A tooth for tooth a tusk for tusk

My just-turned-five-year-old has his first milk tooth shaking and i always catch him fingering the tooth. Just to keep him from touching the tooth i said, 'If you keep touching the shaking tooth, the new one will come out like a tusk!'. The long pensive look that he was giving himself in the bathroom mirror was clear indication of running imagination. Would he let it pass? After a couple of seconds he said, "Amma, if i keep touching my nose, it would grow very long. If i keep touching my ears, they would grow wide. .. And i would be an African Elephant!!

Toon & Teen

Our recent visit to HomeCenter at 'Lifestyle' brought out an interesting incident. As we were browsing through the ' Interiors' section, the soon-to-be-five year old was taking a close look at a lamp shade with cartoons on it, and declared, 'I like this!'. His teenage sister who has to share the room with him when we move to our flat said , 'It is time you show some maturity and stop looking at such baby stuff. Look at something more elegant that makes the room look better. Grow up now so that we can get on with life ....'
The sternness of her innuendo drove the message of disapproval so strongly that he quietly moved away from the object that had all his attention.

Dad & Daughter

My girl who has entered teens loves the malls like all the other kids her age do. Well aware of this, her dad annouced that we were all to go to one of her favourite mall and she would have to stay back home to finish her homework. "In your dreams" came the reply from her. I asked him , " Does she come in your dreams?". Without hesitation and before he could reply came her answer, "If i did, it would be his nightmare". !!!

Of hands and trunks

Learning lessons dont stop no matter how old you get. I have all the reasons to believe that the learning sessions are more frequent if you have a little one around to teach you a thing or two. The most resent lesson learnt? It is that one not only needs to think rationally while dishing out an example, but also do it very carefully and definitely should use some imagination. Here is the reason why ...
"Why are humans two legged creatures and not four?', he asked.
"Because we need hands to work, to write, to eat, to hold and to play", i replied.
"Four legged ones can't do all these?".
"Must be difficult to write" i said. I should have left it at that. But trying to throw more light i offered, " Elephants can't play tennis". There! Erroneous example and it took him less than a second to point it out to me.
"They can use their trunk! Two elephants can play tennis with their trunks if they are taught. An elephant cannot play tennis with a giraffe, but two giraffes can maybe play football?".

Dissection of the mind

My son and me were having the usual before-going-to-sleep talk at bedtime when he educated me with "Amma, do you know, the claws of a crab can grow back if they are cut?". I was surprised and acknowledging the truth in the statement, i asked where he came across this information. He said he they showed it on TV. From here we reached earthworms and i was educated that if the earthworm was cut into two, they grow into two earthworms. Cartoons! this time i was sure. Before i had the time to correct this partial truth came the cannonade of his questions, "If the worm is cut into two, they grow into two earthworms. But can we join it back for it to become one earthworm? Does the earthworm like being one or two??? We cannot fix it if we cut, can we?

If one steps aside from the line of science for a minute, one would see it with
the child's perspective. A point to ponder. What do the earthworms think?

Power is Strength

My four year old contracted Flu and the two of us landed at the poly clinic to which we are very frequent visitors since his birth. Specialists pertaining to various specialities consult at the polyclinic and a new addition of opthalmology had been made. At the waiting room, a brand new showcase of glasses was an evident change made to the unchanged interiors that stood adamant for years. Everyone had no choice but to notice it. With years of familiarity behind him, my little one confidently went up to the lady at the reception and asked her, 'Do you have glasses for 4 year olds?'

She said, 'Yes.'

'Can i wear them?'

'They are power glasses'. She replied.

Yes, right, he asked the inevitable question.

'If you wear them, do you get strenght??!'

After a second or two of silence, she laughed and repled, 'I wish i could say yes!'...

Clouded Dream

Cartoons! Don't we associate it with humour, creativity and imagination? Well what beats our imagination is how our little ones are associating, interpreting and understanding this stream. My four year old, who loves cartoons (who doesnt?) was screaming 'Run, run' aloud in his sleep. When he woke up, i asked him about his dream and he said, ' There was a volcano, and i was running away,

did you see?'

I said ' It was your dream, how could i have seen it?'

He waved his hands over this head and asked ' Didn't you see it over my head?'

Puzzled and unsettled i said ' the dream happens in your mind, others cannot see it'

'Yes, you can' he replied.

Bewildered by his conviction i questioned ' What makes you think so?'

Came his reply, ' Dont you remember we saw it on tv? When tom has a dream, a

cloud appears over his head and we can see tom chasing Jerry inside the cloud!!?? .........'

Foxed

Message arrived from school during the weekend that the following monday would be 'Fancy Dress' day for my four year old.

The little one has never been comfortable in any costume. I asked him what he would like to dress up as and the answer i dreaded, 'Dinosaur' arrived. I had to request him for something simpler as there was not much time for preparation. He considered and finally wanted to dress up like a 'fox'.

