Third Grade Is Over

And just like that, little miss Haana is done with her third grade. As of friday last, the summer break has begun! 

Little miss Haana wanted to go to Olive Garden to celebrate her finishing third grade and to usher in the summer break. We made it there for a late lunch today. It was Bobby's only second trip to a restaurant. As I put him in a high chair, Bobby looked around and saw other people sitting on chairs, and beamed at me! 'Oh this new place, so much to see. And look at me, all sitting on a chair like all these big people! Look at me! Not a baby am I now!!' - said Bobby's smile. Little miss Haana busied herself with the real reason we were there for - fresh breadsticks. They were disappearing fast. Me and Bobby digged in too. Every table had a screen with games for kids, little miss Haana made good use of that as well. We got my favorite calamari, and got soup to dip more breadsticks in. By the time main course arrived, I was mostly full! I had Bobba try pieces of my ziti al forno pasta, it was the tube pasta, that i cut into pieces for Bobba. He put his fingers through it, like rings or finger braces! Then it disappeared. Some into his tummy, many under the table. It was a good lunch!! And we all took to-go boxes home. 

When we got home, half way comatose from a big late lunch, i told little miss Haana how proud I am of her - this was a tough year for her, being in remote school. Some of her friends went back to in-person school, but we didn't send her. In the middle of winter we packed and we moved. She had to move away from her friends in the old neighborhood. In the new place, it took some time but she made new friends. And all through it, remote school continued. I told her she's so amazing and outstanding. She quite something!! She's my best girl :-).

Monster Ball Adventures

Meet Bobby's favorite ball. We call it monster ball. It sleeps with Bobby, moves around the house with him and tumbles around the living room with him. 

This evening, when Papa and Bobby were going out for a walk on the stroller, Bobby wanted to bring around Monster Ball. Most of the walk, Bobby held on to it tight. Then a curious thought occured to Bobby boy. 'Why should I have all the adventures? Monster Ball will like to have some adventures of her own too.' And so, Bobby boy dropped his Monster Ball to have her own adventures. Papa didn't see this, and kept on walking. Then he noticed bobby was leaning over and looking back from his stroller. Papa turned around and to his surprise, found Monster ball, looking all hurt and alone on the trail by herself. Papa rushed back and scooped up the ball, Bobby jumped up and grabbed his Monster Ball from him. Then, a few minutes later, Bobby decided this to be right spot for another adventure for Monster ball!!!

Luckily, Monster ball didn't get left behind anywhere and made it safely back home with Papa and Bobby. But she did have an adventurous evening!

School of Tricks

Who has been teaching babies to be so naughty? I have a specimen right here, and either someone is teaching him or he came to this world pre-programmed to be badmaash, naughty to the core! 

For instance, little Bobby boy likes to get inside cabinets in search of hidden treasures. Once he finds something interesting, he turns around and leaves. If he sees danger, like a parent coming to grab his treasure from him, he turns around and runs, like any normal human being would! Because he knows he's going to get away, he giggles in his victory while he's running away!

And then some days, he's feeling lucky! No parent has grabbed his treasure from him yet. He's too fast for them. So he comes up to one of us, and is seemingly handing over his treasure of his own accord. 'Wow, could this be happening? What a good boy Bobba is, he knows he shouldn't be playing with this thing, and so, he's giving it back! Perfect, ideal baby!',  I'm thinking these thoughts and extending my hand. Except at the last second, he pulls his treasure away, giggles and runs away with his treasure still in his mouth. I'm left behind, wondering, what just happened here. Who's been teaching him these tricks? And why do they give him such pleasure?! 

STAAR

I've been avoiding writing about the STAAR test. But here goes..

This is 3rd grade and little miss Haana will be writing her STAAR test for the first time this grade. STAAR, are a series of standardized tests used in Texas public primary and secondary schools to assess a student's achievements and knowledge learned in the grade level. In short, a big final exam! :(

Since little miss Haana is in LEAP advanced academic program, she was to take 3rd grade reading and 5th grade math test.

This year has been very hard. I've worried about her screen time. Add to that, that this year she'll give the STAAR test too. She's been a remote student all year, and it hasn't agreed with her at all. Looking at a screen all day is hard even for adults, but at her age, she craved to move about, have actual conversations, hang out with friends. Her teachers have told us she has been having trouble focussing in the all day video meetings. 

First Raj, then I, decided to spend some time with her outside school time, to work with her for a few minutes everyday. This had varying levels of success with me. Some days, she'll corporate, and we'll be done soon. Other days she'll resist, and we will have a fight on our hands. 

With STAAR in the horizon, I talked to her about focussing on getting good grades for all the time she's already put into learning the concepts and practicing. I talked to her about focussing so she doesn't make silly mistakes. The test format is a multiple choice; which means getting an answer wrong because you made a silly mistake or bevause you had no idea what to do, are both rated the same- wrong. 

One day, she had spent a few minutes practicing some math questions, and got most of them incorrect due to silly mistakes even though she knew all the concepts. We were talking about it, laying in bed just before falling asleep. I was not happy. She realized i was disappointed, though i didnt say anything, and kind of shrunk away. I asked her what's wrong. She said this- "I know you're sad because of me. And i wanted to make you happy. But I think if I were never born, then you wouldn't be sad right now".

