Vacations

We met I, R and their daughter Ia in Social and boy was actually social till Ia decided to hold his hands. Ia is around the same age as the boy and she started pulling the boy’s hands. The boy withdrew, there was screaming and Ia was upset. And the statement by the boy "I don't like Ia. She is bad"

After goodbyes we went to Decathlon and bought  2 small sized football for the boy. He is always running after the footballs and the basketballs in the apartment. He wanted blue, we picked up a bright yellow and we bought both eventually.

Last evening the boy had an extended afternoon nap and refused to wake up. The moment we mentioned that we are putting up the Christmas Tree, he was up and ready. He was thrilled by the led lights on the tree and insisted on switching them on.

Today morning the boy invited me, “Come, we will play football in the hall”. He has a 2 week vacation starting today.

Conversations

Last night when it was time for the boy to come home from Ah house, following was the conversation.
The boy, hopefully - “Is anybody coming to Adhu’s house?”
The wife - “No”
The boy, desperately - “Somebody is coming to Adhu’s house?”
The wife - “No”
And the wailing started.

He recognized that I had a haircut and wanted one too. I was getting ready to go to work and he realized that - “Don’t go to office. Wait. I am coming after bath. Don’t go!” And I had to reluctantly slip out.

Kitchen time

The boy learnt to turn on the mixer-grinder on his own. The kitchen ledge is his favorite place. 
"Can I help you with making the chaia?"
"I sit"
As the water starts to boil, he sits on the ledge - “Bubbles coming, put powder”

Outing and birthday party

It was a day of outing at Club Cabana. The boy enjoyed being in the water. Hogged the Puri for breakfast, ate a little bit of lunch and was so tired that he slept on me. He started getting cranky towards evening and we left.

Got home and he attended a birthday party in the apartment club house. Drank some Coca Cola (I was not happy about it) and ate a lot of junk food.

Shut up!

That is something new the boy picked up (I think from Aa) and uses a lot.

In the last one month there has been a spurt – in his activities and the words spoken. The boy is very active at home but in school, he is very shy. Every day, when we pick him up, the teacher asks him to walk. He walks half way (till he sees the tractor) and then insists on being carried - he clings to our legs.

We had the PTM today. The boy was very shy this time too and the teachers said he is generally obedient and good at school. He lost out on stars for one feature - listening to teachers. The teachers say that is because he is growing to being on his own now.

The Brush, Brush, Brush book has been delivered and it does help him with brushing his teeth. Dora's Puppys Big Surprise  and The Very Hungry Caterpillar are his favorite books.

Sports Day

The boy had his school Sports Day in a playground in the vicinity.  Children from the Playgroup, Nursery (both the batches), LKG and UKG attended it – atleast a majority of them. The boy looked a bit lost I thought. In the running race, after the whistle was sounded, he stood his ground taking in the sights while the other children ran.  In the potato picking race, somebody else picked up his potatoes. He finished the beading race – the children had to run to the centre, where a bowl was faced, finish the beading and run to the finish line. The competitive spirit had already kicked in for some parents. Another 16 years to go!

Walk to school

The IL’s got in last week and the boy is thrilled. The first thing he gets up in the morning and checks if the grandfather is awake. If not, his question is - "Can I go and disturb thathatha?"
He walked to school for the first time – the whole way.
New sentences he picked up - “Good job”, “Very cute!” 

Kitchen love

One of his favorite activity is to sit on the kitchen ledge and watch tea, dosa and chapatis being made. “Amma make ball ball!”

The  boy opened the bathroom door, turned on the hot water tap and was fiddling it. After sometime, scooped a mug of water from the bucket, poured it on the floor, spilling some on his leg and came out crying. The water was hot. We had told him many times not to do it on his own. 

At school he did good without the diaper. Told the teachers “susu” when he wanted to pee.

No Diaper

Over the past week, the boy has been very cranky in the night when it is time to sleep. He dozes but then gets either wanting to go to Ah’s house or go for a drive in the car. 

Yesterday we didn’t send him to school. Today, for the first time he has gone to school without wearing a diaper.

New sentence he picked up – “I said yes!”

Time

It is hard to get some time to your own. The moment the boy is up, he wants one of us around him all the time. The moment I head towards the door to leave home, he starts crying. I have resorted to sneaking out and jumping over the balcony if required.

The boy has a very bad cold and one of his eye is watering because of the cold. 

Peppa's Busy Day and Dora's Puppys Big Surprise are the latest additions to his list of books.

Diwali

Diwali, and the boy was so excited to see the sparklers. Usually we have a no crackers Diwali rule but this time we bought sparklers, chakras and flowerpot. He did not show any sign of fear and was dejected when the sparklers were over. Back in Ah’s house, he was so captivated by the Lakshmi pooja that he started saying the prayer that he learnt at school.

Waste from Art

We attended a Waste from Art program at school on Saturday. The theme was Diwali. I enjoyed it and many parents attended it. We made a lamp holder out of a discarded PET bottle and painted it. The boy loves painting (a lot of mess associated it with though) and took this opportunity to paint the pieces of PET bottle that we had cut out. 

Lamp holder with PET bottle

Yesterday, the boy got a haircut. He did not make any fuss and this time and sat in the chair propped up high. He did get uncomfortable when the haircut apron was wrapped around him. This time the clipper was set so that it was not a close crop. Towards the end, he started crying but the hair dresser managed to finish it.  The lunch was at Panchavati Gaurav Thali in  Elements Mall - Bh and my birthday treat. After lunch we went to the book shop and the boy started pulling out books for him - mostly the bright looking ones. We managed to leave without buying anything. Back home, we put up Diwali lights and he was thrilled when they were switched on

Cranky time

The boy is very cranky in the morning. Getting his teeth brushed is becoming a big challenge. Because he gets upset, rest of the morning is a morning of nerves and being on the edge. It is a rush to get to school.

