Happy 2012 my baby.

Dear Ri,
Thank you for the past year,
We have a new year coming through.
Every day is happy,
Simply because of you.

Happy 2012 my baby,
You will soon be two.
Remember every one of them 365,
That mommy loves you.

25 things that Ri did this year

1. She dropped out of play-group within a month of joining making her an official school drop-out.
2. She went on two big vacations; Kumbalgargh in Rajasthan and Kabini in Karnataka.
3. She visited Ganesha in the famous Pillayarpatti.
4. She got herself a passport.
5. She discovered she loves Gems.
6. She saw her aunt getting married.
7. She bonded with her mother's sister, her husband and her father's brother.
8. She walked confidently, is running, sprouted and is sprouting teeth.
9. She talked and talks 19 to a dozen.
10. She learnt to use a spoon.
11. Sometimes, she picks what she wants to wear.
12. She watched Dumbo for the first time.
13. She can sing the last words of most of the lines in the Kolaveri song.
14. She can almost write the alphabet A
15. She learnt to say Please, Thank You and Sorry.
16. She also learnt to throw a mean tantrum.
17. She can yield a crayon.
18. She developed an obsessive love for airline packs of Amul butter.
19. She starred as the main feature in a column her mother writes for a local community paper.
20. She knows how to brush her teeth but ends up eating all the paste.
21. She learnt alphabets and numbers.
22. She developed a bad fever a couple of times.
23. She lost interest in Ceebeebies.Poor Teletubbies.
24. She fell off the bed. Thrice.
25. She attended birthday parties and her first Christmas carnival.

Nativity and Ri

Some days ago, I told Ri the story of Christmas. Having studied in a Christian school, the story of the birth of the Christ and the Nativity play are close to my heart. I even added some sound effects in the middle, singing 'Jog along little donkey' to describe the scene where Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem. I felt proud that I managed to explain to my 23-month old what a carpenter was. Remember Joseph's profession? I explained to her that Jesus was the Lord's son and how he was born in a manger.

Well, to make sure she was listening intently, the Tiger Mom in me asked her some questions.

Me: Who travelled to Bethlehem?
Ri: Maryyyyyyyyy

Me: What did Joseph and Mary travel on?
Ri: Donkeyyyyyy

Me: So who was born in a manger on Christmas day?
Ri: (emphatically): Wee Willy Winky!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas Y'all.

Sorry Ri

Dear Ri,

I owe you an apology. Dated December 18’th 2011.

Sometimes when you act out, I lose sight of how tiny you really are. I feel like I’m against someone of my own age and expect you to understand that your behavior frustrates me.

Today, we came home after a really really long road trip and we had to get ready to go out for a birthday party. I was tired. So, were you. I am coming down with a bad cold, the kind where your head feels heavy and your eyes are blurry.

You refused to let Inna help you get ready. You refused to let us brush your hair. You insisted on pouring my contact lens solution all over the bed and dug your hands into my lens case. You wailed and cried so much you got tears all over your party dress. Then, you kicked off your party shoes. All the crying made you red-faced and I began to imagine you were warm. Well, you refused to let me take your temperature. I thought you were hungry and tried to feed you some warm milk but you kicked the bottle away. Much crying later, we left for the birthday party.

I was angry, you were red-faced and I lost my temper with you in the car. I said some things to you that I should not have. You probably did not understand what I was saying but I was so angry that I simply had to let you know how angry I was. Moments later, you were in my arms, drinking from your bottle
(because I told you that the man driving next to us on his bike was chasing and catching babies who did not drink their milk) and I felt like the worst person in the world. I thought of all the mommies and babies we would meet in the party and felt ashamed that I was the one who had screamed at her kid that evening.

I love you Ri. I really do. However, there are times you really drive me up the wall. I know you don’t understand that you are whining and crying, sometimes whining, sometimes crying and sometimes giving me a giant combo dose of both but it drives me crazy. However, that is no excuse for losing my temper with you.

I am sorry. I apologized to you on the way to the party, in the party and on our way back. You were happy. You didn't really understand anything that happened, you played with balloons and spat out some cake. You behaved like the perfect party princess.

When we came home, you opened your return gift with glee. You loved the little plastic bottle with bubble blowing liquid you got and played with the all the bubbles I blew for you. Then, you insisted on blowing the bubbles yourself, spilt the liquid all over your dry-clean only party dress, licked the bubble-blower and probably drank some of the soapy water too.

We have a long journey ahead, you and I.

Excuse me while I go pray for more patience.

Love,

Mom.

P.S: I am sorry.  

Most popular post !!!!!!!!!

The narcissist in the writer/blogger in me makes me check my Blogger Stats ever so often. The most popular post still remains Jeera Pulao and Creamy Vegetable Gravy. Aaarghhh. What about the other heartfelt emotional ones?

Going back to the above recipe, Ri loved it and ate it up just fine but I think I used too many vegetables (threw in some spinach as well) and well, Ri could not digest the crazy vegetable cocktail.
So, to all those Jeera Pulao enthusiasts, tone down on them vegetables. And, READ MY OTHER POSTS TOO!

I need your grace, to remind me

Dear Ri,

I am listening to Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars from Grey’s Anatomy. I love the song, the haunting melody, the passionate singer and the eclectic lyrics.

There was a time in my life that I would associate every beautiful song and memory with a boy. Well, you’ll probably read this at an age when you will understand! Someday you will meet them boys (much to your father’s angst) and I hope you experience and enjoy all the wonderful feelings and emotions of falling in love. And, associating every song with the same!

Today, I hear this haunting song and I think of you. God, help me, I’m all mommy now!

When I think of a team, it’s you and me. A pair, that’s you and me again. A beautiful song reminds me of you. Anything beautiful in life, it all points at you.

You lay in the crook of my arm last night and held my nose tight. That made my voice all funny and when you heard the ‘funny voice’, you laughed. I could have been the the funniest stand-up comedian in the world.

You laughed so loud that tears came down your eyes, happy tears and seeing you laugh like that, well, it made my day, my year and pretty much all my years. Moments like these, I feel like I will end up choking from my love for you. And, we spent a lot of time like that last night, laughing together like silly girls.

Yes there are moments (make that many many moments) when I not only lose my patience with you but also faith in me as a mother. I feel easily irritable, overwhelmed, annoyed and slowly realize in your toddler years that the ‘itching to whack’ feeling comes just as easily as all the other loving maternal ones.

And yet, everything seems worth it when you laugh like that.

Keep loving and laughing,

Love,

Mom

Blog Title: Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars

Utterly Butterly Ri

 

Ten random updates and non-updates.

