The games we play....

One Thursday evening….

[It's start of weekend for residents in the Middle East incase you are wondering...]

“Let’s go to the mall” suggestion was met with cries of “It’s boring, we don’t want to go”.

“But why???” 

“We are always going to malls, it’s soo boring.”

Huh since when….they had the maximum fun out there; there were toy stores to be explored, bookshops to be visited, gaming zones to run amok in, freebies to be collected while the parents were usually found hurrying behind trying to keep up.

I would have been happy to hear this any other time but that day I wanted to go out.

I sat them down and stressed how lucky they were to have parents who didn’t need to be coerced into taking them out.

They looked at me unimpressed.

I told them about my childhood where I was taken out just twice a year.

That got some response.

“You are joking……only twice a year???” Nikita flabbergasted.

“Yes, on Christmas day and Easter……

……to visit relatives.” I added for a punch.

Both looked horrified.

Nikita pretended not to be affected and was like “Your time was different Mama so don’t compare then and now”

Point.

“How different” I challenged not willing to let it go so easily. “I was also a kid like you and would have loved to go to a mall[never mind there were no malls then] but my strict, authoritarian father decided we’ll visit relatives and so we went visiting.” I said woefully, mentally apologizing to my father for the way I was portraying him.

Two shocked faces stared pityingly at me and my deprived childhood.

Kids nowadays are funny I tell u….I so clearly remember jumping up and down for joy when my parents planned trips to visit relatives.

“I always obeyed my parents and did everything they told me to” I said grandly.

Nikita didn’t want to hear anymore….I think I over-acted a bit and the lost the bit of ground I had gained till then.

“We don’t feel like going to the mall, we want to stay home. Didn’t u say we’ll rest this weekend, so we want to rest” the siblings on the same page for once.

Rats.

For a change the better-half & I wanted to go out and these two were playing party-poopers.

“I know exactly why you want to stay home” I said sternly. “You want to play on the tab right….right”

Two guilty faces confirmed my doubts. Well I didn’t blame them. If my father had downloaded 2 new games on the tablet for me that evening I too probably wouldn’t have wanted to go out anywhere. Too bad their mother was not so understanding.

“Alright we’ll stay home but both of you will not touch the tablet….

….or any other gadget in the house for the rest of the day.” I said closing all loopholes.

Two dismayed faces stared back.

Naina opened her mouth to protest but Nikita stopped her and said “Alright we won’t touch the gadgets, but we can read books right”

How could I refuse to let them read books without coming across as petty?

So they settled down comfortably to read.

I think Nikita realised that we wanted to go out more than them and was in her “two can play at this game” mode.

The better-half and I sat facing eachother, wondering what to do. I wanted to go out and by hook or by crook we were going to. What the heck…..I had already scrubbed and cleaned and closed the kitchen for the day thinking we were eating outside. No way was I going back in there to make dinner.

“In all other houses children are asking but their parents are too busy to take them out. Here we are telling we’ll take u out but you want to stay home to play some silly game.” I said in irritation.

[Silence]

You two are so lucky…..even before you say it you have parents who get you what u want. Go on, just look around you, you have everything, instead of counting your blessings and staying happy…..”

“But we do thank God for everything and we are happy…..we just want to stay home and not go anywhere out today.” Nikita says reasonably.

Deuce.

Silence reigned in the house for a few minutes.

The better-half started drumming on the dining table to hide his impatience.

I was hopping mad now.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

“Alright, we won’t go out if that’s what you want. You are right, it’s not good to go out all the time. I’ll make something ‘nice’ to eat and we can all laze around at home”

I discussed the dinner menu with the better-half.

“What do you think I should make for dinner???? I’ve got Rice, Rasam & stir-fry in the fridge or should I make Kanji*???”

The better-half’s fingers faltered for a few seconds and then resumed drumming when he realized my game plan.

The children who were merrily swinging on the recliner till then froze in shock.

“I think Kanji is better because it’s healthy and also it will take me just ½ an hour to make it.” 

The better-half drummed a tune on the table approvingly.

The recliner creaked to a halt.

Sensing victory I pressed home my advantage.

“It's too late to make a side dish but we can have it with some yummy pickle.”

Books lay forgotten as two white faces watched us like hawks.

“Ofcourse if we were going out, we could have had Burgers or Pizza or Chinese” I smashed the point home.

The ball in their court now, we waited nervously.

….

….

“We don’t want to stay home, we want to go out….we love going to the mall” wailed Naina.

Game. Set. Match.


*rice gruel

Mark my words

N&N posing in front of a funny mirror

The term exams got over last week.

[happy dance]

Now all of you can thank me one by one.

[N waits expectantly for outpouring of gratitude]

……

[All she gets in return is a yawning silence]

You didn’t notice???

[N put hands on hips and taps foot on ground impatiently]

Dammit, I take so much effort and u guys don’t even notice anything;-/.

I said the kids' Exams are OVER.

