tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69412990815583389152024-03-13T09:15:05.709-05:00Growing phase of Rish and NishDeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-78783046597938962522011-09-12T09:15:00.002-05:002011-09-14T21:30:10.137-05:00Nish quips again...Nish has me in splits with his quick responses....<br /><br />Me to Nish: Look how much you are coughing..I have told you so many times not to drink cold water, play with ice etc.<br />Nish: Mommy, you just told the same thing 5 minutes back when you were giving me a bath..<br /><br />*******************************<br /><br />Me scolding Nish: why did you eat Rishu's cake too ? Look how nicely he still behaves without throwing a tantrum.<br />Nish : I thought he was bad. Only now I know he is a good brother !!!<br /><br />****************************<br /><br />Nish asking me some scenes from a movie which I don't want to elaborate.<br />Me: I don't know<br />Nish: That's ok. you can tell whatever answer you like !!<br /><br /><br />***********************<br />Me to Nish: when I was a lil girl, my lil bro used to bother me a lot and I used to run away but never fight back<br />Nish: what did he do? hit, hurt ??<br />Me: No(sparing him the real details)..Just chased me around..<br />Nish: Why ?<br />Me:Cos he was li'l and just 2 or 3 (careful not to mention the ages of my boys')<br />Nish: But he was such a baby and dint know what he was doing and you were the big sister and why did you run away ??!!<br /><br />(All the moral I try to give gets eaten by logic and reasoning..)<br /><br />*************************<br />Nish: Are the dishes clean ?<br />me: yes, I washed them yest noon..<br />Nish; then why are they not yet emptied ??!!Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-65459061420859834162011-04-11T08:43:00.002-05:002011-04-11T09:06:44.025-05:00Nish quips !!!I have been very lazy in updating my blog thanks to FB !! and as usual I muddle my brain as the more storage needed for my data, the more servers and hence more offices and less greener pastures(I know, crazy thinking, but that's me)<br /><br />Anyway some quips / remarks / retorts from Nish that I need to record.<br /><br />Rish still is very mischievous while Nish is more responsible and reliable. He is like a little adult whom I can entrust responsibilities beyond his age while our Rish is the don't-care master. whatever u say will vanish into thin air if he notices the ipod/iphone /cellphone and he is more interested in charging them. Nish on the other hand, can execute 3-4 step instructions and come back and update me :)<br /><br />The other day I poured his cereal into his bowl and I was adding milk. he quietly came and closed the cereal container and kept it back in the pantry. Some days he would reach for the soy milk while I pour the cereal. Know exactly what next. very focused ! He can pack his set of spare clothes, lotion, soap and under garments if I ask him to get ready for his swim class.. A very no effort kid except for some attitude which he shows at times. very endearing kid !<br /><br />Cares a lot and expects the same. Both of them woke this morn and did not want to go to school. So I said I will go and they can stay home, cook, do the laundry etc etc. Nish said they would play while rish said he would cook potato subzi. Nish immediately said "Rish, u will cut your fingers while cutting the potatoes." Thinks really far ahead. But this said, he will also punch, bite rishu's shirt and really hit him in momentary emotional surges.<br /><br />The other day there was some rasam left and I was drinking it. "Mummy, if you drink all the rasam what will daddy have for his lunch ??" and then this morn I was imitating the way he used his hands so articulately when he needs to express anything. He got angry and said " Mom, stop ! concentrate on your work !" Seriously this kid is hard to get angry with.<br /><br />Very very emotional. gets angry at the snap of a finger and cools down. But as he grows I need to work on this. It is always good to be emotionally stable and no matter how true your words are or how much you care - the world is mostly incapable of analyzing. Even if you are the worst person on earth and maintain your silence, the world will exalt you in most cases. And for an emotional person, it is very hard if they are genuine but still are not valued for it...so WIP for me and him ;-)<br /><br />when I had taken the kids to the doc the other day, someone asked him how old he is and he says " I am 3 but i act like a grown-up !!! My brother is 5 but he acts like a 1 yr old !!" So now I need to really watch what I talk. <br /><br />A very good listener and very patient...tries really hard to swim, color etc .<br />takes himself and his works seriously...<br /><br />It is really very cute to watch him getting angry as he points his finger and rattles of stuff that does not make sense ;-) But he has an attitude and that is also from me . But of course as I grew, I changed ! I think girls in general soften as they age and a lot more after marriage and kids. But I would like for him to change by the time he is 10. so another WIP.<br /><br />The one thing he gets from his dad is the meticulousness. Does not mean the dad has not passed on any unwanted traits ;) Rish is more like his dad in many ways.<br />But mostly nothing affects/ effects the people around unless you are emotionally tangled :-DDeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-60904631986286879172011-03-09T12:58:00.003-06:002011-03-09T13:21:33.271-06:00Life !!Dear Rish,Nish,<br /> whenever I see a youngster buying cigarettes or smoking, it stabs my heart.<br />It makes me fear about your teens and the vices that you will succumb to :(<br />I used to be very strongly opinionated as a youngster and my dislike for smoking and drinking was/is one of them. I (used to) feel that it is a sign of weakness or a false sense of ego just to boost your image in front of others whereas really standing for a good social cause than these pursuits mark more to your character is my opinion. I had a good set of male friends who used to smoke and I used to tease them not to drink water from my bottle etc etc . There were a set of really nice guys with whom their habits were a barrier. I hurt some with my frankness but only with the hope that they will quit these habits for their own benefit. As I grew older I realized with stronger opinions/dislikes sometimes you are thrust into them. So, now I am scared to condemn people with these habits for fear that my own darlings will fall prey to them.<br />I know that even after 3 months of bed rest and having been under a knife to get you both safe and healthy to this world, I do not even have an iota of right to force you on the way to live once you are on your own. But remember , all vices are a vice only till u try. Once u try, it is hard to accept it as a vice. and it is harder to come out of it than not trying it. I have not been an angel and I have had my share of shortcomings too but once you become a parent the tinge of sadness that hits you on every bad possibility that your child may encounter you start wishing that you had been more perfect so that u can merit asking the same for your children.Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-14543651344090383422011-01-06T09:36:00.003-06:002011-01-06T09:46:28.361-06:00All grown up !! @3.25 yrsI was telling Nish that I am feeling cold.<br /><br />His response "If you wear half-sleeves in winter, you will feel cold. That is why yesterday I asked you to wear a full-sleeve(this line he made up ;-))<br /><br />Me "Nish, get ready - we are going to the gym"<br />Nish:"OK, can you come to the dryer and get my jeans out " with a very serious expression <br /><br />Coming to me he asks"how is your finger now?" Last night, I had to complete my kitchen work and I told him I hurt my finger and hence cannot brush his teeth and his dad would. I was touched when he remembered it in the morn. despite no visible marks to remind him. He gave the me the exact moment when I told him I hurt myself..<br /><br />He is really grown up !!! I am amazed at the way he can switch himself from this mature kid to acting like a baby many times because both of us enjoy those moments and I keep on telling him never to grow up ;-)Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-29150751461466514332010-10-25T22:56:00.004-05:002010-10-25T23:20:19.669-05:00Rock-a-bye baby !When Rish just turned 3 years old he had a bed-time book which had a song as follows :<br />"Rock a bye baby mummy's sweetheart<br /> When the wind blows the cradle will rock<br /> when the dawn breaks may light from above<br /> Shine down upon baby cradled in love"<br /><br />Every night he would ask me to sing this song and then make me sing it again substituting Rishab for baby and the third time singing it the original way but changing all the R's to L's and the fourth time changing the R's to Ls and baby to Rishab :) It used to amaze me how sharp he was to notice even if we missed a single conversion.<br /><br />And now after 2 years, he suddenly wants me to sing a lullaby for him but of course does not want any variations to it. But he wants to be the one to sing a lullaby for Nish !!! He plays my role to Nish, asking him to lie down and putting the blanket for him and then singing the lullaby - some big brother moments :-)<br /><br />And at that same age, he used to ask me to tell(recite being the precise word) his favorite story then "Jack and the Beanstalk". Slowly I refused to say this as he remembered the story word to word, and would keep correcting me line to line of that 10 page book with at least 50 lines. He would not allow me to proceed unless I corrected my mistakes making the whole story telling a 30 minute effort !<br /><br />And now his current favorite is "Rapunzel" . And has again started correcting me here and there but only in the places where he feels significant ! Thank God for that !<br /><br />Tonight brought me back all these memories and I realized I need to record them...Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-47329886545356650262010-10-20T22:49:00.003-05:002010-10-20T23:30:04.863-05:00High FiveDearest ladooo,<br /> you always love when I address you this way :) and you are turning to be one slowly..I guess you are being less troublesome and stubborn with age. The one thing that you really need to work on is being patient and listen and follow directions well from others than from yourself.<br /> Nish is really lucky to have you as an elder brother. you are one who can engage yourself very constructively for a significant amount of time be it doing some coloring or worksheets or just playing in the yard. your imagination is very wide and amusing to us. you suddenly seem to have grown so much. Right from gulping your milk down, cleaning yourself after the big job, soaping yourself , teaching nish occasionally,trying to be patient with nish for at least sometime before you give up and get mad - you are definitely growing.<br /> you still love anything academic. I am a happy mom who has taught you the basics of addition and subtraction in not more than ten minutes :) when I was complaining that nish has no inclination to spell or learn phonics and you were so good at his age, I was amazed at you trying to teach him C-A-T, B-A-T etc with correct phonics just the way I used to , except that you never watched me !!! when we were teaching nish the phonics for "C" as 'K' you pointed out that we also missed the 'S' sound - the last I knew you doing phonics was 2 years back !!! and when we asked you for an example my mind was thing of cessation, cede etc and thinking how you can come up with something , you stumped us by saying "decide" in the next instant.<br /> These days you amaze us by your sketches though you do not have the patience to color it well. I hope the karate class builds your patience and listening skills.<br />It is an effort to make you practice but I hope very soon you start loving it.<br /> You are thrilled these days to go to school because Nish has finally joined school after a long wait from you..whenever you asked me that you wanted to come home for lunch/nap it used to pain me as I was not able to do that since nish was already handful for me. I enjoy putting you to sleep on weekends as it makes up for the weekdays and the nights as you prefer sleeping by yourself in your favorite car bed(making it easier for nish and me). I ask you the standard qs "do want to sleep with adi, kiss, hugs, pinches, tickles or punches" and you have a good laugh asking just for the good stuff and enjoy my kisses, hugs and tickles making me the happiest mom. and I admonish/threaten you for a second after that and you feel satisfied and sleep off. The rare occasions that you do not, you let all of us sleep in peace and quietly engage yourself. <br /> Suddenly you feel you are the bigger brother and try to lift nish or help him brush/soap and sing a lullaby for him after asking me to sing it for you :)you even tell him "I am the older one. you can learn from me " !!<br /> But the one thing that you have not outgrown is your picky likes for food..you are very clear and particular in what you want to eat as you were right from your birth!<br />I could not stop laughing when someone offered you soda saying that " I am not supposed to have it. I don't want it". If only it was chocolates instead !!!<br /> you enjoy teaching all of us your newly learnt slokas and being the sloka teacher, nish being your ardent learner. you can also point out discrepancies very easily. while reading your temple handouts on Ganesha and Saraswathi you said very clearly that the picture has Ganesha's right tusk broken and saraswathi in pink when the theory stated that Ganesha had a left broken tusk and Sarasathi clad in white !<br /> you love to learn new languages and keep asking us tamil equivalents for new words and remember it just once after we say and make it a point to use it as much so that you can remember. you are really our pride and a role model in so many ways. I hope and pray that you acquire a bit more patience and listening and then there is no stopping you. we are so lucky to have you and I feel truly blessed.<br /> Love you lots laddooo....I guess by next year you will be able to read and comprehend my posts to an extent..Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-87139460594846849082010-10-20T22:47:00.002-05:002010-10-20T22:49:47.554-05:00Blogger's block - go awayThis has been one of the hugest blogging breaks I have ever had I guess...<br />The kids have grown so much in these past few months and I need to record them quickly before I forget. Guess I am being more productive and the kids too active for such a big break...but I will catch up soooon...Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-878151302955289052010-05-29T17:07:00.006-05:002010-08-14T02:58:52.090-05:00Not mall anymore<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m90ofT8EUL0/TGZMTM86W8I/AAAAAAAANlk/Ee69Kw5XRcw/s1600/100_2855.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m90ofT8EUL0/TGZMTM86W8I/AAAAAAAANlk/Ee69Kw5XRcw/s320/100_2855.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505171487284943810" /></a><br />Nish gets very offended if we say he cannot do something because he is a small boy.Keeps telling "I am not mall boy...am big boy" But very conveniently uses the small boy card for everything he wont do like sleeping by himself or cleaning up !!!!<br /><br /> Whenever I scream at Rish he tells me " Don't shout ! Then Daddy will not put news for you. We will not take you to the park. you will be alone at home " ;-) Too much of copying us.<br /><br /> These days his favorite lines are "I CANT DO IT" "I DONT WANT IT" when he is angry and he says that in a very angry and deliberate tone. This is often accompanied by running away from the scene and a sulking face and chin touching his chest and head bent. Sometimes it is him on his knees and head on the floor. It is very very cute to watch but sometimes gets on your nerves ! 2 1/2 years and where did you get this attitude from ???!!!<br /><br /> He also dances in joy these days and since his actions are totally in sync with what he is feeling inside it makes it very sweet. <br /><br /> He also has loads of empathy. Even if I scold Rish for being mean to him and Rish is upset he very sweetly tries to cheer Rish up. And wants Rish to experience the joy he is enjoying with any toy / game whatever.<br /><br /> Today after a long time his I could see his sweetness than his stubbornness and I felt still he is at his cutest best. Slowly memories of his baby days are fading :-(<br /> He is also very very clear in what he wants of himself and others and has the same clarity in expressing it and getting it done. And now also does quite a few things independently - potty (except for cleaning part we need to go) - wearing his underpants and shorts.<br /><br />************************************<br /><br /> Rish on the other hand seems to be more childish and silly than what he was :-(<br />But he is in many ways easier to handle than nish especially that he lacks all the stubbornness of his brother.<br /><br /> I feel sometimes he is better behaved when we are not around. The other day I was taking a shower and asked Rish to dress himself and Nish and when I came out, both were dressed - ready to go :-)) Also sometimes I see him telling Nish not to do some wrong stuff and consoling him when he is upset. But when I am around I see the totally opposite reaction. Not sure if a 4.5 yr old has ways of getting back at their parents at such a tender age ;-) But his ego is at an all time high. He hates being suppressed and screamed at but I wish he equally resents doing these acts that lead us to act that way with him.<br /><br /> He is still a pleasure to teach. Just taught him maybe 30 minutes of time reading and now he can tell the time pretty well(except for when the minute hand is in between 2 numbers).<br /><br /> I am hoping for some magic when they turn 3 and 5 with regards to their behavior. Both are extremely bright kids but high on energy and disciplining them seems to be a challenge..They are such riots ! I saw a real change in Rish after his 3rd and I have heard 5 is also a magical number when kids change significantly and with their birthdays just a few months away, this is the only wish I have apart from an overdose of good health :-)Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-42798163792159439152010-04-19T15:16:00.002-05:002010-04-19T15:28:16.260-05:00School DecisionBefore I could reach the US, I wanted to complete all admission formalities and enroll Rish in his previous montessori. Nish I was still undecided. Thankfully, R's busy schedule and this getting lost amongst all the other happenings around us, I found a much better choice.<br /> Once I came back, after a week's jetlag was seriously looking for some art and piano classes for Rish. Then I found a school which had a 4 hour schedule with 1 hr art, 1 hr music, 1 hr dance and 1 hr theater. How cool that is ? I know he will catch up on his acad. anytime and very fast, so was really happy. The next question was Nish. Luckily I found a church school on the way back from the arts school and it seemed a very friendly atmosphere. It is cheaper than the montessori, has a great social atmosphere, I get daily reports of what he did and I get to pick him for lunch..So in all, I am paying only for what I want. I have the option of picking him at 2:30 but since I pick Rish by 12:45, I do not want to deprive Nish of the piping hot fresh food ;-)<br /> Till the morning they had to join school, I was contemplating sending them to the old montessori as I will get 3 days of 8:30 - 3 p.m for myself..There are a lot of pending tasks that i need to get to ! But my heart ruled my head and I went by that.<br /> But the only catch is both will be home for nap and I need that break very badly to recharge for the evening....Trying to train them to sleep by themselves but it is very hard and hoping I do not regret the school decision for this reason !!!<br /> Anyway, I am a happy mom when I pick them at noon, both because of the choice of schools and also the fresh food awaiting us at home :-)Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-41407484387502812652010-04-15T03:34:00.002-05:002010-04-15T03:38:22.682-05:00Four going on fourteen !!!!I am clueless how to respond / react many times with Rish. He totally baffles me when he reacts like a teenager to my requests. The only good part is the child in him is still alive and filled with so much innocence that makes me forget how he behaves other times.<br /> Hoping to have a rocking time when he is actually in his teens....after all teenage tantrums do not last long and I have already seen the beginning :-PDeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-80379698678294346482010-04-12T16:35:00.004-05:002010-04-12T16:42:36.216-05:00Guilty....Dearest Rish,<br /> It so breaks my heart to ask you to sleep alone while I pamper Nish and make him sleep with me..The brat that he is, he will cry and make us all tear our head. The soft boy that you are (only at such moments) get threatened and oblige. When you ask me with such feeling "Why should I sleep by myself ?? " I have no answers. I am waiting for Nish to turn 3 so that I can make him do the same. It is more painful for me than it is for you. Maybe you will not even care about it a few years later or forget totally about it but just in case you feel being a first-born you have to go through it -<br /> Nish is having years of hand me downs from you just cos he is a second-born :-D<br /><br />Both of you are on my balance and for every act I feel I am siding with one of you I make sure there is some balance to it ;-))Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-31553429081280369902010-04-02T08:13:00.003-05:002010-04-02T08:38:37.398-05:00India Trip and the aftermathokay, I was so bragging abt. my second born being such a sweet kid and first born testing my patience at times ! Now it is total role reversal..Nish has become a total brat and a real rowdy but still knows how to smile and coo and make people forget what he did for a moment.