1. Ri is down with a fever again. I’m re-reading my post on Fever Fighting to re-educate and re-assure myself. Also came across this useful article which every new fever-fighting parent must read. Do read the part about not combining cough medication and fever-reducers. Also, add a few drops of Eau-de-cologne to the water used to sponge feverish baby. The overall effect is a bit jazzy but adds fragrance to the otherwise dull proceedings.
2. The playgroup thing is not really working out as well as I thought it would. It’s been more than a month since she joined and between  fevers and allergies, her school-going is pretty erratic. Well, she pretty much hates the experience on the days that she actually goes. She comes back sore-throated, tear-faced and hicuppy. I think she may have benefited more from one of them ‘Mom & Me’ programs.
   RD is very unhappy with the whole arrangement and we have some serious re-thinking to do on this front. Ri is such a spirited, outgoing and bright kid that I thought she would settle into school with minimal resistance. Well, as mothers most often discover, everyday is a new experience and lesson. Her playgroup teacher informs me that she does not open her mouth in class, cries in regular intervals, demands to be carried and refuses to eat with the other children. She is kind and reassuring but it is hard for any of us at home to have a metal image of a sad and withdrawn Ri.
3. Ri loves Amul Butter. She daintily eats it by herself with a spoon. We buy the individual airline packs of Amul, which is a blessing for adults as well. Come on, when faced with a crispy toast and a whole slab of Amul butter, only the lactose-intolerant and vegans among us can slap on the butter in moderation. When you buy the airline pack, you actually control the amount of butter you consume.
   Being a vegetarian kid ( I have not started her yet on eggs as well), I allow her, her butter fix. As a habit, she drinks only regular toned milk as opposed to the full-fat version she should be consuming at her age. All these factors have helped me make peace with her airline pack butter obsession. While writing about this, I came across this great advertisement for Amul’s airline pack. Amul has always had some of the best advertisements in India!
4. I have a new wardrobe management solution (WMS) for Ri. One which gives all her clothes a fair chance to be worn. For more news on WMS, watch this space.
5. The happiness I derive when I see neatly folded clothes, organised wardrobes and filed papers is indescribable. I most definitely inherit these traits from my mother. You know you have an OCD when you use your daughter’s gift coupons to buy yourself a giant book on Storage.
6. Ri’s uncle is coming down next week from America. I cannot wait to see his reaction when he sees 22-month Ri. He last saw her when she was barely 2 months old. I’m sure they are going to have a great time together.
7. I’ve already begun planning her second birthday party in my head. Ri to me is like how Amul Butter airline pack is to her. She is my biggest weakness and I don’t know how to ‘play it cool’ when it comes to her.
8. There are some amazing things I discover about the mom-in-me everyday. This morning, around 3.00 am, I woke up with a start to discover Ri with a blazing temperature, whimpering softly. I jumped up like my body had received an invisible caffeine kick and within minutes, I had the whole fever routine covered: administered medicines, given sponge bath, changed diaper, fed her water, put on a fresh set of night-clothes etc.  Pre-Ri, if I had to wake up that early, I would have pressed the snooze button on the alarm a million times and woken up barely able to function and bleary-eyed.
9. I often wonder how mothers who have more than one child, do what they do? How do you manage a toddler and a baby?
   When your heart is ready to burst with love for one child, how do you efficiently carve the space for one more? Not only in your hearts, you make space in your sore arms, aching hips and tired ears. How do you create space everywhere for one more?
10. While watching this season of Grey’s Anatomy, I was choking with tears over Meredith’s predicament with her child. I was deeply struck by the last line of that episode, the one where she says:
    ‎"You think that true love
    is the only thing that can crush your heart..The thing that will take your life
    and light it up...
    Or destroy it.
    Then you become a mother."
    

Time flies when you’re having fun

Ri is gloriously long-limbed and I am reminded of that everytime I carry her.

“Where is my baby”? I wonder, almost desperately.

These days, she spills out of my arms, long legs dangling. When she sleeps, head nestled on my shoulder, her feet reach up to my waist. On drives back home at night, I cannot sit in the front-seat of our car as her feet jut into her father’s gear-changing capabilities. When I lay her down to sleep at night, I see a tired little girl occupying much more space than she used to on the bed.

She knows what she wants. She says what she wants. She speaks long sentences articulately. She even orders and teases. She is entirely precocious.

Everyday I want to buy myself a Handycam. How else do I hold on to my little baby who is growing so fast that it leaves me in alternate states of euphoria and despair? Can I record every word, every smile, every kiss and every hug. I try to jog my memory back to how Ri was when she was a 4 month old. I remember a cute baby in a Bouncer but no other vivid memories come back. Will Handycaming my baby’s everyday life borderline on parental-stalking? Is it even practical?

Ok I’m off to buy that Handycam……

Thank You Dove and Indiblogger

Was pleasantly surprised to receive a goody basket from Dove. The Dove Nourishing Oil Care Range with Vita Oils. The packaging was very glamorous and I loved the tiny gold beads in the casing.

Thank you Indiblogger and Dove for the mid-week treat! Felt very pampered and special, feelings most welcome by moms-of-toddlers.

Navarathri Invite This Year

This was the invite for Navarathri 2011, held at my mother’s home. Ri enjoyed the Navarathri season this year and was very upset when the dolls had to be put away. Every year it is customary to by a new doll ( in a bid to support the doll makers). Somehow, my mother and I did not get around to buying a new doll. However, everytime someone asked which the new doll was, we had a ready reply.

“Ri”!

My MPV’s FDAP

As it goes, ‘first days’ never work out the way you think they will be. Last night, I set aside everything that Ri would need in the morning including a pretty mango-coloured dress with sunflowers on it. I even set aside matching hairbands for it! I did not want to be late for FDAP (First Day At Playgroup). I wanted Ri to be well-rested and I did not want to leave home in a frenzy.
Well, I have never really spent a lot of time thinking about Ri’s FDAP. But if I had, I would have probably envisioned RD and me holding hands and staring as our ‘baby’ walked into the famed corridors of playschool. While he wiped a delicate tear off his cheek, I would chant slokas within my head for her bright and shining playschool future. Or, not!
For starters, Ri slept very late last night which meant she woke up late! For some reason, my daughter, who is a MPV (morning-potty-veteran) refused to use the potty this morning. The mango-coloured dress was too big for her and I had to quickly change strategy on her FDAP outfit! And, pick out matching socks and hair-bands!
RD called to find out how FDAP was going. So much for holding hands, we ended up fighting on the phone. In the midst of enquiring about FDAP, he casually dropped in a hint that he may be extending his trip which really annoyed me. And, that resulted in a heated quarrel.
After I banged the phone down, I realized that the FDAP paraphernalia, carefully arranged in front of the Gods last night had been moved this morning! A little bit of frenzied searching later (exactly the kind I wanted to avoid which is why I kept in all together in the first place), I found it and we were on our way, 20 minutes behind schedule.
Ri fussed all the way to school. She is charming and engaging on a normal day but well, it’s FDAP and Murphy’s Law was at work!
I kinda-sorta-threatened her all the way to school, not exactly in line with chanting slokas for her future.
We reached school, 20 minutes late!
The hall was filled with anxious looking parents. Seeing L’s mom was a relief. Ri loves her and was instantly transported to her cheerful, charming self on seeing her and graciously posed for some FDAP photos.
L’s mom graciously agreed to carry Ri into the scheduled playgroup area. The teacher asked us to leave at that point and asked me to come back in 30 mins.
I left hearing Ri scream and cry behind that door. Strangely, I did not feel nervous or anxious. 
When I returned,  Ri looked visibly relieved to see me, nose and tears running. As I hugged my baby, I got a faint and familiar smell. Poor Ri. I don’t know whether she had been uncomfortable about her new surroundings or the fact that her morning potty routine had been delayed!
A coordinator was handing out small boiled sweets in a tray to the newbies. When she handed over the selection to Ri, I said in a rather uppity tone that my daughter did not eat sweets. Well, Ri chose at that moment to prove me completely wrong and begged fervently for a pineapple candy! I knew it had been a long morning for her and neither Ri nor I had the energy to negotiate.
On our way back home, I felt confused and tired. Have I made the right choice for my daughter? Why did some of the cartoon characters on the wall look mildly creepy? Will she settle in? Why was the school handing out candy to the children? Should I have selected something bigger and fancier? Should I be making such a big deal about it my head? And so on and so forth.
FDAP’s. Fond and frenzied memories for both mom and babies.

