How does one cope with kids growing up so fast!

Ouch, ouch, ouch! It hurts! It's Anya's first day at school in 4th grade and I'm not happy at all. I'm more sad than excited. She's not supposed to grow up so fast! Sorry, I'm not prepared and and am not able to cope.

I want my baby to be the little girl always, whom I can carry around, dress up, hug anytime, who listens to me and who is happy spending all her time with me. We spend our time doing fun projects together, dressing up, singing and dancing, taking pictures and playing.

Seriously, how does one cope with kids growing up so fast? At this pace, she'll be in middle school after this year and the next! That's just outrageous.

I've told her that I want her to go to 3rd grade tomorrow. Or better still, 2nd grade. I can't let this happen. Just can't!

We were looking at her 3rd year pictures. Looking at her baby pictures always brings a smile to my face and a spark in my eyes. But it all ends in tears for that time will never come back.

The passage of time is so relentless. Punishing. Hurtful.

Time,
The greatest robber if there was one
Stole my childhood
Threw me in mid-life
And now is stealing my kid's years away!

The baby that she was
Crawling one day,
Walking the next
Sucking on her thumb
Pulling at my clothes
Wanting to go to the play area

Started school one day,
Mind you, just for fun
And now she's a fourth grader?
Are you kidding me?
She's not supposed to grow up so fast
Let her be!
Leave her alone!

Let her enjoy,
The wonders of blowing bubbles
And the joy of being chased
The rush of wind in her hair
When the swing touches the sky.

Let her laughter be
Carefree, unburdened
Let her observations be
Raw, candid and full of wonder

For once,
Time,
Be the good guy
Give us more each year,
More moments
To live, cherish and enjoy
More moments
To just be in each other's company
To hug, laugh and cry

Better still,
Just take a break
A long vacation,
do you mind?
We'll let you know
Once we're done

Please, just this once.
Pretty please?

How my 7 year old walks the trails and enjoys hiking

On the last day of our Utah trip, we were pleasantly impressed with our walking stats - more so, with our daughter's walking stats. We had done at least one easy or moderate trail in each of the National Parks. Here is a summary of the miles we walked:

• Days: 8
• Steps walked: 90,455
• Distance walked : approx. 40 miles or 64 kilometers
• Average distance per day : approx. 5 miles or 8 kilometers

How did we manage to walk all these trails with her? We know that she is a good hiker because she has done a few moderate trails before this. The Narrows at Zion (her favorite by far), Bright Angel Trail at Grand Canyon, The Loop at Muir Woods, El Capitan trail at Yosemite, Clingman's Dome trail in The Great Smoky Mountains, Mystic Falls Trail and a lot of others in Yellowstone. It helps that she loves the outdoor, so getting started is never an issue. Finishing might be. To be honest, finishing is an issue even with us adults at times, especially on day 3 or 4 of a trip!

When I reflected on how we managed to walk all this distance with her, I realized a few things. I am noting them down for future reference and for all hikers who would like to plan a trip with kids. If you ask me, visiting a NP and not hiking is like visiting Italy and not eating a pizza or visiting Paris and not going to the Eiffel Tower. You're missing the very essence of the place. I personally don't mark a National Park as 'seen' until I've done at least one hike there.

In walking the trails with her (and in almost all other walks of life), I consciously try to use the path of 'Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed'. This path was propagated by a great Indian economist named Chanakya, who lived a long time ago. The path, which is used to cajole a person to act in a certain way, can broadly be understood as:

• Saam - Explaining or reasoning
• Daam - Dangling a carrot, promising a reward
• Dand - Threatening with a consequence, mostly unpleasant
• Bhed - Creating a difference or conflict

Whatever we did, falls in one or the other category, but to be honest, mostly in the daam category! The timing of tricks is also important. They should be wisely employed at the beginning, middle or the end of a trail, as the situation demands:

1. Involve her in choosing a trail

Trails in National Parks are categorized as easy, moderate or difficult. We would discuss and choose a trail based on interest, level, distance and landscape. A pit-stop at visitor centre would help us with the final decision. As Anya loves climbing rocks, she would be very happy if she could find a trail with rock climbing possibilities.

2. Let her lead the way 

Kids love to take charge. It makes them feel important. Anya loves to pick up a map and a stick and be the leader. In one of her trails, she took on the role of a teacher, who was out on a field trip with her two students. The trail (at least one way) became quite a breeze. We had a fun time, with one student acting naughty and the other, her pet.

3. Play a 'sighters - keepers' game 

In this game, whoever sights an attraction first, is allowed to own it. For example, a lovely hued rock became hers, a pine tree became mine or a hare became hers. The excitement of finding something novel and stamping as her own, kept her excited and occupied. At the end of the trail, we would compare our haul and talk about our riches. (This also works during long drives.)

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4. Let her play

Kids need time. It doesn't matter to them that we have come all the way to see a park and would like cover some sights. Choosing a stick, playing with dirt, climbing a tree or rock holds more fascination for them. When we'd walked some distance, we would let her indulge in things that would please her. She had also devised a way in which she picked up a fistful of dirt and kept marking the trail. This kept her busy for a while.

