'Win win' strategy

Every time we go on holiday DD and I take turns going to the spa. When it's my turn to stay back with Squiggles I usually take her to the pool or play some games. Unsurprisingly, when it's DD's turn, he let's her watch tv, in particular Hi-5, which is her favorite tv show.

This time when we returned home, one weekend, Squiggles had this suggestion for what we should do over the weekend.

"Mama, if you go to the spa, I can watch Hi-5. Right."

And let it be stated that that was a statement and not a question!

And a bloody good one!

The story of Ganesha

Well, the latest episode from Ms. Drama Queen was on Ganesh Chaturthi. For a change I decided that we would try to celebrate the festival at home so that S would know what the meaning of this festival was.

Invariably, we all woke up late and were too lazy too shower. I decided to tell S the story of how Ganeshji came about having an elephant head. Suffice to say, that my story telling was so good, that she thought that the elephant had cut off the baby's head and she insisted that we take her to the temple to see the headless baby!

She fell asleep in the afternoon and so we couldn't take her to the temple but the next day she just wouldn't leave the topic. I even managed to get her into a pretty lehenga for the occasion. Her cousin's influence is obvious though. She came to our room to show herself off and she had one hand on one side of her hip and she was shaking her hips on the other side :). It was so cute. She even agreed to wear bangles and payal and a dupatta. Before you ask, I'm not sure if we took a pic or not.

We landed in the mandir and were there for barely a minute when they started some loud singing which got her upset :(. It stopped just as were about to leave. And the first question was 'where is the baby elephant'.
I'm still struggling to get the story right in her head but I think I may have to give up.

Moral of the story - The elephant cut the baby's head but S's head is safe because she is no longer a baby!

It's all about pink

I didn't realize when pink became an obsession with S. I've always tried to get her neutral colours when I buy her clothes or pick up toys. And I am hideously bored with the colour pink. So I've tried to influence her away from pink subtly through my choice of colours. It's but obvious that someone decided to teach me a lesson about not being able to control everything!

Her love of pink can only be termed an obsession! When we ask her what she wants for her birthday (which is coming up soon), she says 'pink'. Not pink toys, not pink clothes but just 'pink'.

She wants a pink party for her 3rd birthday. So the mother in me has overcome my dislike of this ubiquitous colour and decided to grant her her wish. Though I have to admit I'm hoping that an overdose of pink will cure her of it. But I'm sure my hopes will be dashed!

Coming to her wish for a pink party, I'm getting her a princess bouncy castle which is not all pink but lilac and pink. It's the most girly bouncy castle they have. There will be pink and purple balloons. The table cloths, cutlery and crockery will all be pink. DD has made a pink donkey for the pin the tail game. We've painted alphabets which spell out her name and we are going to put them outdoors and it's pink and purple. The cake is a bright candy pink, an eyesore but pink :). I just realized she doesn't really have pink party dress or shoes so we're going to have to rectify that on Friday before the party. And we have to buy her a pink birthday present which I'm thinking of taking her to the toy store and letting her choose.

I have to admit one thing before I end *sheepish*. Whenever everyone asks me what she's into and what she would like for her birthday I don't tell them the truth. If I tell everyone that she has a pink obsession then all her presents will be pink. In any case it's hard to find things for girls which are not pink. And one last thing, I tell them she's into books and puzzles and don't mention she likes princess. She will get enough pink girly presents as it is so don't make me feel guilty ok?

Morning pearls of wisdom

What possibly could little Squiggles ask for first thing in the morning?

Maybe she's hungry and milk is the first priority? Or, visiting the toilet to pee may be something she really HAS to do?

Maybe she wants to go to school, because she hasn't been in 10 days and is missing her friends? Or, she's ready to go out and about to visit?

Maybe she wouldn't mind watching cartoons first? Or, movies? Or, Tv?

Maybe she wants to ask Mummy to stay at home with her? If not, maybe Mummy can buy her 'something'?

Maybe she really NEEDS some new toys? Or, atleast one?