Happy Vijayadasami 2011

 

Ri starts playschool tomorrow. It’s Vijayadasami 2011 and I think I started my first blog on a Vijayadasami day in 2005? I’ve been blogging for six years now? Wow!

After much thought, I decided to enroll Ri in playschool. Even till a few months ago, B-Patti, Ri’s maternal
grandmother was not convinced about her grand-daughter starting playschool before she turned 2.5 years.

Now,  she’s absolutely convinced with the idea! Ri has most definitely outgrown her current home environment. She speaks exclusively in our mother-tongue, Tamil and can speak long sentences with ease. As intelligent and perceptive as she is, I feel that she needs to be in the company of children.

The playschool I have selected is not really fancy. It seems functional and efficient which is exactly what I am looking for right now.
Ri’s friend, L has been going there and L’s mom is happy with the school so far. We decided that this school would be an ideal arrangement till our daughters turned 2.5 and were ready for the more ‘official’ Pre-KG.

Strangely, I am not nervous or nostalgic about Ri starting playschool. I am very excited. I am excited for her, her new friends, her new routine…….

Checklist:

1. Packed spare clothes and pull-up pants in bag to give school – Check
2. Set aside new Sippy cup for milk – Check
3. Set aside new trainer bottle for water – Check
4. Wondered if I could keep both inside for just a bit longer – Check ***
5. Kept aside new dress to wear for first day of playschool – Check
6. Felt confused about which dress to select – Check
7. Kept aside accessories for dress: hairbands, clips and sandals – Check
8. Passport photos – Check
9. Filled up admission form – Check
10. Smudged ball-point pen ink in some places – Check
11. Kept all of the above in front of the Gods – Check
12. Debated whether I can keep toddler shoes in front of the Gods – Check
13. Decided not to – Check
14. Speaking of checks, Keep aside cheque book to make fee payment – To Do
15. Buy new pack of baby wipes – To Do
16. Charge camera – Check
17. Removed earring drops and replaced with non-gold studs – Check
18. Felt proud that I remembered to do that the previous night itself – Check
19. Remove nailpolish from Ri’s toenails (used as a bribe to make her take her medicines) – To Do

***  I get nervous about taking out new Sippy cups for Ri. She uses only one brand which is ‘easily-available’ in a ‘country-that-RD-never-travels-to’  and ‘difficultly-available’ in a ‘country-RD-always-travels-to’. My Sippy Cup anxieties? Ahhh…that’s a whole other story!

Random Ri List: Updates and the like

1. Ri fell off the bed again. A mother's worst nightmare. Ok, one of  many nightmares.
2. She keeps asking for her father who is travelling. 'Appa endhai'? she asks sweetly in Tamil. 'America', I respond, never really sure how to pronounce it right though I lived there for four years
3. Now RD has two pissed off women to contend with every time he travels. One who cannot pronounce America. Or, conscientious or sophisticated. Well, that's fodder for another post.
4. Ri's fever was followed by a mild rash, apparently one of the by-products of her viral fever. There! That's something I did not contend with when I wrote my grand post on fever management. The big guy up there was probably laughing at me when I pressed the 'publish' button and thought
   "So you think you know everything do you"?
5. Ri and I visited two close girlfriends from school who both have newborns. Ri seemed really big and mature next to them and I suddenly felt like she was growing up too fast. While one of them discussed a first month milestone, I panicked within. I don't remember what Ri was doing in the first month! When did she first smile? When did her eyes learn to focus?
6. Ri talks a lot for her age. Her voice and tone modulation is amazing.
7. I wish I spent more time teaching her 'clever' things but other people seem to be doing that. Instead, I teach her funny words in Tamil and how to walk like a model across the room.
8. Ri's idea of 'modelling' is to cross her hands at her back, bend her shoulders and strut, much like a old man thinking pensively.
9. When I last visited Dr. S., she mentioned that a little boy had very a high IQ and I felt mildly insecure. I know Ri is perceptive and intelligent but it wouldn't hurt to hear it validated by Dr.S.
10. I have a strange feeling that Ri saying 'podi' has something to do with me.

Random Ri List: Fever fighting and other stories

Spock's famous words to mothers are ' You know more than you think you do'. Well, when left to our own instincts, we certainly do but sometimes we do otherwise.
Ri battled a week-long cold and cough. When I took her over to her paediatrician, Dr.S, she recommended some basic medicines to make her feel more comfortable, a course that ran till Saturday. Now, this course did not include an antibiotic since the doctor felt she was progressing well without it.

Ri was fine on Sunday and Monday and I was happy that she had recovered.
On Tuesday morning, she has a funny cough that I did not have a good feeling about. Following my instincts, I called Dr S and reported it. She told me to start her on an antibiotic and prescribed the same over the phone.

After that phone call, Ri lost the funny cough and I decided not to go ahead with the antibiotic.
Well,  the child seemed normal and I felt that I should not medicate her unnecessarily.



By Thursday afternoon, the 'funny cough' manifested into a full-blown fever. I wished desperately that I had followed my own instincts and the ped's recommendation!

The fever shot up to very high temperatures and as any mom confronted with a blazing hot forehead and an ominous thermometer reading, I was anxious and nervous. It is only natural to keep asking yourself the question "Am I doing enough to protect my child during this illness"?

Reading the chapter on 'Fever Management' in Dr Sears 'The Baby Book' was an eye-opener and helped me stay calm even during times the fever spiked to a 104 degrees.

Here are a couple of things I learnt over the course of Ri's illness.