5. Let her be the photographer

The enthusiasm of taking pictures with my DSLR, kept her going at times. It was a double blessing for me, as it not only got her moving but also got me clicked! The shots that she captured came out quite well at times. It's interesting to see what kids see worth capturing. In our last trip, we had given her a cellphone to capture pictures. But that had become too distracting and so we did not carry it this time around.

6. Junior Ranger book and badge 

The temptation to finish tasks in a junior ranger book motivated her to find plants, birds, insects or animals. She loved her junior ranger books and was immersed in them. In case she got indifferent about finishing pages, I would offer to do them instead and keep the junior ranger badge for myself. That would kindle the competitive spirit in her and bring her right on track.

Joining a ranger led hike is another fabulous way to go about a hike. It not only helps one learn more about the landscape, it also gives an opportunity to share the company of other kids.

7. Let her carry a toy 

Having a companion for a trail multiplies the fun. As she shared her experiences with her baby doll, the trail became a much more enriching experience. It also brought out the responsible adult in her. We were amused to hear her give similar instructions to her doll as we gave to her.

8. Treats

I'm a stickler for healthy food but make a few concessions for long trails. I pack food as a fisherman would pack his bait :) Something to lure her and make her bite the trail. These temptations aren't displayed early on and are used very wisely when the going gets tough. They are either used to celebrate a milestone or dangled towards the end of a trail when enthusiasm and stamina have started to flag. Even then, treats are given after she has eaten a fruit. I'm a sly Shylock and use a pound of (fruit) flesh to my advantage!

Another treat that works is a promise of TV time back at the hotel. Half an hour of cartoon watching is temptation enough for her.

9. Motivation from other kids 

She could be cajoled to keep walking if she saw someone of her age or younger doing it. If other kids weren't around, me or my husband would challenge her to win a race. Not that she didn't see through our ruse. "I know you're just trying to make me walk more!" she would retort at times.

10. Piggybacking!

When everything else failed, me and my husband would carry her from each side and swing her. She loved it! My husband would even offer to carry her for a while. The gleeful smile and sparkle in her eyes would be priceless!

Not all tricks need be employed in each trail. She had so much fun in the Narrows, Zion, that she wasn't ready to turn back. In fact, we had to cajole her to turn back :) So it's always a mix and match and you've to constantly improvise.

So, step by step, we covered 90,000 odd steps. An interesting observation was that her footsteps are much smaller than ours. If we, as adults, walked 90,000 steps, wonder how many did she walk! Next time, we will make her wear one such calculator - just to see the difference :)

Every kid is different and has his or her own interests. But generally speaking, kids love the outdoors. If you have any observations about hiking with kids, please share.

Here's to many more happy miles and memories!

Birthday Goodies for School

Anya's birthdays leave me jittery. They are exciting, fun but oh-so-demanding.

To celebrate her big day at school, I wanted to give a little remember-me-by to her classmates. Now, this something had to pass a few tests. It had to be:

• Useful
• Eco-friendly
• Fun
• Artsy and craftsy

Whenever I'm seeking such ideas, I always check with Sarika, my dear friend who is a goddess of birthday-celebrations. Her daughter's birthday parties are the most fun I've ever attended. Her goody bags are the holy grail of birthday favors and I tremble with excitement while opening them. I'm more excited than kids and have requested her to keep a bag for me even if I'm seven seas or many moons away.

I, errrr...emmm, Anya, had received a homemade bookmark from her a couple of years back. I totally fell in love with it and had wanted to try it out myself someday. 

This birthday, we did it!!! (A loud, proud pat on the back!)

I bought these craft sticks from Dollar Store. Since colored sticks were out of stock, I bought poster colors too. Rest of the stuff was found at home. 

I halved the sticks.

We painted them.

Then did the hair with wool, bows or whatever spare thread we could find. 

Googly eyes are an option for eyes but as they are plastic, I didn't use them. I wanted the bookmarks to be eco-friendly. 

We drew eyes and lips with sharp pointed marker pens. Used the same to write names.

You can write a message or names of recipients. 

25 bookmarks took 4 hours of work!! It seems a lot but I did that  over 3 days - while taking calls and chatting. 

At times, Anya helped me so it was like an art and craft lesson together. It was fun to match bookmarks to classmates. I got to know a bit more about her classmates. 

I loved her excitement and pride when she distributed these amongst her classmates. One friend said "Oh, I wanted a bookmark. Otherwise I was using a torn page as one."

All in all, it was time and effort well spent. Already scouting ideas for her next birthday :)

First Day at School : Our Photoshoot Tradition

As the first day of school dawns, I find myself a tad emotional. I sense the passage of time with a twinge of sadness and plethora of clichés. Oh it was only yesterday when we were researching schools, then enrolling her in a nearby montessori. How time flies! How she has grown! How we have grown.....sigh.

This year, Anya started first grade. I did a photoshoot for her at a herb garden outside our apartment. She wasn't the most cooperative kid around but a promise of TV time elicited required poses for a few precious minutes. 

I would like to maintain this tradition of first and last day of school photoshoots till she graduates from college.

The photoshoot set me thinking about her first year at school. We had celebrated it with a 'Vidyabhyas' at Bua's home and later, a 'School beginning party' at our place.

Do you have any interesting traditions around first day of school? Do share.

