Lazy Mommy to an adorable commander

I am a very lazy Mommy. This is the 3rd time I dressed up Ansh as a Commander for his school fancy dress. I am glad he doesn't complain. He does look so adorable .

I promise you son, this is the last time. As it is the sleeves are a little shorter already , so I guess it won't fit u next year.

Weekend Update

It's been a busy weekend for us.

Saturday evening we took Ansh for Ice Age 3 & all three of us had a blast. We enjoyed the movie as much as Ansh. He was super excited & kept commenting throughout the movie & narrated his own cute version to his Nani is the interval. We ate a tub of popcorn which was so good. Sometimes I think I can go for a movie just for the cheese popcorn. Why isn't this cheese powder available in stores? Or is it? Tell me if anyone knows coz it's the first thing that I am craving besides Kala Jamuns in the beginning.We visited the candy store after the movie & Ansh selected his share of candies. He loves to do this. We then bought a pair of lovely piglet slipper for him & headed home.

Late at night , just when we were about to have our dinner, Abhi remembered that it was the "First Night" of his friend Gautam & so we rushed to do some Masti. The room was decked up with flowers & balloons & we lit some lovely scented candles for them & took a lots of pics of the couple in lovely sexy poses. I was so happy to be a part of all the fun. It did not matter that I was the only female amongst a host of Gautam's male friends. At least Sonia had company. As is the tradition, the friends demanded goodies from the groom's mom before they let the groom enter into his lovely room & she obliged. I was so happy to get my share ..lol. We returned home late at night, bone tired.

The next days we I did some house cleaning in the morning & relaxed in the afternoon while Abhi struggled to make a "First Aid Box" for Ansh's class. He took 3 hours & made a perfect one with a shoe box. I love his craft skills & I love the fact that I am left out of it as I do not have even one creative bone in my body as far as Art & Craft is concerned.Here's hubby dear working hard.

That evening we went to a marriage reception of Abhi's cousin & it was a fabulous party at the Park Hotel. As usual Abhi got confused about the venue & we ended up at HHI instead . Thankfully the Park is not very far. I even danced a little at Abhi's insistence but did not strain myself much. I was happy to sit back & relax& see Abhi having the time of his life which he usually has when he is down a few vodkas. The bride was dressed in a lovely white gown & it was a pleasure to watch her "bindass" attitude as she posed for the shutterbugs. At one point she even shoved the groom out of the way to have some individual poses clicked. I wanted to go back in time & reverse the awfully coy & shy bride that I was. We retuned back well past midnight.

Thankfully Monday was a light day in spite of the "Budget" which I think is highly overrated by the media. In the evening, I waded through ankle deep waters to reach home which was scary coz I did not want to have a fall but it was fun just the same. I love the monsoons.

Today the first half was spent in a seminar on Budget Analysis though there is nothing much to analyse this time. It was more of a socialising exercise accompanied by good food.

Ansh is doing well & refuses to accompany us to our late night sojourns for which I am grateful. I am quite particular about his sleep times when he ha school the next day especially since he does not nap for a minute during the day. He is doing well at school & I am glad I do not have to spend time as of now with his studies. I did try to have him finish some of his unfinished worksheets on Sunday afternoon but it was one very tough job. I eventually gave up.

The tiredness & nausea continues, especially since I am sleep deprived most days. Waiting for some relief soon.

Down memory lane....

Today I got a pleasant surprise. Got a call from a guy who used to be in my school. I had met him a while back on Orkut & he wanted some contacts in my Company regd work & I helped him. But we never met. This must have been an year back perhaps & I completely forgot about it. Today he called up again & said that he was passing by my office & wondering if he could drop in. Luckily today was a quiet day at work & I invited him in.
Now, I did not even remember this guy's face & I think in the entire 2 years that I was in that particular school, I did not even talk to this guy. So there he stood at the entrance on my cabin,all smiles. He was bald & I had this flash of memory . Of course I remembered him , though fuzzily.
The next one hour I spent "laughing".Oh what an entertainer.He came up with one instance after the other of the pranks he used to play in school & I was literally holding my stomach. It was such a pleasure to meet him. He remembered an instance when I had embarrassed a particular guy by mentioning his name in one of my elocution speeches & how it had become the talk of the town. I just could not remember that instance at all.
He is expecting his first kid in July & I loved hearing all about it from the perspective of an expecting dad. The weird cravings of his wife, the mood swings........all sounded so cute. I could feel his excitement & love for his wife coming through his words.
It's so great to meet new people & even better when you bond so well. I do not know whether we'll ever meet again. I did tell him to inform me when he has his baby , so I can visit the hospital & see them. But that's a few months away & both of us might forget.
For the time being, I feel happy & want to savour the memories of my school that he awakened.

