A good Monday after ages. Guess that cooped up at home all week really made all of us look forward to a normal weekday. Only luxury I missed was being able to ignore the 6:30 AM alarm and sleep late.
We were discussing the game during breakfast. Manav wanted to know why we need two teams to play. "Why cannot Packers and Packers play?" Then he wanted to know who were the players with red jersey and helmet.
"Red means stop, green means go" Arnav said
I had no clue about the color coding of the teams so Manav decided he'll be Packers and the red team today. I took the cue and tried making him wear the football jersey ( as it is full sleeves and thick and perfect for a cold day) and said he can be the quarterback. But he was not interested "I cannot be the quarterback all day" and went on to wear his usual half t-shirt over full.
Everyday before they leave I say the same things "Have a nice day, listen to your teachers, don't hit, push etc" but today Arnav walked up to me and said
"Bye Mommy, I will listen to Ms Beth"
"I will miss you Arnav" I said
"Non't call me Arnav Mommy"
"What are you?"
"I am Packers."
"Ok, bye Packers"
When I went to pick up the boys from school, Arnav told me
"You cannot take me 'koley' (pick him up). You have too many things to carry"
Looks like today is the day when things have clicked in Arnav's head. Every day I say the same thing but still he perches atop me till I put him down on the car seat.
Lunch was a makeshift affair as I didn't take the fact into account that dosa batter might not be available at the Indian store. So I quickly made Manav his sandwich and Arnav had his dal rice. Arnav will not touch a sandwich even if he is starving and Manav will take ages, at least 2-3 stories and 2 cups of water to get some dal rice into his system. Such are their food habits and I take the brunt of it.
My mom would be aghast at this nutritionally inadequate lunch I serve the boys but under the circumstances this is the best I could have done. (Really?)
Then Manav jumped on his homework having missed the same for such a long time. He loves his homework and it is to be seen how long this passion will last.
And Arnav went to play his game of jumping from chair to chair. He would line up the small red chair infront of the black armchair and jump back and forth till he'd fall down.
Manav did his connect the dots and colored the Pony. Then he put some black color (see on the top between the hearts and the pony's head) and told me
"Mommy that is thunder. It is dying the pony's flowers"
I started thinking why such dark thoughts would come to his head but dismissed the same hearing the brothers converse
"Arnav look see how beautiful it is. This is how you should color inside the lines. You cannot do it, you will only scribble, scribble, scribble."
Arnav was more interested in the Ramayana comic book. ( I have to hide it somewhere). He calls me "Mommy Mommy, I need you here"
"Yes, Arnav"
"Excuse me, Packers, I am Packers please"
"Oh, yes Packers?"
"The blue guy is Ram right?"
"Yes."
Then we went to nap with Arnav declaring that he is Mommy and will read Ramayana to all of us. I was Manav and Manav was 'Ashu lal' (Thats what we call Arnav). And Manav started pulling Arnav's leg "Next Morning ......" (That's how all of Arnav's stories begin) and I lost all track of who-is-who.
Late afternoon they were playing with some animal flash cards. They made a big animal card train but Arnav started breaking the same so Manav decided to divide the cards. Arnav got his share of 4 cards (an owl, a parakeet, a dog and giraffe) while Manav took the rest of the 20. Then he told Arnav to sit on the carpet and he sat on the red chair beside him and shared a lot of jokes. They were totally tickled by the 'Guinea Pig'.
By dinnertime we all were tired and Manav was constantly chanting that he wanted the chocolate cake. The condition was to finish dinner to have the same. But he was still whining.
"Why are you behaving like a donkey Manav" Caunteya rebuked
"Do donkeys keep food in their mouth?"
"No donkeys don't listen and they are fools"
"Oh, but this food is taking too long to finish. I want chocolate cake"
Caunteya was really mad and yelled at him
"Are you a lion papa? Are you roaring now?"
Things settled down a little bit after that and by the time he finished his dinner he had either forgotten about the cake or had no appetite.
To sum it all up I have to quote Arnav ( sorry Packers)
"Its funny"
"Its NOT fair"
"I am so tired"
"Its dark and I am sleepy"
So till "Next morning......."
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