The power of stars and smileys

Since the time Anya has started school, I have discovered the power of stars and smileys. One day when I went to pick her up, she was bursting with excitement. "Look, Mamma! Teacher Aunty gave me a star. She thrust her fist triumphantly at me to admire, where her teacher had drawn a smiley with a marker. She was evidently proud of it. I hugged her and joined in her exultation.

Now she gets smileys and stars for her classwork and homework. She has started to understand that if Ma'am underlines something, then it's not good and her chances of getting a smiley are bleak. Whenever she does her work at home, she gives herself a smiley as a mark of self-approval.

In the US at Costco, the receipt checker draws a smiley on the receipt. It is such a simple gesture, but one that thrills her no end each time! 

She looks forward to it. If the person takes extra effort to draw her sketch with wavy hair or make her hold a balloon, she is on cloud nine!

It warms my heart to see how a simple gesture lights up a kid's world! Maybe that's the reason people smile at babies and kids. They really take it to heart and respond with the sweetest genuineness!

Be a Big Green Warrior, My Little One!

Dearest Anya,

Every parent wants his/ her kid to imbibe all possible good qualities and repel bad ones. I am no different. While this is humanly not possible, we can definitely strive to maximise the goodness. If there is one thing I would like to inculcate in you, it would be love and respect for nature. Be it majestic mountains or deep oceans, dense forests or sparse deserts, a mighty tree or a puny blade of grass, there's nothing more beautiful in the whole wide world than nature. If you love nature, you will never be lonely and if you choose to be alone, you won't get a better companion!

My dearest, I have been very fortunate to grow up in lap of nature. Aravalis were my backyard. Wilderness, fields and canals were my playground. I have spent innumerable evenings strolling amidst these wonders. The silhouette of a tree, the sharpness of a rock, the smell of a crushed leaf, the rustle of grass, all of them left a lasting impression on me.  A mango tree would lend its sturdy branch for hosting a swing, canals would  give me a quick dip and merrily transport my paper boats, jhadberis would share their sweet and tart berries if I braved their thorns and hills would provide fantastic views if I made an effort to climb them. They all became my dear friends. 

Now, I live in a metro and don't often get to meet these friends but their love has left a deep imprint in my heart. Wordsworth expressed my very own feelings when he said in his famous poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud":

     "I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

     what wealth the show to me had brought

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;"

I want you to get high and rich on such wealth. When I take you for those walks to a nearby lake, it's for you to make such friends. I want you to love nature because one strives to protect what one loves. Our planet gives us everything. From the air we breathe, to the water we drink, to the food we eat, we are totally dependent on our planet. And yet, it pains me to see that, we destroy what sustains us. We have littered the whole earth for our convenience. We have cut forests and mined resources to fulfil our whims. We have pumped toxins in our water, filled air with pollution laced our food with undesirable chemicals. We are basically sawing away the very branch we sit upon. I want you to pause and think. "Do I really need another doll? Do I want one more pencil box?" It might sound ridiculous right now but I hope these questions would graduate to "Do I need another pair of shoes? Do I need another gadget? Do I need more, more and more of everything?" Be sensitive. Be protective. Wherever you are, whatever you do, do it in a way which is least harmful to the planet. 

You definitely have learnt a few things and it makes me so happy and proud when you act as my monitor. 

"Mamma don't waste water" this, if I keep a tap open for a second longer. 

"Mamma, why did you leave the light on?" this, if I walk out of a room without switching off light. 

"Mamma, have you taken a bag?" this, when we go shopping.

Keep it up, sweetie pie, because the world needs more such green warriors to make it a better place. 

Love,

Mom

This post is being written for #MomsforaBetterWorld Project

Three little trekkers on Nandi Hills

Anya has got two gorgeous little sisters as friends - Preksha and Sharanya. Their parents, Nidhi & Varun, have become good friends of ours too. It so happened that I mentioned my love for outdoors and trekking to Nidhi. Varun being  a nature  enthusiast, planned a trip to Nandi Hills the very next week. I lauded them for their courage. It's not often that I meet such enthusiastic and well-synced couple who both share this interest. Often, the lady or the kids aren't enthusiastic enough. With two kids, most people would say that they have put such activities on hold till the kids grew up. So I was mightily surprised to see them not only plan but also execute a trip within a week of our conversation. I am always on a lookout for such opportunities. So I ditched my weekend plan to take Anya to a carnival and decided to go along on the trek.

It was decided to start at 6:45 am from our place. Another couple (Vidya, Rahul) was to join us. I was in for further surprise when they all were ready at sharp 6:45. By ready, I mean seated-in-the-car ready. I was still wrapping stuff at home when Nidhi called. I sheepishly told her that we would take another 10 minutes. When we went down, the kids just went wild with joy and hugged each other. All 3 kids wanted to be together and came in our car.

Nandi Hills is a hill on the outskirts of Bangalore. For Bangaloreans, it's a popular day outing spot.
After a stop for breakfast, we reached the foothills around 9 am. The weather was pleasant and the morning chill had almost disappeared. We parked our cars, took our backpacks and our spirited group of 6 adults and 3 kids started the climb.