On the bright side, he has learnt how to answer the intercom.

Dine out

We went for dinner to NoodleHeads – B’s birthday treat. The boy ate the flat noodles after folding each of them. Once I proceeded to wash his hands and mouth ( I had to hold him in a weird angle at the basin) he proclaimed with a loud sigh - “tired!” Back at the table, he decided to take tissues and wipe all our chairs. He asked me to get up so that he could clean my seat. I had to stop him as he started to move towards the adjacent tables.

Quick weekend trip

A hard and tiring drive to Guruvayur over the weekend. The wife’s cousin’s son’s (R) rice feeding ceremony. The boy gets jealous when we talk to or carry R.

We also met relatives. On the drive he learnt about paisa, toll and singal (signal). 1 rupee is 100 rupees for him – the wife gave him three 1 rupee coins during the journey which he lost and wanted more. The return journey took a long 13 hours instead of the usual 8-10 hours because of heavy traffic.

Dusshera camp

The boy's 2 week Dusshera camp comes to an end. During this time, he has picked up a prayer (he says it loudly once in a while and I think it has Om shanti shanti shanti at the end), learned to do a yoga posture, learned many other things which he has not demonstrated it to us yet and talks a lot. A good decision to enroll him.

Golu and no midnight milk

Chinita – We went to this wonderful Mexican restaurant for lunch.  One of the best nachos I have ever tasted. The boy had a sip of Almond Horchata, a taste of the Tostadas – Zucchini and Corn and hogged the Chocolate Chilli Cake and Ice Cream. It was hard to get him back in the car, diverted his attention with a couple of tractors and he was in.

Yesterday we had Golu visits and the boy was quiet and well behaved. The wife decided not to give into his milk drinking at 2am. With the neighbors away on vacation, we could put up with the crying in the middle of the night.

Today, Ah and Aa came with us to drop the boy to school. And so he chose to walk rather than being carried or sit in the pram.

Bite and fizzy drink

We were called to the school urgently because the boy was bitten by a classmate on his cheek. The  teachers gave him first aid - washed with Savlon and applied Soframycin Cream. After that we took him to the general physician who prescribed Mupi cream.  She suggested Rabies(!) shots but we declined. His tetanus shots were holding good. He is fine. Once in a while he does point to it ruefully. The next day we checked with Dr S and he said the Mupi is good.

The boy had his first taste of fizzy drink thanks to Ah.

No diapers

Took the boy to the park wearing no diapers. Fingers crossed!

Ever since he has started wearing undergarments, he tells us when he wants to pee or potty - most of the time. There have been a couple of mishaps though.

More words and third person

Spicy
It is raining
Daiper
Running race…Ready Un Tow three
Pizza
Come here
What is this
No talking
No kissy
Awesome
What are you doing?
Tired?
What is in the bag?
Paisa
100 rupees

The boy resorts to using the third person. I read that they do not understand the concept of “I” or “me” until they are close to three. 

My birthday

Yesterday was my birthday and the boy was so thrilled to see the orange cake. He dipped his finger in, licked it and wanted to cut it.

He started wearing undergarments and we are on our way to get him out of his diapers. He also removes his pants and diapers without any help and insists on putting the used diaper in the trash can.

Today the boy wore a new kurta for dusshera. He didn't make the usual fuss that he does when  it comes to wearing a kurta. He looks so grown up.

Rhymes recital

How does one deal with a bundle of energy after getting only 3 hours of sleep? 

I found it very difficult. 

I woke up to the boy’s morning moaning. He groggily walked to the front room and wanted to be carried. Drank his milk and reluctantly brushed his teeth. After giving the boy a bath and setting his bath tub (bubbles, 2 bottles to play with and 2 mugs to make his “chai”), I thought I will take a break. But no. I was called. The boy wanted me to show how he makes tea. The water with bubbles was transferred from one mug to another. At last he got out of the bath tub. Phew. It was time for “susu”. Back to the bathroom and once he was done, water the floor and his legs. I was already tired. Now to apply the body cream. I start with the legs and that is when he decides to play. Scrambles to the other side of the bed. Sleepy and tired, I call him. No. After much cajoling, I manage to rub the cream on. Next was to get the dress on him. I am halfway and he decides to jump up and down. Patiently, I put on the dress and then it is time to leave. Finally he is in the pram and we wheel him to the school. 

And when he turns and says bye with a wide smile, I forget everything.

Today was his rhymes recitation. The boy carried the below prop for the "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" rhyme.

On the way back he saw a bulldozer and was so fascinated that he stood for 10 minutes staring at it.

Trip to Chikmagalur

A road trip after a long time. Just the 3 of us. We did ponder how the boy was going to keep himself occupied with no Aa, Ah or any other children of his age. It would be now or never, he better get used to it.

To start with he learned to pronounce Chikmagalur. Yes, he did! We chose to stay in home stays – Halli Berri and Flameback. The boy got to see praying mantis, cows, dogs, buffaloes, donkeys, ants, caterpillars and birds. He was also given a tricycle at Halli Berri. During the way we went sightseeing and he did climb some of the high areas without any fuss. The only time he created a fuss was during lunch at Mudigere on one of the days. Rest of the time he was well behaved and even went to sleep on his own. In the free time he chose to play with his toys, go through books and recite rhymes. The wife also read out to him. Overall a good trip!

