"

Mater rotfls and slaps head on forehead.
this is what happens with kids who share their birthday with krishna!

first wink and first cut on head

2012-01-26T10:38:00.001+05:30

yesterday, ishaan showed pater and mater that he can wink. however, he wont tell us where and how he learnt.

yesterday, was also the first day that ishaan cut his head and there was a little blood. thankfully, it was a superficial cut and we were ok.

qutub.. again

2012-01-23T08:27:00.001+05:30

this saturday, the weather was sunny and there was very little fog.. so mater packed ishaan and adit for a play date to - where else, the qutub minaar.. the one place near gurgaon where we get clean air and lots of place to run around..

this time, there were also girls from a govt school, and mater loved watching these girls.. and adit and ishaan made friends with another boy - kshitij. the 3 of them played together for a while..

we'll let the pics do the rest of the talking..

posing in front of the ... errm..something..

the huddle... kshitij is reading, adit is looking at something in the distance, and ishaan is... umm... trying to look into the book but not trying to read..

ok, now we ARE posing in front of the qutub minaar - but we are so small u cant really tell its the qutub behind us

how many times can a boy run up and down the slope? thankfully, more no. of times than mater can count.

the group photo.

we are the heroes we climb on rocks!

maalish and assorted stuff..

2012-01-22T12:49:00.000+05:30

its a pain to get ishaan to get his maalish done.. so today, we just managed to do his head and legs. then, when i asked him to undress for the torso, he says "har baar poori maalish karte rehte ho.. ek baar sirf neeche ki nahi kar sakte?!"

i burst out laffing.. he sees that, grins sheepishly and says "main kuchh zyada hi bol gaya na?" sending me into another fit of laffter..

Varunisms

2012-01-17T17:03:00.000+05:30

Varun is not Ishaan's friend, and they have never met. He is, like Ishaan... 4 years old.. and comes up with one liners that leave one speechless.

Varun is my colleague's son and mater was regaled by Varunisms narrated by his father.
Presenting here, 3 stories to impress Varun's gf after he has grown up :
1. Varun and his father (lets call him S) are watching a movie. S informs Varun that the elephant is about to be hunted in a while in the film. Varun: How do u know?
S: I have seen this movie thrice already. I know.
V: (after the scene is over) So papa, is that a papa elephant or a mama elephant.
S: Errm... i dont know!
V: So whats the point of seeing a movie 3 times if u cant even answer this much abt the movie!

2. Varun has just won his class Running competition. After a few days, one night, S and the elder son (that'll be Varun's elder brother) are talking.
B(Brother) : Papa, is Usain Bolt a faster runner or Ronaldo?
S: Depends beta.. if its on the football field, am sure Ronaldo runs better, and on track, it will be Bolt.
V: You mean, both of them run faster than me??

3. The family is on a holiday with grandparents.
Varun refuses to go home.
S: OK, u stay here. I willl take ur mother and brother and we are all going home.
V: Why are you taking my mother? Take your mother and go!!

Kids!!!!

more from ishaanland..

2012-01-10T21:35:00.002+05:30

question: mumma, what is the part from the chin to the start of the neck called?
mumma: jaw?
ishaan: no thats on the sides.
mumma: chin.
ishaan: no. from where the chin ends. that flat surface.
mumma: in me, that would be the double chin. in you, i have no idea.
*************

the family is sitting around, generally being naughty and funny. (kaala teeka)
pater tries to scare ishaan: ishaan, have u done your winter holiday homework?
ishaan: no.
pater: तो जब आप सोमवार को स्कूल जाओगे , और आपकी मैडम आप से पूछेगी, की ईशान, "होमेवोर्क ख़त्म कर के आये हो?" तो आप क्या बोलोगे ?
(so, when you go to school on monday, and when ur teacher asks you, have u done your homework, what will you tell her?"
ishaan (whispering into pater's ear): झूठ. (a lie!)

mater gives up and laffs loudly. pater tries very hard to suppress laffter and appear angry at the use of the word "lie". then just gives up. there is very little chance of anger when u r under a deluge of 2 uproarious laff(t)ers :-)

BIG kaala teeka :-) touch wood!

there is nothing that jalebi and a hug cant heal...

2012-01-07T18:58:00.001+05:30

mater and ishaan are going to bikanerwala to eat JALEBI....

ishaan: " मैं जलेबी खाने इस लिए जा रहा हूँ क्यूंकि मुझे जलेबी की शकल देखते ही भूख लग जाती है... "
(i am going to eat jalebi because i get hungry as soon as i see it)

mater (in her head): you are not the only one son

once jalebi arrives:
ishaan: mumma, u can eat only one jalebi, that too, only if u r sad..
mater: ok. (eats one jalebi. sadness has nothing to do with it, but why say anything?!)

after a while:

ishaan: mumma, are you sad?
mater: no beta.
ishaan: but your eyes look very sad. i think you should eat some more jalebi.

:-p

random updates..

2012-01-07T13:54:00.003+05:30

more questions from my question bank: ishaan and i are watching kandhon se milte hain kandhe before bedtime. ishaan: mumma, dushman ka kya matlab hota hai? early bird prizes and prizes for the best answer. :-)

right now, we cant decide which of us is more excited abt the thomas and friends set - ishaan, or i?

and what a merry xmas it was!

2011-12-28T00:56:00.000+05:30

soo.. the morning started with a playdate at ishaan's best friend in school - Nalin. the boys had a ball!! its hard to explain.. i didnt see ishaan for over an hour! i loved the easy camraderie, and the comfortable friendship that these 2 seem to share.. here's to many, many more such days!!

i love it when children are too giggly to fit in a frame.. :-)

my favorite pic.. both of them having a ball.. kaala teeka!

some carrot, or stick, finally worked.. but like, who wants serious poses anyway?

Nalin's parents and mater exchanged notes on what works for each child, realised these two are essentially alike, and mater loved their house :-).
its not easy to find ppl u meet for the first time and instantly get along with.. and sometimes, children bring us to our friends too.
Nalin's parents were nice enough to tell us abt the xmas carnival at gurgaon, and pronto, there we went. After having fun and giggling away for an hour or so, we came home for lunch, and then, it was off to dilli haat with Adit - Ishaan's best friend in the colony.

if there are no pics from xmas carnival, its bcs we were too busy having fun, and if there are no clear pics from dilli haat, its bcs the 2 boys REFUSED to get photographed properly... so , in revenge, mater posts pics as they were taken...

At the xmas tree at Dilli Haat.

yes, they refuse to pose. yes, they laff a lot. yes, i love them that way. thank you!

And, here's another pic.. next day, the boy had another play date with 2 of his classmates - this time, it was at the mind cafe, and while the maters bonded over sinful food, the children needed no overseeing at all. they ran all over the place, ran it down and up again.. played tumbling monkeys, and the hours just.. flew!! this post is incomplete without a pic from that awesome afternoon..

thats meher, rehaan and ishaan :-)

dumb charades

2011-12-28T00:43:00.001+05:30

today, at bedtime, ishaan and i were playing dumb charades. we usually play small words like dancing , flying et al. we are supposed to think of a word and enact it for the other one.
suddenly, ishaan touched his nose and then mine. then he touched his upper lip and then mine.

i guessed , "nose"? "lips"?

he said, no...

the word is "matching" - i m matching ur nose and mine... ur eyes and mine... ur lips and mine...

i thot that was awesome thinking!! :) u go, atta boy!

the only one who knows the perfect answer..

2011-12-24T16:55:00.002+05:30

so, we are having this family lunch on a lazy saturday.
when we talk to ishaan, its ok. but when mater and pater try to talk to each other, ishaan reminds us that it is rude to talk while eating.

mater has been on an eating spree, so she declares to ishaan (bcs he wont let me talk to the pater and all that)
mater: ishaan, i have become fat in 3 days flat!
ishaan: (with no expression at all) all right.
pater: (ROTFLing) : THAT is the perfect answer to that statement, ishaan. ;-)

mad about science and grandparents day

2011-12-23T12:56:00.000+05:30

On 18th December, Ishaan's school had the Science Fair - Mad About Science. Preparations for the final day had started many months ago.. with parent volunteers , in class activities et al. The final day itself was a lovely, almost warm, definitely sunny morning.

Ishaan's class had water as the theme. His stall had to explain the 3 forms of water and how water is a magician who can take any form it wants, and we can hold ice in hands,but we cant hold steam in hand... then there were quiz cards. Every child had to stand and man the stall for an hour. Then you cld look at the other stalls, eat, have fun, and come home. We LOVED it.

As usual, will let the pics do the talking..

ishaan with his mask. he found it at random in the fair and refused to let it go.

pater and ishaan manning the science counter

this is what the vibrant, lovely place looked like..

naughty baby in the middle

the whole choir.... 60 of them!

the stage is set for grandparents day

another naughty moment

the proud grandparents - one was flown in and one was trained in, bcs this is the only time his school will have a grandparents day.. not a thing to be missed!

pls answer, dear school...

2011-12-23T12:13:00.000+05:30

this morning, ishaan comes up with his reason for hating school:
Mumma, mam once said that we only come to school to do masti. but we never do masti in school. we only learn, learn, learn all the time. Why is that?

mater: laughs out loud.

ishaan: (visibly angry and irritated) mumma, dont laugh at me. tell me. WHY?

mater: ishaan, thats a very intelligent question. we should ask your mam that!

So, dear school, pls answer.. if they are supposed to do masti all the time, why does he have to get up and make 2 ट pictures, and learn learn learn all the time?
:-P

National rail museum

2011-12-16T09:38:00.003+05:30

Finally, finally happened!!

for the first time, Ishaan was actually posing all over the place and going, "mumma, take my pic with this and take my pic with that.." gladdens mah heart no end.

there was no one to explain the very nice looking instruments et al. the only person there very nicely offered to show Ishaan and me around, and he was VERY knowledgeable, but my son's interest level in the engineering of the whole thing was... errm... less than low. So we had to politely decline.

but here are the pics. And yes, we had a ball!! want to go back again soon.. we were so smitten that we even went to the souvenir shop and picked up stuff blatantly.. railway chocolates! can u imagine! and they are not even shaped like engines!

The imposing looking engine welcomes as soon as you enter

The toy train station, complete with a signal, the yellow and black board, et al.

in the toy train

THAT is a real wheel...

And how can i miss Braille... the only thing is, its BEHiND a display case, where no one will be able to touch and read it.. sad, that.

This royal coach took our breath away. guess where its from? Hyderabad!!

why this kolaveri di

2011-12-08T11:33:00.001+05:30

yesterday, master Kaila finally gave permission to visit the Gurudwara, so we went after like.. ages..

On the way back, Kolaveri Di was playing on radio, so mater swung along.. it IS a jhoomo type song..

Ishaan: Mumma, what does Kolaveri mean?
Thankfully, mater had read an article that explains what Kolaveri means, so was able to save neck and explain.

After 2 minutes:
Ishaan: Mumma, what does "Kolava" in Kolaveri mean?
Mater: its not a separate word. Kolaveri is one word.
Ishaan: but all words are made of parts. What does Kolava mean?

