Pop Quiz

This evening as usual I picked up Miss Haana from her day care and we were on out way back home. What I wasn't aware of, was that it was pop quiz time.

Just out of the blues, I thought it was appropriate to check if I picked the right baby from the daycare. So, while driving I bantered, "Gugu, are you Gugu? Is that you Gugu?" She said "Yes. It's Gugu. It's called Suhaana". 

"Oh, is your name Suhaana?"

"Yes, it's called Suhaana. You're right".

"What's your name Mumma?"

"Uh, I don't know Gugu".

"Mumma name is Rangoli".

"Oh, is that right?"

"Yes, that's right"!

"What's Papa name, Mumma?"

Continue playing dumb: "I don't know!"

..

I wasn't scoring very well on this pop quiz. But at least I was being told what the right answers were!

Someone Loves Painting

Miss Haana made these creations and loved each minute of it! So did I!

And then, when we were done, hands washed, all done, we covered them with stickers!

Oh how I love the stickers :)

I hear "Butterflies", "flower", "Owl" over and over again! 

Lincoln Log Men

We got a new blocks game for the little girl. The Lincoln Logs. It comes with log shaped blocks that can make different types of cabins. It also has 2 burly looking men included - almost as tall as my thumb.

This evening the little girl showed me her tea pot which now had two Lincoln log men inside. I asked her what the two men were doing inside the tea pot and was told in no uncertain terms they are making tea.

The fact that she thinks men are to make tea made me just giggle with delight :) Somehow, in some weird way, it's feeling like parenting may work out afterall :-) 

Side Effects of Reading

A new realization just dawned on me. I've been reading Miss Haana a lot of story books these days. So much so that every weekend she demands to go to the bookstore (I consider that a personal success! ;) )

While reading her the stories I love to stretch some words, sing some others, prance on still more and hop around on certain phrases till it becomes like a sing-song rhyme :) Both Miss Haana and I thoroughly enjoy this. I just hadn't realized how much I was enjoying it till today.

The little girl and I were at Walmart shopping for activity sets for her. I was super excited about all the stuff we had just picked out for her. I called up and talked to Raj and I was telling him the stuff we picked. And I was barely done when I realized I was talking like I'm reading one of her Curious George books "We're going to have sooooo much fuuuunnn!!" "We found soooo mannyyy sticckkkerssss!"! 

This realization took me back to a workplace conversation I was a part of while I was pregnant- where my coworkers were talking about how people start talking in baby-talk and how funny it sounds. I cautiously said-" I don't know, I just don't think I'm one of those baby talking types".. They both gave me a look like - we'll see about that! Oh my! I just realized I have become my own embarrassment :-)

I Feel Like A Monster

This weekend Miss Haana was not well. I had had a long day on Friday. I'd woken up early, made breakfast, gone to work, had an appointment at lunch, come back home in the evening, went over to our friends', come back after dinner. I was tired. 

But since the little one was not feeling well she had a hard time staying asleep. We were up until after midnight. And she was up at 5am. I got her some milk hoping she will have another nap after the milk. But she kept on fussing and fussing. I could feel my fuses frying :(

I finally snapped and raised my voice telling her to stop crying. There is only one possible outcome of that. More crying. And crying and crying. 

Finally Raj came to rescue and picked her up. The little one jumped up to him and then I realized she was so terrified because I was mad! I felt terrible. I felt like I've turned into this monster.. I kept sitting and sitting on the bed. The little baby took some time but felt better after. 

This time the crying was mine.

A Whole New Chapter - Waiting Outside

I have a feeling this is the beginning of a whole new chapter in my life. I can see how it's all going to unfold from right here - inside my car, listening to radio. A chapter when uncountable Mommy hours are going to vanish without a trace. 

As I sit on a Saturday morning waiting outside Miss Haana's dance class, I can see how the whole chauffeur-wait-outside game is going to unfold! I've seen and heard my friends who're ferrying their kids back and forth between multiple extra curricular classes and school and home, but I'd been living in denial (it wouldn't happen to me- it's only for other people) and disbelief (it is way too much work for me!).

And here I am. Outside the dance class for the little one's make-up class (she missed a few this month) on Saturday morning listening to radio and having my tea. Neither disbelief nor denial is going to cut it.

Now I must admit, most days when she has her dance classes, the cynic level in me is much lower. I'm usually the over zealous parent who hovers outside the door( they wouldn't let me in while the class is in session) and is shooting videos from the other side of the curtain! My baby is so cute with all her dance moves! 

Check back on the excitement level once my tea is over, though! 

Time Out

We are deep into the terrible twos phase. You can tell when you realize your little one knows exactly what is required to be done; but just chooses to do otherwise. Also if the two-some is not getting exactly what she wants, an immediate melt down ensues. So, I had introduced a new weapon in my arsenal- timeout: a few minutes in a safe quiet place all alone. I tell her in a calm voice why the punishment is being given and then I leave her for a few minutes. 

Lately she's been sleeping in the bed with me and not in the crib, so I had been using the crib as a timeout zone. It's a safe place with no toys, no entertainment. And no mechanism for her to get out. A perfect, contained timeout place. Or so I thought.

Usually I would give her a timeout and then I would leave the room. She's generally bawling when I'm leaving. What I didn't know is that the crying doesn't last too long. 

The other day, I gave her a timeout but instead of going out, I retreated in the attached closet - I was trying to find something. The crying and whining stopped almost as soon as I disappeared from the scene. Instead, in the absense of entertainment toys at her disposal, she resorted to singing songs, narrating rhymes to herself. Making cartwheels in the crib, laughing at herself doing so. Talking to herself. More songs. More rhymes! And I thought this was a punishment! But this was no timeout! This was a fun time!

What was funnier? When I came back into the room and when she saw me, the whining began all over again :)

Wicked:)

Can I Help You?

Time and again the little girl runs to me and shoves something (usually a phone or a pen she can't get to open or a book she needs me to read or a box that is not opening) in my hands and asks "Mumma can I help you? Can I help you Mumma? Help you?!"

Don't be fooled - this is not altruism. She just has her 'you's and 'me's reversed!! :)

Full marks for cutism though :-)