Excerpts from 2012

All summers, Chinipie had written her stories and added some nice drawings to enhance her story. Once during our bedtime story reading, she had asked me, " mom what's an author? wt's an illustrator?"

On being told the meaning and the difference, she had said, "so i do that.. does that mean i am one of those?"

 After getting an affirmative response, the very next day when her lil sis was trying to get her attention while she was trying to write something, she had said, "sugar plz don't disturb me.. I am authoring a book and then I have to illustrate it too.. I do not have time to play with u today." Sugar, obviously, didnt understand a bit. All she knew was that her big sis was shooing her away and that was enough to enrage her. Mommy, on the other hand, just wondered on her child's radiant personality!

Soon after, there was an introductory picnic for the incoming kindergarteners, where the teachers were shaking hands with each child and introducing herself. Something like. "Hi. I am Ms.W and I am the assistant teacher." Following the similar lines, To my utter amazement, very confidently, Chinipie had introduced herself as,  "Hi. I am Chinipie. I m an author and an illustrator."

******

After her dropping the guitar from the second floor, Mommy was trying to explain to Chinipie why this was wrong, and, at the same time, the concept of gravity(wonder why?) when she gave an excuse that the whole guitar-falling-episode was unintentional and she was just experimenting trying to sway and hang it from the lobby but the guitar fell too fast before she could catch it. Patiently, I tried to reason with her, asking has she wondered why doesn't she stay up in the air when she jumps. 

Immediately, she quips... Coz i am not a fairy!!!

******
This one was very soon after my car accident.

Are you not going to exercise downstairs? 
No
You are not even going to run on the treadmill? 
No
You Are not even going to do any yoga?

No honey. Not today.

Why?

Coz remember mommy had A car accident. Mommy's still hurting from that. 

So what? you can still exercise.

No beta, mommy feels tht she might start hurting even more if she exercises today. She doesn't want to take chances.

For a while, it looked like she has taken it well, when she said, "why should I care? Anyways, you will become fat!"

A few months later, mommy had started going to the Y for the aquatherapy or pilate classes, which seemingly benefitted her. Those being summertime, the kids were very much at home, so they used to go to babysitting facility within the premises. They had made a few friends there and had actually started looking forward to it. Once or twice, Mommy would have to skip it owing to other commitments. "Mommy, we are not going to the Y today?"

 "No beta. We have to go some place for lunch. So we will have to skip the Y or else we will be late."

"Anyways, you will not learn anything new today, I guess" 

Now, this was a relief. Coz mommy had mentally braced herself to hear those dreaded words from her. About learning new, I know comes from the fact that I used to ask both my girls what did they do at babysitting while I was away. In turn, they used to ask me what I did and I used to show them a new move or pose each time. As I used to show them only one fitness move at a time, probably, she thought that I learnt something new each day.

******

 

Adios 2012

And welcome 2013...this post, albeit delayed by 23 days.. U still are being looked forward to with lots of hopes, promises and resolutions. U are the year, when we all will grow stronger as a family working together to achieve our goals, spreading joy as we go along. U are the year, when we are trying to manage our anger bouts with love and calm. U are the year, when we are trying to resolve our conflicts by talking them out rather than pouts. U are the year, when we are learning to take initiative rather than waiting for someone to offer(e.g. playdates). U are the year, when we are working towards speaking upfront rather than talking around in circles. U are the year, when we started with lots of gratitude, most importantly, having each other, together, as a family. U are the year, when we are making positive attempts to say the magic words of 'sorry' and 'please' and 'thank-you' to each other, for we realise that respecting each other feelings and emotions is very much important (After all it's so eay for taking each other for granted, and hurt in the process). Most importantly, U are the year, when we are giving each other loads of hugs and kisses to each other, coz they are, for sure, the most encouraging, loving, and caring gifts we can give to each other! With these and many such positivities, 2013, we are certain, you are going to be awesome!


2012- for most part, you have been great too! You were the year, when we, finally, learned to say NO, instead of giving in or being a pushover (a major achievement for mom herself as now she can set an example of assertiveness and stance to her kids). You were the year when we learnt to stop showing our vulnerability (as a family) to others. You were the year when we struggled and later, succeeded to become independent in many ways. You were the year, when we experimented with lots of new sports and haven't lost hopes, even though many a times, they didn't turn out as we had expected. You were the year, when we successfully cut our screen time to a bare minimum and realized that there's so much else we can do, otherwise. You were the year when we learnt to treasure each other and cherish every little thing we do for each other, as a family. Yes 2012, despite all odds, you were good. And this is how, we had bid farewell to you..


As all the new year eve parties go, we, along with a few friends, had waited for the clock to strike midnight. Looking at the screen, doing the final countdwn, watching the times square ball-drop, cheering and wishing each other a very happy new year, when sugarbun decided, enough is enough, happy or not, new or not, year or whatever, I am out! And there, she plopped on their couch! Her tired z's could be heard distinctly amongst all the chaos. Leaving the company of her friends, chinipie came over, looked at sugarbun with a huge question mark on her face and then looked at the wall clock.
What? It's past twelve o'clock already? Way past my bedtime? Now, I will never get my complete rest and full night sleep! UHAAAANNN!!! I hate new year eve parties!!!

Sweet Sugary Sugarbun!

