23 Posts out of 31 -- Not bad

I wondered how long I would last - not bad, I managed 23 posts in October, including this one. I had two more posts planned but it just didn't happen. Better than last time when I took up this challenge. An improvement! Not bad at all.

Visaranai -- Movie Review

This movie was released in February 2016. We had heard a lot about this movie but it was last week that the movie was brought to our notice again. I recalled that this movie was India's entry for the Oscars in the category best foreign language film.

Pandi

Visaranai means interrogation. 4 daily wage earners from Tamil Nadu work in Andra Pradesh. They stay in a nearby park and somehow try to make ends meet. The movie starts with Pandi, who works in a shop. At day break, a few men stop at Pandi's shop and ask him for an address. Pandi recognizes that they are from Tamil Nadu and chats with them. The men are reluctant to part with information and then Pandi notices that one of them has a gun and stops chatting with them and asks them to leave. This group consists of policeman who are on a undercover mission. The day turns worse for Pandi as a policeman (not the undercover group) arrests him and he sees his friends: Murugan and Kumar also arrested.
Image Courtesy: www.thehindu.com

Unable to understand what is going on, the 3 of them are beaten up and tortured so that they can

Kumar, Pandi, Afzal, and Murugan

reveal where they hid the money. None of them know what is going on and are not involved in the robbery but no one seems interested as they continue to share that they know nothing of the robbery. They meet their other friend, Afzal, the next day who was tortured for their address and that is how the other 3 friends were picked up. Apparently, a high-profile robbery has been committed and the police has identified these 4 as the con men who committed the crime. The policeman want them to accept the crime in front of a judge. Because of the beatings and the torture, all the others, except Pandi, are willing to plead guilty for a crime they did not commit.

Image Courtesy: http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/regional/visaranai-is-indias-official-oscar-entry-10-facts-you-must-know-3044732/

When they are brought in front of the judge, Pandi proclaims their innocence. The judge, surprised at being addressed, and not able to understand Pandi, calls for a translator. The inspector on the undercover mission, who is at another judge's chambers volunteers. All four are released. The inspector asks them for help. They gladly volunteer. What happens to them after that forms the rest of the story.  

The movie is based on a real life incident and is based on a book by M Chandra Kumar (Kumar). There are quite a few scenes of violence as befitting a police interrogation. These scenes can be quite horrifying to watch so do not watch with children.

What am I reading this week?

I finished Rainmaker last week. I started on Lay Her Among The Lillies by James Hadley Chase, this week. I always liked JHC. The local library would cover JHC books with newspaper or brown paper so the cover of the books was not visible. JHC was essentially known for his catchy titles and lurid covers but the books were thrillers and I liked them. I am enjoying returning to JHC after a long long time.  

Milestone - Kuku goes diaperless to school

Kuku has pretty much off diapers at home, since April this year. However, we were unsure if he was ready to go to school without diapers. The school did not object to his coming in diapers. They told us that he will let us know when he is ready. We kept postponing the date even though we knew he was ready. Today, I sent him without diapers to school. He was totally fine. I feel so proud.

Birthday Celebrations - Cake and Dinner

Kuku's second birthday celebration was officially set to start at 5pm but thankfully started much later. Every time the door bell rang, Kuku ran to the door to welcome his Periappa. It was usually someone else. Everybody else was at our home by 7pm. We got started with the cake cutting at 8 pm, after Kuku's favorite Periappa  had arrived.

The Arien was determined not to order the usual pastry kind of cake this time. He wanted a sponge cake with cream on top. I was not too impressed. He opted for a 3-layered cake - each layer of a different color with angry bird design. When he brought it home, it looked far from impressive :( I was ready to cry and it was only the arrival of guests that took my mind of the cake. As always, Kuku was impressed that he had a cake and sang "Happy Birthday" to himself :D The biggest surprise was that the cake was fabulous. I mean, we finished two layers, during the distribution itself and after we started packing the cake, realized that we may not have any for ourselves - which is so rare :D

Dinner was order-in again from the Arien's favorite Biryani place. We have been ordering in from that place for years now. I usually order in for Chinese food when he orders from his Biryani place and that is what I did this time as well.

By the time, everyone finished dinner, packed some food, and left, it was 10 pm. Not too late but we were tired. Kuku started bawling when he saw his Anna and Periappa leave. The Arien was so tired, he opened a Gems packet and let Kuku have it all - in an effort to distract him. It worked. I tried to get a few Gems away but he immediately started bawling and I gave up. I was tired and hungry and so I opted to eat :) Kuku decided to join me and ate with me. I was glad he was eating so he decided to not worry myself over the Gems.

