The summer that was ....

Summer is over!!

But this summer has been the most productive and most happening in our household. For this kids and for me personally as well ...Let's see

Summer activities
Road trip - Check
Camping - Check
Beaches, sun, playgrounds - Check

Milestones
First tooth fell - Check
Learning to ride the bike - Check
Losing a job - Check

Learning new things
Table tennis - Check
Riding the bike without training wheels - Check

Some were fun events like the road trip and teaching Kochunni to ride the bike, some disappointing like losing my job. We never see the full picture of our life story so taken out of context each of these events  seem to stand out and paint a bizarre picture. Some events have added more color around them as time as gone by like when Kochunni wants to ride the bike every evening, or exited about losing his next tooth and getting more money from the tooth fairy; while others are still unclear. My job hunt is going on, market is good but I don't sell myself well at interviews. Our first camping trip we survived but we have more ways to go before we can be true campers. And so onwards I look to the approaching winter ... hoping for more clarity as the wind chills around us.

Birthdays and Big Boys

Time waits for no man ... 

You only have to look at two energetic boys to know the truth in that.

As Kochunni turned 7 a few weeks back we noticed changes in our once little baby that previously escaped our attention. Two of his teeth have started to move and he is super exited about the 'Tooth Fairy' visit. He is taller and asking questions and answering questions that show his complex thought process. He was probably already taller and already asking questions but it was his birthday event that made us realize that our life with him began just 7 years ago and in this short span of time (when compared to our 30+ years in this world) he has become so intertwined that we hardly notice the little changes. Gone are the days when his "Firsts" made big news at home or on this blog, but all the same, they seem to occur ever so often.

Kunju on the other hand, is called the baby and probably will remain the baby of the house and yet he insits every time that he is now a big boy. We laugh at it, but in our hearts we know it is true. He is definitely taller than what Kochu was at his age; talking more than what Kochu did and yet has a little babyish charm that makes us forget that years are passing by.

A William Henry Davies poem that I had learned such a long time ago somehow seems to haunts me today -

...A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

I want ...

About four days ago, Kochunni asked me for a car - to be specific a "Dinoco car" from the Cars movie. This was not the first thing he asked us for. There have been other things before - like the time at the shop when he asked for a toy car or when he told me his friends have a "big Iron man" and he would like to have one too. If we are out shopping, I would tell him that we came to the shop to buy something else not his toy and he would understand, or if we are at home I would tell him to pick up another car from the already overflowing collection. But this time it was different.

He never once relented. Every couple of hours he would ask, so when are we going to the shop to buy the car? So much so, that it was the first thing he asked me the next morning, 'Can we go to the shop today?' and then again on our way back from daycare, "Are we going now to the shop?" Two days of continuous questions. There was a couple of tears that followed, a little drama around "You are not buying it" but mostly the questions were it. The fact that he pursued it for two continuous days were most amazing to me.

My mind was in turmoil. The car probably would not cost much and I would have the pleasure of seeing his bright smile, at his wish being fulfilled; but a nagging thought persisted about teaching him values, about learning the difference between needs and wants. I talked to him, on how I cannot get all the cars his heart desires, Amma knows no magic I said. But he persisted, I have been a good boy he duly noted. Of course you have, but we are not shopping right now. I will think about it. After all you have so many similar cars, even McQueen the main car. But I don't have The King. I don't want Chick Hicks - he is the bad car, just Dinoco. And so it went. Little pep talks that followed his questions. But he persisted, in his little way.

In the end, I did buy him the car and I got to see his lovely smile. Later, he showed it off to everyone at home, even little Kunju and promised to share when he grew up.

This surely is not the last episode of a little desire that his heart will have but the first one that he pursued. I might not have done the right thing by buying the car, it might come to haunt me when he insists on the next toy. Then again, hard lessons take time to learn. I need to learn them too - on when he needs a little indulgence and when I need to draw the line. It's a hard road for both of us, but the road must be taken. So when the next 'want' comes along I will need to be better prepared for the both of us. Good luck to both of us.

*Image courtesy Google search

The potty training saga

A long drawn out affair, a 100 page potboiler indeed; mostly tiring, sometimes messy - this is the saga of Kochunni's tryst with the big potty.

Characters
Kochunni
Amma - A harried, busy woman who was having nightmares of her boy being married in diapers.
Achan - A super busy dad
Ms. L - A teacher who was deemed an expert at potty training children
Si-chechi - Kochunni's chechi - adored by one an all
Secondary characters - Ammamma (grandma), Muthu (grandpa), Achaamma (paternal grandma), Ms.Y (the school principal)

Setting
Three year birthday party at Kochunni's school is almost over, the kids are eating cake as the parents discuss Kochunni's bright future.

The story
Ms. Y - I have asked Ms.L to get Kochunni potty trained by the end of the month, he needs to move to the next class. (looking at Kochunni) the class were all your friends are moving to, with computers!
Amma - Wonderful! I have been telling him the same thing. He is pretty good at peeing in the toilet, but that is it.
Ms L interjects - The only way to turn him around is for him to be in underwear. If you are ready to do the same at home, I will to. Just send me enough underwear and pants for accidents.
Amma, visibly overjoyed: Of course, lets do it. When?
Ms L. Tomorrow if you are ready.
Amma, Sure, lets do it.

As Amma and Achan leave with Kochunni they discuss the matter. It seems simple enough. Kochunni meanwhile has no clue of the ordeal he is being pushed into.

