Between Sandhya and Divya, the latter is known for her stubbornness in our household. If she had something in her mind and she is not seeing that happening she is a real pain in the B***. She throws tantrums, screams and cry non stop at least minimum for an hour. The problem is once she is upset she wouldn't want to change her mood even when she is offered what she was expecting or would not accept any deviation or substitute from what she was looking for in other words she is totally inflexible. So the usual reaction from us is to ignore her for that hour until she is tired of crying. With that pre text I chanced to experience an interesting episode with her character past weekend.
I usually keep some extra candys in one of top shelf of the kitchen cabinets believing that they won't be able to reach it even if they use a chair. Divya successfully had broken my belief. In the excitement that she was able to grab some candy she had hurriedly popped one in her mouth and ran outside to the backyard. On her way she had dropped one on the rug. Outside she did not expect to see Sandhya , and Sandhya seeing her chew something had asked her what she was eating, Divya as shrewd as she is said she was eating nothing. Suspicious Sandhya ran to me saying Divya is eating something yellow in color and that she is not sharing with her. The immediate panic for me was to search for any missing tablets and such and confirming that nothing like that were lying around I encountered Divya.
Me: Divya, what are you eating/
Divya: Nothing
Me; I see something in your mouth, tell me what you had , I want to know that its not something dangerous
Divya: No, amma , its not dangerous
Me: oh..so what did you have?
Divya: I don't know
Me: You don't know what you ate? then I think we have to the hospital to check it out.C'mon lets go..
Divya: No, Its not poisonous we don't have to go
At this point I saw the dropped candy on the floor and I guessed what had happened. She did not wanted Sandhya or me to know that.
Me: (continuing the conversation)so what shape was it?
Divya: I don't know
Me: did you atleast know what color it was?
Divya: I don't know
Me: Ok. was is tasting sweet?
Divya: No it was tasteless
Me: @#$%^!!!!
I frankly did not know how to pry out the answer from her mouth and make her accept that she indeed ate a candy. I wanted to make her feel that it was ok to have and that she should let me know so that I can watch out that she accidentally did not consume something else thinking it was a candy.
Since I did not know how to proceed. I said that I know what she had eaten and that since she was not honest she has to sit on a time out. She to much of my surprise turned to the wall and sat down without a whine or a word or a sulk. She sat there until I called her get up which was close to 30 mts because usually timeouts in our house are not that strict, they fuss and probably sit for a minute or two and then run away so I forgot about the timeout I gave Divya and when I entered the room after 30 mts she was there still sitting facing the wall. I attributed that purely to her guilt :) I then did all the pampering and advised her to be careful in what she eats and be honest with amma and appa which will only help her. At the end she cried a bit and nodded that she would listen to me. Just before letting her go..I asked her one last time..."Divya, you did eat the yellow candy that I had from valentines day left over right, tell me I won't bother you again?" She stared at me for a moment evaluating and then nodded a big NO and ran out...
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Updates
Its been a while since I wrote any post. Sure there's a lot going on with the school year ending. Sandhya and Diva will be officially out K and entering first grade in a few weeks. I was busy with finding summer classes with suitable timings for them. Glad that their care taker is willing to shuttle them to and fro from the classes.
A few weeks back their school put up a performance of "The three Little Piggy Opera".The CDs congaing the songs were sent home well ahead like a month before the performance so that the children can practice through the spring break until the performance date. Of course we had 2 Cds one from each of Sandhya and Divya's class. I had one in the car and one at home. Soon before I realized I had all the songs memorized. I was singing 'em while cooking..working..you name it. Sandhya and Diva were catching up too with their favorite song being "I wanna big fat pig to eat..". They had a lottery in their class for the all the roles and the kids who were not offered any role supposed to be the chorus. It so happened that Sandhya was to be a brick peddler and Divya a mother pig.
I took the day off as the performance timing were different for both of them planning to be present for both of them ( oh yeah ..of course I was looking for reasons to take off from work). I dropped them at school and the plan was that I will be hanging around their class helping the teacher until the performance and then M would join me with camera and stuff at the hall. So far so good..10 mts before Divya's performance M called me to say that he was stuck at work and won't be able to make it and asked to get the camera from his car parked at his office. Now his office is close by but I had doubts if I can make it, that is go pick up the camera and come back within 10 mts. I calculated that it will take sometime for them to set things up on the stage and that it wouldn't start exactly at the said time what with excited 5 year olds lining up I thought. I took a risk and I badly lost it. By the time I reached the hall Divya was already done with her song. What shall I say except to curse myself for running out to pick up the camera, if not recorded atleast I could've watched her sing.
