of terrible and terrific Twos!

Last month, on 20th July 2009, my darling son, you turned 2! It is quite unbelievable! You know how we always say that time flies, did you feel it too? Did you notice how you changed from a wee l'il cell to a fetus to a wrinkly raisin looking creature who then turned into a kid with charming smile and expressive eyes to this naughty boy who speaks endlessly and keep jumping off walls all the time?


I cannot claim to remember every l'il thing you have said and done, but I can definitely say that having you around has been a life altering experience in every sense of the term. Sometimes I feel it has been too easy and at others it seems like a miracle that we have come this far without disowning each other.

Warning - a looong and nostalgic post ahead!


Year 1

I mean for most mommies going back to work is a huge challenge, but you made it a breeze for me. You almost never cried and your cheerful bye (with see you soon now added) when we leave for work makes it very easy to not worry and feel guilty. These days you might also wanna give an Uggie before you push me saying "Jao! Hemmet Pehno!"


You achieved your physical milestones slightly slower because of hypotonia (loose muscle tone). When the doc said that and i googled it was distraught. But the Doc assured us that all was okie and that for you it was a mild form of it. Do you remember your first fall l'il guy? It happened when Papa wasn't in town and Amma made sure she complained about that to him when he got back. She thought i would not have told him! ;) The first fall was just the beginning and for the longest time your forehead had bumps all the time. We had become masters of not making deal of your falls and you seemed to not react to it most of the times after a point. Cut to present and you come to saying "Chottu laga. Theek kan do" and then go back to whatever you were doing pretty quick. If its a nasty fall then carrying you for a while and distracting you helps.


And remember the first time you stood up? You were l'il more than nine months. I can still remember the look of sheer pride in your eyes because you knew you had achieved something special and then the bawling following it because you couldn't figure out how to sit once you stood up. Now you can stand in the balcony for hours looking at life go by. You have all your meals that way. You can now stand on your toes and see things on the kitchen platform and ask for things! :)


You did your first long train trip to Kolhapur around the same time and by the 10th month you were slowly but steadily developing a personality of your own!


I used the time flies phrase the first time in 11th month. By then you were fairly mobile even walking with the support of a walker and ofcos trying to put everything you see in your mouth. You were so much more responsive and it was just fun to see you in action! This was also the time your Daadu and you started your mutual admiration club! :)


Then just like that one day, rather on 20th July, you turned ONE! I mean we stopped counting your age in months after that. We celebrated your birthday with just your grandparents at Yelagiri and it was a lot of fun. This was also the time we gave you a hair cut and man it was painless and fun! Now we have started taking you to a salon and you scream and cry as if you are going through Chinese torture. But you look darn cute post the haircut! :D


Year Two


13 months was when you took your first steps! :D a HUGE milestone achieved much earlier than 18 months the doc pegged it at. This was the month when you started showing us your stubborn streak and eating troubles had started. You also discovered the joys of your l'il tub and the clingy phase had officially begun! You had started appreciating applause and would expect it for every achievement. That has not changed till date. The only difference being that now you applaud others too. Good thing to do that kid! :) This was the month we went to Lalbagh and Cubbon park and noticed just how much you enjoyed going out and wide open spaces! :)


Month fourteen had you practicing your walking skills and improved mobility was making life a wee bit difficult! You had also discovered your love for socks and yes you finally said Mamma. Cut to today when you can walk long distances quite easily! As for calling me Mamma, it can range from anything from that to Mummy to mamyao! :D


The hemmet obsession started in month 15! You also took your first sips of water from glass during this time. Your vocabulary was increasing and so was your understanding about the stuff and you could now figure out your toys by their names. Your smile also seemed to have gotten cuter this month! :) You also went to Goa in this month and had a rollicking time with Pannu bhaiyya!