<br /><br />some interesting conversations:<br /><br />After stuffing a mouthful of cranberries at my place, Nish threw up whatever he ate. Again demanded some cranberries and I said it made him vomit.<br />Nish : "Not canberries, mummy, mammu sollu mammu." (It is not the cranberries, but the food, repeat, food !"<br /><br />I was upset with Rish for hurting Nish and in all seriousness said<br />"Rish, you should not hurt Nish. He is your brother."<br />Rish : "No, he is not ! He is my brother-in-law !!!"<br /><br />Middle of the night Nish wails<br />"Mummy, I need you" I run from the other room and lie down next to him. Squeeze myself in the 1/2 feet gap, straining my neck and keep an inch of my head on the pillow. "It is my pillow.<br />It is my blankie. Mummy nee po".<br />The second I am at the door, wails, "Mummy , you are leaving me ! I need you"<br />And I go back to get back some more pinches, kicks and slaps..I wonder how he turned into such a monster !!<br /><br />When we came from hyderabad to chennai, the kids were giving me such a hard time. Despite my parents presence, it was so hard to feed them, put them to sleep etc. Many I knew were worried how I would manage the trip across the globe with both and promptly called home to check if/how I survived ;-)<br />They were such dolls and Rish would sleep within 2 minutes of patting him and I would sleep in the process and Nish would follow suit. On our way to India they would keep grabbing our juices, not allowing us to eat and food was such a tension. I was coming up with all algorithms on how to eat and make them eat peacefully. Well, all 3 of us or both of them were able to eat at the same time without a murmur ! Rish used to thank me when I opened his pasta and slowly ate by himself till he came to the end and then finished off his juice !!! "<br /><br />My kids truly amaze me and keep my crazy life sane !Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-39090854630321085032009-12-01T17:06:00.003-06:002009-12-01T17:21:28.601-06:00Ni hao, kich me on my cheeksI had blistered my hands very badly during thanksgiving. But went about my usual stuff since I did not feel any pain - bathing kids, doing dishes, cooking etc. And my over-smartness paid<br />when nish rubbed a finger to expose it very badly. Had to rush to the doc. and have been asked not to touch water much for a week !! Had I done this much before atleast my fingers will not be so badly scarred. The doc. said it may take a year for it to reach original color and it just may :-((<br /> Reminded of a friend who always used to admire my fingers :-D He was already hooked, so he was in no way flirting and really meant it :-D and whenever I paint my nails, I think of the days when my hands were so rested not doing all these chores, so soft and beautiful. Now the wrinkled skin has totally erased such traces...<br /> today i kissed mish mish on his tummy. The little mister asks me to not to kiss his tummy and I ask why. "becach u chud kich my cheeks". and I asked him if i can eat him. same previous reply :-)<br />kids and their innocence.<br /> today also was the first day when rishu read a book for nish ! could not believe they were calmly sitting next to each other for 5 mins and doing something useful. hoping for many such moments. when rish saw a garlic in the book, he said shallots. I thought it was written on the book but he said he saw that word in the grocery shop ! This boy loves his words. He has picked up quite a few chinese words from "Ni Hao, kai Lan !" - It seems to be his favorite cartoon as of now probably because he enjoys the bi-lingual nature of the program! I was also teasing nish that anna started reading books by himself even before he turned 3 and whether he would follow suit ;-)<br /> a happy ending to the day despite being stuck with band-aids and wrinkly skin !!Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-44964243703163013322009-11-21T22:57:00.003-06:002009-11-21T23:07:07.021-06:00Nish-KingThe baby is slowly getting to be a little boy.<br /><br />Today rishu was looking at tofu and in general talking about oreo.<br />Nish looks at him and says "Silly boy, this is not oreo !!!!"<br /><br />Was amazed when he could identify the alphabet shown on his laptop<br />and press the corresponding key from the keyboard. If he continues at the same pace,<br />he will pretty soon be familiar with all the uppercase letters :-)<br /><br />Just noticed today that he has stopped telling "ni aons" and progressed to tell cayons<br />for crayons. I will miss the baby talk. and also many such words I still pronounce the way he used to a few days back. Now, the little boy corrects me and asks me to pronounce it right !!!<br /><br />Whenever I act like crying, his face turns totally worried and he says "Mummy should not cry"<br />and does whatever I ask him to do. When I see his pained face, I am troubled and touched and immediately smile :-)<br /><br />whenever I am alone with Nish, I kiss him so much and feel like I love him the most and whenever I am alone with Rish, I kiss Rish a lot and feel I love him the most :-)<br />Kids and how they entwine you !!Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-52945262022390315342009-11-20T21:38:00.004-06:002009-11-20T21:45:43.302-06:00cucumber idlis and avocado dosas aInd a peaceful nightI have heard a few mothers complain about their kids not eating their veggies.<br />I have the totally opposite situation. of course I am very happy that my son loves hos veggies<br />but the problem is even for veggies free dishes like idli and dosas he needs some veggies.<br />Need to get him to the stage where he can relish it with chutneys ;-)<br /> so avocados and cucumbers are a great help. I just chop them into small chunks and that becomes his veggie side. Happy child and happy mom :-)<br /> <br />***********************<br /><br />No matter how frustrated your child makes you feel, no matter how much you scream and be mad at them , end of the day when it comes to putting your kids to sleep there is so much peace and calm in the kisses and hugs exchanged and so much comfort in putting your hands around each other. What a bliss to be a child and be so pure at heart and what an even bigger bliss to have such an experience with your child !!Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-63845361077543574762009-11-01T22:40:00.004-06:002009-11-01T23:25:33.671-06:00Terrible two's and Fearsome four'sThe monkey house-hold turns into a totally chaotic and unruly place often initiated by one of the duo. While Rish was mostly the mischievous one since he turned 3, he has been displaced by nish in just a year. God knows if the terrible twos are more powerful than the fearsome fours or if it is just the pitch of mom screaming and threatening that has instilled some fear in Rish.<br />so anyway, today nish has started throwing objects all around and thereby hitting people and objects with it. And once he does something like that, Rish too starts imitating that. And he has started attacking Rish with all his might, dragging him, pushing him , and biting him so hard and leaving deep teeth marks and a picked skin :-(Rish retaliates mostly much softer but has a lot of such soft attacks on Nish...<br />Sigh ! Wonder when they will get over this.<br />The other challenge has been Rish wants to co-sleep with us after 1.5 years of sleeping by himself...Now realize the value of the one year that passed by ;-)<br />Thankfully an accident on the bed has made him shift back to his room and planning to continue that story even after cleaning it to get him used to his bed..<br />But all this scheming and planning will take a toss during our India stay and guess it will be a rework again to get the kids used to sleeping by themselves..Sometimes I feel guilty but I do not have the time and energy to lay still until they sleep and it has been proved with them that boredom is the fastest way to fall asleep.<br />Now for the small things but still exciting for me stuff that they do..Rish has learnt to add using his fingers for single digits . And the 2 year difference helps me read some books for them together throwing questions of different levels to them. I showed Rish a pictorial jigsaw puzzle that had one piece missing and was happy when he picked the right one from 3 choices. Good visual perception :-)<br />These days he reaches out to even new people and strikes some conversation with them :-))<br />The favorite game at home these days is role play. Rish has labelled us some characters from caillou and i am surprised that nish comprehends the whole thing and calls us by that name too..Sometimes for lack of a character or need for one, the labeling changes and Rish can perfectly maintain the new names !!!<br /><br />Nish is communicating a lot in English now and though I am not in too much favor of it, he speaks very sweetly and brings a smile to our faces :-)<br /><br />"a thithu-kku venama" (Does Rishu not want it) is one of my fav. lines from what he talks as he tries to talk very sweetly and also attempts to anglicize it.<br />thickatheet (trick or treat)<br />bech u (bless u)<br />theelilal(cereal)<br /><br />Is it the baby language or his sweet voice becoming even more coy at times<br />or just the mother's reaction, I don't know - But I find it very sweet and a reason to smile each time.Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-73577157464760363972009-10-27T23:41:00.002-05:002009-10-27T23:44:30.549-05:00Sometimes....Sometime when I grow big, can I drive this can ?<br />Sometime when I am like daddy, can I wear his jeans?<br />Sometime when I am big, I will also drink coffee<br />Sometimes when I am big, can I use your laptop<br />Sometimes when I am big, can I work in your office?<br /><br />We thought we need to just save monetarily for the kids to inherit,<br />but Rish has these incessant questions about all that he can use later<br />from us ;-))Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-22296165597777734282009-10-23T10:17:00.003-05:002009-10-23T10:30:15.873-05:00Questions, Answers and InterpretationsDo you want apple or orange ? - Orange<br />Do you want orange or apple? - apple<br /><br />Do you want toys or lego - lego<br />Do you want lego or toys - toys<br /><br />Me and Rish laugh when nish answers like this. of course, rish is the one who has max. fun wording these questions. when rishu was close to 2.5 I used to concerned that he is not able to interpret these qs. Poor first-borns and the expectations we have from them ;-)<br /><br />But slowly nish is getting there where he answers 1 or 2 qs right and though I am happy he is learning everything right he does, i feel he is becoming a bigger boy. In contrast to when I wanted Rishab to learn everything right and proper !!<br /><br />Rish is in that stage where he acts as the monkey boss and teaches nish to do all naughty things such as dropping the toilet rolls in the commode, put washed vessels in the sink , trash good stuff since he knows he will be punished if he does the act.<br /><br />And Nish is the perfect "adi aal"(henchman) totally following the instructions.<br />He is a total sweet-heart and listens to most instructions given by his parents. So I guess in order to create a balance his anna is there teaching him all these things.<br /><br />Nish is in that totally cute and cuddly stage. It is amazing the way I see him connect to people and slowly I would have to share him with the world outside. Sigh !<br /><br />Today I was just bored and in no mood for anything and was just surfing. It just took some silly banter and a hug and kiss from Nish and here I am happily recording my memories :-)Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-78674651496862624132009-09-28T22:10:00.001-05:002009-11-08T16:29:16.567-06:00Thithab turns 4Dear Thithu,<br />This is what mishy mishy calls you now. I cannot believe how the years have flown by and that you have kutty at home calling you anna :-)<br />We have seen you blossom in a never before way in the past year. While you amazed so many with your intelligence, your appa and I had been waiting for you to start communicating more with us. We never realized that we had to teach you to talk than to study ;-)<br /> Till you were two, you were the silent observant kinds happy to be by yourself.<br />I started working from when you were 4 months old and you were such an easy baby, sleeping well, feeding decently that I hardly felt the strain.(as opposed to nish, just staying home with him was more tiring than when I worked with you !! )<br /> It was only when Nish was born, we saw you reacting sometimes with jealousy. You did not know how to show it and started being a bit aggressive. I guess you picked that from me since I would sometimes vent out my tiredness, frustration on you. But as you learned many things, I also learned many parenting lessons and I realized how much what I practice comes back to you.<br /> It was very hard managing with both of you when you were 2.5 and nish was 0.5 years old. He would be sleepy and you would be around and I would wait for a quiet 5 minute period so that I can leave nish on the crib. That was the time when you acted as if you understood my plight and when I would ask you to stay put with absolute conviction that you will not even understand what I meant, many times you would remain absorbed in your books and I would be successful with my attempt ;-) It used to break my heart to shove you away while feeding mish mish but then I would drop him the minute I was done and take you on my lap.