55er or something like that - day 7

They wanted him to be just like them.

He tried. But it just wasn't like him to indulge in these activities for the sake of ‘tradition’.

They said he died because they wouldn't accept him.

Actually they told him that he was dead to them.

“Good riddance!” he said to himself with a scintillating smile.

Today's prompt - They said he died because they wouldn't accept him.

And so 'A week of 55ers ends! Sob sniff! Much fun was had doing something I had never done and out of my comfort zone. I am thinking of collating all of them in one post! Just for fun and ease of reading! :)

55er or something like that - Day 6

There was silence for a while. The other woman in the room did not know what to expect.

She had been seeing her regularly, visiting her actually.

Today was the judgment day.

“So, Doctor?”

She could sense the doctor looking deep into her eyes as she said “I think we can get your sight back!”

Today's prompt - She looked deep in to her eyes...

Ps: Just one more day to go! :D

55er or something like that - day 4

Shock and disbelief! Divorce papers? All of a sudden. Out of the blue as they say.

Mental trauma and anguish? Irreconcilable differences? 

Why?

He believed that their first year of marriage could not have been better.

Just last week, for their first wedding anniversary, he even gifted her a top of the line weighing machine!

Today's prompt: Weighing Machine

on a rainy day! :)

When Cyclone Nilam was ravaging Tamilnadu, Bangalore saw it's side effects with two days of incessant rains, crazy winds and sudden drop in temperature turning Bangalore into a veritable hill station all of a sudden. Considering there was hardly any rain during the entire rainy season, everyone welcomed these showers (atleast for the first day before the roads got worse, traffic turned for worst and damp clothes occupied every available surface in the house!;)


All said and done, the weather was gorgeous - the kind where you either cuddle under a razaai all day long or step out and enjoy the rains. We decided to do the later! We left thinking of having lunch at some new place in the city. But both the places we shortlisted were typically enclosed spaces and how does one enjoy the weather there, really?


So, we just turned the car around and decided to go to another new place we had just heard about called Cafe Buzzinga in Whitefield, Bangalore. Found the phone number, called and found exactly where it was and reached. It is lovely open space @ Lakeview Farms (which in itself is a private property - a part of which the owners have given for commercial purposes).


Cafe Buzzinga is as casual as it's name makes it sound. Run by two young partners, it is a simple place with daily fresh menu on a white board and comfortable cane chairs on pebbled ground. The kids felt at home instantly. Add to that the huge lawn (belonging to the owners) where they had a free run (till the owners came along) and indulgent service - we ended up having an absolutely fabulous afternoon!


What made the whole experience superlative was customer delight offered by the cafe! We absolutely LOVED the bacon in their all day breakfast combo. Since we wanted to have more of the said bacon, we asked them if they could make us a bacon/cheese sandwich which was not on the menu. There wasn't a moment of hesitation and a perfectly grilled sandwich was at our table soon enough! :)


Here are some pictures that should give you an idea! :)

On our way out! Cub holding Bub's hand to keep her under the umbrella, while Bub has plans of her own! ;)

In the middle of the huge lawn of Lakeview Farms! :)

Cub trying to channelize his inner Hulk! But he was too happy to get it right! :)

Arre Bhaiyya! Let me pose by myself! :)

Doing a round of the lawn while the food gets ready! :)

and Bub chose to take a walk with her Papa! :)

Time for some hot chocolate?! :) Served very thoughtfully in a little Espresso cup for a little girl! :)

Content smiles post a great meal and a good time! :)  

The lake and wet roads on our way back! 

You better read this letter - 2

Dearest Cub and Bub,


I am not sure you cared much for my previous letter, but then that is no reason to stop me from writing you another one. This time lets talk about beauty perhaps? The inner and outer variety? What really matters? Or let us just play by the ear and see what this chitthi says, eh?


Wear comfortable shoes. Most of the time. Especially you, Bub. You are the one who is going to have all the  temptation in the world. Yes, wear those impossible heels once in a while. Be a fashion victim sometimes. Sometimes, being the key word in this case. Nothing is worth a broken back and painful knees and bad posture! :)


Same goes for clothes. Wear clothes that are clean, ironed and comfortable. Wear ones that add to the feel good factor about yourself, but do not let That be he deciding factor for how you feel about yourself! Ever! :) Taking this a little forward, do not judge people by what they wear. In most cases, it just will not matter or even give you an idea about who they really are.


