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22/02/201115/04/2017

The cup overfloweth..

The cup of woe that is…

Yes yes I’d vowed to think positive but hear me out before you remind me of that …

6.30

The day begins a bit bleary eyed because the night before Hrit and tossed and turned with high fever. Yet I was optimistic.. Today is Monday I can take him to the doc and all shall be well.

8.30

Call from the neighbour. Our common maid wasn’t coming. *Groan* “Not today”, thought I as I watched Hrit’s fever rising. I gave him his capful of Meftal and got on with the tasks, the maid’s and mine, cleaning, sweeping, dusting, watering plants..

Pic courtesy Google Images

10.30

I got an appointment with the doc as soon as her clinic opened and watched Hrit getting more and more restless as his fever rose despite the medicine 100, 101, 102, 103, 104. I started to panic.

11.00

Despite sponging the fever refused to recede but thankfully it was time for the doc’s appointment. Hrit was shivering from the fever. His teeth chattered. I had barely entered the lift with him when he poured out all he’d eaten since morning down my back, over his clothes and all over the lift.

11.05

I yelled for housekeeping to clean the lift and dashed up for a change with one eye on the clock lest we miss the doctor or be late to pick up Naisha from school.

Washed and changed Hrit… washed and changed me… sprayed on deo lavishly to mask the odour of vomit and zoomed to the docs panting and breathless to find she hadn’t arrived.

11.45

Only if you’ve ever waited with a feverish child in your arms you’ll know what that wait was like. She arrived and we waited on. Our turn, finally. Hrit needed a shot of antibiotic and cried most sadly but the fever started to go down almost immediately. *Huge sigh of relief*.

12.30

Back at home I found the lift reeking but clean. I quickly sprayed some freshener and rushed off to pick up Naisha. I left Hrit home-alone, a first, trusting the telly to keep him out of trouble, he hardly was in any shape to be up to his usual antics.

12.40

Naisha arrived and even before I’d ended my ‘welcome back’ hug and kiss she demanded, “Did you get my pot?” (She’d asked me to get a pot for her to paint). *Sigh*. I felt my temper slipping and was starting off on what a day I’d had. However one look at my pouting audience and I shut up in a hurry. I frantically sorted out my strategy. Distraction worked well and we were home while she examined the lift for signs of Hrit-created mess.

That was my manic Monday morning.

We spent the evening trying to navigate Naisha’s homework backlog courtesy the vacation, keeping Hrit’s fever at bay and handling myriad mini and mega tantrums …

I want to play some more (No darling tomorrow’s school), I don’t want to wear my night suit (Okay sleep in your tracks), I don’t want to eat (You HAVE to), I want only khichri (Fine), I want roti (Fine, I’d made both, thank god)), Why are you talking on the phone (That’s because, dadu, nani ma, masi, bua and the ever-travelling papa wanted to know how Hrit was), you told two stories of Hrit’s choice and only one of my choice (no matter that Hrit’s two are her favourites too).

Cajoling, pleading, bribing, threatening, yelling… we got through the day. Finally at 10 it was lights out… Peace.

As Naisha drifted off she said, “I love Papa but I love you morer.” Of course papa’s darling said it out of pure pique since she was upset he wasn’t home. As I watched them sleep I found myself smiling despite the godawful day. All I’ll say is, I love you ‘morest’ babies.

***********

That was yesterday.. Today the maid’s back.. the fever is down and it’s been a Terrific Tuesday.

19/02/201115/04/2017

Why do vacations end?

And we’re back. I am still coming to terms with the fact that we actually went on a vacation. Not those go-in-a-day-back-in-a-day kinds… a proper seven day break. Not the Lonavala, Mahabalehwar, Khandala, Matheran kinds either.. the destination was Gir, Gujarat. Finally after years and years of sitting on the Mahindra Holidays package we did it. The kids of course couldn’t believe it… that papa was going with them and that it was just the four of us together. Their happiness was priceless.

And now we’re back to no maid, dirty house, tons of dirty clothes, loads of ironing …. Time to get back to life… *sigh*.
Today, just today, I’ll let myself wallow in self pity .. last day, today. Promise to look at the bright side tomorrow. *deep sigh*

17/02/201115/04/2017

Where are the greens

Thursday Challenge : TREES (Saplings, Gnarly Trees, Snow Covered, Bonsai, Dead Tree, Shade Tree,…)

Venna Lake, Mahabaleshwar

We saw this at Mahabaleshwar.. no clue whether these have grown naturally. A strange sight.. dry trees in the middle of a lake.