<br /> While you were close to 3 years, me and mish fell sick and it was very hard time. You had just recovered. I was too tired taking care of me and him. once i made lunch and fed u guys I used to be too tired and though nish would nap, sometimes u were awake. and I would ask you to stay silent and that I had to rest as I was sick. and you were by yourself for an entire hour those few days while I could recharge myself.<br /> Me and you were silent partners in cheating on nish. On days when he missed his nap, or the nights that you were not sleepy I would ask you to pretend to sleep and you would stay in your room till I left nish in the crib !! and when he would refuse to eat his stuff or drink his milk, I would ask you to pretend to eat and never once did u really eat ! but it did the trick to get nish to eat. Though I have screamed, lost my temper with you for not understanding many small things that most kids would, I felt blessed that at times of real need and desperation you have not let me down.<br /> I have always admired the way how you could really eat your food so well and neatly and SLOWLY - me and nish can never do that. and the way you crave for your veggies has made many moms jealous of me :-) I know i am very stingy with candies and junk food but you have always been nice and very few times have made it hard for me by asking those and even the times you ask, I feel you deserve it.<br /> you are always a pleasure to teach and I have been very very happy when I see you grasp things in the first or second attempt itself. It has made my life very easy. otherwise I would have been helpless managing the home, kids and teaching you too. I wish you also become a pleasure to be with at home, not now, in a few years at least. I understand that this is your monkeying phase, that nothing can give you more pleasure than doing many silly things and these will be the memories later on and that I will also threaten you when you grow up of having such monkey offsprings ;-)<br /> Though I am the harshest with you, I scream at you many many times, sometimes scare you out when both of you become so hard to handle, am too tired and exhausted and when you don't understand I lose my temper - I still love you so so much. Many people around say that you will be a whiz kid, genius etc. But I will be very happy as long as you are happy with what you do in life. I wish that you are filled with abundant health and happiness always. And I truly hope you will be a fine example for your little brother.Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-9632666510963519282009-09-10T22:15:00.000-05:002009-09-10T23:25:45.328-05:00Mishy Mishy turns two !Dearest Mish Mish,<br /> Today I have been flooded with thoughts about how you have grown. From being an extremely under-weight baby to a cherubic toddler you have indeed changed. You have your own personality now and are a real charmer. You have your way with people and can just tug their hearts with your mischievous smile and cute display of your feelings :-)<br /> You are all that we missed in your anna. It fills my heart to see how well you both make a complete package. He being the nerdy, methodical, reserved, geeky types and you being the total boisterous rowdy. We just enjoy the difference and hope you rub off a bit on each other. It just seems like yesterday when we celebrated your first birthday.<br /> It was just at that time you showed you had a mind of your own. You wanted the spoon initially and close to 15 months you wanted to eat by yourself since anna did that. You picked the habit of having a book in your hand just because he read a lot. Initially though you pretended, it is heartening to know that you too have an interest in books. And then slowly you have learnt many good things from him. Just cannot wait for you to be potty-trained :-D <br /> While he is the eternal thinker and dreamer, you are very aware of your surroundings. I cannot forget the astonishment when you used to help me empty the dishwasher close to 18 mths - a habit you picked from anna but what amazed me was, how you knew where all the odd vessels went - like the tea filter and the iron tavas.<br />And then close to two you wanted to empty the vessels and me to stack them ! My heart used to shudder to see you reach out first for the ceramic and glass vessels but you were always careful for the second or two till I reached you and took it from your hands. Another incident that surprised me was how you noticed that after finishing my horlicks, I used to reach for the remnants in the cup and lick them ;-)<br />I burst out laughing when I found out that one day, you emptied your water from the cup and did the same ! And today when I made my horlicks by adding milk and sugar and the powder you reached out for the spoon and gave it to me :-)<br /> As a mark of your second birthday, you have learnt to tell your name and refer yourself by your name - michy michy.<br /> While we sang "Happy Birthday Mishy Mishy" you were happy to sing it out for all the friends whose parties you attended. At the end of the day when me made you cut the cake, I guess you understood that it was your occasion. And you have been the happy receiver of many phone calls, basking in the attention you received.<br /> I hope you stay as expressive like this - from screaming/singing happily when we get your favorite food, to dancing when you are happy, running for that hug and kiss just to feel good, making others notice you and reveling in that and doing something mischievous and laughing heartily - I wish they can be scenes I can watch forever !<br /> You and anna are now like wild cats and sometimes I get confused if I am rearing a zoo or a terrorist organization the way you two mercilessly attack each other. But from the corner of my heart I really hope that you will compensate for all this by being best buddies and being there for each other when needed.<br /><br />You guys have made our lives short of energy, time and money but enriched it with so much LIFE !Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-67625336148155974802009-01-02T00:19:00.000-06:002009-10-08T00:34:49.662-05:00The potty training saga of RishI guess this is the first parental pressure ever faced !! A friend of mine has started potty training her first child from 6 months and was successful when the child turned a year. Another friend started when her daughter was 1 year old. So I was assuming that it was not a very difficult task.<br /> I waited till Rish was close to 2 years old. My parents had just arrived for my second delivery and my dad is very patient in these kind of things. So me and him used to take turns and somehow make Rish sit on the potty before and after breakfast for quite sometime oblivious to my mom's and Ravi's voices :-) We somehow wanted him trained. But he refused to budge and all was forgotten. Then again after 3-4 months we were in India and I had enrolled him in a play school. Since most kids are trained there by the age of 1, I was hoping he would learn easily. At home again dad was determined to try his best. But after a month we gave up..The peeing was okay, he could hold. But poop, no ! He thought the underpants were meant for that.