Ever noticed how the word Make-up screams that what you have is not enough? That you need something more to Make-up for what you do not have. Do not use it as far as possible. It is just a lot of chemicals that you can easily do without. Save it for special occasions if you will? And wait till you are old enough to use it? As for me, I have liked my lipsticks and in recent past nail polish. But, I have never felt the need to have those on every time I step out and find myself being more comfortable in my skin as is. I don't expect you to get there young, but least you know you can try! :)


Instead, concentrate on staying healthy. Eat well. Eat fresh as much as possible. Both of you love fruits (most of them) - keep that love going strong. Drink lots of water. Try and not be fussy about food. It is meant to give you nourishment. If it is tasty as well, that is a bonus. (See, how I covered my not being a good cook!;)


Get exercise. Especially the fresh air kind. Or even the gym, if that is what works for you. Stay fit and keep up stamina. Do not let yourself go, the way your parents did. Take up a sport if you can. Just for fun really. You know your AAji always told me, that whatever you see outside is a sign of what is going on inside your body. If you are not taking care of that, even best shampoos in the world cannot save your hair or best lotions your skin! :) I did not listen to her, but you can and should! :)


Maintain basic hygiene at all times. Bath, teeth, nails - yes that kind of basic stuff. It is hugely underrated this commonsense funda. Oh and let us not forget basic bathroom manners as well. Especially no dirty and wet seats, PLEASE! :)


Edited to add - This suggestion by my friend Swapna! Use sun screen! And umbrella or a hat as well! Yes!


You know all that talk about 'Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder" - true that! :) And, I do sincerely hope that both of you will find that for yourself - sooner than later.


Repeat after me - Colour does not matter. Nor the size. Fair does not equal to beautiful. More importantly, Dark does NOT equal to ugly or any less beautiful. People come in all colours, shapes and sizes and none of it really matters except for differentiating one person from another. Really. :) I know there will be times, when it will all seem balderdash - the inner beauty thing - particularly. But keep the faith. Your natural kindness and genuineness will always shine through. So will a true smile that reaches your eyes. That is the time when you do not need to use so called regular parameters to decide if someone is beautiful - physically.


Most importantly, LOVE YOURSELF. There will be moments of self doubt - a desire to be someone you are not naturally. But it will pass quick enough if you believe in yourself. Just stay healthy and happy and the rest will follow.


And if you are ever worried about not being good enough - look at yourself through our eyes! :)


All my love and kisses
Mumma

You better read this letter

Sorry for that supremely lame title, but I do think it is a notch better than what came to my mind first - Maine tujhe khat likha (anyone remember / know that song?!;)

So, I am attempting to share some life lessons with Cub and Bub in this one. Of course, my life has been ridiculously simple (knock on wood!), so I really do not have lot of  varied experiences or major wisdom to share, but one has to make do with what one has, isn't it? :)


My dearest Cub and Bub,


It is an absolute joy to have YOU in our lives. Yes, it is also tiring and sometimes extremely frustrating, but most of the times it is fun. We revel in your achievements - big and small and feel your pain. We love seeing you become little people from being just ugly monkeys when you were born.


Stay happy. It really is a lot simpler than what most people think. Be kind and generous - with what you have and, even more importantly, with your time.

Smile - a lot! Cry when you feel like - it will make your heart feel that much lighter. Help others - every chance you get - whatever way you can. Just the other day, my darling Cub you told me, you helped Ishaan and his mother by holding the lift door open while they struggled to get his cycle in. I pray such actions come naturally to both of you - always.


Read baby, READ! There is no greater joy in this world than reading a good book. Read bad ones too, so that you can know the difference. Books take you to so many new places and let you learn so many new things. They entertain you, make you laugh and cry and ponder and have different points of view. Buy books, join a library and gift the ones you love every now and then.


Write too. A journal or a diary or a blog like this. I never did have the patience when young, but I have been really enjoying jotting down things about you guys. I am sure you will enjoy reading about childhood through my eyes once you are older. You do not even have to be brilliant with words. It is just a way to look back, see how far you have come and smile! :)


Dance! Two left feet, two right feet or you dance like a dream. There is something fabulously invigorating and liberating about dance. If you want to learn it, go on and do that. Does not matter whether it is something classical or dhinchak Bollywood. Even if you don't know how to, always get up and dance! :)


Make friends and keep them. Meet them as often as you can. Ones you cannot, try and keep in touch with them. Phone calls, letter, emails and whatever else is there by the time you grow up. Let me also tell you that not all of them will respond and you will wonder why? Possibly even feel a little hurt. Just understand that some people may have different priorities and it is not always personal. I am terrible at this and you should really learn from your father. He is SUCH a people person and a genuinely good friend! :)


While on topic of friends, surround yourself by people who make you feel good about yourself. By that, I obviously don't mean a bunch of Yes Wo/men. They might tell you off when they feel you have been wrong, but never ever make you think any less of yourself. It is such a waste of time to surround yourself with negative people who pull you down at every given chance.


