The topic in Manav's class is now "The life cycle of a butterfly". I am amazed by the number of ways they have been working on this. Simple butterfly cut-out coloring, putting the different stages in order, reading the "Hungry Caterpillar" book, making a caterpillar out of the fruits(the hungry caterpillar ate) in a long net and some more cutouts and props. Manav comes home and tells me
"Mommy this is the chrysalis, you can also call it cocoon or pupa"
WhiIe I am thrilled (weird as it may sound but biology is/was my favorite subject), Caunteya raises his eyebrows at "chrysalis".
"Monarch caterpillar will produce a monarch butterfly" Manav affirms.
On way back from school one day to my usual what-happened-in-school question Arnav says
"I heard a story about a frog. A loud bullfrog"
"The frog's name in my story was amphibian. Just like the crocodile's name was alligator, this frog was amphibian" Manav confirms and goes on to add
"Some frogs are poisonous. Usually the small ones"
So shadow is caused by "blocking the light source", date is a "secret code known to a few early- preschoolers as month-day-year", the weather is "c-o-o-l and not c-o-l-d today", time is "almost eight-o-clock or little more than eight-o-clock and rarely eight-o-clock", to know how many dinosaurs are there in the jar we "count", the neighbor's cat is a "carnivore" as he saw it attacking a pigeon....... the list goes on. I am having such a great time reliving my school days. I can't help but notice the sparkle in Manav's eyes when he narrates these things to me. He loves learning and as his teacher mentions in his report card (yes, they do a 6 weekly reporting) "Manav loves science". Hope he always finds learning as novel and interesting all along.
One day I was folding the laundry and the kids wanted to help ( they always want to help, you have to have a big heart to handle all that help).
"Manav, sab socks ek saath rakho" I said
"Haan, karti hunn" Manav replied in his accented hindi
Caunteya told him "Finish the book phir nehalaunga"
"Yes, let me finish this then nelaya" came the reply from our angrez kiddo who sings "Hotel California and Eewin Eewin Eewin main to lut gaya" with equal gusto. Though we take a couple of minutes to crack which hindi song he is singing.
I took Arnav for his doctor's visit. He was well prepared for the same as Manav made sure he had a mock session at home. Arnav said
"I will lie down, watch TV and the doctor will check my boo-boo." (The dentist's has the TV)
"What is the name of the doctor, Arnav? " Manav asks his pupil
"Conductor" comes the quick reply.
Its the bike phase in the house. The boys are forever mounted in their bikes. They go to bed in their bikes, park the same and then sleep, wake up and ride to the bathroom, ride back to the breakfast table, park near the couch for some TV and of course the real ride to the carpentar park. Manav always asserts that he has the bike (bicycle) and Arnav has the trike (tricycle). I have told them that on Manav's birthday we are getting him a bigger bike and Arnav will take Manav's and Saachi will get Arnav's trike.
This morning Arnav woke up earlier and hijacked Manav's bike. Manav came in and started his lecture.(He is razor sharp in the morning).
"Arnav is this a bike or trike?"
"Bike"
"Then please get down and let me ride it"
"No, this is mine"
"You are a baby, you should ride a trike. Bike is for big boys"
"The doctor said I am three. I am a big boy" ( The doctor had said "See you when you are three" to Arnav)
"Did you give your trike to Saachi?" Manav continues
"No"
"Is it the 21st yet?"
"No"
"Then? It is not my birthday. And there is no new bike. When it is my happy birthday then you can have my bike. Now you ride your trike"
Not sure how this was resolved but as I said it is impossible to beat Manav in an argument during the wee hours of the day.
Caunteya came in early today to take the kids for soccer. He had to take a call from home and was setting up the phone in the bedroom and Arnav walked in
"Papa, what are you doing?"
"I have a call. Please close the door"
"Is this a place to call? When you are tired you come and sleep in the bed. Please come out."
Manav wore the beaded bracelet that Arnav had made in school. Arnav saw this and said
"Cool Manav. You are wearing my artwork. It is cool"
Thus is the state of things here at Parekh household. As the weather holds a surprise every day so do the boys. They tire you all day and then some more with their night wakings. Manav wakes up at night and tells me
"Can I tell you a favor"
"What Manav?"
"Can I wear shorts?"
and another day he comes screaming and crying from his room
"I don't want to play this game anymore."
Arnav usually wakes up to drink water all night long.
Time for me to guzzle some (water) and sleep. Tired to say the least but really wanted to pen (When I read "sheep pen", Manav was so tickled). It has been a while. Don't have an ounce of strength to put in the pictures. It will suffice to say that they will figure in the next post, whenever that happens. Till then sing along
"Fly Fly Fly Fly High
Fly Fly Butterfly"
"Mommy this is the chrysalis, you can also call it cocoon or pupa"
WhiIe I am thrilled (weird as it may sound but biology is/was my favorite subject), Caunteya raises his eyebrows at "chrysalis".