 

Birthday Celebrations - Lunch and Cake

As always, Kuku has two birthday celebrations. For the first celebration, we opted to order-in lunch at my aunt's place so my grandma could also be part of the celebrations. My family junta were all gathered at my aunt's place by the time we landed with lunch. Adit was waiting to cut the cake and so did not want to eat lunch. He opted to stay hungry and cranky and murmered "Cake" if anyone offered him food. We ordered from High Note. Everyone liked what we had ordered.

The cake I had in mind was the rainbow cake - the one with all the colors of the rainbow and covered with white cream on top. I wanted the baker to add a caterpillar on top because Kuku loves the hungry caterpillar. He agreed to create a simple caterpillar but at the time of collection, he just added a simple number 3 on top and gave the cake to us. Apparently, adding a caterpillar on top of the cake, required the cake to be of at least 4Kg. This was utter nonsense. I was quite put out.

Anyway, the cake was very very sweet. Everyone, including Kuku, could manage only a small piece.

Kuku had fun. We all returned home absolutely tired. Tomorrow, we had another round of celebrations. We are so glad it is dinner and not lunch.

Bhajirao Mastani - Movie Review

Saw this movie over 2 sittings, at home. Wanted to watch this movie because I enjoyed Sanjay Leela Bhansali's (SLB) Goliyon ki Rasleela Ram-Leela. The visuals are as stunning as in any SLB's movie. Somehow, the passion that I expected between the lead pair, was strangely lacking in the Bhajirao-Mastani movie.

Mastani (Deepika) looked very pretty and it was easy to see why Bhajirao could fall head over heels over her but somehow that is not brought out very well in the movie. In fact, from the display of passion, I almost felt that Kashi (Priyanka) was his beloved and Mastani his wife. The dialogues, supporting characters were good. Tanvi Azmi as the mom who opposed the relationship was pretty good.

Image Courtesy: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bajirao-mastani-its-a-wrap-on-my-most-incredible-film-experience-says-deepika-padukone-ranveer-singh/1/509973.html

It was a movie about a brave warrior who won all of his 41 battles but lost the war in his home. He

obsessed over Mastani and her rights and hurt Kashi with his behavior. Priyanka did a fantastic job as the good wife. Deepika's role was not well-etched and seemed to me: one-dimensional. She was a warrior but too tame as a lover and mistress. Apart from a few dialogues that hinted at her tough interior, her behavior at other times was frankly a bit better than a door mat.

Image Courtesy: http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/ranveer-singh-to-be-feted-as-maharashtrian-of-the-year/

Kashi, showed a lot more fire even though it was not expected of her. Ranveer, caught between the 3 women in his life, and his role as a brave warrior who wins battles, showcased his vulnerability and bravery very well. A good performance. Priyanka walks away with all the honors though. Her performance was understated but pretty good.

Image Courtesy: http://www.catchnews.com/bollywood-news/priyanka-chopra-finally-revealed-that-why-did-work-in-sanjay-leela-bhansali-bajirao-mastani-despite-the-fact-that-it-is-all-about-ranveer-singh-and-deepika-padukone-6-interesting-answers-priyanka-chopra-gave-1450349217.html

Shopping! Gift Wrapping! Hiding! -- I want another Sunday!

It was a no-fuss birthday but somehow we ended up shopping a lot. First, we had to agree on the return gifts for all the kids in his class. Then, we had to get the same gift for all the kids. If the number did not work, we had to go back and choose another :( The number was not huge but most places did not stock so many of the same item! And, then after we lugged the gifts home, we had to wrap them and while the number was not huge, it took a while to pack the gifts for each kid. Then, we had to hide the gifts from Kuku as he gets all curious and may want to rip open each packet thinking it is a gift for him.

By the time, we were done, we were totally exhausted but Kuku was in a fun mood and refused to fall asleep till 11:30 pm. He kept singing "Happy Birthday to youuuu" and called out "Amma", "Appa", in the middle just to check if we were awake.

I wish tomorrow was another Sunday!

2 weeks completed -- Yeah!

When the Arien suggested we watch Kabali - the Rajnikant movie, I wanted to say No but I actually said Yes. The movie was not bad but was far from good or great. I really do not have the heart or the mind to review the movie and so kindly adjust maadi. I cannot believe I actually sat through two sittings of that movie. 

The good news is that I completed two weeks of daily posts!! Yeah!! Calls for celebration but not of Kabali variety :(

What I am reading now?