……

[N takes a deep breath & practices the little yoga Nikita taught her when she was in 3rd std]

“Didn’t u realise I didn’t bug you with any post on how fast the exams were approaching and how horrible they were going to be and how I was going crazy searching for text-books and notebooks which had mysteriously disappeared over the holidays and how the better-half was not helping and how my BP was going up and how the kids were least bothered and how….”

“Oh just forget it, I have a good mind not to tell you anything;-S”

……

……

[N imagines a crowd of bloggers pleading with her to forgive them]

Alright, alright I’ll tell you only if u answer my question truthfully???

And you ofcourse know very well that I can’t hide anything from you for long;-/.

So like I was telling u, the exams went off very well….

.....actually very badly:-(. 

Both Nikita and Naina came back home with expressions more morose than the other’s each day of the exams. I kept quiet as a mouse as they showed me all the questions they blundered on. Well it was not really their fault was it. Their exams were held immediately after school reopened after the holidays. And we as parents should have planned our holiday after taking their exams into consideration. No point talking about it after the episode:-(.

Anyways, while the better-half and I were still dilly-dallying about what is the best mode of action to take from now on, Nikita has decided for herself that it did not make sense to keep waiting for her parents to wake up from their apathy, instead she herself must be vigilant about these things. And the sweet kid that she is, she even worded it very carefully so as to not hurt our feelings in any way.

Atta girl
[N pats herself  in appreciation ]

Now I must find a way to get her to invoke the same feelings of motivation in Naina;-P

Seems like Naina took so much time over her Hindi paper that the boy next to her who had finished almost an hour before her asked very concerned “Naina, tera saboon slow hai kya???”*

;-D

Some of the questions in the GK Paper Naina attempted:

Q1. Who is Mukesh Ambani?  

A.   Mukesh Ambani is a very famous Fashion Designer.

Q2. Who is MS Subbulakshmi?
A. MS Subbulakshmi is a very famous person. He has won many awards and is very very famous.

Q3. Who wrote Malgudi Days? 

A.    RK Kipling

We just scraped through GK with minimum marks and are very grateful we passed.

On the other hand Nikita got 20/20 in GK….full marks only in GK but I’m still grinning like a fool;-D.

She too faced problems but of another kind. She is not the topper in her class but atleast she tries. So the kids who are sitting close to her during the exams are peeking into her paper to get the answers they don’t know. Seems like one kid was so unprepared that she copied 90% of Nikita’s answers. Nikita hates it but is not able to express her displeasure vocally. So she compensates by writing in a lousy handwriting.

There was one question which asked the name of the palace built by the Portuguese in Cochin?? And Nikita wrote the correct answer. 

After the exam the girl who copied everything from Nikita was like

“What a funny name for a palace???”
And Nikita was like “What so funny about it???”

The girl was hopping mad when she found out it was Mattencherry palace and not “Mutton Curry palace”;-D.

Last heard the girl is totally confused as to how Nikita got full marks while she got only 11/20 inspite of copying everything from Nikita’s paper;-).

And I haven’t forgotten the question I was going to ask even if you are going to pretend u have… 

Reflections Survey Sheet

Marks: 100

Attempt any one:

Q1. What kind of posts N writes is most irritating???    (10 marks)
a. the paranoid post before the exams
b. the neurotic post during the exams
c. the anxious post after the exams
d. All of the above and all the rest of her posts

OR

Q2. Given the hectic and busy life N leads, how often do u expect her to update her space???   (10 marks)

a. once a week
b. Bi-monthly
c. once in a month
d. whenever she feels like

Kindly post your answers in comment section with detailed explanation.                         (90 marks)

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

*Lifebuoy ad

On a Power Trip

Schools have started and once again we got geared up to go through what we went through every year. 

The problem can be summed up in one word, Naina.

I can go back to April 2007 and start from when she first started school.

But I want to hold on to the few readers I have left.

So let’s just say that the first few months of a new school year has always been traumatic for Naina. 

She takes a lot of time adjusting to the new teachers and surroundings.

The past couple of years have been relatively easier because she’s made a few friends at school and goes to school to be with them. 

Even then she always has some issue, the last 2 yrs the boys in her class were the bane of her existence. They were rude, they were rough, they were mean, they were pulling her hair, they were jumping out of the window[that bit was fun she admits;-P]

This year it’s about wanting to be a monitor.

At the start of every year the class teacher chooses a few students to be monitors.

There is the class monitor who’s in charge of keeping the class quiet.

The discipline monitor who checks if the class comes in the correct uniform, cut their nails, etc.

The AC monitor[don’t ask] is in charge of keeping the temperature in the class moderate. The position is prized because she has the power[read remote] to make everybody's life miserable;-P

And the board monitor who’s in charge of updating/clearing the board before and after every period.

Everyday for the 1^st 2-3 weeks after the new school term started, Naina came back from school unhappy/ outraged/livid/ despondent/ upset that she never got chosen for any of these positions.

