Little Picasso part ll

I have a budding artist at home --- my almost-5 year old son. If I exhaust all the toys or if I don't have anything handy to keep him occupied, all I need is a blank paper and a pencil. And, my little Picasso will start exploring his world. I had posted about the beginning of his skills here. This is an extension of that post right after 2 years.


Here's posting some of the scrabbles from recent past:


1. Life-cycle of a butterfly (without any suggestions from me)   

2. Hand-made greeting card for Dad's birthday (with suggestions from me ;)

 

3. I liked the fan and the chair here.  

 

4. A pirate sailing boat. (You noticed that danger sign?)

5. Illustration for the "Elephant and the tailor" story. Red highlights by me. By the way, in case you don't know already, he lovesssss elephants. 

6.  Too much happening --- I see a submarine/fish, a flying alien, pyramids, and so on.

 7. The crowded world --- Drawing by Sid, labels by me. (The showstopper - that nude girl in the lower-right corner :D)

 8. A fairy princess. I want to show this to his future girl-friend/wife when he grows up.

 9. That's his to-do list.

1. Buy shoes for me.
2. Play in the play area of our apartment.
3. Eat dinner. (That's chapati and curry.)

 10. This is the latest obsession. Pulimurugan. If you didn't get this picture, I will help to explain. That's Pulimurugan with his knife cutting a rope tied between two trees.

 

That's it for now. Hope to update more in the coming years.  

A questioning era begins...

What else can you expect from a 4-year old!!!

My Sid is all curious these days. He always has a question in mind. And, when that gets answered, the next question is ready to be asked. And, the funniest part is that he thinks that I know all the answers. Here are some of his masterpiece questions that I can remember in my ever-so-busy schedule:

===========================

Sid: Why do cows give us milk?

Me: The cows don’t give us milk. We just take it from them.

Sid: But why?

Me thinking: Because human beings are mean.

===========================

While we were having a discussion on man-made and natural objects…

Sid: Who created me?

Chuckling me: Dad and I.

Wide-eyed Sid: Really? How?

Caught red-handed me: Mmmmm… You came out of my tummy, so I created you. That’s it!

Sid: All of the babies are created by their parents?

Me: Yes (Ahh, that was an easy one to answer.)

Sid: But who creates the babies in Mumma’s tummies?

Me: God!

Sid: Then, who created God?

Me: :- | 

Me wanted to say, “Humans.” But then, that would have triggered an altogether new series of questions.

 ===========================

Sid: What is “boring?”

Me: Something which is not interesting.

Sid: What is “interesting?”

Me: Something which you like doing. For example, you like drawing, so you are interested in arts. You find drawing things interesting.

Sid: Yes, OK. Eating oranges is also interesting.

Me: Huh!

 ===========================

I’ve been telling Sid that if I don’t work properly, if I am late to office, or if I don’t attend meetings attentively, my manager will scold me. So, one day, when Sid and I were leaving for school and office, respectively, I noticed that I had forgotten to wear an earring.

Me mumbling to myself: Ahh, I forgot my earrings… It’s fine. Let it be.

Sid: Even if you don’t wear an earring, will your manager say you are beautiful?

Me: Whhhhaaaa!!!

 ===========================
While Sid was watching the Ganesha cartoon on how Lord Ganesha got the elephant head...
Sid: Why does the Lord Shiva always have a snake around his neck?
Me: That's his pet animal, may be. 
Sid got his snaky toy: I too want a snake pet.

And then, when Lord Shiva was refused to enter his home by Ganesha, Lord Shiva starts tandava in all rage...
Sid: Why is he dancing?
I kind-of expected this: Because he is angry.
Sid: We don't dance when we are angry. We dance when we are happy, right?
Me: Lord Shiva is a little different, you see. 

And then, when they show Lord Vishnu (in anantashayanam) and Goddess Laxmi (sitting behind Vishnu) under the ocean and Laxmi inquires to Vishnu about Shiva's rage ... 
Sid: What is this mermaid saying?
Me: LOL
===========================

The next one is not a question from Sid. But an answer. An apt one. Would like to end with it:

While Mumma and son were in a train journey and Sid was busy amusing a few co-passengers with his conversational skills…

An Uncle: What’s your name?

Sid: Siddhanth.

