Weekend

there is nothing much to quote about this weekends haps. Saturday was spent in Ishi going to school for first half. Prepping Prath for his mid noon Taekwondo class. Class was btn 3:30- 4:30pm. Sid n Ishi went to pick him up from his class. All 3 spent some time out in play area and came back home around 6ish. Then cook eat sleep. Day (saturday) done for. Then comes Sunday. Sunday...hmm yeah took him to dance class for intro. Met Kalyani n Sahas there. Again they both started fighting. Sahas pushed Prath into the fountain water. Someone helped him up and he came to us crying. I felt so sorry for him. But could not say anything to Sahas. Left it to Kalyani to deal with her son. I really dont know how to react at times like this. It has always been this ...."oh if i say something...Prath may not have any friend. Plus as of now...hez the only friend Prath got"... Malli manasulo Pratheek .."amma Sahas ni emi analedu" anukuntademo anna feeling. How do I help the situation anna feeling? Proper parenting chathakaavatledu anna feeling. SO much of confusion. Took him and Ishi(from her painting class) home and change his dress. We were done with lunch by 1pm :-) much to my happiness. Ishi asked for a cake. So I baked a chocolate cake with a dark chocolate Ganache. Came out ok. Prath dozed off in between. So had to wake him up for his Taekwondo class. Got him ready and all 4 of us went to the class. had to Sids help as the class was inside some gullies and dint feel it safe to go alone. Sat there till the class was over and came back home by 7:30. Made egg curry (came out horrible) fed kids and Sat watching Dr.Strange. Kids slept off by 10:30 ish. Movie was over by 11:20pm. Then I got up to clean my kitchen, utensils and never ending mess. Slept around 00:54am. Woke up at 6:20am today and its like any other Monday morning, more later.......till then have a nice week.

Pratheek's Bedtime Story

Today as I was putting Pratheek to bed, he told me something. Read on...with a slight intro about the connection.

When ishi was young, she was the only kid at home and we had all the patience to read her bedtime stories and even tell her stories. When I wanted to convey a message to her say like she has to eat a particular food which is healthy but which she dislikes, like ridge gourd for example, I used to put it across through a self cooked up stories with a central character quite similar to that of Ishi's. This made her relate herself to the character. She used to understand the importance of eating that particular food through the story and at least try to eat it once.

Now fast forward to 6 years or more....its Pratheek in Ishi's place and its not just one but two kids at home. My time is torn between Ishi and Pratheek. Help Ishi with her school work, bear her tantrums, listen to her what-happened-in-my-day stuff, take her to her extra curricular classes et al...& Pratheek, poor little fellow all that he asks is very few things like, play building blocks with him, help him solve puzzles, help him dabble with colors (rarely this one as I dont give him this opportunity many times) or take him out for cycling. And all this I need to spend only with one person at the time. They wont spare me if I pay attention to both simultaneously. Boy its a circus in the evenings once kids are back from school. And I am yet to master the nuances.

Got carried away. The topic I stared with is bed time stories right. Today I was in some good mood and myself offered to tell P a story. Only stories that I remember at any hour of the day 365 days is the king and his 7 sons, hare and the tortoise & lastly Monkey and the croc. He was not ready to listen to this I-have-heard-enough stories and wanted me to tell a new one. What did I do then.Yes I made my own story like how I used to do for Ishi. Here it goes.

Once there was a Zebra(his fav animal)...a mommy Z, daddly Z and a baby Z. Once mommyZ took babyZ to a docZ for a vaccination and babyZ says, " No doc I dont want a vaccine. I am scared as it hurts." Then docZ says,"Imagine you get so many abbu's in future and each time you get one, you come to me for an injection. how is that? Is that more painful or is staying healthy good with just one injection." Then babyZ says, "Doc I want a vaccine" and he gets one smiling.

While leaving the clinic babyZ asks docZ, "Doc, now that I have been a sweet child all throughout my time here, can I get a chocolate?" DocZ says, "Yes please." BabyZ takes 2 and doc says he could take just one for himself. Then babyZ says, yes ofcourse I will take only 1 choc for me but the other one is for my friendZ (sahas, his new friend in Sobha). Doc gets impressed and allows him to take 2.

