Toddler talks - a mind of their own!

The chatterbox of mine has a peculiar finding​ every day that I can't fill my diary enough. Yesterday when she woke up I told her "Good morning". She replied "why are you telling Good morning, Amma. Naan thirumbavum thoonga poren" rolled back and slept for another fifteen minutes. It makes me think - Okay, so I need to be sure you're waking up before I tell a harmless good morning? Lol.

I showed her a tree full of mangoes and asked her can we take one from that tree. Pat comes the reply - Amma this is not our tree. We'll take mango from the fridge (apparently refrigerator had some)

She's 2.5 and can oppose our views aka have a mind of her own. That's how pliable we are before gender stereotypes, ability to do and not do creeps in, allowing talking back creeps in.

Book review - The Horse Whisperer

Finished my journey with "The Horse Whisperer". What a delectable read. I did this mistake of parallel reading - I picked up an exclusive and a best seller as always to manage the pace. This and "The Girl on the train". One thirds through both the books, I realised my heart was with the horse whisperer, I didn't want to parallel read anymore. Its now two days since I've wrapped HW, I still don't want to touch another book or Girl on the train that I'm yet to complete. I am not two-timing, no, not yet; my love is still strong, I'm still thinking of the characters, the scenes - pretty much hung over you know, if ukwim.

HW is a beauty. It unravels slowly with intense emotions and yes, a horse could very well be a hero or a protagonist too, why not. Animals emote right.

The weightage given to both the female and male characters was commendable. The love was enthralling - between the horses and the people, or the men and the women. (I don't want to give away, therefore no TMI on the main post). And the ending is gut wrenching. The book haunts you for a while, and then more, the characters stay with you. A keeper. A lovely keeper, I say.

Book review - The Horse Whisperer

Finished my journey with "The Horse Whisperer". What a delectable read. I did this mistake of parallel reading - I picked up an exclusive and a best seller as always to manage the pace. This and "The Girl on the train". One thirds through both the books, I realised my heart was with the horse whisperer, I didn't want to parallel read anymore. Its now two days since I've wrapped HW, I still don't want to touch another book or Girl on the train that I'm yet to complete. I am not two-timing, no, not yet; my love is still strong, I'm still thinking of the characters, the scenes - pretty much hung over you know, if ukwim.

HW is a beauty. It unravels slowly with intense emotions and yes, a horse could very well be a hero or a protagonist too, why not. Animals emote right.

The weightage given to both the female and male characters was commendable. The love was enthralling - between the horses and the people, or the men and the women. (I don't want to give away, therefore no TMI on the main post). And the ending is gut wrenching. The book haunts you for a while, and then more, the characters stay with you. A keeper. A lovely keeper, I say.

And how she hated sleep.

Yet another afternoon when my Two-nager is fighting sleep, she'll drop asleep even on the floor any moment literally but she simply wont, she's fighting it with every ounce of energy in her spent-body and flaming mind.

In a very futile attempt to put her to sleep by 3pm I've told her 6 to 7 fairy tales.

R - Amma innoru witch story sollu.
Me - idhu thaan last baby (we finished with Hansel and Gretel, and I start off with Room on the broom..)
Ok, story finish. So we sleep now.
R - babbles and babbles.
Me - ok, we'll sleep now. We close our eyes. (I'm closing my eyes lying on the bed with her) and we count one to ten. One, two three....
R - Amma ni one to twenty count pannu, naan olinjukkren.
(My mind voice) - aagaah. Thirumbavum modhalairundu kodu podraley

And then it took a good convincing of twenty minutes that we can't play Hide and Seek now before the disheartened-she fell asleep.

Finally. If only you know what I mean.

So somebody give me a medal, please. And to every mother if one can. And to mums of furchilds too.

Because we're SO done.  #mommywoes #2yo

Save a friend

So my friend doesn't respond to my calls, I always made an effort to call her or keep a tab on her. Slowly these days it was getting me pissed off. I mean, here I am doing a full time job, raising a dragon and trying to connect with her and there she is - single not responsive whatever reasons come may. I was seething with anger.

Then last month I called her up to make a brunch date it looks like she had shifted cities. And I finally thought I didn't have to go behind someone who doesn't reciprocate. There are people who genuinely love me and care about me, who reach out to me all the time that sometimes I take a break from them in need of space. I thought I will leave that so called 10+ years of friendship for good last week. But again this week I wanted to empathize with her one last time, I texted her how I felt, that I'm always making time for her when she is in her shell not answering back. She responds with a genuine heartfelt messgae that she's been happy that I have made numerous attempts to connect esp when she was alone and an explanation that she has been going through a LOT in terms of her alliance front, and told me that she was sorry and that things have been ugly for her. I surpsingly realise I may as well have thrown that relationship away, had I not told her that she's important but she's annoying me with the hide and seek behaviour, frankly. It dawns on me not to ignore someone, for they may be in need, give it one last chance "if it deserves". It did. We broke that effin ice.