<br /> So again all was forgotten and then we came back to the US and I waited for the magical age of 3. Many of my friends said around this age kids learn themselves and I refused to believe that my son would change. By this time I kind of got used to his patterns too and could almost accurately predict when he would stealthily poop in the diaper, many times catching him red-handed. Still he was adamant not to use the potty.<br /> I scoured the internet even thinking of joining those online training centers<br />which would reveal their secret on paying some money and assuring that it would work.<br />Also in his school we were told that he would be promoted to the next class only if he was trained. Then I landed on this book "Once upon a potty" - By alona frankel.<br />Rish's obsession with books and ability to read greatly helped here. I used to read the book to him everytime he has to use the potty and he used to re-read it many times. So finally he was ready to use the potty and I was relieved. I got the feeling that he too would get out of diapers pretty soon. And ofcourse the comparison with friends helped. So by the time he was 3 years and 4 months he refused to wear diapers/pull-ups at night/ nap-time or outside thereby compelling us to make him diaper free. <br /> We still have accidents but thankfully the carpets have remained intact with hardly any mess. I am hoping that Nish will be trained by the age of 2, but it remains to be seen. For now, he is happy to imitate Rish (with diapers on) and pull the flush.Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-61262607370642329912009-01-01T00:05:00.000-06:002009-10-08T00:15:19.333-05:00Rish completes 3 years !I guess 3 was when we saw a lot of transformations in Rishab - from comprehending, to responding to potty training. He was very correct in all his milestones but still we felt he was lagging behind in socializing and communication.<br /> But he was very ahead in his verbal abilities and memory! So we used to be torn between that happy and worried state. And towards the close of his 3rd birthday I decided I would get him home early afternoon since Nish was 1 year old now. That made a big transformation.<br /> Initially Rish used to repeat a lot of phrases from books and would pretty much repeat many conversations too, sometimes it was scary. But our pediatrician and my mom were my rock of support whenever I was worried. My pediatrician said since he was very ahead in certain areas compared to other kids, it was natural for him to lag in certain skills and with time he would catch up with other kids just as they would in his skilled areas and asked me to patiently wait till he was 4. And my mom used to always tell me that nothing could go that bad and perhaps he just was reserved in nature. I used to be pretty positive too but a mother always finds it hard to find flaws in her offsprings. Hubby is a more analyzing type and it was good in a way as I do not think I have that capability atleast with respect to my kids.<br />So many times I used to console him and be his strength but at times it would get to the peak and then I would be internally disturbed too. I think it was just 2 days when he was 3.25 years that I could not sleep for 2 days as still I was not seeing the changes that I expected to see in him. And after all that worrying, suddenly there his communication and socializing increased by leaps and bounds !!<br /> The secret - we hid all his books. I guess that was occupying all his memory and his thoughts and kind of closed his minds. I also used to religiously do some brain stimulating exercises that any website or person suggested. Whether it was that or the mercy of the Gods, we now have a smart kid atleast comparable with other kids in areas where he was trailing before :-)Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-22204800658801256192008-09-01T00:15:00.000-05:002009-10-08T00:33:59.794-05:00Mr. ReaderOnce I knew that rishu was good at spellings, there was a phonetic toy that was lying at home. I got Rishu hooked to that and the good thing about him is once he picks something of interest, he never leaves until he has mastered it :-)<br /> So once he comes back from school, he would keep pressing and playing and mastered the phonetic sounds of all alphabets. And every night before he slept he would insist on me reading a book and he would then read again. It was sometimes painful as he would read slowly and mostly from memory and I would have to sit through.<br />Then I started making him point to the words and read and would make him read a sentence by himself with understanding knowledge of the letters and sounds. I used to do this on days when I had enough strength left at the end of the day. And I can only remember that. How or when he mastered the art of reading is always a mystery. Very soon we saw him reading anything and everything pretty well and his pronunciation was very close if not accurate. By that time he came to be known as a whiz kid, genius etc in school as they were astounded by his spelling and reading skills. In fact many parents when they came over to pick their kids would ask him for a spelling or two and he would read their badges etc or keep reading the corridor bulletin boards.<br /> We are also very thrilled but just as he was extremely good at these , he was still a lot socially shy and unaware of what was expected of him, quite different and unique in his own way :-) Luckily he was promoted to the pre-K class and the teacher was an angel. She had a very special interest in him and though she was amazed by his intelligence in some aspects she was also concerned in areas that we were. She went an extra mile in creating specific activities tailored to him and focused on him being aware of things happening around him, listening to instructions etc. she also used to give me some tips to be followed at home. Whether it was that or the signs of growing he is a lot changed now and fits in easily in the daily routine socializing more than before. Thankfully Nish is a big time communicator and he showed signs of it from 18 months...So we knew it was only a matter of time by which rish would soon start yapping :-)<br /> Also we packed up all the books and that made a big change in his communicating skill. Before we did that he would come back from school and keep reading even for 2-3 hours all his favorite books and all he did was just that..While I was still having a hard time depriving him of such a good habit, R promptly packed it all up and made it easier for all of us. We expected a big tantrum for him but he never asked even a single q !!! I wonder if he did not know what to ask ;-) But that was a very good beginning for him to explore the other areas.Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-80341474054592015212008-08-02T01:12:00.000-05:002009-10-08T00:13:23.525-05:00Rishu amazes us by his spellings - May 2008Like any other parent, I started my first step in my first born's learning<br />journey. He was 2.5 yrs old then. I wanted him to be able to recognize the uppercase English alphabets.