Win - Win

Itchy's post on the different boardgames she is getting her children to play made me realise that my boy isn't very different either....


Any game - Achu has to win.


Games played:

Cards : Just to drive in 'the bigger' number concept we had a pack of cards and Achu was delighted with this new game. Until one fine day we wanted to drive the 'its ok to lose' concept......that marked the end of card games.

Knots and Crosses : He picked knots then crosses...that's ok...but he picked winning always and never losing...how boring is that!

Snakes and ladders: You guessed right....We get swallowed by snakes and he climbs every ladder.

Joining the dots: Same story ...He does not flare up until the end when all the boxes are counted and we get more boxes than he marked.


Scrabble: He will start where he wants to....he places single letter words!!...replaces letters when he does not 'like' them!!!!! and takes our letters when he needs them....oh please!

Chess: Thought I will just let him know what chess is all about. Drew all the 'charecters' and named them. Achu was very very interested. Then I mentioned about how each one of them move across the board. He was totally into it...until....

Me: This is the Queen. She can move in any direction and take any number of steps. and this is the King he can move only one step at a time in any direction.
Achu : WHAT??????....This is not fair ....itchichi Amma ....yendho amma idhu? ( what is this?)
Me: Huh! what happened?* highly confused*
Achu : King is the most powerful and HE is the one who can move all over...NOT the queen
Me: shock gives way to reasoning...No Achu All the others safe guard the King so that's why they all move around while the King remains safe
Achu: Noway! am not going to agree..poooo ammaaaa
Me: sighhhhhhh!

Remind me to find out how Vishy picked up the game.........
And help me find games that don't require one player to win and another to not win!

Invincibly Invisible

Two of my blog world friends Niv and Mamma of twins happened to touch on this subject and I thought I should do my bit…..

Achu is known for his acting skills and sometimes....he takes it too far …..

Backdrop 1: Acha is back from office and he spots Achu in the drawing room happily playing.

Suddenly Achu runs behind Acha and screams “Appupa njan evidey illa” (Grandpa I am not here!!). Signals me to remain quiet on his whereabouts and walks behind him shrieking away to glory.

Backdrop 2: We are about to leave for a family function and Achu is asked to get dressed. I leave a kurta and pants on his bed and leave him in his room for his nanny to dress him up.

Achu screams “Amma yenika kurta vendaaaaaaa…idhulaaaaaa” (I don’t want this kurta….I won’t wear it). Silently has a wash, wears the outfit and then keeps shouting “Idhula” ( won’t wear ) with interim giggles while am getting dressed in the other room and HAVE to shout “ Please kutta” , “Please Monnu” and the likes.

Then he walks out of the room mummified by a towel with an evident part of his costume showing “Njan oodupu matilla amma” (I didn’t change my dress). My response “yendhu kutta? Please” (why …please)!!!!!!!!!

Backdrop 3: As a sequel to 2, he slowly slides into the back seat of the car (sure the towel is pulled away or thrown away on the closest sofa/ non-living thing (grrr from ammuma) or floor (growl from ammuma)

The little brat winks at me and convinces me in a highly audible voice “Amma, acha-neduthu parey Achu vanilainnu” ( Amma tell Acha Achu hasn’t come!)  ….You know what happens next don’t you..?

What happens if we don’t have the I-am-totally-surprised look ?

Guarantees recitations of the Itchichi mantra on you until he spots his next prey.

What happens if you want to please him and stay surprised?

You’ve earned yourself a huggy-buggy moment … I'd do anything for that you know.

M never reacts surprised as he thinks we are just making Achu act like a fool. Condolences M for loosing the ‘child’ in you *snigger snigger*

Sprain,Sprain go away...

My lil achu boy had a freak fall and injured his elbow.We thought it wasn't serious but changed our mind when we found him in pain everytime he moved his hand. In an hour his hand looked swollen.( for once his hand looked plump and sturdy as I would have wanted his whole self to be ...sighhhh!).

We took him to a local doctor....and to our horror he was a terror...he told my son he would inject him if he cried...GRRRRRRRRR....Achu and I hate him....

