Friday 5 December 2008

A quick study

Ok I’ve changed my mind………..I want the Better-Half back from his official trip as soon as possible. 2 days alone with my kids & I am climbing the walls. We’ve clashed big time & we are still clashing. The only thing all 3 of us unanimously say a dozen times a day at different points in time is “Just wait till Papa comes back”.
***

I got up this morning & lovingly watched them sleep, never failing to be amazed at how big they’ve grown. It seems like just a year back they were itty-bitty babies in their baby-cot.

Ping!!! The elder one’s eyes open suddenly and catches me watching her. She lazily stretches her arms upwards, smiles lovingly at me & demands “What’s for breakfast????”

Sighhhh…..whatever happened to “Good Morning Mama!!!”

After breakfast I force-march them to their study table. Since they succumbed to a bout of flu they missed 1 week of school & so it was important they catch up with the portions.

“Ok after 1 page of multiplication, you’ll give us 1 hour rest & we’ll watch TV” negotiates Nikita.

Not to be outdone by elder sister the younger one adds “After my 1 page cursive writing “U & V” u must give us the Chocolates you have hidden in the blue tin on the top most shelf of the white cupboard.”

I stare disbelievingly at her “How did you know…..?????”

“We know everything Mama” butts in Nikita impatiently.

I refused to rise to the challenge, instead concentrated on their books & gave them both some work to do.

I slowly edge towards the laptop anticipating atleast 20 minutes of free time to check my messages.

Within 10 minutes Nikita has got terrible neck pain which refuses to go away & Naina insists that her ‘tiny’ fingers cannot take the strain anymore.

I patiently massage Nikita’s neck & back & flex Naina’s fingers to ease the sudden unexpected strain.

After 10 minutes, the pain comes back.

My patience wearing thin, I sardonically ask them how is that the neck ache & finger pain doesn't make their appearance whenever they are playing their war-style games.

Nikita looks at me surprised “Thats because we are busy having fun then”.

Silenced for the moment, I take another track “If you don’t study, when you grow big you will be like Sindhu Aunty(the maid), working in other people’s houses, looking after their children, washing vessels, hanging clothes on the terrace & cooking food”.

Both look at me wide-eyed & silent. Feeling a little guilty, I quickly change the topic & continue teaching them.

I give them some more exercises to do & get back to wondering what my next blog post is going to be about.

After five minutes….

“Mama, if I don’t study well, can I also work like her????”

“Like who????” I ask absently.

“Like Sindhu Aunty. I love to play with small children.”

Alarmed I stare at my elder daughter who is very seriously asking the question & then at her sister hopefully watching me.

Ohmigosh….my progeny were actually considering a future as domestic help.

I carefully weighed my words. One wrong move could destroy my childrens’ future.

“Yes ofcourse you can work like Sindhu Aunty, if you don’t study. You will have to look after small children……change their pampers, wash their bum after they do potty & clean up the floor after they vomit.”

They look at me horror-struck…

And I cruelly drive the point home “Small children do potty atleast 6 times EVERYDAY”.

Just then the doorbell rang & I went to keep away the stuff the home delivery boy had brought.

When I returned from the kitchen, I saw my two little angels studiously scrawling into their notebooks.

***

Nancy grins wickedly!!!!!!!!!!!

And proceeds to write her next post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

44 comments:

  1. You, you evil-ly funny lady. Your daughters are a match for you, and soon enough they will see through your bluff, what will you do then? hehehehehe. Nice post... and yes I AM grinning.

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  2. Goofy Mumma: U shd be feeling sorry for me. They are just 7 & 4 but I already feel like I'm losing my hold on them;-o.

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  3. Awww, your daughters are so adorable!! They are so cute. And smart I might add...

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  4. hee hee hee...i can almost see the evil grin. but that tactic has worked more than once in many household. i've heard my friend tell her 5 year old the same thing :)

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  5. :) nice one!
    u ve got battles galore lined up ahead ;>) but u manage to have the last laugh i guess, atleast for noe. so enjoy while that lasts!!

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  6. Agnes: Oh they are, they are....they manage to surprise me & confuse me now itself;-P

    A: Reverse psychology seems to be the best way to deal with them nowadays;-P

    onlooker: "u ve got battles galore lined up ahead ;>)"
    Oh I havent forgotten how it was between my parents & me...so not expecting anything less;-P.
    But yes enjoying it!!!!!

