15 Marbles

And because I want to write tonight 🙂 so you have to suffer through this random post!

Anan has been sick and she has lovingly shared her germs with me.And when I catch a cold,its not just a cold,its a F-L-U!! So here I am sick as a dog,but I have this urge to write and I don’t know what to write.

I could tell you about the full sentence that Nanhi said,before I left for work on Saturday(9/2/2012). She woke up to find me out of bed and she asked SD,who said Mumma’s gone. She came looking for me,crying.Aadi joined her too and then,after we had hugged,she complained-“Go-way Mumma,Papa Shaid” Eeekss My baby said her first sentence..:) 

I could also tell you about our morning walks,Aadi and mine.We have been walking to school,this week.Its our special time and walking at that time of the morning is just perfect..pleasant walk on the way to school,brisk on the way back.

I could tell you about the time,that I went to meet my friend n co-worker at work on my day off and forgot my wallet there. Lucky,I rang her just before she was leaving and she brought it home for me. 

But most importantly I should tell you how stressed Aadi is about not losing even a single tooth. She is worried that she’ll be the only one,who’s teeth will never fall. I told her that the tooth fairy is finding the shiniest coin for her. But,that story has lost its charm now.She told me the other day that the tooth fairy might have found the coin,by now.She asks me to check if any of her teeth are wobbling.And today she asked me if the tooth fairy knows how to get to our house??? 😀 I hope for her sake at least one of her tooth starts to wobble..Ohh she has one more story-what if her tooth starts to wobble before her birthday and falls during her birthday party!! I swear if something like that happens she would be on cloud 9 for a long time.

I think I should go to bed now… Everything is hurting..my head,my teeth,my face.. my hair..:( 

More later

“Mumma give me another chance”..that seems to be Aadi’s favorite line these days. We have tried explaining choices and consequences to her and every time she makes one choice,she wants the other..right after. Like when we were buying her a toy-a present for reading continuously for 5 nights. She wanted an art set and a barbie and Lego. Lego,she decided against,because Nanhi could choke on the little pieces.Then the hard part came- to pick between the art set and the Barbie..both that she ‘REALLY REally Wanted’. So,we told her that she can get one now and the other,next time,when she does something really good. Ok, fine,she picked the art set.Are you sure,we asked her and she said,yes.Ok,we told her she could have the other thing,the next time,we thought she deserved a present.She nodded. 

We got home and she played with the art set,finished the contents in less than 2 plays and then she asked if we could go buy the Barbie. No! both of us screamed in unison. You picked the art set,now you have to wait for the next time. Much screaming,(not-fair)s,(you-don’t-love-me)s later,SD said, OK,if she behaved well for one whole day,no tantrums,no fuss about food etc and she could get the Barbie. And she did and she got the Barbie. But since then,she has been asking for a second chance. 

Last weekend we were having friends over for lunch. She had a pack of assorted candy from a friend’s party the previous day and she started the day with those. By the time I caught her,she was left with just one.I told her she could have it after lunch.She asked me again and I told her,if she ate the last candy before lunch,she would not get any dessert. The choice was hers..And she chose to eat it before lunch. Then came dessert time and she started hugging me,whispering softly..Mumma I made the wrong choice..can you give me another chance,please? with the cutest puppy-dog face ever.Not wanting to create a scene in front of our guests,I gave her the ice-cream.

Another chance is her favorite phrase these days.I don’t blame her completely,we have given her second chances in the past and she has started to feel like that’s the way of life. So,when I told her yesterday,it was quiet time,she chose to break the rules. Quiet time in this house means- No TV,No iPad..We can read,talk softly,draw/paint or just relax. One of the reasons,I insisted on quiet time was when I am at work,the girls and SD watch a lot of TV..even after we got home,they watched a movie and then,we had a long evening planned. So,I just wanted her to get some rest. Anyway,I went to check on her,and I found her with the iPad. I told her,she had broken the rules,so there will be no iPad/TV for her,whole of Sunday. She said Ok and continued to play her game. 

Today morning when she woke up,she asked if she could watch some TV.I said no and reminded her,why not. She tried again,asked if I could give her another chance..I said no..She  got frustrated,and told me so..”All I am asking you is another chance’..I didn’t give in.

She spent most of the morning,playing outside.She came inside,tried her luck again..I said no again.She didn’t ask again after that. We went out to a friend’s place for lunch..and even after we came back,she didn’t ask to watch TV. She spent an hour or so lying on the floor,on a makeshift bed made of pillows. She talked and talked and when I dozed off,she nudged me awake..:) 

But, I hope today has taught her that you don’t always get second chances..Personally,I find it that she is better behaved and happier,when she has no TV/iPad time. Unfortunately,I can’t cut it out completely..but any way.. that was the story of another chance..

… that’s my involuntary reaction to the word’Lice’. Just a mere mention of the word,makes my scalp itch.So last year when Aadi came home with a letter from school that stated that there had been 2 reported cases of head-lice,to say that I went mental,would be an understatement.
The note also said to- wet comb the child’s hair after generously applying conditioner and to use a mix of water and tea-tree oil spray. We have been doing that.We stopped during the holidays but then a friend,who lives across 7 seas asked for advice on Lice treatment and it was just the second day of school here and I jumped back into over-drive mode.
I have taken to wet combing Nanhi’s hair too..she’s got a head full of ringlets and the last thing I need is an infestation.
Why so paranoid you ask? Well,apart from the few isolated lice episodes,when I was at school,there was this one time,when Aadi was a wee one- 2.5 months to be precise and someone we met at a party,through SD’s work asked to hold her..as most people want to and I let her..and this lady had head-lice..which she passed on to my little baby.The morning after the party,Aadi wouldn’t stop crying and scratching.She was scheduled for an appointment with her Pediatrician and we just asked if we could be seen earlier.By the time,we got seen Aadi had developed a fever and the Dr. had to use a tweezer to pull out a big fat louse from my wee one’s head. We had to treat her with antibiotics,and treat her hair.
Since then,I would rather be safe than sorry…
Anyway,the reason for this post,today when I dropped Aadi at school,one of her friends came up to her to say hii..She had such long beautiful hair and not even a hair clip to hold it in place.I cringed mentally.I wasn’t worried about Aadi-she had her tea-tree oil spray on,but this other girl-hair flying everywhere,was an open invitation to the’critters’… I hope she had her hairspray on as well.
If you have school-aged kids,I know you’ll appreciate this article as I do 🙂

A farm visit..feeding the goats:)

Painting while staying cool on a HOT day

Making sand paintings..

Lots of sand play