I have opted to stay away from classics for a bit. This week, I started Rainmaker by John Grisham. I thought I had read it before but after reading a few pages, I realized that I hadn't read this book at all. I found it interesting and I doubt I will be able to finish this book before next week. I was a big fan of John Grisham novels a while ago and so I am unable to believe I hadn't read this book earlier. Anyway, its good. It reads like a very early novel and I like it so far.

All about Kuku -- Birthday Month Challenge

If you are suddenly wondering why this month's posts are mostly about Kuku, its because it is that month of the year. Yeah Yeah - you guessed it right! Kuku is turning 3 this year in a few days. We do not have anything major planned. His school celebrates birthdays in a very simple manner and I like that. Kuku has been singing "Happy birthday to youuuuu" for the past couple of days and so the Arien asked the teacher what is expected of us. The Arien wanted him to bunk school so we could take him out. I do not want him to miss the school celebration. So, we are actually sending him to school on his birthday. 

Wordless Wednesdays -- Kuku at the Gopalan Mall

Fun Day at the Mall

Dashing Cars at Gopalan Mall -- Kuku has fun

It was a holiday for the Arien and me. Staying at home with Kuku is not an option anymore. The moment he knows both of us are around, he insists on going out. We decided a visit to the mall was a good option. I thought we were going to Phoenix Mall but we ended up at Gopalan Mall. Apart from one ride-on, there is nothing of major interest in the Gopalan Mall was my thought. There was a play area on the top floor and so we decided to visit that place. The Play Area did not match the ones we have been to at Phoenix or VR malls. It smells like a place stuffed with people and machines - not a nice smell. The only positive was that they allowed Kuku on the Dashing cars if he was accompanied by his Dad. That had him absolutely happy and excited. At every other place he is not allowed even with an adult for company.  Nice day!

1 week completed - Yeah!

Working from home most of this week because Dad had his cataract surgery last week (Friday). He has to avoid dust, TV, stoves because of their flames, etc. The last time he had this surgery was before Kuku was born. Everything was a lot easier because I could fully take care of him. Now, with Kuku having holidays and Dad with all the restrictions post surgery, it is a miracle I have not gone mad yet. I do lose my temper often :(

Well, this one is a short post and is mostly an update on my daily blog post resolution. 9 posts - good going! Lets hope I can do as well next week! All the Best to me!

Kuku and his anna -- Weekend Melodrama

Kuku loves playing with his anna (older cousin brother). When his anna comes visiting, Kuku is very happy. He will insist on showing his anna his latest toys, his puzzles, and go on races with him on his ride-on till they both tire of it. When anna has to leave, Kuku gets very upset and cries bucket loads of tears. Its a very difficult situation to handle. Everyone feels very guilty for separating them.

This weekend, anna and his family came home around 10:30 pm. Because it was quite late, they had planned on a short visit. Kuku had difficulty coming to terms with this and before he started crying, the Arien requested his brother to let Kuku's anna stay the night and whole of next day with us. Kuku's joy knew no bounds as he prepared the bed for anna.

Sunday was fraught with episodes that I find funny now but I was struggling with at that time, that I have to list them here:

• Kuku wakes up pretty early irrespective of the time he falls asleep. When anna is around, he pretty much does not care if we exist. With great difficulty, we stopped him from jumping on anna's stomach to wake anna up.
• Kuku refused to brush or drink his milk. Finally, after all our patience was totally exhausted, we told him anna was going home. Immediately, he offered to allow us to brush his teeth and also drank his milk in no time. I hate emotional blackmail but we were fighting a losing battle.
• Kuku believed that anna had left while he was having his bath. No idea why he felt that but he cried and hiccuped for an entire hour screaming "Anna Anna Annnnnnaaa". The whole crying episode was so ridiculous especially since anna was watching TV, in plain sight, and came running in response to his cries. Anna was not hiding. No one understood what had happened.
• Kuku insisted that Anna play only the games he himself wanted to play, so anna was a bit bored after a while.
• Anna was also forced to sleep when it was Kuku's nap-time and the poor fella struggled to fall asleep (he is an active 13 year old who hates to waste time sleeping). 

What a weekend!

Visiting Relatives over the Weekend

For some reason, it is very difficult for me to get going on a weekend. When we meet my relatives for lunch, we are usually the last to arrive. This is usually my fault. The Arien hates being late and so is usually ready before time. I find it very difficult to be like him. Kuku can be ready quickly or will throw the spanner in the works by shouting NO when I try to get him ready and so that day is doomed.

