Tantrums and vacations!

As if to mark the graduation from babyhood to toddler hood, my now-not-so-little-one threw his first tantrum yesterday. The cause for the meltdown – being forbidden the pleasure of heaving himself up the stairs at a clinic where we had taken Appu. No way was he going to allow mamma’s able hands to help in accomplishing this feat.

I allowed him the fun for a couple of steps and would put him back on the lowest one. This set him off and he started screaming and hitting me and just squatted stubbornly on the floor! There were almost 20 pairs of eyes staring at me with contempt and judging me as a highly irresponsible mother who allows her one year old to climb the stairs without any support and worse still, not being able to pacify him when he threw a fit. I was so relieved when our token number blinked on the screen that I threw the crying, screaming bundle into mom’s arms and rushed to the doctor’s room with Appu. While with the doctor, I could hear the loud wails and my mom’s unsuccessful attempts at calming him!

Appu’s school has reopened today. She was fresh as a lark in the morning all set to go to school and show off the two new gaps in her mouth where once her teeth had been! The past 77 days, she used to get up at 5.00 in the morning and accompany mom on her morning walks religiously. As a token of appreciation, the grandma gifted a pretty orange colored watch which she proudly wore to school today. She has completed the first level at Brainobrain with flying colours. She has brushed up on the swimming strokes and mastered the breathing technique. She has also made a lot of new friends and developed a lot of social skills which is so good. I don’t know if I am imagining this, but she is now more confident and outgoing than she was at the start of the vacation. A vacation well spent, I should say!!

Hair Today...gone tomorrow!

On this rakshabandhan

From the big sis:

Your tiny fingers reach for my books
and within seconds rip them apart,
You love to throw my toys around
Way too much than your own,
You mercilessly wring out my Barbie’s head
Her Clothes, her hair and what not,
You leave sloppy wet kisses on my face
Just when I am freshly bathed and dressed,
Your sticky gooey fingers stain with different hues
Even the prettiest of my dress,
Little brother, little brother!
Do you know, you are such a bother!

Your face always lights up
Just on hearing my name,
You run around the house searching
When I am not around, I heard
You give me company when I cry
And stop only when I smile at you through my tears,
You admonish with your teeny finger
All those who tell me off,
You climb on me when I am asleep
Only to fall asleep on me,
Little brother little brother!
Though such a bother
I love you so much because you're my little brother!!

From the little brother:

My big sister loves me so so much
But why she always shouts at me?
She takes away her toys
Before I can lay my hands on them?
She never shares her books with me
Even if I wail for them?
She sits in my grandma’s lap
Just when all I wanted was a cuddle from her?
Mama shouts at her all the time
But that does not seem to set her right!

My big sister loves me so so much
She carries me all around the house.
She hugs me, kisses me and cuddles me
Just as if I were her little son.
She rocks me to sleep and sings for me,
She teaches me A,B,C.
She calls me so many names
Sometime I wonder what they mean!
Big sis, Big sis, without  doubt,
You are the best gift I have got!

Can you believe I let him do this?

Money matters

While coaching Appu on the importance of taking care of her things and not wasting stuff, I tried the classic “money does not grow on trees” line. Have’nt we all grown up hearing this line? I vividly remember  conjuring up images of trees with money leaves. And it did drive home the message that money does not come easy (though only for the moment).


But Appu had a totally different view of it. Calmly, with composure that belies her age and put me to shame she quipped “ Amma, I know money does not grow on trees. There is no tree called money tree. There is a plant called money plant but even on this plant money does not grow!”

Sigh...why do they have to get so practical!!  But all I could do was to blurt out laughing and hug her!

Overnight to Singapore

Just another lazy evening at home. An eons old episode of Mr. Bean was being telecast for the 123456789th time on Pogo. Appu is totally drawn into it and beats Bean in enacting his gross/senseless/exaggerated antics.

B was glancing thro’ the newspapers. And humble me was with the laptop, lurking and delurking on blogs when I cam across an article on Singapore. Suggested casually to B that we should consider a trip soon. This got us talking about the places to visit, the best time to visit etc. Appu, mind u, was still engrossed in Mr. Bean’s world.
The question popped by the young madam today:- So, are we going to Singapore today?
Me (puzzled) – Huh, today? Who told u?
Appu – U and Acha were talking about it yesterday.
Me – We were only discussing. Were’nt you watching TV then?
Appu – Oh oh … I already told Ammoomma that we are going today!!

And she pushes off to mom shouting,” Ammoomma…we are not going today…..!!!”

Nothing short of a miracle!

The results are out for the Associateship exams! – My colleague sends me an email




I will check at leisure.... No way I could have passed!



….still….. the curiosity is getting to me..lemme check!



Shucks…the site takes so long to load! Lots of hopeful/less candidates around.



…registration no. Oh ya…I can say that in my sleep even. Ok here I go..Punch,punch, punch, punch, punch, punch, punch.



Na..I am not tensed in the least. I am certain of the outcome! The only hope…that personal request I have put to God Almighty to put in more than his 50% coz I hadn’t done mine!



Whooaa…Pass..Ok scroll up ..have I goofed up the registration no? Name seems like mine…scroll down..is it the result of the previous exams….? No? Whey..whoaa…swoon! Miracle…miracle..miracle! nothing short of it..I passed! I mean..phew…I PASSED!!!!!! Hey guys..I ACTUALLY PASSED THAT LOUSY MARINE INSURANCE PAPER!!!! Cleared the associate ship, finally! Lalalalalalalalalala!  I am dancing! Hey! my feet are not on the ground.. look...I am flying...! 



Wait…..U deserve a huge THANKS lord! U sure seemed to have done more than your fair share!!



Now, two deep breaths..lemme compose myself and make the calls to all…after all, I need to make it sound as if it was a piece of cake without a trace of the above jerks and quirks in my voice and tone!