I have the consolation that I was able to take some pictures of her in the costume. She without failing asked me "Amma how did I do?" and I without any hesitation said "It was wonderful Divya". She continued to say that she did well because she could not see me in the audience so she did not feel shy !!!!..
I had ample time before Sandhya's class performance so I took a front prominent seat set myself ready with the camera. I thought of recording the whole thing instead of just Sandhya's part. The moment when Sandhya went to stage for the brick peddler scene the camera shut down as the memory was full. Since we did not have time to charge our video camera I was using the photo camera, the idea was to replace it with extra memory card which I conveniently left it in the car..duh!! I cannot say how stupid I felt at that moment sitting there, but yeah at least I enjoyed watching her who after all those practice stood there until her partner, another girl, started off with wrong lines. It was supposed to be Bricks I sell, Bricks I sell...instead the girl started off like I sell Brick, I sell bricks..Sandhya realizing the error instead of correcting it turned around to look at her partner held her arms tightly and was pulling her arms down. Thankfully her teacher prompted with the right lines and then they completed singing the lines with a big smile and laughter from the audience..
ahh.. well of course its just the beginning I have another 12 years of school performance/concerts may be to attend, I will make it up with the next one.
A few weeks back their school put up a performance of "The three Little Piggy Opera".The CDs congaing the songs were sent home well ahead like a month before the performance so that the children can practice through the spring break until the performance date. Of course we had 2 Cds one from each of Sandhya and Divya's class. I had one in the car and one at home. Soon before I realized I had all the songs memorized. I was singing 'em while cooking..working..you name it. Sandhya and Diva were catching up too with their favorite song being "I wanna big fat pig to eat..". They had a lottery in their class for the all the roles and the kids who were not offered any role supposed to be the chorus. It so happened that Sandhya was to be a brick peddler and Divya a mother pig.
I took the day off as the performance timing were different for both of them planning to be present for both of them ( oh yeah ..of course I was looking for reasons to take off from work). I dropped them at school and the plan was that I will be hanging around their class helping the teacher until the performance and then M would join me with camera and stuff at the hall. So far so good..10 mts before Divya's performance M called me to say that he was stuck at work and won't be able to make it and asked to get the camera from his car parked at his office. Now his office is close by but I had doubts if I can make it, that is go pick up the camera and come back within 10 mts. I calculated that it will take sometime for them to set things up on the stage and that it wouldn't start exactly at the said time what with excited 5 year olds lining up I thought. I took a risk and I badly lost it. By the time I reached the hall Divya was already done with her song. What shall I say except to curse myself for running out to pick up the camera, if not recorded atleast I could've watched her sing.
I have the consolation that I was able to take some pictures of her in the costume. She without failing asked me "Amma how did I do?" and I without any hesitation said "It was wonderful Divya". She continued to say that she did well because she could not see me in the audience so she did not feel shy !!!!..
I had ample time before Sandhya's class performance so I took a front prominent seat set myself ready with the camera. I thought of recording the whole thing instead of just Sandhya's part. The moment when Sandhya went to stage for the brick peddler scene the camera shut down as the memory was full. Since we did not have time to charge our video camera I was using the photo camera, the idea was to replace it with extra memory card which I conveniently left it in the car..duh!! I cannot say how stupid I felt at that moment sitting there, but yeah at least I enjoyed watching her who after all those practice stood there until her partner, another girl, started off with wrong lines. It was supposed to be Bricks I sell, Bricks I sell...instead the girl started off like I sell Brick, I sell bricks..Sandhya realizing the error instead of correcting it turned around to look at her partner held her arms tightly and was pulling her arms down. Thankfully her teacher prompted with the right lines and then they completed singing the lines with a big smile and laughter from the audience..
ahh.. well of course its just the beginning I have another 12 years of school performance/concerts may be to attend, I will make it up with the next one.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Earth
DisneyNature's Earth is a breathtaking feast to the eyes. Although it was rated as G scenes where a wolf attacking a baby caribou or a Great white shark leaping 32 feet in the air to grab and hold its seal meal did not sit well with Sandhya and Divya.
The story line involves different animal families with new born. The struggle they go through to protect the babies. Astonished to see how this maternal instinct to protect the babies is so deep rooted in any living thing. Movie also takes us through different regions of earth right from Tundra to the African desert to the Himalayas which at least I would not have viewed in my life if not for movies like these and the documentaries on TV.