Bye bye A the Nanny

No trace of her from Tuesday to Saturday. No calls. Yesterday her uncle called explaining about a family situation at home and whether she could re-join from Monday.

The wife's only question was - why couldn't she call on Tuesday? Asked her to come on Monday and collect her dues.

She did come today. No words were spoken. Not even to the boy. Collected her dues and left.

Looks like the boy is off the bouncer. The bouncer seat pad was put away to wash and the boy has not asked for the bouncer.

Ah turns 6

The boy is not very enthusiastic about the park nowadays.  Yesterday he fell down from the tricycle as he reversed it down the slope and couldn’t control the speed. Grazed his elbow.

I took out the wife’s old mini piano today and he enjoyed pressing the keys. 
On the bright side, he insists on the potty seat when he wants to go and does not go in the diaper anymore. The boy talks a lot more now. And he is fine with brushing in the morning and in the evening.  We still have not been able to get him out of the bouncer. With the boy growing the bouncer sags and touches the floor when rocked hard.

Today was Ah's birthday party in the community hall. He has turned 6. A bad idea to give whistles to the boys. They were shrill. There were games and the boy had his fill of cake.

Tractor sighting

The boy was so excited to see the tractor in the apartment complex that he didn’t move till it left. There is a rhymes recitation in school and we signed him up for “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”.

Today he had a Nursery visit. I saw the photos and he didn’t look interested at all. 

It rained heavily and the boy was playing in the corridor when he fell down on his face struck by a ball on his legs, which was kicked by an older boy. His lips were swollen.

Get out!

I got a kick at 430 am with the comment “Get out”. The boy mumbles in his sleep and has picked up more words - “Get up”, “Get it”..

Today we went to visit my parents. There was a park in the vicinity and I took him there. He was not comfortable when other children came to use the slide and moved away.

We also moved from Enfagrow A+ Nutritional Milk Powder to Himalaya HiOwna kidz.

Raincoat

The IL’s (grandparents) left before the boy woke up. He created a fuss when he found out but then settled down. 

There were rains, he wore the raincoat and loved it so much that he wanted to wear it in the house.

The Potty book that was delivered is proving to be helpful, reminding the boy where to go potty.

Screw driver and more rhymes

The boy has stopped his “no school” chant and crying – he walks through the gate without any fuss, turns around bids good bye. So far so good.
Yesterday he had a beading competition in school. The first 3 places went to the girls.

He figured out that the screw driver is something that one uses to take toys apart and pokes it in every nook and corner of the toy in his hand. My heart was in my mouth when he ran around with the screw driver in his mouth. When I asked him to give it back, he got so upset that he threw the screw driver and the toy down and started crying.

Today we went to attend a wedding and the boy was glued to the Nadaswaram and Tavil players. For the first time I saw a saxophone being played at a Hindu wedding.

Like last year, this time too he was in awe of the Ganesha and the drum beats. I took him twice to the road when he heard the sound of drum beats.

He (and in turn I!) has learned more rhymes - Goosey Goosey Gander, Hickory Dickory Dock, Old McDonalds Had A Farm, Wheels On The Bus

“I don’t know”

The boy has learnt to say “I don’t know”. That too with a shrug of his right shoulder. There was a book with Hindi alphabets and he has picked up “Hindi bolo”.

Phone for him is “shone”, “one more time” are some of the other words in his vocabulary now.

Yesterday, we went for wedding reception at Royal Orchid. The boy wanted to be carried. Ate portions of spring roll and paneer. He had just started eating chapatis when he saw the grandparents with the dessert. Ditched the chapatis and went straight for it.

Tantrums

The boy threw a tantrum today and did not go to school. He wanted me to carry him as soon as he got up. I attempted to get him to brush his teeth but he refused and wanted to sleep in the bouncer. And that’s it – no going to school.

Throwing up

The boy threw up in the stroller on the way back from school. It was not that bad. I was able to clean it up.

The IL’s (grandparents) are here visiting and the boy was thrilled to see them.

A way with questions

The boy has started drinking milk with a straw from a glass. Last Friday he went to school dressed as Krishna. He briefly let us photograph him with the headgear and flute before discarding them. 

On Saturday we went to our friend’s apartment. They had just moved in. Surprisingly the boy patiently played with her daughter who is one year older than him. In the evening there was a coloring competition in our apartment and the boy insisted sitting in the middle of all the children and coloring.

Ah has learnt a way to get the boy to say yes. His questions would be “You don’t want to play with my toys, yes?” Since there is the absence of “no” at the end of the question, the boy answers with “yes”!

On Sunday we walked with him to the public park. This park had larger play equipments. He was reluctant to climb the slide although he wanted to. Just as he made up his mind, one of the local boys pushed him aside and the boy gave up.

RIP Aylan Kurdi

I hope you are in a better place now.

I hope this war ends soon leaving children like you safe in the hands of their parents than in the hands of the almighty.

I was very upset seeing the images of Aylan’s lifeless body. He was just an year older than the boy. What were his thoughts? At that age he wouldn’t have understood this world and yet this world was cruel to him. And the plight of his father, unable to save both his sons and his wife.

This world is turning out to be a cruel place for such innocent people. I pray that there are no more Aylan's and I am thankful for what I have.

Sunglass and locked out

The boy found the Orao Bearoo child sunglasses that our close friends AA, had gifted him on his 1st birthday. He didn't like it when he got it but this time, he wore it. 

Today the wife got locked and I had to rush home. I had so much to do and the boy told the wife that I had a “call”. I locked myself in the room but the boy wanted to play with me. It was painful hearing the boy cry and bang the door.

