Tooth-in - Tooth-out

 In the kg3 household, it is the life mission of one little person to consistently compete with the other person born before her.  Whatever good things happen to her sister, needs to happen to her as well, even if it’s a natural process. Unfortunately for me, the growth and fall of their teeth also comes under this category. While her sister has lost and re-grown more than 5 teeth, all of the little one’s teeth were intact. The fact that she was born 27 months after her sister doesn’t matter. All she wanted was a shaking tooth, and she’s been tirelessly checking her teeth for the past six months. 

Finally, her wish was granted last month. Whether the shaking tooth was natural or a result of her self-torture, we would never know. Once the shaking started, every morning, noon and night, the tooth would be re-visited in the mirror checking for the level of uproot. During all the times not spent before the mirror, the tooth would be subjected to the whims and fancies of her tongue. As the days progressed with no signs of the tooth falling, the patience level was running low. She was so eager to lose her teeth, that she was this close to pulling her tooth out of her mouth. Thankfully, on the auspicious day of Onam, as I was cooking, she duly bought her tooth in her hand and proudly displayed her ‘oota pallu’ which only she has the right to call so. To say that she was excited would be an understatement, and madam was all smiles the whole day. She could  hardly wait for the weekend to end, to go to school, and see, which one of her friends would be the first one to notice. The little joys of life!

Faathi...Faathi....

Its high time I wrote about my little-one, (actually not-so-little-one now). Not because it's been a long time since I wrote anything about her, but mainly because the brat's mischiefs are going a long way, too fast for me to remember to pen everything down.

First things first. About how your 4th birthday went, you didn't make any big fuss, (even when we delayed giving you, your gifts.) It was a neat affair. You got up, dressed up, gave sweets to everyone, had your regular fights with your sister, succeeded in making her cry, and got on your way. But you did create a big scene on your sister's birthday. How dare I deliver Smruthi first! How cruel of me to deliver you second! If I had been any fair mom, I should have given birth to you first and made Smruthi your younger sister. Then, your birthday would have come first, and you need not have been the one to keep asking her for chocolates. She would have been the one coming to you for the chocolates, if it had been your birthday first. But, since everything was in my control, I decided to favor your sister and made her birthday come before yours. Yes, that's very cruel of me! If only I had such power!!!

There was this day, when I made the stupid mistake of assuming that you would love to see your childhood photos and took out the entire collection of albums. You had one look at your 1st birthday album, peeped over to see your sister's album, and immediately all hell broke loose. How dare she come into your photo albums, but not single one of her birthday pictures had your photo in it. Again, the same argument why was I not the first? Oh god! Where does she get these ways of thinking! Darling, you still don't understand the perks of being the last one in the family.

 You are slowly leaving your kiddish slangs and coming to perfection. I remember the day when you came running to me and demanded me to ask you your name. "What's your name?" And you clearly, and very cutely replied "Shwaathi" instead of your usual 'Faathi'. I was not sure if I should feel proud or sad, because you are growing up. Oh, how I would miss my 'Faathi'! With a dull heart, I ask you the next 'sw' word, and pat came the reply - 'fimming'. Thank God, all was not lost. I still get to have few more days to enjoy your mazhalai.

You really are a lovey-dovey baby to have. Every day, you eagerly await my return from office. The moment you see my car near the gate, you come rushing to me even before I open the gate, grab my cell phone through the gaps within the grills, get inside the house and start playing ANGRY BIRDS, making me really ANGRY. For a moment, for a single fleeting moment, I had thought that you were coming to hug me, and you proved again that you are the more practical-than-emotional types. As long as I'm in the house, my mobile becomes entirely your property. To the extent, that you go and charge the mobile yourself, whenever the battery is low.

Unlike your sister, you really don't care to show me your school works or share your day's incidents at school. All you do is to re-collect and laugh at the funny things which your friends said or did at school. Like the first day, you said there was someone named 'Rica-Rica' in your class and laughed at how funny that the same name has to be said twice for her. We are not even sure if that's the real name or if its one more of your mazhalai sorkal. All this mockery even when you were not able to say your name properly enough. That is how your nick-name 'Faathi...Faathi' was born, and till date, even when you say your name perfectly, we love calling you 'Faathi...Faathi'.