Confused uncle: Siddhanth? That’s a new name.

Uncle: Are you a Hindu or a Christian?

Confused Sid: What?

Uncle trying to clarify: Do you go to a temple or a church?

Now confident Sid: I go to a school.

I couldn’t help but laugh right on their face for such a non-secular question.




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Update (7/31/2016): Proud to say that this post has been picked by Blogadda for the Spicy Saturday collection. Thank you Blogadda, all the readers, and last but not the least, thank you Sid. Love you!

http://blog.blogadda.com/2016/07/30/spicy-saturday-picks-best-creative-writing-blog-posts

Sid's 1st yearbook - 2015-16

I blinked my eye and a year had gone by... Oh my, what a spectacular year...! My little Sid's first year in school. 

Some days in school were delightful. And some days were literally pushed to end. Celebration days were always welcome. Whatsoever! 

I happened to ask him which he likes more: his class or the day care. For which he replied: Day care. Because that's when mumma comes to pick me up. Awwww... 

Here's presenting an yearbook with all the school (and related) photos.

1st day to school: 

This smile faded off once he reached the school.

My cute little Sid

Rakshabandhan:

He got his first set of sisters --- Twins. Chinmayee and Bhramari.

Krishnaashtami:

The gopis are again Chinmayee and Bhramari. Present relationship status: It's complicated! 

Mother's day out:

So, the mothers had to come in ethnic wear. Forgot to take a mumma-son photo. However, here's a cute video:

Winter play: 

 

Fancy dress competition:

Dr. Siddhanth, at your service!

Diwali mela:

Where I got a chance to put up my stall. :)

Treasure Hunt race:

Sid won the 1st prize. 




 

Republic day:

Daddy's little Bhagat Singh!

Annual function dance:

Boy, it was a grand one. And Sid performed like a rockstar.
Kudos!

His performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l67yBUF5nOw&feature=youtu.be

1st stitch: 

Yes. We didn't miss this. We had a tiff with a notorious kid at school. We got pushed, we got hit on the back of our head, we got stitched, we got healed. And, we didn't waste our precious tears for any of these. We only cry for significant stuff, like who should press the lift button, who should drop him to school, and so on.

Recitation: 

Random nursery rhymes
  

Misc: Somehow, I liked his typical Sid expression in this photo. Amidst the girls.

Pool fun: 

Towards the end of the year:

 

 











And, last but not the least - 

Year end party:

 

Cheers to the year. Thanks God for the wonderful year.

Honesty is d best policy

I was in kitchen and heard a loud thud of something falling down. When i rushed to the living room, i saw the big flower frame (that was once part of our wall) is now on the floor in various pieces. And Sid is just beside it standing on top of his study table. Any lame man could have guessed what had happened. And at the same time, somebody knocked on the door. So Sid was escaped from the instant sprout of my anger.

In the evening, we had this conversation:

Me: Tell me sid, didnt u touch that frame in the morning? Isnt that the reason it fell down?
Sid: no mumma, i didnt touch it.
Me: tell me honestly. I swear i wont scold u.
Sid: honestly mumma, i didnt touch it. I only swayed it.

Gandhi Jayanti special

Sid's (pre)school is doing a good job on getting the kids aware of all the festivals and other celebrations.
The last one I could remember was that a day before the Ganesh Chaturthi, he was given a paper with Ganesha printed on it and he had coloured it well. Today I found a paper with three monkeys (bura mat bolo, bura mat suno, bura mat socho types) and he had coloured them as well. 

In the evening at home, he came to the kitchen and we had this amusing conversation:

Sid: Mumma, do you know it's Gandhiji's birthday tomorrow.
Mumma (impressed): Vow.. who told you? Your teacher?
Sid: Yes.
Mumma: Ok, who's Gandhiji?
Sid: Those monkeys that I coloured.

:-0
:-X

Mumma has work!

My dearest Sid,

Over the last few months, we have been having conversations similar to the following:

Sid: Mumma, let's play hide and seek.
Me: Mumma has to cook.

Sid: Mumma, let's go to the play area.
Me: Mumma has an evening call, dear.

Sid: Mumma, let's play badminton.
Me: Mumma has a huge pending laundry, can you wait for a few minutes?