16 months was when we started indulging in child labour in all our earnestness! You had started putting bartans in the sink and clothes in the wash basket and your toys in the box. It was in this month that we saw beginnings of tantrums too and new words being said every single day. All very exciting! :)


You had started climbing up steps in month 17 and now can confidently go up and down the three floors to our ghar. This was also the time you kept surprising us with your observation and association of sounds with objects. You developed a stranger anxiety after being a kid who went to everyone with open arms! We also got your mundan done and i still hate it because your lovely curly locks are gone foreva!


Two major happenings in 18th month - restarting of potty traing and your love for dark chocolates! :D Plus the talking had become l'il more constant and your five senses were falling into place. Garam or Teekha was heard often. We also went to Pune and Mumbai and you had so much fun with your grand parents and Mama who had come all the way from US! :)


The month of "what this is?" was the 19th month. The question was asked endlessly. We realized how much you love routines and how much you love playing with bartans rather than toys! :p You were also running all over the place and enjoying Jumping! First trip to zoo happened and man you LOVED it.


20th month meant some more talking and more walking and more of everything including tantrums and feeding troubles! You had also started becoming the walking instruction manual and the BIG thing was you were potty trained for the day! Yayy!!


21st month was the month you tried to be independent - be it trying to take off you clothes and footwear or wanting your own seat in theatres and aeopanes! You love airports and physical masti in all forms. The rougher it is, more fun it is for you. You also became a painfully whiny kid around this time, but mostly you were fun! :D


I did a combined post for 22nd and 23rd month with BIDWF moments thrown in between every now and then. These months you proved yourself to be a a good citizen by insisting on throwing all the kachra in the dustbins wherever we went! :D How can i forget, you started school and seem to be totally loving it! You also zapped is by walking 3kms at mysore zoo without a whimper or demand for Godi! You now love colouring and keep bringing noosepepa and cayons to do your artwork! :D


And now when I look at you, you are all these things and then some more. You are cute and cuddly, stubborn and annoying, charming and fun, whiny and clingy, funny and smart, loving and caring, sweet and spicy. You have quite a temper but then you temper (notice the smart pun please!) with enough love and understanding for us to not notice it too much! You are helpful and sensitive. Your hugs are so warm and genuine that it melts our hearts. Your smile is sometimes fake and some times real and at all times very very adorable! :) You are quiet at school and get bullied easily but there are also times when you show that you already have the thing to be the bigger person, to give even when the other person does not respond. You chatter incessantly and to watch you play by yourself while making up your own stories makes us realize you are not the l'il baby anymore.


May your imagination let you soar to wherever your mind wants to go...
May your smiles and laughter light up our lives every single day...
May your naughty eyes keep shining forever...
May the music of your soul let you dance with or without two left feet...
May each day bring new joys and discoveries...
May each friend make you feel special...
May you become a kind soul who enriches the lives of others...
May you learn to take care of your and other peoples aggression...


And Papa's and your prayer should be your mantra in life. Just in case you forget here's how it goes "Bhagwaanji, mujhe buddhi do, samajh do taaki main accha insaan ban sakoon. Taaki main sab ki madat kar sakoon aur mere saath bhi sab accha ho. I love you bhagwaanji!"


We love you lots sweetheart! You are the sunshine of our lives! Hugs and kisses!


Ps: If there is anyone who has been enjoying Cubby's antics and not said hey, pls to delurk and give your blessings to the l'il guy! :)

just because i loved these photos!

I know I am yet to do Cubby's 2nd birthday post and some other stuff as well, but then we went to Yercaud one weekend and apart from having lotsa fun i quite loved the photos too! Cubby's S bua, R Bua and M bua made it special for him by pampering him silly. Ofcos the child didn't give as much attention as he got and kept acting pricey every now and then! Bah!


Here are some pictures in random order or maybe not so random. We shall see how it goes!

Midnight masti with M bua - eve of the trip.

M bua, S bua, and another set of daadi and Daadu came from lucknow the previous night and Cubby was maha thrilled to see so many people in the house giving him so much bhaav! :p

All set to leave by 730am on D-day. Not bad for 9 adults and 1 kid to keep to the schedule! :D

Yummy south indian breakfast @ Hosur

Dozing off post breakfast...