You are totally rebellious. There are only very few instances when I can remember you obeying me. (And usually, they would be for an ulterior motive) All other times, you are very cautious not to do anything I tell you to, and to do, everything that I ask you NOT to. And the worst part, you seem to easily get away with it. There was this one incident where the floor was full of your pencils and crayons, and when I told you to clean up, you simply refused and demanded your sister to do it to for you. (Mind you, you didn't request, you demanded!) When I asked YOU to clean up before I counted five, you stood there staring at me. And when I started counting 1, 2, you immediately completed the countdown for me and ran out of the room- obviously without cleaning up. Smruthi and I looked at each other, and the floor was clean five minutes later, (by us, of course!) Your sister wouldn't have got away with half the things which you easily seem to get away with. Every time I try to be fair with you and your sister, I  seem to be fighting a losing game. The privileges of second-borns, I guess. So, now don't you dare accuse me of favoritism to your sister.

Even though you make me think that you are the not-so-emotional one, you do display your emotions rarely, when you come running to me to the kitchen, ask me to bend down, kiss me on the cheek and the times when we both are alone, you hug me tight and kiss me all over my face, and laugh at my reactions. I live for these moments baby. No matter how rebellious you are, how cranky you be, how much you irritate me, I can stand everything for these precious few moments. They make me realise how precious you are to me. My little preciouussss!!!!!!!!!!! My little princess!!!!!!!!!

Celebrating MY girls!

As I wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and come back, I couldn't help noticing how my girls were snoring gently and peacefully in their sleep. Just a look at their childishness and innocence was enough to make me feel contented! How could anyone not want 'girl' babies, I thought! I mean being open-minded, and acceptance of either girl or boy is fine, but deliberately NOT wanting a girl baby is something I'm still unable to comprehend! I am not judging others' interest of wanting a girl or boy, but others imposing their interests on me and my family is not acceptable!

My thoughts brought back memories of my labor, and the successive reactions from friends & relatives when it was declared that I had given birth to a baby girl!

As I was nearing my due date with my first one, the entire world came out with predictions that I would be delivering only a boy. Whether they were predicting or hoping, I would never know! It was only my FIL who 'predicted' that it would be a girl. Even though me and hubby didn't have any gender-bias for my first one, when hubby shouted 'It IS a girl!' in my labor ward, I felt like jumping up and down on hearing the news (though 'relief' was the first emotion after labor!) and my FIL was to be seen literally doing the same on hearing the news. Though both sides of parents and most of the family was equally happy with the news, some exceptional cases would come and tell me, 'Its ok! Better luck next time!' Excuse me! Was that a consolation? Do I look like I need one? All I wanted was to shout 'Idiots! I feel lucky and blessed that it IS a girl.' Better luck indeed! What could be better than the cute little girl which I was cuddling in my arms then?

When I was questioned about my second arrival, I surprised many by saying that I preferred my second one also to be a girl. (including hubby I suppose). I had always wanted a girl from the moment I realized that I was expecting my second! And thank god, she was a girl! What would I have done, had it been a boy is a different question. (Probably, cried one whole day, and got on with parenting from the next day!)

'Oh! second is also a girl? Its ok! Nowadays, both boys and girls are the same.' would be some genius' way of congratulating me. Oh yeah? Thanks for your lovely comments! Am so glad to hear it!

When someone comes and asks me 'How many kids do you have?", I proudly say 'Two girls!', and the responses which I get are mixed. 'Oh! two girls?' and then there are the oohs and aahs about how having two girls can be the cutest thing in the world, which I am happy to hear. But for all the others, who try to sympathise with me for having two girls, no thanks! You can keep the sympathies to yourself. I don't need it now! I have a close relative who was very happy and relieved when my neighbor also gave birth to a second girl child! So, now, I need not be the only one in the neighborhood with two girls! If she had thought that she was empathizing with me, she was failing badly! She strongly reminded me of an old Doordarshan ad 'Aaana? Ponna? Aaana ponna porandhadhenna.....'.

And then there is this one other comment, 'You are lucky both are girls. Boys are extremely naughty and difficult to handle!' This may be true, may not be always! I do not know. In my humble opinion, pranks and mischief are child-variant and not gender variant! Even if we assume the above statement to be true, for all the pranks played by my girls, they might have as well been boys. They are being equally mischievous and naughty, probably only more than if they had been boys. Your sympathies for me are welcome here! If boys can do it double, these girls can do it triple! Just for the record, even though my daughters get on my nerves every waking minute, the fact remains that my life could not have been any better without my lovely little daughters. I am perfectly happy, happier and happiest (and if there is any better word, please include that as well) that I have two little girls in my life who make my life as special as I can best wish for!