Tomorrow we need to get him dressed up as Krishna for the event at school. He picked out a manja (yellow - all the colors boil down to yellow for him) colored costume with a head gear and flute.

"Car push"

Since the boy is used to pushing the pram, he has this idea in mind that "push" works - things move. Last evening at a traffic signal, while waiting for the green light, the boy started telling me "car push! car push!" to move the car forward.

He slept late, woke up late today morning, thew a tantrum and did not go to school.

Rakhi

The boy has started beating and the wife received it first. We don't know where he learnt it.

Aa tied a rakhi and he sat quietly because he got  2 chocolates. Unlike last time, the moment she tied it and the chocolates were in his hands he removed  the rakhi. 

The boy threw a major tantrum on Saturday night. It was a movie night at Aa, Ah's house. They were tired and went to sleep but the boy was supremely active and wanted toys. We said no after a point and he started wailing. Took him home and he took a long time to sleep.

Instead of "come" he says “tumm”.

3 stars

The boy got 3 starts for Oral Assessment in Shapes!

He refused to wear mundu for Onam and threw a tantrum for wearing the pyjamas. Eventually he wore a pant after telling him that it is Ah's and reluctantly wore a kurta with it. 

He has learnt new words - Cayon (crayon), paisha (paisa - money).

For Raksha Bandhan,  the boy was tied a rakhi at school. It did last till he got home.

PTM!

We went to the playschool for the PTM. The boy was feeling very shy sitting with us in front of his teachers. The teachers said he was good in social and emotional skills. For us parents, they encouraged us to talk to him more in grown up language and not the baby language. The teacher also taught him to say "water" when he is thirsty instead of “mmmmu mmmu mmmmu”. 

Later we went to cast our vote in the local corporation elections. The boy was fascinated by the fish tank in the school (our voting center) and squatted beside it. On our way back we bought him a rain coat. And once home he was walking around in the wife's shoes!

For dinner, we headed to California Burrito. The boy did not eat much as he was attracted to the juice and finished it without eating anything else. No other option but to go to McDonald, where the boy ate French Fries - some food in his stomach.

In my shoes :-)

The boy was walking around in my shoes today. Although it was difficult and hard to walk in such big shoes, he persisted with it.

Getting ready

A new way to get the boy ready for school is by telling him that the wife and I are going to his school without him. “Noooo” and he runs to get ready.

His tantrum was so bad that the neighbor dropped in concerned on hearing the crying. He has loose motion and has started going potty in the diaper. Searched online and apparently they do regress. The teacher asked us to cut his nails today.

His recognition skills have improved. He points to fridge and says curd, koottan (curry). Just so that the boy does understand ice cream, we used to spell it word by word. Now he has caught on to that too and says “I” “C” “E” when he wants ice cream. He has learnt to say “Hi”, “Up”, “Down”, “Popko” (Popcorn)

Bless you & gas

Bless you – When the boy sneezes or he hears anybody sneeze, he has learnt to say “Bless you”. And when he farts, he utters “gas”!

We got him a new potty seat - MeeMee Baby Cushion Potty Seat - with Handles. He is not comfortable sitting in the old one and has been going potty in the diaper.

The boy threw up last night in his sleep. The sheets, blanket, pillow covers had to be changed in the middle of the night. He refused to let us brush his teeth and his mouth reeked of the digested banana. He had a mild fever today and we did not send him to school.

His tantrums are increasing and he cries at the drop of a hat. After each crying session, he wants to sleep.  The bouncer is back now. It is hard to rock him to sleep and he repeatedly asks for the bouncer.

Earlier he was willing to let us change his diaper in the morning but refuses now. It takes a lot of cajoling, comparison with the other “good” children before he relents. Looks like the case of terrible 2’s.

Fancy dress

Yesterday the boy threw a big tantrum when we brought him back from Aa/Ah’s home. He cried and went to sleep hungry. 

Today he had a fancy dress competition in school. The boy dressed up as Bhagat Singh. We bought a white shirt, a belt and a hat. I made a gun prop last night. It took me over an hour and I loved it. I cannot remember the last time made a DIY like this. 

We got an eye liner from B and drew a mustache. The boy refused to wear the belt. Lesson learnt – loop the belt though the pant before putting it on.

Vaccination shots

A the Nanny has been off for the past 4 days. On one day she called to inform. Rest of the days, nothing from her.

It was time for the boy’s vaccination shots. We reached Dr S’s place, he recognized it and the crying started right there. I stood outside with him. And when his turn came, he desperately wanted to leave. He didn’t even let Dr S examine him. 2 shots on his thigh - Meningococcal Meningitis Vaccine and Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13) and we were done. Once in the car he was back to normal. We got home, gave him a Caterpillar book and he was thrilled. He can pronounce Butterfly, not very clearly though.

In the evening, took him to the play area and  he has learnt to hang from the backside of the slide ladder.

1 to 100

The first thing the boy does after he wakes up is scream, “caaarry”. I have to lift him and bring him to the living room.  Whenever he is lazy to walk, it is the “caaarry” scream.

For the past 2 days he has been crying inconsolably for no reason at lunch time. Eventually he falls asleep.

The boy’s “No school” chant has come down. Today he walked through the gate smiling and waved bye to us. After school we went grocery shopping to Spar. The advantage of going on a Friday morning is that the place is nearly empty. We picked up the boy from school and he insisted on pushing the shopping cart, even though he could barely reach it's handle. His stay in its flip-up child seat lasted only till the toy section.

Ah made him say numbers from 1 to 100 today! It took him 20 minutes.

