Happy Karvachauth

We were greeted this morning by our daughter with this artwork on our kitchen wall!!

Artist: Saumya
Description as given by the artist: Moon is visible from our dining room window. Daddy is standing with a platter of puas (we eat them at moon rise to break our fast).  Mama is smiling, looking pretty in a Saree and Saumya is all ready seated to have dinner. Happy Karvachauth!

Want To Help?

Our 5 year old was carrying a big heavy puzzle box to put away and the box broke while scattering all the pieces on the floor.
Saumya: Oh Oh!
Me: What happened?
Saumya: It all fell down.
I jumped down on the floor and started putting the pieces back in the box. To which she said
"If you want to help me, just leave the pieces on the floor. I know how to put them in the box"
And I tip toed back to where I was.
Ahem.

The Storyteller

Every night, Saumya, our 5 year old tries to find ways to keep awake for just few more minutes. That is the time when she would ask questions that would need long answers. She knows her parents love to satisfy her curiosity, so it works pretty well in her favor. I only end up realizing her tactic in the middle of my answers :-)

After the story time tonight, she offered to tell me a story but "with no book, mama, it will be my own story", the parent in me wanted to say no to maintain discipline while the curious  parent in me was so eager to listen. Obviously the curiosity won over discipline like every other night!! 

So here goes a story made by her in "own" words.

The Cow and The Crow

Once there was a crow and a cow.

The crow was sitting on a tree branch and was saying "Cow Cow!! Cow Cow!!"

So the cow got up from the grass and walked over to the tree where this crow was sitting and asked , "Yes, what is it? Why did you call me?"

Crow was surprised and said , " Well I didn't call you!!"

Cow looked upset and said , "You were just yelling Cow Cow, weren't you?"

Crow said with a smile, "That's the way I talk you silly!!"

And the crow laughed and while saying cow cow he flew away from the tree branch and the cow just stood there wondering.

The End.

Answer This!!

Mother and daughter as in Myself and Saumya, were sharing a delicate bonding moment together with her head on my shoulders while I was gently rubbing my hand on her back, swaying from side to side and just when I was about to close to my eyes, get absorbed in that beautiful moment, the little girl picked her head up from my shoulder, looked me in the eye and asked :

                                           "Mama, how come you decided that you are not going to make any more babies?"

  

Wordless Wednesday

 Saumya Goes Shopping!!

Life's Like That

Dear Saumya,

Summer vacation is just about to begin, to be exact its only two more days of school. You must be so happy!! No alarm clocks putting an instant stop on your dreams, no hurry up calls from me in the mornings. Yay! Just lazy summer days of doing whatever you want! Yoohoo!! Yeah, Not so fast honey. With me hovering around you for 24 hours a day, don't expect too much of lazying around. It's not my vacation, I still have all the jobs that I do everyday and then in addition there will be your sweet self to entertain. So just when you think of taking out those water paints and spread yourself on the family room floor, you will hear me calling you for a bath. Just when you think we can go out for a walk, you will see me chopping and stirring in the kitchen. Right when you take that board game out, you will see me lugging that laundry basket down the stairs. And just when you get bored of me bossing you around and decide to lay low and lie down on your bed, I will request you to take out your most complicated puzzle. Make it. I will be like this, for the first few weeks I guess. Many a times I will not answer your questions not because I won't know the answers but to tell you the truth I become very bitter when I am under your radar all the time. Its like you are doing that Police song on me

Every breath you take and every move you make 

Every bond you break 

Every step you take, I'll be watching you 

Every single day and every word you say 

Every game you play 

Every night you stay, I'll be watching you 

You not only watch but also ask the "why" of every move and step I take. 

Why did you cu that strawberry like that? Why did you wash those rice two times, why did you put the ketchup bottle here, why did you stir that pot so fast, why why why!!

And when I am bitter, I like to keep my mouth shut. Sorry sweetheart, people must be  looking forward to their kid's vacation and they must be making such merry making plans of the things they are going to do together. All I am hoping to do, at least in the first few weeks, is to preserve our sanity, your and mine, both! We love each other like no one can but we are so not used to spend every waking moment together and expecting us to smooth sail through this, without hitting any bumps, would be asking for just too much. Totally unrealistic !! Right? Right.