Yes, ran to the craft shop to get felt paper,woollen, glue, cardboard, colurs and all those that went into turning him into a cute fox with a really bushy tail. My daughter made a lovely snout with all her artistic skills which looked really good and sat up with me in the night helping me complete the costume. The following day, when i dressed him up at school, the little 'fox' was all happy. Half and hour later, with the judges running late, the kids were really restless and the fox was the most restive of the lot. He started feeling highly uncomfortable in his costume and complained of sickness to the teacher. He started to cry and wanted to just go home. He took off the snout and refused to wear it again. I had no choice but to paint his whiskers and nose with eyeliner liquid.

The parents were asked to leave the children with the teachers and to return only when the judges had done their rounds. This took another hour and by then, the fox had completely lost it. Finally the ordeal was over and he come out of the class

room. The painted whiskers and snout had beem washed down by the tears. One ear was missing, but the tail was intact.

I asked him 'How did it go?'

He said 'Fine'.

'Did Aunty ask you anyting? '

'She asked who i am, and i said Giraffe'.

'Why???'

'Because i got tired of being a fox.'!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I laughed, but my daughter is still furious .....

Sometimes even when it doesnt rain, it pours

October and November being bounteous of rains this year, it had become habitual and necessary to carry umbrellas every day, one for me and one for my four year old, to the bus stop every morning. One of these mornings, the sky threw a surprise with a spread of cloudless blue. I insisted that there was no need for an umbrella as it would not rain. Sure as the sun was about his brightness was the little ones answer - " I know it will not rain, but i want to carry the umbrella because i like to, i want to, that's all ". And he did walk to the bus stop, cheerful and talking non-stop, with the umbrella open. Got me thinking as to when i last did something just because i like to , i want to. Couldn't remember ......

I am sure i am not alone too ....

Story of story telling

Telling a story is different and easier than selling the story that we tell. This was taught to me by my going-to-be-four year old. Storytelling has become a ritual everyday at bedtime and also this extended ritual of extending the number if stories told with ' please please, last one'.

I was telling him a story from Panchatantra. " THE STORY OF THE LION, THE JACKAL AND THE CAVE" .... This is how the story goes ...

In a certain part of the jungle, there lived a lion, by the name of Kharanakhara. One day, he felt very hungry and wandered everywhere looking for food, but he could not catch a single animal. At sunset, he went into a big cave, thinking to himself, ' Some animal is bound to be living here and will certainly return during the evening. I shall hide in the cave and wait for him'.

Sure enough, after a short time, a jackal, arrived on the scene. He noticed that a lion's footprints were leading into the cave but not coming out. He thought to himself, 'Now I am dead! It is almost certain that there is a lion inside. But how can I know for sure? What can I do to find out?'

Suddenly an idea struck him. He stood at the entrance of the cave and began to shout, 'Hello, Cave! ' He waited in silence for some time. Then he cried, 'Ho, Cave! Don't you remember the agreement we came to, that when I arrive here, I shall first call you and you will reply and only then will I come in. Now, as you are not replying, I shall go to some other cave'.

When the lion heard this, he thought to himself, 'The cave really replies to the jackal, when he returns, but today, for fear of me, it is keeping quiet. So, I shall invite him in myself and when he enters, I'll make a meal of him'. With this idea in mind, the lion replied to the jackal, 'Hello, jackal! It's all right, you can come in.' The cave echoed with his roar so loud that even animals far away were frightened. The jackal bolted.


I was sort of concluding the story with ' Since the cave does not talk, the Jackal knew the lion was inside' . I had no time to proceed to the moral of the story since his little brain was already working and out came the statement ... " Amma, the cave cannot talk. The jackal cannot talk and the lion cannot talk ... then, how did this story come about???" !!!


Any answers??

A journey ..

Questions that my three year old asked my sister, who is full term pregnant :
1. Did the baby go in through your nose? or mouth?
2. When you eat, does the food fall on the baby's head?
this one deserves something ....
3. How do i get in there???!!!!!

We were standing in the queue to embark on the 'Emirates' at the airport and each of us had our boarding pass at hand. My three year old wanted one for himself so i gave him a pamphlet from a nearby counter to pass as his 'ticket'. As he stood in great animation in the queue, a lady who was
ahead of him in the queue noticed him and asked, " Is that your ticket?
"He said, "Yes!".
"Where are you going?"
"To Dubai, where are you goving?"
"I am going to Dubai, too".
He immediately retorted, "I am going to Dubai, one."
She laughed and asked, "How many years are you?", when she did not get any reply to "How old are you?".
Without the slightest hesitation he pointed to his ears and said aloud "two ears!".
You bet, he made her journey and day!

You asked for it!

Children keep reminding us that they are growing up, dont they? My daughter is no exception. I was getting ready to leave for work and was wearing an old saree. Being the romantic that i am, i mentioned to her that i was wearing the same saree when her dad first saw me. Being the practical that she is, she mused for a couple of seconds and pat came the question ..." So, ..... does he like it anymore?" !!!!

That bagged the prize

My daughter lost her lunch bag in the school bus. The bag in which she would carry two boxes for two breaks which i dutifully send everyday, and a water bottle. All these would make the lunch bag considerably heavy. Now, i am having to substitue the bag and the boxes. When i handed her lunch bag, which consisted of a very thin cloth bag which can fit only two small substiute plastic boxes, (her water bottle had to be tucked into her bagpack), she took the bag in her hand, considered it for a couple of seconds and then asked, "Mother bird, what have you packed for me today? feathers????!!"