Family cannot be chosen, but it is important. You will meet all sorts in your life and our families are our first initiation into everything nice and weird! :p Love them and let them love you in their own way. It will not always be easy, and yet there is nothing quite like it! :)


Repeat after me:  Love = Respect. Actually, no relationship is worth it if there is no respect in it. Always be polite. Say your thank you and sorry freely. It does not matter what age group or social status they belong to, no rudeness. EVER!


I wish I had the patience to write some more right now! (Hint: Next letter might start with "learn to be patient"!)


For now, you kids stay good, whine a little less and eat better, will ya?!



All my love

Mamma

sometimes we are sooo sleepy

that we sleep midway between trying to get off the bed to stop Mamma from going to the bathroom! :p

or we find even the mother's bony knees and ankle comfortable! :)

Naya saal! Naya baccha! :D

No No No!!!!!!! Of course I am NOT pregnant! Bub just turned one for chrissakes! :p


I am talking about Cub. He has grown up so suddenly that we are actually finding it difficult to come to terms with it. So many changes - mostly for better and yet heartbreaking in their own right. It is like we have a new kid in the house. If not for the consistently intermittent whining I would have believed in the paranormal as well to explain all this! :D


The big school for one has been good for him till now. His confidence is growing and he is learning a lot (too much if you ask us). He is still fairly quiet in the class and needs to believe in himself a little more perhaps, but according to his teachers he is among the smarter kids in the class. Very observant and a quick learner. Who are we to argue then?! ;)


At the sports day, Cub ran like the wind and came first in his class race. I have always been the participation is important kind of person, but it is difficult not to feel that extra flip of your heart to see your child stand at the podium. A lovely and proud moment. He was also right at the center and in the front for the dance their class performed (Waka-Waka) for the Annual Day. It is great to see him discover new facets to his personality.


Cub is also now talking more easily to new kids. The decision to move areas and colony has been a good one. He actually goes on and tries to make new friends now - albeit after a bit of prodding. He is learning to play with a bunch of people and still is clueless about how to deal with the playground politics. One day at a time I guess.


He is an amazing older brother. I mean, Bub has seriously lucked out in that department. He is caring, engaging and very naturally sensitive and affectionate. He is the only one who manages to take her off my hands when I get completely tired of her Fevicol ka majboot jod with my legs! Yes, there are times when he does not want to have anything to do with her, but those moments are few and far in between.


It has not been easy for him dealing with all the attention Bub gets because she is at such an adorable stage now! There is no way he can compete with that. Yet, he is trying to take it in his stride. We keep telling him how he as a kid got as much attention if not more and it is really just a matter of age.


I had told Cub that in the new year he has to start eating by himself. He nodded yes, but I was not sure if it was really going to work. One week down and things have been better than ever. Touchwood! We also noticed that eating at the dining table helps. Errr... yeah we generally sit on the bed and eat while watching TV! But since we have moved to the dining table, he has been eating by himself and well too. Guess he missed the attention he gets like this.


He is even dressing up on his own! Sigh! Now if we are going out etc, I just need to handover his clothes to him and he is ready in a jiffy. We are still learning to button correctly, but tees and pants is not a problem. He is becoming more and more independent and there are so many little milestones that he seems to be achieving everyday.

His writing and colouring is getting so much better. He still hates homework with vengeance though. There is finally some interest in learning to read by himself and it is so much fun to see  his thrilled jumping around saying "I read a whole sentence!" He is becoming more and more logical in his reasoning and keeps coming and telling us why he thinks certain things happen or do not happen. But like me, he is not very curious by nature really.


He hates structured play of any kind. It includes jigsaws, board games etc. Maybe it is because he does not like it when he cannot master things instantly. He is still much happier making up stories and letting his imagination run riot with whatever toy or object catches his fancy. That said he is a lot more interested in physical activities now. he loves climbing up and jumping down. Running. He is learning to play cricket and frisbee. These days if we go down on time, he gets one solid hour of exercise.