                                    My summer vacations, yes I had those too (!!!) , used to start in my Mausi's home. That's right!!  When I would come back home on the last day of school, I would find Promila Mausi waiting for me with my clothes already packed to go. Mother would call from her office and tell me that I can go with her. And without seeing my mom, I would give my hand to Mausi and hop on the DTC bus, thinking about all the fun I would have at mausi's home, with my cousins. We would go back and forth from mausi's home back to our's, all the while the cousins helping finish each other's holiday's homework, making charts, painting posters, writing essays, collecting pictures for scrapbooks, building models. None of our parents knew what homework we got but they did know that whatever it is, the kids will make sure it's done.

     But sweetheart, here its just you and me. No mausi, mama or bua can come to pick you up. We are so far away from them that no matter how much they yearn for you, none of your cousins can be with us during your vacations. We will not have anyone with whom you can partner in the mischiefs, no sisters to play hopscotch with, no peers to giggle with. I am sorry honey,  Its just me you got. Your dad, as usual, will brighten our evenings, his arrival from work will give both of us a breather. He will salvage us from the weariness we impound each other with. God bless his soul for putting up with us!!

                                I know we will be doing lots of fun stuff together too but who are we kidding, right? Having fun with your mother will always pale in comparison to what you little girls manage to have. Oh well!  In times like these, I am  just left to ask myself this question, where's our family and why are we so far away from them.

               But since life's like that for us, we got to make the most of what we got. And you got me!! So  I wish you a fun filled happy summer vacation, yes we will try!

Lot's of love

Mamma

On The Podium Now: Our Guest Blogger

The author of this blog is currently suffering from writer's (as if !!) block, We have been fortunate that Miss Saumya has graciously offered to fill in. Yay!!

            First things first : Miss Saumya wants the readers to know and keep this in mind that she is 5 years old and not "old" like her Mom, so please be extra kind. Also, Saumya will be dictating and mom will be typing. Ahem!

                          I will be telling you about my day. You do want to know about it, right? Alright here we go :-)

                             Beep Beep Beep: Beep Beep Beep: There goes my castle alarm clock and I quickly jump out of the bed to turn it off, otherwise mama comes rushing to my bedroom to see why I am not waking up!! Sometimes it becomes hard to turn it off because I am holding pinku in my other hand. Oh, I didn't tell you about Pinku yet! Its my sleeping buddy since I was 18 months old, Mama told me that.  Do you know what color it is?  It is Pink, you silly!!! That's why its name is Pinku!! Hehehehehe!

                            So after I turn my castle alarm clock off, you know its a pretty clock and is not very loud, I like it, it helps me wake up without anyone's help, so after I turn it off, I put Pinku on the chair. It stays in that chair all day and I only hold it again at bedtime. Sometimes I make it wear my baby clothes and then it looks just like me when I was a baby. Only I didn't have a bear face! That would be funny because I am a girl!! Hehehehehe. And after putting Pinku in the chair I run to Mama and Daddy's bedroom and then Mama hugs me and gives me lots of kisses and we say Good Morning to each other. And then I surprise daddy with a pucchi (Kiss) while his eyes are closed! It is so much fun :-) and he always asks for more, more and more. But Mama tells me that I am getting late. So I go to the bathroom and do "hehehehehehe" (added by mama: the author is not sure if you want to know about her bathroom routine, i guess we will skip. yes, You are welcome) I brush my teeth and wash myself. Bathroom is so much fun, I look out the window at the birds, the trees and our lawn and our neighbor's house but then Mama comes and says I need to hurry up, Jaldi Karo, Jaldi Karo!!! So I quickly go to my bedroom and wear my school clothes that Mama and me took out the night before, right after the story time. I get ready and then I choose which socks to wear. When its hot I wear short socks and when its warm I wear medium socks and when its cold I wear socks that go all the way up, up up!! And then I do my hair. My hair is so short now its no fun but it does make me get ready quickly. Then I go downstairs and sit on a chair and drink milk. Sometimes I drink it so quick that I ask Mama "why didn't you give me any milk and why did you give me a dirty glass?" I love asking this but when I am slow, Mama tells me I can't ask this question.  Sometimes I eat a fruit after the milk and sometimes I say I am already too full. Then I wash my face. I am super quick on many days and then after drinking milk I get time to read a book. I read and read and read while mama packs my lunch. One day I want to pack my own lunch and I will be a chef when I grow up and that is why I keep "observing" mama when she is doing it. She told me that I can learn to do things if I observe. So I observe. But sometimes Mama gets upset when I ask her a lot of questions about my lunch.

