Our house in my hometown is way larger than the flat we live in back home. To the twins’ absolute awe and delight it is a stand-alone bungalow, has a huge room on the first floor with a large terrace.
Till a few years back they were too young to go exploring and we managed to keep them grounded (pun intended!). My mum imagined them sliding down the steep bannister and running up and down the stairs and promptly issued a blanket ban. Then there are monkeys, no not mine, real ones – aggressive and fearless – that roam the neighbourhood. We all thought it was best to restrict the children to the ground floor.
Till they were about 5 or 6 they complied.
A few years later they made their way to the first landing then to the second until finally they ‘discovered’ the room. Since the holidays were almost over by the time they made this momentous discovery there wasn’t much they could do. They had to be satisfied with leaving notes all over the doors and windows labelling it as ‘H&N’s room’. And that was that!
Next year the moment they arrived they scooted up to assert ownership. The room was quite bare since it wasn’t much in use and the twins set out to rectify it rightaway. First, they decided, it needed to be furnished. During the long summer afternoons, while all of us adults shut ourselves in our rooms with the hum of the AC for company, the twins went to work.
They picked a mattress from one of the rooms on the ground floor (taking care to replace the covers back on the bed so no one would notice) and lugged it up. If you’ve ever tried walking with a full-sized Sleepwell mattress you’d realise how determined my 6-year-olds would have been. Next they needed tables and chairs. They decided the ground floor had one too many and dragged up some chairs too. The furniture was old, heavy and sturdy, lovingly made during my grandfather’s time. The twins, it would seem, were sturdier.
How they managed to do all of this in complete secrecy remains a mystery.
They put up some more notices at the door, instituted a ‘tax’ for entry and the room was done. That year they spent entire days up there, fiddling with the large old broken down radio, carrying up food and juice and playing all kinds of pretend games.
It was a relief to have them out of my hair.
Everyone is now reconciled to the fact that that’s where they’ll stay. Their bags are carried up the moment they arrive. They continue to love the place. Despite their fear of monkeys, they walk out onto the terrace and spend hours on the swing.
Last week they decided to have a screen-free day. They spent the morning going up and down busily. Then N pretended to be stranded up in a tower (or something of that sort) and sent down a rope while H tied all kinds of supplies – water and cold drinks and biscuits – which she’d pull up and then he’d run and join her for a snack.
I watched them, glad and grateful, that there was still time before they outgrew their childhood and that silly as their make-believe games might be, they still could trounce technology.
They continue to believe the room is their discovery – no matter that it was my parents who got it constructed after much discussion and many hours of pondering over the plans. “They might have got it built,” argue the little ones, “but then they forgot about it and we discovered it.”
Linking up with
Mackenzie at Reflections from Me.
Sounds like the kids truly had a fun and adventure filled vacation. LOL @ the last line. Agree with them, the room with the terrace was discovered by them, you have to give it to them. 🙂
Shilpa Garg recently put up this amazing post…30 Odd Questions #BlogFest
As if we have a choice! They believe in asserting their rights.
What fun! I too used to love our ancestoral old house in Calcutta…we could roam all the rooms and discover some new nook and cranny that we could hide in without being discovered for hours! Glad your two also have that thrill to look forward to on each visit!
Sorry to be MIA for so long! Just getting back to blogging!
Ours isn’t really an ancestral home but it’s still much larger than our flat. The kids love it. Glad to have you back Roshni and thanks for dropping by.
lol for the last line. It was a fun narration for the fun the kids are having. Have they thought about adding the word explorers too to their repertoire? I can imagine the plight of a princess been locked up in the tower and the prince’s (which in this case happens to be the brother) hardwork in replenishing the supplies in the traditional sense. I am sure you are getting enough peace time with them spending most of their time upstairs 🙂
Anamika Agnihotri recently put up this amazing post…The Conniving Filmy Kids #MondayMusings
Oh yes. This year they pretty much left me alone. They were often on their tabs, which they get only for these two months and also because there is much more to see. Now that we’re back the house suddenly seems so much smaller. Sigh!
Wow, the twins sure must have enjoyed themselves. I loved how methodical they were about it all. Not only did they “discover” the room, they even thought of furnishing it! I personally struggle with lugging around a mattress; so these kids are tough. And then the entry tax..lol.
Shantala recently put up this amazing post…Half Girlfriend Review / Therapeutic Rant on Love & Consent
I know. It must have been hard but they are a determined pair. If only they’d put their minds to something more productive!
oh aren’t they gorgeous! Sounds like so much fun, I love the way you wrote this, I can truly picture it #mg
Mackenzie Glanville recently put up this amazing post…capturing the little things #mummyshot
Thanks MG.
This is a lovely story! All children need a den and if it feeds their imagination and keeps them away from their screens it is a win win in my book. Thanks for sharing this. #TweensTeensBeyond
Jo – Mother of Teenagers recently put up this amazing post…The Big Sur – A California Road Trip – Part Three
Absolutely. Keeping them busy minus screen time is a hard task.
Ahh this sounds like brilliant fun. Thanks so much for sharing with us at #TweensTeensBeyond
Sharon Parry recently put up this amazing post…A trip to Sgwd yr Eira Waterfall, Brecon Beacons – why you should visit with your teens
Thanks. Great to link up.
That must have been such an adventure for them! I would’ve personally loved a room of that sort as well. Ahh I remember having converted a room to our own with my cousins at my grandparents’ place. Every time we go in there that room in particular feels specially homely. 🙂
Dashy recently put up this amazing post…From Fresher to Sophomore
It’s lovely to have your own space. And if you have a bunch of cousins to share it with it’s even more fun.
Wow – they must find that so exciting and something they will always remember too. Somewhere to have homemade fun. I love it. Nicky #tweensteensbeyond
That they do. They love the privacy.
I love this post…there is something nostalgic and Blyton-esque about their escapades. I can’t wait to hear them finding a secret passage of some sort! 🙂
Sanchie @ Living my Imperfect Life recently put up this amazing post…13 thoughts on Thirteen Reasons Why
Hey thanks Sanchie that’s a compliment I cherish. Unfortunately there’s no scope for secret passages :-).
This sounds like so much fun. Takes me back to my own childhood memories to my nana’s palatial bungalow where we kids had so much fun in indulging in these inane activities. Now, that home is long gone and my father’s place is functional and modern. Glad to see how the twins are making the most of their vacation and giving you the must needed breathing space.
Large houses with ‘forgotten’ rooms are such a rarity these days. It’s a huge contrast from our home here and that really trips them up.
Wow…looks like they are enjoying themselves thoroughly…and you too in the process 🙂
We sure are. They get their privacy and I get mine too :-).