All these thoughts crossed my mind when Squiggles woke up this morning, stretched luxuriously like a little cat and piped up with 'Mama?'. You would forgive me for thinking any of the above because I can bet no one could have guessed what she actually asked for.

"Mama, I want to wear my apple panty".

WHAT???? Is this what little kids dream about, that it's the first thing they think of when they wake up.

APPLE PANTY!

Back home

We're back from the hospital after 2 days. S has almost recovered. Only a slight fever. Thanks everyone for your concern and thoughts. Will write more later.

Hello from the hospital

The nightmare started at 2am this morning. S had sneaked into our room and clambered on to our bed some time before. She woke up with a start and started coughing and told me she wanted to vomit. I took her to the toilet and let her empty herself. I washed her face and brought her back to bed. She felt hot so I checked her temperature. It was above 102 def Fahrenheit.

I quickly gave her some medicine and put her back to sleep. Half an hour later she had puked in the bed. We went through the whole ritual and put her back to bed. We chatted about how she would have to miss school and how much her friends would miss her. She nodded off only to wake up half an hour later wanting to vomit. This continued throughout the rest of the night. Her fever remained above 101.

We rushed her to the doc in the morning and thankfully were only 2nd in the queue. Her doc was worried. S looked very weak and was on her way to being dehydrated. She was unable to drink anything and the high fever had made her weak. She thought she would need to be hospitalized but said we should try for a few hours at home to see if the vomiting could be controlled.

We picked up some of S' favourite drinks to entice her at home to drink more fluids. At home she was more relaxed and had a little bit of coconut water and juice to drink and even managed to have a few bites to eat. Just as I thought she had turned a corner, she vomited again. We then got her to have some Milo but she immediately vomited that as well. I decided to give her the next dose of suppository then though there was still 15mins to go before it was due. After that we got her to watch cartoons and started giving her some electrolyte with a syringe. She drank about 30ml and I brought her to my room for a nap. She nodded off, only to wake up 15 mins later and puke everything. That's when I decided it was time to take her to the hospital.

Her doctor had given me very specific instructions to take her to the hospital if she didn't improve. I called DD and he told me he would meet me there directly. We quickly packed a few things and drove to the hospital.

When we got there the admissions clerk told us the hospital was 'quite' full and they couldn't spare any beds. It was humbling to realize that you could be in a developed city with enough money in a private hospital but you were still at mercy of others. Thankfully her doctor got involved and sorted things out for us. There was a delay of about 30mins but they got us a bed in a double room.

S lay on the bed listlessly and I kept checking her temperature. Her fever kept climbing but the hospital staff were busy and hadn't even contacted her doctor to discuss medication. A lot of following up later we got a nurse to start giving S the attention she needed. We were getting frustrated at the pace at which medical attention was being provided but we kept reminding ourselves that there were more serious cases in the hospital.

The nurse gave S a fever suppository and put her on a drip. S was very brave. There was hardly a whimper as the nurse inserted the needle and she didn't struggle or resist in any way. I was very proud of her.

Within a few minutes of being on the drip there was a marked improvement. Though her fever remained high she lost that listless look. She started taking and chatting a bit more and by the time her grandpa came to visit she could spare him a laugh

S has been making full use of this hospital visit by watching as many cartoons as possible. Not to mention sucking on the lollipop while doing so. She's eaten a few bites of soup and porridge and hasn't vomited since we came to the hospital.

Her fever remains high. The nurse just came and changed the ice pack under her head and replaced the cold towel on her forehead. Another dose of paracetamol went in. I can hear her toss restlessly as I type this post.

We will need to be here for 48hrs. Can't wait to get out and return home with a healthy Squiggles. Wish us luck.

Persistent Squiggles

First thing in the morning today-
Mama, can I watch some cartoons please? (please to note the use of please which otherwise never leaves her lips)
No.
Can I watch movie?
No.
Can I watch tv?
No. (aren't these all the same things S!)
Can I watch Noddy?
No.
And finally........
Can I watch computer????????
NO Squiggles. NO.

