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. 

Pink -- Movie Review

Two movies at the theater in the same month.. am I dreaming? Well, it happened. A friend at office came up with the plan and off we went. I thought it was a 1 hour movie but it was longer as most Hindi movies are.

The movie begins very well-You see 3 gals (Meenal, Falak, and Andrea) in a taxi, returning home from a party or some event, late at night. The mood is very tense, the girls are worried, and a bit terrified. The scene shifts to another vehicle, a car, 2 guys are worrying about one of the guys who seems badly hurt and bleeding. The hurt guy is more angry than hurt. Slowly, the events unfold and there is no misstep anywhere. The first half goes as expected - rather, as if a real incident was taking place n that was a relief.

Amitabh with his mask

Amitabh's introduction was actually funny thanks to his anti-pollution mask and various eccentricities. When you observe him watching Meenal at the park, you wonder if he is the villain for an insane moment. The movie introduces a number of stereotypes: independent working women, north eastern women, the neighbor who can easily think the worst about you, the policeman who asks Meenal to think before filing a case at the station, etc etc. None of them struck a false note.

Image Courtesy: http://www.hitmoviedialogues.in/2016/08/watch-pink-movie-official-trailer.html

The second half was a bit slow though it had a number of punches to throw. It was a courtroom saga

Andrea, Meenal, and Falak

that made several note-worthy points but felt a bit slow. Somehow I felt that the verdict could swing either way. While the points were note-worthy, I did not think legally they could have won the battle. But, again maybe that is how it works sometimes. A point that raised a lot of claps was about a woman's choice to say No. A very valid point but legally how could it be proved?

Image Courtesy:  http://hamaraphotos.com/bollywood/scoops/have-been-a-victim-of-eve-teasing-taapsee-pannu.html

Meenal

Most of the scenes were totally believable: When Meenal is threatened over phone, she retaliates in anger but then runs home after looking all around, terrified; When Falak's boyfriend asks her why she went with others and adds that Meenal would do this but why did you?; When the lawyer asks Meenal why does she live with 3 other girls instead of staying at her parent's place (When her parents live in the same city) and tries to insinuate that she was probably a sex-worker;When the men say that girls from good families do not drink or go with somebody whom they just met, and so many other gems.  

Image Courtesy: http://www.trendinfo.in/pink-movie-box-office-collection-7056.html

A serious movie but a good one. The movie ends with showing us what really happened that night which was one of the best parts of the movie. Liked it for some of the points made. Good to watch once.

Happy Bhaag Jayegi -- Movie Review

After a long time, managed to catch a movie at the theater. After Kuku came into my life, it has been

Daman Singh Bagga dancing

impossible for me to catch a movie in the theater and so I try not to miss any opportunity when it does come my way. The managers go on a trip to the US for two weeks, every year, and most folks enjoy the short break that that brings but this year we went for a movie. Felt like a school or college kid bunking school or college (Not that I did it - I had a miss goody-two-shoes reputation).

Happy Arriving in Amritsar at Bilal's house

I had read some of the reviews and was not expecting much from the movie but it was nice.

Beautiful Diana Penty, dependable Jimmy Shergil, Handsome Abhay Deol (you always want to see more of him), a charming Ali Fazal, Piyush Sharma as the comic element, a lovely Momal Sheikh looking very snooty but vulnerable, and a simple love story with India-Pakistan as the backdrop. It could have been amazing but not so. Dropping the section
Wah Wah because the movie did not have any Wah Wah moments. It was a light and fluffy experience.

Image Courtesy: http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/happy-bhag-jayegi-movie-review-abhay-deol-diana-penty-star-rating-2984719/

Wah

• Momal Sheikh initial hysterical reaction made me cringe but her snooty, aristocratic expressions and her vulnerability was nicely captured using subtle looks and simple scenes. A small role, but she was impressive.
• Jimmy as the guy who is left at the altar was genuinely funny as Daman Singh Bagga, the main villain.  
• Abhay, who is a joy irrespective of his role, was adequate. 
• Ali Fazal, as the boy friend, Guddu, had a charming simplicity that lent a nice touch.  

Bah

• Happy's character is not well fleshed out. Why do all the men fall for her? Diana seems too sophisticated to be a typical punjabi kudi. Its a stretch to imagine her making aloo parathas for her boyfriend. I can imagine Kangana adding the necessary zing to the same character.
• Kanwaljeet's performance was a bit over-the-top. He is a very good actor and deserves a decent role.

Zoya walking up to Bilal's car

The performances were not fantastic, the movie was just ok but you wanted very much to like them and were hoping something will come up that will make you laugh - but no. The producer of the film is Anand L Rai, who directed Tanu weds Manu - you can see the numerous similarities in the movie and while Kangana was superb, Diana is just about ok.

Catch it at home on a lazy weekend and you won't mind it. For a change, after seeing intense movies or movies that make me sad, this felt ok.