I totally get why  the teachers don’t select her because outwardly Naina looks very quiet, shy and diffident; they probably think she will not be upto it.

But we at home face the brunt of her unhappiness; some days we are subjected to a barrage of emotional outpouring after she comes back from school……about how the teachers are misguided by wrong information, about how the class monitors are nincompoops who have no clue how to go about their jobs and how if she was given the responsibility she would turn the world around.

To add to her woes, her sister is chosen as duty monitor for the school this year. Now here she is in a peculiar dilemma. On one hand she is proud her sister is patrolling the corridors of the school and on the other wary.

Yeah well Nikita was totally vocal about how she was going to pull Naina up if she stepped a milliinch out of line.

Seems like 2 days back Nikita instructed Naina & her friends to lock their fingers behind their backs while they walked back to class after recess.

“How are we supposed to that Mama????” demands Naina indignantly. “We’ve got our lunchboxes and water bottles in our hands”.

Now picture Nikita grinning at me in the background.

With sister also in important position Naina was getting very agitated and dejected in turns. Me telling her n number of times that her turn will come soon was like calling my building watchman in an emergency. Well, his phone is always switched off;-P.

Anyways Naina came back home from school last week in high spirits.

“I’ve been made board monitor” yells Naina as soon as she got off the school bus and came running to hug me dump her heavy school bag on me.

“That’s great news” I exclaim, mentally thanking the teacher who must have sensed my desperation somehow. “So what does a board monitor exactly do???”

“A board monitor writes down the day’s time-table on the board everyday. Then she is in charge of clearing the board and writing down the subject name before and after every period. Then she must…….and she also…..isn’t this the best news ever….I’m sooo happy……”

The news was then shared with the father, the grandparents and cousins in India and all her friends in the neighbourhood. All of us were very happy for her and there was much celebrating .

At night while packing her school bag for the next day she asked to take the markers & duster to school.

“Why do u need to take them from home??? It’s the school’s responsibility to provide them.”

“The school gives but I need to take them.”

“Why???”

Silence.

Why do u need to take them Naina???

Because…

Because????

The school markers are being used by somebody else.

Huh??? So go take it from her.

I cant.

Why not???

Because she won’t give it to me.

Tell your teacher then.

I can’t.

Why???

Because she’s the ‘real’ board monitor.

Silence.

Everybody from every corner of the house was intently listening to the conversation now.

Very cautiously I ask “But you told us you are the Board monitor???”

I am.

“Nainaaaaaa” I yell exasperatedly.

“I am, I am…I’m the assistant board monitor.” Naina glowers at me daring me to react.

Silence.

I vaguely heard sounds of muffled snickering in the background.

“REalllly I AM, I went up to  Maam and asked if I could help Snehal with the board monitoring and she said yes.” Naina defends herself.

Silence.

Did she really say yes Naina??? I ask wearily.

“Yes she did” says Naina huffily.  “Maam was very busy correcting our answer sheets and I went and asked her then. She didn’t say anything the 1^st two times and then when I asked her again she said okay. “

I knew this technique so well. This is exactly the same method she uses with me to get her way.

“Mama pleeeease, pleeeease let me take the markers with me." she pleads.

I gave up. 

Anyways it ended well. Despite my fears the class teacher didn’t go back on her words and according to Naina she’s a major hit with both her teachers and classmates with her neat handwriting(???) and attention-grabbing doodles on the sidelines of the whiteboard.

And I've been busy too, I’m out and about doing my own version of monitoring. Now that the temperatures have gone up I’m back at my favourite pastime and that is pressing the down arrow button on the AC control panels to a moderate temperature, in the corridors of my building. 

It’s very disappointing to see how people are so unconcerned about conserving energy. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority does a really good job of taking care of its residents. We don’t have power cuts or water shortage like other places, not even once a year. DEWA is also always handing out pamphlets and information about conserving energy. You know, they even have cash prizes for residents who consume the lowest electricity, lauding their efforts. 

But in spite of all these efforts, the general public[a large percentage] are very indifferent to the depleting resources and continue to use water and electricity lavishly without a care. It's not about the fact that you can afford to pay. Why don’t they understand that conserving energy not only saves money but also protects the environment.

A few things I do to conserve energy....

# Use energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights & turn off lights in all rooms that are not in use[but that doesn’t mean I’m fanatical like the better-half who switches off lights and appliances even if he is away for a nanosecond;-/].

# Keep the AC thermostat on ‘Auto’ instead of ‘ON’. Use pedestal fans to circulate air.

# Did u know there is something called phantom load concept??? It’s about unplugging devices when they are not being used. 

# Use the washing machine in the early hours of the day. And make sure they are fully loaded. I don’t use a dryer and prefer to dry my clothes in the sun.

# Try to cook more than one item if I’m using the oven.

# Use as much natural daylight as possible.

What else can you think of????

