Parody time - with Sid

Looks like Sid is inheriting my penchant for writing poems and parodies. The desirability is, of course, questionable ;-)

Sid usually gets bored on long drives, and one of his pastimes are reciting poems. He first exhausts his entire repertoire of rhymes, and then starts making up poems about whats going in his mind or he is seeing around him at the moment. One one such drive, he came up with following (while licking a lollipop, of course!), entirely on his own:

Five little speckled kids,

Sitting on their speckled seats,
Eating their most delicious lollipops.
Yum! yum! yum!
One jumped into the swimming pool,
When it was nice and cool.
Then four little naughty kids were there ...

[The whole truth is, he started to say "naughty", but then stopped mid-way through the word, since he never is ready to admit that he is naughty :-)]

For reference, the original one that he had learnt last year, goes:

Five little speckled frogs,
Sitting on their speckled logs
Eating their most delicious flies.
Yum! yum! yum!
One jumped into the pool,
When it was nice and cool.
Then four little frogs were there...

The Dreamer

Have you ever held fast
On to a passing moment,
Tried to make it last
Wishing it would never end ...
Even as you know
That its beginning to flow ...

Have you fumbled to capture
An elusive memory once again -
That is but just a blur
Eroded away by time and pain.
Even though it cant revive,
Only if for a moment, wished it alive?

Do you seek the flowers,
Growing in most unlikely places?
A rainbow amidst showers,
And clouds' myriad faces?
In the darkness of the night
Do you look for stars in the sky?
With your eyes, follow the flight
Of a gently flapping butterfly?

You may not be the power
That moves the earth,
But you are the dreamer
Who makes it worth
To move with it, but at your pace,
And make it a more beautiful place.

Sid's Early Years - VI

June 28, 2011 :: 5:15pm
Kids sometimes simply amaze you. On the road today, Sid exclaimed, papa dekho taxi. It was a radio cab, and we thought he identified it by the yellow box on the top, having been in meru cabs in last few days. Then he started pointing out more taxis, all without that box, and of different makes, and correctly differentiated between cars and taxis.


July 15, 2011 :: 10:13pm
Latest in convincing technique:
Sid: Mummy/papa xyz kar do (xyz = anything he wants to do at the moment, eg, listening to a story)
We: [Ignore]
Sid: Please kar do ....
We: [Ignore]
Sid: "Please" bol to raha hoon, ab to kar do!
We: ??!!!


August 30, 2011 :: 7:17pm

Sid has learnt grammer, but the concept of language is still not learnt. So, few months back "baals" and "unglis" made perfect sense to him, and now "dogo.n" and "shoeso.n" are valid words in his vocab. :-)


September 13, 2011 :: 8:50pm
why do kids fall for all the typical item songs? Even if they can't pronounce the lyrics, let alone understand :-) Moving on from 'munni' and 'sheila', his current favorites are 'jalebi bai' and but, of course, 'character dheela hai'!


October 21, 2011 :: 6:36am

One of Sid's recent favorite songs is 'character dheela hai', and he can be seen running around singing the line 'main karoon to da-da-da character dheela hai (since he hasn't yet learnt the actual word here). Yesterday he added another line to it (obviously learnt from a daycare friend): "main karoon to da-da-da pajama geela hai ..." :P

Sid's Early Years - V

December 1, 2010 :: 8:09pm
Sid sees us attending conference calls. So he asks for earphones [without any device ;-)] to be put in his ears, and announces: "Main apni school ki meeting kar raha hoon" :-)


December 4, 2010 :: 9:56am
Move over, ye Asian Games medalists, the future of Indian sports is here! Sid, with a table tennis racket and ball in hand, announces in consecutive sentences: "Main badminton khel raha hoon" and "Maine Bahut jor se six Mara" :-)


January 19, 2011 :: 9:57am
This time, the aftershocks came in the form of endless questions - "ham neeche kyun gaye the", earthquake kyun aaya tha", "zameen kyun hili thi" .....


January 22, 2011 :: 10:00pm
Sid has picked up the grammar, but hasn't yet understood the concept of language. Therefore, 'unglis', 'baals' and 'catiyaa.n' are perfectly valid in his dictionary!!