Swimming tales

Me: S, kaunsa swimming costume pehena hai?
S. : nangu nangu!
She was referring to her bikini, of course.

The point being that videshi sanskaron ne hamare bachon ko brasht kar diya hai!

LOL

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx


S: mama, I want to go to big swimming pool.
Mama is busy blogging and neither listens nor takes any action.

S: mama come otherwise I can fall down!

Mama quickly gets up and acceded to the princess' request :)

How to make babies ........

.......when there's a baby in the middle???????

Wine, food and great company

The success to a great holiday is the company. In our case I mean company for S. We've just returned from a long weekend in the margaret river wine region in western Australia. S had her dear friend A along and the whole trip was a breeze. The kids had a blast, we relaxed and things were just hunky dory.

A and S get along really well. They've always played well though this time there was a competitive element as well which resulted in a few fights. But hey if kids don't fight then they're ill.

The trip was full of fauna - kangaroos, koalas, rabbits, sheep and deer. S was scared of petting and feeding the kangaroos but the koalas were not that scary. On a side note, did you know that koalas are not bears and sleep for upto 20 hours a day! Very cute :).

Anyway, I'm typing this while I am at work so gotta go. Ta!

Want to have a daughter?

Amongst a lot of my friends, there is this desire to have a girl. So that they can buy pretty clips and cute clothes, have someone to talk to when they are old etc etc.

I've usually nodded my head, thinking that it makes sense. But as S grows older I'm realizing there's more to it than just the clothes and clips. Here's a quick snapshot of what you have to deal with.

1. Just this morning S was watching me get ready. She pointed at my tummy and in a matter of fact tone told me, "mama, you're tummy is so big. Mine is so small". I can't believe I am being called fat by my 2 year old!

2. S is after all my cosmetics. Every morning there is a tussle over a lipstick or nail polish. And everyday S moans, "Please mama, I am a big girl now". And when I turn a deaf ear, she runs away with my stuff and appears a few minutes later with her face smeared with the item of the day. I have already lost a lovely clinique lipstick and she almost ruined my ysl concealer. Being mum to a girl can be an expensive affair.

3. Talking of expenses, there is money that is spent on a girl that could be saved if there was a boy. Only girls like collecting shoes. S is fond of flip flops. Every time we go on holiday she picks up a pair. I spend a fortune on her hair accessories. Plus, as a girl, she has her daddy twisted around her little finger and can get him to buy her stuff that he really shouldn't like last weekend's 4 fish!

4. I have to worry about wearing my fav sandals. I blogged about her reaction a few posts ago. Sigh.

5. When I don't get my pedicure done, she is quick to point out, "mummy, you don't have beautiful"? Or, like once she told me that my nail colour wasn't nice. WTF?

There's more but maybe next time. Mothers of little boys, you have it easier don't you?

Why is the boat not moving?

Is the battery finished, mama? The boat is not moving.

Yes!

Between us

What do you say to a child when she says,
"Mama, my nipples are so small" and pinches them with her little fingers for effect.

You stare and wait for the next line.

"Yours is so big", she said staring at my chest.

As a mother your first instinct is to console.........

"Yours will become big too!"

I only hope she doesn't go and repeat that somewhere.......!

I like your shoes

That was what S said when she spotted me in my black sandals with a beautiful strip of sparkling diamonds. I was all dressed in a black dress which had a string of sparkling stones adorning the neckline. The shoes really matched the outfit. Apparently S thought so too!

It would have been alright if the admiration had been contained just to those few complimentary words. But it went a little beyond that. It soon got translated to -
"I want your shoes". With a little indulgent smile I shook my head. But she was persistent. Since I had 5 mins before I had to head out Iet S try on my sparkly shoes. She looked really cute in the heels, constantly trying to maintain her balance.

It wod have been too much to expect if it had ended there. S refused to return my shoes to me! She told me to wear my day wear white sandals which were totally inappropriate. And she knew it was too because she said it with a sly smile. Any amount of cajoling didn't work. In the end I had to literally snatch them off her feet and feel like a heel for doing so. She threw a big tantrum and DD had to intervene and console her with the promise that he would buy her another pair in the morning.