Nikita made this poster for a science activity in school last year. I wanted to take a picture of Nikita holding the poster[ before it went to school and never came back but guess who came running to pose when I called:-).

Kid Stuff

Last day of exams today.

Phewww.

At least I can stop feeling guilty about not doing anything about it.

Seriously.

I know I come across like an anxious, hassled mom very worried about her kids' exams. But the  opposite is true. And the guilt kills me. The blog ofcourse ends up getting the brunt of it.

The sad fact is that I leave them to their devices most of the time. I only bug them for Hindi, they do everything else by themselves. If they say they got 75% I give them a 'look' and mildly say they could have done better. But inwardly I'm totally satisfied because they did it all on their own. Now the guilt.....there's no escaping it. Round and round my mind will go...if they got 75% without me teaching them anything then imagine if I decided to help them.....

Take for example these exams.

FINAL EXAMS.

There is nothing in the atmosphere to suggest that Final Exams are going on.

They still go out to to play everyday.

They still read books.

They are arguing & trying to score over eachother more than ever.

Nikita is still found working with clay everyday, added to which she has started quilling now.

You think this is bad???

Wait there’s more….

On the very first day of exam Nikita came back with details for a "Children’s Rights“ poster contest which had to be submitted the next day and she simply 'had to’ take part in it. So instead of studying for her computer exam the next day she spent the day working on this poster. Clueless mother that I am, un/willingly helped her.

Then a day before her Science exam she spent all her time making a clay model for Howard Jones.

Who????

[Flashback]

‘Howard Jones is coming to our school to record for ‘Voices around the Worldl’ was a line heard countless times around the house in the past month. And for that project Nikita and her school friends were putting in lots of extra time at school practicing their song. We were initially reluctant as it fell smack in the middle of the exams but ultimately gave in to Nikita’s desperate pleas.

My mistake here was to google the man and event to see what the big deal was. And like an idiot pointed out that Howard Jones birthday fell so close to their meeting him. That’s it, Nikita immediately wanted to make something for him and instead of studying for her Science FINAL exam the next day she spent all afternoon shaping clay.

[Ignore this part for it doesn't gel with the tone of the rest of the post]

Very pleased with her efforts Nikita was in the highest of spirits. Just before leaving for school I told her gently not to get so excited. I hated doing that to her but I didn't want her getting disappointed if things didn’t go the way she visualized it. Anyways to cut the story short, everything went off well…. Mr. Howard Jones was very touched to receive his present….he shook hands with her[seems like he didn’t shake hands with anybody else*shock*] and took a picture alone with her [it seems he didn't take a picture alone with anybody else*shock shock shock;-P*] and don’t ask what else. She was over the moon. I sent a silent thanks across to Mr. Howard Jones for transforming my child’s day.

[back to ranting]

Can you blame me for going crazy????

All around me I can see parents busy quizzing their kids and helping them with their revisions for the exams. I too have the same intentions but somehow never get it right.

The one and only time I sat down to help them I ended up giving them lines.

Naina was not the only one.

Nikita had to write ‘I must not make Naina wail’ a 100 times.

It was either this or sic them out of the house. Nowadays even that is not an option….there’s a whole army of kids lying in wait outside my door just for these two to finish exams.

Speaking of which, you know none of the kids in the neighborhood like me.

They think my kids have a sad life.

And worse, they all blame me for corrupting their mothers. Seems like, all their mothers now make them study first and clean up their rooms before they let them out to play. Now what did I doooo????

Celebrating Love

Naina gave me this card early this morning.

I loved it.

We hugged & kissed and stared gooey-eyed at eachother.

Nikita watched the lovey-dovey interaction between us with a mixed expressions.

She is….

#mad at herself for not making something for me

#wondering how to spoil the tender moment we were sharing
#how to take credit for the whole thing

Since I knew exactly how Nikita’s mind worked I gave her a warning glance. Correctly interpreting it  she contented herself by critically examining the card and interrogating why Mama’s colouring was 15 shades darker than Naina’s. And poked fun at the mis-spelt Valentine.

Better-half also got a card from Naina.

It shows him…

#curly-haired which is not true.
# teaching her how to do maths which is not a common sight
# bare-chested and full of details

I have tactfully covered him up to save him any embarrassment. Seriously he’s sooo lucky to have me in his life.

And Nikita got this…

#She was touched beyond words.

#And how did I come to the conclusion???

#She didn't say a single word for a WHOLE minute.

I know and agree we don’t really need special days to tell our loved ones how much we love them. But then again I think any excuse to celebrate love is a perfectly valid one:-)).

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAYJ!!!!

Tried and Tested on Kids

A friend of mine got married in his late thirties and they had a baby recently. He is a big guy in the creative field, very confident but fatherhood has completely freaked him out. He takes a very healthy interest in his baby and even the minutest details are given a lot of attention. 