1. Stay calm. Children need calm mothers who must control flustered fathers :)
2. Educate yourself about your child's fever. Fever is not an independent dangerous condition that your child has. It is a normal and healthy response of the body to an illness. The body's immune system releases chemicals that raise the body temperature. This is part of the normal infection-fighting process (Sears)
3. Look at the glass half-full. Temperature spikes indicate that your child's anti-bodies have begun the process of fighting the underlying infection. Looking at the glass half-full, it is a positive sign that the body's 'good' soldiers have begun the battle against the  'bad' viruses. That being said, you cannot wait and watch the ongoing battle as your child's body heats up! Manage the body temperature with the medication prescribed by your ped.
4. Do not try to treat the fever over the phone. Though colds, coughs and fevers are common in children, it is always better to take them to the paediatrician and receive a written prescription. The process where the paediatrician examines the chest with a stethoscope to detect congestion in the lungs is important and you cannot do it at home unless you are a medical practitioner.
5. Respect your doctor's prescription! Stick to what your paediatrician has told you. You cannot give your child the paediatrician's medicine in the morning, your mother's recommendation in the afternoon and your grand-mother's 'vaidhyam' in the night.
6. Antibiotics are not evil. If your doctor recommends an antibiotic, Give it! No one hands out prizes to mothers who allow their children to fight illnesses naturally. If a registered medical professional thinks your child needs an antibiotic, he/she probably does. 
7. Share the prescription. Educate your spouse and/or fellow care-giver on what course of treatment you are going to follow. Share your findings, thoughts and intuitions with the father.
8. Treat your paediatrician fairly. Before you call your ped at unearthly hours, take a deep breath and understand why you are making the call. Are you asking a question to which you know already know the answer? Does your query warrant a phone call or is it better to wait till the next day and take the child in person. Give the ped-recommended medicines at least 3 doses to work before you decide the person is incompetent and run to the next ped in the block.
9. Treat your child fairly. On the other hand, do not let misplaced nervousness about calling the ped, get in the way of your child's health. For instance, if your child's temperature has spiked to a 104 degrees and is not controlled by regular paracetamol, you need to call and find out what to do to keep the child safe through the night. If you are confused about dosages, there is no harm in clarifying the same. Be clear about your baby's name, age and weight on the phone. You cannot expect your paediatrician to know your baby's medical history by heart.
10. So what thermometer are you going to use? Sears recommends the good ol' glass thermometer, Spock swears by the digital. Dr S. recommends the digital one and asks me to add 1 degree to an under-the-arm reading. They all do not recommend the newer, fancier ear thermometer. Apparently, the readings are not reliable. Make sure you speak with your paediatrician about what to use and how to take a reading.
11. Sponge regularly. Children facing an illness are bound to be irritable and not open to sponging. Bite your teeth through the tears and give them a sponge-bath. This is effective in lowering the body temperature.
12. Do not obsess over the temperature. Well, easier said than done. I am inclined to believe that mothers share a unique and similar relationship with their child's thermometers and their weighing scales. You know you are not supposed to look at both too frequently and obsess over the results, but you go right ahead and still do. Dr.Sears explains that is important to note the child's overall behavior. Is he/she active? Interested in playing? Does the child look faint? All these factors are also important in determining the child's well-being. Do not focus only on the temperature, focus on the child.
13. Maintain a fever record. Jot down your baby's temperature in regular intervals (4-6 hours) and what medicine you have given when. This will give you a good idea on the pattern the fever is taking and the effect of the medicine on the same.
14. Accept changes in schedule. Sleeping and eating patterns will change and children tend to have very poor appetites during illnesses. It is completely ok if your child is not getting his/her fair share of vegetables or proteins. Make sure your child eats a bare minimum of something just so that the medicines are not given on an empty stomach. 
15. Make space for a small treat. If your cranky child wants a few sips of a fizzy drink or suck on a lolly pop, this is not the time to discipline them about aerated drinks or candy.  A small supervised treat will be a welcome change for the child.
16. Keep the child fresh and clean. Most peds do not recommend regular baths when the child has fever. Baby wipes, baby cologne and powder help in keeping baby feel fresh.
17. Read the medicine packaging. I recently discovered ( thanks to a good friend and a great mom) that Crocin Syrup comes in two variations, 'Regular' and 'DS(Double Strong)' with the latter mentioning DS in small print in the label. I might have ended up giving Ri a double-dose of the prescribed medicine if she had not told me to look out for the same. Re-check the medicine strength, read labels and cross-check with prescription before giving it to your child.
18. Suppositories are simpler than you think they are. When confronted for the first time with the small piece of wax and my daughter's bottom, I did feel all hand-trembly. I broke the first one but successfully administered the second. If Yan can cook, so can you!
19. Keep your child hydrated. Water, juice, breast-milk. Ensure your child stays hydrated.
20. Give TLC. Children with fevers need a lot of TLC. So do mothers who fight fevers right?

P.S: My daughter is a 20 month old toddler and the information above is related to her age-group and not for infants and smaller babies.

Random Ri Find: Search Keywords

Dear Readers,
Blogger Stats can be addictive in a narcissistic-sort of way. Here are the search keywords that lead readers to this blog:

www.riddlemeri.blogspot,com

riddle me ri

summer time riddles

summertime riddles

a mother i cannot help but

one step at a time riddles

ceebeebies riddles

cheese riddles

gravy for pulao

hard riddle   ' a mother i cannot help but' amused me the most. Oops, hope that's not some karmic Internet message for me! Aren't some of them funny?   Love,   Ri's Mom

Ente Ri

Yesterday was Onam. The everyday newspaper came with an advertisement insert for Onam, prominently featuring an illustration of Mahabali, with his 'poonal' and pot-belly.

Ri pointed at Mahabali's belly and said' Thatha Thoppai'! (Grandpa's Belly).

My father has a prosperous midriff and on the auspicious day of Onam, his granddaughter compared him to the great Mahabali!

Happy Onam everyone!

All that I am. All that I ever was. Is there in your perfect eyes. They’re all I can see.

Dear Ri,

I turn 30 in 2 weeks and I used to have a whole list of things that I wanted to accomplish before that. Well, even you know me by now so we’re going to have to move some of those things (ok all off it) to what I want to do in my 30’th year:

So here goes 30 things that I want to do in my 30’th year:

1. Lose weight. Though I would love to say the politically correct line of ‘All I really want to do is get fitter’, I think I’m lying to myself. I don’t want to get fitter. I want to look better. Ha. There I said it!
2. Get into a Cleanse, Tone and Moisturize routine everyday. Yes! Inner beauty is more important and all that jazz but so is healthy, good skin.
3. Design, decorate and move in successfully into our new home. Have my OCD”s permeate gloriously into every bit of carpentry. I’m most excited about having individual draws for important folders.
4. Be a Domestic Goddess in that new home, the kind who has fresh flowers in her dining table, a cutesy to-do list on the fridge magnet and comes up with fun family dine-ins like Wok Wednesdays and Spaghetti Saturdays.
5. Buy my own small car and actually drive it!
6. Make your new room in the apartment bright and lovely and sparkly and fill it with all the wonderful things that you deserve.
7. Have you join a good playschool where you are happy and healthy!
8. Buy cookie-cutters and send you star and heart shaped sandwiches to school.
9. Begin to write a book.
10. Take-over your grandmother’s magazine and take it to a whole new level.
11. Update this blog with more sincerity
12. Begin to fill your baby book, the one where I’m supposed to stick your hospital bracelet and first lock of hair. I’m such a bad memory mom.
13. Go on a vacation alone with your father. I know it’s rather selfish to write this in a note to you but you know we’ll make it up to you somehow.  I really want my bum imprinted on a swimming pool lounge-chair somewhere and read a magazine on the flight!
14. Work for Google. I know it’s going to be hard with running a magazine, making star-shaped sandwiches and organizing Spaghetti Saturdays but one can try right?
15. Make my monthly column in a local community paper more frequent.
16. Start practicing yoga everyday. I truly love Yoga but wish I was more sincere about it.
17. Start writing down daily, monthly and yearly accounts.
18. Learn a foreign language. Not that I have a arty flair but I last heard that Mandarin is the way to go.
19. Practice Yoga with sincerity and dedication.
20. Attend a Brian Weiss therapeutic regression session. Your father has promised that this will be my 30’th birthday gift! A pass to one of his experiential workshops.
21. Walk on the treadmill everyday. I used to enjoy this but allowed my inner sloth to get the better of me. 
22. Be calmer, less distracted, a little less restless…..I find my inner conscience ROFL’ing at me as I type this.
23. Do something about my arms. God I hate them! As in, I love that I am an otherwise healthy person who has hands that work but I hate how they can bring my self-confidence to an all-time low.
24. Write for Readers Digest.
25. Read the Sat Charitra regularly. Re-attend my spiritual classes on Saturday.
26. Set aside more structured prayer and thanksgiving time for and with you. As this family’s mom-type-person, I feel I should be better about praying for you and daddy.
27. Be more careful and sensible while shopping for groceries.
28. Buy a new laptop. Keep the desktop clutter free.
29. Organize online and real photos better. Maintain neat albums of important occasions in your life.  
30. Strive everyday to be the mother that you deserve.