Now, it is not a natural trek. There might be one, but it was not for us. There is a pathway with stairs, which we had to take. The kids ran ahead in enthusiasm, we all chatted and laughed. The challenge was to keep the kids going. We took breaks every few steps and kept them occupied with snacks of biscuits, nutrition bars, chips, juice etc. We pointed out interesting plants and insects to them. On one of the steps we saw a big, fat scorpion. It was a scary but a truly amazing sight. I don't think I had ever seen such a magnificent scorpion before.

After climbing one fourth of the way, while we were taking a short break, Varun went to a side path and found a nice, rocky stretch with lovely views of a valley. We decided to stop there for a while and enjoy the beauty. We also used this time to fuel ourselves up with homemade sandwiches. We all had a great time at this place and wanted to stay there longer but we had a climb ahead, so we gathered our gear and marched on. After another climb of 10-15 minutes, we reached an old fort wall and climbed it up. Little S had gotten hurt and I was quite impressed to see Nidhi take out a very well stocked first aid box. Kudos to their planning and organisation. Anya had scratched herself with a branch and she also wanted a piece of action (read bandaid). Nidhi took care of their bruises and onwards we marched.

On way, we saw a big group of NCC cadets. Some of them were carrying garbage bags and picking up wrappers, bottles and cans littered around. What a heart-warming sight it was! We still have hope!
We reached Tipu Sultan's fort and took some time to listen to the NCC group leader who was explaining historical facts to the group.We were about to reach the top when finally stairs gave way to a hiking trail. We enjoyed this break from stairs and reached the top. The kids had done it!! Apart from occasional protests and asking to be carried at times, the kids had climbed all the way up. There must have been 700 plus steps. We were so proud of them!

Once on top, we saw a huge play area and kids could have spent a lot of time there but we were eager to see what else was on offer. We went to a temple and enjoyed views from various view points. There is a restaurant on top but we didn't find it very appealing and decided to drink tea from a kiosk instead. It was starting to get a little cloudy and chilly. Soon we decided to descend.

Going down was more challenging because kids were already tired. After walking for a little while, Sharanya wanted to be carried. She soon slept off in her father's lap. Seeing her, the other two girls wanted to follow suit. But we told them stories, kept them occupied and they plodded on. It had become a little chilly. In the morning, looking at the warm and sunny day,  guys had left their jackets in the car. Now, they were regretting their decision! On popular demand, we stopped again at our favorite spot. We sang songs and chatted. Promising to revisit, we said goodbye to this place and started our final lap. We reached down soon and this last stretch, Anya did in her Papa's lap.

We were quite happy with the way the day had panned out. Three cheers to the planners and stars of the trek - kids! Looking forward to the next trek soon.

How to raise a nature loving kid?

In the last post, I mentioned why I find it important to instil a love for nature in my daughter. Here are little ways in which I do it.

• Nature walk: I prefer taking Anya to a nature trail anyday than to a mall. Fortunately for us, a couple of lakes are close by. At times, we go for a walk around the lake.We collect leaves and pods. Once home, we put them in a jar. Anya pries them open, looks at seeds and paints them. I like to see her playing with natural stuff. The touch and feel of different textures, observing shapes and colors must be leaving an impression on her.We also walk around in our apartment complex and I tell her names of different trees and bushes. She doesn't remember them all, but at least it's a start. She collects fallen flowers and leaves and never returns home without a little collectible these days.

• Bird and animal watching: Kaikondrahalli lake is a lovely place for bird watching. Many activities are also organised there. A few months back, we went for an animal and reptile census and saw a mongoose, eight toads and two newly hatched water snakes! She remembers these things vividly and narrates them later on. It's always better to learn about birds and animals in this manner than just from books. A visit to a zoo, aquarium, farm is also a perfect choice for kids.

• Climbing trees: There aren't many opportunities for tree climbing in an urban setting. The lake comes to our rescue here as well. Kids are natural at climbing. What better way to interact with nature than to perch atop a branch and feel like the queen of the world! Anya remembers this walk and gets excited when she is about to reach her throne.

• Weather game: I am planning to talk about weather to her everyday. Whether it's sunny, windy, rainy.... basically any excuse to discuss natural phenomena like where do clouds come from, where does the rain go? My brother lives in the US and we have told her that in evenings, we send the sun to him and he sends the moon to us! So she knows about time difference. 

• Watching sunrise and sunset: I feel that sunrise and sunset are biggest natural shows on earth, screened once a day, free of cost! Just imagine, if they were not free events, how much would we have been ready to shell out to watch them.We take them for granted just because they occur everyday. My apartment has two balconies and one balcony is witness to a lovely sunrise and the other to a gorgeous sunset. I admit, we hardly watch sunrise, but sunsets are enjoyed more frequently.

Sunrise balcony- getting ready for the show, behind the coconut trees

Sunset balcony- a color splashed goodbye to a sunny day

•  A vacation close to nature: At least once a year, I like to set off for a holiday close to nature - be it beaches, mountains or nature reserves. I haven't found any camping option with kids in India otherwise that's one of the best ways to bond with nature. 

• Watching Discovery, Animal Planet and NatGeo: I am quite conservative when it comes to screen time. I would like to keep A away from iPad, TV and phone as much as possible. She does demand to watch a 'baby channel' everyday. Sometimes, I try to play Discovery, Animal Planet or National Geographic. She is very fascinated with animals and birds and even asks me not to switch channels when she is watching them. Hope this continues. 

