Off to Nagala

Had gone on an amazing trekking trip a couple of weeks ago. For the first time I had left home even before my brat woke up from the slumberland. Even after having prepared him before he went to bed the previous night saying "amma will have to leave for office very very early the next day. Be a good boy ok?", I was ill at ease. The mother hen in me not wanting to let go of her little one. But then I did. Mamma Bird flew off the nest for one whole day away from her littlest one! The pappa Bird stayed back did the babysitting. :)

Where women are concerned even a trekking trip will\has to involve shopping. Obviously!! so there I went shopping for shoes and track pants and t-shirts and what not! and then came the task of packing! Oh my god!! I was so reminded of the packing episode in the book "Three men in a boat". I so so love this book and have read it some gadzillion times. But what do I say. Some people are slow learners and I never did learn the valuble lesson that the wise George sermonises in there! He says the golden rule about packing for any trip is this "We must not think of the things we could do with, but only of the things that we can’t do without." So true....so true!! But again learnt it the hard way. We loaded our bags with a hundred differnt things of which not even 1% came handy while trekking. A couple of water bottles is all that one would need while trekking in the wilderness.

Anyways packed we were by midnight. And in all this excitement....I just could not manage a wink of sleep for the rest of the night. In anticipation of what the next day holds...will I pass out in the middle of the forest? Will I get lost? What if my old limbs refuse to budge? And the mother of all "What ifs"...What if Kutu throws a right royal tantrum asking for his amma? what if he falls sick? How will anyone even contact me? There will not be any signal in the middle of the forest! Sadly...the answer to all this was the same... "Whatever will be will be". siggghhh...yeah right. Jo hoga so dekha jayega. Enjoy your day out girl!! Having said this to myself I woke up at the unearthly hours...3:30 AM on a sunday morning.



Got ready and went to kiss my sleeping baby goodbye! :( There is something about sleeping babies that melts your heart. Yes it just melts all the steely resolve that you have made. Everyone said that he will be ok without you. But noone knew that the problem is not with him but me! About me being able to keep him in the back burner for a day. Noone knew that I would be taking two parallel trips. Along with the trekking trip, I would also be sub-consciously going on a guilt trip. Yeah right!! I am a self-proclaimed drama queen.

Finally pulled my heavy self and my even heavier baggage and rushed out of the house to pickup point alloted to us. Once inside the bus, I felt relaxed. So....nagalapuram here I come!

As you sow so shall you reap....

You know how they say life goes round and round in circles? Well this profound law of nature just dawned on me! And how!!! I had to learn this the hard way and believe you me, it hurts when life moves one full circle to come back and bite you sharp on the backside.

Remember that phase of life when you used to irritate everyone around by repeating each and every word that they said?? Generally being a pesky parrot and invoking the wrath of your near and dear ones. The immense sense of satisfaction and amusement that this provided needs to be experienced to be believed. So yeah...I am experiencing it right now. Only this time its from the other side of the table. My darling son has got into the habit of repeating all that I say! Especially when I go into that hyperventilating mode in the early morning rush to get ready for school! I shout "Kutu!!!!late aagum...vaaa" and there he goes "Kutu!!!!!late aagum...vaaa..." in the same tone and with the same facial expressions!!

And yeah...remember when you used to get away with all the mischief you did by conveniently throwing the "It was not me" arguement? Beat up your little brother black and blue and say "hey its not me...it was my hand!! I am not responsible for that now!!". Throw some random thing on your sibling and say "its not me!! it was that thing which went flying towards him!". Well...this too has backfired on me. The other day Kutu took his toy helicopter and came crashing on me. His entire weight(which is not much anyway) fell on me and the drama queen that I am, I gave a scream and shouted at him(what else is there in life to do nowadays??!!siggghhhh....). And the little brat very nonchalantly says "njaan allaa amma...helicopter". eh? what?

I was left gaping with my mouth wide open and a misplaced sense of Déjà vu. They start really young these days...don't they??

Here I leave you with a very rare photograph. How often would you come across a "Little Monster Meditating".





In case you are wondering what he is trying to accomplish...his teacher is chanting "om shanti shanti shanti.." at the end of the Yoga Presentation by the kids and each one of them is trying hard to look enlightened and calm and peaceful. :)

Did you know...

that ducks have stopped going "quack quack quack"? Especially the Mother Duck which goes around quacking(er...sorry i meant calling) its little ones back home. Am I talking in riddles? My apologies. :) Let me explain.