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  7. Yup, yup, I remember verrry well my mom telling sis & me something similar .... and it worked like a charm ;D

    I think your precocious lil girls have a future in diplomacy ..... they have all the makings of tough negotiators!!!

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  8. Its not that bad fro me yet, but I can understand what you are feeling, and I also know behind all this 'fake' exasperation is a feeling of smugness, that your daughters are turning out so smart.

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  9. cute :) i cant wait tilli write my baby posts .. sigh! lota yrs to go eh!

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  10. heheeheheh! Children are smart these days! I am seeing a "Smartest mom" here!! Happy Holidays Nancy!!

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  11. LOL:) Oh nancy ur posts are so enjoyable:) even i used to tell my kids...if u will not study, u will cut the grass only:)

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  12. How devious of u. But a good way to drive the point home. Kids of today are just too much. Very smart and alert and watching eagerly when they can catch their parents on the wrong foot.

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  13. I remember my grandma used to use that phrase when I was young and didnt eat: "if u dont eat, u wont get a sharp brain, then u wont study and u will have to work at other people's houses"....looking back, i think i was such a sissy ...why didnt i ever have such an answer,...FUN post :) waiting to hear more :P

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  14. sorry, just saw ur comment..well the cards one is actually "Kleyworkz" ie my cousin sister's blog tht i have featured on my blog. She makes these clay dolls and sells in singapore. U'll find the link to that one and my book blog on MEMORIES OF A WANDERING SOUL (http://memoirsofmemory.blogspot.com) under the tabs KLEYWORKZ and BOOKS at the top of the page. :)

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  15. Its me again ..... to say that you've been AWARDED!!!

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  16. shabash to both your daughters :) They will soon out do you :) a cute post as usual...

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  17. Shalom: U knw I keep thinking that Nikita shd be chanelled into MBA Marketing coz if she decides she wants something she does thorough follow-ups & bulldozes us into giving in to her.
    And oh yes she is master negotiator:-(.

    Goofy Mumma: U r beginning to see thru me huh????
    :-D

    sansmerci: Be careful what u wish for:-P.

    Maddy: Children are over smart these days:-(.
    And Happy Hols to u too.

    Renu: Thank U!!!!
    My kids are smart but not interested in their studies at all:-(.
    ....these days kids are getting everything without asking so they cant be bothered to work hard:-P

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  18. I am yet tohear ANY parent who says..my kids are interested in studies:) and still I see more and more youngsters well qualified and amply talented in many more things than the people of our generation cud even think.
    all my sisters say the same thing-my child is not interested in studies only in entertainment:)

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  19. Oww how smart!! My mom never had to ask me to do my homework.. I never did it anyways :D :D

    I remember at the end of the year submission.. all my family would help me out to complete my "work" and later on.. my friends did it for me..

    I have always been doubly lazy!

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  20. yes sometimes one has to be careful about what one talks in front of the children ...glad u managed to keep of the enemy at bay .heheheheh [:)]

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  21. hahahahha....cud not stop smiling..ahhahah...luvly kids :)

    **The only thing all 3 of us unanimously say a dozen times a day at different points in time is “Just wait till Papa comes back”.**

    hahaahaahh...too good post!

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  22. haa.. i am making notes nancy :)
    the daughters are smart, but darn! mommy is super smart! so having a nice time at home eh?

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  23. Bins: Oh yes they are quick to take advantage of any weakness we display. Only reverse psychology seems to work with them:-o.

    Smriti: Hehe...grandma's always took a lot of effort to scare us;-P.
    So ur cousin's page is also called Smiriti???? Coz I went to a site which had Smriti as the name.

    Shalom: Thank U:-D!!!!!!! Will put it up soon.

    Deeplydip: Oh there's no doubt abt it;-P. And Thank U!!!!!!!

    Renu: Yes I knw but my kids are plain lazy....I'm being patient for now but one of these days they are going to get it from me;-P

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  24. Winnie: I'm going to make sure my kids never get to read ur comment;-P.

    Stalag Sukhoi: Oh yes, we have to be. Long time no see:-). Busy????

    Prakhar: Thank U:-))!!!!!!!!!!