He is having actual conversation on the phone with his grandparents now. And whoever else agrees to listen. Finally! :)


All in all, things are definitely looking up in this new year. Cub is growing up to be a lovely kid. Yes, the kind who will get his heart broken perhaps, but his innate sweetness keeps showing up ever so often and I find myself tearing up and sending up a prayer for his happiness. As much happiness as he brings to others in the very least.



May you keep growing stronger and yet stay gentle at heart my love. You are a very special person!


Love ya lots!



I hope to blog more often this year. I hope you guys had a great last year and I wish you have an even year ahead! Cheers!

Dressed as shepherd for the Nativity scene in the colony! :D

All set for our trip to halebid and belur

Like i said, he prefers going wild with his imagination! :)

Actually agreeing to pose for a change! :)

Running - his latest love! Side-effect of coming first in that school race!

Jungle gyms are best friends these days! Even tiny ones! :D

And yes, we still make crazy faces for the camera most of the times! :p


Happy New Year folks! :)

Randomness! :)

The festive season is on and I am loving it. There is a slight nip in the air, people are smiling, there are kandeels in the balconies and lights put up in every other home. M is traveling and not around for either Diwali or our anniversary. 7th to be precise. That kind of sucks, but other than that it is difficult to mope when there is so much fun in the air. Today Cub and me made small paper lanterns... the ones i am sure most of us have made in school. We hope to make some more and then put them in our balcony as Diwali decor. Cub also made a Toran in school with the help of his teachers. Since we did not have one in any case, we immediately put it up on our door. It quite lovely really.

That said I was just reading this blog post the other day and started to wonder. It is indeed true that we are very kanjoos with our praise and appreciation. How many of us ask for a feedback form, when we get excellent service? Yet, we are the first ones to look for the complaint book when we have even the slightest trouble.

While it is great to expect and demand good service, isn't positive feedback a part of this? I read somewhere that truly successful don't just learn from their failures, but also the success. WE all crave appreciation - from our boss, colleagues, friends and family. Then what makes us forget that other people want it too?

I Love M for this. He is always very respectful in his dealings with folks at every level. We go buy something, he always makes sure he finds out the name of the person and uses it to thank him / her. He shakes hands and smiles without an iota of self consciousnesses or ego. And I have been learning from him.

These days if I enjoy the service at any place, I make sure I get their names. I mention it specifically if feedback form is given. If there is none offered voluntarily (like in retail industry), I ask for it and quickly fill it out mentioning the name of the person who delighted me with their efficiency and practical approach. Trust me, it is not an easy quality to find in lot of places.

It is amazing and saddening at the same time to see their happy and surprised expression. They are just not used to get even a polite thank you on most days. The last time i asked someone else for the name of a sales girl who helped  me find the right churidaar because that girl had gone out for lunch by the time i got to the billing counter. The manager came rushing and his question was "Is there a problem, Ma'am?!" Sigh!

So next time you are happy with some work someone has done for you will you say a heartfelt thank you and then take out two minutes and put it in writing too?

Toh iss Diwali, aap kisse khush karenge?! :)

happy diwali folks! have a great time!

a quick getaway with grandparents!

I was just sifting through old blog posts to find a post I had written on our Masinagudi trip for JLT. I obviously meandered and realized there are so many things I have forgotten and the only record is my blog posts. I instantly felt terrible about not being as regular. There are hardly any Bub posts in here. And so many new things Cub keeps doing too have found no mention and are now lost forever! :(


So here's a catch up post of a short getaway we did to Jungle Lodge's, Bannerghatta National Park. Yes, right within the city and yet once you enter, it is like you have left it far behind. Much fun was had and you can read my official guide HERE for the more practical aspects! Thank you Art for the recco!


We loved pretty much everything about the place - the accommodation in the tents, the hammocks strung around everywhere, deer walking in unexpectedly and the open space. The food and the service were a tad disappointing, but nothing you cannot live with for one night.


Here are the photos! The kids were especially thrilled to have their Aaji-Ajoba around! :)

Cub trying to save the Bub from falling into the gap! :)

Getting the hang of the hammock! No pun intended! ;)

The Girl with the Red Umbrella! :)

The brother in green joins her! :)

I LOVED the tyre swing! what is there not to like, eh?! 

With the bada baby at the zoo! :p

The brats with the grandies! :)

everyone trying to save the food from Bub the Bhukkad! :p

Cub at the front of the Safari bus. The driver let him change the gears later. Holding his hand ofcos!

Near the Butterfly park! :)

The entrance to the Butterfly park. While the number of butterflies were few, its a gorgeous place. And do NOT miss the museum.