Mater: slaps head on forehead and changes radio channel.

Edited on 16.12.2011:
Last night, ishaan was sitting around waiting for his dinner. Mater was heating dinner in the kitchen. suddenly, mater hears a parody of kolaveri di. presenting, ladies and gentlemen, Ishaan's parody of kolaveri di:

Why this gud mumma, gud mumma, gud mumma ji..
why i have gud mumma, gud papa, gud gud house ji...

:-) Mater(in head): my life is made and all that.. :-)

expiry date

2011-12-07T01:55:00.001+05:30

pater: i need to get my driving license done.
mater: i need mine too. its about to expire soon.
ishaan runs to pater and says " papa, pls dont renew mumma's driving license. pls let it expire."

then ishaan runs to mater and says, "mumma, papa will let u expire."

pater and mater: ROTFL.

meeting the teachers..

2011-12-02T22:31:00.001+05:30

Today,ishaan's teacher called me for a meeting.. now, your annual appraisal wont giveu the kind of jitters that a call from the child's teacher will.

somater took an afternoon break from office, got to the school. another parentwas having an after school meeting with the teacher, and the teacher waspatiently explaining the various ways of getting the child to know numbers andletters et al. all this while, mater checked ishaan's exercise books, found hishindi assignments surprisingly well done, his coloring adequate (it used to bepathetic), english assignments less than satisfactory... so on.. and mentallyprepared herself for "ishaan needs help with motor skills and withreading.." or some such..

after30 minutes, the teacher finished the meeting and came to mater. mater had tomentally admire her energy levels. to deal with 30 kids for the whole day, andthen with their parents, is no mean task!!

but..the meeting left me very, very happy!! and here, then, is the reason why materleft totally "garv se meri chhati phool gayi" types:

· Ishaanis ok in studies. (you cld hear the sigh of relief for a mile, am sure)

· Verydistracted and talks to Nalin all the time.(nalin is his best friend) but, while he appears to be talkingto someone else and not paying attention, if i stop him suddenly, and ask, whatsound did i say just now? he will say, "v" then i asked him, tell mea word with v, and he says "van" (and u shld have seen the eyes andneck going up and down in disdain(how can u ask me such simple stuff!) - i cldsooo imagine my son doing that expression!! ) . but its not good for this to happen in class.

Teacher's narrative:

Yesterday, Nalin and ishaan threw some pencilsout of the class. i called them. both of them came. Ishaan stood straight, and answered all the questionstruthfully, and normally. neither arrogant, nor shy and crying. he just spokethe truth , quite simply.

i asked, "did you throw these pencilsout?"

he said, "Yes"

so i took a water bottle and said, "if ithrow this out, how will u feel?"

ishaan: i will feel sad.

teacher: so how shld i feel?

ishaan: you should feel sad. i am sorry teacher.i will not do it again. promise.

the next day, ishaan stopped nalin from throwingthe pencils outside.

so basically, thats why, i came out feeling verynice in life..

end of story.

phonetics

2011-11-29T21:32:00.001+05:30

Ishaan and i were practising phonetics. we practice r as the rolling "R" sound, as in racing bikes.

so, i was making the rolling R sound, and ishaan was making a quiet hmmmmm sound. i corrected him to say "not hmmmm, RRRRRR"

ishaan: mumma, in my mouth, there is a car race, not a bike race.. so the sound is hmmmmmmm, and not rrrrrrrrrrrr. ok?

on being taken for granted :-)

2011-11-27T18:39:00.001+05:30

mater: (After a 3 day absence) : i missed u ishaan.
ishaan: (with supreme self confidence) i know that mumma. :-p

fastest promotion ever

2011-11-26T21:19:00.001+05:30

ishaan: mumma, you are the best mumma in india.

5 minutes later:

ishaan: mumma, you are the best mumma in the universe.

instant promotion!!

The red fort day

2011-11-19T19:20:00.001+05:30

Today, we went to the Red Fort. the driver we got promised that he knows the shortest possible route to the Red Fort and will get us there in 45 minutes or so.
however, not only was he clueless about the route, but he also took the LONGEST POSSIBLE route to the Red fort. after 75 minutes of getting nowhere abd neing stuck in yet another jam, i lost my temper and told the guy he should at least have had the decency to tell me he does not know the route. where is the point in taking the most crowded route possible?

Ishaan: Mumma, why r u so angry?
Mater: Ishaan, i m not mad at you, i am mad at the driver.
Ishaan: so why are u talking to me rudely?
Mater: Ishaan, right now, i cant be ok. please give me some time, and i will be fine. Then i will be mad only at him and not at you.
Ishaan promptly picks up his water flask, and puts it on my forehead.
Ishaan: Mumma, main aapka maatha thanda kar raha hoon. phir apko gussa nahi ayega.
Mater: ROTFL!!!

After entering the Red fort, my son has no interest whatsoever in the ancient buildings, architecture, fool patti made out of stone.
what is my son interested in?

walking on parapets.. running after crows and pigeons as they sit down to feast on the crumbs left behind by other ppl "picnic-ing" at the place, and littering it in the process... and of course, asking me "Why?" questions.
Mumma, why did the king sit there? Mumma, why did they kill the british? Mumma, if fighting is a bad thing, how come we call these guys heroes when they killed? Mumma, why is this grass being cut? ...

after about a hundred (no exaggeration) questions in 10 steps or less, mater gave up. so she tells him, "Ishaan, i dont know! i am also coming here for the first time! "
Ishaan:Oh, then we should have brought papa, not you!! :-p
Mater: Papa has also not been here.

after a while, some more why questions. Why did the king have 3 sons? why was the king a poet? ...

Mater: Ishaan, STOP asking me pointless "Why" questions.

Ishaan: "Why mumma?"

ishaan trying hard to find place to pose at the diwan-e-aam

finally, his own place..

the BIG tree that fascinated both of us..

password for mouth

2011-11-13T20:56:00.001+05:30

Scene:
Mater is trying to get ishaan to eat something. as everyone knows, i get my project management skills from that, because feeding him is a project. every single time. with milestones, no less. PMI will be proud of me.

So, on one occasion, mater finds ishaan with his hand across his mouth. so mater assumes that he does not want to eat any more, and asks him, "are you done eating?"

ishaan: "mumma, if u want this mouth to open, please say khul ja sim sim"

mumma: speechless!

role reversal...

2011-11-13T11:04:00.001+05:30

ishaan throwing a tantrum for basic stuff like brushing teeth.

mater: bakwaas mat karo!

ishaan: mumma, aapne ye bakwaas kahaan se seekha?? (in the tone that mater uses when ishaan says something inappropriate)

:-p

vakya mein prayog karein

2011-11-03T01:12:00.000+05:30

RJ: स्तुति तो कुछ भी उल्टा सीधा बोलती है.

ईशान: माँ, उल्टा सीधा क्या होता है?

माँ: बेटा, जब कोई चीज़ थोड़ी ठीक हो, और थोड़ी गलत हो, तो उसको उल्टा सीधा बोलते हैं.

२ मिनट की चुप्पी .

ईशान : माँ, आप कल से उलटे सीधे कपडे पहनना बंद कर दो.

Happy Diwali 2011

2011-10-30T18:55:00.003+05:30

This year, we will be in Chandigarh for Diwali. So am sharing our Rangolis so far.

This year, Ishaan learnt how to light up a diya rangoli - ALWAYS from the inside out, and away, not towards, the already lit portion - one at a time.

Add caption

First time at the Aravali Biodiversity Park, and the first Metro Ride

2011-10-30T18:18:00.000+05:30

Today, we spent an hour taking a walk in the Aravali Biodiversity Park, which is next door, and oh so lovely!! Its a BIIIG park, just the right place for a park..

Today, Ishaan and i went for our first Metro ride, and Ishaan got his own Metro card. He is posing with his "OWN" metro card !

Value Education

2011-10-22T10:14:00.001+05:30

Some months ago, the pater and mater had a discussion on choosing the right school for Ishaan. Mater was in favor of another school, but pater put his foot down and decided on the current school.
Today, m kind of grateful for that choice.

The school told us right at the start that they are not into creating the 3 Rs based children or education. But what they did not tell us was the strong focus on Value Education.

Example1:
Ishaan would never say Hello to people, either bcs he was shy or just plain possessive. After a while, i gave up pushing him and just said hello myself before moving on. Some days ago, as we passed the entrance, the guard said Hello, and Ishaan responded! Later, i asked him what made him respond this time, and he said "In school, they said we should not be rude to anyone." And since then, he has been saying Hello to people we meet in the lift, or even generally, on the road et al.

Example 2:
This year, because of the power situation in North India, we are not using electric lights for the Diwali decoration of the house. Like last year, i painted tealight lanterns at home and we put them up in the balcony.
But this year, Ishaan helped mater paint them. I sent 2 of them to his school as Show and Tell.
He came back and said, "Mumma, we must have a safe Diwali". He spoke about no crackers of course, but also spoke about no electric lights bcs small children can get shock from the electrical wires, and also bcs of "power situation in North India" - i laughed out loud at the "power situation in north india" bit, but was conscious that the teacher had probably used the Show and Tell to initiate a discussion on Safe Diwali.

Thank you, School. There is enough time to learn the ABCs.. but the right time to
inculcate values is now - at the start of their journey.

Ishaan's first science experiment Show and Tell

2011-10-15T11:44:00.001+05:30

Day before yesterday, Ishaan and i did a science experiment at home. The experiment involved dipping various materials in water and checking if each one absorbs water to become heavier or not.

Yesterday, i sent that experiment as Show and Tell at his school, and for the first time, my son spoke nicely.. he got multiple stars in his diary and in general was very happy with the applause that came from the class..

AM HAPPY. :-)

The Moral of the Story..

2011-10-11T09:01:00.001+05:30

Mater, Pater and Ishaan are taking a walk after dinner. Ishaan wants to play with the dandiya stick that he carried on his way out and wants mater and pater to hold it at both ends while he holds it in the middle.
That reminds mater of the tortoise and the 2 swans story, where 2 swans carry the tortoise on a stick held in their beaks. The story is duly narrated. After which, pater asks "So mumma, what is the moral of the story?"
Mumma (thinking fast, bcs she has no clue) : Umm... the moral of the story is.... Always follow Safety Instructions!

First Boat Ride

2011-10-10T00:13:00.000+05:30

Yesterday, we went to Neemrana Fort, and today, to the Damdama Lake.

Today, Ishaan got his first ever boat ride - in a rowboat. He refused to sit away from his father even for a minute. He is a father's son.. through and through!

There,end of record keeping. :-)

Proof that we are a family of PJ generators..

2011-10-09T01:17:00.000+05:30

Mater: Ishaan, next time we go to Hyderabad, i will take you to Golconda fort. its a really nice place, and i love it.
Pater: Mumma, why is Golconda called Golconda?
Mater: Papa, why is Anaconda called Anaconda? For the same reason.