Just as when babyZ was leaving docZ calls him back and tells him this, "BabyZ now that you have got your shot(vaccine). There are few precautions you need to follow failing which the medicine will be rendered useless. BabyZ gets concerned and asks him to tell what it was. Doc tells him, "everyday when you get up, you must first brush your teeth and ...."As I was telling this part of the story...Pratheek understood my story and with a chuckle he tells me " yeah mommy babyZ should brush his teeth, take bath and go to school". Surprised by his maturity, I wanted to tell yes thats right. But the author me dint let accept the fact that he could predict my story. I told him no thats not correct and theres more to it. And I continued....

DocZ says " After you brush your teeth,You should drink milk, eat breakfast carry some nuts (almonds and walnuts) in your pocket to munch on your way to school. And while at school you must eat all the food served to you. Come back home and eat pappamaam, koorammam, Chaarammam and Perammam." He was chuckling while I said this part of the story with a look on his face that said I-very-well-know-your-story. That dint budge me. I continued. "You must eat a fruit and drink milk in the evening. you must also eat dinner properly and follow everything mommyZ tells you to do. you must follow her rules diligently."

At this point Pratheek stopped me and said "ok ok...now I will tell you a story. Its a crocodile story ok?" This is the highlight of our bedtime- storytime. His story goes like this....

"Once there was a mommy crocodile, daddy croc, sister croc, babycroc and brother croc (in the same order that he said) They all live happily ever after. once they go to play area and brotherC tells that he wants to play slide. He plays and feels very funny while doing so. So he does all acrobats(new word he learnt) he does ulta pulta and comes sliding down. He loves it. Then brotherC wants to do Swimming But security comes and sees him. So brotherC goes to daddyC and tell him about it. Then daddyC comes and beats the security guy like a hero. And security goes flying in the air. Then babyC happily(you must listen to the way he says happily everytime) does swimming in the pool. he loves water. then babyC wants to do cycle. AkkaC (now he came down to akka from sister) has a cycle, brotherC has a cycle but baby does not have. He does not have but he has (he meant baby does not have a cycle but a stroller) and then mommyC takes baby out. End of the story (he even says this sentence End-of-the-story)"

By this time I was keenly listening to him very well aware that the brotherC is none other than Mr.PratheekC. And he thinks that mommy dint understand his secret. He kissed me good night and gave a tight hug. Though it was beyond his sleep time, I realised he is not sleeping it. I stare at him and he opens his eyes. He asks "mom can i tell you a secret" Intrigued to know whats bothering him, I said yes nanna tell me what it is. Then he says that the crocodile in the story was himself and laughs.....

I put a Oh-I-Am-Surprised look on my face and gave him an apprecaiting glance and told him that his story was good. Kissed him good night again and withing minutes he was deep in his slumber happy that he let out his secret and content that he got to listen to a story as well as tell one himself.

Pratheek's Maatalu during these 4 years

Hi... Would have thought a 1000 times or more to document "pillala maatalu" or chinni kaburlu before we forget those. But eppatiki ayyela ledu. Will write few of what i remember here. Pratheek used to hum 'Paapparaazi...paapparaazi' donno what it means though. 2. two weeks ago Pratheek comes to me and says that he would want to have his body like this "amma naku ee side antha half spider man kavali and ee side antha half batman kavali" I laughed becoz he wanted both and he knew how to accomodate both in one. 3. Yesterday we drove to his school to attend buddy day and on the way Sid sped up a little and this little guy says "Oh my goodness" how much speed you are going. 4.The other day I was giving them dinner to bth the kids and perugannam loki vacharu. They dint want to have curd rice in same bowl that they had sambar/ curry. And suddenly this fellow sings melodiously" Oh god....please take me from here somewhere safe from the perugannam that this amma is getting"

Ippatiki 2 weeks kaburlu gurthu thechukovateme intha kashtam ga undi....it will be too sad ...by the time they grow up i will not remember a thing.