Last week, we visited my uncle and their family around 12:45 and came away by 2:30. However, I realized that that timing does not work for all especially since we are not meeting at their house for lunch. It actually disturbs everyone's routine and delays lunch. My lunch got pushed by 4 hours because I could eat only after Kuku finished lunch and was put to sleep. While Kuku was cranky, so were the two of us. We thankfully, did not visit anybody else that weekend.

This week, we decided to have lunch at 12:25 and leave. Kuku insisted on eating breakfast very late around 12 and so we were sure we could manage till 3 with fruit and light snacks for him which we packed. We visited my aunt this week. Reached home around 3:45. Kuku was given lunch and he fell asleep at 5. I was more relaxed as I was not hungry but the Arien was tired as he did not get his siesta. Hmmm..

This happens only over the weekend. I don't struggle so much on working days or on days when there is school. Next week, we will be visiting another aunt and I hope we find something that works for all of us. Right after breakfast works but I should get ready by then. Well, lets see.  

Does this happen to you? How do you work around it?

Re-Reading Classics -- An update

Went back to reading but was re-reading mostly Agatha Christie and other whodunits, as usual. Finally, re-read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. Amazing. Liked it a lot but it took me almost two weeks to complete it.

It had 899 pages and there were moments when I wanted to skip a few paras when I found the content a bit repetitive and trying to force a point that was already made. But, the characters were full of life and it was so true even today that made me want to continue reading it. I cannot review a classic but the book made a profound impact on me.

The other classic that had such an impact on me was 451 Fahrenheit. The Author is Ray Bradbury and the book was published in 1953. An office colleague lent me the book last month and I was simply blown away. I could not put the book down and finished it in two sittings. Not a big book but it kept me engrossed for all of it.

Taking a break from reading heavy stuff for a week :)  

5 Tips to Handle Your Lil One when they Throw a Minor Tantrum -- No candies involved

A tantrum is very much a part of the growing up process. Usually, it takes all your patience and your will-power to handle your lil one when they decide to throw a tantrum. The worst part is that it can happen anywhere- in public or at home, when you are with relatives or with strangers. Most tantrums are to get your attention or stem from being hungry, tired or hurt and frustrated. I am no super mother or child psychologist but I follow some of these tricks to help me handle Kuku's tantrums. I forget them at times and then have to go back and re-learn them :D

• Calm Yourself. This is important. If you are not calm, you react to his tantrum instead of acting on it. For instance, the moment we enter the house, Kuku wants us to take him outside on his cycle or his ride-along. We are both dying to have a cup of tea, coffee. Granddad wants to go to his home. Kuku has woken up from his sleep, is well-rested and ready for anything. He starts crying as his Granddad says Bye and then we have a full-on tantrum. Its very easy to yell at him at that moment (I have done that many times and am left with a lot of guilt) but the key is to spend some time with him. I walk into the play room and pick out his favorite puzzle and we play. In 15 minutes, he is telling me "goozob amma" which means "Good Job Amma"! Now, I can go make my tea while dad plays with him while drinking his coffee. In half an hour, Grandad is willing to take him downstairs to play.
  
• Monitor their Hunger and Fatigue Symptoms. Some tantrums are thrown because they are hungry or tired and want to sleep or from over stimulation after being around a lot of people. Even though Kuku loves his cousins a lot and has a lot of fun at their place, he either misses or delays his regular nap time and food when he is having so much fun. He usually falls asleep on the way back. But, he needs an hour of winding down or alone time by watching Masha and the Bear or Pingu on the IPAD before going to sleep at night. It is easier to finish visiting all the relatives at one go but it doesn't work for us that way. We have changed our plan.
  
• Distract them. At home, keep a few favorite toys that he no longer plays with in a separate bag that can be used to distract him. I keep Play Dough, Marbles, a Puzzle, a wooden whistle, a wooden top etc. If you are outside, keep your eyes peeled for distracting options - toy stores, ballons, etc. For instance, when we visit the mall, Kuku likes to go on the rides that they have on each floor. The moment the ride is over, he insists on going again or going on every ride at every floor on the way up and on the way down. As the Arien was beginning to lose it, I looked around and saw Hamley's. I asked him if he could see the Bear (a stuffed toy) and he joined us. Temper tantrum and all the tears disappeared in an instant. Because he is just 3, we do not even have to get anything at the store. He is happy looking at all the toys and riding on the ride-alongs, and spending sometime at the store etc. 