Coming back to the night-time episode, I keep looking at my girls for some time, and being overcome by my love for them, I re-arrange their blankets, squeeze in the bed between them, kiss my elder one in the forehead, and whisper 'Luv you baby!' in her ears. To my surprise, I hear her whispering 'Luv you too!' back in her sleep. Expecting the same, I turn towards my younger one, kiss her and whisper the same, and I hear only her soft breath, and the sucking sound of her fingers! I smile and go back to sleep :)

05 May 2012

To my lovable Swathi,

You are turning three today, and you know what, we are celebrating your birthday this year in Kulu-Manali, and you are having the time of your life here. Hope we get to celebrate your every birthday with a vacation.

As your third birthday is over, do I even get a chance to hope that your terrible twos are over? Will your fights with your sister reduce? Do you even intend to become a better girl from now? Well, I can only hope. But, trust me, life is never dull as long as you are around. You are the naughtiest, crankiest brat in the family.

You always want to compete with your sister for anything and everything that she is doing, she is having, she is saying, she is eating...WHAT EVER!!!! You strictly follow your policy - 'What is mine is mine and what is yours is also mine!', and you never give up. If you want, 'if and only if you want', you can be the loveliest little sister to have. Such a cute little bunny, you can be, that you can make Smruthi, do anything and everything for you, right from sharing her favorite Barbie doll, to brushing you, feeding you, playing, combing, anything. During one incident, when I was shouting at you, your sister had the nerve to advise me not to scold you. "Why are shouting at her like this? What does she know? My thangai is soooo paavam". She had the nerve to advise me this and all gyaan was easily forgotten in the next 15 minutes, when you took her notes without her permission and all togetherness was lost, and life was back to usual. But, all these daring and fighting is only with your sister, or at the max, within your family circle. The moment you step inside a social group, you become very shy and reserved. You are that 'veetla puli, velila eli' (Tiger in home, but a rat outside.)

This year, all of a sudden, you have become very matured. I'm not talking in terms of your naughty little incidents, that stays as good as ever. What I meant, is you are not emotional, (unlike me and your sister) very practical, and you are very clear in what you want. One fine day, you woke up in the morning and asked me in the bed, with your usual sweet, little innocent face, if I would get you a Dora cake for your birthday, and if not Dora, atleast a Barbie cake. And when I asked you, whom would you give the first piece of your birthday cake, you told me that you would eat it. And when I showed you a very paavam face, you justified your answer saying that since it was your birthday, you should only be having the first cake. Good logic! But, you know what you did today, you gave your first piece of cake to your sister, without anybody telling you. That's when I realized, the deep bonding between you two sisters. Love you girls. (And I'm sorry that we couldn't get Dora or Barbie cakes in Manali. But you were happy with the flower cake we got you)

You have started your school and you are completely in love with it. You want to go to school even on holidays, and you refuse to accept, if I say that you don't have school. You think that I am cheating by not sending you to school, but I alone leave for office. Darling, we don't get summer vacations in office dear. But, how I wish!

One thing, which is so addictive about you is that thiruttu-muzhi which you give, when you do some mischief and I catch you red-handed. You silently give that naughty look, with a smile and get behind your paati, or whoever is nearby. You can easily impress others with that smile of yours. And when you give that look, how can I shout at you?

Even when you emptied my entire stock of fair & lovely, coconut oil, face-wash, face-powder, body lotion baby powder and not to forget that vicks and amrutanjan, all into a single small powder box and stirring the potion with your sister's pencil. You made the entire floor oily with that potion of yours, and you easily got away with that single smile.

All said and done, we don't really want you to be silent and well-behaved. Last month, when you were down with high fever, there was a 30-minute period when you couldn't even speak. You were sitting just like that staring and not doing anything. A dose of crocin and you showed your true-self again, even though you still had temperature. But, that 30-minute silence of yours was the real hell. Not your mischiefs. We are so addicted to your screams and shouts, that the house, looks so bland if you are not in. What's life without your mischief? Keep mischieving dear. We can't seem to live without it. Love you darling. Now and always.