So that he can be all fresh when we reach the resort finally!

All freshened up in new clothes after 6hrs of bus journey! Outside our cottage @ the resort!

There are times when I am not showing my teeth! But then the child makes up for it! ;)

Girl Power! Paddle boat at the yercaud lake. Lot of fun! :D

This was the first time M bua and me were doing the hard work and man! we had a ball! WE almost kept bumping into other boats while trying to navigate the damn thing in completely placid waters. Now I am sure I wasn't meant meant to be a sailor for sure! :p Ofcos it was a great exercise after overeating the spicy biryani at a local mess in the city where we went thanks to resort guy not being able to serve us any lunch! Gah! But no loss, the food at this place was fab! Ofcos the hygiene levels are NOT for the fainthearted! ;)

Cubby having a blast with his Papa while S bua tries to hide behind the bag so that she doesnt get splashed with the lake water!


Cubby on the other hand was very tickled when R Bua and hubby S started splashing water on him and exclaimed gleefully "Baarish aaya"! :D

Generally fooling around and givin fake smiles! :D

Enjoying the ride on duckie duck! :) The simple pleasures of life!

Oye bubbly! :D



S bua finally gave in to the temptation and bought a bottle of bubbles. Next one hour was spent in everyone trying to make the biggest bubble, various acrobatics with it and then taking pictures with the bubbles being blown around each and every person! Even the old uncle selling the bubbles joined in to give us the desired effect! This is one of those pictures. :)

Posing for him Mom! with a fake smile thrown in ofcos! ;)

If Hemmet is an obsession, can Bikes be far behind! :p

The resort had a dirt track and these huge vehicles that are rode like bikes, but have four wheels and weigh just too much. All the young peoples (below 60!;) tried their hand it. We ofcos picked up the easiest track and it took us half the route to figure the bleddy thing out and rest half would be actual riding. Cubby is just posing lest you start calling child welfare people! ;)

With Papa after the father completed his round successfully and quite comfortably!

With the mother who had to really struggle, but she did complete the round and was quite kicked about it! ;) (btw, the father has named this picture Fake Smiles Inc.)

behind every successful woman is an awesome man! :)

The whole gang of us for a mandatory group snap! :)

Us! :) Love the picture because Cubby hides my flab so perfectly! :p

Posing for the heck of it!


We had lunch at The Grand Palace, one of the fancier places in Yercaud. It on the hill and offers a fantabulous view of the mountains and the valley. They have a gorgeous lawn and the food was quite nice too. So we spent the first hour taking pictures and looking around the property and working our appetite and then had a satisfying lunch! :)

The view from the hotel. Cubby is just waking up!

The child is up and about within no time. Running up and down the ramp that leads you to the hotel spa!

On top of the world! I am having so much fun! :)


We left yercaud by around 430pm and were home by 10, all tired but happy thinking it was a weekend well spent! :)


Ps: for all those people who left comments on previous post saying I have lost weight and am looking fab, sorry to burst your bubble! The girl in the red top is NOT ME, but my 15yo cousin! I have hardly been able to maintain any regularity and am same size if not bigger! bah!

you know you are on a vacation when...

Your day starts with a big piece of dark chocolate which is more than what you normally eat over a week! :)




When you have unending supply of Ajobas and aajis who will do anything to see you smile and chuckle. Even if it hurts their legs and backs!






Someone or the other ready to give up their rest time to swing along with you either just for fun or





or to make you sleep when you are all tired and sleepy

Bath times are even more fun when daadi specially get the tub down from the loft and then bathes you too! And when you are having so much fun, how can Daadu stay away?! :)

:) :) :) :) :)

You can monkey around as you like! Climb on the step ladder or

Or get thrown around by Ujoba during bedtime making full use of rows and rows of gaddas!