                              Then I wear my shoes, mama puts on sunscreen on me and I put on my sunglasses because I have to protect my eyes from the harmful rays of the sun and then I go sit in the car and buckle my car seat. Then Mama drives me to school. One day I will be old enough to drive myself to school and then Mama will sit in the back. It will be so much fun!! Mama is a good driver, she drives safely and that is why I observe her while driving so I can be a safe driver. Then we reach school and Mama drops me at the classroom door and says bye. I shake hands with Ms.C and put my lunch bag away and take off my outdoor shoes and wear my indoor shoes. Then we have circle when Ms .C tells us news of the day. Then I do writing but sometimes it just takes me so long that I cannot do anything else. I think I need to switch my coloring, which I do super fast with my writing which is very slow. Then it will be good. And then I chose work like fruit cutting, chair washing, sewing buttons, addition stamp game, math beads, math chains, metal insets, I made a huge metal inset quilt with my friend R. It was really huge and took us many days to finish. I also work on the easel, do maps, sort animals in their continents, sort animals in water bodies. There is a lot of work in my classroom and I can chose to do what I want. We go out also and that is the best time at school!! When I don't know who to play with I just run around in circles, it is super fun. 

                              Then Mama comes to pick me up. On the way I tell her about my day but sometimes I want to be quiet. Once home, mama gives me a bath and I get to see all the sand running down my body, as if my head is a sand box....hehehe!!

                 Then I eat fruits and my favorite in summers is watermelon. It is so water.......hey maybe that's why they call it water melon. Hehehehe!!  Then Mama and me play games. Bingo, Zingo, Scrabble, Blokus, Set.............. I love them all and I do not get sad when I lose. I say "Grashulations" to mama for winning and she hugs me tight and when I win, mama is also happy. Then I read, read and read. I like reading encyclopedia, about earth, about planets, about  my body.  One day I will go to space with mama. I will be an Astronaut. After this I water the plants indoors and also outdoors but only when the weather is good and I can be outside. Then its dinner time. I eat food and mama drinks her tea. After this we sometimes go out, we look for lady bugs and we walk to the lake to see the Geese and ducks, sometimes I see otters also in the water! Then Its time for me to brush and floss my teeth and then its story time when Mama or daddy read to me! Sometimes I let them chose the book also. Then Mama checks next day's weather and we take out clothes for school. We give lots of hugs and kisses and say good night, subah milengey (meet you in the morning).

Hehehehe....

The Peeler And The Healer

So you become a parent, you read a lot of books, try to set up an example for the children and see them showing good values and feel proud. Like many parents, I do spend a lot of time correcting my behavior by reading books , interacting with other parents, observing teachers, watching movies, listening to radio.....really, whatever I am doing my mind keeps getting subconscious feedback about my parenting skills. Looking at how others are solving their problems, dealing with a difficult person while keeping their demeanor, how people are displaying their virtue of patience at work place or in the parking lot.....all of it goes in  that section of my mind where a five year old parent sits to learn. Yes I do consider myself to be a 5 year old parent because that's how long ago I became one. I am learning on the job. And there are days that ring a bell and tell me that many a times I am a perfect candidate that should be fired from this job. Few months back I shared with you all about my daughter Saumya's thoughtful gift to me. I considered that peeler as one of my prized possessions, something I earned from a 5 year old for being a good mother, a sensitive friend who could pass on the values of care and expression of love to this little girl. I felt victorious and big. I was not planning to use that peeler because I wanted it to be with me forever but after a lot of nudging from everyone around and Saumya herself that it would mean so much more to her if she sees me using it, I kept it in my kitchen and believe me peeling a potato was never such fun, people at home caught me with a smile plastered on my face while peeling. Love is really something, it even turns a mundane task of  peeling into this fascinating work that calls to you!! And then one day, while I heard my calling,  I opened the drawer and there was no peeler to be seen!!! It was gone, vanished!! I looked high and low everywhere in the kitchen, emptied every nook and corner hoping to find it playfully hiding and ready to surprise me with a big scream of laughter just like Saumya. I even emptied the trash can, yes I rummaged through our kitchen trash and turned the whole kitchen upside down but it was nowhere to be found. Looking at the mess I brought upon and cleaning through it I realized that there wasn't any surprise waiting for me but oh how I wished for a miracle that day. Like a 5 year old, I was scared. I pondered that if Saumya is learning by observing us, she is going to be heartbroken as well as furious when she finds out.

