Please Speak Up

Problem ...Problem.... Problem
Usual comments from teacher when I go to pick up Achu :

• He's ok
• He's smart
• No problem
• Good boy

So today was an unusual day.
Achu had his recitations today....Hindi and English
Hindi : He had to just read a few letters the teacher pointed at from the book.
Teacher : "He refused to open his mouth. I told the hindi miss that he is a smart boy and to give him more time so she let him go for awhile and called him back. But again he was silent. not a word. why?"
English: He had to recite a poem "Ferry me across the water"
Teacher: "He didn't do the english recitation also.Why what's wrong with him. talk to him please.I was shocked because he is so smart in his written work"
Ok so I get the picture. Reasons for the poor show...Achu's points and mine

• Achu is a showman ONLY at home
• I was lazy to revise the hindi alphabets with him. Honestly thought I'd do it this weekend. 
• I did get him to recite the poem. He does it so well at home. Expressive, but does forget here and there.
• The teacher had mentioned his english recitation would be due only next week...so why the hurry?...I thought I'd do it a couple of times during the weekend

Asked the teacher if she would re-assess.....

She said " Noway. I think he has to improve on those lines. There's noway we can do it again."

Why do I have this guilt feel in me?

Isn't he just in the first term of first grade?

Oh! Achu I hope to get you to do your work on a daily basis rather than waiting for the last day...

• Without you losing your patience
• and me mine...sighhhh!

  We'll do much better next term kiddo :)

Ouch! That hurt

We were looking forward to enjoying a long weekend of freedom. But Life had other things in fold.

Achu slept early that friday. I went into the room wondering how the fella could afford missing his daily dose of  "The Penguins of Madagascar" and found him all wrapped up in bed.When I went close to him to give him a peck I felt warm...or was it hot...he was boiling hot. The thermo gave us a 99. Gave him a bit of Crocin and prayed he gets better.

At around 2.30 am M told me Achu was very hot. We checked his temp and were shocked to find 103. That's scary. He was crying and mumbling stuff. We gave him more crocin and started wiping him. The stubborn fever didn't give in neither did we.....At around 6.30 am he was 101

We tried calling all our docs.

• Doc-1: Out on tour 
• Doc-2 : no appointments until 31.08 plus a suggestion to take the kid into emergency 
• Doc-3: our family doc gave us instruction through the phone  

Then we finally thought we'd take him to emergency since the temperature wasn't coming below 100 even after giving him high doses of crocin.

Before we entered the ward we thought we'd check if any pediatrician was available.Praise the Lord! There was a Dr.S.

She told us Achu had a major throat infection and he will find it tuff to eat for awhile. Gave us meds for 6 days and told us to come in 4 days.

The next four days were terrible.Achu cried, I cried, my mom cried!!! Getting a hungry lil boy have his meal with a bad throat is an awful experience next to being the lil boy.

Achu's line

When hunger strikes
Yeppo Amma yenniku istam(yeah! no h in there) olladhu thinan pattum? ( when can I eat what i like?)

When we wipe him or take the temp

Yenne onnu samadhamayitu kidhakan vidhuvo ( will you please let me lie in peace?)

Most scary moment: When achu woke up crying after an afternoon nap and said" Yenniku karachil niruthan patinila amma" ( I can't stop crying ). I hugged him , Appuppa carried him, Ammumma carried him out to the terrace. He cried continuously for 15-20 minutes. Then slowly he fell asleep again.

His diet:
Pediasure 6-8 times a day
chicken/tomato Soup
noodles
2 lil spoons of rice,dal and bland boiled fish
chicken poppers ( well don't ask me how he could swallow that!)

He
wouldn't gargle
screamed and cried each time he woke up
any oscar winner would lick his feet when it comes to acting out pain (maybe half of it was true but the other half got to my nerves I tell you)
skipped school for the whole week( courtesy: sympathetic grandparents ,a lazy parent and a missing parent )

matters did become worse when Amma fell ill too. But then

He is still recovering......
He did go through a bad painful phase
but the boy is enjoying his little vacation at the moment....so am I ;)

Boyz to Men

Watching the tamil movie Goa with appupa


One of the guys flexes his muscles in front of a gal.
Achu: Appupa adhu a penne kanikanannu ketta (He is doing that to show the girl his muscles...ok)

Another of the guys is swimming alone in the pool
Achu: (Turns around and asks sympathetically) Evende penn yevadhey? (Where is this one's gal?)

I went out with friends and was back. I had a little kajal on.The bare minimum.

Achu: Make up ellam ittitu evadhey poitu varinu? (Where have you been with all that make up on??)

When I started yoga classes

Achu: Yendhinamma meliyinedhu. Ippothane kolamello?( why do you want to slim down you are fine the way you are?)

Every morning and when back from school

Achu: Why do I have to tell you every day to keep my milk ready ? (Amplified voice and frowny face)