After a while, mater shows Ishaan a stone grill on the floor (this was at Neemrana fort).
Mater: See Ishaan, a stone grill, how wonderful!
Pater: Mumma, why is it called a grill?
Mater: Papa, for the same reason that a fish's breathing organs are called Gills. Why are they called Gills?
Pater: Mumma, because some Sikhs are also called that. (Mater is a Sikh and Gill is a common Sikh surname. Its also the surname of Pater's good friend, who is a Sikh)

Ishaan has this way of blaming his imaginary "bhai" for everything that is not right.
In the car, he does something less than right and pater asks him "why are u doing this?"
His reply, "I am not doing it my bhai si doing it."
Pater: Kaun?
Ishaan: Bhai..
after 5 iterations of this, mater intervenes...
pater: Kaun?
Mater: Corn nahi, apple
Pater: Apple nahi, banana! Who's gone bananas?
Mater: Whos gone nuts?
Pater: Whos gone peanuts?
Ishaan: Who's come peanuts?
Mater: Who's come apples?

The Navratri That Was...

2011-10-06T09:30:00.000+05:30

Ishaan and Adit at the Dandiya fest last night

Ishaan at home... getting ready for Dandiya..

Sooo... what did we do this year?

Well... we did NOT clean up the house - YET. We did NOT do the fasting. We also did not do Pandal hopping.. but here is what we did manage to do:

1. Attend 2 Dandiya fests - one in the colony and one at the club nearby. The colony one was totally Punjabi music and a sore dissapointment. But the club one was awesome. Good Gujju music, ppl to teach us the steps, even circles like in traditional garba :-)

2. We did do the Navratri kanya poojan the Punjabi way. This is my favorite festival bcs at least in form, if not in substance, we give importance to our girls on this day.

Mumma, a lot of kisses and hugs are waiting for you..

2011-10-05T18:42:00.002+05:30

Two of our favorite exchanges this season:
ONE
Ishaan: Mumma, a lot of kisses and hugs are waiting for you.. should i tell them to go back to their house? Or do you want them now?

Mumma: The kisses are waiting for me, but i cant wait to get them. Give them to me double quick!

TWO
Ishaan: Mumma, i really dont like you at all.
Mumma: Thats ok, i still love you a lot.

And this happens multiple times a day!

More on ghar chhodna..

2011-10-01T19:46:00.001+05:30

Ishaan: Mumma main ek din zaroor chala jaoonga.. ab main is ghar mein aur nahi reh sakta.
Mumma: Kyun ab kya hua?
Ishaan: Jis ghar mein chhota bheem aur doraemon nahi hain, main us ghar mein nahi reh sakta.. ab mujhe jaana hi padega! to main jaate jaate ye kurta gira kar jaoon?? (This is the kurta ironed and kept for him to wear to the dandiya downstairs)

Today was also the day when Ishaan gave himself his first bath.

Main ghar chhod kar jaa raha hoon..

2011-09-30T10:51:00.001+05:30

Ishaan: Mumma, i will not live with you any more if you dont listen to me.
Mumma: And where will you go?
Ishaan: To dadi's house..

sigh! The start of "Main ghar chhod kar jaa raha hoon... :-)

2011-09-30T08:43:00.004+05:30

On Sunday, Ishaan and i went loitering around in Central Delhi. We started out with a random direction of the National Rail mueseum in mind, but of course mater cldnt get there without the GPS, so we just kept driving. Crossed Bangla Sahib and Ishaan did not want to go there :-(

Then we decided to have Rasgullas at Bengali Market. No go.

So we landed at NSD, to check if there are any plays later that evening. There weren't any, but we loitered around in the campus anyway, just walking through the pleasant day - half sunny, half cool, drinking in the quiet of the whole place.

And then, at the early hour of 4 pm, we reached National Mueseum (which closes at 5 pm). Ishaan wanted to spend time OUTSIDE the building, and i had to convince him that one hour later, he can spend as much time as he wants outside, so long as he comes in now.

There was a roaming exhibition there - based on folk lore. Both of us fell in LOVE with it.. we browsed around, Ishaan ran around. There were very few visitors, so the security staff was indulgent too..

Sharing some pics of things that left us speechless.

These are ROF TILES!

And this display.. am not sure what it is.. but its awesome!

The next day, on Monday, we went to see Mausam .. again. Ishaan was in a very irritable mood, and he kept licking and biting. But wheni asked him if he wants to go home, he refused. Finally, in the interval, when he asked "is the movie over?" i said Yes, and brought him back :-)

Ishaan's first PJ

2011-09-25T10:59:00.001+05:30

Ishaan: Mumma, what is it that makes the sound of a pig, other than a pig?

Mumma: Ishaan, when he is impersonating a pig.

Ishaan: NO, it is the other pigs.. :-) i said "A" pig!

:-

Skirt Physics

2011-09-17T19:22:00.001+05:30

Ishaan: Mumma, why r u not running today?
Mater: Beta, bcs i didnt wear my jeans. I wore this stupid skirt. So i cant run.
Ishaan: But why cant u run in a skirt?
Mater: I just cant.
Ishaan: Is it because the skirt will fly up when you run?
Mater: YOU know a lot about Skirt Physics!!

2011-09-06T17:44:00.001+05:30

Its a special day when you ask your child who his favorite teacher is, and he replies, "Mumma".. but its also a nagging thought, no?

2011-09-05T18:29:00.002+05:30

Happy Birthday Son.. of the Spiderman Theme.. :-)

When your child has a calendar..

2011-08-23T15:06:00.001+05:30

Today, Ishaan and i fought bcs i wanted him to do Pranayama with me while i prayed, and he wanted to .. well, sail in a tub which is his boat, on top of the bed.. in his birthday suit.

He left the room in a huff and i continued praying. After a while, (about 6-7 minutes), i started to get worried about the lack of noise in the house. So i went out to investigate. I found him in the study, carefully cutting the Delhi map into tiny pieces and then gluing them together to make something .. he was not sure what..

I wanted him to drink some water.. so i said, come, time for the water drinking competition. And brought 2 glasses. My son , without lifting an eyelid, ignores the glass being offered and says, "Mumma, i am busy right now. Can i please talk to you later?"
No serious.. in that tone, and the exact words!

Jai Ho!

Happy Janmashtami..

2011-08-22T11:16:00.002+05:30

stereotypes and chauvinism

2011-08-19T20:48:00.004+05:30

Scene: Ishaan and mater are playing with soldier and assorted figurines. In the army, the superheroes in attendance are : Spiderman, power ranger, batman, assorted animals, and there ws a figurine of a girl. As i tried to add the girl to the lineup, my son corrects me, "Mumma, dont u know? boys can be soldiers, animals can fight, but girls cant be soldiers..."

we had a fight, and right now, mater has taken a break to show him pictures of girl soldiers so that he can believe that girls can be soldiers too. Tonite's bedtime story is Rani Jhansi.. hey ram!! and tomorrow, he hears abt Kiran Bedi..

2011-08-19T01:43:00.003+05:30

When your child remembers Chhota Bheem characters better than you, and corrects you - mumma, Jaggu is the monkey, and Raju is the little boy.

he did something today that i wanted to record really desperately, and just cant remember now!

On Indian Languages..

2011-08-17T17:42:00.003+05:30

Yesterday, i was talking to his teacher. She said to me, rather regretfully, and i share the regret, that English is becoming the primary language of our children. We are fighting a battle to preserve their contact with our native languages, but its a losing battle, and we know that.
We talk to our children more and more in English. Because the social circle they are in requires it. because over the years, without realising it, we have also started thinking in English, and we find it easy to use that language.

When Ishaan was born, for the first 2 months, the only words i spoke to him were in Punjabi - ALL of them. i wanted him to absorb the flavor of his mother tongue before any other language, so that, irrespective of the time lag, when he hears the language, it must appear familiar.

In our house, English is the second language, and Hindi is the first language. Punjabi is the third language. But its a losing battle, and one that i m very sad to lose..

Bringing up Father..

2011-08-13T21:37:00.002+05:30

You know you're bringing up a modern child when a pic flashes on the screen and you say "crystal" and he says "no mumma - Diamond!"

2011-08-03T01:27:00.001+05:30

Ishaan went to the park today. Another boy was breaking leaves from a plant - needlessly. ishaan was playing with him. The minute he saw this behavior, he said, "No, dont do this.. " and repeated it some 3-4 times till the boy stopped, wondering why the hell one cant pull of leaves? Then the boy looks to me for approval, and i tell him "you did right".

:-) Thank you God, for EVERYTHING.

Play Date One

2011-07-31T23:56:00.002+05:30

Today, Ishaan went with his schoolmates for the first ever play date. I realised that all mothers have the same issues with Julia Sengupta. And Ishaan appeared to like it at Leisure Valley.. :-) Amen.
His edema is back for the last 2 days, but morning is wiser than evening.

A story to explain sexual abuse to your child

2011-07-09T16:46:00.002+05:30

For days now, i was wondering how to explain to Ishaan a lot of things about childhood abuse that all kids must face and fight back.
Sure, you have done that in a class full of kids, but never to your own kid..its a different ball game altogether.

So here is what i did:
Step 1: Decide what his warning bells should be. - For me, it was "internal" - if i dont like that touch, or that interaction, its not good.

Step 2: What should my child's response be?

Step 3: Put it into a story and tell him.

Here then, is the story that i used. I'd encourage you to use a story based on ur own experience, or if this one works for you, please use it.

This is the story of Shyamu
Shyamu was a boy just like you. Just like you, he went to school, and then to day care, and saw his mom dad only in the evening. Shyamu also did not like it at all. One day, someone took Shyamu aside, and showed his some very weird stuff. Shyamu did not understand it, but he did not feel nice. This person told shyamu to never tell ANYONE about this. Shyamu got a little scared of him, so he kept quiet also.
A few days later, this bhaiya took Shyamu aside again and this time, he touched Shyamu. Shyamu didnot like being touched by people he did not like. Even people he liked could only touch him when HE liked it, not when and how they liked it. Shyamu was told that this is a secret game and he must never tell his mummy papa about it.
But Shyamu was a smart chap. his mumma had told him already "You must always tell us everything. Because we are not with you all day. And if someone says "secret", then you must tell us for sure! " His mumma had also told him to say ok to the person saying "keep it a secret" and then to come home and tell. THE FIRST TIME.

So Shyamu did just that. He came home and told his mumma about the secret meeting and the secret game. Shyamu's mumma heard everything. Then she asked him where he was touched, what he was asked to touch , everything.. and Shyamu told her everything.
She hugged him and praised him and told him he was a very smart boy. Then you know what happened?

Shyamu's mumma became Superman.. she went to police, and all the police came with her. Then she went to this guy and she beat him beat him beat him.. she completely beat him up.. then the police also beat him "How dare you trouble our Shyamu? Dont u know Shyamu is a BIG BOY? You are not supposed to trouble him or any other child. " They said all that and they took him to jail. And that bhaiya was crying and saying "i am sorry i did that.. i should not trouble children. Its a very bad thing to do. Please leave me!" But no one left him. Everyone beat him even more and they took him to a jail from where he never got out.

And because Shyamu had been so smart and intelligent, he even got a special prize from home.

