Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Teddy Bear Teddy Bear...Off to School!!!

My little baby bird fluttered its wings and flew out of its nest!! My kutu started going to a play school last week.

After much contemplation, we had decided that kutu will go to play school. Just to spend a couple of hours playing with kids of his own age group. We just wanted him to have a lot of fun with the kids and in the process if he learns some new stuff it would be a bonus.

I had bought a small blue school bad with pictures of mickey and mini and their coterie. A small tiffin box and a water bottle was also bought. Not that it would be put to much use in the play school. But that was just to complete his school kit. And of course kutu's mom was very excited that her little one is going to school. It was a sight to behold...kutu all in smiles dressed up in a red and white T-Shirt and blue pants and the blue bag... :) He went around telling a goodbye to everyone in the house. I thought to myself...this is just the first among the many goodbyes from him. I am a big time day dreamer. So dont ask me the instances that I foresee about when me and kutu are going to have an emotional goodbye session.

The playschool is set up in a small house with little chairs, tables and toys all around. Kutu was very happy to find "rendu baaal"(two balls...one green and the other blue). He was happily playing around with them oblivious to the wails of the kids around. He also befriended a kid there. His name is steve. A very sweet little fellow. An angel compared to kutu. He was sitting on his chair and just smiling at everyone around. Kutu was very impressed when the teacher started reciting prayers. He stood religiously with his hands folded and eyes shut tightly.

We stayed there for around an hour and brought him back home. Then I asked him "Kutu what did aunty teach you at school"...he very sweetly imitated the actions of the nursery rhyme "are you sleeping are you sleeping Brother John".

The subsequent days were not so easy. He was asked to sit on a chair and watch what the teacher was doing. Our little fellow of course cannot sit in a place for more than two minutes. So he started crying and brought the roof down. And my little one which flew out of the nest and returned promptly.

Friday, June 1, 2007

All things bright and beautiful!!

This post is in response to MadMomma's call to all the mommy bloggers in this post of hers. MM had given a link to an article by Mrinal Pande on HT LiveMint. This article is on the not so beautiful side of motherhood. A gentleman named Roman has given his comment on the same topic in MM's post. Hers's part of what he says :-

Are you changing anything by feeling every day grimm and so damn miserable about your lives and being overwhelmed with children and chores?

Pregnancy brings with it a host of changes to your body and your lifestyle in general. Yelling at the top of your voices and bringing the roof down in the labour room was not a picnic either. The post partum blues and the sleepless nights that followed...the little said the better!! But, inspite of having been through all that we still love our little brats to bits.

Having a baby and raising a baby is a beautiful experience. Yes. But it also involves a lot of hardwork. It is also dull and mundane at times. It is not just about cuddling with a cutie pie and cootchie cooing. For the baby to do that it needs to be well fed, well rested and healthy. and that involves a lot of work. Give me an example of any job that doesn't come with its share of hardships?

I would not say i enjoyed the sleepless nights that my kutu gave me. I accept there have been some days when i wished "God..what did i do to go through all this" during kutu's meal times. There are days when he drives me up and down the wall. End of day, i am tired and worn off yes...but also very happy and contented. Happy that God gave me this little bundle of joy...and contented that i did to the best of my ability to keep him happy and healthy.

Roman says that women need to pack off these negative feelings and start looking at all this with a positive outlook. I would say...the positive outlook would not come into the picture at all if the negative feelings weren't there in the first hand.

He also calls himself or the husbands in general as " a '7 to 9PM' creature, that brings in cash for groceries and bills, and takes kids outside every Saturday or so."...oh yeah??!! So, men are cash vending machines and what are women?? Baby making machines? FYI...We are in a world where both men and women bring home the cash for the groceries and bills. Helping out at home and spending time with the kids is an act of generosity? Is that an act of kindness you bestowed on your wife? No Thanks. A little more work wont do us any harm. We would prefer it if you choose to do all this out of love for your wife and kids.

You want us to feel that motherhood is a bed of roses. But roses have thorns too remember? Having a baby turns your world topsy turvy in all unimaginable ways. But hey...we cherish and enjoy the wholesome experience of being a mother. Period.

haven't you heard of these verses?

But all sorts of things and weather
Must be taken in together
To make up a year,
And a sphere.


That just about sums it all up.

P.S: The slow poke newbie blogger that I am,i took a long time to finish this. In the mean time, Mr. Roman's wife Jen has left a comment on his comment on MM's post. Do check in what she has to say. She is correct in saying that it is now that the women have started to open up and talk. The fact that we dont deny that negative feelings do arise and we are ready to discuss these is a good sign.