M and I had the feeling it was just a sprain and would vanish the next day. But in the morning Achu was howling and I knew it wasn't the usual whine.....My boy was in terrible pain....So we checked if his pediac was available and as usual he was not so we got an appointment with the ortho.

With one bad experience Achu didn't want to go to another doc....i promised achu i would not let any doc harm him. This doc was a gem. He was so patient with Achu. Achu refused to let the doc examine him. The doc came upto achu and didn't even touch him. He asked achu to shake his good hand first and then try doing the same on the injured hand.

The doc asked to take an xray. Achu was terrified when he saw the room and the stuff.But thanks to the reruns of Mr.Bean and his xray attics achu was ok until this guy lifted him up. Achu cried his heart out .....my poor lil boy...in fear and pain...and I was helpless....he screamed he was angry ...with M, with the attendant  and  with the me..the person who promised there wouldn't be any more pain....I felt really bad...."Itchichi Amma" ..he shouted all through the procedure

The doc told us there wasn't a fracture....maybe its jus a sprain...and put him on a sling...gave us a painkiller and asked us to come back in 2 days if things got worse

This was 2 days ago....
Today morning my boy is fine:).it was a bad sprain afterall......and I am relieved

I find so many mommy blogs across the net ...and so many instances of sickness and recovery....Its so saddening to see a child in pain....The helplessness is so universal isn't it?...

I wish Pandora hadn't opened the box............

A Mummy Crime

My blogs on Achu missed a few weeks...but his antics never miss a moment to surface. Achu is enjoying his xmas vacation right now.

I pity the boy since he is pretty much bored up with his routine life . Want to bring in some difference in his life. Everyday. Must do something about it. He is having such a like-me childhood in a not so like-what-I-had environment. In my days there wasn't anything happening for kids all around us and so close so I at four had to be comfortable playing with my dolls ,chalk, cycle and Amma. But my little fella is doing just that when he has a dance class happening 2 streets to the right, a painting class happening 2 streets to the left , a circus in town, winter workshops N-S-E-W....Now isn't this a mummy crime???????:(

Itchichi Amma
Must do something.......

Being Four and Achu

@ 4 Achu

• plays with his 100+ collection of cars
• is a teacher to his set of stuffed friends
  
• makes tea and loves to cook
• drives his car and obeys rules!!!
• Loves a sumo/scorpio and hates the inova cause I like it cause he hates it ;b ..we have "spot and count the favorite car game" every time we travel
  
• paints monsters, spider plus spiderweb, robotic butterflies,whales, sun and of course cars
• loves to mush clay....I get him one color at a time or by the end of the game he makes  one big rainbow lump outta all the lovely colors
• loves water games 
• has bumps and bruises all over him
• loves to travel 
  
• enjoys eating cakes,nice & burbon biscuits,dates,noodles,fish and chicken ( the little he eats on his own)
  
• is ok with egg,dosa,rice bread and veggies (I have to feed)
  
• doesn't want to try any other Indian breakfast
• has started experimenting food from/at hotels 
  
• hates to get in to have a bath and hates to get out after a bath!!!!
  
• is a professional bubble maker
• watches Mr.Bean, Pink Panther, Baby Looney toons and the likes
• Sings tamil film songs, bhajans and rhymes  with his own lyrics  
• dances and has his own style
  
• is handymanny in disguise
• has a piggy bank 
• Jumps on the bed
  
• is a wonderful photographer
• and an equally wonderful poser
• has a love-hate relationship with school
• hates to say he has friends ..especially shy about the girlfriends he has
• is in awe of one of his cousin sisters who is much older than him
  
• leaves his cup in the sink
• is very understanding only if he is in a good mood ( he shouldn't be hungry or sleepy that is :b) 
• says thank u ,welcome,sorry and please only to the very few elite ppl at home...outside he is still pretty much an introvert...he gets me to do all the talking
• loves to play boy games with M and sometimes with poor me
• answers the phone and sometimes asks me to call certain ppl he likes
  
• helps out in cleaning up HIS mess ONLY if we help him at the job
• Has a bad temper :( 
• Still uses the word itchichi
  
• loves to hug and kiss :):):)
• is a good boy :D
  

Yup! The bedroom my Playground

Achu loves his ammumma's and appupa's bedroom a lot...why?