The ariel view of the migration of caribou herds and buffalo herds were simply awesome not to leave the bird migration. There were also totally fun moments to watch where a bird species in the middle of the rain forest being soo...much obsessed with scrubbing and cleaning its living space to attract its mate. One thing to make sure is that this is watched in a good theater with good sound systems, it just lifts you to that level where you feel that you are sitting right on the spot where it was shot. I've heard that birds migrate thousands of miles for breeding, it was until now a piece of information to me but to watch some ducks crossing the Himalayas midst of the storm towards the warmer climate of Indian subcontinent gave that piece of information a new meaning.
Yes, as the narrator discloses it is a circle of life, every living thing has a predator to complete the circle but to watch a polar bear dying , being lost and due to lack of food was heart breaking because the ice is melting faster every year it loses its stable hunting ground..and why does the ice melt faster..Global warming. watching the movie you will certainly feel it is still so much worth to save this planet especially other species we share this planet with. Its loathsome that there are still people who says Global warming is not caused by humans and firmly believes that it is a phase that nature is going through out of nobody's fault. Yes, I have heard these exact words. Leave alone the point if they are doing their part to reduce it but they even resist to accept the fact. I wonder ..
The story line involves different animal families with new born. The struggle they go through to protect the babies. Astonished to see how this maternal instinct to protect the babies is so deep rooted in any living thing. Movie also takes us through different regions of earth right from Tundra to the African desert to the Himalayas which at least I would not have viewed in my life if not for movies like these and the documentaries on TV.
The ariel view of the migration of caribou herds and buffalo herds were simply awesome not to leave the bird migration. There were also totally fun moments to watch where a bird species in the middle of the rain forest being soo...much obsessed with scrubbing and cleaning its living space to attract its mate. One thing to make sure is that this is watched in a good theater with good sound systems, it just lifts you to that level where you feel that you are sitting right on the spot where it was shot. I've heard that birds migrate thousands of miles for breeding, it was until now a piece of information to me but to watch some ducks crossing the Himalayas midst of the storm towards the warmer climate of Indian subcontinent gave that piece of information a new meaning.
Yes, as the narrator discloses it is a circle of life, every living thing has a predator to complete the circle but to watch a polar bear dying , being lost and due to lack of food was heart breaking because the ice is melting faster every year it loses its stable hunting ground..and why does the ice melt faster..Global warming. watching the movie you will certainly feel it is still so much worth to save this planet especially other species we share this planet with. Its loathsome that there are still people who says Global warming is not caused by humans and firmly believes that it is a phase that nature is going through out of nobody's fault. Yes, I have heard these exact words. Leave alone the point if they are doing their part to reduce it but they even resist to accept the fact. I wonder ..
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Summer
I love the weather currently..its hot but it will not continue for the rest of the week. Its going to get back to normal spring time temperatures which according to me is cold. Having bright sunny warm days really perks up my mood and spirit. I enjoy doing my workouts or yoga which on any cold day is a laborious task which I force myself to do. Its been 3 years since I made workouts and yoga a regular in my daily routine. I did not have any kind of exercise other than feeding and taking care of sandhya and Divya after they were born and even earlier to that I did not have a regular schedule for it. I gained a lot of weight when I was pregnant and luckily I lost most of it . Probably that since I was in my 20s my metabolism was good I was not slim, neither was I overweight. Around the time I hit 30 my "doctor" sister was enlightened about working out and she did a very good job of shedding a lot of extra pounds that she had gained over the years after 2 children. So she with all her excitement started nagging me to start on one side and M who had been a regular all the time on the other side. He even got me the membership for the gym he goes. and so I with much frowning started..would go for a day and then forget about it for a month, such was my interest in doing it blaming lack of time, my work, my commute, it looked impossible for me to continue. Then it happened, my dad had a heart attack and underwent a by-pass surgery as his arteries were 95% blocked and on top of this he was diabetic. I had the sad opportunity to watch his struggle post surgery, it was hard for all us around him. At that moment I realized at least for the loved ones around us one should never go through these kind of illness. We cannot control everything but I learned that diabetes, being genetic, we can make a change. It was only after that incident I regularly started going to the gym partly out of fear. Yes , I agree that I cannot totally avoid if its in my gene, I'm just putting up a fight and I agree at first I dreaded the days I had to go to the gym but gradually I started liking it. It sure makes a change in your mood and energy. And now after almost 3 years I love it even more as I reap the benefits out of it in regards to the looks and weight. I just wanted to inspire who ever happens to read this..