Now, what do we learn from this? If anyone shows you anything that you dont like, says things you dont like, touches you or makes you touch them, and you dont like it.. you must get away from there as soon as possible.. and then you must tell mumma papa EVERYTHING. and we will beat him beat him beat him, and take him to a jail so far away he will never be able to get out. That is what happens to people who trouble children. Even if it is your friend, your didi, your mumma, papa, dada dadi, nana nani, brother sister - anyone at all, if you dont like it, you dont like it. OK?

If Shyamu told his mother the first time, that man would never have got a second time. But bcs he kept it a secret, that bhaiya could do it again. But as soon as Shyamu told at home, that bhaiya was beaten up and taken away. Nice, na?

Stories about numbers

2011-07-04T22:09:00.003+05:30

1,7 and 4
One day, 7 was sitting around his house, feeling very sad and looking it too. Suddenly, 1 passed by and asked 7 why he looked so forlorn. 7 said, "I am bored of being 7 all the time. I want to be something else!" 1 said, "Aww.. i am soooo bored of being 1 all the time too! I want to be something else as well!"
So they both sat down together and looked sad together.
Just then, Pooh passed by and asked them why both of them were moping. They told him. So Pooh thought about it and 7 thought about it and 1 thought about it.. and suddenly, Pooh said to 7, why dont u turn upside down? and 7 did. Then, Pooh asked 1 to come REALLY close to 7.. Which 1 did. And then, Pooh brought them a mirror.. and they had become... 4!!!

The Story of 6 and 9
Long, long ago, before towels were invented, mothers used to dry their children by hanging them on the line after a bath - like we do with clothes now. One day, 6's mother hung it and went to do some work. There was a lot of wind that day, and by the time mom came back to pick 6 up, he had become ...9!!!

The Story of 10
One day, when they were all playing together, 0 complained "I am too fat!!" 1 heard that and, not to be left behind, complained as loudly as it could, "I am too thin!" "too fat" "too thin" "too fat" "too thin" .. till 9 got fed up and shouted "Enough! If you are too fat, and you are too thin, why dont u guys just come together to form 10, and then you will be just right! In fact, everyone will call you the "perfect 10". How cool is that! And that is how 10 was born. :-)

PS: All stories are mine. Use them with your kids.. or with other ppl's kids.. just dont publish them under your name.. please!

The Weekend that was...

2011-06-27T00:38:00.002+05:30

Soooo.. on this weekend, dad had to be away.. so mater had to parent alone. WITH the bad eye.

Saturday: TV, and some more TV. At 1430 hours, mater finished work and got out of her room. She threatened that all will be severely disrupted if u dont get up and get out of the house NOW. Which means you got out of the house an hour later. You wanted to go to Qutub Minaar. Mater took u on the Faridabad Road for a drive. After a while, mater stopped by the road at a place where there were a lot of rock formations from the Aravalis. And we all climbed - Geeta Didi, who initially stayed away and then jumped right up the mound, ishaan, and mater.

40 minutes later, happy and whistling, we all got down, and came home. Later in the evening, straight from the park, we went out for dinner. You chose the place and the cuisine. Mater just paid the bill.

Sunday: We went for Cars 2, where mater successfully played the interpreter of the James Bond in animation sort of movie. Mater was sorely dissapointed, but she was the only one. Geeta didi and Ishaan loved it.

Then, we did post movie shopping. And finally got u a bed table that pater hates.

There, eventful weekend then. And pater is back home. Thank God!

2011-06-19T01:56:00.034+05:30

Dear Son
In these summers you have:

1. Learnt to make ice cream stick photo frame.

2. Made ice cream stick pen stand.

3. Made a lovely photo frame on corrugated cardboard for your father on Father's Day.

4. Dictated the words on the Fathers day card. And wrote them as mater held and guided your hand.

5. Learnt to paint using water colors and brush, and today, you almost painted entirely on your own.

6. made a pencil shavings painting with mater.

7. Become really good with stamping from your stamp pad game.

8. Learnt, finally, to assemble a 4 piece jigsaw puzzle all on your own.

9. Learnt and sung Jana Gana Mana for us.

10. Learnt to play with Lego and to create squares using the logic game that mater bought.

11. Finally played a basic card game with mater - correctly identifyung Jack, queen, king and joker, in addition to 1-10 numbers. The suits are still a challenge.

12. While mater was gearing you up to prepare the fathers day craft and card etc., you turned and asked "mumma, aap ka mother's day kab hota hai?"

13। Today, you and i converted a Ganesha idol and a lapis lazuli angel to fridge magnets. You helped well!

14. Made paper models.

15. Made "The Sun" out of random things at home. You can also draw the sun now.

16. Did your holiday homework - including the string telephone.

17. Learnt to fight wars with Gulmohur flowers.

18. Today, you picked up broken thermocol glasses and created a snow bound road with a tunnel at the end. I was super impressed!

19. Made Lego models..

In today's photo frame , you did most of the work.

Here, i am outlining the whole process because it was a special day. For the first time, i saw you aware, interested and very capable.

1. i picked out the corrugated box that came with sth i bought today. Then , you picked the picture that should go into the frame. i wanted a pic of you with your father, you wanted a pic of u with ur grandparents. You won. We could have done 2 small frames or one big frame on that base. You chose the idea of one big frame. I did the cutting and you held the scissors in your hand (you wanted to do the cutting. not allowed. compromise reached. you hold the scissors, mater holds ur hand)

2. You chose the color of the background paper being pasted on the sheet. I applied glue, but you stuck both sides of the paper yourself. i cut out the extras.

3. Then, i cut out the board for the sides and you painted it almost independently. i held your hand for the first small one and you painted all the others - including washing your brush, wiping it, dipping and painting - the whole cycle.

4. After this, i held your hand as you insisted on putting glue on the sides of the base to attach the top side.

5. At the end, you chose and pasted the stickers that go on top of the frame.

2. You chose the base color for the greeting card. You chose the pic that goes on top. You decided that it should not be an illustration but a real picture from the family.

Then, we pasted the picture together.

After that, you dictated the message. I held your hand and made you write it. Touch wood, and to many more such days..

Summer of 2011!

2011-06-09T13:16:00.003+05:30

Soo.. mom got home on Friday night. With a bad eye. The weekend was spent indoors. Monday morning doctor appointment confirmed that mater will have to spend the rest of the week indoors too. :-) More fun, more reading, no TV and no computers. Now, Ishaan has started going to summer camp, but on the 3-4 days that he was home, we had some fun. In particular, we created one mask (not photographed), a few paper models (not photographed) and a photo frame (photographed and in this post). Summer of 2011 will mark the creation of your first Crafts projects - right now, they are collaboration, but if Doremon, Chhota Bheem and Krishna Balram do not entirely claim you, i hope to make this the summer when you create your first piece. Amen! :-)

Dear Son..

2011-06-01T23:21:00.002+05:30

Dear Ishaan

As i write this, i have been away from you for almost 9 days. Yesterday, you were not well. i did not know that. But for some reason, yesterday, i just could not stop crying.
Later in the night, i realised that you werent well. It wasnt nice to hear.

Yesterday, someone showed me pics of their son and of how much fun the boy has at the various activities that he does.. bring it on! You really are a child who is understimulated.. there is a lot more that your brain and body can do, and want to do. I want to be a part of all of that..truly, completely.

I miss you all the time. Your eyes, your understanding hug that has always been there. Your love, and your most cherished quality, that i will not write down here..

God Bless You Son. I love you lots.

Mom.

Dis be the day...

2011-05-09T23:55:00.002+05:30

Today, i wore shoes that have been worn before, but chose today to be exceptionally tight and uncomfortable. By the time i picked up ishaan and brought him home.. the feet ached like u cant imagine. Instead of going and washing up as per the custom of our house, i plonked on the sofa. Ishaan aborted his washing up trip and came and gave reiki to my feet. Then asked if they feel better. "Yes they do darling. Thank you!" i said.

Then, the boy sits next to me, takes my hand in his hands and asks "ok tell me, what all did you do in office today?" I died laffing. Every evening, once we have washed up and we sit down together, i ask him "so, what all did you do in school today? tell me all about it." keeping the traditions of his gender alive, his answer is usually taciturn. Dis had to be the day when my son chooses to ask me "so , what did you do in office today?" I guess "died of foot ache" does not qualify. :-)

One more touch wood moment..

2011-04-27T23:23:00.003+05:30

Ishaan.. today, you woke up and just didn't want to go to school. You are our alarm clock, so i never put alarm. you always get up on time and then wake me up.
Last night, you didnt sleep well, and consequently, neither did i. Your allergies are making things very tough for you. You couldnt breathe the whole night, and even nasal drops didnt help.

In the morning, you were cranky and bribe, threat, love and general time passing before asking you to get ready - nothing worked. You refused to even brush, thinking that if you brush, you will have to go to school.

I am not sure if it was yesterday or today, but one of these 2 mornings, i told you "Ishaan, if no one plays with you, you try and play with them. Slowly, they will start to play with you. They have nothing against you personally betu. They just dont know each other and it takes time to make friends. You go talk to people. And in spite of this, if no one talks to you, remember that you are going to school, not for fun, but for learning. And for growing. With or without friends, you will overcome. With friends, it will just be a nicer journey. Thats all. " (yeah i torture my child with this kind of fultoo gyan and all that. So sue me. :-) )

Yesterday, on the way back from school, you told Geeta Didi, "Didi, i myself went up to other children and made friends. Now they play with me." I am not sure if we arrived at the same solution one day apart, or whether i said it yesterday and you took the advice, but either way, i am in a touch wood moment. You know why?

Because i requested an audience with your teacher today, and she told me the one thing that i never expected to hear about the shy boy i call my son.. she said "Oh, he is such a friendly child. He makes friends with everyone very easily! He comes forward to participate in all the activities, never makes a fuss and is a very easy to get along with. His best friend is called Vivaan Beg. In the A sound class, he brought a picture of the parrot and indicated correctly that the A sound is in the middle of the word, and got a biscuit for saying that. "

As usual, thank you God, for everything, and Kaala Teeka.

Today, Son..

2011-04-26T13:58:00.003+05:30

I am so proud of you i could choke..

We dropped you off to school. No one greeted you as you entered (which is how it usually is. You have complained about no one playing with you. But i notice that none of the children greet each other as they enter, unlike your day care, where every child's entry and exit both are widely cheered affairs) .

You entered, looking very lost, because there was only one teacher and no directions. The single teacher was busy pacifying children who were crying. You have NEVER seeked attention by crying in school. Everyday, i see at least 2-3 children asking for attention by crying, but never you. You put your bag in the designated place, and then, at the right time, you were the ONLY child standing in the middle of the class, at the designated spot, as the prayer started to play on the PA system for all classes.

i LOVED you at that time.. u looked lonely, and lost, but you stood there, and looked around for someone to be friends with you.. am sure friends will come with time.. Amen.. but today... i was so proud of you.. i hope to be able to tell you this at the end of the day.

Today, i also saw your coloring worksheet in your class. Also, on Earth Day, you painted a T shirt in class. Am very proud of the T Shirt that you painted.. you say that you painted it on your own.. i am sure that meant the use of a stencil or some such aid, and am very proud of the work..