9 months

Pregnancy: A period of nine months with a hundred stories. When observance is a celebration. Suspence is thirlling, yet imperturbable.When one marvels the work of the supernatural. When the body becomes a complex factory in production, totally autonomous and oblivious towards the mind. The magical consciousness of life within life. Sensitivity of touch and movement. Perhaps the only period in life when "i cannot survive without you" is more practical than emotional. The only period when it is the absolute truth.
The feeling that one has to stay alive for another beings being maybe termed egocentric, but is the most filling and energising emotion that perhaps only a woman can experience. " My life matters .... at least for now".

What does HE want from us?

I am sharing a conversation that i had with my 8 year old which makes interesting reading. We were both watching the National Geographic Channel, which was showing a documentary on India. The programme was showing a ritual in the north east where many animals were being sacrificed on a festival. She asked, "Amma, Why do they have to kill those animals?"I said "That is their way of pleasing the Gods." "Did God tell them that he is pleased? Have they found out? Tell me, what is the need to kill the animals and offer them to him? He is the one who created them in the first place and he can take any animal he wants whenever he wishes. Why do we have to kill and offer?" All i could manage to say was, "You are right.". A very interesting point of view. Any answers?

Sound or Silence ?

Words. A string of sound the human mind is trained to recognise. When they are uttered from the mouth, they are relatively harmless, with the least packet of energy assigned to them and absolutely unamusing. The words that are uttered from the brain through the mouth have a greater energy packet assigned than the one from the mouth in that, it causes the lips of the mouth that utters and the lips of those who can recognise the sound to break into a curve. Words that are uttered from the heart through the mouth seem to possess more energy than the other two methods as they have the potential to create an emotional outburst that is audible and animated. Words when uttered with all the three methods in concordance with absolute fellowship between the threesome, the individual energies adding up creates a stupefying effect. The word gets so stunned with the overlying layers of energy and is so overwhelmed that it remains muted while the energy takes over the task of conveying what the word is supposed to in an grand and spontaneous manner. The word itself would have to admit that it couldnt have done the job as best. The release of this energy is usually followed by an equally overwhelming reaction. Could be anything between a tornado to deep river running in silence.

conglomerate : Auto complaints !

Authorities in Bangalore have started a new drive to make auto travelling safer. They have set up cells to take complaints and have promised to do something about the complaints.
For complaints against misbehaving auto drivers in Bangalore Contact the following:
Bangalore Centre - Koramangala BDA complex - 25533525Bangalore West - Rajajinagar Corporation Complex - 23324388 Bangalore East - Indiranagar BDA complex - 25253726Bangalore North - Yeshwanthpur corporation Complex - 23376039Bangalore South - Jayanagar Corporation Complex - 26630989 Alternatively you can email the authorities at transcom@kar.nic.in http://rto.kar.nic.in/help.htm
When you call them / email them mention the auto registration no., Date, time and place where the problem occurred and the problem.
Dunno how effective the system is but its a start, do not hesitate to complain. Because if the system does work, travelling bangalore could be actually hassle free for everyone.

Teeth out !

Well, it was time for one more visit to the paedodontist with Smruthi , and again i had taken Samvit along. The doc had told me that the session would last for about thirty minutes. Samvit went berserk seeing all the equipement (especially the drill). I had to use all my energy to refrain him from touching any of the equipment.

The doc had a model of the jaw with teeth on her table. I let him play with it just to keep him occupied. After about a minute he asked me, " Whom does this belong to?" . Hoping that he would set it down back on the table, i answered "the doctor aunty". Everybody in the room burst into laughter when he questioned " How does the aunty eat??" !!!!

Say Thanku!

During the recent visit to the paedodontist with Smruthi , I had taken Samvit along. After her sitting, I went with Samvit to pay the bill at the reception desk. The receptionist, a man with an expressionless face, announced the amount that I was to pay. I bleached to hear the amount while he continued to watch me without any colour. This irritated me along with the fat bill. I literally emptied my purse and made the payment. He took the payment without a word. An equally irritated Samvit, not because of the bill, but because of the temperature that he was running at that time, noticed the man's silence. As if to avenge for the cumulative irritation he retorted to him, "Say, thanku" !!!

The Undonewear

I had left Samvit in his chitti's care while i went for work during my recent stay with my parents. My sister had braced herself with the preparedness of a student facing the examination of the board in order to handle the 'situation'. With frequent calls to and from, she would assure me and herself that everything was under control. It was. Well, she had her share of triumph and her share of amusement. One such day, on return from work, she had this drollery to share with me. Samvit had done his 'big job'. She had cleansed him and he ran around while she tried to clothe him back to decency. She finally managed to catch him and pull the undergarment up his legs. Can you imagine her amusement when he looked down on her doing and retored to her ' hey chitti ! Attey ulle podu ' !!!
He literally must have floored every one around with uncontrolled laughter!