PS: Meanwhile we’re in the middle of the Gir forest enjoying a tryst with the lions. More on that when I get home by the weekend.

10/02/201115/04/2017

Sands of Time

Thursday Challenge: “TEXTURE” (Coarse, Smooth, Jagged, Sharp, Glossy, Shinny, Furry,…)

At the Juhu Beach, Mumbai

The texture of sand…

.. when the wind blows it onto your face, in your eyes, in your mouth … unbearable.

… in a child’s hand… pure pleasure.

07/02/201105/07/2018

Mauled

Some days are just not meant to be. The thing to do on those days is to sit it out at home. My problem is that I never figure it out till it’s too late.

I needed to get summer clothes for the kids and decided to head for the mall on Sunday what with all those tempting sales and offers. The Husband was supposed to do the baby-sitting. He, however, declared he had to go to work. No problem thought I, I’ll take the kids along. Like a super efficient mom I dressed them up a full hour in advance of the time decided upon. We were going with the SIL and my niece. By the time she arrived the kids were deep in the antics of Hanuman and greatly resented giving up the telly. The little one set up the mother of all tantrums. Never mind thought I, she’ll be fine by the time we are through lunch. She howled her way through one full hour of lunch making sure her protest was well and truly registered. However, she recovered after that and we reached the mall in averagely decent shape. Even as I was giving myself a pat on the back God in heaven was having a good laugh at what he had in store for me.

Catch n Cook
As I got on with the task at hand the kids busied themselves playing hide and seek, then catch and cook among the clothes’ rails. I ignored them determinedly vowing not to worry till one of them was in actual danger of being upturned – the rails or/and the kids. (That’s called mommy nirvana).

Spin it on
I HAD to take note however when I found the two of them spinning a rotatable accessory showcase. By the time I reached the scene of action the showcase was spinning at an unbelievable speed and before I could stop it clips, bracelets and hair bands came flying off the stands. The next few minutes were spent in gathering up the merchandise, apologising profusely and telling off the kids.

I spy
In the middle of the chaos… ‘Bathroom’ announced the son and we made a beeline for the washrooms. After the kids were done I went in to do my business. I had barely shut the door when I heard H saying ‘Mama I can see your shoes’. I jumped off and walked out in a hurry to see him sprawled on the floor, yes on the washroom floor, trying to look under the door. We washed, cleaned rushed out.

Try it on
I collected my scattered wits to try to focus on the clothes and in a flash the kids had disappeared. I recovered them from the women’s lingerie section trying out the ‘clothes’. They had picked two pieces off the rails and were placing them on the relevant parts of their anatomies while preening in the mirror. It was kind of weird considering the son shall never qualify to wear those garments and the daughter has many many years to go before she does. I found myself putting back the merchandise, apologising profusely and telling off the kids once more.

Caught
I rushed them off to the changing rooms where my SIL had been calling me for eons for a second opinion. As I checked out her buys I heard the son’s distressed call of help while the daughter shouted, “mama look at bhai”. There he was sprawled on the floor yet again with one leg inside the changing room occupied by a young lady. For once he had bitten off more than he could chew. He had put his leg under the door into the changing room to see ‘how far in it could go’. The young lady inside believed in giving as good as she got. So she caught hold of his foot and refused to let go. She walked out after a while, a big grin on her face. I readied for the apologising-telling off routine but, “That was fun,’ she said, ‘I’ve been on the other side when I was their age.” And walked off with a wave. Oh I wanted to high-five her.

Sing along
One would have thought this was enough of a shocker to keep the duo quiet for some time. However within five minutes I found them facing the mirrors outside the changing rooms singing and gyrating in the most amateurish fashion. The songs – for the daughter “My name is Sheela” and the Son went with “My name is Singh is King”.

Oh and I have left out minor irritants like the time they wrestled with the huge soft toys, the time they hung from changing room handles so people inside couldn’t open them, or when they wanted to take off Santa’s cap in the display counter to check if he had hair.

All this in a space of two hours. God keep the patience coming.

PS:

1. This post is an explanation, explanation NOT apology, for my Harridon-like behaviour when I got home and found The Husband at his laptop refusing to help out with the housework.

2. In their defence I have to add that the kids do not provide so much entertainment always. It is only on some days that they are so much in their element.