March 8, 2011 :: 7:17pm
Achievement of the day: figured out how to "configure" and "run" a - Bey-Blade!!


May 2, 2011 :: 9:05pm
Murphy's law of parenthood - the kid will always need to go to the loo when you are having your food!


May 6, 2011 :: 7:40pm
What's it with kids and thermocol?! Sid should just espy a piece lying anywhere, and it will fascinate him more than any toys in the world! And any of his playmates seeing it in his hands, will covet it!!"


May 16, 2011 :: 9:08pm
On this visit to his nana-nani's place Sid saw a desert cooler for the first time, and had lot of fun filling water in it. When N arrived after a couple of days, Sid took him into the room, and said, "papa, dekho - nanu ka 'pani Wala AC'!"


May 18, 2011 :: 5:49pm
This morning I asked Sid, what does he like better - seviya (vermicelli) or macaroni (two typical breakfast items that I prepare). Prompt came the reply - "Maggi!"
Ghar ki murgi daal barabar?

Sid's Early Years - IV

The scariest moment ....

November 19, 2010 :: 7:09pm
My son seems to have an unprecedented sense of adventure - one that's bound to give me a heart attack one of these days. This evening he climbed up the slide, stood up at the top and made a dive !!

*** For some days before this incident, he had been insisting that he was grown up, and so he can slide standing up, like he had seen big kids do, but we had managed to dissuade him from doing so. I still clearly remember this particular day - I was standing at the base of the slide, ready to hold him when he slides down. But, to my horror, he simply jumped down from the top. My heartbeat stopped for some moments, but by God's grace I had just enough wits to stand there and try to catch him. And mercifully, I did manage to catch him, barely a foot above ground, as he was coming down, head-first.

Sid's early years - III

September 15, 2010 :: 12:17pm
For last few days, every morning when we prepare to leave home, Sid says, "Mumma office nahin jana".
I ask him, "phir mumma ka kaam kaun karega?" And he gets convinced.
Yesterday morning, he had a brainstorm, and replied, "GD uncle".
I imagined my manager opening the nightly regressions page and analyzing the results, and had to tell him, "Nahin beta, mumma ka kaam GD uncle ko nahin aata!" ;-)"


October 6, 2010 :: 7:12pm
If we want to avoid reminding Sid of something, we either spell out the word, or converse in english. Yesterday, as I mentioned something in english to N, Sid was quick to notice, and promptly asked me - "mumma, aap papa ko kya kah rahi thi?" (What did you just say to Papa?)


October 9, 2010 :: 9:28pm
Must finally concede that there IS a difference in the way the male and female minds are wired. Sid can identify each of his dozen odd hotwheels cars, as well as many makes of actual cars, but can barely identify basic colors (except red and green of traffic signals). My cousins daughter at around same age, could even recognize 'magenta'!


October 20, 2010 :: 10:34pm
My vocal chords have had more exercise in last two years, than they had in the twenty before that. This particular evening finds me with an over-strained throat after singing (off key, most likely ;-)) "nani teri morni ko" in an infinite loop!

Ma kah ek kahaani

Another beautiful poem we came across in school. A conversation (imagined by the poet, I presume), between Rahul, the son of Gautam Buddha, and his mother.

I find it sweet and poignant - for the innocent insistence of the child who loves to hear stories about the father he has never seen.

माँ कह एक कहानी 

  - मैथिलीशरण गुप्त  

"माँ कह एक कहानी।"
बेटा समझ लिया क्या तूने मुझको अपनी नानी?"
"कहती है मुझसे यह चेटी, तू मेरी नानी की बेटी
कह माँ कह लेटी ही लेटी, राजा था या रानी?
माँ कह एक कहानी।"

"तू है हठी, मानधन मेरे, सुन उपवन में बड़े सवेरे,
तात भ्रमण करते थे तेरे, जहाँ सुरभी मनमानी।"
"जहाँ सुरभी मनमानी! हाँ माँ यही कहानी।"

वर्ण वर्ण के फूल खिले थे, झलमल कर हिमबिंदु झिले थे,
हलके झोंके हिले मिले थे, लहराता था पानी।"
"लहराता था पानी, हाँ हाँ यही कहानी।"

"गाते थे खग कल कल स्वर से, सहसा एक हँस ऊपर से,
गिरा बिद्ध होकर खर शर से, हुई पक्षी की हानी।"
"हुई पक्षी की हानी? करुणा भरी कहानी!"

