Year end vacation.

The boy had a wonderful vacation in Kasaragod. He went to beach on all the days, ate the local food and did not throw much of a fuss.

Sports Day

The boy' had his Sports Day last Saturday in LSB.

He was the flag bearer for his class, participated in running, sack race and the yoga demonstration.

The chief guest was a well known pediatric nutritionist and she had the following to say :-

1. Children should get 10-12 hours of uninterrupted sleep in the night. Screen time is affecting the deep sleep period which is so vital for them.

2. 1-2 hours of physical activity everyday in the open is much needed.

3. Protein deficiency in children is being observed. Once they are back from their physical activity, in the first 30 minutes, give them proteins - nuts, paneer, boiled egg, channa etc.

Other salient points :-
1. Only 17% children in India get the required physical activity
2. In Bangalore, 21% of the children are obese and lifestyle diseases are being observed which one usually sees in adults.
3. It is much simpler to bring up strong children rather than fix broken adults.

Birthday wishes

The boy's birthday birthday card for his mother.

Spelling numbers

"I know how to spell numbers!", the boy announced.
"1 is One"
"2 is Two"
.
.
"6 is Sex"

"No no no!" I wanted to scream but then firmly said that is not how 6 is pronounced.

Letter to Santa

The boy says he has been behaving well and wants a Nerf Gun :-)

Diwali

This time around, the boy was clear that he wanted sparklers, flower pots and chakras.

Unlike last year, he lighted them on his own and also managed to burn his hand when he picked up a burnt sparkler.

Sports Day and Football

The boy participated in the Sports Day in the apartment and came first in the potato race. He was thrilled.

He had threatened to give up on football and yesterday was the last class. Did a u-turn and said he wants to continue. I will know next weekend. The boy also wants to learn singing.

He has started to go to Ah's house on his own. The rule is not to stop anywhere, not to talk anyone and immediately call on the intercom when he gets there.

He has finally moved away from sipper water bottle. No more plastic ones. VIVA h2o Stainless Steel Trendy Water Bottle For Kids is what he uses now.

Hyderabad trip and lost tooth

The boy had a good time in Hyderabad with IIR and DS last weekend. Played in the pool, ran around, bit of TV, ate decently, fought/became jealous with Ia and some tantrums. At the end of it he did not want to come back to Blr.

After a gap of 2 weeks he went to school yesterday and lost his first tooth. The already chipped tooth had started shaking in the morning and by his bed time it was out. The boy was shocked by the blood and all and with his strong belief in the tooth fairy, he kept it under the pillow. The wife replaced it with a 5 Rs coin (closest in resemblance to a gold coin).
Today morning he got up quickly and was thrilled to find the coin. Whoever he met, he told them about the tooth and the coin.

Fever and the old bicycle

The boy is down with fever.

There was a birthday party yesterday and although he fervently prayed to God to make him alright to attend it, he was not in a state for it. To make him happy we ordered a McD Happy Meal but the boy had only 2 bites of the burger. Football got cancelled and he didn't go to school today. Dr S has recommended Crocin and to bring him in if the fever does not subside.

His old bicycle was sold on OLX yesterday. I brought down the price when a school teacher wanted it for his 3 year old daughter but couldn't afford the price. Last night at 10, he came on his motorcycle, tied the cycle at the back and left. I was worried for his safety. Pinged him and he got home with no trouble. His daughter was very happy, he was thrilled that she was happy and I was relieved.

Small Foot

We went to see this movie last night.
I loved it - the animation, the story, the characters and the message it conveyed.
The boy had a good laugh and surprisingly, understood the message about telling the truth.
A highly recommended watch.

Chaperone

We have a small play area in the apartment.

Ever since the boy discovered the joys of outdoors and the play area became his go to place (after Ah's house), one of us have always accompanied him.

With him learning to cycle without the training wheels, it became hard to keep up with him.

Today for the first time, he went out on his own on the cycle and came back. I think the days of chaperoning are behind. It also points to how fast they grow up.

Today he said the 4 letter word and said he made it up. I hope he is telling the truth. We told him it is a bad word and not to use it.

Legacy Orientation and singing

We had a orientation session at Legacy School for the boy's Grade 1 admission. He insisted on tagging along.

I loved the school, the infrastructure, their teaching methodologies and they went to great lengths to explain our current education system and how they differ - it is very very child centric. We also talked about the various schooling boards - IB, Cambridge, ICSE and CBSE. The fee is higher than the regular schools. The boy loves the school though.

We need to take a call soon.

The boy has started singing, making up his own words. To be honest, what do I say - a bit painful on the ears. But then I guess extra skills have to be encouraged at this age?

Ganesha and PTM

The boy had a coloring event during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in the apartment last Thursday.

The meeting and the PTM over the weekend went well. On a sad note, after teaching children for 35 years, the school is closing down next year due to lack of enrollments :-(

At the  PTM, his teacher told us she is happy with his progress and no complaints. He is participating more, his temper has reduced. The boys in the class are very competitive and talks a lot more for their age!  He gives up when there are big words to write and the teacher has suggested that he do some of it at home.