• Grow a little Gardener: I have a few pots in my Sunrise balcony. I let Anya dabble into gardening with me at times. When it is time to sow seeds, I involve her. Sometimes, she waters plants.  It does get messy and I don't do it very regularly, but she has a concept and knows a few plants and their uses. For e.g. if she has a little scrape, she comes asking to apply aloe vera from the garden:)

These days, whenever Anya comes back from outdoors, she invariably carries a pod, pebble or leaf for me. It warms my heart no end. She seems to be on the right track and hopefully a nature lover is being nurtured in my home :)

Growing-up-too-fast pangs!

As a parent, there are innumerable moments when you utter 'Oh no, my little one is growing up too fast!'

One such moment was yesterday when Anya came from school and announced solemnly ' I have got homework to do!'. Now she got homework in her Montessori too but it was more like cutting and pasting pictures, coloring and tracing alphabets et al.This time, she had to write numbers 1 and 2 in a proper square shaped blocks which somehow looked more homework-ey and I had that unmistakable feeling that my little girl was growing up fast!

The first time I felt this pang was when at 5 months, she outgrew her 0-3 months clothes. "It was just yesterday that she had arrived in this world and now she is already too old for 0-3 months clothes?" gaped I incredulously and with a stab of sadness. Another instance was when she started walking. I was ecstatic but then the crawling diminished and one fine day it dawned on me that my little baby only walked and did not crawl any more. She had metamorphosed into a toddler :(

Now when I think about those moments, they come marching...

• That moment when she started cooing at other babies rather than other people cooing at her. 
• That moment when she told me that she would go to the play area with her friends and big people were not allowed. She actually started crying when I insisted on following her.
• The first time I caught her under a blanket with the iPad.

It's only the parents who get these pangs because the little ones are extremely happy basking in the glory of growing up. 'I am bigger than you!' is her constant reminder to us these days. A little message to her:

"Grow up into a lovely lady

Just don't grow up too fast

For I want to enjoy these moments

And make them longer last!"

What have been your 'growing-up-too-fast' moments, dear reader? Do share. 

The School Opens

Can you guess the day on which Anya's school started? It was 5th June- World Environment Day. I was so delighted. Green beginnings?

There was a lot of excitement on first day of school as little ones turned up in their new uniforms and gear. The school was only for an hour for the first couple of days. After leaving the little ones with teachers, we parents waited outside and befriended each other. Anya's friend had accompanied her so she happily went inside. When they came out after an hour, they were quite excited to have received a toffee and a sticker.

For a week after that, the school functioned for only a couple of hours. We used to take the school bus in mornings and come back by auto. After dropping the kids, a bunch of Moms used to hang out in a closeby garden and it had become a nice two hour interaction session. Though mornings were a madness, I used to look forward to these two hours of socialisation.  Then came the book collection day. We all got busy in covering and labelling the books, drawing lines and margins in copies. The almanac was filled and handed over, bus routes finalised, phone numbers exchanged. It was a busy week.

Now, regular school hours are in place and Anya has started commuting both ways by bus. She has been going happily till now. Every day, she comes back and regales us with her new learnings and experiences. Her observations invariably start with 'B(P)ata hai....' '(Do you know?)'. Recital of a rhyme, chanting of a mantra, sharing of an anecdote - all this delights me and my husband no end. To add to her charming ways, she now has a new thread of questions for us. She asks "Jab aap chhote the to aap kaunse color ka bag le jaate the?" "(When you were little, what was the color of your bag?" The same is repeated for snack box, water bottle, mode of transportation, contents of snack box....This series is asked once to Mamma and then to Papa. It does transport us back to our own school days.

My darling daughter, as you embark on this journey of fun and learning, I wish you a very happy, fun-filled and stress-free schooling. May the process of learning always be enjoyable.

Back-to-school supplies

After an enjoyable summer break, it's already time for schools to reopen. When the summer vacations started, I was a little apprehensive of keeping Anya engaged. But it turned out to be ok. I didn't enrol her in any summer camp, yet she managed to stay entertained by visiting friends' places and inviting them over, by going to a beach vacation, by playing Mom to her dolls (and even me) and taking them for a vacation, painting and coloring and listening to lots and lots of stories.

Now that it's time to go back to school, we have to start collecting supplies. Anya would be joining NPS-K and we are very excited about her new school. We have already bought her uniform and shoes. Now it's time to take stock of other necessities.

1.Steel snack box- Though she already has a couple of lunch boxes, I am looking for a steel one. I am concerned about packing hot snacks in plastic boxes. So while it's ok to pack a cold sandwich, fruits, nuts or biscuits in a plastic one, I need a steel one for dosa, poha or paratha. I think I will go for a Milton SS casserole style box I saw at a friend's place.

2. Steel water bottle - Last year, I used to give a BPA-free Nalgene or Thermos bottle to her but sometimes she couldn't put on the cap properly. This would leave spillage in her bag. To avoid this, plus to make a switch from plastic to steel, I would like to buy a new steel bottle. I searched a few shops here but either the bottle was too big or the brand unknown. Then I spotted this Thermos Funtainer with her fellow bus mates. It is the perfect size and doesn't leak. Those kids have been using it for an year now. I have to wait till someone gets it from the US because it is very expensive in India.