It took us a good 20mins to wind you down post this session with favourite Ujoba! :)

When you could semand 5 people to go out and jump with you! All the time!

and when you could eat alu bhajiya with sauce while on a picnic! :)

and then you got to cozy up and sleep with your panjoba (great grand father) making him and us very happy! :)

Seeing you with all these people who love you to bit made us count our blessing yet again. Be it Vandana aaji who made besan laddus for you or you Aaji who worked endlessly for your birthday and kept curing you with excellent home remedies or Ujoba who could make you laugh in a jiffy to Vijoba who planned your party so perfectly or Ajoba who put you to sleep every single day with his gentle patting. Dada - Dadi who planned the 2 dats we spend with them so beautifully and Panjoba who was so proud to see his great grand child bonding with him! :)

May this love keep getting showered on you, protect you and may you return it in equal measure and more.

Love ya!

kya bahu kabhi saas banegi?!

Now now! Lest you are wondering if I am already looking for a suitable bride for my 2yo very cute Cubby, you are totally wrong! (I mean i don't want you to start sending me pictures of your susheel and lovely daughters already!;)

I am talking about my Ma-in-law aka Mummy who is a bleddy brilliant cook! I mean you can say Annapurna resides in her hands. She can make anything taste perfectly awesome. In her heydays, she would cook for 100 people with little or no help. She baked these huge cakes for M's birthday - cats and aeroplanes! She keeps claiming that her cooking is very simple, but as hard as we try we can never even come close to that taste! And its not just the cooking, it's even her presentation that is flawless to say the least.

I mean how many people you know can turn this (the picture below) in to the final product you will see and that too at HOME!

I have not seen more yummy looking raw material!

That's how everything put together looks like!

A dash of sauce... the beginning of the completion!



The master-chef with her completed creation!

Papa obviously happy with the food in front of him!






Yayyy! I am eating a HOME-MADE sizzler! :D






Don't miss the happy faces behind the smoke that say "Bliss!"






After, NOT before! That's how clean the sizzler plates got licked! :)




So, the answer to the question asked in the title is a resounding NO!




But then, I am more than happy to be fed this food and man, it tastes even better than it looks, if that is possible! :)



Thanks Mummy for the gastronomic pleasure trip you always take us on - be it a simple dal or the finger lickin good Karela or this fancy sizzler! You rock! :)


The begging for invites is now open! ;)

why?!

She walked in to the room looking for him.
He just gave her a curt nod and she went up to him wondering whats in store today.
She did not know why she submitted to him like this.
He pushed, pulled and prodded her in public.
Even after she was tired and spent, he would say "Once more" with a twinkle in his eyes.
She would push herself and do what he said yet again...
She signed and wished that next time at least it would be a hot guy!


Are all gym instructors this crazy?!


Gotcha there, didn't I?


I started just a week ago and the trainer can really push everyone hard. He doesn't let anyone say "Enough!". If you do, you are rewarded with "Another set!" and he will laugh as you groan and discover the muscles that didn't exist!


Right now I am a permanent double H state! Hurting and Hungry. But then you can add another H to it, Happpy! :) It's good to see how much you can push yourself and being able to do more and more every day. I wish i had more time that the measly hour I am getting, but something is better than nothing and I seriously hope I can keep at it this time!


So wish me luck, will ya peoples?! :)

And yeah the very cool Monika and her hubby N are gunning to get a go at The Great Driving Challenge. All you have to do to make their dream come true is - VOTE HERE! Here's a couple with a passion for cars and drives and our 2 mins can let them have a paid holiday doing what they love! So PLEASE to vote! :)


Have a super weekend folks!

awesome, anyone?!

Past few days I have been feeling a tad low and l'il deficient as a mother and a wife and generally think am being a painful person to have around! So, this tag might be a good exercise in boosting my self esteem. Thanks awesomely cool Asaan and awesomely funny MiM for this one. Ofcos these two phenomenal ladies have done just too much of an awesome job of it, but I am gonna give it a shot in any case! :D


I need to put down 7 things that make me AWESOME! Seven seems a tall order! brrrr!


