Post 2! :D

I am so used to writing long posts after long intervals that I am kinda dreading this daily post thing. i LOVE Art's blog for that reason. Every little interesting tidbit in her life is on the blog in short posts rather than waiting to write these detailed post. Actually there are no details lacking in her posts either. Must take tips from her! :)


Summer vacations are officially over and Cub starts his school from tomorrow. Upper KG or Senior KG or whatever else it is called. Second year in big school. I hope it is a lot of fun for him. There is expected to be a lot of writing this year and Cub officially hates anything to do with writing! So wish us luck! :D


These holidays were fun. I am not working out of home after almost 10 long years and we went to Bombay and Pune for a whole month. That is kids and me. My first flight alone with both and it was not half as bad. Though my respect for single parents traveling with kids from US etc has increased manifold. 24hours on a flight! Wow!


Cub made friends easily in both places and was out of home most of the time especially in Bombay. The kids in my building who have seen him as a baby have always had a soft spot for him and included him in all their games of cricket even though he could hardly even hold a bat straight. It was really sweet of them! In Pune all the kids were new and yet he managed fairly well. Sadly he was terribly tantrummy when at home and drove us up the wall wayyy too often with his constant whining and crazy demands. We are guessing its sudden realization that the grandparents' love was now shared and perhaps it just being a phase.


I LOVED shopping in Bombay. The street shopping of course. I bought summery petticoat like frocks for Bub, shoes for both the kids, lotsa hairbands and funky necklaces for Bub. And all of it costed me so little that I wish I had more time and space in my luggage! :)


Both the kids went ballistic over mangoes. Especially Cub who would eat as many as you offered. He even loved licking the seeds clean! Not that Bub was any less and would keep "Aaa" with her mouth wide open and ready for next bite. My parents went absolutely crazy loading up mangoes at home the entire time.


Pune chapter was with M's mum and that was as much fun. Of course it was reallly hot and getting out during the day was tough. We met some friends, some family and ate at some really nice places. If guys from Pune are reading this blog, you must try this little place called Zikomo on baner Road. Absolutely fantastic food. I am dying to go back to Pune to eat there again.


Ma in law ofcos like always fed us fantabulous home cooked food that is any day better than bahaar ka khaana. Rajma, chana, karela, bharta - you name it and we had it! The best part she made home ice candies for the kids with these little plastic moulds she has. One day mango, litchi another and blue curaco on third. Cub wants his mom to be a cooking goddess now! Sigh! :) There was chat for dinner one day and boiled veggies and bread on another. Total dhamaal.


MiL and M had a lot of bank work etc to finish so we would tag along sometimes and Bub thought an empty branch and it's people were created for her entertainment. And pox on the guy who made a two floored branch. She spent entire morning going up and down the steps and I obviously had to run after her the entire time because they were the most unsafe steps ever!


Oh and must tell ya Cub learned swimming this summer. Yayy! He obviously needs another class to get breathing techniques etc right, but he can swim now. Now for me to learn.


All in all a good time off for all of us! What were your summer vacays like? Went out? Chilled at home? Summer camps? back to school?

The Bombay Buddies! :) Few more are missing from this pic!

Helping Aaji make Aamras!

With Pilot Mama! :)

Cool Daadi served us chilled mocktails! What's to complain?! :)

Sand play is never enough even in small colony park. Imagine a whole beach full of it! :)

and a sea full of water! :)

Running wild outside Vijoba's house! :)

Dressed for dinner at Marriott in Bombay. A treat from grandparents!

Meeting old friends like there was never a gap! :)

Very thrilled wearing new frock stitched by Vandana aaji aka Laddoo aaji! :)

The naughty bub thrilled after making me run after her up the steps in Daadi's bldg!

Cub and Bub together! :)

There have been enough posts of Cub alone and few of the Bub and almost none of both of them together! Now that Bub is older and can play, it has been so much fun just watching them enjoy each other's company and to see the love blossom.


Cub has always been a doting brother and that has still not changed. Touchwood. Of course now with Bub playing the perfect younger pestering sibling, he sometimes just gets upset enough to say "Go away!", but he never hurts her intentionally whatever be the provocation.


The Bub takes complete advantage of being the younger one and treats Cub like her own private property. She won't let him carry her when he wants, but will use him as her rocking horse the moment his back touches the bed! He might have to beg her to let him give a kiss and she can almost lick his face off with gooey wet kisses!


Cub plays the disciplinarian (I squirm everytime I hear him to talk to her the way I talk to him! :( ) and the sweet and protective sibling in parts. While Bub still does not show her affection as easily it is so easy to see her worry anytime Cub is hurt or crying or when we are hollering at him. She tries to soothe him with gentle patting and haath pheroing.


She is extremely thrilled to see Cub after any gap of time. She says the cutest and most enthusiastic Hiiiii and gives him the biggest smile ever with her eyes dancing and shining to boot. We still cant get over how she finally started saying Bhaaiiiyyyaa. You have to hear her say "Bhaiyya Aa Jaao!" Whenever he goes down to play, she stands in the balcony and keeps shouting Bhaiyya till whole world and it's brother has looked up and waved to her.