Fever

And out of school for 2 days. The boy was very upset that he could not attend school.
That did not deter him from attending football classes. He was also thrilled that he finally got to wear his new colors and shoes.

Cycling on his own

The boy has learnt to start and ride the cycle on his own with no training wheels.

Initially he was able to balance after 4-5 sessions but could not start on his own. Later he learnt that too.

School timing fantasies

The boy - "I wish there was school everyday, but only from 830 to 1130 and not till 130. That way it will be equal on Saturdays and Sundays also and I will not be bored on weekends"

Orphanage and piggy bank

"Where are you going tomorrow? It's Independence Day and a holiday."
"I am going to an orphanage."
"What is that?"
"It is a place where there are children who don't have nice clothes to wear, pencil, eraser, books and such things which you have. Some of us are helping by giving them money to buy things."
"How much money are you giving?"
"X rupees"
The boy thought, and after a while "Could I give some money from my piggy bank?"
My heart melted.

It also reinforces my thought that our children learn from our actions.
They observe. A lot.
You may not notice.
One big sponge they are that soaks up things.
Put out the good things and they will soak that up.

Football!

On Friday, the boy had his passport renewal. That went off peacefully.

The boy started on his football trial class and he is super excited and wants to take it up. Every Saturday and Sunday mornings.

He has learnt to take the potty seat, put it on the WC and do it on his own. 

Cycling

The boy's cycling lessons have started without any training wheels. Thanks to Ah, he got a cycle with stand.
He has moved to being able to go for a couple of seconds without help.
The challenge is the practice tskes place only when I am around. That is mostly weekends.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Finally the boy sat through a movie in a cinema hall today. No tantrums, he was quiet, excited and no ask for pop corn and junk.

We went for the 3 pm show at INOX - Lido Mall, Ulsoor.

I think it had to do with the Avengers theme. The boy is totally hooked to it.

Storytelling sessions

And the boy is done with those sessions. He was all excited when we signed him up for a month.

He was thrilled with the first class and the activities he had. But as each Saturday passed his interest went down. We decided not to continue.

Shoes with laces

New lace sports shoes for the boy.

He insisted on getting one and told us that he will learn to tie them on his own. Time will tell.

Birthday party

The boy had his birthday, super hero theme.  The wife did all the work.

It was in the apartment club house with around 20 children.

UKG

The boy's school opened last Monday and he moves to M3.

There was confusion about the transport and at the last minute, I had to go and drop him. This continued for the whole week as they were finalizing the vendor. Some advance notification and better planning would have helped. For some strange reason the boy wanted to wear shorts everyday.

He also got a bigger hand-me-down Firefox cycle from Ah.

House house

Actual conversation of the boy playing House House with one of his friends(a girl)

Girl: (Pretend calls the boy on the phone) "Hello? Come home fast. The baby is crying and wants to see you" 
The boy: "What? I can't come now. I am fighting the demons."
Girl: "But the baby..."
The boy: "Demons are more important. Ok fine, I'll come and make the baby into superman then he can help me."
Girl: "OK" (Continues playing House House)

UK Trip

The boy had a 1 month trip to UK.

While the wife and the boy went first, I joined them after 3 weeks and we flew back together.

I was apprehensive but he handled himself well. No major tantrums, walked a lot, overcame the fear of doing new things to a certain extent and got used to the idea of having dogs around. Food was bit of a challenge as he did not like the cheese in that country.

His aunt spoiled him and his toy collection increased. We also did a 10 day road trip and the boy behaved well. He also navigated a bit. At 2 places he got a medal and he was thrilled.

Overall a wonderful trip.

Taking a walk at Lands End

Gag

We literally had to gag the boy on Friday night as he threw a tantrum after midnight. Didn't want to brush, change into night clothes and screaming to Top it. He was just being unreasonable after our good friends AAD left.

The boy has been having an Avengers education from Ah and after a lot of pleading and begging we got him the Avengers bag. He was thrilled.

Supporting your child's mental health

Top Slip

A short trip Top Slip. The boy had many things to say during the drive :-
"I am really excited to be a dad when I grow up. You know what I will name my son? Shark!"
"I am really worried. What if I drive fast and crash?"
The wife - "Dont worry you have good genes"
"You mean if I wear jeans and drive, I won't crash?"
In a traffic jam - "Whatever happens, happens for a good reason"

Graduation Day

Graduation Day and the boy got a certificate for  97% attendance.

Another tantrum and I hope these end soon. I told the boy clearly in the morning, that I have to go out after lunch and he agreed to it too. Inspite of that, the moment I left he created a fuss about it and threw a huge tantrum.

On the bright side, finances for my next car is taken care of as the boy graciously offered -
"After some years, if you want money for buying a car, take it from my piggy bank"

He had a sleepover at Ah's place. It had mine when I started college! Children, these days...

Conversations

Conversation between the boy and B(Aa and Ah's mom).