In the Butterfly park!

The Bub relaxing in the hammock!

Just sitting around enjoying the place! :)

i LOVE this photo! Just like that! :)

Hanging out together! :)

And we found some friends to kick the ball with! :)


We were back by next day lunch time. It was a short and sweet break and Cub was quite upset that we did not stay another night. All in all, much fun was had. Thank god for such mini-breaks, eh?! :)

some sunday mornings

or errr... noons turn out to be like this also. Most of the times are weekends end up being busier than the entire week. There is an endless stream of people to meet and things to do. M keeps teasing me about how he never gets to actually relax over a weekend. And then comes along a Sunday, when you have no plans really. You wake up late, breakfast turns into brunch and lunch is probably going to be Maggi with ThumsUp at 330pm. An essential part of such a morning is the tel maalish session. M doing it for Cub and me and then me doing it for M.


And you know you have done a good job of it when this is the result of that head massage!

When M goes off into a deep slumber about 5mins later in the balcony itself where the tel maalish was happening!

Cub tries to wake him up. Does not work really.

So Cub decides to monkey around on his own for a while!

till he too gives in and goes off to sleep right next to his Papa on a cloudy yet a slightly warm rainy noon.


Me, I cannot help but just smile and take pictures so that I can record it here at some point in time after I have filed it away in my memory bank already.  

:)

an ode to an ode...

My life till date has been pretty normal and mostly happy! Anti-jinx to that. No extreme lows, some highs and a lot of simple days with neither. But everyone has some angst at some point in time and mine was my looks. Or lack of it if I may say so. It is never easy being an average looking teenager. Dark, thick glasses, no sharp features and a big boned structure maketh not a traditional beauty.


Yes, one always knew about Inner Beauty and Personality, but these words made no sense when you did not get no boyfriend in college or even have boys noticing you. It was difficult not to feel bad sometimes about lack of roses on the dratted rose day or knowing there was precious little you could do about the image in the mirror.


The parents were ever supportive. Always talking about the innate intelligence and the street smartness that not many girls had. The fact that one was a social being and knew how to have a conversation with everyone. That one had good manners and kind heart. But that did not make the one I had crush on look at me. He still did prefer the obviously pretty.


The angst of an average looking girl is only what she can understand, deal with and get out of. There are no popular books and movies that talk about the Plain Jane. If they do, it is in the tone of how ugly duckling turned into a swan. The girls always become prettier and sexier, get rid of the glasses and the plumpness and get themselves the man. Which is why i LOVE this movie called Thodasa Roomani Ho Jaaye with all my heart.


It captures the life of a young woman who is not beautiful by any conventional standards. She can cook up a storm and repair cars. She is not scared of getting dirty, but cannot get herself to preen and look pretty. She obviously is not getting married because she just does not have what it takes. Then comes along the Rainmaker - Baarishkar who tells her to look within. Tells her that there are no bad looking woman. Then follows the gorgeous song "Main sundar hoon" - the realization that she is special too.


It is not just about her, but how he brings out hope and longings of each of the family members. The way he reads them, the way he helps them bring out their best, face their fears, accept what is good in them and believe that they can succeed. The movie is sheer poetry. Every dialogue will make you ponder, smile, tear up or do all of the above. With top class performances by Nana Patekar and Anita Kanwar, this movie is a treat that one just should not miss. The father in the movie is one who adores his daughter, sees the best in her and cannot understand why other people cannot see how special she is. I am yet to see a subtler and a more awesome portrayal of a father.


As I watched the movie again today, I still got transported to the time when I wanted to beautiful, when I identified with Binni's character and thought that with her I had discovered my beauty as well. For the longest time, i dressed in checked shirts and pants behaving like a tomboy! :p While it takes a lot of influence me, I think this movie really made me challenge the way I looked at myself and the world and it is still the best "pick me up" for me.


There is no DVD of the movie, but you can find VCD online. And the whole movie is available on YouTube as well. If you have not watched it, make sure you do.