• There are zillions of lil tit bits he can get his hands on ...all he needs to do is make a :( face
• The cordless phone...which visits the doc almost every week
  
• The visiting card stack...very boring but doesn't fail to excite him every time
  
• The side drawers filled a red and green bag pen's, pegs & pencils  ( in all levels of utility rated 0 to10...0 unusable 10 in the process of becoming unusable), punching machine ( I know he had a go at it if I find millions of multicolured dots all over the room when I get back ...and achu screams...amma dots kandhaaaa ...amma saw the dots...), stapler, gum ( most of the magazines in the room have all the pages randomly either stapled or stuck)
  
• The cloth stand that functions as a tent or climbing bar and when he wants to irritate appupa...he pulls down all of appupa's clothes on it and runs for his life...yeah all he gets when he is caught is a huggy-buggy moment
• The mirror - Achu loves to talk in front of the mirror...sometimes feel he will be a good actor...all the 10 - navarasas... yeah 10 there is this face that only achu can make...can't name the expression hehehehe
• The powder cans - He loves to put the powder all around the place....on the mirror, dressing table, floor, in the piggy bank, on me grrrrrr
• A mat - He loves to put the mat on the floor take his pillow and lie down ..that's pretty ok....then he asks me to roll him in it and then stands up....and falls...stands up...and falls...stands up and ...u know what
• A cupboard full of  stuff ranging from unwanted gifts got to old photos
• A fridge - he investigates the contents and fishes out a snack or jus opens it cause 'coolakinnu' (its cool)
• The TV - He loves to watch his takeshi's , mr.bean, bheeeeem and the like and wonders why we don't have a TV in our bedroom
  
• The bathroom - At intrevals I have to drag him to the bathroom and itchitchi amma moment that is. Ammamma gives him his bedtime bath which he loves and gets both of them totally wet
• THE BED - Whew!....Wonder if all children crossing 4 jump on the bed....he LOVES to jump...and all the three of us ( appuppa, ammumma and me) shriek & scream and pray he lands safely on the bed....It doesn't take much time for a 15kg mass to flop on the floor...the saga continues....far from heroic I guess

ZZZZZ! Winkie's partner or what!

Why do young brats have such irregular sleeping patterns????....how does their system work so efficiently with so little rest???? If there be a medical explanation jus forget it...I don't wanna know 'cause I live with a 4 year old and I would like it if he jus follows our pattern....

Getting Achu to sleep is like tring to get M to appreciate women...it never happen and when it does happen you don't realise it!!!

Take for instance yesterday. We reached our lil home a bit early and so I skipped watching the bit of TV I watch (while M was reading his fav mags plus watching TV plus expressing concern over achu's sleeping schedule and why 'I' couldn't put him to sleep early...baahhhhhhh) and asked achu to get ready to sleep( at 9.30pm)....

Which means
- Piss
- Brush teeth ( which doesn't happen...no it doesn't)
- Wash hands and legs
- Put on Pyjamas
- take fav toy/book/torch
- head to the bedroom

This takes a decent 30 minutes max....with screams reaching decibels unheard of  from all sides in equal proportions...today it took 20 minutes ...:)

