Me as in mummy

Exams! for KG-1

2007-08-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

My son got a hall ticket, for KG-1 exams. I think, I am going to get that framed!

His first exam was English reading, on August 16th. Well, he prepared for it by seeing 'Bambi' on his DVD player. Having watched it a number of times, he knows it pretty well. I am happy he does not get involved and comments rather un-sympathetically at the running pair of mother and baby , "What is this...mother..Bambi..MOTHER..BAMBI. Just ruNN".

I am happy because, while I read him the book, he was upset the mother was not at the place she should be.(Pointing to a place near Bambi). He wanted to know what happened and I went into, how some people killed her, guns and a lot of how-to-explain-this stuff. Then he turned to me and said rather solemnly "You don't get killed, OK?" and then I said 'Hey, you are not Bambi' and diffused the situation.Phew!

I have no idea how his exams went yesterday. My enquiries resulted in a non-committal 'Yeah, it was fine'. I do not want to push him and make the exams a serious event. But there seems to have been some talk of revision among his classmates. So he wanted to do 'Yivision' and I was very happy and promised to guide him after the afternoon nap. So while he slept, I took his slate and drew some pictures and made boxes, where he could write the corresponding alphabet. ( Like Picture of apple - a box for him to write Aa). When he got up I told him, this was his revision. He finished it in 5 minutes and showed it to me. I was super happy, for he had done them all correctly. We hi-fived, I hugged him and told him we had finished revision!. Ha HA! He cleaned the slate, and said 'some more'. So that is how I spent last evening. Drawing and giving exams on a slate. By the time my husband came home I was upto my neck drawing elphants, cats, dogs (that sonny boy identified as donkey, of course what matters is 'Dd'), bats (cricket bat identified as Bottle), bat(flying bats identifyied as butterfly)...

We have exams till 30th August. I am more scared of revision now than when I was studying at school. All the best to us!

You be on the wall, Ok?

2007-07-09T21:35:00.000-07:00

After 5 days of holidays, where he found 'Ma, I am so boring', Sonny boy went to school. His big Public school, where his class is next to the donald duck poster (according to him), and is on the first floor (according to me- the parapet wall is almost 3 and 1/2 feet high, so it is really OK). It has been two weeks, since he started school.

The first day he wore his new uniform, walked into his class, with a smart wave and flying kiss to me. Day 2 to Day 5, the start time of the tears, went from the front door to the door of the class room. Of course, we offered him, the option of staying home. But he did not take it up "No, I want to go to school, But I will cry and go. Ok?". So we knew he was asking for us to keep from interfering, while he came to accept it. So we let him, and he did. But he was still not ready to go with his dad. "Ma, you have to come, and you should be there only. You be on the wall,OK? I am not telling any mischief. If I see you are not there, I will not like it." (Again," I will not like it", is actually half acceptance. If he really meant it, it would be something more strong,"then I will not go to school" or "I will be very angry"). I would drop him, then return at 10 a.m. His class would be taken for their chu-chu break, and I got a glimpse of him, as he went with his classmates, running, talking, watching monkeys....

It is easier, for my husband to drop him at school, before his office. If I have to take him, the morning gets really rushed. But he needed time. " Wait pa, let me get Used to the school". So his dad, told him, how to get adjusted. 'The day you know the names of 10 children in your class', he said 'then you are ready'. The little fellow, got excited and slowly the names trickled in, in twos and threes. He did not realise that, the faster he got 10 names, the faster, he would have to relinquish, my hand and go with his dad. Or maybe, he wanted to.

The second week, was a breeze. He left with his father, some days in car (where I would push the car and them out - He loves and laughs seeing his mom do these clownish things) and some days in Bajaj Kristal ( While going to montessori, one day I brought him back home, walking, since my car battery had run out. Again his doing, he left the car lights on, while he was playing.It was hot summer and 12 noon. The little fellow said 'I want to go by car only'. Hubby and me did not want him to get used to, too much 'Cushy' comforts. So we rushed out and bought a scooter. Then we realised, we had actually spent more money in trying to keep our son grounded).

After 2 days of viral infection, 2 days weekend holiday, and a surprise leave yesterday (state holiday), he went to school today. There was the standard "You be on the wall, Ok?". But he left with his dad. There was mist in his eyes, he probably thought, I would drop him. But he was chatting with his dad, before the car even left the garage.

I will go to pick him up at 12. Watch as the kids are collected and herded into the various buses. Wait till the watchman opens the gates (the first day, he refused to allow me, although, I told him, that, it was my son's first day at school and I returned to the car all weepy. My son, and who was this guy to stop me ) and rush in to hug my baby. But of course, I won't. He will be running around the class, with his classmates, and though his eyes will light up on seeing me,he is sure to say " Wait mummy, I have to tell something to ma'am/myfriend ". Once I am there, he likes to take those few extra minutes, to kind of take control, and I let him. Then he will wave bye to them, put his small hand in mine, and we are home. Of course, we have to rush, to see the buses leaving, or else, the whole point of going to school is wasted...

Punishing Punishment

2007-05-10T04:11:00.000-07:00

In Dennis the menace comics, I have often see the little fellow in the ‘time-out’ pose. Sitting in a corner, out of trouble.