When she woke up in the morning, she said, "I want to buy new shoes" and pointing at my sparkly pair she added, "and I want it just like this one"!

At least you can't fault her taste :)

My first parent teacher conference

I was a little bit anxious before I went to S's school this morning. This was the first formal parent teacher meeting that was scheduled and was just meant to provide me with an update on how S is settling in school now that she's completed 6 weeks.

I was worried that her teacher would tell me that S was not doing well or there was something she needed to improve upon. Also, I was secretly hopeful that her teacher would tell me that S was a child prodigy and she was already ahead of her class. As to be expected, it was neither of the two. Everything is fine. Just fine.

S is settling in well. She is making friends with the kids, even older children. Apparently, she's quite popular with the older kids as she likes to observe what they're doing but doesn't trouble them. Her teacher said S is always busy during school and keen to do her activities. She's rarely idle or waiting to be told what to do.
Whenever we ask S what she did at school, she always says 'cutting and pasting' and 'sewing'. Her teacher clarified this morning that she does other activities as well and maybe she doesn't mention it because she doesn't know what to call them. That's a relief.

Her Chinese teacher was very happy with her. She said that S says Goodbye and Good Morning in chinese very happily and repeats all the words that she's taught. Where other children need encouragement to try to speak a different language, S always responds. Her teacher was very satisfied with that.

Her class teacher also mentioned that S participates in the group activities. When they ask the group questions, S will put up her hand in response even though she's relatively new to class. And when the teacher asks her to elaborate she gives a shy smile but doesn't always answer. She's the youngest in her class and has been there for less than 2 months so it's quite good that she's actively engaging during the group sessions.

I have to say thanks to Choxbox for introducing the montessori philosophy to me through her blog. I'm really glad that I've sent S to a montessori school. She's enjoying it and I really buy in to their education philosophy.

All in all, everything's just dandy.

Baby in the tummy

I was feeding S by the pool the other day when she piped up with a shocker.

" mama, do you have baby in your tummy?"

&$@!)-&

Where on earth did that come from. So I calmly told her that no there was no baby in my tummy. Then I remembered that I was telling her about a friend who was pregnant and had described her as such. So serves me right.

It's just that in our friend circle everyone is expecting and we keep getting asked on when we're planning our second. It's almost like everyone's waiting for an announcement. So much so that I feel conscious when I decline to have a glass of wine as I suspect everyone will start speculating that I'm pregnant! But I just didn't expect the same question on my own home turf :).

After that we started asking S if she wanted a baby bro/ sis and having fun at her expense because her reaction, when we told her she would have to share her room and toys with the baby, was priceless. Poor thing.

I am a big girl now

S is in love with my make up. Every morning she loves watching me as I get ready for work. I
Her favourite is my lipstick which she fondly calls "lip lip". Whenever she's wanted to play with stuff I've not said much until she turned up with her lips covered in eye concealer because she'd mistaken my concealer for lip lip.

After that incident I decided to put a stop to all this playing by telling her that she could only get my make up once she was a big girl. But it's a cute sight when I see her stretching on her toes and trying to prove to me that she's a big girl. Every time we remind her that she needs to do stuff herself because she's a big girl she promptly pipes up with "can i have your lip lip now, I am a big girl now".

She is a big girl now. Too big intact. Has someone got a time capsule?

Lion dance

With Chinese new year being celebrated everywhere, squiggles' school couldn't be far behind. Tomorrow I head there to join in the celebrations. Have to take a day off and feel a bit resentful not because I don't want to go but because feel that being one of the newbie moms at school I may be conned into attending when everyone else has already figured out that there's no need to attend!
Sounds a bit mental I know.
Well the point of writing was to highlight that S was a bit scared at the prospect of watching the lion dance even though she knows there are 2 uncles inside it :). Normally she's excited about going to school but all day she has been trying to figure out how she can get out of it!

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