Balls

Whenever I send the kids to school.....OK lets take a pause here, this being summer school I was using discretion (read laziness) to send the kids to school. Days when we'd wake up fine, they'd finish their breakfast on time, get ready without much fuss, the school lunch menu would look edible and Caunteya would agree to drop them off, it was school time. And these were few and far between and lately more so as the kids were sick. Entire weeks went by without school. Else, if its regular school (which starts next Monday) they go to school everyday, barring sick days and holidays of course. So back to -

Whenever I send the kids to school I get burdened with this feeling to get something done, like grocery or a pending return at the store or cooking good stuff or cleaning the house, laundry, dishwasher - you get the drift. Meeting up with a friend or hitting the beauty parlor makes me feel a tad guilty nevertheless I do it sometimes. Today is a different kind of school day. The last school day of summer.

"Mommy bye. I will be back soon. Don't miss me too much" Arnav lisped. Words I have heard so many times but every time they make me feel so special. I must make a note here that I have such tender feelings for them at that moment as they are leaving. I am guaranteed some kid-free hours and that realization starts the guilt trip. And I try to immerse myself in activities which will sort of justify my sitting-at-home-yet-sending-kids-to-school-full-time status.

Before summer they went to half-day school so I hardly got time to dwell on my free-time guilt. Summer was mostly spent at home so not many heart burns there. BUT when Monday comes they will go to regular 8:15 - 3:15 school. Yes, both boys. I have been postponing this inevitable, justifying my "status", but no more. I am on my own now in a mix of laid-off and resigned from my day job. Now what? Have taken up more than allocated/justified real estate in my boys' blog so will jump right back to conversations.

Manav was in the potty the other day

"Mommy come here quick, I have to show you something"

"Its OK Manav just let me know when you are done" I replied with gross potty images in my mind

"No Mommy you have to come now."

I went in resigning to my fate and also thinking something might be wrong

"What are these balls here right under my pee-pee?"

"Hmm...don't worry, just a part of your body" I wasn't sure what to say and I walked out of the bathroom.

"Mommy I think they are just holding my susu. Nothing else" Manav shouted back.

I smiled to myself.

Manav often comes to me asking his worldly wise questions which usually boils down to asking the meaning of a word

"What does Zac mean when he says - I am contaminated?"

and I go around asking the circumstances in which he said that and in this case it turns out that Zac fell in the mud and the meaning is thus derived. Once he came to me saying

"What is zero years old? "

"When a baby is not 1 year old yet" I said

"Oh so the baby is not there? " big incredulous eyes stare back at me

"No, just that he is 4 months or 6 months or something like that. Not a year yet" I clarified

"Oh, when he is 12 years he will be 1 year old" Manav concluded

"Yes, 12 months not 12 years" I corrected.

"Oh, I am just 4 years, when will I be 1 year old then?"

That is when I realised he has his months and years muddled up. On a deeper note I suspect that the kids are yet to get the notion of time. Whenever I say anything other than 5 minutes (5 more minutes then we go back from mall/play area/TV etc) they ask me "Is that long time or short time? " and react accordingly.

We became the proud owners of a Crown tail Betta fish when Sharoon left for India. The boys hung around it for most part of the first day and then their interest has been diminishing. They do clamor when I feed the fish. So I just yank them atop the kitchen counter to have a good look at the fish when it grabs the food dropped in its tank. On one such occasion Arnav spit in the tank. I immediately pulled him down and yelled at him and said something to the effect that I will never let him see the fish-feed.

"Why did you spit Arnav? The fish can die...do you know that?"

"Mommy I was spitting so that the fish had more water" He said with tear rimmed eyes and proceeded to validate the statement by spitting on the kitchen floor.

Sure enough there was a small puddle. I learnt what I already know - Kids can and sometimes do have ulterior motives for seemingly destructive actions.

Arnav is still working on his "R" sound. He does OK when there is a "r" in between a word but when it starts with a "R" he uses "W". So he says "wed", "wun" and "westing" for "red", "run" and "resting" and so on. Manav always tries to teach him the correct "R" sound and Arnav gets exasperated and says

"I am saying "W", "W" "W" NOT "W".

We have also seen him practicing his "W" (he means "R") in the crack of the dawn on his bed.

Recently they added "Raoul CaRoule" to their cars collection and it is too much for Arnav to pronounce. He goes asking around for his "Trouble Trouble" !!

Any further addition to the fleet will be gladly accepted !! The BIG McQueen is the boom box that my brother presented Manav for his fourth Birthday. Also note "Wed" the fire engine - 3rd from right.

Yesterday we went out for a walk after dinner. Manav suddenly morphed into this very good guy. He was taking his pet toy dog Charlie for walk which of course Arnav wanted. He gave it to Arnav. I said

"Arnav after 5 minutes give Charlie back to Manav"

"No, No Mommy, let him have it as long as he wants. He doesn't have to give it back"

"What? Are you serious Manav? What is the secret? Whats going on? " My jaws popped out

"Nothing Mommy, I decided to be good. Sometimes I am bad sometimes I am good."

"Why can't you be good always Manav ?"

A coy smile is all I got to this question. He continued to be this "good" boy for a long time. Caunteya joined us and we were praising him and making remarks that he must have finally grown up.

"Mommy I think I am like God now. Changing his mind"

"Why God? God changes his mind?"

"Yes, he is good sometimes but then he becomes bad so that people will pray to him" I interpreted it as when good things happen no one looks for God but when bad things befall us we pray to God. Now who can beat that logic?

Arnav unfailingly comes to our bedroom after we tuck him in his bed. He either says

"I am itchy. Can you put some Aveeno please?"

or

"Can I sleep with you a lil bit please?"

Both demands I comply with no matter how tired I am. And then walk him back to his room and make sure he understands that he needs to sleep now and so does Mommy. Now how long this will continue is something to be seen. Manav has long since stopped his visits to our bedroom. Only in the morning he comes in with such sentences

"It looks like morning, but its still dark. How can that be? " We have heavy curtains in our bedroom.

or

"It is very quiet in my room. Can I sleep with you please?" I of course comply albeit thinking how our room is different. That's my "technological" brain. Ignore (Manav asked me once "what is technology?"). 

Both were very reluctant to go back to school after such a long break. Caunteya explained that they need to go to school to learn cool stuff like Biology, Physics and Chemistry

"What is Biology?" Manav asked

"Plants and Animals" I jumped in, relieved at answering a question without having to google.

"There, Mommy knows Biology. She can teach us. We don't need to go to school" pat came the reply

"We don't need to go to school" Arnav joined in

And I was caught in my own web. Well, Manav had his last word

"OK, I will go to school to show my Luminators (his Skechers shoes which glow) and surprise my friends today. No more school"

"No more school" Arnav said

That's how my dining table looks most of the days. And yes those are THE Luminators.

So I wrote to justify my kid-free Friday. I also went for my Yoga. Not to mention the usual - folding laundry, prepping food. But something else needs to be done. Will embark on answering the question - "What next?" next week. Either wish me luck or find me a job.