B - "Why did you throw a tantrum today?"
The boy - Smiling sheepishly..."Did you hear me?"
B - "Of course that's why I got a headache"
B - "Why did you shout and cry so much?"
The boy - "Because of my mom and dad"
B - "What did they do?"
The boy - "They didn't stop me from crying"
B - "But why did you cry in the first place"
The boy - "Achan didn't allow me to come to your house"
B - "Why didn't he allow you?"
The boy - "Just like that"
The boy - "I have a bad headache..not because of Ah. Ah is not troubling. I have a headache because of my mom's shouting"

Attitude

One of the things I do not approve of is when people eat their food in front of TV.

Which is more important? Where is your respect for food? And mindless eating.

The boy at his age is like a sponge, soaking up everything - what we say, what we do.

So when I got into an argument with the wife for eating in front of the TV, the boy coolly said "Achan, ignore Amma". I was impressed with the boy's attitude of letting go.

A talk with him later in the day...

The boy - "Whom will I marry when I become big?"
I - "Why do you need to marry? "
The boy - "Then only I will have children."
I - "Why do you need to have children? Can you handle their crying? You cannot handle your own crying..."
The boy - "If he cries, I will shift the house without him"
I - "Good idea! We will do the same thing the next time you cry"
The boy - "Nooo...katti I won't be your friend!"

Read, add, snap and religion

The boy can read words now with phonetic sounds and count. Randomly he asks me the sum of 2 numbers and keeps compounding them.

There has been a questioning spree related to religion. I dread answering them but the wife is good at it. "Why is Jesus father not a God but Ganesha's father is a God?"

"I am smart", tapping his forehead is something that he repeats often.

He has learned to snap his fingers.

Water Day

Today is Water Day.

The boy insisted on wearing blue t-shirt when we had no information from school - no email or on the app.

But the boy was adamant that they had to be in blue colors.

"You are not the one going to school, I am! I know that we have to wear blue today. You don't know anything."

He turned out to be right.

Holi and class photo

The boy had Holi celebrations in school and came back happy smeared with color.

"Let's leave India. There is so much traffic." the boy told me as I was getting him ready for school. I was amused.  It was the day of his class photo. He diligently combing his hair, made sure it covered his forehead neatly.

He has not been using the cycle much ever since the training wheels were removed. I was hoping he will learn but he seems to be in the comfort zone of using his scooter.

Annual day and marriage

The boy had his annual day at Chowdiah Memorial Hall last Friday. He participated in a skit dressed up as a kangaroo. He looked confident on stage and did not miss his steps. Post that we went to this Sattvam for dinner. Lovely place and what a spread.

"I got 2 and 3 stars from teacher for 2 books I wrote today. You know how I was able to write more? Because I have bigger muscles now" the boy said pointing to his muscles. It has become a common practice for him to ask us to check his muscles after each meal.

The boy has become a big questioner. He has questions about everything and followup questions to the answers. It is a good phase but sometimes it can get exhausting and you wish he would keep quiet. At the same time you don't want to shush him lest he stops questioning.

Another haircut done and his hair is growing very fast.

He dentified "Shape Of You" from the opening score. I am impressed.

We went to Café Myodo for lunch and it was the second time the boy ordered spaghetti pasta and did not finish it. We managed to eat a lot of it and the rest we  packed.

The boy has started asking questions about whom he can marry!

Family wedding and the aunt arrives

"When I grow big, I can do anything. You people will be old!", the boy proclaimed.

Hennessey Venom is his new craze because his teacher at school told him that it is faster than a Bugatti Veyron. The boy has been saving money in his piggy bank to buy a Bugatti. Now with this new information, he wondered how much more he has to save :)

We did a road trip to hometown to attend a family wedding. The boy's aunt was also visiting and he was so excited to see her.  I suspect it had to do more with the gifts she had brought. It was a good family get together.  He didn't eat much at the wedding. I loved the wedding lunch.

He has learnt to brush his teeth on his own.

Talk about the love for his mentor and guide Ah. There was a funny incident when he refused to get up in the morning citing his leg was paining. The moment he heard Ah  had called he jumped out of the bed, brushed his teeth, drank milk and asked me to drop him in Ah's house. No pain, all gain.

New watch

Thanks to his Uncle. The boy was thrilled. He told everyone about it and proudly flaunted it. The excitement lasted 3 days.

Cycle fixed and PTM

The chain was coming off inspite of repeated fixing. Took it to a nearby mechanic who changed a spindle. The boy was off it for almost a week.

The boy also had his PTM at school. He has started volunteering to speak up and interacting with children outside his close circle. That is good news.

The boy's musings

One of the aged residents in our apartment passed away and the boy saw the priest coming in to do the last rites. Suddenly he asked, "If I die who will do mine?". 'You all will be gone!" he said sitting in B's house. Aa replied that he will have children and the boy was shocked. "How do I take care of babies!?"

The boy can sit without a potty seat.

He has a new found live for Paw Patrol now.