Your mom & dad.

MY school saga begins too.....

This is to declare that I, Swathi Srikantan, has successfully graduated from playschool and started my kinder garden from today. Yeah, you guessed it right, the same school my sis goes to! So, how can I not post about it, especially after my elder sister has done so already here. How can I NOT do something, which she has done? What is the liberty of being the last in the family, if I don't compete?

The school was hmmm.....not bad. One thing (or one of the things...) which my mom dreaded was to make me wear uniforms. I hate uniforms. I hate them....I hate them...I hate them....I HATE them! If everybody is supposed to be uniform, then where is my individuality? The only reason I don't fuss about wearing uniforms for this school is that they are my sister's! (The school is yet to receive stocks on the new uniforms of my size). The pleasure I get in wearing anything of hers - wow! I just love to irritate her like this. I simply cannot sleep, if there's not a single moment when I have not irritated her. Not that I don't like her, but just for the thrill of it.

So, left for the school, and my mom was again all emotional, or so, I believe, in sending me. More than being emotional, she was more worried about my behaviour. I knew it. I could sense it. You should have seen her showering me advises all the way to school. I didn't even bother, though my sister was vouching for my behaviour, and responding her. "Amma, don't worry, Swathi kutty will be a good girl. I will take care" and blah blah blah. Swathi 'kutty'?? I shall get her for this! Anyways, after all the lecture, I was more than happy to reach the school.

I really didn't understand why all the other kids were making so much fuss, and crying about the school environment. Infact it was not even hot. They had air-conditioned my classroom, this year! I was so calm, and didn't cry the whole one hour I was there. (Though, I nearly would have, in another few minutes.) Now, if my mom knows that I am writing this, she would ask me the same question, because, I cried my lungs out during my playschool graduation party last week. It was all her fault, making me wear that stupid ice-cream costume, in this scorching sun, and asking me to dance on stage. Not that, I am not capable of performing on stage, but, how can I dance, when I am sweating so much from top to bottom in that jigu-jigu costume? My heads covered with the ice-cream, my hands closed in gloves, and knee-length boots? Moreover, why give her the satisfaction of doing something, which she wants me to do. Never! This again irritated her very much, and my poor dad had to bear the full brunt of it. Anyways, mission accomplished that day! Ok, where were we? Oh yeah - my new school!












So, its going good...If my parents are going to expect me to come out with flying colors like my sister, they would be wrong. And if they think that I shall not shine, that would also be wrong. They know pretty well, if I do something, it will be my own will and wish. The very few times, I listen to my parents, they feel proud of themselves for making me listen to them, huh! Poor them! Little do they understand, that in such cases, I listen to them not because they want me to do so, but because I want to do so.

Wait, a minute....Its been a long time, since I saw my sister around...seems like she is doing something in peace. Its high time I leave now. Gotta disturb her from whatever she is doing! See you all later. Bye.

- Swathi

PS: For the records, I started my school on 11 April 2012. So, if you catch my mom posting this blog on a later date, this is the chance to blame her for not being affectionate enough towards me to post it on time.

PPS: Darling Swathi, now that you have said all you wanted to, I sincerely apologize for not posting this blog on time, but trust me, I have been genuinely busy in my office. This does NOT mean that (as your dad says) I am more partial to your sister. You are equally special to me, and don't you let your dad's comments come between our love. Happy schooling dear!

Murphy's Law is....

When your brutally adamant, intolerably cranky almost-three year old, wakes up without any fuss, does whatever you expect, wears the most-disliked frock without any tantrums, finishes her breakfast within a span of 10 minutes, arrives in the play-school half-an hour before the usual time....and....

THE SCHOOL IS DECLARED A HOLIDAY DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES!!!!!

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When your five year old messes with your android smart phone, and suddenly you find all your desktop icons missing, including the call logs, you struggle for 10 minutes to restore them back, without any luck, shout at her, warn her, lecture her as to how difficult you are finding to restore your phone to the usual state, and she replies promptly, "Who told you to struggle? If you had told me, I would have fixed it up for you!!!" and she DOES fix it up!!! And worse, within two minutes!!!!