Monday, April 20, 2009
Tooth fairy visit
I don't know if I can call it a milestone but Sandhya lost her tooth couple of days back. The new tooth started growing even before the baby tooth started wiggling and fell out. Seeing a new one already growing I said probably I should take her to the dentist and pull the old one out. By the next day evening one of the tooth was already out and other one was wiggling badly attached only barely, I was really shocked. The previous day it was not even wiggling :( she had had her hands on it whole day wiggling it constantly. She was carrying around her fallen tooth in a small Ziploc to put it under her pillow for the tooth fairy to pick it up. I offered her the idea of burying it in mud in the backyard remembering what I did when I was young she just dismissed it and proclaimed that she is in fact going to put it under her pillow. Of course the idea of getting money from the tooth fairy obviously was more attractive to her. So the whole evening she was carrying her Ziploc as if it was her pride and asset and Divya following her eyeing longingly on Sandhya's fallen tooth and asking her to show the bare spot in the mouth often. That night she remembered , with added countless reminders from Divya, put it under her pillow and I played the to tooth fairy and replaced the tooth with a dollar bill.
After getting the tooth I didn't know what to do with it as I did not have the heart to throw it in the trash. Call me crazy, but I was staring at that tiny baby tooth on my hand for few minutes..felt a swirl in my stomach..my baby is growing up..this is indeed one of her next milestone physically. I then buried it in the mud next day to just satisfy my fancy :).
So the new tooth with lack of space is growing way back inside than where it should be. hmmm... I can see myself making endless trips to the dentist ..getting ready to write a big check...
P.S. Divya later that night threw a tantrum as she wanted her tooth to fall too she couldn't digest the fact that Sandhya is first to get a visit from Tooth fairy..."all is never fair between siblings"..
After getting the tooth I didn't know what to do with it as I did not have the heart to throw it in the trash. Call me crazy, but I was staring at that tiny baby tooth on my hand for few minutes..felt a swirl in my stomach..my baby is growing up..this is indeed one of her next milestone physically. I then buried it in the mud next day to just satisfy my fancy :).
So the new tooth with lack of space is growing way back inside than where it should be. hmmm... I can see myself making endless trips to the dentist ..getting ready to write a big check...
P.S. Divya later that night threw a tantrum as she wanted her tooth to fall too she couldn't digest the fact that Sandhya is first to get a visit from Tooth fairy..."all is never fair between siblings"..
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
What's in a name...
..Yeah thats what I thought until Divya asked me if she can change her name when she is grown up. Though I should say that we (Me and M) did not spend a lot of time choosing their names and its very common nothing new or creative, but we thought it was short and sweet rhyming with Sandhya, which again was chosen at a spur of a moment..lot of things crossed my mind when she asked the question and I asked if she was bullied or mocked at school for her name (though I strongly believed should not be the case)..of all the answers I could or anyone could think off she said "Its a kids name, I'm a small girl now, I cannot have the same name when I'm grown up too.."..err..I direly wanted to know how they come up with these kind of thoughts...*fists down*... Kids I say ...
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Mission accomplished
5.45 am. It is already 15 mts past from when the alarm went off. I watch the clock next to my bed and a voice in my head starts off..urging me to get up, its getting late but my body does not want to cooperate, I close my eyes to catch few more mts of sleep ...again I open my eyes to see 5 mts gone by just like that, 5.50 am, the voice in my head explodes, so I drag myself out of the bed. Once in the shower I remember I had to sign off the kid's home work and I was running through other lists of things that needs to be done today, personal errands and work and then I heard a knock on the bathroom door and heard Divya call me..It must be only 6 am now, its too early for her ...may be she wanted to use the toilet, I think,..may be she is desperate.."go..run to the other bathroom" I scream from inside the shower.."No I want to tell you something"..now I hear her shouting with her mouth stuck to the door hinge..I was confused now, I stop the shower and crack open the door a bit and peek out to see two little heads standing there rubbing there eyes..Whats the matter? why are you both up so early I ask.."Happy B'day ma.." "Happy b'day to you.." saying this they ran back to their beds...sweet...but of course they did not remember it on their own, they are not aware of the date of the month yet. After 9 years of nagging and whining I'm happy to say that Mani remembered it for the first time before me letting him know...
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