       Like a 5 year old who treads on a path full of mines everyday where at every action or word of hers, either a parent or a teacher is going to jump out like a Genie from a cup to point out the mistakes she made, things she could have done differently, I was perturbed and muddled at the complexity of the situation. Like a 5 year old I didn't know if I should be sad about my loss or be scared of the condemnation I will have to face. I could just simply let it go and hope for Saumya to forget about it but thankfully prudence prevailed and I gathered courage and decided to face the music. 

           We were in the kitchen, making small talk about our day and even with a strong conviction in me I could not muster up enough mettle to just speak out about the lost peeler. So I took another route, I took out potatoes and a regular knife and started peeling knowing that the observant Saumya will notice and ask. And she did! No matter how guilty or scared I was, I again felt victorious at being able to predict my daughter's action and reactions.

             "Mamma, why aren't you using a peeler for those potatoes?"

"Uhummm, I can't seem to find the peeler anywhere"

"You mean you can't find the peeler I gifted you?"

"mmm....hmmm...uuunnn"

"You mean the peeler I gave on your birthday in India?"

"I looked for it everywhere but .....its ....nowhere...."

"Mamma that is so weird"

"Saumya, I am really sorry that I lost it, it was a special gift from you, I didn't take care of it the way I should have"

Seeing her mother in distress , Saumya brought out the most altruistic , benevolent smile on her charming face and held my face in her soft tender hands and said "Mamma, that's OK, we can lose things sometimes"

And then , with an astute poise she hugged me. I was mesmerized and my vision became cloudy with gratitude. Upon seeing tears rolling down my cheeks she said "Mamma you are being silly, smile now, we can always get another peeler" 

I was so ashamed at all the instances I had been so hard on her in the past;  why did you forget to, why can't you take care, why can't you learn......always expecting her to have an explanation for her actions. What could I offer her if she dealt with the situation the same way and asked me "why did you lose it, why can't you take care of things that are important to you, why can't you learn".

Thank you Saumya for letting this 5 year old parent learn yet again that if I keep my mind open, learning can come from anywhere and everywhere and thank you for being one such source.

Happy Mother's Day.

Five year old humor

 "Saumya, make sure that cough syrup doesn't spill on bed or your blanket will be sticky and ants could come too."

"Then there will be no more coughing ants in our house , only the healthy ones" !!!!!!

********************************

It was a beautiful day, so a boy opened the door to enjoy the nice weather but the door said "Apne maze ke liye mujhey kyon phaad rahe ho" ((why are you tearing me apart for your own fun)  and then she rolled in a loud shriek of laughter

*************************

Makkhan baitha plate mein, makkhan baitha plate mein,

Mazedaar yeh lagta hai,

Lekin jab khaney chalo, darr se pighal  hi jata hai

Loose English translation:

(butter sitting in the plate,

yummy it is in taste,

but when I move on to eat,

it just melts away with  fear)

image courtesy: google

Have you filled a bucket today?

Last night we were in the middle of rituals, yes we are very ritualistic when it comes to bedtime. Brushing teeth, flossing teeth and reading a bedtime story and then showering each other with kisses and hugs before we embark our journey to dreamlands. Every single night, no matter how tired I am or how tired is Saumya or how late we are, we have to do this, have.to.do.this. Sometimes daddy gets to join in too and those are delightful days for him. So about last night, after all the rituals, I turned off light in the room and was about to say goodnight and a little soft voice chirped "Mama, can you please lie down for few minutes with me" Both of us, in bed, looking at each other and smiling, just simply being quiet and smiling and the little voice said

"Mama you are filling my bucket so much that its spilling all over"

Her teacher read a book to the class "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" It tells that everyone has an invisible bucket and when we treat others nicely we fill their bucket and we fill our own. When we are mean to others we empty other's buckets along with ours. This resonates with the golden rule "Treat others as you would want them to treat you" If I empty your bucket, mine gets empty too or rather if I fill yours, mine gets filled up too. And how do I do it? With my deeds and positive actions. It also stimulates the thought process that in order to be happy, we need to think of others. When we are considerate of others, when we treat everyone around us nicely, we get the same in return. 