• Pick your Battles. For instance, can you delay bath-time by 10 minutes after he yelled "No" when you called him for a bath? If yes, delay it. If you do not delay it, the next 25 minutes will be nerve-wracking. Knowing your kid, factor in the delays so you are not late. When Kuku is watching Pingu episodes on the IPAD, he hates it when I ask him to switch it off and to come for his bath. I try to finish other tasks and then come back after 10 minutes. Most of the time, he is ready for his bath. If he is not ready, I try to push it for an additional 5 minutes but not more than that. He probably feels he has some control over his life when he gets to say when he will have his bath.
  
• Fake it. Pretend you are calm, and sing a song in your head as you attempt to fix the issue causing the tantrum. Sometimes, a smile or a joke can cause an escalation in their tantrum because they think you are laughing at them so do it carefully. Also, do not paste a very fake smile below your glaring eyes (that could burn anything in the path) and flared nostrils (trying to control the anger). Better to ask someone else to take over for a bit rather than to appear as a scary monster who will haunt them in their dreams :D  

If you think you are having the worst possible tantrum and you are going mad, read this article about other parents and the hilarious reasons why their kids threw a tantrum and you'll be fine: 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3819929/I-couldn-t-fix-cracker-Fed-parents-share-RIDICULOUS-reasons-toddlers-tantrums.html

Remember:

• Do not give in to the tantrum. You are implying that you will give them what they want only when they throw a tantrum.
• Do not bribe them with candies. Not good for their emotional health or their dental health.

Smile, this too shall pass :D

Wordless Wednesdays -- Before Dussera Holidays

Kuku in Ethnic Wear

Kuku's Latest Tantrum

Today, when I came home I found Kuku was saying something to his Dad, over and over again. As I edged closer, I thought he was saying "No Kool" which meant "No School" but he was actually saying "Go to Kool" meaning he wanted to go to school. I stared at him in shock.

The Dussera holidays began on September 30th and go on till 12th October. Its been barely a week since school has been closed for the holidays and it looks like he is already bored. When I told him school was closed, he started shouting that he wanted to go to school and threw a major tantrum.

The whole of June and July was spent in trying to get him to school while he cried, kicked, screamed, and shouted "Amma Amma". August was actually better and he was kinda settled in by September. I was worried that he would enjoy his holidays too much and not want to go to school but this was absolutely shocking to me. I did not know whether to laugh or cry.

I asked him if he was bored and he said "Yes"! I think I must plan some activities so he is engaged in the morning :)  Has that happened to you?
 

Theme Change

After a year, I finally changed to the all-green nature theme of this blog, which I changed on a whim. But, I now like it. The easy familiarity of my earlier theme is missing but I like this. I am thinking of setting a new trend of short, shorter, and shortest posts this month. This post is only about the theme change. Let me know if you like it. Did you like the previous one? Comments are welcome :)

Daily Post Resolution for October -- Wish me Luck!

Seeing the number of posts that I have published this year made me cringe! I realized it was time for a blog post resolution. Yes, I am renewing the daily post challenge for the month of October. The last time I tried it was when Kuku was turning 1. I managed 17 posts out of the 31 days. Hoping to do better this year! Wish me luck!

Introducing Books to Kuku -- a fun experience

I love books and so I always hoped that Kuku would love it as much as well. However, he barely showed interest during his play school phase. While browsing at a book store, last year, I purchased "The Hungry Caterpillar". He really loved listening to the story and wanted us to read the book often. That was how we started with books for Kuku. I chose some of the common fairy tales like '3 Little Pigs', 'Goldilocks and the 3 bears', and 'Puss in Boots'. He liked Goldilocks and wanted to listen to it again but was not that interested in the other stories. 

 

Kuku started school in June. As part of his weekly schedule, the school gives the students a library book every week. Parents are supposed to read to the children as often as possible during the week. Kuku enjoys us reading to him and so even if we are bored by the re-reading, we try to re-create the enthusiasm with which we read the story for the first time. Surprisingly, I read a number of books written by Indian authors which Kuku enjoyed. These books are published by Pratham Books. While some books had an instant connection, he did not want us to read the others a second time. 

These Pratham books he really enjoyed:

• Where is my Bat?
• See you tomorrow
• Drip Drop Drip

Pratham web-site shares a couple of activities after you read the book. Some were a bit advanced for Kuku but I liked having access to the same so I could try them out when he was a bit older.

 Of the fairy tales, he enjoyed these two books: 

• The Magic Porridge Pot
• Chicken Licken 

He did not want to hear Cinderalla again or the Moon and the Cap story. Well, at least, its a beginning. What books do you read to your kid(s)? What kind of stories do they prefer? Leave your responses in a comment.