I turn 30 in 2 weeks and I used to have a whole list of things that I wanted to accomplish before that. Well, even you know me by now so we’re going to have to move some of those things (ok all off it) to what I want to do in my 30’th year. I look back at my life and remember high school and college and graduate school, I remember first love and heartbreak and projects and internships and graduations, my wedding, meeting your father, working, travelling and everything in between.

Yet, nothing in my 30 years feels as right as you do.

Blog Title: Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars

Random Ri List #2: You know you are travelling with a toddler when….

1. You spend most of your time in the hotel’s bathroom. And we’re not talking about bubble-baths here! Pass me the bottle brush will ya?
2. You try to make yoghurt in your hotel room because your toddler refuses to eat anything else. Does the fact that toddler did not eat room-brewed yoghurt ( sounds a bit ugh right but it’s not really that bad) count as a third point. Probably not. But, I had to mention it anyway.
3. Your eat ‘paruppu sadham’ for room-service dinner, leftovers from toddler. Do you know how much a resort charges for ‘paruppu sadham’ aka
   ‘daal chaaval’?
4. You allow toddler to drink Mirinda to avoid a scene in the airport. Exactly what a child who is already running around needs right?
5. Much to your relief, your child eats pureed banana for lunch. You pretend not to read the fine print that says ‘ Suitable for Sitter Stage’.
6. You pay the airline extra baggage to carry Fisher Price’s Froggy Seat? Fine let’s not mention the 120 matching hair-clips for toddler’s outfits.
7. You spend a mentionable portion of your vacation on the floor. You’re searching for the aforementioned hair-clips that your toddler insists on plucking out of hair in 2 seconds.
8. The books you longingly bought for your vacation came along for the free ride. Probably contributed to the damm excess baggage as well.
9. You take turns going for the buffet breakfast with your spouse. No point in changing todder’s morning routine.
10. No lounge-chair by the swimming pool has your bum imprint on it!

Random Ri List #1: You know you have a toddler when

You know you have a toddler when:

1. Lumps of cold uneaten food can actually bring tears to your eyes.
2. You feel like you are entering a battle-field when you mix a meal.
3. You think of pre-toddler convictions and laugh: Thou shall not scare your child about monsters in the basements......Hahahahaha
4. Vacations feel like high impact aerobic workouts.  
5. You can clean a dirty diaper, just about anywhere, with one hand at that! 
6. You wonder where you get your patience from or lack of thereafter.
7. Newborn babies make you weepy thinking of the months that flew by too fast.
8. You wonder if you'll cause your child orthopedic calamities with your oh-so-tight hugs.
9. You refer to your spouse as a 'Mommy' or 'Daddy' instead of their name: "So Daddy what are we doing today"?
10. Toddler babble is the highlight of your day, your week and your life......

Travelling Lite

Darling Ri,

There is so much to write about and yet, I never commit to writing in this blog like I should. Which makes me question my passion for writing a book? Will I get myself to write page after page or will I conveniently blame it all on Writers Block, another name for noncommittal laziness.....

We have exciting days ahead Ri. A week-end trip with extended family to Bangalore and a week-long trip as a family after that to a Fort-themed resort in Rajasthan. Travelling with you will be a lot of fun but I do shudder thinking about the amount of work involved. I'm not nervous about the 'actual' time I will spend with you. You are in a delightful age where you revel in the attention of your parents and we will make sure we give you a lot of that. It's just the 'packing' and 'planning' and 'carrying' that I am nervous about!

Daddy wants us to carry your potty seat. He's asking if we should take the sterilizer. Patti will insist I carry a mini-pharmacy which I probably should since the Fort-themed resort is 2 hours away from modern civilisation.

I have a tendency to change your outfits 4 times a day when we travel which makes it to a grand total of 28 outfits for a week.

So here is your wardrobe math:

No of clothes per day = 4 * 7 = 28

Extra clothes ( in case of spillage, wetness etc) = 7

No of night clothes = 7

No of extra night clothes = 7

No of clothes in diaper bag = 2 sets at any given time ( in case of spillage, wetness etc)

No of extra sets in case of flight delays, landslides and other such natural distasters ( in which case I really should not be worrying about clean fashionable clothes) = 4

Total No. of Clothes for You = 55 pieces for 7 days (approximately)

Ahh Ri. I know it sounds like a lot and it is. I wish I was one of those 'cool' moms who travelled 'light' and did not base parenting on having 'back-ups'. Till you find you one of those, you will have to contend with me.

Love Always,

Mom

 

Madras Mom and Lil Madras Girl

Dear Ri,

Your mom has her own column in a local paper and what am I writing about again ? You.
http://madrasmusings.com/Vol%2021%20No%206/quest-for-that-precious-blue.html
http://madrasmusings.com/Vol%2021%20No%204/ups-and-downs-in-the-poonga.html

My Lil Madras Girl.

Love,

Amma

Chitti marries Puh-pappa – July 2011

Dear Ri,

It’s been a while since I blogged. Your aunt who you finally met got married and we were all really busy with her wedding. Someday when you’re big and wise and strong and can do Google searches, you will find this note and remember that your chitti got married in July 2011 when you were 17 months old. The first two days of meeting her, you seemed a bit wary but then eventually you both got along like a house on fire. Blood does run thicker than water, dear Ri. I cannot wait for you to meet your other aunt.

The wedding was a great success. We all had a great time at the reception in your new Uncle’s hometown and you looked beautiful in all your special outfits. Chitti and V are an amazing couple, so easygoing, good-natured. They threw no bride-esque or groomy tantrums, greeted everyone with a smile and seemed to enjoy each other and the wedding. I only wish they both had more time to just enjoy themselves, kick back and relax instead of having to run around all the time.

We all love the way you call V, ‘puh-pappa’.

During the wedding, I spent most of my time running around in circles. I confuse myself Ri. Am I really that busy or do I just get worked up about needing everything to look perfect and pleasing everybody? I wish for you to inherit my ideas and obsessions, yet tempered with your dad’s easygoing attitude. Now, that would make life more fun for you.

There is so much more to write about. Yet, your mommy finds herself unable to put everything she feels down in writing. 

Soon…..

Love,

Mom

Ana Ana Ana

Ri has learnt a new expression 'Ana' which in Tamizh means 'No'. She has a grand time saying 'Ana' for everything even when she may be inclined to say 'Yes' to it.