So how did I fill your bucket Saumya? 

"By driving me home, by making food for me, by giving me a bath, by ironing my clothes and with all the kisses! "

"By expressing this, you are filling my bucket Saumya!"

I am so using it next time we are in a store...honey buy me that handbag, it will fill my bucket and yours too!! Don't you worry about that empty wallet, just look at that bucket sweetheart!! Muaahhhhaaaaa *evil laughter* 

Just kidding!!

I came out of her room beaming. My bucket was full. 

We can ladle positive thoughts into other's buckets by reaching out to someone without them asking, by complimenting them, spreading love. One of my dear friends filled my bucket today, and hers, by surprising me with boxes full of laboriously made food, when she came to know I was sick. And seeing this bucket filling action of hers, Saumya said "Mama, now we need to make some of her favorite foods and deliver to her house so we also get a chance to fill her bucket. And ours too!!" 

And whenever anyone of us misbehaves, yes mommies misbehave too many  at times, we say "you are emptying your bucket and mine too!!"

Handbags or no handbags, we acknowledge the bucket filling as well.

Have you filled a bucket today?

Tired Of Doing Those Chores?

After Saumya comes home from, our usual routine revolves around talking about her day, my day and then she chooses some work to do while I make dinner. Few days back I did Saumya's laundry but didn't get a chance to take the basket to her room. Upon seeing the basket spilling clothes and her favorite teddy, she said, "Mamma, you washed everything today, Thank you" She does this every time I wash her clothes and her gesture does make me think that I have never thanked my mom for washing my clothes. Yes I was a brat like that but one day, this recognition from my 5 year old, made me call mom the very next day to say thanks for everything she has done for me. Better late than never! It did feel good but mum really couldn’t understand the fuss. Back to the laundry though, she requested me to put her clothes on her bed so she can sort them.  I never thanked my mom for her laundry services and I make my five-year-old put away her own laundry. How mean? If only my mom made me participate in chores like this, I would have also realized back then how much work all this is and would have also learnt to thank her along with many other people who made sure I get things when I need them!!  Oh wait, this certainly doesn't sound the way I mean it to, now I come across as if I am saying I am a better mother than my own mom. Yikes! 

Instead of wandering aimlessly let's go back to our laundry, yet again. Saumya took a long time sorting her clothes, making separate piles for socks, tights, leggings, shirts, dresses, undergarments, night suits, pants...I just went back to the kitchen hoping she finishes by dinner time. Once dinner was ready, I called her to come downstairs so we could eat and what I hear back is this "Mamma, I will take more time because I am organizing my drawers"

"Which drawers?"

"I am organizing my sock drawer, undergarments drawer, and legging drawer. It becomes very hard to find things"

Ahem. Gulp. Ahem. I frantically started organizing stuff in the kitchen drawers, you can call it parental pressure, err, a habit that runs in the family.  And a thought just kept on hitting me "As a parent I am supposed to set a good example for my child and here I am learning from my daughter's example" Was I embarrassed? Not one bit! In fact, I was a happy mom in those moments, taking pride in the environment we provide her at home, in perfect marriage to what she gets at her Montessori school, that is helping her develop a sense of order, a sense of responsibility and an appreciation for the effort that people around us put in everyday mundane chores. 

Saumya came downstairs with a big sigh of relief, a face shining with satisfaction and beaming with self proud. Getting ready for school is a tad easier when we are not going berserk looking for a pair of socks that match. And because she organized it, she makes every effort to keep it that way.  I checked off another thing from "everyday to do" list, I do not make Saumya's bed. Yeah, life is sweet by not doing stuff. No really, I strongly believe in "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime" , what it means is we can only help someone so far and self reliance is the key to survival. Being able to go through one's day independently boosts a person's confidence and shows him enormous possibilities of things he can achieve. Each parent gets to hear this in early childhood years "Don't do it for me, teach me do it myself" And we don't cater to this desire of self dependence, we get brats like me who do not care to thank their mom for doing their laundry. First few days Saumya didn't care and just went back to the "unmade" bed. My signals seemed to go nowhere but one day, while she was at school I prettied up the bed in our room, changed the sheets and the bedspread with the fancy ones to make a statement, to make it look different than usual, to get it noticed. Upon return, she immediately noticed and commented, "Your bed looks pretty, how do you do it so nicely?" "Yes, I am good at it because I have been practicing it every morning" She went straight to her room and few minutes later, she comes back jumping with joy "I have a surprise for you, close your eyes and hold my hand and walk to my room" Tadaaaaaaaaa! The unmade bed got made, comforter neatly tucked in from all the sides. The trick worked! Every morning before heading downstairs for breakfast, she makes her bed. 