3.School bag- Planning to reuse the ones from last year till I gauge the full requirement. 

PS: We got a very good deal at 70% discount sale at Mom & Me. maybe, buying after the rush was over, helped us get a good deal.

Indian Birthday Parties and IST

If you have been to an Indian birthday party and if you've been punctual, congratulations and sorry. Congratulations, because you've just entered the Limca book of records and sorry because you've nothing much to do other than to twiddling your thumbs or yup, gazing into your mobile screen.

We have a system in which punctuality is punished and unpunctuality, rewarded. Those who are on time have to wait for the unpunctual ones as games or performances can't start till the host has a full house.

People who are unpunctual get the best of both worlds as they don't miss a thing plus they get more time to get dressed or finish a few chores. Plus they look fresher while you've wilted like an unwatered flower during that wait time. In fact, if you are the last one, you have to wait the least! No doubt after a while, even punctual people switch categories.

The interesting part is that every mom struggles with the same issue when she is hosting a party. But all is forgotten when she is the guest. 

How to put an end to this menace? It's very deep rooted and quite difficult to end but we have to start somewhere. My suggestions:

1. Keep the time realistic. Speak to friends to know when they can actually make it.

2. When giving an invite, mention the start as well as the end time. 

3. Have some activities or games planned for punctual guests. Hand out prizes after late comers have arrived so that they know what they missed ;)

4. Declare a very appealing early bird prize. I always keep a prize for the one who arrived first. This creates quite a flutter and even the laggards are seen competing!

 

5. Don't forget to thank the punctual ones for their punctuality in thank you notes. This will encourage them to be punctual at your next party too.

The culture of unpunctuality is steeped so deep that even hosts don't take themselves seriously. A friend told me about a party where the hosts invited their guests at 6 pm. She reached on time only to find that even the hosts hadn't arrived. When they arrived after a while, my friend helped them set up and get ready! I wouldn't blame that friend to go late to parties after that! 

Pull up your socks and banners, people! Unpunctuality is uncool. 

Happening Bangalore

One of the things that I enjoyed abroad but missed in Bangalore were fun events which were free. You just had to walk to the town centre and there would be music, theatre or dance being performed, a juggler displaying his talent, a man on stilts....you get the picture. Significant days would be celebrated by activities and treats for both kids and adults.

Now in Bangalore, I find myself ferrying Anya around from one such event to another. Sample this. In the last three months, we have been to:

• A magic show and a pet interaction session sponsored by an upcoming school. Anya also got to dance with her favorite cartoon characters, play games and paint to her heart's content. 

• A story telling and puppet session at Kaikondrahalli lake.

• A brilliant play on Tenalirama by Bangalore Little Theatre on World Theatre Day.

• A bird and reptile census at Kaikondrahalli lake. (We spotted a mongoose, 8 toads and 2 newly hatched water snakes.)

• Cycle Day: I just visited this event with a friend. I didn't take Anya along this time but next time, she is surely going with me. It's an event organised on last Sunday of every month wherein cycles are rented for free. A stretch of road is cordoned off from traffic and made free for various activities. You can cycle a pre-planned stretch of a few kilometres and afterwards participate in traditional street games like pallankuzhi, hopscotch, skipping rope etc and various other activities. I was thrilled to bits to see games like ashta-changa and chippas drawn on the road. Some people were busy making a rangoli, others were drawing graffiti with chalk. There was a workshop on quilling, a slow cycling competition, endurance games, skateboarding.....you could try your hand at many things and there were volunteers to help you around. It was a morning very well spent and I missed Anya umpteen number of times. She would have loved cycling or making graffiti with chalk. Though there wasn't enough time to indulge in all activities, we managed to cycle, learn a little quilling, compete for slow cycling and try our hands( rather feet) at skateboarding. 

 Bangalore is happening and we are loving every bit of it!!

March, evenetful March

As March marches towards its conclusion, I have to admit, it has been a happy-happy month!
In the first week of March, we heard the unexpected news. Anya got admission into NPS-K.

Now all parents who have gone through finding the right school for their kids, would know the importance of getting admission into a school of their choice. If you are in Bangalore, getting into NPS is considered a big deal. There are parents who want nothing but NPS for their kids and try several tactics to get into one. Then there are others who don't bother about NPS as it is said to be highly academically oriented. We had taken the middle path. We just filled the admission form but took no pains to find out how we could get her admitted or try visiting the authorities. There are discussion boards dedicated to decrypting selection criteria of NPS. Nobody knows their criteria for sure but there are many guesses. I had heard that professionally qualified but SAHM is a positive. A financially well paying job for Dad also works in one's favour.

I can't comment on the selection criteria but here is what we are:
1. Me and my husband are both MBAs.
2. We are a single income family. My husband works in IT for an MNC.
3. I used to work earlier, but gave up my job after Anya.
4. We live 11 kms away from the school
5. Anya will be 3.9 years old when she joins LKG in June.
6. She went to a Montessori in neighbourhood and has finished her Mont 1- just today!

When I got the news, I just couldn't believe it! I was so happy. In fact, it felt like a huge achievement- as huge as when Dinesh got into IIM-A.