If I could talk to my teenage self, I would tell me to just relax and while it would be great to be a stunner, you really wont do badly for yourself and your happiness will always shine through! :)


Here is the video of Nana Patekar reciting the dialogue in some interview. Amazing is an understatement!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVLH5HnNmbs

Here's another lovely article someone shared with me on facebook. It is good to know you are not the only idiot! ;)

http://www.divinecaroline.com/24133/96491-never-ugly

And here are some lines from one of my favouritest songs from the movie!

rasta akela ho
har tarf andhera ho
raat bhi ho ghaath ki
din bhi lut raah hoAao tum aur hum dard ko basuri banaye

Yehi to hai mausam
Aao tum aur hum
Thodasa roomani ho aye
Mushkil hai jeena umeed ke bina
Thode se sapna sajayae
Thodasa roomani ho jaye

PS: This is no fishing post asking you folks to tell me that I am indeed beautiful or how gorgeous my smile is! :) I now know my beauty and the lack of some of it mostly does not matter! Cheers!

will the real mother please stand up?! :)

Read this gorgeous gorgeous piece on MadMomma's blog. We all tend to judge people on the basis of our beliefs. There are a few things which are as right or wrong in a black and white manner with no shades of grey. Leaving those apart, all of us at some point fall into the trap of thinking we know better or someone else always seems to be doing better. Mothers are the most judged and judgmental of the lot and we learn to live with it. So like that blog post, I am making an attempt to figure out who Real Mother is! :)

Real mothers breastfeed. Or they don't. They don't because they cannot or perhaps because they don't want to.

Real mothers experience love at first sight with their babies. Real mothers take months to feel that love and show it.

Real mother use diapers. Real mothers use cloth nappies.

Real mothers are patient and forgiving. Real mothers are impatient and get frustrated.

Real mothers make fresh food for their kids for every meal. Real mothers also serve leftovers and feed processed food every now and then.

Real mothers stay at home for their children. Real mothers work out of homes for their children.

Real mothers don't trust others with their children. Real mothers trust someone else to look after them in their absence or in their presence.

Real mothers make outfits from scratch for fancy dress or Halloween. Real mothers just pay some money and rent them.

Real mothers teach their children at home. Real mothers send their children for tutions.

Real mothers have a fixed bedtime for their children. Real mothers don't insist on it.

Real mothers can bake birthday cakes. Real mothers just get them baked.

Real mothers dance with their children. Real mothers read to their children. Real mothers don't do either.

Real mothers never show their tears. Real mothers cry in front of their children.

Real mothers eat before their children. Real mothers feed their children first.

Real mothers cannot stay away from their children. Real mothers cannot wait to get away for a while from their children.

Real mothers don't take the nannies along on their shopping trips. Real mothers do.

Real mothers are proud of their kids. Real mothers are also embarrassed by theirs.

Real mothers take their children to shopping malls and gaming zones. Real mothers take their children to parks and zoos. Real bothers do all of it too.

Real mothers get Wii for their children. Real mothers play ball with their children.

Real mothers let their children watch TV. Real mothers don't bother with that contraption ever.

Real mothers get bored of constant chatter of their kids. Real mothers cannot have enough of it.

Real mothers take their children to movies. Real mothers don't. Real mothers also take them to concerts and plays.

Real mothers don't buy guns and dolls for their children. Real mothers do.

Real mothers judge and get judged. Real mothers don't.

We may think that one kind of mother is better than other, but then we rarely have the big picture to know why the mother is making the decisions she is. And most of us are not on either extreme. We are somewhere in between and trying our best to balance it all. Mostly.

Fact is, all mothers are Real. As Real as everything WE so firmly believe in and know to be right! :)

So, will the real mother please stand up?!

of food for thought? Nopes! For Toys and Chips! :)

M has been traveling a little and that leaves Cub and me to fend for ourselves over weekends. Since I cannot drive and am still using my two wheeler, our radius for going out cannot be too far. WE did trips for story telling sessions at Crossword close by, vegetable shopping at grocery division in a mall, eating at a food court etc.


Now generally M and me don't go to malls unless there is some shopping that needs to be done. It really is not our idea of fun outing. How can it be when it takes forever to find parking and space to move without getting pushed around? Inspite of our not so often visits, Cub seems to enjoy the malls! He likes the lights, the noise and mainly the escalators!


The Central close to home has a McDonalds. Cub has been to a McD's maybe a total of 4 times, but if you hear him talk about it, one would think we take him there everyday! :p This weekend, i made the mistake of attempting to go on a Saturday evening. It took us close to 40mins to teach on a TWO wheeler! Phew! Then McD's hardly had any space. I actually made Cub sit by himself till i got us some food, telling him not to move and to scream if he needed me. Thankfully, he stayed put and i got our order quick enough.


When i came back with food, the first question Cub asked me was "Toy kidhar hai?!" HUH! I would have happily got him the errrr Happy meal if the toy had semblance of being even remotely nice or worthy of 5mins of play. So i was trying to explain to him how new toys come along as merchandise for movies etc. Duh!