चौंक उन्होंने उसे उठाया, नया जन्म सा उसने पाया,
इतने में आखेटक आया, लक्ष सिद्धि का मानी।"
"लक्ष सिद्धि का मानी! कोमल कठिन कहानी।"

"माँगा उसने आहत पक्षी, तेरे तात किन्तु थे रक्षी,
तब उसने जो था खगभक्षी, हठ करने की ठानी।"
"हठ करने की ठानी! अब बढ़ चली कहानी।"

हुआ विवाद सदय निर्दय में, उभय आग्रही थे स्वविषय में,
गयी बात तब न्यायालय में, सुनी सब ने जानी।"
"सुनी सब ने जानी! व्यापक हुई कहानी।"

राहुल तू निर्णय कर इसका, न्याय पक्ष लेता है किसका?"
"माँ मेरी क्या बानी? मैं सुन रहा कहानी।
कोई निरपराध को मारे तो क्यों न उसे उबारे?
रक्षक पर भक्षक को वारे, न्याय दया का दानी।"
"न्याय दया का दानी! तूने गुणी कहानी।"

Sid's early years -II

May 22, 2010 :: 5:54pm
I was applying cream on my cracked heels, and Sid was driviing me crazy asking for the cream. After making futile attempts to refuse and distract, I tried to reason with him:
Me: Beta, yeh chot par lagane ki cream hai, dekho mumma ke paanv mein chot lagi hai
Sid (with a sad face and crying voice): Mere paanv mein chot lagi hai
Me: Nahin, aapke paanv mein chot nahin lagi hai
Sid (stamps his foot on floor a few times): Mere paanv mein chot lag gayee!


June 2, 2010 :: 10:40pm
Not yet two, and My son has already learnt to stereotype. And be precise in his statements. He won't let dad touch his bottle(papa se dudhu nahi pina, mumma se pina hai) and won't ask mom for things (main papa saath cycle lene jaoonga, mumma saath nahi jaoonga).
We didn't teach this to him!


June 27, 2010 :: 8:53am
Checking mail/FB on iPod, and Sid is asking me, "mumma aap MERE iPod par kya kar rahi ho?"


September 1, 2010 :: 7:28pm
Where do kids learn all their tricks from?!
Yesterday night - I open the fridge, and Sid spies chocolate. I concede on letting him have one piece. In between each bite, he ensures his chocolate is safe - "mera chocolate kahan hai?" And after finishing the entire piece, he pulls at the door of the fridge and tells me: "Ye accha nahin, doosra wala khana hai!"


September 4, 2010 :: 10:10pm
Me: Beta aap bahut shaitan ho gaye ho!
Sid: Mumma main theek ho jaoonga ...
Me: (suppressing my laughter - oh yeah baby, if naughtiness was an illness that could be cured, parenthood would be cakewalk!): Aap jaise shaitan bacche maar kha kar hi theek hote hain
Sid: Mumma, mujhe maar kar theek kar do.
Me: (Mock slap on Sid's cheek)
Sid: Mumma, main theek ho gaya???


September 9, 2010 :: 7:30pm
Sid asserted his choice in dressing for the first time - "yeh wali (knicker) nahin pahanni. Ismein pocket nahin hai"

EdiJ(uly) - III

The last of the drawings I made in July. In July, the interest of the group members waned, in fact very few people participated in the July challenge. And sadly, the momentum couldn't carry the group into August. So, with the lack of target, and many more other things to do (including quite a bit of travel), I didn't paint much on my own either :-(

 

EDiJ#19: Draw something that has a shell, or draw a sea-shell.
I first painted these three shells, and I think it was quite okay. Then I tried to add an element of "interest" - the blue background, and ended up making it worse than before.

 

EDiJ #19 (2)
Shells were quite interesting to paint, so tried once again, with less emphasis on background ....