Once in a while we meet online, after the barest pleasantries he is onto his favourite subject…his baby. I try to calm him down with all the stuff I remember about when my kids were little. One day he thanked me profusely for all the help and asked me why despite being a mother there wasn’t a single post on bringing up children on the blog.

I laughed & dismissed the idea of a post outright but after grandly announcing my return to blogging a week back and then looking around blankly for a while[for inspiration;-P] I didn’t have much choice.

Anyways here is some gyaan for what it’s worth….

#Babies generally cry for 3 reasons; hunger, lack of sleep or a wet nappy. Only after you’ve ticked off these 3 things, should you proceed forward to exploring your other[often unfounded] fears.

Another reason could be gas. That’s why burps are like sweet music to the parents’ ears. Timely burps also saves you from needing to change your outfit after every feed which your baby dutifully throws up on you.
How to do it: Hold baby upright and pat the back gently for a while. You know what they say about watched kettles right……don’t expect the burb right away; give it 20 mins, if you are lucky it will happen in 10. The little ones who burp immediately & to the point[minus the mess I mean] have very, very lucky parents.

#Using cotton nappys is a very noble thought but if you want a good night’s sleep use a good[brand] diaper only for the nights. Just wash the itty-bitty bummy with water & mild soap everytime you change the diaper & apply a bit of Vaseline. A good night’s sleep for everybody involved assured.

#Don’t knock Pacifiers without trying them. If you have a baby with Mariah Carey’s musical pitch[the kind that can shatter glass] or the depth of an ambulance siren[goes on and on] pacifiers are life-savers. This tip is from a good friend.

#Please don’t invest in baby walkers. They ruin the shape of your little one’s legs. Many of the bow-legged children you see around you are victims of these contraptions.

#Resist the temptation of taking pictures of your little ones without their clothes. Spare a thought for the poor kid who will cringe in embarrassment later on. And maybe even hold it against you for the rest of his life.
I’m not even going into the bit about when these pics get into the wrong hands.

#Sleep is very important. A schedule even more so. A child who sleeps & wakes up on schedule is a happy kid [most of the time].

#Tantrums can be avoided 85% of the time if the parents are alert. Take the child away immediately from the cause of discontent and distract him with something else. DO NOT allow the child to wallow in his misery thinking you are teaching him a lesson. All it serves is to make him more stubborn.

#Be extra careful when you use words like ‘No’, ‘I don’t know’ and ‘Go get it yourself’. Before you know it they’ll be repeating it back to you….and in the same tone;-/.

On the same topic…..we all know how fast they pick up phrases like ‘Shut up’ ‘get out’ and ‘I hate him’ or ‘he's lying’. Instead of yelling at them uselessly, teach them to substitute the same with ‘Keep quiet’ ‘please leave’ and ‘I don’t like him’ or  'he's not telling the truth'. You may have to repeat this a few times but once they get the hang of it our ears are spared.

And the last life-saving tip….

#Never, I say never teach your toddler the correct word for a ‘private part’ of the body. Use a nickname, codeword or refer to it as another bodypart. This tip will save you from embarrassment more times than you’ll be able to count.

There’s more but I’ll get off while the going is good. I get the feeling some of you are already looking at me very disapprovingly.

Once again, I don’t claim to be any expert; these are some things which worked for me and I’m sharing them with you. Feel free to discuss, argue and add your gyaan on how it worked for youJ.

Arigatou once again:-))

A BIG Thank You to all of you who responded to the previous post, my mails and messages.

Special Thanks to all who delurked for the first time and after a long time, thank U also to the lurkers who have voted:-)). 

The competition closed last night. The drawings as of now are placed in the 11^th & 12^th place. I’m not sure we stand a chance to win the prize but we are HOPEFUL.

The kids were thrilled with all the attention and comments except for a comment which was full of hate. Poor things were totally taken aback by that one comment. I encouraged them to look beyond that it but it was difficult. I myself was a little disturbed. But atleast I understand that there are all kinds of people making this world.

There were other minor issues too….like Nikita who simply couldn’t understand how Naina all of a sudden got ahead of her in the votes tally;-D.

And Naina the eternal complainer is still walking around with a gloomy expression because she got lesser comments than her Chechi. She is not bothered about the votes all that much. Talk about priorities;-/.

They also brought in quite a few votes by telling their teachers, classmates & friends in School. And when they saw another kid in the competition posting messages in each contestants comment box asking for votes they asked me if they could do the same. And quite a few responded backJ.

We also learnt that there was a bit of hera-pheri going on. Some of the contestants were accused of using proxy sites to vote for their drawing. I was not exactly sure how this worked & so couldn’t explain to the kids when they asked. All I could tell them was that there was a suspicion that a few contestants were bringing in votes the illegal way. At first they were hopping mad but later on hopeful that the organisers will see through it and then they’ll stand a GOOD chance of being selected among the 5 finalists.