Oh my God!!! What have i become! A high expectation parent? What is she saying.. if she were never born? Then I wouldn't know anything.. i wouldn't know such a wonderful beautiful person as her. I wouldn't know a love so intense it scares me. I wouldn't know such a perfect thing could exist as her. I wouldn't know fun like the way she and i share silly things together. I wouldn't live and love like this if it weren't for her. My life, all changed the moment she stepped into my life. And i'm having her think she's a disappointment!!! :-( I got tears in my eyes, we both did. I'm soo sorry, my sweet little miss Haana. 

We patched up with loads of hugs and kisses before little miss Haana went to sleep that night. I told Raj about what she said later that night. And Raj said something so good and right, he said -"I decided i will not be a pressuring parent laser focused on grades, like how we grew up. I will try to keep her focus on learning in stead of grades". I agree completely. Learning how to learn requires making mistakes, not being afraid of them, and then continuing through them. That's what i wanted to inculcate in her too. But somewhere I got roped into grades too. I hope its not too late for me to change. 

Head Gears

This was little miss Haana at her first birthday. Something about the round ear things (giant ear lobes) in the cap and of course the pink (i mean the cheeks of course), that was just too good to part with!

So here is the take 2 with the same head gear.. unfortunately the model this time is moving too much..

Who Stole Cookies From The Cookie Jar?

This evening crime has reached a new height in this neighborhood, as friends and family discover that cookies are no longer safe, anywhere! There are many a twists in this story but our crime correspondent will walk you through safely.

Little Bobby boy had been looking out for new adventures as usual. He found the pantry door open, and proceeded to give it an inspection. Like is usual, he found a few cans and boxes he rolled and puttered with. But then, he found a box he wasn't supposed to find. After previous mis-adventures, the cookie jar had been moved high up on the pantry shelf, away from prying baby hands. But on this day, someone had kept it right within a baby arm's reach. Who could have done such a thing...

Well, the baby arms did reach the prize, and did pluck the cookie jar from the pantry shelf. Baby then proceeded to take the cookie jar with him to a different location for peaceful prying of contents within. 

When the cookie police (mumma) arrived at the crime scene, the crime was unfolding, right in front of her eyes. The cookie jar was open. All the chocolate creme oreo cookies are strewn about on the floor - some intact, some broken, some unreasonably wet! Bobby boy was in the middle of these cookies, grabbing them, pulling them apart, tasting the creme filling and breaking off big chunks of the cookie to devour them. A few such cookie bites in his mouth, holding another cookie in his hand, and regarding a few others next - that's how Bobby boy was found at the crime site. 

The Cookie Sherrif (mumma) and the Deputy (little miss Haana) proceeded to confiscate most cookies (some were just too gooey to be air lifted). They questioned the culprit, who unfortunately continued stuffing broken cookied pieces in his mouth during the questioning. It wasn't looking good for him. Finally in stead of confessing to his crimes Bobby boy decided to rely on charm to get out of sentencing. Unfortunately it worked. And upon confiscation of the cookies and cleaning up of the crumbs, badmaash boy was free to set sail on new adventures. The cookie jar this time was put back high on the shelf. For now. Sherrif and the Deputy have a tough job!

Easter Beagle

Easter was far approaching. Last year when i had mentioned easter egg hunt, little miss Haana had made a comment like "I am too old for egg hunts". I had immediately retaliated. " You'll be too old when i say you're too old for egg hunts". That's another way of saying: I'm not done with egg hunts, so you better play along. 

I have loved egg hunts! Beautiful spring weather, out on green grass fields on a sunday morning, having pancake breakfast, doing art n crafts in the park, petting some animals maybe and then, then there's the egg hunt! Egg hunts can be competitive.. only because some parents get their big kids too little kids' egg hunts, so they can steal eyes from poor little kids.. but little or not, I for one, am not coming home with an empty easter basket. So, one had to take matters into one's own hands at times. In the past I mat have goaded little miss Haana to get more eggs. I may have prepped her to be cut throat in the face of mean competition. Let's just say our basket has been quite full in the past years. 

But then covid hit. Last 2 years we've been giving egg hunts a miss. Severe weather in 2019 and then covid in 2020. This year, with covid still around, I decided to plan my own egg hunt. We invited Varam over for the hunt too.

Before easter, little miss Haana and i decided making bunny head bands cab be a craft we can ask do together for the egg hunt. Little miss Haana cut out bunny ears, several sets enough for everyone, kids and adults, and she made head bands that can be easily put together too. I'd ordered plastic eggs before, and on the easter morning, I filled several of them with candies. And then I spread all the eggs out in the backyard, some camouflaged, some in plain sight. Some eggs i saved specially for Bobby, these I filled with his favourite crackers. 

Soon Krithi aunty and Varam came, and so did Jinu aunty. Soon we were out in the backyard, first all of us making or head bands and putting all kinds of stickers on them. Pictures were taken. And then, we let the egg hunt begin! It was a frenzy! All the adults egging those with the easter baskets- Haana there's one here too, you forgot this one, Varam there's one here too, hey there are more here, quicklyyy!! Bobby boy walked and crawled on the grass, and i lay his eggs all around him, he regarded them with interest, tasting eggs before one of them opened to reveal a cracker inside! Magic eggs! Soon, we all were sitting around in the backyard. Little miss Haana opening all the eggs in her stash and eating candy. 

Later after candy, we all came back on the patio to have lunch together. Raj did some grilling, we had chicken burrito lunch on the patio. Soon after we all came inside, had chai and hung around talking, looking at photos and relaxing for awhile.

Little miss Haana said it was her best easter egg hunt ever. Bobby's too- since it was good very first egg hunt! Happy easter!