Thursday, February 2, 2012

The weekend sojourn...

This entry is a part of the contest at BlogAdda.com in association with imlee.com


Usually, weekends for my family means a lazy morning, a heavy brunch and a melange of random, spur-of-the-moment plans. This weekend, otherwise no different that usual, saw me developing a list of rules for all such random madness we call weekends

Rule 1 : Never assume children have fixed ambitions. They are driven by determined little brains that leave no stone unturned to get what they set their heart to achieve - till they notice that the other kid down the road has something better worth achieving. Case in point - shiny new helium balloon (bought after much whining) was thrown aside when skates were discovered!

Rule 2 : If you thought a good workday ended in 8 hours, please note: NOT TRUE for toddlers. After about four hours, they start mutating into these terrible monsters who will do the exact opposite of what you tell them to! So the remainder of your day is spent either yelling or running after them (both of which, I discovered, can cause headaches!)

Rule 3 : Do not expect sympathies from people - even if they are scrambling mothers themselves. In other words - Your kids, YOUR problem! If your kids scream, you get dirty looks. No amount of sheepish grinning or hassled-looking apologies will clear the air.

Rule 4 : Do not, I repeat DO NOT, use puppies as a temporary means to pacify sulky toddlers. Sigh!! A petting corner, some ADORABLE puppies with satin ribbons, tired toddler with a love for canines - NOT a good combination. Of course, he jumped in glee when he was handed a pup with a purple ribbon. But his translation of that act was, "Ok... now lets go home... WITH the puppy!" Result? An absolutely berserk parent trying to pry the pup out of little hands, uncontrollable tears from the said toddler.... Sheer heartbreak! (While kiddo tries to enact Romeo's death scene here ....  )

Rule 5 : Sometimes, middle aged women security guards (we encountered ours in the elevator) tell you sensible stuff. "Maydam.... baba thak gaya hai... godi utha lo." (The kid is tired, why don't you pick him up...). And after kicking myself for not thinking of something so basic, I pick up the bawling one. And like magic, the sobbing stops, he puts his head on my neck and goes off to sleep..... Magic moments!

Rule 6 : Never, NEVER ignore the older child..... Oh yes! Same story - elder one gets pushed around, because the younger one is driving everyone NUTS. It is much more difficult to un-sulk an eight year old, as compared to a puppy-crazed toddler. But a special woman-to-woman talk and a barbie hair-band does the trick!

Rule 7 : Never end a tiring day with dinner at an atrociously overpriced restaurant. The kids are ready to crash, husband is not too sure his credit card will hold out any longer, and you are all but ready to throw those darned footwear out of your life! A snooty restaurant is NOT the place you want to unwind in. We were clever .... we headed home, one kiddo started snoring in the car, and the other one barely made it into her night clothes. We ordered momos from the local Chinese 'Snakes' fellow, snuggled into the blanket, and watched old Hindi songs .... Bliss! I Love my family!

9 comments:

  1. Has anyone told you that you have - not one but multiple super powers?

    I would probably begin panting and sulking just by the mere mention of these things whereas you not only manage to do all these activities but also write and work as well; Phew is all I can come up with.

    Can only imagine what trouble my mother would have gone through to bring up monkeys such as myself and the sibling.

    Cheers to you Super Mommy :)

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  2. Hmm good points
    but then I have seen Weekends are more busy for me then other days .. there is so much work to do .. all that has been piling up through the week needs to be done now ..


    I like that idea of blanket and watching a indian movie blisss indeed

    I now know all the trouble my mum went through

    Bikram's

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  3. Im gonna come back and read your blog again and again , when my turn comes to do some parenting!

    A real gem you are!

    Im gonna say 'MUAH'

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  4. WOMAN!!!!Respects!!!when I become a mom...m gonna beg you for some tips!!!!
    hats off!
    U GOT PATIENCE!

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  5. Haha, awesome rules Nirvana. Very funny too, perhaps I gotto save this for future reference when I have kids of my own...

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  6. *sigh* I might be wishing for more than I can handle but this is the life I want ten years from now, puppy-crazed toddler to boot :)<3 So cute it all sounds though I know for a fact (read: aforementioned sibling experiences) that you're almost ready to tear your hair out :D

    And like I have always maintained, moms who take care of their kids and are hassled and frazzled and oh so worn out are the best ones. They are the superheroes of everyday life.
    10-12 years from now, the sulky older one will sit and write such things on someone's blog making it worth the while:)

    Sorry, I get all senti when it comes to family :)

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  7. @Atrocious : awwww..... thank you, but I must say almost all of us fall short when we think of the mothers in the last generation, who had far less opportunities but much more to do!!

    @Bikram ... I know.. especially old hindi movies... And yes, weekends seem to be really hectic!

    @Meditating Lion ... Muah to you too!

    @Red handed ... when you become mommy, you'll want to just play by the ear - thats the most fun!

    @Sumitra .. thanks, and do that, by all means :-) !

    @PeeVee ... heheheh ... can almost see you getting all mushy over kids and babies...

    @Phatichar ... thanks!

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