Mama’s day out – N

Mama went to the gym today. I would have liked to say ‘mama started going to the gym today’ but she’s so doubtful whether she will be able to continue that she wants to take it a day at a time. She told the entire society that she’d be away for an hour and that they should keep an eye on us, as if Sophia didi wasn’t enough. And that too when she went during our morning nap. It became a tad embarrassing because she was supposed to start a week back but she couldn’t because both of us fell ill and everyone from our doctor to our neighbours was asking ‘Have you started going to the gym?’ I think it was all the pressure that finally pushed her to go today.

Anyway, she came back all sweaty but very happy. As far as I am concerned her absence was quite uneventful but bhai had a crying fit as soon as she left and didn’t sleep at all. Sophia didi says he dreamt that mama would be gone and that’s what made him wake up. I say that’s all rubbish. Sophia didi gets these weird ideas. The other day we overheard her asking the cook, how she can ward off the evil eye from us. She was complaining that when we go down EVERYONE looks only at us. Some one just has to say ‘how cute’ to me or ‘how chubby’ to bhai to get her all worked up. Well some of it might be her imagination but we do seem to be the favourite playthings for a lot of older kids around. Sharvari and Shalmali love to take us in their godi, Ankita likes to swirl bhai and make him laugh, Trija holds our hand and makes us walk, Yash and Jai just love to pet both of us, Tamanna gets a special football keychain that Rit bhai likes to play with and Khushi hangs around us because she’s too shy to say anything… and that’s just some of our older pals…but Sophia didi doesn’t understand that they are our friends, how can they cast an evil eye on us?

Anyway the cook did give her a recipe involving a lemon and she made mama buy it. That irritated mama no end but she did get the lemons.

I’m walking – H

Hey guys I’ve started walking. And believe me it feels just great. Mama is soooo proud of me. I could have done it much earlier but I’d just been putting it off for a long time. Frankly I wasn’t in any hurry but you know how peer pressure gets to you! And N is always in such a hurry that it makes things a tad tough for an easygoing guy like me. Anyway I thought I’d end the wait for mama and she really was thrilled. She ran to get the camera and now I’m sure she’ll show it around to anyone she can lay her hands on… you know how mothers are… quite embarrassing, really!

This last Saturday (21 June, 2007) was nothing if not eventful. Here are some of the other firsts we achieved that day…
N gave her very first flying kiss. Mama and Sophia got all excited and begged her to do it again but you know pricey she can be… she just refused.

She learnt to say ‘Bua’ too, which made Suman bua very happy. (Of course mama called her up immediately).

Oh and you must listen to this – N found the bottle of Hing from the spice cabinet. Like she said earlier, mama isn’t able to keep pace with us at all. She never realizes that we’re growing smarter by the day. So she, unsuspectingly, let her take it thinking we’ll never be able to open it. But ha ha… that’s just what we did. It felt like playing in the sand pit. I tried to eat some of it but it was yucky. Unfortunately for us the wretched thing reeks like crazy and mama was soon on our trail. We were both hauled off to the bathroom because we had hing all over us and papa got a sound scolding for not keeping an eye on us.

I also had a big fall from the swing. Sophia didi was pushing the swing and she let go for just a moment. Now how was I supposed to know that? Down I went, plonk! But there’s sand all around the swings so there was no damage and mama rushed in and picked me up sooo fast that I didn’t even need to cry. Anyway I’m a big boy now.

Today’s achievements – N

I ate a biscuit all on my own for the first time. Bhai is no good at it because he bites off such huge pieces that mama is scared he’ll choke. I chew and chew it first and then when it becomes soft I eat it up. Alright alright… that’s very basic for you guys I know but for us it’s a big deal, so stop looking like that. Also both bhai and I learnt to drink from the milk bottles on our own. It’s fun to be independent H bhai harasses me a lot these days. He holds his bottle with one hand while drinking his milk and snatches away mine with the other. Also it’s really tempting to start playing with the bottles which doesn’t go down too well with mama.

Oh for some shut eye!

The other day mama was cribbing to a friend of her’s that she wasn’t getting enough sleep. Here’s what he had to say….

The sleep routine will regularise over a short period … won’t take very long, though it does seem like ever especially when you haven’t slept right for quite some time. But this unstable sleep will continue ….first they will cry so u get up.. then u’ll get up without their crying to ensure that the the sheet is covering them ok or just to see that they have toppled over from the bed … and then after that, if u dare to sleep even during the noon when they are awake, they will wake u every 2 mins to tell u that they wont disturb u at all and u can sleep as long as u want to ……. initially u feel tired, then irritated , and then after that u feel so helpless that you learn to enjoy whatever they are up to …and thats no mean thing …..

Cool gyan, isn’t it?

Jhansi Ki Rani – N


I so wish I were a tad taller. I’m sick of not being able to reach stuff and mama always puts the most interesting things high above our reach. Not fair at all!

Today was the limit. She left our milk bottles on the table right in front of me. There they sat on the table tantalizing, almost beckoning me. Now I’m not a milk freak like bhai but I do think milk bottles make the coolest playthings. So I tried to clamber up but the table was just too high.

And then I got a brainwave. I got onto the chair, which mind you was not easy, but from there climbing onto the table was a cakewalk. When mama came out and saw me sitting there tipping the bottles around she was quite aghast. You should have seen the look on her face! The problem with her is that she still thinks I’m a baby and that I need to be looked after 24X7. The fact is I’m a big girl now and can well look out for myself. But I think mama was quite pleased about the whole affair because I overheard her telling masi on the phone that I was ‘very gutsy’ which seemed like a nice thing to be.

Not for nothing does mama call me ‘Jhansi ki Rani’.

I’ve learnt to take falls and tumbles quite in my stride and wear bumps on my head and forehead with great pride. Yesterday Sophia didi knocked me down when she opened the door (I was right behind it). Today I went down with the chair when I leaned down too hard on the backrest. Once I landed from the sofa on the floor upside down, doing a handstand. It’s no big deal really.

Now bhai is a different story altogether. He always lands flat on his back with his head bang on the floor and then bawls for ages. No matter how often I remind him ‘keep your head up, keep your head up’ he ALWAYS forgets it right at the crucial moment. Guess he’ll figure it out in his own time.