Her 'Ana' is entirely compulsive. Sometimes she will say it many times over till her point comes through which I think is something like ' Leave me alone. I am not interested in anything you have to offer me right now". Other times ( which is rarer though), she will say it to satisfy her impulse and then sweetly oblige.

Shall we have lunch now? Ana
Would you like to drink some milk? Ana
Can we change your diaper please? Ana
Can you hug Amma? Ana

She says it more than fifty times a day and while RD and I find it adorable most times, it can be frustrating after a point. Especially when RD has started saying it in an attempt to be cute. Not.

Did do some online reading about it and it looks like children all over the world go through this 'No' phase. It's amazing how independent, smart and self-assured little kids are. They know so much more than we give them credit for. I often wonder how Ri makes connections between visuals and words. How does she map them in her head? I've used the word 'No' with her but it's nowhere related to 'Ana'. How did she come up with her own word to indicate that she does not want to do something?

She sees pictures of Sonia and JJ on magazine covers and affectionately refers to them as 'Patti' (grandma). When Pranab, Manmohan and Karuna are on the News, she calls them 'Thatha' (grandpa). Middle-aged people are 'Mamas' (Uncle)and younger people are 'Annas' (Elder brother)and 'Akkas' (Elder Sister). I wonder how she knows how to differentiate between people based on their age.

RD and I often wonder what she thinks about, what she dreams about and what makes her smile in her sleep.

Would we trade these emotions and thoughts for anything else in the world?

'Ana'.

I want it that way

I tried teaching Ri to close her Funtainer after she had her sips of water from it. Sometimes I see traces of what could be the early onset of the Terrible Two’s but then quickly pacify myself with unrealistic self-conversation like.

‘ How could something that looks and smiles like an angel be capable of cunningly planning this high-shrieking till she gets what she wants’? Nah…..
or
‘ How can I expect my baby to understand instructions and discipline at 16 months when I have not understood it in 357’.

I went all Montessori mom on her, gentle and instructional, teaching her step by step the many hazards of keeping the Funtainer’s cap open. Well, she did look bored when I tried to explain that germs would touch the bottle’s straw so I tried a different approach.

Me2Ri: Ri cap moodu (close in Tamizh)   

Me (to myself) – What if she only learns to understand instructions in Tamizh?

Me2Ri: Ri close the cap

Me (to myself) – Maybe I need to associate the instruction with a sound. Hmmm

Me2Ri: Ri bottle a ‘top’ pannu (do in Tamizh)
* top – closing sound of the bottle cap.

Me (to myself): Ok…… That was Tanglish accompanied by sound.

None of the above had the desired effect. Not only did Ri do the opposite of what I was asking her to do, purposely opening the bottle everytime I taught her to close it, she kept hitting her head everytime I said ‘top’. Followed by a teeny tantrum where she insisted that the Funtainer’s cap remain open. More teaching lead to tears and Montessori mom had to make do with watching Ri playing with open dripping Funtainer where she banged it like cymbals against an empty stainless steel tumbler.

P.S : I love Blogger Stats. This week, I have 1 page-view from Japan and 6 from Iran.
Not that I don’t love you readers from India, United States and the other lovely countries in the world. But, Japan and Iran were exciting.

Konnichiwa my dear Japanese page-viewer. And to my fans in Iran, Chetori.

Blog Title: I want it that way – Backstreet Boys 

Aye Calypso

RD was in California when he called me from a Target store to find out what we could pick up for Ri.
I was talking to him while simultaneously surfing the store's website when I came across this dress, from
their Calypso St.Barth's collection. Speaking of which, is cool and summery and awesome.

I loved the pinkish red colour and the detailing on this dress and thought it came at a good price. Luckily for me, RD managed to find it in Ri's size.

Now to find an occasion to debut my little Calypso Queen.

Blog Title : Aye Calypso - John Denver

In the Summertime…..

This time of the year, the heat in Chennai is close to unbearable. As clean and dry as I keep her, I think Ri feels more sticky and tired than usual.

How do we protect our babies in the Summer and help them stay cool?

Here is what I do for Ri.

• Dress her in sleeveless, breathable cotton clothes. Mostly, shorts and wife-beaters at day and comfy pj’s at night. As hard as it was for me to do, I bid adieu to her adorable sleep n plays and footsie pj’s. Well I must admit, I did stuff her into those on some nights but then my guilt overcame me and before I could be reported to child services, packed them away. Sleep n Plays anyone?
  
• Give her chilled butter-milk at least once a day. Chilled? Believe it or not, I’m not one of those mothers who thinks that my child is going to develop a terrible cold and cough just because she drinks something out of the refrigerator. She drinks warm milk and drinking water at room temperature but I give her chilled butter-milk. I am inclined to believe that colds and coughs are caused by viruses and not by a trip to the ice-cream parlor, unless you held hands with virusey hand in parlour.
  
• Give her quick wash in the bathroom sink every time I change her diaper. Splash some water behind her neck and sticky back with a quick dab of soap.
  
• I am generous with the Himalaya baby powder to keep her cool and dry after bath-time. I recently discovered a new baby powder, Cussons. I think it’s a Malaysian product, not expensive, with a lovely fragrance. Bought Ri the Blueberry sorbet flavour.
  
• Keep her Funtainer bottle with water next to her all the time, so that she can take regular sips of water. Speaking of the Funtainer, I highly recommend it and useful for children across all ages.

I’m beginning to believe that environmental preferences are genetic. When Ri enters a room, she says ‘AC AC’ and has learnt to operate the air-conditioner’s remote by herself.

It’s funny. I am an AC addict and when I was younger, wanted to marry into a family that owned an air-conditioning business. On hindsight, should have wanted to marry someone from the electricity department.

Blog Title : Shaggy – In the Summertime

Skype and Ri

Skype is now a part of Ri’s life. I do wonder how much sense she makes out of it. I think it’s great that we have this new technology with which she can see and communicate with her loves ones around the world but wonder how she perceives the computer and webcam and people on-screen in her baby mind.

Last Sunday, she saw the following people on Skype. B Patti, S Chitti, S Chitti Jr.. V Chitappa in MI, V Patti, S Perimma, D Akka in CA and RD and K Chitappa in NC.

We were really excited to see D-Akka from CA on Skype. She was so cute and responsive and incredibly clever and we loved her mixie imitation. In India. we refer to blender or food processor as mixie.  So, everytime her mom would say the word ‘mixie’, D-Akka would clench her hands and feet and mouth and go all whirry and make a mixie-like noise. Cute. Ri did look a little lost and threatened at first, she had this ‘ so there are other little girl babies who do cute things’ expression but quickly warmed up to D-Akka and even blew her some flying kisses.

Gone are the days when Ri made Sky-ping difficult by pulling at the keyboard and mouse. Oh Yes. I’ve turned into desk-top girl. She does not stay in my lap for a minute, choosing to walk around the room in a frenzy. So I find myself following her around with the webcam, as much as the wire will permit, like annoying videographer in wedding.

Going back to the virtual confusion part, D-Akka was playing with some chapati (bread) dough and Ri kept saying ‘ Tha Tha’ (Give Give) to her. If Skype wanted an advertising campaign to show how real their technology is, they should hire Ri. Sometimes she even reaches out to touch her Skype buddies. Anyone from Skype listening?