All in all a very good experience. I normally don’t push the kids to do anything they don’t like or are uncomfortable with because I remember my own hang-ups as a kid. Believe me I had a lot of them. But when I see enterprising parents all around me I feel I need to encourage them more. After all how do they know whether they’ll enjoy it or not until they try it.

Spelling Bee Competition is next. Naina has on her own come forward and asked if she could take part whereas Nikita is not very interested[she knows the hard work involved;-P]. I have cunningly[reverse psychology people, reverse psychology;-D] got her to register. If I’m going exert effort training one kid, for the same effort I can do two, right. Plus I need something to occupy them in the summer hols.

Which brings me to the next part……….I have tentatively decided to take a break from blogging. Maybe till September or October. We’ve decided not to go home this year. Which is why this blog-break doesn’t make any sense even to me. But I feel like one. But like I said I’m not sure. I still haven't forgotten my last blog-break, I almost didn’t get back. And that is my one and only fear.

So I’m thinking I won’t close all avenues. If I really feel like posting something…..like pictures or interesting forwards I’ll do that. And whether I post or not I’ll be around…checking on all of you whether you guys are behaving yourselves and ofcourse posting my ‘valuable’ inputs on your posts….hah you can’t stop me there;-D.

And yeah IF we win I’ll definitely tell YOU about it;-D.

Thank YOU once again for all the support!!!!!!!!!!

Moo's the word....

The first I heard about it was when the kids brought home a promotion pack from school in early June. The pack contained lots of puzzles, questions, stickers and facts about milk and things related to Milk.

“What’s the occasion???” I wonder.

“It was World Milk Day on June 1^st” the kids educate me.

The UAE Ministry of Education was working alongside a popular Milk Brand to raise awareness about the importance of milk in the diet of growing children. Hence the goody packs.

The kids were also talking about a picture they had to draw & post on a website which will win them exciting prizes. I was okay with them doing the puzzles and reading up facts but since they had unit tests coming up I sternly told them they could work on the drawing after the tests. Anyways they had time till June 20^th to upload their picture didn’t they???

As the week passed I could hear them discussing amongst themselves about the other kids who posted their pictures and collected ‘n’ number of votes, all the while throwing hopeful/dark/beseeching looks at me. All the emotional blackmail didn’t affect me..…the unit tests were not a joke, a percentage of the marks were added to the final examination total. We couldn’t afford to sit back and take it easy. 

A week or so later after the kids left to school, I found the competition form while I was clearing up and decided to read what the whole hullabaloo was about. One of the things which caught my eye was the prize. There were 3 prizes….each was an all-expenses paid family holiday to New Zealand, the home of Anchor. My heart stopped beating for a moment; I dropped everything and sat down to read everything about the competition.

Anybody who has followed this blog for more than 2 years now, know about my fascination with New Zealand. You've noticed right, how every meme which asks “Favourite Place to visit” has New Zealand plastered on it. 

You get what I’m driving at……it seemed like a sign. It was like somebody sitting high up above was telling me “You always wanted to go there right, I’ll give you a chance to work at it”. A feeling of guilt I was trying to fulfil a dream of mine through the kids also ran through the mind but was quickly dismissed to focus on more important matters.

The subject for the competition was “Draw your Dream New Zealand Farm” and the only condition was that the farm should show pasture, cows and milk. Didn’t sound too hard huh???

When the kids came back home I magnanimously told them they could get started on their drawings provided they finished their lessons first. The kids were so thrilled that post lunch, foregoing their usual reading time, they sat down and finished all their portions in one go.

Nikita had a vision of what she was going to draw and was soon involved in it but Naina as usual dawdled, every once in a while craning her head to look at her Chechi was doing and trying to emulate her. You see, Nikita can draw from the images in her head whereas Naina till today drew from picture books.

I was not even sure whether Naina was going to finish her drawing but it was important that she tried because…..

She needed to be given the opportunity.

She needed to build her confidence.

She’ll eat our heads and make all of us miserable complaining that we didn’t even give her a chance. That she was never given any importance because she is youngest. That she wished she was born eldest. That life is so unfair. That she is SAD. That nobody understands her. That…..

By now we are all ready to pull our hair out.

Naina draws well but has no confidence in her abilities. The better-half & I are so tired of telling her she is as good as her sister if not better. Anyways, fed up with the whining I picked up a few picture books and asked her to find pictures depicting farm life and take inspiration from that. She took one look at me and knew I had reached the end of my tether & quietly started going thru the books.

It took them both 2 days to complete the pictures. One day to draw & the next to colour. On the 2^nd day again Naina was found loitering around disconsolately. Her grouse…her picture was not as ‘full of details’ as Chechi’s. Personally I liked Naina’s picture better but how do I tell her??? Nikita was sitting there colouring her picture and her ears were trained in this direction. And even if I took her aside and told her the 1^st thing she’ll do is go and triumphantly tell her sister what I said. And now for goodness sakes, now you guys don’t rat on me.