Fancy dress

We went out for lunch to Fasoos today. The boy ate a large portion of Chapati Chole wrap and the Chocolate Lava ice cream. He has a fancy dress completion next week. We have to come up with an Indian freedom fighter by this weekend. Which is a challenge as he does not like anything on his head - cap, turban.

And the boy got 3 stars in the Pet Animals Oral Assessment.

Adventures in the play area

The boy’s bump on the forehead has a color of light black. Another parent asked if we took him to the doctor. It is just a bump. Children at this age get this often. Unless it bleeds or the boy falls unconscious, I don't see the need to visit the doctor.

He understands horses and buffalo’s but grapples with the pronunciation. On Saturday I took him to the park and the boy started climbing the slide on his own. Once he reached the top, he stood leaving his hands free, which is scary to watch. I have to slow him down as he slides down with no control. He has learnt to push the swing, by lying on his chest on the seat and kicking off with his legs. Something new that he does now is running back and forth from one end of the living room to the other. 

The boy' version of a flower in the play area sand

The IL’s left today. The boy sensed it when they brought out the suitcases. He was about to break down when we distracted him and took him to the park.

On the bright side his answers to what “Mammm” (food) in school also includes paratha and  sauce rather than just dosa. He can identify food in his lunch box.

Enfagrow and the equation with Ah

We have started on Enfagrow A+ Nutritional Milk Powder (2 years and above) for the boy.



The boy had Friendship day at school today. He had a take a fruit for his friend. We don’t know to whom he gave his Apple but he got 2 fruits in return.

His equation with Ah is strange. In his house, the boy does not play with the toys that Ah asks him not to, even when he is not around. And once he is done playing, he puts all the toys back and informs Ah's mother B and asks for the next set of toys. Nothing of that sort in our house. When we ask him to put the toys back after playing, most of the time his retort is "No". Ah patiently puts up with him most of the time and at other times, he gets a wack on his head. 

The boy was running with Ah, when he tripped, feel and bumped his forehead. He cried, with "no ice no ice" in between.

In the oral assessment on Water Animals, the boy got 2 stars.

Tractor love and bouncer

On the walk back from school, the boy saw a tractor with building material being unloaded on the road and refused to budge! He kept staring at it. I had to lift him and carry him.

The boy is becoming big for the bouncer but he insists on sleeping in it. So today we removed the bouncer seat pad and put it to wash hoping that he will start using the bed for his afternoon nap. It did work. Occasionally he will step into the empty frame of the bouncer and shake it but no longer asks for it. Now to put it away.

No school

The boy banged his head yesterday. The wife was playing with him using a sheet, he tripped and feel hitting his forehead. Cried and during the day he reminded himself about it and cried again. He didn’t sleep well last night and insisted on sleeping in the bouncer at 5 am. Needless to say, he got up late and did not go to school today.

In the oral assessment on Farm Animals the boy got 2 stars. Hmm...his performance is slipping. Time for tuition's ;-)

Favorite animals

The boy had to tell the names of his favorite animals in a chart today. We got a photo of him on the stage, pointing to the chart. It is a pity we don't get to see a video of it.

My knowledge of nursery rhymes have improved thanks to the boy and the wife.

Metro ride and distraction

Yesterday, we took the boy for his next ride in the Metro to visit the MG Road boulevard. This time around, he knows what a train is and was excited to see it pull into the station. He sat in it patiently, gawking at everything around him and wanted to ride the escalator more than once. 

MG Road boulevard has 2 levels. The lower level, which is at road level, has a play area, art galleries, open stalls, fountains, open displays , an auditorium and a eatery. The upper level, which is primarily for walking also features the upper floor of the eatery. The boy spent time in the play area, ate a cup cake from the stall and had a good time running around.

On the way back, we went for dinner to Cafe Thulp with IL’s. The boy created a ruckus because he wanted to eat with knife and fork. He drank water melon juice and polished off the French fries.

Distraction works big time for the boy to get him to do things. If we tell him that it is time to brush his teeth, the retort is “Noooo”. But if we tell him that we are going to use his tooth brush and use the new tooth paste, he runs to the bathroom and is ready by the wash basin to brush his teeth. 
The same approach works for school. When we bring out the school uniform, it is a vehement “No school, no school!”. But if we tell him that we are going to wear his uniform and go to school, he is ready to be dressed and go to school.

Collage competition. Already!

Over the past 2-3 days the boy has not got into the bath tub. His brushing skills have improved and he has developed a fascination for sticks, that is used for drumming.

He enjoys sitting on my shoulder when we go and come back from school. When the wife and I reach there at 11, I peer through the gates and see the boy slowly coming out of the door anxious and seeking. And the smile and relief on his face when he sees us gives me so much joy. 

The boy came first in the Collage Work for the Playgroup morning section! They are just 2 years old.

He also got 3 stars in the Wild Animals oral assessment conducted on Tuesday.

Settling in at school?

It has been over a month now since the boy started school and looks like he is settling in. No crying today and he willingly walked through the school gate.

The wife – “What did you do in school today?”
The boy – “Mammm” (Ate food)
The wife – “What did you eat?”
The boy – “Two dosha” (It might be pasta or bread or chapatti but the answer is always 2 dosas)
The wife – “How many stars did you get?”
The boy looking at his hand – “None” (and if there are stars  the answer is “Two” irrespective of the number he got)
The wife – “What rhyme did you learn today?”
The boy with a wide smile – “Baa baa back” (Baa Baa Black Sheep rhyme)

Haircut time

The boy pushes the tricycle, his legs don’t reach the pedals and uses the storage basket in it to put his toys.