Isnt it the most adorable T Shirt on the planet?

Damdama Lake, rains and a random hillock..

2011-04-18T00:02:00.011+05:30

Today started as a lovely Sunday morning.. breeze and drizzles and generally cool weather. Pater had plans to take you swimming, but one look at the weather and i knew swimming was not going to happen today. First, i thought of Surjivan Farms. Then remembered that the owners had been weird the last time we went there, so thought of taking you to another picnic spot nearby. A quick google search revealed Damdama Lake. I took directions, got you ready and all, and finally left home after much tears (because you wanted to spend the day watching TV. hmph!)

We reached Damdama after an hour's drive. It was nice. And deserted. After 10+ kms of pure village territory.. it was a beautiful lake at the edge of a village.. just like that. No tourists, very little pollution et al.

But this being Haryana and all that, mater thought the better of staying there alone with a little child, and we beat a hasty retreat. On the way to the lake, we'd crossed some beautiful stone hillocks and i'd promised you that we could climb them on our way back. So, on the way back, we did just that. Chose a small, stony hillock by the side of the road, parked the car next to the road, and walked some distance through the shrubbery. Then, we climbed.

Even if i say so myself, son, you made me proud. This was your first all nature climb and you did rather well... following instructions, finding firm ground, avoiding loose stones, and not crying too hard when mater's finger touched your open eye. I would have bawled!!

And then we climbed some more... you got really high too..a few more steps, and you would have been on top! Then mater decided that the rumbling rain clouds necessitate a retreat - NOW. We walked back to the car, your climb down was impressive too..Just for perspective.. see that tiny speck somewhere on the horizon, just before the houses? Thats our car - this is how far we came! As soon as we entered the car, it began to rain.. and the rest of the journey was a nightmare.. falling branches, 10 kms of village road.. then on the highway for about 30 minutes.. visibility of 2 feet or less.. this dark sky is at 4 p.m. - and also the last clear visibility we had for the rest of the drive home.. i was scared.. of the trees, branches, and lightening.. mater can only remember one drive that was more challenging than this one.. and she did not have a 3 year old by her side then..

Sunday well spent!!

Finally!

2011-04-11T20:12:00.000+05:30

finally.. i got up at 0630 hours to get u to school on time. Knowing me, thats a really difficult thing to happen. Add to that the fact that i only got home at 2 am or thereabouts, after a tiring 7 hour flight, and it does look brave.. but that look of satisfaction in mah eyes as you got ready for school - almost willingly, and requesting your dadi to stay in school with you (do you feel lonely there?) .. and the way you moved into school, complying with your teacher's directive that you take your own bag and put it into your own slot (imho, the bag WAS too heavy for a child to carry) , and then, as she gave you the building blocks to play with as she managed the rest of the class.. it was a day i wont forget in a hurry, son.

My lasting memory of the day is you seated at that table in class, holding just one piece of the rather unattractive building blocks set, and trying to make friends with another girl on the same table by giving her a piece of building blocks.. gently..that you want to give before you get.. that you will comply when told instead of being a rebel without a cause, and that you will try to make friends... at this time.. my prayers feel answered.. Amen!! and BIG kaala teeka.

First Day of School..

2011-04-08T01:28:00.002+05:30

Son, you start school tomorrow. I am sitting, 3.5 hours away (in time zone), in a city called Geneva. I will not be there to wake you up tomorrow morning, i will not be the one fighting with you to get ready, take a bath, wear ONLY the uniform and not your self selected jeans and Tees. I will not be the one pushing your tiny feet into shoes, kissing you, crying and rushing you - all at the same time.

I did not choose your first lunch box, your first water bottle.. i was not the one covering your books and labeling them. I would have painted each label separately, put Pooh stickers on some and Tigger on some others.. maybe, made you paint some yourself..?

But i will be here, missing you.. actually, i am missing you already.

And kissing you gently on the forehead, like i have done every single night since you were born. Reading your small prayer, just like every night, only with greater fervour today.. asking that you be blessed with friends who care, with a teacher who can do for you what my teachers did for me.. that you be a boy of good cheer and friendly disposition, that your default setting be nice and not nasty, that ...

God Bless you son.. All the Best

2011-03-30T02:07:00.002+05:30

Some moments leave me speechless. Coming home to find you silently drifting into sleep.. when i wont see you for 10 days.. is one of them.. this time, Son, i am the one going through separation anxiety. REALLY BAD.

early morning happiness

2011-03-23T12:23:00.002+05:30

This morning, Ishaan surprised me by getting up bright and happy. and then, he made my day by demonstrating the steps of Dabbang Dabbang.. rather nicely at that.. and he was doing my favorite floor step (not from the film) when it was time to leave.

My lasting memory for the day is this boy on the floor, mid step, waving a lovely Bye and blowing a kiss.. i soo didnt want to leave.. or for the moment to end.. Touch Wood!

Bringing up a child is like snakes and ladders

2011-03-15T00:53:00.002+05:30

Bringing up a child, is like playing snakes and ladders. Sometimes, we will see you climb ladders - some of them small, some big. Some, you will deserve. Some others will come your way by chance. And some others, you will get to after cutting another player's marker on the board.

Sometimes, we have to see you suffer a snake bite. Some, will be pure luck. Some, because of your carelessness. And some others, because someone else walked all over you.

We will see both - your triumphs and your falls, but not be able to do anything.

Just one thing, son:
On the 99th house, is a snake that takes you straight back to House no. 2. That snake is real.
When you go out to achieve something, never stop at 99, no matter how close to 100 that feels. Because if you do stop before your goal is reached, you will reach no. 2 for sure. From 99, you can either go to 100, or slide straight down to 2.

Metaphors...

The New Delhi Zoo - March 6, 2011

2011-03-08T13:57:00.006+05:30

I am sooo hopping mad at blogger - if you write your post first and then add the pics, the pics come on top of the post, and you have to write all over again. If you first write separately on word or something, blogger does not let u copy paste a post. What is wrong with blogger? Has it benchmarked with wordpress for the world's lousiest blogging interface?

Anyhoo, retyping the whole post bcs first, the pics ate it, then blogger wouldnt let me copy paste.

The New Delhi Zoo deserves unbridled criticism. The animal enclosures are uncomfortable and VERY badly maintained. The signages are dissapointing. If they are there at all. The less said about the basic civic sense, the better. In spite of written requests everywhere that said do not disturb the animals, a lot of boys were screaming at the monkey enclosures, throwin stones at the gharials, and making noises near the Jungle fowl enclosures.

We had fun though. Ishaan wanted to see the LION first, so we ditched everything else and went straight for the lion. Then we saw the other big cats. And next time you try to tease a lion wiht your ridiculous rendering of the roar, you bunch of baboons, i swear i will throw you inside the enclosure. Please respect the lion's intelligence. It beats yours by about 100 IQ points.

It was a pleasure to see happy families prancing about, children sitting on their parent's shoulders, too tired to walk.. and the works..

Presenting a few pics that do the talking mucha better:

Sports Day 2011

2011-03-02T16:04:00.008+05:30

Sunday, Feb 27th, 2011, was Ishaan's first Sports Day. We were sooo excited! He was readied and sent to school on time. There were some not so nice moments, and some nice moments.. the day in pics..

All ready to go.. notice the new canvas shoes. He loves them.

Dressed up for the flower drill. The pom poms were his favorite part of the day. he could not stop looking at them.. and at his shadow.

The Saraswati Vandana.. no one does it better than preschoolers :-)

By now, he is tired and hot and dehydrated. Standing in line for the race. His was the 8th race to happen and the 6th for his class. He was entirely unexcited and refused to run. He did, however, do exactly as intended - start, pick up the flower ring, pass through it, put it down, then go to Finish.

One child in the school drill bullied him no end. Ishaan could not perform in the school drill because this other child kept pushing him and ishaan did not hit the boy back or push back. He just kept turning to avoid being pushed. After the drill, when all the kids were being walked , this boy again kept stepping on Ishaan's shoes, and my son kept stepping back to make sure he does not step, but Ishaan did not push back or get violent. I like that about him, but in the evening, he got a full lecture on assertiveness from mater and pater.. separately, of course.. i m gulty bcs some days ago, i had taught him to say NO and to stick to it. but some kids just dont listen.. what do you do then?

National Mueseum - Ancient Chinese Artifacts

2011-03-01T16:36:00.015+05:30

Saturday was National Mueseum visit and Sunday was Ishaan's first Sports Day. The National Mueseum has a Special Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Artifacts - upto Mar 19 methinks. We also covered the Arms gallery and the Maritime Gallery - both of which were pleasures. I really wish someone would care for the Mueseum though.. thats a lot of good things going totally waste. There is very little explanation for empty display cases, very few galleries, and in general.. i think that the Salar Jung Mueseum in Hyderabad manages much bigger crowds and maintenance than this treasure trove of our country.

Photo feature then:

Model of the Santa Maria in the Maritime Gallery.

Another model of an ancient ship.

From the Chinese artifacts exhibition.

Vasco De Gama's log book - calligraphed. Read the first line if you can.

Vasco De Gama's journal.

From the Chinese Exhibition. Left most: man and wife; center: Wise man; Right most: Nursing mother.

From the maritime Gallery

Arms and Armour gallery.

Notice the finishing on this ancient terracotta life size soldier - Chinese exhibition.

Terracotta figures - Chinese Exhibition.

भगवान् जी, सुधर जाओ.

2011-03-01T13:09:00.002+05:30

this morning, ishaan woke up and started sneezing. i was very upset with God.

I said " आज मैं भगवन से बहुत गुस्सा करूंगी।"
ईशान: " क्यूँ?"
माँ : " की वो ये सब प्रॉब्लम आप को क्यं देता है, मेरे को क्यूँ नहीं देता?"
ईशान चुप।
माँ : "आप क्या सोच रहे हो?"
ईशान: "यही, की आप भगवान् को गुस्सा मत करना।"
माँ : क्यूँ?
ईशान: क्यूंकि वो अपने आप ही सुधर जायेंगे।
**********
Translation:
Ma: Today, i will have a big fight with God.
Ishaan: Why?
Ma: Why does he punish you with all this? Why not me?
Ishaan is quiet. After a while, ma asks him, "What are you thinking?"
Ishaan: I m thinking that maybe, you should not get mad at God.
Ma: Why?
Ishaan: Because he will mend his ways on his own.
************

A walk and some fun.

2011-02-21T13:29:00.001+05:30

On Saturday, Ishaan and i went for a walk. Presenting.. the very entertaining videos made on the occasion.

Brave Children on India in book format

2011-02-21T12:08:00.004+05:30

Yesterday, Ishaan and i went book shopping for him. Now, one wouldnt really blog about a book shopping day, but yesterday, i finally found a book that i was looking for.

As a kid, DD used to run a program highlighting the stories of all the children who get bravery awards. I was a sucker for that program, and used to be amazed at what other kids like me could do... it was awe inspiring.

Over the years, this information just plain vanished. No one ever spoke about the feats of bravery. But yesterday, in a corner, i found JUST the book i was looking for:
At just INR 70, it was a steal. I tried, but could not find anything for the other years. If you have wondered about the bravery feats of our little ones.. try this book.