The weekend after this news, Anya performed in her first ever annual function. Now that deserves another blog post altogether. 

Bath time fun

Anya has always enjoyed playing with water and being in a bath. Though we don't have a fixed bathtub, she has a small plastic tub of her own. I make her tub ready with warm water, give her toys, empty bottles or natural material like leaves, pods etc. to play with and she can easily spend an hour splashing in water or filling bottles. But as she is growing up, things need to be jazzed up a little bit.  Here are a few ideas that I have tried: 

• Water polo: I made her sit in her bathtub, filled another small tub with water and kept it at a distance. Then I gave her a big rubber ball which had to be thrown into the smaller tub. She had fun aiming the ball. Sometimes she made it, sometimes she didn't but at all times, she had fun.This activity would be more fun with a sibling around as they could take turns to aim and field. With Anya being alone, I had to be around all the time to hand over the ball back to her. I like activities where she is self-dependent and I am free to do my stuff but anyway, it was good for a change.

• Sink or float: I gave Anya a few things like pebbles, leaves, twigs, ball, blocks etc. Then I showed her the concept of float or sink. She wasn't much impressed. I repeated the activity after a few days and she wasn't interested still but I am not giving up. After a couple of years of parenthood, you learn that nothing goes waste. It might seem that things are going unregistered but they always register. If you are consistent, kids surprise you one fine day by just uttering that word or demonstrating that concept.

• Water gun: Which kid doesn't like spraying water! Hand over a sprayer or a water gun and ensure endless hours of fun.With Holi just gone, water gun is already in bathroom. I will leave it around for some more time.

• Empty bottles: Give empty bottles of different shapes and sizes. It's better if they are transparent. Anya simply enjoys pouring water from one to another.

• Paper boats: I had forgotten how to make a paper boat. I learnt it from a friend and made one for Anya to float in her tub. Alas, the boat didn't last long! Anya sank it and the next I saw, she had turned it  into a soggy ball. At another time, I gave her a boat shaped pod and she had a lot of fun floating it around. She even put a few passengers in it and watched it float, balance, topple!

While searching for more fun activities, I found these:

• Coloured ice: This activity is great for teaching colors. Anya knows her colors now, but she loves to play with ice cubes. So I am going to try this activity in summers. Planning to freeze ice using natural colors - beet root for red and mint leaves for green. You can use food colours too. Can't wait to see how she reacts to this special treat!

• Making rain: Give a strainer to kids. When they dip it in water and lift it up, there will be some rain....for dolls!

• Painting: What better place to create a mess than a bathroom where you can wash your kid plus the walls immediately afterwards. Give some colors for finger painting, stick a few sheets on bathroom walls and let them have fun. 

I will keep on a lookout for more ideas and keep adding here. Have a fun-filled summer!

Fun way to learn - Vegetable Sorting

Kids just need attention and interaction. With a little imagination, any activity can be turned into play. Here is something I would like to share that worked so wonderfully one evening.

After shopping for vegetables and fruits, I requested Anya to help me put them away in fridge. She totally took charge of the chore and asked for bags for storing. She wanted an audience and I was more than willing to put up my feet. She patiently sorted brinjals, potatoes, shallots, carrots, coccinea, capsicum, cheeku, pomegranates and bottlegourd and placed them in bags or baskets. With this exercise, she not only revised her veggies and fruits but could also touch and feel them. She commented on the size of potatoes and shallots, observed if they were clean or dirty and felt if they were light or heavy. To sneak in some more learning, I asked her to count carrots. She counted them as she put them in a bag. After she had sorted and bagged everything, with a little help from me, she put them away in fridge. All the while she was doing this task, her only request to both me and my husband was to come and watch her. We all need attention and appreciation!

As a reward, she was given a carrot to eat which she relished. I was on cloud nine! She not only finished my chore, she also ate a carrot without any coaxing. This set me thinking, that apart from learning names of vegetables and fruits, this simple chore could be used to build many other concepts:

• Colors and shapes - Ask kids to separate everything on the basis of color.
• Ascending and descending order - Kids can be asked to arrange carrots according to their length.
• Comparisons - Ask them to select three potatoes and tell which is big, bigger and biggest. Let them lift a coccinea, a tomato and a bottlegourd. Ask about heavy, heavier and heaviest. 
• Basic arithmetic- Counting, more and less, addition, subtraction etc. can be practiced as appropriate for age. 
• Guessing- This can be played in multiple ways. Depending on your kid's age, you can blindfold her and let her feel the vegetable. If she is able to guess, give a high five. If she isn't able to guess, give hints. (Anya calls a hint as a 'reason'. When she is stuck at answering, she cutely says 'Papa, give me a reason') For e.g. for a tomato you can say, it's round or oblong, it's red when ripe, it is juicy, it is sour, you love it, it has many seeds.....
• Stories - I recently read a story called 'The Stone Soup'. This story can be perfectly enacted using all varieties of vegetables. Click here to read the story. Arm your little one with a pan and you all can take turns to be villagers contributing vegetables!
• Role Play - Ask your kid to be a green grocer and you can be a customer. Go shop for 5 tomatoes, 7 onions and so on. For little older kids, you can include prices too. 
• Painting - If you are game for some mess, you can indulge in veggie painting. Ladyfingers are my favorite stencil and beetroot water, my favorite color. You can try painting with capsicum, cauliflower, beans, mushrooms, corn, peppers.....