Nostalgia

Travelling in public transport is always interesting. I love to observe people. Yesterday,in the metro train,I came across this bunch of 4 school girls returning from tutions. They were in Class 12 & they were making such a racket. Talking loudly, hitting each other, teasing about boys. They seemed to be having the time of their lives!!

I felt so nostalgic thinking about my school days. It was much the same. We had such fun. We used to gossip , tease each other & were such brats. Unfortunately , I am so out of touch with all of them now. Each has gone her own way. Even one who is in Kolkata is not responsive at all now. I miss my motley group at school .

Ansh's New Class.

This week we had been called to Ansh's school to an introductory session for his new class. Things certainly seem a bit more serious now. His new teacher 'Urvashi Ma'am' means business.....lol. A far cry from "Harvinder Ma'am " who was casual about everything.

So we got the rules:

If we do not cut the boy's hair really short, they will be tied in pony tails

If we send any junk food in the tiffin -Mondays to Thursdays- she won't allow the child to eat.

The above two rules I thought were very bad & I hope that they won't ever be implemented & were just to make sure that the parents comply with them.

I did not have anything specific to clarify except how much time the teacher expects us parents to spend with the child on "studies". I know of other parents who have already started tution at this age & spend lots of time on "studies". I am not in favour of this un-due pressure on kids from such a young age. I was really happy when Ansh's previous teacher had told us that we should just let the kids play around at home. Studies are for later.

So, I was keen as to what the teacher had to say & she pointed out to Ansh & said that if that's your child, you do not have to spend any time on studies. He knows his stuff & whatever little problems are there will be sorted out in school. I was so happy to hear this. I know Ansh has problems still with his alphabets & gets confused between his b's & d's at times. But I am sure as she said , it'll be all sorted out.

Leaving you with some pictures of Ansh's class room.

School Life.

For everybody, school life is memorable. For me it was much more than that. My school was my life.I was always happier to be in school than at home. The reason being that I was greatly interested in studying. I was a unique specimen who used to absolutely enjoy studying. I could spend hours locked up in my room engrossed in my school books. I used to enjoy all the subjects except Maths, but I could easily manage to get 80's even in that dreaded subject. I was the pet of all my teachers.I always stood First. I also used to love extra- curricular activities-Dance, Music, Drama, Debate. You name it & I was there. I was the Head Girl of my school & was in the best of terms with all my teachers & the Principal. I loved pleasing my teachers & loved all the attention I got. So, u see, school time was one of the best periods of my life. As I moved on from school to college to work, I somehow lost it in me the excel at everything. I do not know where the change happened from brilliant to average. When I think back , I also feel relaxed at not having the pressure to Excel at everything, but at the same time I miss that immense feeling of achievement.
I miss my school- days.
And now when I visit Ansh's school, I always feel a lump in my throat. Every time I enter his class I feel like I could cry. Every time Ansh's teacher praises him , I have to try my best not to hold back tears. I hope that School life is as wonderful a world for Ansh as it was for me.
Today we got Ansh's Progress Report. My little munchkin is now ready for PS-2. I feel so proud.

Twinkle Toes & Pearly smiles
are ready for a winged Flight.
Successfully soaring to the new heights
soft Faltering steps
to confident ones
you are now ready
for your next best

All the best my baby.

The things he is upto!!

Today while giving Ansh a bath I found glue stuck to his hair & the back of his neck.
His explanation:- There were lots of flies in Dadi's room & I could not get to them so I put glue on my hands & hair so that the flies will stick to me when they sit on me & then we can get rid of them. Now how could I argue with such a cute explanation. Of course I did explain to him never to do this again but I am sure he'll come up with some new activity soon........lol.

Today is Ansh's last week in Pre School 1. His school is closing from next week onwards for a month & he will start going to PS 2 from April. So we can expect a month full of naughtiness at home. He has a painting class on Mondays & Skating on Wednesday. Today I am introducing him to a Dance Class. If he likes it there, we'll have him join the weekly class. There is the option of Karate too but he does not seem interested in it. As for me, I am looking forward to a month of an extra hour of sleep in the mornings.......Yay!!