Confused and sad..

2011-02-17T16:31:00.000+05:30

Today, Ishaan caught the viral from me. I took him to the park for a brief period. It was sunny, so some other children were playing there too. it was barely 10 mins during which the whole story narrated here happened.

Ishaan had carried 2 of his "hockey sticks". They are his current "daughters". When he adopts a toy, it becomes his current son or daughter.

As soon as we got to the park, a young child came and took ishaan's hocky stick and offered him his bat in return. Ishaan accepted. 2 mins later, Ishaan wanted his stick back, but the child just wouldn't oblige. My meek son did not want to go ask persistently. Finally i had to ask the mother to intervene.

No sooner had Ishaan got his stick back, another child came to ask for it. This time, my son was not so obliging, but the boy literally pulled the stick from his hand and ran away. I did not want to interfere just yet.

Another 2 minutes, and Ishaan asked the young child for his stick. The boy was aggressive (this was a different boy who wanted that stick just bcs the other child had had it) . Again, we had to appeal to the mother. The boy still did not oblige, and the mother literally had to pull it from his hand. I did not want my child to be run over, so i stuck to the polite request that the toy be returned when requested, especially if the lending child does not want to lend any more and will not be distracted in any other way. i would shout at Ishaan for not returning a toy when asked.

Suddenly, the second young boy came and hit ishaan on the head with a small blue plastic bat. my son just stood there, confused, and not knowing what to do. he knew that mater will not accept aggression, and yet, he looked so sad there.. Finally, he told me, "Come mumma, lets just go home."

Mater replied, "No Ishaan ,we have no reason to leave. You stay, and next time a child tries to snatch your toys, just be firm and say No. Thats all. Just say No and stick to it."

We took another turn there, during which time (1 minute or so), 3 more boys came to snatch the toy, and Ishaan said No and stuck to it, pulling back his stick, but not trying to hurt the boy or be aggressive. I was proud of how he stood firm yet not aggressive.

Then , it got too cold to stay, so we came back up. I told him "You are a confused generation Ishaan.. you guys dont want to share and play, and no one can have fun playing alone. You kids just dont realise that. I dont know why.. 12 kids can play with one bat and one ball, but you guys all want to be batsmen. Obviously you never have fun." My child looked at me, but if he understood anything, he did not betray it.

What, exactly is wrong here? We are not mothers who want to bring up brats... we try to be sensitive, sensible mothers.. and yet.. is it really the single child syndrome? What is it? Confused.. and sad..

Another time, there was this toy at home. Ishaan loved it the first night, but kind of ignored it the next day. The next evening, another child came home to play and ishaan insisted on getting that toy at the exact same time. I took him aside and took his happiness. "That toy was here the whole day and u did not look at it. Now, just because that child is here for 2 hours and he wants it, you want it too. thats not acceptable. Play with it when that child is gone. When someone is a guest, we share. I understand if its your favorite toy and if the other kid is monopolising, but this is not on. You cant ignore a toy all day then shout for it the minute someone else plays with it." I dont even know if the 2 are related.. but this incident just came to mind.

I dont know what to do any more..

why you should not let your child watch too much TV

2011-02-14T01:45:00.002+05:30

The family is out for a walk. Mater sees a new building and asks pater what it is. Pater replies "No idea".
Ishaan: Papa, say that again.
Papa: Say what again?
Ishaan: Say no idea again.
Papa: No idea.
Ishaan: Get Idea.
Mater: Speechless. again.

Note: The "No Idea" "Get Idea" is a commercial for the telecom brand Idea that is on air now. See a sample here.

Surajkund Mela 2011

2011-02-09T17:33:00.011+05:30

It finally happened yesterday.
Ishaan went with his best buddy - Geet. The 2 of them had a ball, had more than just a few fights, and the 2 respective maters kind of tore their hair apart.
We will let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

Munim ji, hamare account mein kitni chocolates bachi hain?

Bugs Bunny!

A quick, hurried, junk food based lunch.

Aaja meri gaadi mein baith ja

Goofing off under a giant umbrella.

The theme state - Andhra - thought of Art for the Tiger long before we did.

For about one hour, Geet and Ishaan ferried sand from location A to location B - located 3 feet away on the pathway.

Nagada, Nagada, Nagada baja..

You and I, in this beautiful world..

There is nothing better than..

2011-02-05T10:27:00.001+05:30

.. your child smiling in his sleep and saying "mumma" in the middle of his giggly dream.

BIG Kaala Teeka.

Surajkund mela 2011

2011-02-01T15:47:00.000+05:30

A lot of my friends accuse me of not telling them about all the nice things, except in retrospect on this blog. so this time.. i will act as delhi ncr calendar and inform - The Surajkund Mela is happening in Faridabad bet feb 1 - 15 2011 and the theme state is Andhra. Its not a gud idea to take ur kids on a weekend bcs of the crowds, so if u have leave, pls take that leave and take the family out.

Baad mein mat bolna bataya nahi..

Love, hug and kiss..

2011-01-30T17:06:00.002+05:30

last night, i realised that for the words - Hug, Kiss, and Love, the noun and the verb are the same.
I hug you = I give you a hug.
I kiss you = I give you a kiss.
I love you = I give you love.

In these things, to be something, you have to DO it. no doing, no being.

MOTS (Moral of the Story)
The Love in your heart,
Wasn't put there to stay.
Love isn't love
Till you give it away.

You know you are a parent when..

2011-01-29T00:47:00.000+05:30

Its the birthday of your spouse, and you sing.. "Happy Birthday Dear Papa...."

AND.. he doesnt bat an eyelid..

Sigh! we have become munne ke papa and munne ki mummy then...

Presence of mind

2011-01-27T01:31:00.000+05:30

Ishaan has recently been playfully hitting around the house. Today, he had to apologise to his pater. In a while, he ended up hitting the grandmother. Mater took a very serious view of the situation. She asked him to apologise. Ishaan insisted on getting into the bedsheet and then apologising. Mater said, Look her in the eye and say i m sorry. Ishaan still insisted on burrowing into the bedsheet.

Mater asked him "Ishaan, only rabbits burrow. Are you Batman or are you a rabbit?" (Batman is his current superhero) . Ishaan and i stared for a brief while, and then, he smiles his cutest smile and says, "I am a flower."

We laffed out loud..

Navjyoti and the clay modeling Sunday

2011-01-17T01:01:00.007+05:30

Sunday started with much anticipation. We were to go for the Navjyoti carnival. It was fun, and extremely inspiring at the same time. To hear Ms. Kiran Bedi speak is inspiring in itself, but the way she used just the right communication to reach out to her audience, left one spellbound..even Ishaan was quiet all through. There was the prize distribution ceremony, then some performances, and then the stalls opened up. Ishaan bought a handmade bandanwar for our main door - its blue and white and methinks, very pretty. There was also the potter's wheel where mater learnt a little bit about the wheel and realised how difficult and delicate the work is.. and ishaan learnt that he is not tall enough to reach the center of the wheel to hold a piece - not even when he stands up. :-(

we brought back 2 pieces from there - freshly made and needed to be sun dried.

But before that could happen, my very creative son decided to "demolish" the already deformed pieces (they were deformed by the long journey home). We first moaned at all the wasted effort and then.. viola! mater realised that this was a whole lot of modeling clay waiting to be played with!

Soo.. out came the mat, the water container as the potter had explained to us, and the newspaper to hold the pieces. For the next 3 hours, we were modeling. This was a day to remember for sure - for the carnival, and for the clay modeling session.

What do you think? (This was the first time mater also got REAL clay, not play dough, to model with.. mater was more child than Ishaan)

PJ par PJ

2011-01-13T16:27:00.002+05:30

Ishaan and mater are sitting. Ishaan is being a crybaby. Mater sez "Ishaan, u know how the car runs? broom, broom, broooooom, brooooooooooooooooooooom. And how does Ishaan cry? ooo, ooo, oooooooo, ooooooooooooooooooooo. " the vocal effects being comparable.
What does my son say? "main koi car ki tarah rota hoon kya?" (Do you think i cry like a car?)
Mater: yes.
Ishaan : No, i cry like a bike. vroooooom.
Touche!

oops.. and the New Year 2011

2011-01-11T01:14:00.001+05:30

Oh, i forgot the New year.. New year was with dadi dada in Chandigarh. Dadi makes the world's best Chocolate Walnut cake in the world. And Ishaan had a ball!

Ishaan and his cousin are just 6 months apart and its a sight to see them together. They are lovely. I had some games planned for them at the new year party, but all they needed was some good old running space and a few things to throw around the house. Consequently, we played poker till midnight (the adults, not ishaan), and then had a small dance party at home. All we needed to do for the dance party was to turn on the music, and both the kids started dancing big time.

Happy New Year then!

Xmas and New year 2010

2011-01-10T13:34:00.000+05:30

Xmas this year was not a tame affair at all. There were 2 Xmas trees - one for Ishaan and one for his nanny, who is Christian and was with us for her Xmas.

We bought most of the ornaments, and then, to make memories, mater proposed that we make our own ornaments at home. Soo.. mater cut, Geeta didi painted and Ishaan finished the home made ornaments.

Home made ornament

Micky mouse on our home made ornament

On the 24th, the tree decoration contest happened with much aplomb. the ornaments were fairly distributed and kept for them to use.

There.. all divided and ready to go.

Our Tree this year had an assortment if it had anything..
Tibetan dolls, home made stuff, toffees (when we ran out of ornaments), and a Kashmiri painted ball that was set aside for Xmas some months ago.

Presenting, the 2 winning trees:

on Koshish

2011-01-06T02:06:00.002+05:30

This post should have been about the Xmas and New Year, but today deserves a special mention.
I finally got Ishaan to watch Koshish. Every time i try to make him watch that film, he slips out. Today, we got watching. In the sequence where the child dies, i couldnt stop crying.. this shocked Ishaan considerably because he has not really seen me cry. For a while, Ishaan tried to pacify me. Then, he throws his hands up and says (very grown up and all ) "Jaise hanste ho, vaise hi rote ho!" (You cry just as you laugh.) - meaning, i assume, my hysterical laughing episodes. i stopped crying to stare at him in disbelief. He actually said that!

Earlier in the morning, i was trying to convince him to go to the day care, and he was trying to convince me to let him rummage through and ruin my stationery cupboard. He takes me to the cupboard and says, very grown up and all "to ye sab kis ke liye le kar rakha hai?" (for who else have you bought all this?) He did not get the access, but he did get the attention all right!

Don't worry mumma..

2010-12-24T00:55:00.002+05:30

Ishaan and i have this end of day conversation where we tell each other what we did all day. Usually, its over fruits just before dinner, or over dinner, or just after dinner during "our time". Some days ago, we went for a movie after office and the chat happened in the car.