The bottomline is, the kid should be having fun. Let her lead and just play along. If you find an opportunity, introduce any of the above concepts. Books and charts are fine but this is a more interesting way to learn about vegetables and fruits.

Do you also have fun with veggies and fruits? It would be lovely to hear more ideas. 

Anya's Animal Themed Birthday Party - Return Gifts

That eternal question.....to give or not to give return gifts? If yes, what to gift?

I battled the first question and reached the conclusion that till the time I don't say 'No' to accepting gifts, I can't say 'No' to return gifts either. So the only question was what to give. I had decided last year that gifts had to be meaningful and environment friendly. Since this was a jungle-animal theme, a plant would have fitted the bill perfectly. But it was red flagged by hubby and my sis-in-law. They felt that such young kids wouldn't be thrilled with a plant. So I went ahead with my next idea: books on animal themes.

As for return gift bags, I couldn't find any paper bags which were economical. Last year, hubby dear had done an excellent job of making paper bags. I wanted him to put to use his knowledge again. He tried his best to wriggle out but as the D-day neared, he resigned to his fate and armed with a pile of newspapers, gluestick and a pair of scissors, he made these 18 return gift bags. Attaboy!

Then he took animal face print-outs which Anya helped him color.

There was no need to put handles as the bags didn't need to hold anything heavy.                            

Anya's Animal Themed Birthday Party - Food & Fun

To make the menu sound more fun, I tried to give wild names to the dishes. Here's a peek at the menu :

1. Jungle juice - juice and soft drink
2. Beetle wings - potato chips
3. Animal crackers - mathri
4. Bhaloo cutlet - veg cutlet
5. Corn whale - corn bhel
6. Paw bhaji - pav bhaji
7. Wormy doodles - noodles
8. Dragon dhokla - khaman dhokla
9. Golden eggs - mini gulabjamuns
10. Forest fruitsticks - assorted fruits on a toothpick
and of course....a cake!

Jungle menu card

 I had these zebra and leopard stoles which came in handy. I just thew a transparent plasic table cover over these and a perfect backdrop for animal theme was ready.

I made these mathris in mini animal shapes. Kids loved it. 

In keeping with the theme, I planned following games:

Feeding the monkey: I covered a wire-planter with a paper cut-out of  monkey and hung it on a wall. A tennis ball, which was supposed to act as a banana was given to kids .They had to throw this 'banana' inside the 'monkey's mouth'.

Guess the animal: Anya's Papa prepared a slide show with different paw prints. Kids had to guess the respective animal. The one who gave the maximum correct answers won a prize. Even parents participated whole-heartedly and we had a lot of laughs with the guesses. 

Tip: A variation could be guessing animal sounds.

'Jungle me mangal' dance: This is a classic newspaper dance where each kid had to pair with her Mom and dance on a newspaper sheet without stepping out. As the music stopped, the sheet had to be folded into half and the dancing would resume. This brought out all animal instincts in participants and drew a lot of laughter. Both parents and kids had a gala time. I am a child at heart and always like to participate in games etc. So I was keen for games for parents too.

You are caged: This game was done twice - once for Moms and then for kids. It is a version of musical chairs. Moms formed a circle and had to pass a hoola-hoop through themselves before passing it on to the next Mom. Music played all along. When music stopped, whoever was left holding the hoola hoop had to do a small act and go out. The one who was left last, was the winner and got a prize. 

After repeating this game with kids, we headed to burst the pinata. Kids loved collecting candies, erasers, pencils and nuts.

We then had cake cutting followed by dinner.

Anya's Animal Themed Birthday Party - Lion Cut Out

I wanted to do an animal, preferably a lion cut out. The idea was to paint whiskers on kids and then take a picture at the cut out. I gave some thought to this matter and came up with a brilliant idea. I say it's brilliant because I could do one of my favourite things in the world - reuse:) Let me elaborate. I had these surf boards from last year's Hawaiian themed party. Yes, I'm a hoarder and nothing gives me more pleasure than to reinvent stuff.

I took away the hibiscus flowers (those of you who know me well, would have guessed it...I have saved them too!!), and started contemplating. It struck me that these surfboard colors were perfect for a lion - I wouldn't even have to repaint! 

I drew  the lion's face on the rust board and the torso on orange one. Then I cut them out with a pair of sharp scissors. The face was joined to the body with allpins and toothpicks. To support the lion, I placed a bamboo pole behind it.

I retrieved the grass from my friend's work. As the color had faded, a green coat was done and it looked as fresh as new. I placed the grass at the lion's feet, which also saved me the need to draw the lion's paws! Yeah, smart me:) I also gave a fresh coat to the lion's body and face.

I had a wish to use this IKEA leaf as a prop somewhere in the decor because it was so apt for the jungle-animal theme. I placed the lion under the leaf. The way it all came together was fantastic. 

I fell in love with the lion and so did my guests. It's another matter that, ironically, I had a tough time keeping the lion safe from kids:) 

It was very satisfying to make this cut out and to know that kids enjoyed it so much!