It was the time for a haircut and he usually screams his guts out. This time too, Ah came along. The boy sensed it and started his rant – “no cutting, no cutting”. The boy saw Ah getting a haircut and sat down quietly in my lap. Out came the clipper and it was done in 7 minutes. The only irritant for him was the hair falling on his face and neck. No crying at all!

He has started adding “m” at the end of the words when he addresses us. “Amma” has become “Ammam”. On counting down from 1 to 10, he refuses to say 5 and 7.

Dinner was at BYLI and the boy ate pita bread and rice.

School and crying

The last 2 days have seen a major shift in the boy settling down.  He cried only when he reached the gate unlike the other days. The boy did say “no skool” all the way.

No crying today! I guess this is the first time after joining school. He willingly walked through the school gate. 

Assessment

I was able to carry the boy to school today. My back is good now.

Today was assessment for the boy on Meet my Family. He had to tell his name, his parents name and sibling names (if any). He got 3 stars!

The crying to get to school continues. Just when we think things are set, along comes Friday and the crying starts again from Monday.

We had ordered new dining chairs and the boy told B that when he went up to her house. He pointed to the chair in her house and started screaming “chairs”. That is when the A the Nanny told B that new chairs have been delivered.

2 years old!

I still remember the feeling when I touched his tiny fingers after he was born. 

And now the boy understands birthday and cake. At school, the teachers, children sang and wished him.

At home, he had his favorite yellow bus birthday cake, ordered from French Loaf, and managed to blow the candles! He was not happy when we cut it though.

We had a quiet ceremony at home and the boy was thrilled with so many people, especially Aa, Ah and their cousins Aa and Ag. B and A, whom he calls Mama and Dada, gave him a tricycle. He got a big red musical bus. I had to tape the speakers as they were loud. Thank god that my back is back to normal.

Birthday party & full house

On Saturday we had Aa’s birthday party in the apartment clubhouse. The boy had his cake and chips and was busy cleaning the floor. 

Yesterday we went to visit my parents and my brother's family. The boy got along well with his children – 15 month old Av and 7 year old Sa. Sa is a big fan of Frozen and she came back with us to stay over. The IL’s have dropped in too. 

Back spasm

I am down with a bad case of back spasm. The boy runs to me asking me to lift him and play with him. It is frustrating to know I can’t. For 3 days, the wife had to drop him and pick him up from school. Thank god for her and that it is not a slip disc.

The boy has started brushing his teeth on his own. Standing on an inverted bucket, he can reach the wash basin. Spitting is a challenge though as he gulps down the paste and water!

The boy wanted sauce the first thing today morning. We gave it to him along with the methi chapatti and as usual, he licked only the sauce.

3 stars!

The boy got 3 stars (the maximum) in the body parts oral assessment test(!). I am curious to know what was asked and what he answered.

He has picked up rhymes. Incy Wincy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Baa Baa Black Sheep. He hums the tune saying the words occasionally with actions.

Brownies and park

Polished off 2 brownies on his own. That was his lunch!

The boy finds it difficult to stay indoors and wanted to be taken out to the park. Last night I took him to the park at 830, he played in the sand, walked and when it was time to give him a bath, he wanted to sit in the bucket. Exhausted he slept. Which was good – he did not wake up crying in the night

No school

The fever has subsided but he still has a cold. So no sending him to school for the past 2 days.

Ever since he started going to school, the boy continues to cry in the nights. Starts at 1 or 2 am and goes on for 30 to 45 minutes. At first we thought it was nightmares but no. Looks like this is a phase.

Fever

The boy is down with fever and cold today and we did not send him to school. He did remind us specifically in the morning twice – ‘no skool’. He refused to take Crocin and we had to force it down his throat.

Shoes

New sandals for the boy yesterday. He wants to wear them with "shocks" as they "kuthu" him otherwise.

The boy's pairs so far

Today morning the wife spent some time preparing a family tree for the boy’s book. A very bad day after school simply because the wife refused to carry him to the park and insisted he walk. The boy threw the biggest tantrum. Cried and cried, put both his hands inside his mouth, coughed and cried more. He finally sat in the bouncer and went off to sleep.

Behavior

The boy has become more expressive. Says “kuthu” (poke) when the dress or anything in the bed bothers him. He expresses his no very strongly and coolly. A the Nanny hears most of the no. The boy openly tells her not to come with him to the park. 
The morning offer of oats is treated with disdain and he prefers dosa and chapatis. Raisins are always an exception. On some days he does not eat at home and finishes the 2 dosas/chapatis packed.

Happy after school

For the first time, the boy was happy after school today. It was crying all the way but when we went to pick him up, he was very cheerful.

Last night was another night of crying. He insisted on sleeping in the bouncer allowing only the wife to rock him. My talking to him/reaching out to him evoked louder crying.

Together to school

The wife and I decided to go together to drop him and pick him up. On the way we talked to him about the good things at school, meeting his friends, telling a quick hello to teacher, playing for some time and coming home soon. That seemed to calm him down.

No going to school

The wife had come out of the bedroom last night after the boy slept, to watch a TV program. Sometime later the boy woke up uncomfortable and I guess the thoughts of school came back and he started wailing. The wife rocked him for a long time (he refused to come to me). He did not sleep, she was tired and then the crying started again. I had to put the bouncer on the bed and sometime after 1 am he slept.

We did not send the boy to school today.

Throwing up

Last night the boy cried so much that he threw up dinner. He wanted to go out to the park. At 9 pm in the night. This has been happening for some nights now.

We went for dinner to Cafe Thulp. The boy had water melon juice and pita bread. Back home and I had to stick photos of the boy at his birth, on his first birthday and his first day at school in the school diary.