Anyway, he did not insist, (guess the long winding explanation turned him off!;) had his burger and fries (minus the bun) and then we went up to the food court so that I could eat something that would fill my tummy. And our 2hours were spent just in eating at two places. Of course there was a potty session thrown in which meant i had to gulp down my food at super sonic speed. When does it stop? And we are gonna do it all over gain! Gah! ;)


By the end of it all i remember is a lot of crowd and sweat! and messy loo. Bah!


Sunday morning didnt start off too well. We fought over something silly. Then made up. When asked where he wants to go, the child said "I want to go to Ranga Shankara (the gorgeous theater modeled over Prithvi in Bombay) to eat that egg sandwich!". I was quite impressed. It's only a little later that it struck me that the child's attraction for the humble egg-mayo sandwich stems from the fact it is served with even humbler potato chips or wafers as we call them! :) Now, we rarely buy chips etc as a part of our regular grocery. Cub gets them only when we have guests or we are traveling. Poor kid! :p


But we did go there finally and what fun it was. They have a beautiful l'il cafe with wooden benches, granite top tables on terracotta bricks, paper lanterns, fresh flowers in metals tins that milkman carries and an over all nice and open feeling. The lobby for the theater is right there with its art work, posters for plays and masks. There is a small space outside completely covered by trees that has small stone stools and log benches, strewn with sand and pebbles.


So we ate peacefully... Cub his egg sandwich (running around and coming back for bites and trying to cheat by having two chips instead of one after every sandwich bite!;) and me a yummy kheema pav! :) I was wearing my "baby Under Construction" tee (last month folks!) and coupla women there told me how cute it was. One of the women then offered us a yummy walnut and banana cake as dessert and my day was made. Cute tee and cute Cub did it for us! hehe!


As we were leaving it started to drizzle and we decided to spend some time in tree covered area. Cub had fun jumping off the stone stools / slabs, throwing pebbles and practicing writing his alphabets on sand with twigs that were strewn all over the ground. He carried one pebble back as souvenir and was quite reluctant to go back home.


Cub thankfully said thank you to folks, but refused to tell his name to make up for it! Bah!


What a peaceful meal this was compared to the madness at the mall! :)


In the evening we went to the park close to home. past few weekends we have been going there regularly because it has more of jungle gym, bars to hang on kinda stuff than the colony play area. The doc reccos them for Cub's hypotonia as well and its anyway a really nice park.


Now Cub by nature is someone who would not try anything new if you don't push him a little. So we did to make him climb the jungle gym shaped like B. He refused and cried, wailed and stomped about. Then we started a game. he now loves saying what words start with every alphabet! So we picked a letter and said a new word for every step he took. He was now distracted enough to go without crying and now does it super easily. It was welcome change to see another father pointing to Cub and showing his daughter"See thats how it is done!", since usually we are the parents pointing to some other kid! :)


And the girl was behaving exactly the way Cub was just a few weeks back! :)


He played around on everything. It was super nice to see him get more confident and comfortable with physical activities. We took a short walk and went home. Dinner was had with a staple of stories and sleep after 10mins of pre bedtime TV.


Give me more Sundays like these i say! :)


Here's some old memories at Ranga Shankara with Cub's beloved Daadu on his last trip here to see our new ghar...



The uncle who man's the counter with a smile! :)



The Three Generations in single frame for pretty much the last time :(



One with his DiL! :)


and the light of his life... the Cub! :)

because we dont like sour grapes...

Cubby laughing at "Tolly! The Grapes!" as i try to feed him some warm milks after getting wet in the rains at Horsley hills! :)



or not so happy endings!


I wrote about Cub's favourite books coupla posts ago. The reason we also end up buying lots of books apart from an obvious love for them is his parents' complete inability to use imagination and create new stories. M is marginally better, but couldn't bother too much. Cub also is a slave of routine and has his own favs and would not be talked into listening to something new till you beg him to.


Now my Dad can make up stories about everything under the sun! So for a few days after he left Cub made random demands about stories about an omelet or a shoe or whatever else that came to his mind! He soon realized that his parents are not as gifted as his Ajoba and settled for ghisa-pita stories that we churned out for him.


That said he is a story freak and blackmails us into telling him one or more to get anything and everything done from him. So if he is to eat his food, we need to tell him story. Ditto if we are to get his inhalation done. Needless to say the activity undertaken lasts for as long as the story does and we need extend / modify the standard stories to suit the expected duration of the said activity.