    Ish: Yeah u better. We need all the help we can get;-o.
    'Nice time' is one way to putting it;-P.

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  25. You are really great at narrating these little incidents as an interesting episode that keeps one smiling. You can relate with each one of those acts. You write very well.

    Your daughters can also match your wits, no doubt about that. May God bless them.

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  26. heheh i'll remeber to tell that to my lill ones aftger they ariive...pheww..now that gives me a sinking feeling...cleaning bum, potty..wahhhh...i dont think i am upto all that.....

    heheh and ya like b4 i am not able to bloghop much...have taken on a second job too.... :P i am not a sub-editer with an english daily too...so after 2 jobs in front of the comp for more that 12hrs, i am just exausted...

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  27. I'm laughing so hard at your very 'evil' clever answer to the girls- one thing I'll give you credit for is that you are a quick thinker.

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  28. LOL LOL--Oh my God Nancy--Same thing is repeated here!! Of course, for my son, the domestic help is replaced by Waiter or Driver or Gardener :)
    I could soooooooo relate..
    But my son turns around and tells me "Who cares--I'll open a shack on Goa beach, hire a few guys, sell omlettes and enjoy." :) What can I say to that!!
    Wait till your daughters are a little older!
    :)
    Cheers
    Preeti

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  29. i can see that evil grin on your face...love reading the posts revolving your girls...waiting for my son to grow up :)

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  30. Fabulous kid-management :D
    And fast thinking too!

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  31. JP Joshi: Thank Sir.....U r very kind:-D.
    Oh yes....may God bless them but may he please let a few more years go by before they match their wits against mine;-o.

    Enigma: Hehe...I was the same but knuckled down whent the time came & so will u.
    2 Jobs huh???....gosh isnt it too much....u tek care.

    Anjuli: I have no other choice.....I let down my guard & together they overwhelm me;-(.

    Ps: I like ur son's shack idea. He is talking about being his own boss.

    scribbler: Thank U!!!!!
    Dont wish too hard....coz once u get there u'll be wishing he was tiny again:-D.

    Meira: They are also called Desperate Measures:-D

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  32. Lolol! That was hilarious!! I think i was about the same age or maybe a little older when i told my mom that I don't want to study anymore and will be a housewife like her when i grow up!!! :)

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  33. Nancy grins wickedly!!!!!!!!!!!

    And proceeds to write her next post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    BUT where where where is Nancy?

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  34. Sunshine: LOL...u know what, after reading what u wrote I remembered saying the same thing to my mum;-o.

    How are u? Not to be seen nowadays:-)).

    A: We had 3 days of Eid Holidays...so everybody was at home, guests, then going out....so time to blog:-D.
    Thank U for asking:-D

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  35. A: So NO time to blog I meant:-P.

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  36. hey! im good...had a major exam last sunday so was off blogging for a while...now im back! :)

    im soo touched someone actually notices if im around!! :D

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  37. kids are a constant source of wonder.
    don't they - and us when we were kids - have the best time in life?

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  38. Nancy, I love your blog, and here is where I show it.

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  39. Sunshine: Ofcourse I noticed...I was planning to ask the ? at ur page but u came here before I reached there;-P

    lan: Oh yes, most of the time I live in that state of mind. I relate their antics to the things I got upto & suddenly it makes sense:-))

    Goofy Mumma: Thank U!!!!! I'm honoured.

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  40. And again!!! One more award (though you already got this one before), but so what? Appreciation's always great isn't it??? :D

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  41. I have used that tactic too...it works well, for some time! Nancy, such a funny post, would love to meet your 2 sweet daughters...and you too.

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  42. yes long time ,have been tied up with too many things ...

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  43. Shalom: Thank U!!!!!!!!! U can give them again & again. I never get tired of receiving awards:-D.

    Sindhu: Thank U!!!!!!!!! Yes I knw, every tactic loses its sting after a while & we have to search for a new one:-(.

    Sukhoi: It is a pity u stopped blogging. Get back soon...:-))

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  44. Nice post Nancy. This happens in my house as well. Any fight between myself and my mummy would end with a call to my dad, both of us would start fighting over the phone to complain of each other.
    It so happens that every child gets to know where their mom's hide things hehe. Every time my mom hides something, we would somehow manage to find them. Its always nice to do that.

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