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27:02:2012

Dear Smruthi,

Its your birthday again, and you are turning five today. The past year has really been a roller-coaster ride with you. You have been the lovable princess most of the time, and in your crankiest best, for the rest of the time, literally driving me mad. There have been times when you have been so cuddly, utterly-butterly lovable, and I couldn't have enough of you, and the other times, I just felt like running away. May be they were your mood swings, as you were growing from a kid to a girl.

You are learning sentiments, and you are becoming an emotional idiot, just like me. Not that I am particularly happy about this trait of yours. This year, the fights between you and me reached an all time high, which is more than the fights between you and your sister. The only time, you listen to me is when I say that I won’t talk to you anymore, and you just can’t stand that. I don’t mean what I am saying darling. I’m just using it as a bait (or blackmail as your father would call it) to make you listen to me. And this doesn’t really work, if you know that this is intentional. You just say ‘paesalaina…po’ and carry on with your work. Now, what am I supposed to do with you? I am growing with you as a mother. Once, during our regular fights, when it was going beyond limits, and I whacked you, (as usual), do you know what you said? “It is only after Swathi came, that you are beating me, so much. Before that you were so affectionate to me.” Until then, I never realized the mistake I have been doing. And I have changed ever since. Not that I have stopped fighting with you, but I have started fighting with your sister as well. And you are happy with that! Now, you are using this dialogue to blackmail me, and your father doesn’t seem to care about that! So, just for the records, we are both even now.

You are a wonderful orator. You like to give the opening speech, or the introduction message for most of your school programs. And coming to your language – you talk English, you walk English, and eat English. You have learnt to understand and respond back in English. We can never realize what you’ll say and when. The other day, in front of the whole house, you said something similar to ‘I know what you did last summer’, leaving me embarrassed. So, this leaves me and your dad with no choice, but to switch to hindi, when we want to talk something, without your understanding. You are becoming a story-maniac. You can’t have enough of the “Snowwhite’ and ‘Beauty & the Beast’. You want to watch the CDs when you are awake, and want to hear those stories, when you go to sleep. You have given up Cindrella, only because, your sister takes the pride of breaking that CD.

You are becoming more of a girl, from the kid, I saw you first. This is evident from the fact, that you love make-ups. You are becoming more beauty-conscious. If I say, that using the kadala maavu will make your skin glow, or applying egg-yoke will make your hair more silky, you are more than happy, to do those. Just hope that you make your dad spend more for your cosmetics, which he refuses to do for me!


You and Swathi! Oh! Where do I begin and how do I end? Whatever has happened to sister affections and girly gossips! Perhaps the word – ‘sibling rivalry’ was coined for you both. Both of you fight as if you were arch rivals, which goes to the extent of making me worry, rather than shout. Inspite of that, if either you or your sister, step out of the house, without the other, you miss her. And you still refuse to exchange her with the tiny-baby girl from the opposite house. (Of whom you are so fond of!)

This year, you have given up the bad habit of stuffing your mouth while sleeping, and have also started drinking milk by the cup. Great! There’s a lot more darling. Looking back makes me realize, how much and how fast you are growing. I want you to stop growing, so that I can cherish you in the same stage, again and again. I want you to grow faster, that I can’t wait to see what you are about to become next.

Anyways, Happy Birthday Darling!!!

Your birthday is a special day, to celebrate the gift of ‘you’ to us.

With loads of love and kisses,
Your mom & dad

Competitions & Competitors

Yesterday night, as usual, I am honking as I am nearing my house. And as usual, my daughters come and open the doors.

On entering, Smruthi thrust my hands with a certificate and a medal. Madam has won the first prize for a TN State-level coloring competition, which was conducted in her school: I-know-not-when. I had no clue that she has even participated in such a competition. (I know, I deserve all the praises for being a working mom.) I feel proud of my daughter, and hug her.

Immediately, out of nowhere, Swathi, grabs all the invitations, telephone bills and whatever she could find in the size of a certificate, and comes running to me, and shows: "Amma, paaru....Miss enakkum prize koduthaaa.....". I laugh at my daughter's act. And Smruthi was mature enough NOT to point out that her sister was wrong.

Do I call this innocence? Smartness? Shrewdness? Jealousy?

Whatever! I am smiling! And I am happy about my kids!

There is only one beautiful child in this world, and every mom has it.
I have two!!!!! :)

These days in kg3 household....