I need a doctor, doctor

I had some questions to ask the paediatrician, about Ri's next vaccination, her diet and sleep-patterns, queries on baby output etc. So we ventured out mid-morning, a visit to the doctor's office.

Ri's grand-father insisted she wear the over sized wife-beater and shorts he bought her yesterday and also wanted to oil her hair. Ri looked like a geeky boy. 
Ped visits are always interesting and provide much fodder for thought and writing. I cannot but be amused by the way some parents dress their children, especially little boys. Noisy anklets, bracelets and two big black spots on the face to ward off the evil eye, the overall look is rather strange. Well, I’m sure they must be staring amusingly at my little girl wondering why she is not accessorized with the above mentioned. I would not blame them, she did look pretty much like Carmelo Antony today.
So Carmelo was pretty friendly at the waiting room. She addressed all the other kids as ‘Paapa’ (Baby in Tamil) and called both waiting medical representatives ‘Mama’ (Uncle in Tamil). In India, it’s pretty common to see bored looking medical representatives wait along with patients for an appointment with the doctor. Now, the annoying thing is when the room gets crowded and they do not offer their seats to pregnant women and mothers with young babies. Manners 101?
Ri then played a game of  ‘give and take’ using the waiting room token with a sweet looking little girl who sat next to us. She must have been around seven and at first pretended to be disinterested with Ri but then succumbing to her charms, played with her for a bit. When I asked her why she had come to the doctor, she shrugged and said she did not know and that I should ask her mother. Well, I hope token girl is ok and her shrugging haughtiness is just a phase and not some mysterious illness that her parents cannot even tell her about.
The ped who was also my ped is old and wise and not one to make needless small talk. She looked bored when I passionately described Ri’s late-sleeping habits, her diet and my observation that she was playing 'too much' and asked me to ‘let her be’. However, she was tickled that Ri had no teeth and laughed loudly seeing my daughter’s hollow mouth. Which is kinda cool because my old and wise ped is very awesome but in a stern and serious way and it was nice to hear her laugh. She also commented that Ri was
'over-active' which I am hoping is a good thing.

Every time I bore my ped with mundane details about Ri's life, it's almost like I expect her to gaze at me lovingly, proudly and to announce to all the other mothers in the room what a fine job I was doing. Well, that never really happens.

Me: "Ri has banana and oats every morning with no sugar. It is her favourite food.I don't add sugar"
Doctor: "Ok"

Me: " She likes pasta"
Doctor: Stick to pongal etc. Don't give her tomato ketchup.
Me: Not pasta with ketchup. Homemade tomato sauce.
Doctor: Ok we are done. Tell me when you want to come in for a vaccination.

So my ped did not applaud me for keeping Ri sugar-free but thought I was feeding her ketchup. Sigh.

By then my daughter had sprung into the arms of the ped’s assistant, a nurse-type girl who did not really seem to be a nurse but who Ri decided to lovingly call ‘Aunty’.

I’m sure Carmelo will run for public office someday. Hopefully, she will have teeth by then.
Blog Title : I need a doctor – Eminem

Wake me up before you go-go

Ri slept at 8.30 tonight and I found myself lying down next to her in a daze. I have been moving back meal-times and desperately trying to bring some order into afternoon nap times. Maybe my time-shifts were finally working? Or, was the outside temperature so high that tired Ri had fallen asleep at a sane hour? 

Was my dream-routine world turning into a reality ? A world in which Ri would sleep at 9, I would read something witty and intelligent in bed and remember to moisturize my feet at night.

So lights were out and I found myself lying down next to her in a daze. Till, the daze was interrupted by a rather distinct smell. Now, I am sure that every mother will find herself at the cross-roads of zany choices and challenges And, I stood at mine tonight. Cleaning her in the sink would wake her up and I did not want to jump out of the ‘my baby sleeps at a sane hour’ bubble, just as yet.

Would I be able to pull off cleaning baby’s bottom and changing her diaper without ruining the magic of 8.30?  Incredibly, I did. With the stealth and prowess reserved for a heist, half a pack of baby-wipes and baby-lotion used instead of water, I managed to keep sleeping baby sleeping. Not to mention, clean. Sigh.

In the middle of reading the Wiki entry on Parenthood, I heard my lotion-bottomed daughter call out for me. It was 10 at night. She had lasted 90 minutes after bottom-cleaning heist but was now ready for the world again.

Sigh. Maybe I’ll just focus on moisturizing my feet at night.

Blog Title: Wake me up – Wham

And then a Hero comes along…….with the strength to carry on

Dear Ri,

You are all of 14 months old and cannot understand much ( though at times I suspect you do). However, I feel the need to write this for you. Something very big is happening in our country today. Something wonderful is happening around us, Indians all over the country are uniting against corruption, people are smiling and holding hands and believing that there is a better tomorrow.

Yesterday, your uncle and I were having a spirited conversation about God, community, religious beliefs, the government, people’s perceptions and values. The more we spoke, the more we realized that so many wrong things existed around us. People filled with ignorance, prejudice and hate, melting ice-caps and stressful environments. As a mother I cannot help but sometimes wonder what kind of a world I have brought you into, will your country give you the best that you deserve, that every child deserves ? How long will people in power abuse their positions? When will elections and political agendas stop being a parody?

And then a gentle wise man comes along giving us belief that even the impossible is sometimes possible and that there may be a better India for you tomorrow.

Ri, there are many things about Hazare and his work that are dear to my heart. He is from Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra, close to the town of Shirdi, a town of great significance to me. You’ve been there twice already, even before you turned one.

Hazare’s work in the Ralegan Siddhi village is inspiring, eradicating alcoholism, promoting voluntary labor and reaching out to the less fortunate. His beliefs and his work make you instantly feel a sense of connectedness to him.

A true leader inspires irrespective of religion, race or creed. And, Hazare accomplishes just that through his empathy and compassion for his countrymen.

Right now, things are not looking great for his cause. The Government has rejected his demand to issue an official notification to constitute the draft committee for Lokpal Bill and also rejected the proposal for an outsider to lead the new committee of government and civil society. However, Hazare is not giving up just as yet. He believes that power should be decentralized and promises to fight for it till his last breath.

For my darling Ri, there are some things money can’t buy. Men like Hazare.

When you read this and understand this (hopefully the Internet will still exist at that point in a state where you can retrieve this information), I hope that our country will be in that corruption-free better tomorrow. And, you will also come across true heroes.

Love,

Ri’s Mom

Blog Title: Hero – Mariah Carey

Babble.com

So our new home is slowly but steadily in construction and I do spend a lot of time thinking what kind of room I want for Ri. As relatively new parents, everything we seem to plan in the new home revolves around her. So you can imagine how excited we are about doing up her room. I came across this website while researching toddler beds for Ri and it really seems awesome. Do check out Babble when you can. It seems very interesting and joins my list of I-wish-I-had-thought-of-this-and-started-it-myself-businesses. Also, joins my list of Wish-they-would-hire-me list of businesses.

Fine. It’s in a lot of my wish-lists. Now if only they would contact me, I would be oh-so-happy.