Ever heard this nursery rhyme which goes thus:

Five Little Ducks went out to play
Over the hills and far away
Mother Duck called quack quack quack
Four little ducks came back.

Four little ducks went out to play...... and it goes on till no little ducks come back.

This has been Kutu's favourite all through last year. So much so that he sometimes used to change its tune to a softer melodious one and sang it as a lullaby for me to sleep. But guess whats happening these days in Kutu's Kingdom? He doesnt like the mother duck to go quacking for her little ones. No sir. She has to start singing out in english!! The other day he was arranging his crayons in his box and randomly singing out this song. I didn't pay any attention to him in the beginning of course because I was bored to death listening to five little ducks everytime he is in a mood to sing. So imagine my surprise when I heard him singing this :

Five little ducks went out to play
Over the hills and far away
Mother Duck says "where is little ducks"
Four little ducks came back
Mother duck say "where you go"
Four little ducks say "over the hills and far away".

And yes this went on untill....No little ducks came back of course!! Smothering all urges of laughter, I asked him why he changed the song. He said in a very matter of fact manner "idhu pudhiya paatu ammaa" (this is a new song amma). A "very nice kuta" kiss was given pronto.

There is one more incident that I have to record here. Couple of weeks or more ago, during one of our feeding sessions, I was singing a song to him. I think it was "odi vilayaadu paapa". Not exactly the right choice when one is expecting the brat to stay put in a place to eat. But still me being me could not think of anything else. Then our little master says "amma verae paatu paadu"(amma sing some other song). Having run out of energy to think of anything else, I asked him what he wanted me to sing. He said "amma sleeping paapa paatu". Racked my brains to recollect the song he wanted but was very unsuccessful! He said "ok...njaan paadam". So here goes his composition...his maiden composition!!

Sleeping paapa sleeping paapa
sleep sleep
morning is come
get up get up

and immediately he ran away and hid behind his cot before I could give him a tight hug. :) After that he refused to give a repeat performance no matter how much we asked. But later that night, he sang it again for his dad just before going to sleep.

Sigh....my little one has grown up enough to make up songs of his own!! and to think I was worried sick when he took as long as two and a half years to start speaking!! Now....its just a tirade of non-stop blabbering 24x7.

A Trip to God's Own Country

Yes...Kutu went on his first ever trip to Kerala. Inspite of being a malayalee he had not set foot on mallu land for all four years of his existence. This is what happens when you are born to parents who are the most Non-Malluish Mallus . Ok...I think am being a little harsh on myself and his dad. It just so happened that chance and time were not conducive enough to make such a trip possible in the past. Now anyway, thanks to a cousin's wedding we had a long and eventful and fun-filled weekend at trivandrum.

The fun started in the train itself!! With two of our cousins joining us at ernakulam and kutu being his own extra-exuberant self. The little monkey's ambition in life seemed to be to climb up and down the berths in our coupe! I was reminded of the first time we took him on a train journey. He was so calm and composed. ok ok...sorry..I was blinded by motherly love for a few moments! We have never known calm and composed used in the same context as kutu except in school where he is a reincarnation of Gautam Buddha himself! But I digress...I will talk about this aspect of his character sometime later.

Our co-passenger a quiet young girl...most probably a software engineering going home for the weekend...was trying hard to keep a straight face seeing us struggling hard keep up with kutu's tirade of questions and non-stop nonsense.

Cool showers and gentle breeze welcomed us at trivandrum. With the monsoons having arrived much before us, it was a race between us and the rains wherever we went. And guess what we managed to outplay the great monsoons of kerala. We actually managed the whole trip without getting wet in the rain. Yeah...we have crossed the age when drenching in the rain and singing "rim jhim rim jhim" is considered romantic. Post Kutu...rains only remind us of running nose, cough, fever and endless trips to the doctor! No thank you... :) we prefer the safety of indoors.

But then...as usual...i have starting rambling on and on. A quick lunch and a nap later we went our for a drive around trivandrum. Oh Yes...I did mention quick lunch in the same context as kutu! Its time I started to expect the unexpected as far as he is concerned. I went anticipating hell during his meal times as the normal white rice we eat in chennai is not easily available in kerala. The fatter and redder cousin of the white rice is used there. But then my kutu ate! Of course he did make a huge fuss and run around during meal time...but atleast he didnt refuse downright which in itself is a good sign. :) Thank god for these little mercies... :) Again I digress. So we did everything from chasing a running train from the road(a la` rajesh khanna in aradhana) and loafing around in the lovely serene beaches and horse rides.Atlast our little outing ended with having cutlets, omlettes, toasts and coffees at Indian Coffee House near the beach road.