So when Chuvai ( our 3-year-old son) had pulled Choti ’s (a year old daughter) scurrying-away-at-full-speed legs one too many times, I thought it was time for a new punishment-TIMEOUT. I had tried it earlier when he was younger, but he just did not get the concept, then.

So I made him stand in a corner after giving her, her toys in the crib. I looked forward to at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted cooking time. The little fellow was, however smiling. I thought a few minutes into it and he would realise the ‘punishment’. Like why he got punished, it is boring to stand in a corner, he got punished and so should not do it again…that kind of realization.

The smiling lips just confirmed ‘I should stand in this corner? Like this (sticking to the corner) or like this (moving away)? ‘

I merely made a stern face and moved to the kitchen.

A little-bit-baby-a-little-bit-boy voice “mamma, I want some water, I am sooooooo thirsty’

With a stern ’Coming’, I brought him water.

Innocent me, should have read the warning in his laughing eyes.

Next ‘ Ma, I am so hungry’. That from a kid, who is the picky eater, no eater all rolled into one. Some time we wonder where he gets his boundless energy from, since he barely eats. We even secretly have a theory that kids (at least him) have some kind of chlorophyl-thing that helps them manufacture energy from the sun and air.

Anyways, so I mix food for him in a bowl and give it to him. There in the corner. Secretly congratulating myself, that I didn’t cave in and move him to his chair at the dining table.

‘Ma, Can you give me a paper napkin? Some mammam ( his generic term for food) has fallen on the floor….so I want to clean it. It will look dirty no? Please’. Now his voice is all sweet and polite, because he instinctively knows he has me where he wants me.

Tables seem turned. I still persist. Stern, again ‘I will clean it, finish mammam. Quietly’.

I have barely reached the the kitchen,

‘Ma chu-chu’. That is non-debatable, and I finally give in ‘Run to the bathroom’.

Then the little mischief asks ‘So I have to stand in the corner now’. I soldier on ‘No. It’s Ok. 15 minutes are over. But don’t pull her leg again, Ok?’

The next day,’Ma shall we play that game. You tell me to stand in the corner…Shall I stand in this corner. Ok, today, this corner?’

I don't know whether to laugh or cry, that he thinks of it as a game. A game? . Where I run around, bringing him things, while he ordered from one corner ? I felt it was time to change the topic.

I protest “No, No, let us play with cars, cricket?”. As he gleefully agrees, I am wondering whether he is taking me for a ride. Has he outgrown the stage where I could ‘Time-out’ him. Which part of the 'punishment', didn’t I communicate properly?

And how did I get myself into playing cricket with an 24-inch-plastic cricket bat……with a guy who shouts ‘OUT’ every time I manage to connect with the tennis ball….

Tom and Jerry

2007-05-10T03:58:00.000-07:00

Our 3-year-old boistrous son, Chuvai and 1-year-old sweet daughter, Choti, bring ‘Tom and Jerry’ alive in our house every day.

Today in the car, my son wanted to tell stories. His stories are generally a mish-mash of the ones we tell him. This one was original and needed to be documented. So here it goes:

Chuvai: Ma, I will tell a stoee[story], OK. Which two animals?

[standard procedure to tell a story: ask the animals you want featured in the bedtime story. My husband started it and is now an expert at spinning tales around any combination of animals. ]

Ma : Hmmmmm…a cat and a mouse.

Chuvai : Once upon a time, in a BIIIIIGGGG forest, there was a cat. His name was Chuvai and mouse called Choti. They were playing and then Chuvai wanted to take bath in the yive [river] and SPlash and all that. There was a yive [river] there, Ok? a Biiiiiiiggg yive [river].
One Biiiiiggg elephant came there, his name was Gajyaj. He saw Choti and said ‘Ha ha ha, I am going to eat you’.

Ma: [Not liking, the way the story is going. Especially considering his current fascination for gore involving cokadile, shaaks and big teeth ]. But elephants don’t eat animals. They only eat leaves and rice and bananas…

Chuvai: But this elephant, wanted to eat..

Ma: Noooo. No, elephant eats only plants and leaves and …..

Chuvai: Ok. A lion came there, Ok? His name was Sheysingh. He came and saw Choti and said ‘Ha ha ha..

Ma: [thinking: Ok let me see where this goes]

Chuvai: I am going to eat you. Lions eats other animals, no? Then he yoayed [roared], and [lowering his voice to a tiny one] Choti said ‘No, no , don’t eat me’. That time, Chuvai came there and said [big voice again] ‘Sheysingh, I will not let you eat her ‘, [yes, temporary suspension of pretense] , then he took a stick and gave sheysingh a big WHACK [big eyes now]. Sheysigh went a fell in the yive [river] and yan [ran] off.

Ma : Wow ! Good story, sweetie.

Chuvai: So the moyal [moral] of the story is, if someone scares Choti, then Chuvai will beat them away.[A swish of hand to emphasize]

[Another standard procedure: every story has to have a moyal..oops moral]

Ma: [Lays to rest all doubts of sibling jealousy]. {And can now appreciate the requirement of the third scary animal in the story. Every hero needs a villian, right?}

Note: He still cannot pronounce ‘r’ and uses ‘ya’ instead, but is oh-so-protective of his little baby sister.