Educating kids, a woman's job?

Today was a parent's meet at Ansh's school in preparation for the sports day on 18th January. Since I had a meeting scheduled in the morning, Abhi attended the meeting & he was the only dad amongst a sea of moms in the class. He felt uncomfortable & was in an irritable mood when I talked to me. I argued with him that there was nothing to feel uncomfortable about but he said that all the ladies were chit-chatting & he felt completely out of place. Of course, I would have been uncomfortable too in such a setting. Granted that most women out there must be housewives & so it was more convenient for them to attend rather than the dads. But had it been a holiday at work, I am sure the situation must have been pretty much the same.
Why is it a woman's job to take care of the kids education? Right from getting them ready for school to supervising homeworks? It's been the same for ages. I don't remember my dad ever attending my school meetings. When we were in lower classes, he was once confused about what class I studied in.
Ansh does not get any homework from school. This month we've re-started his drawing lessons with another teacher & she does give some homework. I have realised that I really suck at getting Ansh to do homework. I have no patience & end up shouting at him. I know it'll be very difficult when Ansh goes to higher classes. I have never wanted my kid to have a tutor. I hate this "tution" trend & have always wanted to teach my kids on my own. I either need some coaching myself or I have to change myself big time to cultivate the patience to sit through homeworks. I know Abhi will be of little help & he has made this very clear to me.
How do u all manage with homeworks ?

Papa's Day Out at School

Today all the fathers were called to school to spend some quality time with their kiddos.

The fathers sang "Jingle Bells" & helped the kids prepare their Christmas wish list.

Ansh's wish list for Christmas :

Santa Clause

A Top

Spiderman Pencil Box

Hanuman VCD

& A Pink Beanbag.

I am sure Santa Clause will be bring him all of this. Getting the bean bag ready on time will need some efforts from his Papa. Gear up Papa. :)

Here is my munchkin enjoying Mommy's Bean bag today morning!

"Uttoron"

Saturday the 23rd saw Ansh's school transform into a Mini-Bengal. The school was celebrating it's 13th Founder's Day & the theme was "Uttoron" meaning"Rise". The celebrations started from 10am with a lovely exhibition where the entire school demonstrated different aspect of Bengal , followed by a cultural program

Little children put up dance performances

There were scenes depicting the lifestyles of Bengal

The whole state was done up in a Rangoli form

The art of Bengal done by students was displayed

The textiles of Bengal were displayed.

I was extremely impressed. While the teachers were acting as facilitators, it was the students managing the entire show with live commentary, guiding the parents, giving information. I could picture my little one as one of them in a few years & felt all mushy inside.

Craft time!!

Today Ansh's school reopened after a long Puja Break & he was supposed to have finished his Holiday homework which included (besides several other things)making a craft item out of misc everyday items like buttons, papers, matchsticks etc.

We were done & over with the writing & sticking pictures part a while back. The craft work was still pending. Though I had chosen to do a very simple craft with him, but I need one supply which was not available & that was "wires". Someone in the family knew where they were available & had promised to get it for us but that did not happen till yesterday.

So yesterday, being Bhai Dooj, we had to go to Abhi's bua's house after work for the Tika ceremony & then have the Tika done by another Bua at home.

It was almost 10pm by the time we got back to our room armed with wires to do the craft. Ansh was super excited and had a lot of fun.

Supplies:

Different coloured buttons

Different coloured chart papers (we used Bhai Dooj envelopes since we did not have chart paper)

Thin Wires

Pencil/Pen for tracing

Pair of Scissors

Method:

-Trace a flower pattern on coloured paper & cut it out

-Place a button in the middle & pass a wire through the diagonally opposite button holes

-Twist the wire & lo & behold u can make a lovely bouquet of flowers.

:)

Once demonstrated by papa, Ansh could do it all by himself & was so proud. He specifically wanted to pose with his creation. The other good thing was that since this did not involve glue, it was less messier. The buttons though did find their way in every nook & corner of the room.