The next day was the wedding which went on well. As always is the case with any mallu nair wedding...this too was a blink-and-miss affair. You bat an eyelid and there...you have missed the wedding. Yes...our rituals are that short!! A brief ten minute affair. A tad boring na? I wish kutu gets married to a punjabi girl and we have a grand "balle-balle" wedding for him. Am going to be one hot looking Mother-In-Law dancing and singing "lo chali mein...apni kutu ki baaraat leke...” Don't you think so too? No? Nahi? Sigh.....well never mind....Whatever will be will be and the future's not ours to see. But dreams...are unlimited!!! :) :)

I have to mention the star of the event though....ammachi! Kutu's great-grand mother. she is 97 not out! Still quite active for her age.It had been a long time wish of mine that kutu should get to see his great-grandmother. It was atlast fulfilled. I was so happy. Owing to old age she might not even have known who we were. But we atleast got to be in her midst for a short span of time and that will do. :) She is amazing. Here I am...typically the silly city bred girl....pecking at the sumputuous sadya that was being served for lunch and there she was eating every morsel with great relish and contentment! Touch wood!! May god give her good health and happiness.

From there we went to vembayam..MIL's hometown...a nice little village near trivandrum. It was a trip down the memory lane for her when she was showing kutu the places from her childhood days! Her school, the local market place, the hospital where her children were born etc. There at home were three little brats all of almost the same age as kutu! The commotion and racket they created!! The gang leader of the troupe was the eldest one. Arya. She is what you call a Toofan Mail…or better still a little tornado! My own little kutu seemed much sober in comparison! So the Fiery Four gang had a great time tearing the house to bits! The gang of the elder brats was no less either! This gang comprised of Hubby Dear and cousins. Their only worthwhile past time during the whole trip seemed to be to tease each other and of course me. One mega leg pulling session it was! But then what else are little brothers for if not this!! They even managed to make me drive a car! It doesn’t matter that all I did was moving the car in first gear back and forth a distance of about 20 mts. But coming from me it is a huge achievement.

And yes…How can I forget this… I met up with a virtual friend of mine. Someone I have known only through emails, online chats and phone calls. It was nice to meet her in person. It was just like meeting old friends. No awkward pauses or starting trouble in our conversations. No one could have guessed that we were seeing each other for the first time! Sree was an instant hit with Kutu as well. He even decided to bring her home with us to Chennai. :)

So all in all a fun time was had by everyone and it left us yearning for more. But then this is precisely the way every well enjoyed vacation should end. :) I just realized that we have been visiting Trivandrum only when someone in the family is getting married. So the next eligible bachelor in the gang had better hurry up. :)
From the wilderness of Vembayam we are now back to our very own Singara Chennai and it’s good to be home. Even if one’s home is the always Hot-Hotter-Hottest Chennai. :) Kutu’s school reopens tomorrow and he has been making excuses for the past two weeks. He says “Amma June il enikku cold varum…so enikku school pogaan pattillaa”. Yes…he is very sure that he is going to catch a cold in June so he won’t be able to go to school! What do I say to this except to pray for some good luck. Wish me luck… :)

A cheeky incident of a sleepy boy in the morning

Yes yes....i know thats a very bad attempt at a pun! But how best do I describe this incident?

The setting of the scene: A bright sunny monday morning and Amma is attempting to wake up her dearest brat dreading the impending herculean task of "getting ready to school".

But then there is something about sleeping children that melts your heart. Especially the mommy heart! And so me the "Amma with a melting heart" told the half-asleep-half awake kutu that I am going to give him a big kiss. I asked him where the said kiss should be manifested. "Kutu para....right cheek or the left cheek". And the little one lifted up his feet and thrust it on my face and said "ivide(here)".
"oh yeah??!! sigh...sigh...well if you say so....fine.". and it didnt stop at that! He has the cheek to lift up his other feet for a next kiss!!!! And all through this the little gentleman didn't even open his eyes!!

well...well....if you are worshipping the ground beneath the little feet, you might as well be ready kiss them right? :) Mister Kutu.....just show me another woman who would so willingly and lovingly kiss your feet and scratch your bum!! :):)

Thoughts triggered by a phone call

You know you have finally arrived in the Mommy World when...