He on her part indulges her in pretty much everything. If we refuse something to her, he fights with us to give in. He easily shares his toys and books and pretty much everything else.


Right now things look good! :) Here's how they look! :)

Bonding with Laddoo Aaji! :)

Dressed to go out! :D

because my brother doubles up as a rocking horse as well! 

Ready for their morning cuppa milk at Daadi's house! :)

and then for some masti!

Double trouble, anyone?! :)

full on lauuuu! :)

Cuddly hugs, anyone?!

Didn't i say she treats him like personal property?! :p

Cooking together! whatever was that about too many cooks?! :)

we are same same but different! Matching tee gifted by Aaji-Ajoba! :D

and this is how we look when we are not upto some mischief! :)


ps: am going to try and do one post everyday this month and see if i can keep at it! wish me luck! :)

cheers!

because she deserves a LOT of posts for herself

but since that does not happen as often as I would like, I MUST sit and finish this post in one go and give up on Facebook's instant gratification for a bit. Sigh!


So the Bub is now little over 15months old and since she has crossed the one year mark, there have been milestones galore and so much more that I cannot even remember now. She is on a complete cuteness overdrive and has a flock of people going crazy about her wherever we go. If nothing else, I will ten different folks telling me how adorable she is. Yes Yes! We shall share photos as well! :)


She took her first steps exactly at the age Cub did - 14months - to the last day even. But that was just the trailer and the actual walking started about 2 weeks later on 1st Jan. So the new year started with new found independence for her and trouble for us. She was ofcourse crawling at super speeds before that and kept resorting back to it when in need for speed like almost every other child.


She is now saying a few words. Mumma, Papa, Bye, Heyo (hello), Dog (along with bhoo bhoo sound), water, bottle amd most recent Bathoo (bathroom). The lack of verbal skills does not stop her from telling us what exactly she wants or does not want. Oh! How can I forget that she has learned to say the magic word No which she uses liberally especially when being food normal healthy khaana. So now not just her whole body twist around and hands come up, but there is also a resounding NO! to go with all of it.


She is quite naughty and loves ripping books, throwing things and putting everything possible in her mouth. She plays with everything except her toys which she plays with only when she sees someone else using them!


She is a quick learner and wants to do everything her brother and we do. So if he jumps on to the beanbag, she has to try and join him too. She pretends to take body lotion from the bottle and applies it on her own hands or sometimes ours as well. Tell her "Maalish karo" and she might indulge you with some rubs as well. She thinks pulling off her own socks 75times a day is funny, goes and sits on the small chair next to the shoe rack when you say "Shoes pehnenge" and pretend talks on the phone every now and then.


She absolutely LOVES going out. Even if we just take her down to pick Cub up when he comes back from school, she does not want to come back home. Say Park in the evening and she has a big smile on her face. The moment we get into the car she goes ballistic! :)


We have finally started pointing to nose correctly and are supremely excited to recognize a dog and say Bhu-Bhu to everyone who would listen.


True to her genes she is a lazy bum. She is not the kid who you will say "She does not sit in one place for even a minute!" for. This does not make her any less destructive or dangerous, but she is more than happy sitting in one place and wrecking havoc in that limited area.


Unlike Cub who is an out and out his Papa's boy, the Bub is her Mamma's girl! I call her my Fevicol Ka Mazboot Jod for all the time she spends clinging to my pajama like an extra appendage. Thank god it is getting a little better now. She is a very friendly child - from a distance. Try and pick her up and she will scream murder. I always have people apologizing saying "She was smiling at me!" and I say it is OK. I know that is how she is.


That said she does not have major stranger anxiety as such and is quite happy basking in attention from everyone around as long as you do not want anything in return.


She adores Cub and the smiles he gets are something we can only dream of. Touchwood and anti-jinx. She loves being with kids her age and tries to make friends at times.


Considering she has an older brother, as of now she prefers cars and superheroes over dolls. She has a couple, but mostly she just throws them around. The other day she took Cub's small Superman action figure and was trying to make it fly the way Cub does with the requisite sounds. Cutest sight ever!


She LOVES eating... all the unhealthy stuff! I do not know how she recognizes healthy food and pushes it away without even giving it a chance. Even then she is much easier to deal with than Cub when it comes to eating. A BIG Anti-jinx. She enjoys biscuits, popcorn and icecream the most. Thankfully she will eat most fruits including banana, apple, papaya, chikoo and grapes.


Oh and must mention that the Bub is used to sleeping with a Turkish towel in her hand! Do not ask how and when we realized it, but just give her a towel when she is sleepy and she will doze off on her own without you having to take any effort. Of course, we have NO idea how we are going to get rid of the habit! Let's see.


All in all, she is at a super duper fun stage right now. Her smile can light up the whole room and absolute strangers keep coming up to tell us how cute and pretty she is. She gives the most gooey and wet kisses and it is a pleasure getting them. Her Bye is absolutely adorable and she really enjoys saying it for some reason. In short she is a true bundle of energy and joy to have around!



And here are the photus! :)

Didn't I say always happy to be out and about?! :)

:) Cub holding on to Bub carefully! :)

Please note she is picking up Mathri to eat! :D

Just one of those days! :)

Dancing queen!