 Doing her laundry is a pleasure now. Are you saying “yeah right!!” ? But really, all I  do is bring the clothes to the laundry room and Saumya put them in the washer, I put the detergent and then she puts them in the dryer and then I bring them back to her bed which I didn't even make and still be a proud mother *evil laughter* muaahhahahaha!!

Now only if I can take care of my own sock drawer, life would be perfect.


image courtesy : google images

Sharply Thoughtful

I know I know, I said blogging will be sporadic and it turned out to be non existent. Well that's what India vacation is all about, it is not supposed to have days with schedules and routines!! But we are back and so is blogging. My birthday came during our vacation in India and it was a day full of fun and cheers and the night ended with the whole family singing Happy Birthday tunes. There were many highlights of the day but the one that went straight to the heart and etched itself there, was from one and only, Saumya. She was at my brother's place, enjoying with her cousins, till a day before my birthday. I picked her up on my birthday eve so we  are together on birthday morning. She was a bit reluctant to come with me, well its always hard to part when you are having too much fun, or so I thought. On the birthday morning I got a handmade card from her, which she secretly made, I don't know when.

I kept on going ga- ga over this fact that how my 5 year old made a card for me, without me ever knowing about it. Nothing could top it off for the day!
And then around 6 pm, I got a call from my brother and he wanted to speak with Saumya.So I give her the phone but she isn't talking. I ask her why and she says "Mamma can you please go away to another room so I can take this call"
I almost fell off the chair!! But I politely obliged thinking she is just trying to be like me. But this phone calls goes on for whole 10 minutes, well what are these guys talking about and this chatterbox who, for the love of god, cannot talk softly on phone, is almost whispering. So any call, at around 8 pm, my mom and brothers and their families come over to celebrate with us. And instead of greeting me, they find Saumya and after hush hush tones and awkward movements, my 5 year old comes to me with a twinkle in her eyes, the prettiest little smile on her face and a little gift pack in her hands and says "Happy Birthday Mamma, this is for you, from me" I was still trying to take it all in and she said "Open it, open it now!" And so I open it and I find a "vegetable peeling knife" and I am trying to find a reason for that choice, the little voice chirps "Mamma, remember you and me went to TJ Maxx and there was a pretty peeling knife and I asked you to please buy it, though you said it doesn't look safe, I still requested you to buy it because it was so pretty and you did. Do you remember mamma?"
"Unhun, I do remember but......
"Yes, but when you used it, you cut your finger, it injured you and you had to throw it. So that is why I wanted to give you a peeling knife that is safe for you. Happy Birthday Mamma"
Deeply immersed in emotions, my heart almost sank with the thought that this tiny little person  held herself responsible for that little scrape on my finger because she asked me to buy that peeler.
This little soul, requested my brother to buy a peeler when he goes out shopping, so she can gift it to me. I think I need to check the year she was born , yet one more time.
Until today, I have not started using it, I just want to keep it forever and ever. It's the sharpest gift I ever got :-)

My Shishya : My Guru

This post has been selected by Blogadda as Tangy Tuesday Pick!
My Little girl, the soon to be five year old, is like spicy Indian street food whose spiciness brings tears to your eyes but you don't want to stop eating. Her conversations never end!! In her quest to read more and more, it seems she has forgotten to learn the importance of "period, the full stop". Talking too much has also made her very expressive, she can verbalize every little thought and experience. Running to me in the school foyer, tightly hugging, the little voice said "You are best mamma,everyone wants a mamma like you". Awwww that's so sweet. But what did I do to hear that? Exactly nothing! She was cheering her mamma up because she knows mamma is not in the best of her spirits these days. When do kids learn this? How do they know compliments would perk up everyone. So an otherwise tired and gloomy mother, got a cheer on her face and they both ran to the car, giggling like two mischievous friends who know all the secrets of the world. In past few days I have come to realize that she is not only my little daughter but my friend and my security blanket as well. Her presence keeps me going in good as well as bad times, she has made me realize that there is no "full stop" in life, there are only pauses, no matter how bad or good things are, life must go on.