I am awesome because I have a smile that reaches my eyes even today. My teeth aren't pearly white by any stretch of imagination, but that has never stopped me from showing em off at any given chance! :p


I am awesome because I always manage to look at the bright side, the silver lining or whatever else you might call it. I love the fact that I am almost always positive about how things are and will turn out! :)


I am awesome because I am a solution oriented person. I can think in ten different ways and come up with just the right option. Basically, I am quick on take and enjoy taking control of the situation that seems to be getting bothersome!


I am awesome because I deal with people at every level with equal respect. You can be the office boy or my boss, my maid or my ma in law, you will see me being polite and genuinely respectful and/or affectionate. I use please and thank you in every situation, though sorry doesn’t come by that easily! :p I make friends easily too, though keeping in touch is not my strongest point! ;)


I am awesome because I can forgive even when I may / may not forget, but mostly I forget too. I truly believe that life is too short to hold grudges and waste time in hating when it can be used to love! :)


I am awesome because I give without expecting (most of the times! Hubby may be excluded from this! ;). I believe that one good turn gets another and even when you may not get something back from the same person; it will come to you from the most unexpected quarter... in full measure or maybe more! :)


I am awesome because I managed to do this tag!! I started this blog on M's insistence and didn't think that it will be such an awesome thing to have where i can record our life with Cubby and make awesome friends while at it!


Now if that isn’t too much awesomeness for a day, I dunno what is! ;)


I tag fellow awesome peoples;


Puja for being an awesome friend all the time!

Swati for being awesome at everything!

~nm for being awesomely creative - be it cooking or photography or making cool headers!

Namesake for using her words so awesomely that you always feel you are right there!

Priyanka for doing awesomely interesting stuff with her l'il gal Ash!

Sue for her awesomely clear thinking and honesty!

Dee because she is awesomely sporting and funnn!

Mags - for being an awesome woman in every way! and please to read THIS awesome post by the lady that talks about keeping our children safe from sexual abuse.

Couchpapaya - for being an awesome reader, reviewer and cook!

Angel's flight - for being awesomely fun and sensible!

Two in 1 / 2 in One / 2 in 1 / Two in One

Read why THIS title at the end of the post!


Ok! Now that you are back (ofcos I knew you would go right down and then come back if you wanted to! :p), let's get on with this post! I missed last month's (22months update) and the 23rd month just went by, so I better do this update. Ofcos I have been doing BIDWF forget moments so that I don’t miss out on the most precious. But its just not the same, innit?!



Frankly, I don't know where to start! I mean there is something happening every day and now that the obvious physical and verbal milestones are done, it's getting more and more difficult to pinpoint how you have changed my l'il guy. Both your papa and me realize that you are growing way too fast, but what has changed I am not so sure! Weird?! Am sure you will get what I am saying someday! :)



You are now proficient with straw and glass! You now demand "jooce" very often and like to have it out of the small tetra pack with a straw. You managed this only by like 21months which is not early, but then I never gave you bottle or sipper, so afta you were weaned off at 9months, you never had to try your hand at sucking any liquid! You now also have you milk in glass (water etc in glass had been conquered eons ago!). Ofcos making you have doodh in glass takes much longer than feeding it you with the trusty spoon and when in rush we often regress to using a spoon. But hey, when we have the time, you are equally happy with the glass! :)

Kachra goes in dustbin, not on roads! :)

You are quite a model citizen. I cannot tell you how proud I felt the other day at IFC. You ate your cheese slice, balled up the cover in your hand and asked "Dustbin kahan hai?!" You regularly put trash in the dustbin at home too. You also love to sweep and mop. It's impossible to sweep till you have had your fill with the jhaadu. Similarly as soon as we get the mop, you start saying "Main kanoonga". We wonder how long this enthu will last! ;)



You are a chalta - bolta (talking / walking) instruction manual. You just keep telling us what to do. If we sit in the car, you tell your Papa "Peep! Peep! karenge aur jaayenge!" If he is getting ready in the morning you will rattle off "Belt peheno, paise lo, chaabi le lo!" When i ask you in the morning nahayenge aur kahaan jaayenge?! We hear, "bike pe baithenge aur schoon jaayenge!" Basically the moment you see us do something, further instructions are sure to follow. I put water bottle around your neck, you will say "bag dedo!" grrrrr!