No "skool"

"Amma, no skool"

The boy's “no skool no skool” chant has started. Once the uniform is brought out, the crying starts. On the walk to school he is quiet as we talk about the dogs, chickens that we see on the way and the toys at school. 

Today when I went to pick him up, he ran to me and refused to let go when I lifted him. They played with clay today.

Pram to school

Today I took the pram to drop the boy. He was fine till he reached the school gate. Lifted him out of the pram, signed in and the moment he saw another girl crying he started too and refused to let go of my t-shirt. The teachers had to pry open his hand. He stayed for 2 hours today and burst out crying when he saw me at the gate. He was quiet on the way home and the crying started as soon as the pram reached the apartment gate. He wanted to continue the walk on the road but I had to get ready for work. The boy went to sleep, crying with his finger in his mouth.

That is something new he has started - putting his finger in the mouth while crying. Sometimes he puts the fingers from both his hands inside his mouth, chokes and cries even more loudly.

Full love

As soon as the boy woke up, he asked for me. Made me lie down, climbed on my and lay down on my chest, asking me to pat him and refused to get up :-)

Today he was at school for 1.5 hours. I went to pick him and when I peered through the gate he was fine and waiting. The moment he saw me, burst out crying.

Photo and second day of school

The school needed the latest passport size photo of the boy and off we went to take one. Unlike last time, he was ready and smiling. Although he did not have the patience to wait with us to collect the developed photos. He wanted to leave.

All his books (9 of them) were covered and labeled including his shoes.

The used diaper bag does not smell anymore thanks to the boy using the potty seat. What a relief! Although he does confuse us with potty and peeing.

Yesterday we went to meet my parents. The boy was given samosa with sauce (he loves tomato sauce) Picked a piece of samosa, dipped it in sauce and licked the sauce off the samosa. While we rolled our eyes and urged him to eat the piece, he kept repeating it – dipped the samosa piece in sauce and licked only the sauce. 

Second day of school today.


The boy did not have a clue when we dressed him up in the uniform. Most of the books had to be left at the school. He wanted to wear the school bag, so we took the books out. I think he got an inkling of what was coming when we reached school. He started crying as soon as we left him at the gate. He was fine till we went to pick him up after 40 minutes. The moment he saw the wife, he started crying again.

Getting the boy registered

I find it hard to believe that the boy is ready to go to school. Time flies.

The previous day the boy saw a photo of his cousin carrying a bag and he wanted it. When the wife said he is going to school, the boy wanted to go too. So the next morning, the boy started saying "kool kool", got ready early (he ate only 2 spoonful of oats) and off we went walking to the school. I had to carry him as he was taking his own sweet time to get to the apartment gate. We walked into the school, the boy was cautious and did not open up to the teachers and the assistants. He loved the ball enclosure, with plastic balls in so many different colors. We used this time to fill the forms and pay the fees. I think the children crying unsettled him a bit. The school started last Monday and the teachers say it would take upto 30 days for the children to settle down – get used to the school and the fact that the parents will not be around for 2 hours. The boy tried on the uniform and was not ready to remove it. We put him in the Playgroup class with the other children and quietly came out. 2 minutes and he started wailing, ran out looking for us. This was not looking good. More children started coming in. We had to slip out.

So this school had Playgroup, Nursery, LKG and UKG. 12 children in each class. 9 am to 11 am. Why school uniform at such a small age? I asked this question and the answer was valid. Parents have a tendency to dress up their children and when other children sees a fancy dress, they start pestering their parents for the same dress. The uniform also helps the school to keep track of the child.

It was painful to leave him behind crying and walk out. He will have to get used to it. I wonder if it is too early in his life for school. I remember starting out with school in LKG.

We went back after 30 minutes to pick up the boy and he was wailing :-( Came running to us.

Playschool finalized

We checked out another playschool today. Extremely expensive and 5km away from home passing through 2 potential traffic jam sections and decided not to go with it. 

We took the boy to the school that we had visited the day before. It was well ventilated, on the ground floor, had a watchman, CCTV, a small swimming pool, a small assembly area with a raised platform and a whole lot of toys. The boy looked comfortable and we decided to go with it. We would have put him in the place run by the aged lady, unfortunately it is on 1st floor, the classrooms are dark and there is no surveillance camera.

A note to parents – most of these playschools have an application form that cost Rs. 300/-. Buy it only if you finalize that school. One of the schools we went to, the lady in-charge started filling it out without informing us in advance and then charged us for the form.

Nose bleed

The boy fell today and had a nose bleed. He cried but is ok.

Peer pressure

Is this called parental peer pressure? 

“What, he is not in playschool yet?”

“Are you not sending him?” 

“Send him to a playschool that has higher classes, so that he can continue and get admission in 1st standard”

"XXX school is very good. Both my children and my friend's children and her friend's children attended this school"

He is not even 2!

We checked out 3 playschools today. All within walking distance. 2 of them were franchises with the standard features – school uniform, swimming pool, surveillance camera, lot of toys. I liked the 3rd one run by an aged lady.

The boy would be starting this week in one of them.

TV and meal

And the boy had a meal sitting in front of TV. I couldn't prevent it.

I hope this is only a one off scenario and that he understands the respect to be given to food. 

An interesting link

Chinese for a change

On the way back from Fortis, we went for lunch to Beyond China. Tucked away from the main road, good ambience and very friendly staff. They also had a high chair for the boy.

He loved the Crispy Vegetables tossed in Sweet Chilly Plum. Seeing us eat with forks, he wanted to but was unsuccessful. Ended up eating up with his hands, including the rice, which a lot of it spilled on the tray and the baby seat. 