Books

Ok, so I am trying to get back to books again. A few weeks back when the fourth season of Desperate Housewives ended on my DVD , there was such a large vacuum in life. Yes, I did not know how to engage myself after putting Ansh to bed.
I started with a book that was catching dust in my shelf was quite a while, Chetan Bhagat's "One Night @ Call Centre". It was a decent read.
Then, from yesterday I started reading "The Kite Runner", & I had great difficulty in putting the book down. I read up Nine Chapters last night which resulted in my inability to get up on time today & Ansh had to go to school without his bath. Bad Mommy!!

crafts

It's great the way schools these days encourage crafts so much. In Ansh's school almost all the learning is through arts & crafts. They have 3 flower faces in class marked " happy", "sad" & "angry". Every child has a clip with his/ her name written on it. Every morning the child has to clip his/her name on the relevant flower & explain why he is feeling happy or sad or angry. I loved the concept. Ansh's teacher was telling me that only once Ansh has clipped on the sad flower & that was because that day I did not take him downstairs to drop him off to his pool car coz I was not appropriately dressed. It's amazing how sensitive the kids can be.

Here are 2 things that Ansh made in school that the teacher gave to us when we went to collect his progress report. Cute, isn't it?

1st Semester

On 8th August was the 1st Semester Open House in Ansh's School. I was were apprehensive because of my last visit where Ansh's teacher had expressed concern about his physical activities. We have since then done several medical tests & worked on his diet.We've also sort of spoken to him about this at length & all the bed-time stories these days are also about having "an egg a day" r "proteinex in the milk" It all paid off with the teacher telling me this time that there has been a dramatic change in Ansh's activity level . Besides that , he has always been very good in crafts, arts & speech. We do need to work on his writing abit but that is hardly of any concern at his age.

Fancy Dress

Ansh was much better yesterday after two doses of antibiotics. So yesterday we got him a dress for the "fancy dress" at school. He is a solidier. We tried on the costume yesterday & clicked this picture. He has gone all dressed up to school today. Hope he enjoys today & also stays well . It is actually not a typical "soldier" dress, it's a military commander dress. But then the commander was not one of the options given by school. So we are calling him a soldier.

Missed the pool car,gangaur

So today was the fourth day of school & Ansh missed the pool car. It was the driver's fault. The timings given to us were 8:15 & the car arrived at 8:05 & left at 8:10. So we gave a mouthful to the driver over phone. Dada had to take Ansh in a cab.
There was a lot of crying today morning. I even put the TV on but it did not help. When he missed the pool car he must have been happy but when I told Dada to take him in a cab, he burst out crying again.
I guess the only way to control the awful mornings is to get Ansh to sleep at least by 9:00pm every day.
It's going to be tough today coz today in Gangaur. I did the Puja alone in the morning coz no one was ready by 9:15 & i would have gotten late for work. In the evening, we need to go to Giri's house for a fair on the occasion of Gangaur. I'll try to put Ansh to sleep before leaving.

Ansh's First Day of School

Ansh joined Laxmipat Singhania on 3rd April. The first 2 days , he went from 9-11am. I along with dada, went to drop him to school. There was no crying. The only problem was getting up in the morning on the first day.
Today, the 7th of of April is the first day of full time school- 9am to 12:45 am. Today is the first time he is going in pool car. Dada has accompanied him today.

start school

So, we are all set to start school from tomorrow-the 3rd of April!! Wow..........it'll be a BIG day!! We had a parents-teachers meeting yesterday where we submitted all of Ansh's awfully expensive stationery to school(Rs 1500 worth for Pre-school 1).We were told about all the rules & regulations that are to be followed. Phew..........we have our work cut out. Timings are easy 9 to 12:45. So no worry abt getting up at very odd hours of the morning. This is manageable.
Ansh is mentally prepared & I am keeping my fingers crossed!!

Missed school

Today Ansh missed his school & I am feeling so bad about it. He was late coz he came to office to meet me before going to school & they did admit him in. He has got into this habit of coming to meet me before school these days & he likes to take small goodies from my table, like a pencil or a calendar etc. Just a few more days to go & he'll be in his big school!!

funny

Here's a small funny incident from today-
Today at 12.30 Ansh walks in MD' s office while I was having a conversation with MD & tells me " Mumma, mujhe school nahin jana". So I take him out of MD's office & ask him " Kyon Nahi jaana?". Ansh" Kyunki mere ungli mein chot lagi hai". So my son searches for the bruise & shows me a little old bruise on one of his fingers. Carolyn(the admin lady in office) was around, so I asked her for a band-aid which was missing in office as usual. So I applied some moisturiser on his finger. Caro gave him a candy stick, I gave him some sweets & other small little stuff from my purse & off he went to school happily.