Sometimes assumptions and ego kill beautiful relationships, I saved one of mine today.

Baby Chakra - The Parents Peer talk

Okay did I forget to tell you. I had attended Baby Chakras Exclusive Mommy's meet on 17th May @ Hyatt and it was wonderful to be in a beautiful  gathering of mothers of all ages with babies of all adorable sizes discussing parenting - the only thing I love to do these days discussing "being a parent and what's best for my child"

The highlights of the event, let me sum up, so that just in case you have an opportunity to attend this event in your city next time you'll kill for it.

- We discussed the pros and cons of age old practices like massages to babies - mailsh, oils and how a thin oil which does not permeate the baby's skin is the best
- We discussed about lotions, washes and also about approved baby fragrances which we can pick for the babies.
- We discussed about the mammoths task of a parent - dealing with washing hoards of clothing which nobody knows how babies bring into the washing machine on a daily basis!
- We touched base on how J & J has products aligning to the three points mentioned above. The J & J advisor effortlessly addressed a lot of our questions including the legal issues​ and also made the session VERY interactive.
- OH, and did I mention we had sumptuous food and lovely women who did help us by keeping an eye on the toddlers as we kept the discussions running.

To call it wraps we had a beautiful hamper with cloth bags from J & J, a baby new born kit and Baby chakra a cash voucher - yay! Right? Back home I did sign into the Baby Chakras app only to find clothes to toys to baby essentials to queries discussed all over - It was beautiful and I hovered around a healthy time happily!

And which new mother doesn't wants to socialize right, so though this post comes  late it comes with a tiny sense of accomplishment - we can still talk like adults you know! Ha!

2 years and nursing

This! And I am proud to have had supportive peers and pro-bf paeds in all these 2 years. When I told my doctor that I am planning to rejoin work, his next question to me was 'are you planning to express and feed'. No, he was not formula shaming, he wanted to know if I was educated about the breast pumps etc. Even before that day I was already thinking of a 2 year nursing benchmark because that's what WHO recommends - 'nursing at least for 2 years' and weaning when the mother or if possible when the child wishes to.

 

We have a beautiful 2 year and one month old nursing relation with today. What a beautiful roller coaster ride, I say and this post so reminds me of everything - articles I had read as a new mum, infographs I saved up as a new mum, galactagogues I swallowed as a first time mum and more. #probf #firsttimemums  #WHO

Parent teacher association

Years ago, in college.

The list of girls Manoj sighted gets demarcated like this -
Juniors - not so much
Class ponnunga - no no ellam frenemies
Professors and teachers - adhey, adhey, eyes wonly for lady profs... avanga azhaga irukkanga, ivanga sari different kattirukanga, andha ma'am ku mapla paakranga pola ippolaam makeup jasthi podranga and all that.
Me - thala ezhuthu. Teachers pinnadiye po.

Today. At PTA meetings.

Manoj - Rhea'oda miss eyes azhaga iruku la?
Me - dei, ni innum thirundhavey illaya?

#thala_ezhuthu_returns #malarteacher_and_co

The story of the mummy pillow

So R sleeps pretty much on my tummy - every. single. night. I have told her multiple times that she can sleep on her pillow. That it gets difficult for me and after sometime I can't roll etc.

She will constantly say - "venam ma, I will sleep on you.. mummy-pillow"
Me - more reasoning
She - "no Amma, vaithla thoongren" no Amma I'll sleep on your tummy.

Yesterday she came up to the bed and announced - "Amma vaithla padukka maten ma, pillow la padukren.." I won't sleep on your tummy ma, I'll sleep on my pillow, in such an matured I-understand-your-plight tone with all those tiny 23 months in her exuding nothing but warmth. She added "enna katti pidi", but u hug me and slept on her pillow and dozed off.

 

I then cried and cried and cried and didn't sleep a wink since.

 

Why is motherhood so devastating - why do I not know what I want? Do I want her to sleep on me or on her pillow. *weeps* then say by 5 am in the morning she woke up and slept on me again. Then I was contented that my little girl was staying little.

 

I sometimes hate things and please add a Monday to it, thank you :( I want to be with her at home right now, I am seeing her videos on my mobile literally waiting for the work-day to get over.....:'( what a mean start to this week :(