Registered on Indi Blogger

I just registered my blog on Indi Blogger. Hope the moderators accept Riddle Me Ri. *crossing fingers*

Have discovered some wonderful mommy blogs. Maintaining a mommy blog requires a considerable amount of dedication. It is not easy to play with words, technology and your children, all at once. I applaud all the wonderful mothers who take time out to share with the world their experiences. Slowly beginning to add some of these blogs to my blog roll.

I have been blogging intermittently since 2005, started with Blogger, migrated to Wordpress, changed blog names, themes and titles. And here I am, six glorious years later writing about me, she and a girl named Ri.

Jeera Pulao and Creamy Vegetable Gravy

Ri had idly and sambhar for lunch today instead of her usual rice meal. That left a spot for rice in this week’s dinner schedule. While I was wondering what to give her, I thought of the fresh vegetables and basmati rice I had bought. Why not a flavorful pulao with a healthy gravy to suit a baby’s taste and tummy? Gravies and sauces are great bases to make children eat vegetables. Today’s gravy features palak (spinach), French beans, broccoli and carrots along with tomatoes, onion and a new vegetable that I introduced to Ri’s palette; capsicum ( green pepper). I also added some fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) to the gravy.
Ingredients:

For gravy - Tomatoes (2), Onion (1), Capsicum – Small piece, Brocolli florets – (2), Carrot – Small piece, Corriander( Cilantro leaves) – to taste, Milk – 2 Tbsp, Cashewnuts – 2-3 pieces
For pulao – Basmati rice, frozen green peas, jeera (cumin seeds) and salt to taste.

To make creamy vegetable gravy : Boil tomatoes carrot, spinach leaves and broccoli florets with the coriander (cilantro leaves). Slice onion and capsicum (green peppers) into long slivers and sauté in hot oil. In a food processor, puree the boiled and sautéed vegetables. In a saucepan, simmer the puree with salt and required Indian spice to taste. I used a pinch of store-bought Indian garam masala. Grind cashew nuts in milk. Add this to the puree. Allow to simmer for about 10 mins. If you find the puree turning into a thick paste, you can add some of the vegetable stock from the boiled vegetables to make the gravy thinner. Serve warm with jeera pulao.
To make Jeera Pulao: Cook Basmati rice with a pinch of salt and green peas. Season with ghee and jeera (cumin seeds).
This recipe introduces the child to the delectable taste of jeera, coriander and basmati rice. Follow up the meal with a bowl of fresh yoghurt or buttermilk to help digest this rich and healthy dinner.

Hush little baby don't say a word.....

So I love making lists. Here goes:

Things I am doing right by my 14 month old:

1. Transition from feeding bottle to sippy cups to teaching her to drink from a cup and straw.
2. Making her drink buttermilk (thick yoghurt with water) to cool her system, a healthy summer-friendly drink.
3. Not adding sugar to her food, anything sweet she has has natural fruit like banana or apple. She drinks her milk sugar-free as well and seems to like it so far.
4. Monitoring her vegetable intake, I give her planned healthy food ( oats, fruit, vegetables, milk etc)
5. She is semi-potty-trained thanks to Fisher Price's froggy-friend.

Er.........work in progress areas.

1. She sleeps late at night. By the time I'm done with ensuring all of the above 'right' things, I'm too tired to really chart out a systematic bed-time routine. I've moved back meal-times, cut short nap-times and tried the bath, story-book and night-time sleep-training routine. I find myself dozing before she does. Have to work on getting her to sleep early.
2. Weaning. Always a bone of contention between RD and me. I'm too lazy/exhausted to even go down that path just as yet.
3. Letting her watch Ceebeebies while she eats. Have serious doubts whether my daughter will eat brocolli without Mr.Maker, In the Night Garden and Waybuloo. I love their programming and it helps her eat so I'm not really worried about that. But, well, I am a bit of cheater-mom that way. I get my child to eat using television as a bait.
4. Acting a bit silly around her for the sake of hugs and kisses. Pretending that life-size Tigger and little plastic doll, Beth are giving me hugs and kisses when she refuses to. When I carry them and hug them, she'll immediately come crawling and competitively show me affection. I know I'm subconsciously teaching her not-so-right things but anything for a hug or a kiss right ?

And lists go on........

Macaroni & Cheese with Homemade Pasta Sauce

 
Once a week Ri has Mac n Cheese for dinner with a healthy value-add, homemade pasta sauce with fresh tomatoes. Recipe ? Puree sautéed onions with boiled carrots, broccoli and tomatoes. Add salt, required spices and oregano to taste. Let it simmer and serve as a saucey side to the Mac n Cheese dinner.
Ri being the toothless wonder that she is, prefers her food slightly goopy. So I give the macaroni a quick whirr in the processor. It’s healthy, simple to make and easy-on-the-hands for Mommy and easy-on-the tongue for babies. Enjoy!

I know a girl, a girl called Party, Party Girl

So much for being organised mom.

Ri was invited for a birthday party and it was quite a long drive from where we stay. So, I decided to carry the dress she would wear for the party along with pretty pink shoes and change her closer to the birthday boy’s home. Well, I’m not a huge fan of frilly frocks or anything that would make her uncomfortable on a summer evening. However, I did not anticipate that the new party dress would not fit and she would end up wearing an everyday Carters body-suit to the part instead. Ri did look a tad under-dressed but the bodysuit was new and worked. I mean, kids look cute anywhere, anytime and pretty much, anything.

On the topic of party dresses, Carters has some very pretty ones. I love their range with the new navy floral prints.

Key Takeaways: 

#1 If you’ve selected an outfit for an outing, make sure it fits before you pack it !!
#2 Make sure you carry extra clothes when you go out.
#3 Don’t put away bigger clothes for too long. Your little shopper can outgrow it before you even have the chance to make him/her wear it once.
#4 You think you know it all, but trust me, I always surprise myself with my goof-ups.

Blog Title: Party Girl - U2

Ceebeebies : Great programming for kids

Thanks to Ri and her liking for Teletubbies, I’ve discovered what a great channel CBeebies is. What I like about Cbeebies is that most of their programs have realistic figurines and soft settings as opposed to noisy cartoons in harsh settings. The presenters are friendly, the language is great and children can really learn so much from these shows.

This morning, I learnt ( in my very very late 20’s), how a Kangaroo moves thanks to a program called Boogy Beebies. Children are encouraged to be active and move their muscles to peppy songs, usually with a theme like animals, nature or sports with the hosts guiding them from the screen. Today’s movements were focused on The Kangaroo and some of its friends, the elephant, the emu and the giraffe. I carried Ri and tried to copy all the movements and we both found ourselves laughing. What fun! Small value-adds that I appreciated on the show was the presenters reminding the children to take deep breaths after the fun work-out, stretch and relax.

I’ve also turned into a huge fan of Mr Maker who is really cool. Making his creations could be a great birthday party activity or a really good recreational
past-time for children. Ri is too young to really understand everything the channel has to offer but enjoys seeing the characters of Waybuloo, In the Night Garden and Five More Minutes on screen.

Their website is pretty comprehensive as well, each show comes with a small note to adults on what the aim of the show is and how it will benefit the child. The only downside is that all the online songs are not playable in India. Hope Ceebeebies will do something about that soon.

Otherwise, great shows, great programming and great concepts, a channel that does not make a parent feel guilty for allowing their kids to watch Television.