Diwali.....

Our Diwali was a simple affair celebrated at home with mithai and candles everywhere. Saumya and me did the rangoli. Hope all of you had a lovely time with family and friends.
While relaxing in my lap, after getting tired of eating all the sweets and running around in excitement of lighting up every nook and corner of the house, Saumya had a worrying expression. "Mamma do big people lose teeth?" This was her 4Th or 5Th question since morning revolving around teeth, my mom instinct sprung up and I asked "Saumya, do you have a lose tooth?" The little cute face nodded yes and tears rolled down those Rosy cheeks. While giving me the tightest hug ever, in her little crying voice she said "When this falls out, I will have a hole in the mouth for months. I read about it" But when I told her that this loose tooth means she is growing up and her mouth is getting ready for a grown up tooth now, it became a time for jubilation!
She went to bed happy and anxiously waiting for the time when the little baby pearl with fall out. And I went to bed crying buckets of tears. My baby is growing up so fast. Every little milestone brings two sided emotions. Its gratifying to see her growing up but its scares me, it makes me realize how fast we are getting there when I will be waving her bye with a heavy heart and teary eyes. The day when there will be silence everywhere in the house, no questions will be asked, no tears to wipe, when no one will forget to turn off the lights, when no one will need 100 kisses at night, when no one will need to listen to bed time story. Its only a loose tooth but this one loose tooth told me that we are making memories today, we are an active part of them today but very soon we will only be left with memoirs.

Chit Chat

Saumya is back in school and that means she doesn't get enough one on one time with me. For the past few weeks I have been waiting to get here, so I can be alone for few hours and do anything without being answerable to miss smarty pants. It also sounded like a fairytale that would never happen. The day she joined school back, I didn't know what to do at all ! I was excited to be doing something that I loaded myself with much more than I could handle! And while doing my own things, well if you really must know those things were laundry, grocery shopping, re-arranging the kitchen cabinets and cleaning till the last crumb was picked up, yes that is my glamorous life, coming back to the point, so while being busy in my world I kept on missing this little girl who was with me like my shadow at home. I liked the peace and quiet but I missed a cute little face asking me in sweet little voice "what are you doing? why are you putting so much detergent? why did you put that towel in the washer? Why are you smiling? Who were you talking to on the phone? Why? Why are you reading? Why do you want to relax? Why, why , why , why!!!???" You know that feeling when you are doing something and really want to be done and can't wait to be out of it so you can relax but the moment you are finished, all you do is, in your mind, go over all the little details of the thing you just got over with and realize how much you were enjoying that but if I ask you to do it all over again, you would run away? That's where Saumya has left me by going back to school. She was my reading companion, my shopping buddy ( with a critical eye I must say), my kitchen helper, my cheerleader and above a lovely daughter and fabulous person to be with. we shared such good laughs and many times we were simply there around each other. To see her grow up is a joy and I am glad I got to see so much of it over summer. We both made a special bond this summer and I hope we become good friends for life.

Here are some chit chats she did in past few days

1.

Saumya: When is daddy coming home?

Me: I called him but he didn't take the call. It seems he is driving.

Saumya: Did he forget his blue tooth again? We bought him one so he takes our calls!!

Me: Oh, see I didn't even remember he has blue tooth.

Saumya: Well I do! I gifted him on father's day so he can take my calls while driving. !!!!

2.

Me: (she has an extra art class after school today) Saumya, you will be gone for so long today, I am going to miss you.

Saumya: Mamma, I love you a lot too but even if we love we should not keep children home, I am going to learn something and I will be back.

Me: !!!!!! (spellbound)

Saumya: Come here, I will give you a hug.

Me: Thank you Saumya, I am just saying I will miss you, its not that I am sad. It is lovely that you go to school and get to learn so much.

Saumya: Yes, one should not keep anyone away from learning, no matter how much they miss them.

!!!!

"It might feel like eternity but they grow up fast" is not a joke I guess!

image courtesy : google.