One of his favourite modified stories is the Fox and the Grapes. He was quite disappointed with the fox walking away saying "the grapes are sour" when he could not reach them after a lot of effort. He said Nahhii much in filmi fashion and I had to change it quickly so that we indeed reached a happy ending, moral be damned! :p


So in our version the Fox firstly does a happy dance when he finds an entire garden of grapes. It has green, red and black varieties. He tries jumping and reaching the said grapes with no luck. But fox being a clever animal, goes home and gets a stool. He still cannot reach the grapes. So he realizes he needs something taller and rushes home to get a ladder and still falls a wee bit short. Now he is very disappointed and worried. Suddenly he has an idea!


He rushes from the garden and huffing and puffing reaches his friend's house. Tolly - the giraffe! (Name flicked from Toot). He is breathless and says "Tolly! Tolly! The Grapes!" Tolly a l'il confused says "I am NOT Tolly the grapes. I am Tolly the Giraffe!". (This part brings a whole lot of chuckles from the child). The same is repeated when the Fox says "Tolly! The garden!"


Soon enough the fox is able to catch his breath and manages to tell Tolly how he has found a garden full of grapes, how he cannot reach the grapes and if he will help him pluck them. Tolly readily agrees. Fox is now thrilled and happily point to grapes he wants which Tolly obligingly plucks and gives him.


When he has had enough he tells Tolly also try some. Tolly makes a face and says "main grapes vapes nahi khaaata. I eat only leaves and grass!" The fox tells him there is no harm in trying it once and he can always refuse next time if he does not like them. Tolly agrees and takes a few and quite likes them.


They both then take some for their families also and happily run home.


story khatam! :D


Then there is the Hungry Crow and the Thirsty Crow, in both of which the crow goes to least 10 homes including our own, friends' and relatives' asking for either chapati or water (depending on whether he is the bhooka or pyaasa Kauaa). If he is asking for Chapati, all the folks give him something to drink. The kauaa then slaps his forehead with his wing and says "Arre! I am the hungry crow, not the thirsty crow! I want something to eat!" Of course it goes vice versa when it comes to the Thirsty Crow and he gets offered something to eat in all the homes! :p


I heard M extend the Monkey and the Crocodile story yesterday and I am sure there are more modifications in store for us!


:)

when do toys rest and BIDWF!

You know your home sees equal division of labour especially in a kitchen when following conversation ensues with your 3yo;

M who walks in after me from work sees Cub and me chilling (its cold war actually after another scene of terrible behaviour by Cub) in the living room. There is cooker on the gas.


M - cooker mein kya hai? (Whats cooking in the errr.. cooker?!)

Me - Dal

M - sirf dal? Subzi nahi hai? (only Dal? no subzi)

Cub - Nahi Papa, mummy ko subzi banana nahi aata. Woh sirf dal banati hai. Subzi toh aap banaoge.
(No papa, mummy doesn't KNOW how to make subzi. She makes only dal. YOU will make the subzi)

M and me were first very very stunned and then rolling on the floor laughing. It is so true. Everyday (barring exceptions of course) M makes the subzi and me the dal! :)


And if you think kids are salve drivers who don't care enough for their toys just because they treat parents badly? Have a look.

When the Cub goes to sleep...

He sometimes ensures that all his trains and planes and robots go to sleep too!

On a completely unrelated note, I am absolutely NOT a poetry person. I just don't understand most of it. But i recently purchased a collection of Ogden Nash called Candy is Dandy and am loving it! I remembered him being a funny guy with some poem of his studied at school eons ago. He isn't just brilliantly witty and sarcastic, but has such lucid observations which hold true even today! I keep passing on the book to M when i want him to read something especially nice, but then he wants to read next three pages and book comes back to me only after 10mins of constant nagging. :D

Here's some of his lines. I couldn't agree more. This is pretty much my relationship with God considering i rarely go to places of worship and mostly have one on one's at my convenience and obviously expect HIM/ HER to understand! :)


I didn't go to church today,
I trust the Lord to understand.
The surf was swirling blue and white,
The children swirling on the sand.
He knows, He knows how brief my stay,
How brief this spell of summer weather,
He knows when I am said and done
We'll have plenty of time together


What is your relationship with the one Up above? You enjoy the rituals that go hand in hand in with religion? Or stay away from them? Or are pretty much neutral and will participate if you have to and stay away when you can?! Or maybe not believe at all?! :)