Sid: Mumma, I don't want to go to school today. At least, no day care?
Me: Mumma has to go to office today.

The list goes on...

And finally, when I somehow manage to get some time off from work and come and sit with you, your delighted eyes sparkle and you say this with enthusiasm:
Ammakyu ippum oru jooliyum illa? (Mumma has no work now?)

Yes, I confess, you have been receiving this reply a lot --- "Mumma has work!" I know that and I am so sorry for that. It's been almost 3 months now that we (both of us) are managing with day care, mumma's increased workload, and (especially) without ammamma. You have amazingly grown up to realize the need of the hour and let me do all the chores peacefully... Well, most of the times.

This letter is to mark my gratitude to your understanding and patience. I realize how much you enjoy my company. I do too. I can spend the whole day just snuggling with you. I am sure we are going to exchange our roles when you grow up. You will get busy with your daily life and you might not get enough time to spend with your mom. At that time, just remember that "I understand".

Yours ever loving,
Amma

Unni Krishnan

This is my unni in a krishnan get-up. And that was to celebrate krishnaashtami in his school. The accessories and make-up credits go to his mom.

Sid was super duper excited for this event. Here's a list of adventures that he said he would do in this avatar:

* He would kill all the rakshasas.
* He would call me yashoda.
* He would tuck his flute into his waist knot than playing it.
* Last but not least, he would go to school daily in this avatar as he likes being krishna.

My kid and the day care

Sid has been going to the school day care for more than a month now. So, it's like 11 am to 2 pm is his classes; and then on, day care. It took him one week to get settled in this new setup. Finally, when he did settle, he is happy to go there and meet his friends --- on one condition --- "mumma, u will come to pick me up, right?" Awwwwww, heart-melting for me.

The initial guilt in me subsided and transformed to happiness to see him mingle with friends, learn more English words, learn discipline (he wears his own clothes now), and occupied in social learning. 

Sid, the conversationalist, volume 2

Sid is 3 years and 3 months old, and he has already mastered Malayalam. He speaks semantically and grammatically correct Malayalam. He is working hard to get his English working these days.

* Sid wants to know why is Kannada language and kannada (Malayalam for spectacles) are called the same way.

* Some GK session: 

father of d nation: prajeth

capital of Tamilnadu: kozhikode

biggest land animal: elephant

biggest water animal: water elephant

* Some words that he uses in his daily vocab: changala (metal chain), kalippu (rage), teerumaanichu (decided), chelleppum (sometimes), aakramichu (attacked), adipoli (awesome), pakshe (but), just, already, prayasam (problem), sutrakaaran (cunning) and the list goes on.

* His imagination: We were reading a story of a beautiful forest from magic pot kids magazine. He happened to disclose the secret of his past life to me. He said that he was in this forest before he was born.

* One more for his imagination: He says he has a baby inside his tummy. And that it is a girl baby. That's why he is getting stomach aches these days.

Not that the list ends here, I am just tying the end knot here. To be continued as time goes...

Sid’s first day at school

I had to write this down before the freshness of it fades away.

Sid has entered the schooling phase. June 4^th, 2015 was his first day at school. Kids Castle Pre-school. Nursery.

Sid was very excited to go to school. After all, this is what he has been hearing from a year now. The school had conducted a parents’ orientation programme a week earlier to make the parents aware of the do’s and don’ts for the child to get settled in the school. I was so confident about my child that I had only half-listened to them. So I drop Sid to the school and he got so excited to see the slides inside that he rushed inside and before we could realize the gate was closed. He couldn’t even say bye to me and off I go to my home. After one hour, I come back to pick him up and I see an all-weeping Sid shedding tears from every hole on his face. I was so very surprised to see him crying for me. He saw me, he hugged me, and he repeatedly kept saying, “I was looking for you mumma, I didn’t see you mumma, I got so sad.” A thunderbolt struck me with a message: My child is still a kid. Somehow, with all his conversational skills, I had assumed that he has grown up now and can understand things at a more matured level. This was followed by a couple more days of I-don’t-want-school monologues. God must have given this for my over-confidence. 

I am happy to say that Sid is well settled in to his school now. However, he doesn’t like the idea of going to another school, college, or office when he becomes a “big boy”.

May God bless him with an enjoyable and worth-remembering school time!