In the current age, there lives a girl called Swathi. Fortunately or unfortunately, she is the youngest in the family. Her main mission in this life is to never let her elder sister be in peace. Smruthi constantly lives in the fear of what item of hers will Swathi attack next!

Every day morning, before she leaves to school, Smruthi cleans her study table, locks her crayons, pencils, boxes, sketches, story books, markers, dusters, eraser, sharpner, what more and what not. And she also does the thing, which she ought not do! She WARNS her sister NOT to touch anything of hers, after she leaves for school. Swathi nods her head, acts like a good girl in front of her sister. She literally waits for her sister to leave the house, wave tata, good-bye to her and comes upstairs to their room, and does exactly the thing which her sister told her not to do. She starts raiding the entire room, finds out all the hidden new pencils, markers and sketchpens. And to make matters worse, she also sharpens all her new pencils, till they are half-over. On seeing these, I panic, at the thought of what will happen when Smruthi sees these. So, I swap the half-sharpened pencils with new ones, clean the room of the sharpened bits and try to restore the same state of the pencils and boxes, (hoping that Smruthi doesn't find any difference) before I leave for office.

Come evening, both of them go into their room, and do something. They play, share their things, and continue with whatever they are doing. I relax thinking that all is well. Suddenly, I hear screams and shouts from their room. I panic, thinking that one of them is hurt and rush towards their room. And BOTH of them are crying. Upon investigation, seems like Swathi had received nice blastings from Smruthi, and so both were crying. Swathi - because, she was beat by her sister, and Smruthi - because her new pencils were gone.

"Ennoda pudhu pencils ellathayum iva sharp pannita"

(She has sharpened ALL my new pencils)

I try to pacify her saying that I had kept new pencils to swap her already sharpened pencils. She opens her boxes and shows me all the sharpened pencils. Seems like the little one has continued her raid and repeated the process, in the afternoon also, before Smruthi came back from school. (Swathi leaves for school after Smruthi and comes home before her!) And there goes another set of new pencils! Swathi becomes so happy, if she has succeeded in irritating her sister, and knows perfectly well, how to do this.

The other day, Smruthi comes home with a gift pack from her school , which had a full stationary set. It was a return gift given by a birthday baby in her class. Swathi tries to pacify her sister, to share them with her. But Smruthi would not budge. So, obviously, she started crying, and here goes the conversation between them:

Smruthi: No way! This was given by Ansh. I will not give you.
Swathi (crying): Wait, wait! I will tell appa, when he comes.
Smruthi (maintaing her cool): So? I will not give even then!
Swathi (still crying): Wait wait, I will tell amma not to get you lolly-pop
Smruthi : I don' t want ( in the same tone as "I-don't-care" in some old advt)
Me: (trying to intervene): Smruthi, why don't you be a good girl and give it to her just this one time?
Swathi (immdly): Amma, nee london-ke poidu ma! Akka solra pechaye ketka maatengara!!!
(Amma, you better go to London itself. Akka is not at all listening to anybody's words)
On hearing these, immediately Smruthi started crying and Swathi stopped hers.

I was totally shocked and looked dumb-founded on hearing these words.

This little git, knows perfectly well, as to what will make her sister cry and what will not!!!

Naan romba busy....

Life in the past few months....has been very busy. So busy, that I didn't even find time to blog about some incidents, which I wanted to. Well, I know some eyebrows will be raised, when I said I was busy. Well, my friend, 'busy' doesn't ONLY mean, that I am busy in office. I have a husband, in-laws and two kids, who are more than enough to keep me busy even when I am in home. And obviously enough, whatever I wanted to blog about was about them, and it was them who was keeping me busy enough not to let me write a blog when I wanted to....

So, here, I am penning down those thoughts, which I wanted to blog about, once upon a time...

In a nutshell.....

- Smruthi gave the opening speech for her sports day in Nehru Stadium, for which, I had to prepare for her speech, more than her. On the D day, she absolutely refused to give the speech, and that is when me and Sri had to bribe her with white boards and markers, to make her speak successfully. And yes, she did talk very nicely. After all, kaakaikum....