 

 
EdiJ #17: Draw a fan.
A bamboo hand-fan .... my mom had one with a similar design, when I was young.

 

EDiJ #20: Draw an umbrella.
Saw a little girl carrying an umbrella, and found it so sweet. Tried to capture the image ...

  

EDiJ #21: Draw a tote bag
Loved this bag I saw in a shop one day. Would have bought it had I been ten years younger ;-)

EdiJ #23: Draw something creepy
A brown widow spider, drawn from an image on the net. Added the web for the effect :-)

 

EdiJ #24: Draw a houseplant

Sid's early years - I

As I mentioned earlier, during my long hiatus from the blogging world, I became more active on Facebook (for the ease of access in those short snatched moments). So, most of the early record I kept on Sid's activities were logged on FB instead. I finally decided to recover (rather a painful process!) whatever I could from FB, and record the history on the blog.

This record is mostly about Sid,  but I cant help recount this one incident with my mom.

December 17, 2009 :: 10:55pm

Role reversal

When I was a kid, my parents used to scold me for staying up late in the night, reading a novel. I used to reply that I'll go to bed as soon as I feel sleepy. Now, I have to keep asking mom to switch off the tv for the night. And I get the same answer :-)

January 13, 2010 :: 10:48pm
Sid graduates to speaking full sentences (even if his pronunciation is far from perfect!) - Papa bundu (balloon) la do ... car neeche gir gayee hai .... 

And also the constant questioning phase - started with "kya" (what). So, for the last three days, we have heard this in infinite loop - "ye kya hai"!!

January 21, 2010 :: 1:52pm

[Shalini] Has had a little too much problem with maids. Becomes evident when Sid picks up the intercom and announces 'aunty nahin aayegi'.

February 19, 2010 :: 12:22pm
Exchange with Sid yesterday morning: 

Sid: Mamma, idhar aao 

Me: Kidhar beta? 

Sid: (Drags me to kitchen) 

Me: Idhar kya karoon? 

Sid: Kaam karo 

Me: Kya kaam karoon? 

Sid: Roti banao Tarth ki (Tarth - thats how he was able to pronounce Siddharth at the time :-))

Me: <Speechless>"

    

May 3, 2010 :: 6:37pm 

N number of times a day, Sid will hug me / fall over me / pat me / slap me and cheerfully announce to the world- "ye meri Mamma hai"

May 17, 2010 :: 12:13pm
Exchange today morning:
N (after bathing and dressing Sid): Aap ready ho gaye. Aapko kisne tayyaar kiya?
Sid: Mumma ne
N (??): Mumma ne kya kiya aapko tayyaar karne mein?

Sid: Pani piya!
Impossible for me to get a more loyal fan :-D"

Akhir Kyun??

Well, the blog has fallen on lean times again, even though little Sid provides me enough ammunition to keep it going :-) So here is another "gem" that will continue to amuse me for a long time to come ...

We want to encourage Sid to think and talk, so we try to answer his innumerable questions quite patiently (at most times :)). But there are times, when our patience does wear off.

One day, after his neighbor/friend went home for the night after playing, Sid was getting all cranky (as any amount of playing is never enough), and we were trying to reason with him. Which sent him into an endless chain of questions ...

...

...

Me: Aise nahin rote. Aap bahut der khel liye. Ab 'A' ko bhi ghar jana tha.
Sid: Kyun?
Me: Kyunki uska dinner time ho gaya.
Sid: Kyun?
Me: Aapne to kha liya, usko bhi to khana hai ...
Sid: Kyun?
Me: Uska dinner time ho gaya. Uske papa wait kar rahe hain.
Sid: Kyun?
Me: Uske papa office se abhi aaye hain.
Sid: Kyun?
Me: Kyunki wok isi time aate hain.
Sid: Kyun?
Me: Unka kaam aise hi karna hota hai.
Sid: Kyun?

By this time I was truly tired of his throwing "kyun"s at anything and everything I said. Time to get stern.
Me: Sid, enough. Ab sone chalo. I dont want to hear any more "kyun".
Sid (in the same monotone, with a total disregard to my strictness): Why???