In summers, me and Sugarbun used to go for a walk after dropping Chinipie for her swim lessons. We, usually turned those walks into fun nature hunts. on one such walk, we had spotted a dotty ladybug, an incy-wincy spider, a stripy bee, a baby bird, a rolly-polly bug and a wiggly worm. Each time, Sugarbun wud say , " Can I name her lizzie?" 

On her asking this agin for the sixth time, Unlike each time, instead of saying "sure",  I asked her, " how will u know which lizzie is which? U hv named all of them the same? Won't you get confused?" 

Without even blinking her eye, sugar said, "that's a rolly poll lizzie and that's a worm lizzie. They r not even the same! silly mumma!!"

*******

You might remember the hatching-egg incident. Similar to that, Other morning, watching me flip over an omellete, sugarbun had observed, "are you making an egg-roti for breakfast today?" 

Another time, Watching me clean the toilet bowl, "Why are you making the water blue?" (The cleaning liquid being blue n color)

*******

There was a certain phase, when Sugarbun had ended up with multiple time-outs each day; many days in a row. Now, for time-outs, I use a bench kept near our front door, which is otherwise used to sit down and tie-up the shoes. That particular morning, as the dad was tying his shoes, sitting on that very bench, he started texting/e-mailing on his blackberry. 

Oblivious of the fact, seeing him sitting there quietly, a wide-eyed Sugarbun came to me in the kitchen, "Why did you give Papa a time-out? What wrong did HE do?"

*******

Clearly forgetting, that my lovely Sugar is not a sweet little baby anymore, strapped and dozing  in her stroller, I recently went with her to a lingerie store. 

Waving a thong at me, she said, "this is baby's size.(she calls herself a baby.) let's find size 3T for me!" 

Overcoming the shock, I told her that we are not looking anything for her but for momma. Excited, she said, "I will help you!" Now, both my girls, love picking out dresses/shoes/outfits for me to try, which they think would look good on me. Sugarbun, usually picks only blue (her favorite color). So I thought it wouldn't harm but actually would keep her busy. 

But just after sometime, shaking her head, and pulling me by my hand, she said, " let's go to a different store and get you some PROPER clothes!"

How do you grow?

Another one from October:

For school, Chinipie had picked out a dress for herself, which she had outgrown. I avoid removing such dresses from her closet, cause sugar will grow into them and my past experience has been that if I take those dresses away, I completely forget about them until sugar has outgrown them too. And they are, usually in a good condition to be worn as a hand-me-down. Now, on this particular day, Chinipie had picked one of her favorites from late spring/early summer. When I told her that the dress is too little for her, she obviously didn't agree and wanted to wear it. Knowing her very well, I asked her to try it on and see for herself, if she would be comfortable in it. (I use this strategy quite often. good way for them to experiment n learn). After struggling to get into it, she gave up and rather sadly, remarked, "I used to wear it when I had turned 5. I am still 5 and that dress doesn't fit me Anymore." 

"Coz, beta, you are growing."

"Why?"

"Coz we grow each day." 

Why?

"Coz that's how it is.  Every day either we grow or our hair or our nails..."

Picking on it, she started adding, "even our hands, our feet, our fingers."

"Yep. You got it. Now let's get ready for school.  Mommy picked out a dress for you that still fits you."

"Why? Why does is still fit me? I am not tall enough not to fit in that dress yet?"

Yes.

"One day, I will grow up and even this dress will be small for me?"

"Yes."

Getting all teary-eyed, she says, " But I do not want to grow. When I grow, I will have to go away from you. I will not get anymore huggies and kissies from you. I do not want to miss them!"

"Awww my baby. You do not have to grow up that soon. There's a long time to that. Besides, I will always give you hugs n kisses. You will never outgrow them, for sure! "

Seemingly pacified, she started getting dressed, when she again asked, " momma, do all of us grow each day?"

"Yes beta."

"Even the grown ups?"

"Even papa."

"Even you"

"Yes beta."

" So you grow tall like me each day too?"

"No beta. I don't"

"But the other day, I heard you telling papa that one dress didn't fit you anymore.. That it was too little for you..."

Momma, scratching her head, trying to remember, when she wud have assumed herself growing so tall that her dress wudn't fit.....

"Oh! I know. When you are a grown-up, you don't grow tall anymore. Isn't it?"

"Yes beta."

Decidedly, she adds, "you don't grow tall anymore. You grow fat."

??!!!!??

Of ancient and alien momma

This happened, sometime in October too,  when Chinipie had just started skipping rope successfully and was rather proud of this milestone of hers.

How old were you when you started skipping rope?

I don't remember, honey. (Why did I say that? I could hv said anything. She had no way of cross-checking, after all)

Why? Why don't you remember?

B'coz it was a long time ago.

How long?

Many years ago.

You mean many many years ago?

Yes

It was such a long time ago that you don't remember now?

Yes

It's a very very very very very old story now?

Yes

It's an ancient story?

Huh?

That means you are ancient?

Hain???

Ancient like dinosaurs?

What??

Runs off upstairs to her dad, "Papa, did you know mumma is ancient?"

Dad looks up from his laptop, "Really?"

Ya. She told me that.

????!!!!!?????

Also, in October, once I had avacado face mask on when sugarbun had entered the kitchen.
 "Why is your face green? Are you an alien ?"
Runs off to her older sister, " didi ! look we have an alien momma! She came from the other planet in her rocket ship."

And ever since I have been an ancient alien momma.