I love Snakes

In fact my earlier post would not make any sense, till i expalin you about the snakes story. Here it goes...

Kai and papa, both love snakes!! that's because Ri has a hobby of catching snakes. He actually rescues them voluntarily from firends places. This led to my exposure to this slimy creature. While I never loved them (actually never even thought about them), I did not mind Ri catching them. This was mainly because he knew what he was doing and recognised them well.

Kai grew up looking and actually enjoying snakes. Bed time stories for them is books on snakes, where Ri teaches her to identify different species of snakes. As of now, Kai recognises 12 snakes. they make regular visits to the local zoo and the local snake park to see the snakes.

Proud to be a snake catcher !

The best time for kai and mama to chat is bath time. The other day she started telling me “mama I like only two boys Param and Manush from my class. I do not like any other boys”. Just like any other conversation, I asked her “why? Is it that you do not like the other boys” to this my little one replied “oh! Because they are all naughty boys”. Out of curiosity, I asked the obvious question that why are they all naughty? This in fact begins our conversation

“That is because they beat everyone”

A worried mother, I asked, “Is it? Do they beat you as well?”

“Oh no! Nobody beats me (actually dares to was what her body language said)”

“Why”

“That’s because everyone knows that I catch snakes. I tell them that I will throw a snake on them if they beat me”

“Oh!”

“there was this guy pratham who said that if you throw a snake on me, I will take it and throw it off”

and the little one retorted “In that case I will get a crocodile and put it on your head” (this was because of a recent trip to Chennai Croc Bank where the father daughter duo were holding a croc.)

My God, I never knew such things were going on in her mind. Actually I heard quite some complains from her saying about someone beating her, or someone taking her sand toys, etc.

And I felt look at this self-protection mechanism in a four year old.

Splash whlie you Walk...

Last weekend we went to see Ri’s relatives. We parked the car outside the apartments and walked to their block. When returning, since it had rained there were small puddles around. As I was walking with Kai, I kept on telling her to watch her steps. Ri told me that she can have some fun and walk through the puddles.

At times I wonder how much I decide not to impose my likes and dislikes on her, how it happens unknowingly! Kai and Ri ran around and jumped in the puddles to splash the water around and believe me I was the one who enjoyed the most…. Not splashing but watching them do that.

The Solar Eclipse

The biggest solar eclipse of the century that was to happen on 22nd July was one thing that we wanted to see. Ri and cousins had made the plans to travel to Surat, sleep overnight in a tent on the banks of Tapi, see the eclipse (if the clouds permit) or else have fun and return to Ahmedabad.

The idea of spending the night in the tent on the banks of the river in the rains was a bit indigestible for me. Added to this was the fact that kids stay home. While I wanted to see the eclipse, I had to make up my mind to leave at a very short notice, leaving Kai home, trying to explain her that ma and papa will not be around, calling up nani, dadi and friends to look after her, arranging for a day off at work and all sort of thoughts that one could imagine. I decided to opt out of the visit but could not make up my mind for that too. Finally I gathered all the courage and decided to leave my daughter home – to spend her afternoon at a friends place and then at home with dadi. After I explained this to Kai, she understood that ma would leave but finally said that “I would be happy if you do not go”.

2.00 p.m. on 21st, we went to the place from where we were supposed to leave, changed into the t-shirt that all of us were going to wear and sat in the car. To my surprise (which Ri did not tell me) there were no mums except for a couple of them. This made me think about my daughter and how I left her at home. Also this brought to my mind the idea of staying on the riverbank in the rains with no body with whom I can associate myself. This was because the guys were used to staying in the tents, in the forest, for days together and this was a one of its type trip for me.

I told everyone that I am not going and would love to get down. Ri kept on telling me that now that you are here and your daughter is set to stay alone, you may join. But I could not bring myself to accept that and finally, I got down from the car to take an auto and reached home to wait for my daughter to return from her friends place.

I enjoyed watching the eclipse at home with Kai on TV and talking to Ri on how they too did not see the eclipse but enjoyed how it got pitch dark and they had a great time – not staying in the tent but at a friends place.

Finally! I am here...

Wow! finally I manage to start my blog and adding posts to it. I have been planning on starting my blog since the time Kai was born. However for some reason or the other I could not keep up to it. Finally I am here to capture Kai's growing up years, views on parenting and everything else under the sun that catches my eye and interest.