That day, i'd seen a lot of videos on female foeticide and was very upset. So my son had to hear all about the folk song "Madhaniyaan" which is a personal favorite. After which i told him "Ishaan..I don't usually say no, but let me tell you this today. Never let me catch you doing 2 things. The first is lying. The second is eve teasing. Just don't come home to me if your harmones grow too strong to respect another human being. " He asked me what eve teasing is. I told him its when boys tease girls because they are girls. At this point, my son says "Don't worry mumma.. main ladkiyon ko nahi tang karoonga. ladkiyaan hi mere peechhe peechhe aayengi." (Don't worry mumma.. i wont eve tease. Its the girls who will follow me." Yes, mater laffed her heart out and the nanny said "Spot On!"

Saas bahu management already..

2010-12-23T13:50:00.003+05:30

Of late, Ishaan has been talking a lot more. . about school, his friends in the day care, stuff he did.. stuff he wants to do.. tall tales that he weaves.. stuff that he remembers from long, long ago (yes, from when he was an infant and i told him something).. anything at all. Yesterday, he remembered and recounted the story of how his father plucked me orchids from a wild plant in Sikkim.

Yesterday, i was trying to get him to study a little. So i said, Come lets get your slate and practice some small letters, and do some puzzles also. Immediately, my son says "Mumma, i m very sleepy." At 9 in the night. This boy has to be forced to sleep at 11. Academic Prodigy in the making, i assure ya.

Also, yesterday, he picked up a rubber band which had a small plastic heart woven in, put it around his wrist as a bracelet, and announced to mater "Mumma, dekho, ye maine apne haath mein I Love You likha hai.. ye Aashna ke liye hai.... " pause. He looks at me "Aur aap ke liye bhi."
(Mom, see i have written I Love you on my hand.. this is for Ashna.) Pause (And for you too. )
I died laffing. Not only is my 3 year old writing I Love You for a prospective girlfriend (on his hand, no less) , he is also proactively doing Saas Bahu management so his mater is not jealous of his gf! You Go Son! You don't need any training on people management.

Greater Than, Less Than

2010-12-22T23:10:00.002+05:30

For a while now, i have been trying to teach Ishaan the concept of greater than, less than. I tried telling him.. count, and the one that comes first is less than, the other is greater than. No luck.

So yesterday night, i asked, 2 zyada hota hai ya 4? (is 2 more than 4?) he said, i dont know. I said, "OK, lets check. Let's see which number leads to more kisses." So i kissed his hand.. 1,2.. arre, ye to khatam ho gayi (Arre.. this got over). But 4 has some more.. and we counted to 4. Like that, we did a few sums yesterday - obviously, the kisses had to be given till the greater number each time.

Today, i was wondering if he remembers the concept. So, on a lark, i asked him again. And he did! After 4-5 kissing cases, i decided to translate more kisses into greater than less than terminology. We tried 10 sums on the slate, and he pointed to the right number each time(i asked him for the smaller number in each case). He got 10 on 10 on the slate.Muuah! Touch wood son!

the small letters continue to be a pain though..

Qutub Minaar again..

2010-12-19T15:34:00.000+05:30

This weekend, we went to Qutub Minaar again. Yes, its a staple picnic place for us. One gets to see all kinds of people here - not always pleasant. Like yesterday, Ishaan droped my phone and someone flicked it instead of returning it to the police post nearby. Just our luck.

But anyway, yesterday, we tried a lot of stuff. We'll let the pictures do the talking. After Qutub Minaar, we went to an event by Navjyoti - a fashion show by slum children. Ishaan and i both had a lot of fun.

Ishaan awestruck by the Santa Claus at the Select Citywalk Mall.

OK, i m being goofy and having fun at it!

Self explanatory

Yes, he walked up the rather jagged surface all on his own.

Posing against the Qutub at mater's insistence.

My legs were still squeaking till 3 in the morning, and then again today..

We also saw a little girl, all of 6 or 7, helping her mother in the construction work. It broke my heart.. but it was not the contractor who was making her work. It was her own mother. A younger child - just abt 18 months or so, was sitting on a sheet nearby. This girl was working AND minding the child. No one told her Child Labour is a bad thing.

The Pater is a genius!

2010-12-14T22:55:00.000+05:30

Of late, i have been very impressed with the pater's ability to innovate, connect and think at a child's level. He has innovative solutions to problems that appear insurmountable to mater. Best of all, he uses humour, laughter and smiles effectively to manage most situations.

The other day, Ishaan was eating paratha with a palak sabzi. when Tom had pizza in his hand with a yellow topping, and Ishaan decided that he also wants a pizza for dinner. nothing else. Mater gave up and sighed. Pater appeared on the scene and said "But mumma, this is pizza, see, with green topping. His pizza is with yellow topping, Ishaan's pizza has green topping. Which color is better? Green or yellow? Green! because yellow is dirty fellow. So, Ishaan's pizza is even better than Tom's pizza!" A VERY gleeful child then went on to eat his pizza with green topping, while an incredulous mater looked on, full of wonder at the very innovative solution.

Today was pure genius. In the middle of dinner, Ishaan declares that he does not want anything other than a doughnut. Mater was in no mood to get to the bakery and get a doughnut, so she groaned. Enter Pater. In a jiffy he declares :Of course we have doughnut at home. Mater rolled her eyes while pater made his way to the kitchen. There, 2 slices of bread were cut like doughnuts, and between the slices was put an assortment of jams, spreads etc to give it a real exotic taste. Ishaan had 3 doughnuts. mater put feet to pater and couldn't stop gushing.

In Class 8, i read a story about the princess who wanted the moon. Everyone, all the king's ministers, and wise men from all over tried to convince the princess that the moon could not be got. They even calculated the distance to the moon and back, to check if it could be brought for her. To no avail. Finally, the court jester made his way to the room of the princess and asked her how big the moon was. "oh, just a little smaller than my thumb." And where is he? "Just by that tree. He hangs on the branches till i fall asleep." And what is he made of? "Pure Gold, you stupid jester!" And what is the shape? "Like my plate, only, no rim. Its flat all over, like the chapati." Viola! a small circular disc was made of pure gold, in the size specified by the princess, and she had her moon! The princess was very happy. Pater reminds me of the practical application of that story. God Bless!

how do you handle this in your child?

2010-12-14T15:46:00.000+05:30

This morning, Ishaan to mumma:

Mumma, papa to aap ko huggy karte hain na? (Mumma, papa hugs you , right?)

Mumma: haan beta. (Yes son)

Ishaan: To vo mere ko achcha nahi lagta. (I dont like it when he does that)

Mumma: Speechless.

Another First..

2010-12-13T01:40:00.002+05:30

Ok, so this one deserves to be recorded for posterity. Yesterday, Ishaan and i went to Qutub minaar. We got really late getting out of the house, and could only be there for about an hour. However, most of that hour was spent running up and down a slope. Yesterday, mater was tired and just couldnt keep up.

We had another 2 kids who came to play with us too. The elder one was the girl and the younger one was a little boy of about 2. Siblings, obviously. I fell in love with the girl. Totally!
She also waved Bye on her way out.

Touch Wood.. and to more such days!

No centre table = Sports Hour

2010-12-07T17:20:00.004+05:30

For once, i m glad that we dont have a center table at home. All these years, i have cringed as guests sat down, tea was served and there was .. no place to keep the chips! Polite guests helped themselves to 1-2 chips and then said that they dont really want any more. I died of embarassment inside.
But over this weekend, we used that entire open dining room area to... play sports! Football.. badminton, volleyball, basketball.. and jumping competitions. For once, i m glad that there is no center table. That we dont have to move anything to get playing. Just get on opposite ends of the room. We can start whenever we want and keep going...

Logic baap..

2010-11-30T20:20:00.002+05:30

What Ishaan said to convince mater to buy a papier mache tortoise from Dilli Haat: "Hamare ghar mein koi bhi tortoise nahi hai na.." (we dont have any tortoise at home)

What Ishaan says to mater when he is cross "Phir main aap se kabhi bhi friends nahi banoonga" (then i will neva be friends with you)

What Ishaan says to convince mater to buy a painted wooden cat toy from the Kashmiri stall at Dilli Haat "Hamare ghar mein cat bhi nahi hai na." When mater points out that he has not so far missed a cat in his life, he settles for a painted ball instead.

What Ishaan tells mater when she calls him a Couch potato because he cannot run for 30 minutes "Aap itni baar mere ko couch potato kyun bolte ho?"

What Ishaan does when he is let loose in a toy store: First, he buys a bat that is just 2 sizes too big for him. Then he insists on carrying it home - alone. Not letting mater even tuch the thing. You can pay for it, but you cant touch it.. Well.. cant say parenting doesnt teach us something new everyday.. :-)

one more bedtime story

2010-11-19T14:42:00.003+05:30

Today, Ishaan wanted a story about the curtains and Ganesh ji. (we have a painting of Ganesh ji in our room) . Here, then, is the story:
एक दिन , ईशान जल्दी उठा गया. तो माँ ने परदे खोल दिए. गणेश जी अभी भी सो रहे थे. उनकी नींद टूट गयी. तो उन्होंने पर्दों को बोला, आप क्यूँ खुले, फटाफट बंद हों जाओ.. मुझे अभी निनी आई हैं. तो पर्दों ने कहा, "हम बंद तो हों जाएँ गणेश जी , पर हमें माँ ने खोला हैं न, आप माँ को बोलो." गणेश जी ने माँ को बोला "परदे बंद करो, मुझे निनी आई हैं." माँ ने बोला "परदे तो मैं बंद कर दूं गणेश जी, पर देखो, कितनी सुन्दर धुप अन्दर आ रही हैं.. सर्दी के मौसम में धुप कहाँ मिलती हैं? आप धुप को बोलो, फिर मैं परदे बंद कर दूँगी. "

गणेश जी ने धुप को बोला "तुम इतना कम क्यूँ निकलती हों? तुम ज्यादा निकला करो." धुप बोली, मैं तो रोज़ उतनी ही निकलती हूँ गणेश जी, पर सर्दी का मौसम हैं, धरती तक कम ही धुप पहुँचती हैं. अगर गर्मी का मौसम होता , तो माँ फट से परदे बंद ही कर के रखती."

गणेश जी ने तब सूर्य से बोला "सूर्य, गर्मी का मौसम कर दो." तो सूर्य ने जवाब दिया, "भगवन, मैं तो कर दूं, पर ये सर्दी , गरमी, विधि का विधान, समय और मौसम, ये सब आप ही ने तो बनाये हैं, मैं आप की हुक्म उदूली कैसे कर सकता हूँ? ये तो आप ही बदल सकते हैं भगवन! " ये कह कर सूर्य चुप हों गया..

तब गणेश जे ने समझा, की ये तो मेरा ही किया धरा हैं.. अब उठाने में ही भलाई हैं.. सुबह का उठना, और रात का सोना, ऐसे ही होना चाहिए.. अब सो जाओ..

Translated :
One day, Ishaan woke up early and mama pulled back the curtains. Ganesh ji was still sleepy and heg ot angry. He ordered the curtains to draw themselves again. The Curtains replied "We would love to obey, but mater has pulled us back. Please ask her to draw us again." Ganesh ji asked the mater to draw the curtains because he was still sleepy. Mater said "Ganesh ji, i would love to do that, but see the lovely sunlight streaming in.. in winters, sunlight is so rare.. why dont u talk to the sunshine?"