You show affection lot more often now. Be it stroking our face saying "Pyaani Mummy / Papa" or giving those Uggies often enough. It is followed by a shy smile and hiding your face. You are just absolutely adorable at such times. You also say "I duv you" on request! :)



I am quite sure that you are Energizer Bunny in human form. your energy and enthusiasm seems just endless. Just last weekend we went to Mysore and you did the 3kms plus circuit of Mysore zoo without being asked you pick up even once. You got really thirsty with .3kms left and we then carried you to exit. But we were totally amazed and are very very proud of ya. And this was after walking as much the previous evening at Vrindavan Gardens. Phew!

You started school and that deserves another post in itself. But till then let me note it down here anyway. You cried you heart out first 2 weeks while getting into the school and were coming out all smiles from day 3! You are still crying your heart out, only now it's to get OUT of the school! :) Your teacher said you are an "independent candidate" whatever that means. But apparently you are nice and obedient and don't bother your teachers much. It warm my heart to see the helpers / ammas at school doing the nazar utaarna thing with you ever so often. You are quite the charmer, arent ya?! :)



You love jumping all over the place, all the time. These days you also scare us out of our wits by standing at a height and trying to jump off without taking our help. All in good time, sweety! :) Basically you love physical masti of all kinds and its totally fun to see you having figured out "Catch" and play with us often running behind us in circles trying to catch us.



Your favourite toys are cars, airplanes, helicopters and balls. If hemmet is one obsession, balls in another. Be it in the books, in your toy box or on your undies, you just love em all. We have more than 5 balls of varying colours and sizes and you never seem to tire of them. You have figured out the kicking business too and love playing football with your Papa. If i see all the bedroom doors closed, I know a game of football just happened! :)



Going to school has got you moderately interested in blocks and playdoh as well. Earlier the fun was only in destroying whatever we made, but now you actually attempt making towers with your blocks and try to use moulds to make stuff with playdoh.



You also enjoy small puzzles... something like shape sorters actually and are pretty quick on take with them. It's fun to see you figure it all out and feel terribly proud of it.



Your Ahem! artwork is improving too. The squiggles are getting more confident and most of your pictures (according to you) are of, what else, but hemmet! :D But it's amazing how quickly you agreed that all drawing needs to be done on "noosepepa" and NOT walls and the floor. On rare occasions we do find your arms and legs full of pen squiggles, but that is expected. It is adorable the way you pick up the newspaper from the place where we keep all the raddi, spread it on the floor and start drawing! :)



You have a temper and can really throw stuff. With me, you are a little more of a rebel. Frankly i seem to annoy you to no end. The moment i say NO, you double your effort and fervor and that doesn't do my impatience any good. Grrrr!

The tee says it all, innit?! :p

You can now tease us and make us laugh. Just the other day Papa asked you "Cubby kiska hai?" and you said "Papa ka hai!" and as soon as Papa said good, you turned back and said nahin "Mummy ka hai!". Papa showed mock anger and you said even more loudly Mummy ka hai and then followed it up with "Sirf mummy ka hai!" making us roll on the floor laughing! :)



You are back to being the friendly kid in spurts and it's good to see you back in your elements! :)


Basically you are a nice and totally cute kid who tests our (read MY) patience every now and then, but mostly you make us smile and laugh like we haven't ever before!

Love ya LOTSEST MOST! :)


ps: the Title? oh well! i didn't do his 22months post, so this 22 and 23 month post (so 2 in 1) and next month (20th Jul) Cubby turns 2 (so another 2 in 1)! don't beat me up now! :p

pps: for some reason blogger isnt allowing me to upload photos! next time! pucca! :)