1. The friend you have known from your own diaper days seeks your advice on which diapers to use for her baby! And you say "I swear by Huggies and pampers is no good" and not stopping with that both of you go on ranting about which diapers give what kind of rashes on the baby's tiny butt.

2. Words like breastfeeding, periods, epsiotomy and contraceptives are no longer used in a hush hush tone.Infact they are quite common place. :)

3. You can hold an entire conversation on and only on the baby pooping, farting and burping. And that too in great intricate details.

4. you exchange really looong emails with your close friend in US....discussing what your respective brats eat. Rather how\why they don't eat anything. Each of you find great solace in knowing that your own brat is not the only skinny stick-insect in this world. and finally at the end of it all declare that you are both sisters in woe. The greatest woe on earth being the fruit of your womb refusing to down even a morsel of food without any fuss.

5. you and the same friend spot a happy looking girl with thick long lustrous hair and give one sad look at your plait(which can anytime be mistaken for a rat's tail) and say almost in unison "oh...she has not given birth to a brat as yet.".

A telephonic conversation with a friend yesterday triggered all these thoughts. My only regret is that I could not hold such enlightening discussions with any of my friends when Kutu was born. Being an early bird in my group of friends, I kickstarted the babywagon atleast a good three years before the rest of them. But anyway...no cribs. I am now the official Gyaan Provider of the group. :) So what if "Go see the Doc...girl" is the only gyaan I can ultimately provide.

How these little brats change our lives!! and how our conversations have evolved from homeworks, assignments, exams, teachers, boys, gossip, careers, office politics, family, marriage and now babies!! :) An interesting Journey!!

Buzz of the Spelling Bee

How do you spell NODDY??!! Yes...Come on. Tell me how? No wait! Listen to what I have to tell first. :)

A close friend T got Kutu a book on Noddy. It was a surprise birthday present for him. The title of the book is "Bumpy Dog's Bad Day". My boy ofcourse loved it! The ardent die hard Fan of Noddy that he is!!! It has now become his favouritest and has to be read to him every night atleast thrice. The book is then kept beside his pillow and only then will the little monster dozes of into the dreamworld. By the way, this is the latest addition to the things that he takes to bed with him. Sorry...no cute cuddly teddy bears or soft pillows for this one. He just has to make sure his bundle of treasure is safe and sound and close to him before he sleeps. Doesn't matter if the bundle comprises of:
1. His building set
2. His green pencil Box(which is anyway in a highly dilapidated state)
3. His Noddy books
4. Some other story books like Pinochio, Gingerbread Man etc.
All hell breaks lose if one of these is missing at bedtime. The whole household will go down on all fours looking for the missing object which would be later found under the TV or the sofa or bed or some such random place.

But then I digress. This is not the point of the post. The fact of the matter is...me being me...tried to convert the repetitive bedtime reading sessions into a learning session. An idea that can occur only to mothers!!

Kutu has started learning a few small words and their spellings in school. Like CAT, MAT, BAT, MAN, VAN etc. The kids are made to match the words with the corresponding pictures. Hence, they learn the spellings as well. SO....I taught him how to spell DOG from the title of the book that T gifted. Given the number of times we read that book( or rather the story is told to him) every night, he learnt the spelling fast enough. I decided to proceed a little further and try a bigger word now. The bigger word being "NODDY". So, at the first attempt we go "Kutu...Noddy spelling endhu? N...O...D....D...Y! NODDY!!" and it is also religiously repeated by him. Day 2 and again I go "N...O...D....D...Y! NODDY!!". Now, his crooked mind starts running wild and he says " illa amma....Noddy spelling enthu ariyaamo? N...Y...NODDY".

EH??? What?? I say "No Kutu....N...O...D....D...Y! NODDY!!". Now he is positively frustrated at his mother's foolishness. "Ee Ammaikku onnum arinjoodaa".(This Amma knows nothing!!). And then he goes on to explain. "O...D...D... ellam Dog Spelling. N, Y maatram Noddy spelling." (The O and Ds appear in "D.O.G" so they cannot belong to the word N.O.D.D.Y). Now, can anyone beat this logic??!!! Will someone tell me if my son stands any chance to be a future Spelling Bee Contest Champion? Anyway...for now, I am just flabbergasted!