Ganesh ji told the sunshine "why are you so rare? I order you to be abundant from now on." Sunshine smiled and said "Ganesh ji, i am the same all the time. But in winters, only a little bit of me makes it to the earth. Its all the winter's fault."

Ganesh ji then spoke to the sun and ordered him to make it summer. The Sun replied " I would love to obey Ganesh ji, but this whle order of things - the seasons, the time of day, and everything else, has been made by you. How can i change something that is your creation?" so saying, the Sun fell silent.

Then Ganesh ji understood, that everything is as it should be. That it is normal to sleep at night and wake up in the morning. It is night now, so Ishaan must go to sleep.. Good Night.

The Revenge of the Mater..

2010-11-11T11:38:00.000+05:30

Ishaan's new name is "Y so?" Because for every sentence u say, his response is "Why?" Some days ago, i told him "papa is coming." and my son replies "Why is he papa?" a hassled mater could only manage "errrm.. because he fathered you, and continues to do so?"

So this morning, mater finally wore a new pendant that she's been meaning to wear for a while now.. and showed it to Ishaan - see, my new pendant. Promply my son asks "Why is it a new pendant?" This time, mater replies "Because its new, and because its a pendant. Thats why!" Stumped him!! :-)

Happy Diwali 2010

2010-11-10T15:52:00.000+05:30

This year, we were big on the Rangoli Bling factor.

The Diwali celebrations started late - 27th of October. We brought out the diyas, bought the tea lights etc.

Every evening, after the Pooja, we placed diyas in a Rangoli formation. On the 28th, i painted rice to be used in day rangolis. This year, we also bought 4 stencils so Ishaan can make his own Rangolis if he wants. Since he is allergic to flower pollen (and we dont like the chemical rangoli colors), i painted rice that can be used as Rangoli colors.

Ishaan had a ball. Every evening, we would sit together to make the battis for diyas. Then, I would place the diyas in the rangoli formation and Geeta and Ishaan lit it up. After it was done, they looked at their handiwork and showed me how beautiful it looked!

I did not want to use electrical lights after a dear friend commented on how much electricity people seemed to be using around the festival. But there was the problem of keeping candles / diyas lit in the wind on the balcony. Viola! we went and bought broad rimmed glasses into which diyas could be placed, then hand painted them, so they made beautiful, colored kandeels. I fell in love with them!

On the Diwali day, we did the morning Rangoli, then the evening Rangoli. By this time, Ishaan was so good with Rangolis that i actually left a whole section for him to fill up independently, and he did. :-)

In the evening, we did the pooja and then went out to burst crackers. There werent that many, but thankfully, Ishaan's green fooljhadi was absolutely safe for him to use on his own, so we let him.

The pics, of course:

The Night Rangoli on Diwali Night

Ishaan admiring his handiwork _ oct 28

The Painted Rice Rangoli - Nov 3

Ishaan working on his first independent Rangoli

The boy still working hard..

One more..

No one is allowed to help

There.. the completed Rangoli.. ALL ON HIS OWN.

Proud creator posing with his creation.

Painted Rice Rangoli - Nov 4

What color goes into this? Give me red for this one. NO? Ok, then i will make do with blue, but its not fair.

Fooling around and refusing to pose.

Flower Rangoli - Nov 5 morning

In the new Diwali dress - Nov 5

Enjoying the first independent cracker - a fool jhadi..

Pooja Mandir for the special pooja

Near the lift - Nov 5

what does it mean

2010-11-08T02:29:00.003+05:30

.. to realise, that you are not a baby any more.. not only have u developed into an individual in your own right, but also that, your witticisms are your individual signature, not a child's babble.. that you have likes and dislikes, to acknowledge, honestly, that you are a slightly spoilt, albeit a very sensitive child..

That you say "I love you" often, and easily.. that you are, even otherwise, communicative..

Updates on Diwali:
This Diwali, you loved the Rangolis and even tried to make one yourself.. by the last day (Diwali), you were good enough to actually be able to help mater with a rather elaborate Rangoli..
This Diwali, you were more interested in floating candles than in crackers, though you did enjoy your first Fool Jhadi..

Touch Wood Son, and God Bless..

When Mater is also sidelined...

2010-10-28T01:13:00.003+05:30

The other day, Ishaan got a new toy - a BIG aeroplane that doesnt fly, wings and all.. and for the first time, there was a toy that was out of bounds to the mater also!

For 3 days, the toy was the bed partner. Mumma , of anyone else, was not allowed in the vicinity.

Then i got him a carpenter kit, and now its the plastic wrench that has the pride of place.

Sigh!

Of course, one must post pics of our Diwali this year.. laterz, laterz..

What do you say to a child who..

2010-10-19T00:53:00.000+05:30

.. bent over the wash basin, hugging you, whispers in your ear "Mumma, main aap ko kabhi khona nahi chahta." (Mumma, i dont ever want to lose you)

... Decides after 60 minutes that he has stayed away from mumma long enough and throws a Giant Robot sized tantrum?

...creates a spear out of Connector sketch pens? Then runs all over the house with it, declaring his "fighter" status?

...takes craft scissors in hand. When mater tells him its not ok, throws the scissors away anyway and then sits and sulks till mater kisses him off the sofa?

.... throws a BIG tantrum if anyone else in the park takes one of his 2 basketballs away, or if anyone dares play a catch with mumma. Not even one catch.

Kala Teeka, and some more Kala Teeka..

Aaj hui hamari Navratri

2010-10-16T23:34:00.003+05:30

Today, we went to some semblance of Dandiya. The music was really loud and Ishaan wanted to get home. However, parting with the Dandiya sticks was not an option. He wanted to carry them with him and come home. One was soon to figure out why. Back home, the boy wanted me to play dandiya songs and then he danced. Even if its the mater speaking, methinks his repertoire of steps for Day 1 was kinda impressive. We danced. Soon, the others got home too and then, it was a mad house. No one wanted to stop dancing.. so we made plastic dandiya out of an old toyof Ishaan, and we all danced, cell phone videos were made, pictures were clicked.. and generally.. a good time ws had by all. Aaj hui hamari Navratri.

Ishaan developed a new professional talent - tying up sticks together. He was very engrossed in learning this fine art and had to be cajoled into bedtime activity - aka sleeping.

BIG BIG kala teeka.. :-)

सरबत का भला. today's bedtime story.

2010-10-02T00:02:00.007+05:30

बहुत दूर, ऊंचे ऊंचे पहाड़ों में, एक गाँव में, एक छोटा लड़का रहता था। उस का काम था, गाँव की भेड़ों को चरने ले जाना। ऐसे बच्चो को गडरिया कहते हैं। तो ये गडरिया रोज़ भेड़ों को चरने ले जाता। अब भेडें तो चरती रहती थी, ये क्या करे? तो ये लड़का, बैठे बैठे गाने गाता रहता था। इस का गला बहुत सुरीला था। एक दिन, एक पारी वहां से जा रही थी, तो उस ने इस का गाना सुना। वो सुन कर बहुत खुश हुयी... उस ने जा कर अपनी सहेलियों को बताया, तो वो सब भी लड़के का गाना सुन ने आने लगी। अब रोज़ ऐसा ही होने लगा। लड़का गाना गाता, और पास के एक पत्थर पर बैठ कर, परियां अदृश्य हो कर इस का गाना सुनती थी।
एक दिन, एक तितली वहां से उडती हुई जा रही थी, तो उस की नज़र परियों पर पड़ गयी। तितली उडती हुई परियों के पास गयी, और उनकी और हैरानी से देखने लगी। फिर वो लड़के के पास आई और उस के कान में धीरे से कहा, "भैया, वहां परियां बैठी हैं। " लड़के ने हैरान हो कर देखा , पर उसे वहां कुछ भी दिखाई नहीं दिया.. वो हंस पड़ा और फिर से गाने लगा। परियों ने चैन की सांस ली।

अगले दिन, फिर वही हुआ॥ लड़का गा रहा था, और तितली वहां से गुज़री। वो परियों के पास पहुंची। इतनी सुन्दर तितली को देख, परियां उस के साथ खेलने लगी। फिर वो खिलखिला कर हंसने लगी। उनकी हंसी एक दम छोटी छोटी घंटियों के सुर जैसी थी। उस ने पत्थर की और चौंक कर देखा। उसे सिर्फ तितलियाँ दिखाई दी, पर उसे फुदकते , बैठते देख, वो समझ गया की वहाँ परियां ज़रूर हैं। उस ने तितली को खेलते देखा, तो सोचा, काश! परियां मेरे साथ भी खेलती॥ मैं तो यहाँ एक दम अकेला ही बैठा रहता हूँ। सारा दिन खेलने के लिए कोई साथी भी नहीं। उस की ये सोच, एक पारी ने सुन ली। उस ने बाकी परियों को ये बताया, तो उन्हें बहुत अफ़सोस हुआ। वो झट से गडरिये के सामने आ गयी और उसे बताया की वो रोज़ बैठ कर उस का मीठा गाना सुनती हैं। उन से मिल कर लड़का बड़ा खुश हुआ। अब वो सब रोज़ दोस्तों की तरह मिलते थे। गडरिया उन्हें मीठे गीत सुनाता, वो सब खेलते, और बहुत हँसते थे।
एक दिन, जब वो लड़का आया, तो बहुत उदास था। परियों को देख उस ने गाने की कोशिश की, पर उस का गला रुंध गया। परियों ने जब उस से पूछा, क्या बात है, तो उस ने बताया " मेरी माँ बहुत बीमार है। चारपाई पर पड़ी है, उठ भी नहीं सकती। हम लोग बहुत गरीब हैं, इस लिए उस का इलाज भी नहीं करा सकते। वो जल्दी ही मर जाएगी। " ये कह कर लड़का रोने लगा। परियों ने उस से कहा " हमें अपने घर ले चलो।" लड़के ने ऐसेही किया। घर जा कर परियों ने देखा, माँ सच में बहुत कमज़ोर थी। उन्होंने झट से अपने जादू से दवाई बनायीं और माँ को पिला दी। माँ जल्दी ही अच्छी हो कर बैठ गयी।
माँ को ठीक देख कर लड़का बहुत बहुत खुश हुआ और उस ने परियों का बहुत शुक्रिया अदा किया। तब परियों ने कहा, नहीं भैया तुम तो हमारे दोस्त हो। दोस्त दोस्त के काम नहीं आएंगे तो कौन आयेगा। हमें हमेश दूसरों की मदद करनी चाहिए॥ इसी से तो सब खुश रह सकते हैं। अगर लोग एक दुसरे की मदद नहीं करेंगे, तो कोई भी खुश नहीं रह पायेगा। अगर तुम हमें बिना स्वार्थ के मीठे गीत न सुनते, तो हमारे दिन प्यारे कैसे बनते? तुम ने तो तब अपने बारे में नहीं सोचा! ये सुन कर लड़का और उस की माँ बहुत खुश हुए, और उन्होंने फैसला किया की जब भी किसी की मदद कर सकेंगे, ज़रूर करेंगे।