I Think Therefore I Am

Saumya, Our chirpy little 4 year old is thinking, thinking a lot these days. And what do you have when you think a lot? Questions, a lot of questions.

Why are we born?
I don't understand why do we come in this world. What have we come here to do?
Mamma, remember the time I had my dance recital? I got all dressed up, went up on stage, did my performance and then came back home. Remember that??
Sometimes I feel the world is like that. We get ready in mamma's belly to come in the world, we are born, we become something, we grow old and then we die to go back to God.
Isn't it like my show mamma?

But I still wonder why was the world made, it might as well be nothing.
Also, how was it decided that people will live in houses and animals will live in jungles?

image courtesy:http://www.awarenessdates.com
http://www.rohanbusinesssolutions.com/

Story Time

Thanks to all the reading we do to our 4 year old, she is now becoming a story teller. She can whip a story in seconds. Where ever we are what ever we are doing, one of us just needs to say "Saumya, tell us a story, will ya?" You would barely finish your sentence and the story is already starting. Yesterday afternoon, both of us were on bed and I requested her to tell me a story. She was facing the bedroom entrance and a night lamp was near her. And here it goes.....

"There lived a lamp and a door. So they thought of having some fun. They thought and thought and after a lot of thinking they decided to have a Treat Party!!

"What is a treat party?"

Mama, its a party where we don't eat any healthy food, only treats.

So the door said alright I will get the table and the lamp said I will get pretty dishes and cups and bowls for the treat party. And then they brought candy, chocolate donuts and ice creme. Mama, do you want them to bring anything else to the party?

And my Indian tongue started rolling "Oh yeah pakoda, samosa, chaat, gol gappas......."

"Ok, mamma, we can bring anything as long as its unhealthy" !!!

So with the party and all its work, it took a long time to set up and there came night time. So the lamp said "I am getting switched off, its night now, time to sleep"
And the door said "Yeah, I am also getting closed"

THE END.

Know your sources

A year back Saumya spent all her TV time watching Maisy and friends. It's a fun and peaceful show where with a man's voice narrating maisy's moves and thankfully no mysteries to solve or adventures to undertake. Simple and mundane things that child does all day. But then she grew out of it. So yesterday, she took out a Maisy board where you put magnetic stickers to create various themes and started asking me if I remember this part and that part of Maisy show as if I am a part of some trivia game show. We started thinking of all the names of Maisy's friends,Charlie the Crocodile, Eddie the Elephant, Tallulah the chicken but we just couldn't get around the Squirrel's name. I said "wow I just can't seem to remember this little friend's name, I don't know sweety"
And the 4 year old brain got an idea! "Mamma if you don't know the Squirrel's name, open your laptop and ask Google. I am sure you will get an answer"!!!!

Very soon she will be telling me all about all the things I said I don't know, not because i didn't know the answer but just because I wanted to get out of the cartoons world and do something else! And you thought Google has made parenting easier!

Mastering Techniques

Today was a wonderful family day. All three of us spent the entire day outside, me cleaning the cars, husband working in the yard and Saumya darling running around mindlessly while trying to get either one's attention.
Daddy see, I am digging the grass. Oh my, please don't dig the lawn Saumya!
Mamma see I can throw the rocks far away. Honey, throwing rocks can hurt someone.
Little girl was losing the typical childish frivolous animation about herself and was quickly becoming grumpy.
So daddy dear thought of using this 4 year old's time for a purpose and giving her a sense of worth. Hey Saumya, do you see all those weeds in that mulched area. We worked so hard but weeds are ruining everything.
Yes Daddy, its not looking pretty!
So sweety, can you pull out these weeds?
Of course I can!
And she haphazardly starting working in her usual playful manner.
So daddy thought of giving a lesson to the little girl in weeding.
Saumya, I will tell you a technique which will help you take these weeds out the easy way. Blah blah blah blah........went on for few minutes.
So you got it now?
Yes but Daddy another easy way to pull the weeds out which will take the weeds out really fast is that you do it with me!!

Rapid Fire Round

Recent questions by our 4.5 yr old girl

1. Who is exactly God?
2. What happens to us when we are dead and why can't any one see us then?
3. Why do birds have to fly around for food and why do my story books show them working in the kitchens like us?
4. Why only some teachers are good?
5. What is that thing in water that puts the fire away?
6. Why do we need summer vacation? (!!)