I gathered every ounce of patience I had[I was this close to telling her to quit] and sat with her till she finished. Finally we posted both the pictures on the site. And voted.

1 vote each.

We then checked out the rest of the competition. And that was when it hit us. VOTES. We needed votes. Lots of them. And that was when I realised how much they lost out on because they hadn’t posted their pictures earlier. I set to work immediately and sent out an SOS to almost all the names on my contact list, then sent messages to many FB friends. Almost 96% of you replied back within a day to say you voted. 

Thank U!!!!!!

A special thanks to Sakshi who not only voted from all the machines/ipad/smartphones in her house but also personally went to her husband’s office in the evening and forced all the people in the office to vote for 2 little kids she has never seen.

In the course of one week my children accumulated 300 votes and stood first from their school. In this process we learnt a lot. Atleast I felt like I woke up from a deep sleep. For all my dreams about going to NZ I didn’t put much effort, just mailed everybody and thought I did my bit. But as the votes kept mounting and good wishes poured in the kids were so happy……..ecstatic about EACH & EVERY vote they got. Every comment was precious. It was infectious. I too began to feel that my kids actually stood a chance. I began thinking about what else I could do. 

To be honest I was not going to post it on the blog at all. I felt a bit silly. Like I was advertising or begging even. And all for what….for my daughters’ doodles. Now emails are different. How different??? I am not sure…more kind of private-like, I suppose. No logic, I know;-).

So I then scanned my contact list again & mailed a few people who I had omitted when I sent emails earlier. Like aunties who I don’t keep in touch all that much, who will think ‘Oho she needs help, so she contacted us now’. Like Uncles who held important positions in their companies, who might laugh at this niece who has no other work than to bug people for votes for her daughters’ scribbles. 
Guess what??? 
In reply they all called me, discussed with me how they could help & with child-like enthusiasm promised me they would forward it to all their contacts and even post it on their Facebook accounts;-D.

I mean, seriously?????

I was so touched. From my friends yes I expected & received support but people who I never expected any attention from, it just floored me. Made me think.

The votes have crossed 400+ now and we have just 2 days[last date: 20^th June 2012] to accumulate another 400 votes to be on par with the others. Tall order I know. The kids are enthusiastically campaigning for votes at school. The better-half has finally started telling his friends about it. And I am posting it on my blog and asking you ALL to go to the link given below and vote. I’ll go as far as to ask you to vote from every single laptop/tablet/smartphone around the vicinity[they've got this 1 machine=1 vote funda] and plus mail people you think will help. If you are too busy it's okay because even your ONE vote is precious. That I know you will give me. Thank YOU already:-))!!!!!

The links:

Removed.

We may or may not win but we are determined to go down trying!!!!

p.s: Just as I was ending the post I realised that I could have just copy/pasted the short mail I sent to everybody earlier but you know me...on the blog I metamorphosize into this alien being who needs to explain in great detail the whys & wherefores.

Everything nice and not so mice

It's been ages since I wrote about the kids. On the surface there is nothing much to write about them…nothing worth noting down anyway. Yeah they are growing ….too fast in my opinion and behaving like teenagers even though they have more than a couple of years to reach there.

If you ask me ‘what are they doing right now????’ I don’t have to look to see what they are upto…..I can tell you just like that. They are arguing.....most of the time they are at it……

You did.

I did not.

I saw you.

You did not.

Mamaaaaaa…….

Tell-tale.

I am notttttt.

Cry baby.

Stopppp ittttt!!!!!!!

STOP IT BOTH OF YOU!!!!!!!!

Similar phrases in varying tones can be heard throughout the day. And it continues into the night. They are at it even in their sleep. Honest I heard them.

I’m so grateful to the Great Sages who invented schools.

But most schools here wind up before 1pm.

I threaten them with boarding schools.

They suggest Malory Towers and St. Clares and look at me very hopefully. 

I know I’m rambling but thats because I desperately trying to recall some worthwhile things to write about them. 

Meanwhile posting some pictures about ‘things’ they do in the little time they are not sparring with eachother.....

Background for a science project

Nikita's class were divided in groups to make models for a science project. Her group was given the subject 'Sustainable energy' and it was Nikita's job to provide the background. We were not pleased that she had to do this when her unit tests were going on and so she did it all very quietly so as to not aggravate us further. Secretly her father & I were impressed, we hung around waiting for her to ask for help & very 'reluctantly' helped her stick it all on the board with super glue. I deliberately flattened those windmills down so that you could take a good look at it;-P.

They draw very rarely nowadays;-(

The kids got diaries with locks from their aunt. They were very thrilled and spent a lot of time decorating the first page with their names and such. I could see Nikita writing in it and keeping it away carefully. Then one day she asks.....

Nikita: What exactly is one supposed to write in a diary???

Mama: Anything you want.

Nikita: Should I write everyday??

Mama: If you want.

