Store Shopping

Taking them kids Bobby or Haana to a store is not for the faint of heart. I'll tell you why. 

I go to a nearby store for bulk purchases of beans and legumes, some healthy snacks and some very unhealthy snacks too. It's closeby so it's a quick in and out. In theory. I asked little miss Haana on our way back from school pickup several times, but every time she insisted she is too tired and has too many things to do yet when she gets back. So one afternoon, after I picked up Bobby from school, and little miss Haana's pickup was not until much later, I drove us towards the store. 

First, the Boy immediately knew we are not going home. NOO! He was vigorously disappointed. Play time beckons and awaits him as I force him into this entrapment. I attempted to pacify him by saying it will be a super quick stop.  He was not convinced. The drive to the store was unpleasant. As i parked, i finally relented. I can get him a candy at the store. A candy, as in singular. But no toys will be purchased. He said fine, and we finally walked in, hand in hand.

We had just gotten inside the doors when he asked me if we could get some muffins. I decided i must not reward such frivolous asks with a response, so kept walking. 

A store full of healthy snacks, legumes and beans and spices, is like a candy store for me! Bobby was helping me get what I needed, weigh it and note the bin number etc. Then Bobby saw a bin full of gummies. We negotiated how many was ok, and I helped him grab some in a bag for us to take home. It seemed like we had turned the tide. 

I had to get one last thing which was in an aisle on the far side of the store. Bobby said he wants to explore another aisle by himself. I said OK and went to grab the last item. When I returned I didn't immediately find the boy. After frantically weaving in and out of different aisles, I saw Bobby boy walking around with a giant log-truck in his arms, holding it like a baby that needed love! I reminded him of our agreement that we will not get any toys, and that we already have a log truck but that just made him upset. Noo mumma, we have to! He was fixing to throw a fit too. I told him we have to keep the toy back to where it was. And i paced up and down to figure out which shelf it came from. Meanwhile Bobby boy is super upset already. And I still couldn't find the right shelf. Finally I put the log truck where I could fit it on a shelf, and started walking towards the self check out. By now Bobby boy was wrapped around one of my feet and with every step i took, i was mopping the floor with him. I told the next person in the self checkout line to go on ahead because I can't hardly move. I finally got to the check out, paid and we somehow got out of the store. Back in the car, the drama continued. I didn't have to pick up little miss Haana right away. I buckled the boy in his seat, sat in the driver's, looked back at him and gave him a piece of my mind. The living room cabinets are full of toys. On the kitchen counter is the giant lego ship, only halfway built yet. If he's wanting to throw a fit, go right ahead. We will not move out of the parking lot before he's calmed down.

Remembering the half built lego ship that he'd been working on, pacified the boy. And soon he was calm, even conciliatory and itching to get home. To the legos. 

Saved by the toy and that doesn't happen everyday. But I had now enough beans to last me couple months!!

Vacuum

There are manufacturers on this planet and in business that make products exclusively catered to toddlers. You need to have a toddler at home to figure that is not necessarily a benign statement: exclusively for toddlers translates into - possibly headache inducing toys for  parents :(

We have one such "toy". 

It's a small seemingly friendly toy- a small handle with two small wheels on a little dial that pops little colorful balls as you walk the toy along the floor. Only, as the balls pop- they make a big noise. It is expertly designed and impeccably crafted plastic of uncanny irritation-inducing capacities. And no matter how much you may try to ignore it, while that toy is being walked with, it's a bane of my existence.

Miss Haana here, insists the toy is a vacuum cleaner. She diligently picks things up to clean underneath. She goes over high traffic areas with her "vacuum" over and over again to make sure the job is done right. She opens closed doors, cleans behind them and closes them back again. It is her vacuum.

And the whole time I can't resist but grin at her diligence. And also can't help shaking my head- I wish her enthusiasm for vacuum cleaners lives long enough for her to actually use one all by herself!! That will be a "vacuum jackpot" for me!! But something tells me I shouldn't hold my breath for that one !

Toy Thing

I borderline on the inappropriate sometimes. I realize that I enjoy the other side at times. The marginally inappropriate and somewhat seedy. 

Today I was enjoying sitting on the bed with the little girl and hurling some of her friends (all inanimate soft toys only) from the bed into the crib. Then of course the little girl wanted to get in on the fun too. I was clapping and cheering when she made it and booing when she missed. Poor baby bear and Beejay were the repeat victims of too much excitement and landed close to the crib several  times.. 

Finally after all the stuffed toys had reached the crib after multiple attempts- little Miss Haana wanted Mumma to throw her into the crib too! 

Now I've long considered her a toy of mine.. But whoever told her about it??!

First Day of School

Today was the first day of school - for both the school and little Miss Haana. And I am delighted to report they both had a wonderful time. 