- Immediately, the week after that, Swathi's school was celebrating Independence Day, and her madam kept changing her proposed costumes every day. After changing from Radha, to Barbie girl and finally deciding on a Rajasthani costume...she was supposed to appear like a rajasthani girl... The way her maa'm explained to me was "You need to dress her up like how Tabu looks in the "Sandhana thendralai..." song... and somehow, I managed to make her look like that, not exactly, but the best I can.

These school programs are more work for the parents, and if there was one thing, which I was not able to afford to my school-going kids, it is TIME. Very difficult. Inspite of that, I managed to give them my best and I was there with them when they performed. I am proud of myself for that. Hats off to me.

- Coming next, the frequent fights, between me and Sri, and the expected-but-never-came-romances. DOT.

- I finally, FINALLY managed to watch a Harry Potter movie in the theatres. History should not say that a die-hard HP fan, has not seen even a single HP movie in the theater. So, in order to make history, after desperate attempts, watched HP and the Deathly Hallows in PVR cinemas. And the most important point is, I was able to watch without hubby and kids' interruption. But, somehow, the movie did not impress me as much as the book did. I loved the books more!!! Anyways, history has been made.

- I was invited for a birthday party of a kid, by a mom, who was totally unknown to me. On attending her call, I was greeted as "Am I talking to Smruthi's mother?" That was the first time, I was addressed like that, and I liked it. She was the mother of Smruthi's classmate, another S. Seems like she always used to talk about Smruthi and few other girls, whenever she returned from school, and so this mother thought that her daughter would like it, if she invited my daughter for the party. And so, we attended her party, I had no clue of the people there, simply went for the cake-cutting , gifted the child and returned back home. When I asked Smruthi, if she enjoyed the party, weirdly enough, she replied that 'S' was not her friend, just a classmate. So, not a big deal!. This girl knows to differentiate between friends and classmates??? I was dumb-struck, as always!!!!

- Smruthi, of late has been asking me questions like, "When will I get married?", "When will you get me married?", "Who will act as the boy, when I get married?" "Only you have to dress me and comb my hair for my marriage as well" and stuff like that, to which I am totally clueless, as to what to answer and how to handle them. May be its the effect of seeing our marriage CD, during our anniversary week. What is the urgency dear! You don't know what you are asking for!

- Smruthi-Swathi fights are reaching an all time high...and there's no stopping either of them, once they get into the conflict mode. Such incidents always drain me of all the energy, and all I can think of at such times is, "when will these girls, grow up, get married and leave the house, so that I can be in peace?"

- Back to the romantic times between me and him, post the accident incident. DOT.

Signing off for now.....

White-boards and sharing....

Argument between father and daughter, for want of white-boards and markers...

She: Daddy, please get us TWO white-boards, TWO markers and TWO dusters...one for me and one for Swathi..
.
Him: No, I will get ONE white-board, TWO markers and ONE duster, and both of you need to share among yourselves...

She: Please daddy, get us one for each...I will not share with her...

Him: No, ur maa'm has taught you sh-aa-rr-ii-nng....right?

She: Please pa...

Him: See, me and your mom always share our things....we have only bike right, and both of us share among ourselves...whenever we need it...

She: Please....

Him: paaru, naanum un ammavum oru bike-thana vechirukom)

She (instantly): aana, car mattum rendu vechirukeenga la?
(But you both have TWO CARS right???)

Him: uhhhh....mmmmm......uhhhh....

Me: giggling and proud of my daughter!!!! Bad example dude!

Finally, compromising from both sides, we got ONE white-board, TWO MARKERS and TWO dusters, and there is a strong middle line in the white board - one side for smruthi and one side for swathi, and both maintain their boundaries....

Indha kotta thaandi neeyum vara koodadhu...naanum vara maaten!!!!

Baby Quotes

Some of my favourite baby quotes which I came across today... Dedicated to my kids..



A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bank balance smaller, home happier, clothes dirty, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.

Having a baby changes the way you view your in-laws. I love it when they come to visit. They hold the baby and I go out.

A father is someone who carries pictures where his money used to be.

The best thing a Father can do for his baby, is to Love his mother.

You spend the first 2 years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next 16 years telling them to sit down and shut-up.

The only thing worth stealing is a kiss from a sleeping child.

There is only one most beautiful child in the world and every mother has it.