The next day Amma packs of 10 set of underwear and pants, she has already prepped Kochunni with talk of being the "big boy". She is naive, hoping that by the end of the week she will have a fully potty trained boy at home.

Day 1: Kochunni plays, learns, colors, has no accidents at school. But he hasn't pooped.
Day 2: Ms L tries again. She promises Kochunni new toys. But no luck.Circumstance comes Kochunni's rescue as Achan had an office picnic to attend. The picnic at the park gave no option, so he put on the diaper. Kochunni seizes his luck and does the job!
Day 3: Repeat Day 1. Ms. L gives suggestions - Prune juice, oranges, he will do it this weekend, she's prophetic.
Day 4: Repeat Day 1. By evening Kochunni is in pain, his tummy is visibly bigger. All he wants to do is lie on the sofa, claiming sheer tiredness. Amma tries to all known tactics - bribe, plead, read books, nothing helps
Day 5: A very similar day except, Si-chechi arrived to save the day. As Kochunni sat at the potty, she promises him the sun and moon (a big truck) to do the big job. Not really sure if it was the promise of the big truck, or it coming from his chechi, or being that he couldn't hold it in any longer out came his stuff. Of course Amma had a promise to keep, so Target shopping was in order. Kochunni got a big truck while his chechi got Pokeman cards.

(Had the tide turned?)

Day 6 - Back at school, Ms. L even gives him a toy for doing his thing over the weekend. But no repeat telecast is in sight to her
Day 7 - Repeat Day 1

A week has gone by, the parents make calls to the grandmas, suggestions were put into place - warm cup of milk first thing in the morning, more prune juices and oranges. Adding more fiber to his food, less cheese, but no change in sight.

Week 2 - was a repeat telecast of week 1, expect Amma wasn't sure of the process any more. Giving up seemed an easier option, but sanity prevailed, especially as her dad pointed out the wasted effort if she gave up now. Amma suddenly had a brilliant idea, she threatened Kochunni of having to go to the doctor for a big ingestion if he did not do his thing. She even pretended to call Achan to ask him to get the appointment. Again, not sure if the threatening did the trick or the 3-day delay, but the job was done.

The next day, Amma tried the same tactic, but to no avail. (By then one thing was certain to for the parents, he would do his thing every 3 to 4 days. On the other hand, Kochunni was understanding his little power too).

Three year doctor visit was at hand. Amma was afraid the doctor would put an end to the process, as many of her colleagues had suggested, putting forth the refrain of "He will do it when he is ready" But the doctor suggested no such thing, she was instead impressed with his progress. She suggested a mild medication to ensure his stools remained soft to ensure that he doesn't have any pain after the 3-4 day delay. Amma was ready to try anything at this point, so she bought it immediately.

Amma started to give the medication just a little with every drink, and slowly Kochunni decided to yield his power. For the past week he has being doing his job every evening, though medication stopped after the first few days. He would of course demand a little chocolate after the said job as his reward. A small price to pay, as is back to his usual self - no more big tummy, no more pain!

(Amma was seeing dancing around in the neighborhood until yesterday evening, when she collapsed from sheer exhaustion)
The End

The three week process has yielded a diaper free zone. Kochunni still sleeps at night with his diaper, but its usually dry in the morning. And as one saga draws to an end, another one is rising in the horizon - the big move to sleeping in his room, ALONE! That's for another day!

*pic courtesy of google images.

Goodbye and Hello!

Back from a whirlwind tour-de-India, and we are in throes of major changes. After the first four days back in daycare, Kochunni’s teacher Ms.L, asks if we have any objections in moving him to the next class. We are dumb folded. Is he ready? He is not potty trained yet? A million other questions surge to our lips. Not to worry, she says. They will slowly ease him into the new class probably letting him go to the new class for a few hours each day, the new teacher will potty train him too, plus he is a smart boy he will learn new things. Oh sure, we say, if you think its best.

It’s a small transition in reality. He knows the new teacher, Ms.L2 – has been in her class a few times that Ms.L was absent. His friends who were potty trained while we were having fun in India are already moved into the new class. So with some familiar faces and some new, Kochunni moved into the next phase of his life.

On our end, both husband and I have new bosses that we met and started working within the first couple of days after we came back from vacation.

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Finally finished reading all the blog posts that I had signed up through reader. Does feel like an accomplishment; though now I wish I could take up my reading list with the same vigor!

Finally over jet lag but haven’t yet caught up with laundry (it piled up the first two weeks when I was being just plain lazy). Seriously I don't mind doing laundry, its the folding up afterwards that bores the hell out of me!

Lot of to-do items – building the back yard, hanging up some artwork we got from India, meeting friends. Hopefully sooner than later.

Time flies

Kochunni is officially 2 and ½ years, and I have absolutely no idea how the past years went by. Today can’t imagine the lifetime before we had him (not true I remember the days I slept for 28 hours over a 48 hour period). He is almost a boy, playing with his trains and cars lying flat on the ground.

Gone are the days when he got his first red car (a hummer) and all he did was to hold it without letting go, (even if we showed him to let the car run on its own a 100 times, he wouldn’t let go). Today he will ask you to sit at the opposite end so that he can race two cars towards you.

Gone are the days when he was trying to crawl, today he runs ahead and is upset if by some luck you made it past him and came first.

Gone are the days when all he could do was to put a spoon into his mouth as he tried to chew it off or bang the spoon on the plate, today he makes chapatti’s with his amma. (He rolled the dough to the perfect little roti)

So my budding chef, my rising star, Here's to a wondrous new journey, that's round the corner.