We had been prepping he little girl for the change by telling her she will go to a new school soon. And finally the big day arrived. This morning Dad went to drop her to school. I was anxious she may feel distraught and would resist being left at a new place. I got a phone call at 9 to report how it went:

Dad took the little girl to her teacher and told her about school. She seemed a little anxious but didn't resist much. As dad left and then watched her classroom on the camera from the school lobby, the little girl looked around to absorb the new surroundings. She listened to the teachers. Went and got herself some toy to play with. She helped and directed another little girl on how to use another toy she was playing with. She had been talking to the other girl when the class was then taken to wash their hands for snack time. She was ahead in the line for washing hands and then was placed on a chair. She grabbed a few bites and milk . She seemed concerned about a couple of other kids who were very unhappy to be there. I could see in my head her itching to go to them and say "Oww, it's alright! It will be fine!"! That's what she would do at home.

Then a few more minutes of toy time. And then the class was lined up for going out to the playground! I thought she would have a blast in the playground- and she did. To begin with, once outside she remembered (not that she ever forgets it) that she, afterall, is a ballerina. So she practiced her twirls and bows and more twirls for a bit. After that she ran around round and round. More gleeful minutes of playground later, Dad decided to leave her there and my live running commentary into her day stopped as well. But I was so releaved that she was having fun.

I had planned to pick her up earlier than usual - a little after 3pm. As I reached the school I saw her teachers outside in the playground. They waved to me. I ran inside- urgently wanting to meet and hug her. We had our usual animated high pitched hug and kiss meet-up routine. It's been maybe a year since I've been picking her up from daycare but our animated pickup routine is still as animated as ever! Disney should take notice of her;-) Very soon, though, she wanted to get out of my grasp to go back to the slides. After one slide down, I was taken (holding by my finger ) to try the other slide. I didn't anticipate this, but I had trouble getting her out of the school to go home. In the end, I had to resort to bribery and tell her we will go to the other slides closer to home. And then we both got into the car and went to the other slides! 

That was Miss Haana's the first day of school.

The Snake and the Mermaid Story

We were at a nearby toy store. This visit of ours' reminded me in some ways of a visit to the same toy store back in October last year- because basically they both ended the same way. Sort of. 

At the toy store right at the check out counter they have all their kids'-magnet stuff. All the knick-knacks that are more or less useless, not very expensive but not dirt cheap either. A brilliant strategy to boost sales.

Back in October we were at the store checking out, when the little girl had found a basket full of mermaid dolls with long hair. I liked them too so I didn't resist it when she picked one up for herself. She picked one with long yellow hair. My crinal mistake was to choose a pink one, and thinking she might like the pink one better, asked if she wanted that one instead. Turns out- she did want the pink one. She wanted the pink one also! Obviously I wanted to get just one- so I somehow lost one and hurried over to the car with a wailing baby and 1 mermaid. Hysterical crying ensued. I was the monster mom that the entire store had turned around and looked at repeatedly and probably were still shaking their heads at. (All for just a few bucks? Making the baby cry out that much?!) they must be thinking inside their heads..

Anyhow, I and my wallet made it back to the car safely, although quite shaken up. But very passionate and emotional crying continued for several several minutes in the car. "My pinkyuyyyy" she cried until finally I reached a point that I couldn't take it anymore. Poor thing! I thought! Making her cry so much for a little mermaid she liked. 

Yes, to date we have 2 mermaids. They are Pinky and Lily. They both reside on the bath tub to this day.

Today, near the checkout the little girl found a rubber snake. About an inch in diameter and 2 feet in length. It was creepy I thought. Not to little Miss Haana though. She picked it up and was sort of beginning to bond with it.

Just then, we were done. All paid for, ready to go. When I said "we" it did not include the snake. It was creeping me out and there was no way it was coming home with us. So, I made her keep it down and then dashed to the door.

Back in the car there was mixture of anger, hurt, disbelief all rolled into a tearful retort of outburst which did not stop till we were back home. Even after we were home, she was still hurt over "my snake" who was left behind!! 

Finally I picked up the little baby and had to square with her. "You're a brave girl. You saw a snake and you didn't get scared. But Mumma got scared of the snake, little baby! Mumma got very scared that's why Mumma didn't get it, baby". She accepted the explanation and let it go at that. I was glad and relieved for many reasons :-)

Stuffed Toy

I have a great idea for the toy manufacturers. I should probably patent it. 

When they invest to come up with the next stuffed toy that will be the cutest little toy ever, I know just what they should create. They should make a little doll just like Miss Haana! It will be cute and cuddly and just the most impossibly, intolerably sweetest little darling! How could they have not known, this is the stuffed toy they need to manufacture :)

Who Moved My Cheese?

Suhaana's How To Eat Your Cheese-

Take bite sized American cheese in your mouth. Keep it there till it dissolves. Then transfer it to the kitchen floor (read: spit it on the floor). Stir it vigorously with your index finger. And now it's ready to be slurped right off the floor!!

For best (or any) results dodge parents n care givers before trying.
Also good with carpet dust and other hand toys.
Try it today!

Suhaana is a socialite

Suhaana is such a socialite now, she wants to talk and be talked-to all the time. She even resists falling asleep so she can talk some more. She coos and smiles and laughs! She likes talking even more than her monkey friend who lives on the bouncer (she has only 1 toy friend so far.. Well she had a red frog friend too, but then dad broke him and then he was forgotten!... Gosh! Life is so easy at this age)