Enjoying the train ride With Cub! :)

Yes! I can run around now! :)

Always ready to bother the Cub who is almost always indulgent! 

Dressed up for K Bua's shaadi! :)

The fevicol! :D

Dressed up for K Bua's sangeet!

Doesn't she look like a little girl already?! Sigh!

All set for summer except desperate need for a haircut!

Keeping the hairband on till i could take a coupla pictures! :)

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! :)

One bole toh FUN!

Facebook killed the blogging star said one friend's status and it is so true! :( I write one post a month in a good month! It is not just writing, but even reading and commenting that has hit an all time low and as much as I hate it, I just don't see the situation changing too soon. Trying to work on it though. There was a time i spend hours surfing through all the blogs I loved. A lot of them have gone the same way and are not really active now. A lot of them also changed to real life friendships and personal connections were made.


But that does not change the fact that a whole lot of my memories are now just getting lost somewhere out there instead of being captured here forever. Yes, there is the instant gratification on facebook, but it is not something I can go back to and suddenly smile thinking "Oh! This had happened too?!"


The Bub turns ONE today and I think I have written a total of one post for her till date. That is when I am at home and seeing her do everything so much more than I did with Cub. Feeling terrible would be an understatement. So what has she been upto all these months?! :)


Bub is a charmer with her big eyes and even bigger smile. Now with seven teeth peeking out, she looks completely different and all grown up, but no less cheeky than before! A little more maybe.


Because she seems to give out her smiles freely, folks tend to try and pick her up or carry her in their arms. They are sure to be in for a surprise and not a pleasant one that. The smiling girls turns in to a wailing banshee within seconds. Man! She is LOUD! It is difficult to ignore her when she starts bawling her eyes out, though thankfully till now she does not do it as often!


You know the Eat to Live and Live to Eat funda?! Well Bub belongs completely and totally to the latter. Touchwood and all that jazz. She just LOVES to eat just about everything. Except the healthy stuff. The carrots and cucumbers and thrown out within moments. Oh well! Cannot have everything going right, can we?! But still, she is not fussy in general. If she likes something, she will eat it even if it is spicy with her eyes watering and tongue hanging out! :p It does not matter if she has just had her meal or has just woken up from her sleep, she sees food and she wants it! Its actually really cute and funny to watch her demand khaana.


She picks up little games pretty quick and KNOWS that she has mastered something new. The whole wicked and proud expression in her eyes is something to be experienced.


She loves shaking her cute l'il butt and waving her tiny hands in air when she listens to music - the item number variety! Sigh! But it is way too cute to be upset about it.


She is quite capable of taking care of herself already. She is quite prompt in voicing her disapproval and always ready to grab things she wants. She has a maha strong grip and does not let go of things easily. The dirty looks that follow are quite scary already!


In physical milestones, she can obviously sit comfortably. Stands and cruises with support. Crawls super fast. Can throw a ball. Pick up even smallest of things easily and ensure that they go in to her mouth irrespective of whether they are edible or no. Pulling random stuff out of her mouth means getting your fingers bitten. Hard!


She LOVES to bother Cub. At all times. She has to try and take the toy he is playing with, scratch his eyes out under the guise of showing her love, pull his hair when is sleeping and snatching his books when he is writing or colouring! Cub is thankfully as accommodating and sweet as a four year old can be.


She is a complete outdoor girl. The moment you utter the word "ghummi" she is all yours. Once she is in the arms of whoever is going out she will refuse to go to anyone else. She says her no with the cutest and funniest movement of her head and neck and a naughty smile to go with it. I ask her to come to me everyday when she does down with her nanny L just to watch that action and reaction and still laugh every single time! :)


She hates getting her face washed or clothes changed. Cries every single day. Every single time. That said she totally is a water baby. Loves her bath time. And on rare occasion we managed to take her to the pool she took to it like a little fish. It was so much fun to just watch her!


All in all, Bub is a whole lot of fun right now. The cute smiles, the bright eyes, the naughty twinkle, the wicked look, the curly unruly mop of hair, the big and small teeth, the funny expressions, the pride of having learnt something new, the husky voice that says Muuummmmaa and Paappa, the "main apni favourite hoon" kind of self adoration in front of the mirror, those little waves saying Bye or the one that looks almost similar but comes with the sound of Hiii, the absolute and unconditional love for food, the tinkle of her l'il payals all over the house, the pretty clothes, hair clips that don't stay for more than 5minutes and so many other intangibles that make her so special. She obviously has her father wrapped around her little finger, btw! :)


Happy Birthday darling Bub! Love you so much you gorgeous, clever and brave little girl.

You make life that much more fun, funny and complete! Have a brilliant year ahead!

Mmmmuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuaaaaaaaaaah!

The classic scary Bub expression. She looks so sure already! Sigh!

Because she know she is going ghummi! :)

always ready to bug the Cub! :)

I prefer playing with cars! :p

Don't know why but feel like calling this L'il Miss Muffet! ;)

The L'il Krishna! :)

L'il Fish, didn't i tell you?! :)