"Monarch caterpillar will produce a monarch butterfly" Manav affirms.
On way back from school one day to my usual what-happened-in-school question Arnav says
"I heard a story about a frog. A loud bullfrog"
"The frog's name in my story was amphibian. Just like the crocodile's name was alligator, this frog was amphibian" Manav confirms and goes on to add
"Some frogs are poisonous. Usually the small ones"
So shadow is caused by "blocking the light source", date is a "secret code known to a few early- preschoolers as month-day-year", the weather is "c-o-o-l and not c-o-l-d today", time is "almost eight-o-clock or little more than eight-o-clock and rarely eight-o-clock", to know how many dinosaurs are there in the jar we "count", the neighbor's cat is a "carnivore" as he saw it attacking a pigeon....... the list goes on. I am having such a great time reliving my school days. I can't help but notice the sparkle in Manav's eyes when he narrates these things to me. He loves learning and as his teacher mentions in his report card (yes, they do a 6 weekly reporting) "Manav loves science". Hope he always finds learning as novel and interesting all along.
One day I was folding the laundry and the kids wanted to help ( they always want to help, you have to have a big heart to handle all that help).
"Manav, sab socks ek saath rakho" I said
"Haan, karti hunn" Manav replied in his accented hindi
Caunteya told him "Finish the book phir nehalaunga"
"Yes, let me finish this then nelaya" came the reply from our angrez kiddo who sings "Hotel California and Eewin Eewin Eewin main to lut gaya" with equal gusto. Though we take a couple of minutes to crack which hindi song he is singing.
I took Arnav for his doctor's visit. He was well prepared for the same as Manav made sure he had a mock session at home. Arnav said
"I will lie down, watch TV and the doctor will check my boo-boo." (The dentist's has the TV)
"What is the name of the doctor, Arnav? " Manav asks his pupil
"Conductor" comes the quick reply.
Its the bike phase in the house. The boys are forever mounted in their bikes. They go to bed in their bikes, park the same and then sleep, wake up and ride to the bathroom, ride back to the breakfast table, park near the couch for some TV and of course the real ride to the carpentar park. Manav always asserts that he has the bike (bicycle) and Arnav has the trike (tricycle). I have told them that on Manav's birthday we are getting him a bigger bike and Arnav will take Manav's and Saachi will get Arnav's trike.
This morning Arnav woke up earlier and hijacked Manav's bike. Manav came in and started his lecture.(He is razor sharp in the morning).
"Arnav is this a bike or trike?"
"Bike"
"Then please get down and let me ride it"
"No, this is mine"
"You are a baby, you should ride a trike. Bike is for big boys"
"The doctor said I am three. I am a big boy" ( The doctor had said "See you when you are three" to Arnav)
"Did you give your trike to Saachi?" Manav continues
"No"
"Is it the 21st yet?"
"No"
"Then? It is not my birthday. And there is no new bike. When it is my happy birthday then you can have my bike. Now you ride your trike"
Not sure how this was resolved but as I said it is impossible to beat Manav in an argument during the wee hours of the day.
Caunteya came in early today to take the kids for soccer. He had to take a call from home and was setting up the phone in the bedroom and Arnav walked in
"Papa, what are you doing?"
"I have a call. Please close the door"
"Is this a place to call? When you are tired you come and sleep in the bed. Please come out."
Manav wore the beaded bracelet that Arnav had made in school. Arnav saw this and said
"Cool Manav. You are wearing my artwork. It is cool"
Thus is the state of things here at Parekh household. As the weather holds a surprise every day so do the boys. They tire you all day and then some more with their night wakings. Manav wakes up at night and tells me
"Can I tell you a favor"
"What Manav?"
"Can I wear shorts?"
and another day he comes screaming and crying from his room
"I don't want to play this game anymore."
Arnav usually wakes up to drink water all night long.
Time for me to guzzle some (water) and sleep. Tired to say the least but really wanted to pen (When I read "sheep pen", Manav was so tickled). It has been a while. Don't have an ounce of strength to put in the pictures. It will suffice to say that they will figure in the next post, whenever that happens. Till then sing along
"Fly Fly Fly Fly High
Fly Fly Butterfly"
I absolutely enjoy reading Arnav's retorts! Manav of course, is expected to say all that smart stuff. I can't seem to get enough of the little "conductor."
ReplyDeleteThis one is a joy ride thro' the "Parekh Household" as you call it ... I laughed my heart out on Manav's "Haan, karti hunn" remark... LOL! From day-1, I have noticed his negotiation skills - you sure can't win over his 'logical' arguments! Arnav is a winner with his blissful ignorance (and "naatak", if I may)!
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