He enters the room , flops in bed with a Prevention magzine and the contents page had a big round bindi on the C....then.....
Achu: " Amma idhu yendhonu" ( what is this )
He wanted me to read content with the bindi on 'C'
Me: O-ontent
now he placed the bindi on 'O'
Achu:"Ippo" (Now)
Me:" COntent"
Jus when I started liking the 'quality' time I was spending with my lil one...achu got distracted and placed the bindi on a ommmphhhh model and smiles....
Achu: " Amma oru kariyam ondu" ( one thing to say )
Me: " Tell me"
Achu: " Ethara nall ayi pink panther kandhitu" ( Its been days since we watched Pink Panther)
Me: " Thanney achu. we will get somebody to repair ammamma's computer and you can watch"
he nods and smiles
Achu: " amma inni oru kariyam ondu" ( another thing )
Me: " hmmmm"
Achu: " naala school ondha ma?" ( do we have school tomo?)
Me: " yes"
a wee bit of sulking Achu: " Itchichi Amma"
Achu: "kallu perathu itota?"( can I put my leg on u?)
Me: "Sheri Da"
Achu: "Thank you amma"
Me:"Welcome Achu....."
Awww that's a huggy-buggy note
Amma and Achu hug and kiss...
Achu: " Amma....."
Me: "Achu sleep monuuuuu"
Achu:" oru kariyam "(one thing)....not again sigh
Me:"Last ..parre" (tell)
Achu:"Nalla mosquito bat vayinkanam" ( tomo we have to buy a mosquito bat)
Me: "Sheri"
Achu:"Amma Girija miss nalla miss annu"(teacher is nice)
Curious Me: "Yendhu monuu"(why)
Achu:" Miss Good boys inna adhikula bad boys inna matharam adhikum"( she hits only the bad boys not the good boys)
Me: "!!!!!!!!!...ok sleep"
Achu :" Amma....nalla morning ayal pal tharanam ok amma?"( when its morn give me milk)
Me: "hmmmm"
Achu :"Itchi-chi Amma podhapu" (want a sheet to cover)
Me puts the sheet over achu
Achu:"Acha yepazhum book um TV thane...yethara late avanu nokku"(Acha is always with books and TV...see how late he is getting)
Me: I don't answer ....jus to see if my silence will aid sleep
Achu:"Amma pohapu vendha amma" ( don't want the sheet )
Me pulls the sheet away...silently
Achu: "Amma innoru pottu venam amma"(want another bindi)...remember the round bindi he was fidgiting with it all through this episode....
Me:" sheri poi edhitho"(ok go and take)...prevention of rise in BP and a few more Itchi-chis is better than curing it they say...and so he had his way....
Achu slides thru the door , gets a little suprised scream from M and rushes back with the second bindi
Achu: "Amma 2 bindis"
a biggg smile I witness thru my eyes which were very much loosing the power to stay open
Me doesn't answer but does offer a slight smile like gesture
Achu is happy with that
The symptoms of M's entry started with little 'bangs' and 'splash' outside...door locking cermony and a visit to the loo
Achu:"Acha varinoo innu thonunnu" (I think acha is coming)
Me has stopped answering completely....
M comes in and sets his phone to charge and grabs his lil sonny ...a few hugs, kisses, questions on not sleeping and boy games follow....
(Reserve their conversation which I evesdropped for another day)
Then Its Acha's turn to get angry and ask achu to sleep and get silent...
Achu:" Amma yenniku podheykanam" ( I want the sheet to cover)
Me Rolls over and puts the sheet on him and gives him a look....
Achu shoots an angelic smile
Me whispers:"Love u achu...sweet dreams"
Achu whispers back:"Love u amma...weet deams"
hugs and kisses follow as usual
After a few turns and giggles it all settles down at 11.45pm......

Wee Willy Winkie  are you extinct or do u have a partner at work or what?????

Duh! We have a Winner ?!

Today Achu came back from school with a Gold Medal.

Me " Wooow what did u win that for ????"
Achu " For sportsday"
Me "!!!!!!!!"


Me "But Achu didn't go to school on sports day. Remember achu you were sick "
Achu "Itchi-chi Amma.....but I won Amma" ( A 70 mm smile that makes me forget where we started....)
Me" Ok great a huggy-buggy moment this is"
((((((achu & amma)))))

I still don't know if Achu won that or his sweet school gave out medals to all the kids in class....must find out at the next PTA meet.

This was his second sports day in life ...while the first at his play school saw achu, all of 2 and something years, stand still and gaze at his mom while the other kids ran towards the finish.