- And I have two.... :)

05:05:2011

Dear Swathi,
You are turning two today. Though I am getting tired of saying the same thing again and again, it still remains the fact that you two are growing really fast. Until you came, your sister was supposed to be the naughty brat, but you have proven her wrong. You are the naughtiest kid; I have ever seen or heard, next to your dad of course. To have your fore-head stitched twice, in a span of three months, is something, which even your dad could not achieve. So, you are the topper in the family, darling.

About this year, where do I begin? The moment you became a year old, you got used to staying away from me. Almost immediately after your previous birthday, you went for a vacation to your grandma’s place, for about 10 days, and you didn’t even remember that you had parents. You were having such a nice time there. And the moment, I came to see you after those 10 days, imagine what you did!!! You ran AWAY from me, to my mom. And the moment your dad came, you immediately ran to him. Dad’s girl you are…huh!This is something, which I will never forget. I shall get you at the right time for this, girl!!!

Even as I am writing this, you are pillow-fighting with your father, and it is your sister, who is defending you from your dad, in the fight. It is such a pleasant scene to watch you sisters being paasa-malargal. How I wish, you two be the same all the time! But, most often than not, you both become rival enemies, literally breaking my head. You keep fighting with your sister, for almost each and every thing she has or does. Only, when you require her assistance, and if your sister is in a good mood, can I witness the paasa-malar scene. You want to do whatever your sister does, be it studying, cycling, playing, dancing, whatever…irrespective of whether you are familiar with the act or not. But the moment, your sister gets hurt, or she starts crying, for no reason of yours, you are the first one to go and wipe her tears. You immediately become upset. You are such a affectionate little sis to have.

Your biggest achievement this year, apart from breaking your head twice, has been your understanding, when I had to stay away from you for one and half months. I could not handle the separation as good as you two girls. I kept on brooding all through the separation time. Honestly speaking, more than the fact that I missed you, I always had the fear that you would forget me, in my absence, given your level of affection to your father. But, thank god, you atleast remembered me, when I came back.

You are the perfect little sport, when it comes to outing. You enjoy the maximum extent, you can, whenever we go for dinners, or any outings. Even when we recently went to Coorg last month, you and your sister were the center of attraction. Am glad to see you enjoy, and that in itself, wants us to take you out always. You easily socialize with everyone. All it takes for anybody to get friendly with you is just a chocolate, and you easily go to them. But still, why you never allow me to take your photo is something, I cannot understand.

I am simply awed to realize that my naughty little kid is going to become a pre-schooler from next month. You are so much excited about going to school, and comfortable with your school ambience, that until now, for you, going to school is like going to a play-park, because that is what you have been doing every time, we go to visit your school. I only hope that you don’t keep pinching and biting all the other kids in your school, like you do to your sister.

You are going through so many phase transitions, all so very gradually, that I am not able to realize when my child is slowly becoming a girl… There is so much to say, that a single blog is not enough, for it go for pages together.

As always, we love you more than we loved you last year, and this will be the same every year…..

Loads of love and kisses,
Your mom & dad.

PS: Your dad would have definitely written more than this, if he had the patience to sit in one place and write a blog, and this applies not only for you, but for your sister as well. So, consider these letters as coming from both your parents. Love you darlings.

Motherhood is...

…crying when watching the doctor stitching the forehead of your one-year old.
…having to hold her head tightly when the doctor is piercing her head.
…feeling the pain when your kid is crying.
…hate the fact of being helpless when your kid is looking at you to help her from the pain.

Swathi has got a big cut on her forehead and the doctor has put four stitches on her head.

“un kannil neer vazhindhaal..en nenjil udhiram kottudhadi….”

I fully realized the meaning of these words today.

All the souls reading this…please pray for her fast recovery.

Its all in her hands…

Last week in kg3 household…..

Swathi: Amma…Amma… (Everyone is ‘Amma’ for her)
Paati: Enna venum??
Swathi: aaaa…..aaaa…. (and tries to show something closed in her hands)
Paati: Enna vechirukka kayila??
Swathi: aaaa….and opens her hands…

And there went running a LIVE COCKROACH from her hands….

Now even a cockroach can’t live in peace in this house… God only knows how she caught a running cockroach.

Ever since, this incident is used by her daddy to threaten smruthi every time she does not listen to us.

“Smruthi…olunga brush pannu…illa…swathi-ya oru karapaan-poochi-ya pudikka solliduven”

Not that, this trick works well, but its worth it just for the look on her face :)