<br />And like any other child, he wanted to be stubborn, got easily bored and I could<br />not just get beyond 2 letters.<br /> Rishu was a child with great obsessions and I use that many times to make him<br />do what I want (yeah, manipulative, I know ;-)) So I decided to start off with favorite<br />stuff - belt and car. I would draw a car and spell it, draw a van and spell it<br />and then draw a belt and spell it. This was the routine for a week and that made him<br />familiar with 9 letters. And then I found that he was veru easily able to remember those spellings. And then spellings became our past-time. It was educative,<br />entertaining(I could easily make him finish his dinner by spelling some words),<br />relaxing for him. <br /> Slowly I started teaching him homonyms with 3 and 4 letter words like cake, bake , rake etc and cat, mat , pat etc. He was very easy on pronouncing if I changed a letter and it was a pleasure to teach him. Otherwise with a 6 month old and the house chores and an ultra-busy hubby there was no way I could have spent more than the few minutes I had for him.<br /> Once he mastered those homonym spellings, we wrote them and thus finished all the uppercase alphabets. And now I got bored of this same exercise and sought out for an easier way for the lowercase ones. Also he refused to allow me to write the spellings in lowercase.<br /> And then my eyes fell on a book that my sister gave(which was just idling).<br />It was a book with dogs and numbers from 1 to 10. So each page would have pictures of dogs and the count and the number spellings in lowercase.<br /> So I set out to teach him the spellings from one to ten. In no time, he learnt it.<br />And then I gave the book to him and he would just read initally based on the spellings. Very soon he was able to map the lowercase letters and my joy knew no bounds. <br /> And once he could identify the uppercase and lowercase letters my next mission was to try to see if he could read easy words, thereby making him read independantly.<br />That way my lack of time or energy would not hamper his learning..<br /> And that my friends is my next post ....Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941299081558338915.post-49564527903945816342008-03-03T01:30:00.001-06:002009-10-23T10:46:56.265-05:00The India trip with a new born and a toddlerIt was the first time I was travelling without R. We had always been happy travelers till then. It was a taken that he would handle all stuff since he had more experience than me when we started off and also he is a very careful and methodical guy. That was the first time I was travelling with children and also parents who were new to this kind of traveling.<br /> I was very happy to visit home and my main worry leaving him behind was that I had to handle so much.(Yeah Yeah, I am mean ;-)) ) It was very tiring and long journey but my little darlings were very well behaved in the longest leg of our journey. I had particularly chosen Emirates as it the JFK-Dubai leg covered most of the journey and and also co-incided with their sleep times. Nish was a very troublesome baby until then and I was very apprehensive about his sleep patterns and feeding nightmares but thankfully it was tolerable while we were flying.<br /> As soon as we boarded the DFW-JFK part, Nish had messed up his diaper and clothes and I had to change. wash/dispose his clothes all in the crampy bathroom !<br />And once we reached JFK we took our sweet time to feed the kids, and go to our gate. The walk to the specific gate was harder than the journey itself. Finally when we checked in at the counter we were told that we would not get the bassinets as they were all taken. Since I was warned of this, I ensured I got in early but still that did not help..I was too tired to even shout at them but I gave them my piece of mind.<br />All along I was irritated and snappy and who else than one's parents will take in all the non-sense and still understand and justify and reason out the cause.<br /> I was tired of being alert of the nappy changes for both, feeding times for the baby, whether we tagged all the baggages along, the way to reach the gate etc etc.<br />Finally when we were about to enter our plane, we were told our hand-luggage was too big and I had to re-org the stuff into small different bags provided by Emirates and remember which bag had the spare clothes, diapers, sippy cups etc.<br /> But once the plane started, it got easier. Rish and my dad were seated a lot behind us so that he will not bother me and the baby. It was a blessing that dad<br />could handle/ entertain him. In a few hours, all of us dozed off and Nish was amazingly well-behaved and slept off that the mothers of other crying babies were throwing helpless glances at our direction :-)) and he earned the bassinet of the other crying baby !<br /> I was recharged with 5-6 hours of sleep though grudgingly thought of the husband traveling happily all alone, with much lesser cares and happily watching movies. And how it would never happen to me for a long long time. But I guess I would not enjoy it too as much so I stopped the comparison there. And the kids woke up only when we were closer to Dubai. Dubai was so different and small and compact as opposed to the airports here. We wandered around a bit and changed and fed the kids and just had enough time to board our flight to chennai. It was a short flight but both kids were wide awake. Thankfully before they started troubling us we landed and were ready to be received by my FIL. We had hot shower and food awaiting for us. It was funny to see Rishu's reaction to the road and traffic. I too felt a sense of "coming home". These days it happens both ways for me ;-) <br /> My MIL was only too glad to have Rish. The fact that I had a new born meant that I was with nish, she was his care-taker. And she took great happiness and pride in that. In showing off his skills, or taking him around he was pampered. And I was too with good food during the stay. After a week I was ready to go home.<br /> It is a different feeling being home. Just the familiar atmosphere makes you relax. I had enrolled Rishu in a local play school. It was a good change for him and for us. It was a small, clean house and I guess that was what I needed. A clean place and a bunch of neat kids so that he would not fall sick and of course walking distance from my house. I stayed home for nearly 2 months but still never took him on a train or auto or to the beach as nish was only a few months old. Lot of pending wishes to be accomplished in the next visit.<br /> When I used to walk Rish to school, I used to meet many of my old neighbors who knew me from when I was his age. It is a totally different feeling when you meet such people. It is almost like you become a kid again. I even managed a trip to Saravana Bhavan with my parents ! Despite the distance, and nish being a small baby, and my aged granny at home we managed. <br /> Once Ravi came, the time just flew so fast. Mostly with the wedding and his bangalore trips. and by that time I was content with my stay and was happy to come back to my other home :-)Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04499764069456517120noreply@blogger.com0