Nikita: Can I write about something what happened 2 years back???

Mama: What happened two yrs back????

No, nothing I’m just asking.

Yes you can write about anything……time doesn’t matter.

Can I write about sad things????

What sad things???

Nothing happened*exasperated* I’m just asking whether I should write only about the happy things which happen to me or also the sad stuff.

I told you, you can write about anything…….happy, sad, ordinary, special, feelings, anything…

Okayyyyy.

Mama[cannot help herself]: What sad things?????

Nikita: Nothing Mama, I was just asking*walking away*.

Mama[calling out anxiously]: Or you can also tell Mama about it.

Nikita*wearily*: That’s what I do…..I tell you first and then write in the Diary.

Then why do you need to lock the diary*finally voicing what was troubling me*

“To keep Naina out” says Nikita grimly.

Naina[8yrs] who was following the conversation avidly grins unrepentantly.

Mama[irritated]: Naina, its bad, BAAD manners, why don’t you write in your own diary instead of reading other peoples’???

Naina[mournfully]: I lost the lock.

Periwinkle Plant

Naina plants a plum seed in an empty pot and waters it diligently everyday.

After a few days Mama brings a small sapling of a flowering plant from the park, plants it in the same pot.

“Oh shoot, Naina planted a seed in that, she's going to make my life miserable" thinks Mama tiredly.

Naina comes back from school and “Mama, Chechi LOOOOOK………my plum seed has sprouted….YAAAAAYAYAAY”.

Mama gets a few months reprieve.

Fridge magnets made by them & an old poloroid picture

[Last night at the dining table]

Naina: what is the meaning of ‘seer’????

Mama: Sear means like burn or scorch.

Naina: No not tht sear, s-e-e-r seer???

Mama: Ah ok, that seer is a person who can prophecy, who can tell what's going to happen in the future.

After a minute….

Naina:  I think I have got all the makings of a true seer.*

Nikita[under her breath]: Ohhhh puh-leeese.

Mama[looking impressed]: Really!!!!

"Yes, I can tell the future" Naina waves her fork grandly.

Father: Can you forsee the punishment you’ll get if you don’t finish what’s on your plate in 5 minutes????

Nikita guffaws.

Mama looks reproachfully at Papa.

Naina who took a few seconds to understand the nuances of that statement, prudently decides to use the fork to finish her spaghetti.

Click & enlarge to read a newspaper report

Please ignore all grammatical & spelling mistakes.....Nikita is not usually so careless, the only explanation I can offer here is that I think she wrote it very fast. Now one word…..one particular word on the board, referred to Naina in a manner she found offending. She pleaded with her sister to remove it but Nikita didnt budge. Finally Naina resorted to sneaking into the room when Nikita wasn’t there, rubbed out the offending word and substituted it with princess/ beautiful girl/ intelligent human being and such-like, then tiptoed away. When she went back into the room later, it would have magically reverted back to the original word. Then she would repeat the process all over again. This went on till the father came back from his trip & put Naina out of her misery;-D. 

Book-mice:-)

Book-mouse. Ever heard of this word??? I heard it for the first time last week. Nikita showed me a "How to make a Book-Mouse" article in a Tom & Jerry comic book and talked excitedly about making them. She launched into a loooong explanation which I listened with half a ear smiling at her enthusiasm. Book-mouse is a mouse made of clay with a long tail which served as a book-mark and....*didnt hear*.....and.you have to give me a string.....and...*didnt hear*...I'm going to make them. Is that alright with you Mama????

Sure, I'm okay.

Yippeeeee......you are the best Mama in the whole world!!!!

Children, I shake my head. It takes so little to make them happy. I hunt for a string for the tail. 

She comes back in no time with a book-mouse in hand.

"It's nice" I make all the right noises, very carefully not touching the mouse.

"Isn't it??? Now let's bake it." says Nikita.

"Whaat" I look up confused.

"Haven't you been listening to anything I said????" demands Nikita.

I fidget guiltily.

"We have to bake this mouse to harden it. I told you."

Realisation dawns. 

"No baking mice in my oven." I say firmly.

"Mammaaa" wails Nikita.

"I'm not going to waste energy for a little thing like that. Why don't you dry it in the sun. It may take longer but it will have the same effect."

"Okay then I'll make some more of them, I have to make some for my friends anyway. If I make say, 10 of them will you bake it then"

I stare in horror. I couldn't get myself to imagine baking 1 mouse let alone a dozen of them.

I know they are fake. But Urrrrgghhhh.......No Way.

After 1/2 an hour of pleading Nikita goes away in a huff & places them on the balcony. After she leaves, I go there and quickly click a picture. 

I may shrink at the idea of baking mice in my oven but have no qualms about serving it on the blog;-D

p.s: Some of the pictures and the incidents written below it have no connection with eachother. 


* I knew there was something fishy about that sentence. It came to me after a couple of hours.....it is lifted out of a Harry Potter book;-/.