Thank you

One of the older boys carried him, tripped over a stone and both fell. Luckily, the boy hit only the side of his face and not the head. Small bruise but he cried for a long time.

He has learned to say thangu! (Thank you)

MIL story

The MIL was sitting on the Diwan when the boy gently started edging her out.

MIL turned to the boy “If you continue like this, I will go away”

The boy quietly went to the door, picked up MIL’s slippers, put it next to her and waved her bye :-)

No wake-up night

The boy slept through the whole night without waking up for milk! First time. He has learnt “up” and “down”.

He kept saying poo poo even though his diaper was clean. Put him on the potty seat and after sometime he did go! On his way to being potty trained.

Lifts and Shoes

We had to make a visit to Fortis Hospital yesterday. The wife’s uncle was admitted and since he wanted to see her, we had to take the boy along. He was thrilled with the lifts, went up and down it, walked all over the cafeteria and wanted to eat what others were having. As he result he ended up eating portions of bagel, corn sandwich, ice cream and drinking juice.

The boy has learnt that he has to wear shoes if he wants to go outside.

Vacuum cleaner

The vacuum cleaner intrigued him, especially the blower. The boy helped me switch it on and off and insisted that I continue to use if even after I was done with the cleaning.

Potty seat

We bought a Farlin Toilet Seat Potty Seat for the boy today.

Playschool visits

We checked out a playschool today. The boy started crying as soon as he entered it. 

The timing is from 830 am to 1130 am and the school is roughly 5 km away from home. They require the children to be potty trained and prescribe a school uniform. The fees for 2 quarters covered my engineering degree fees for 1 year. They have a van that transports the children from the school to the play area in the adjacent lane.

He has not even turned 2! I feel I am sending him to jail.

The boy has learnt to say no no no with vigorous shaking of head. It rained and he had a wonderful time running in puddles of water.

The Art angle

The boy drew on the wall with crayons. The day I was dreading! 

Before the wife could stop him, he quickly ran to the wall and left his imprint.

High on Coffee

Last evening we went shopping / dinner to Phoenix Marketcity. Gave the boy a couple of spoons of filter coffee from Kalmane and he was super high till midnight!

He said “Bus” – the whole word. He prefers to eat things which he can pick with his hand. Any dish with paneer curry, he goes straight for the paneer. Started saying "poo poo" after going potty.

Mosquitoes and words

Nightfall and we have mosquitoes swarming around and the boy claps his hands in an attempt to kill it. Of course, he gets nowhere close.

The words are slowly forming - chocolate is coktish, raisins is kikish , oats is oatsh and bubbles is bubbish.

He loves playing cricket with his red little plastic bat and each time he hits the bill, it is a sixer for him (shown with his both palms open) which is a sign for us to clap. When lying down, if I asked to move up a bit he knows to how to wriggle and nudge himself up. When he pees he goes “muu”. Now to get him to stage where he says it before peeing rather than before.

During bath, he walks into the bath tub and walks out by himself. He is very touchy about washing his hair and it is a 2 person job.

New sandals and BYLI

The boy’s shoes were getting tight for him and the insides were torn. We got him a pair of bright red crocs - look alike sandals. The boy pointed it out to himself when we went to shop. Tried them on and he wanted it.

For dinner we went to  BYLI. I loved the ambience, the staff were friendly and treated the boy well.The boy wanted to eat on his own and he did eat. Some portions of Spinach Artichoke & Cream Cheese Dip, Vegetable Veracruzana and Bonded S&M Sisters. I had to compete with him for my dessert of Chocolate Mousse. As a bonus, he got a bowl of Cadbury's Gems from the staff.

Names

The boy has started calling people by their names and makes a big fuss when Ah or Aa leaves after coming home. Many a time we have to distract him by taking him into the other room while these two sneak out. When the boy goes to their house, he refuses to leave. He eats well in their house but not in ours. It has to do with Aa and Ah eating with him.

I called the wife today and the boy came on line. First thing he said is my name! Ask him questions on drinking milk, playing, eating and he replies affirmatively or in broken sentences. 

He has learnt to swing by himself on the outdoor swing.

Family wedding

Road trip to Chennai to attend a family wedding. 

For the first time we let the boy sleep in the back seat of the car while the wife sat in the front. Once the boy woke up, she moved to the back seat. He also learnt to get off the bed after waking up and walk to the living room. 

Chennai was hot and his appetite went for a toss. Imagine a yummy Kerala wedding meal at Hotel Ashoka and what does he eat? 2 pieces of papad.  He wanted to be carried and be near the musicians  who played the nadaswaram. The wedding reception was at Taj Club House. I loved the live vegetarian counter. The boy did not eat much but finished the ice cream.

The boy missed the park, Ah, Aa, kept chanting their names, their parents and their grandparents. 

We got back last night.

The Nanny returns

A the Nanny is back. The boy is taking time adjusting to her. He was whining throughout the day. 

Gone are the day when the boy used to eat a lot of vegetables. He is becoming very choosy. On Saturday we went to meet our parents. The boy did not eat much.

We attended a birthday party of one of the children in the apartment yesterday. The boy was thrilled playing with balloons and running along with the boys. 

For dinner we went to this wonderful place called Aioli BBQ & Grill Smoke House
They claim to be the only restaurant in India dedicated to the Indian Armed Forces. The cuisine was Mediterranean Fusion. We found the service very quick. The pita bread was soft, tasty and went well with the hummus. The boy ate most of the pita bread and loved it. The Love Valley mocktail was very sugary. The place was empty and we had a lovely time. 

He fell off the bed today morning in his sleep. I lifted him, felt him all over, he was ok. Rocked him and he went back to sleep.