Our Beijing Break

We just got back from Beijing! I can now safely say that we had a whale of a time! I was not too sure about this trip right from the word GO. Would the kids be keen on a serious sightseeing trip? Are they old enough to understand it all? Will Shriya be ok with the local food? Will we all be ok with exactly 10 words and 2 sentences in Mandarin?

We were more than fine and manage we did quite well. The kids were on a high, right from the minute we got to the airport. Separate seats, the entertainment systems, the movies, the kid’s meal..everything was regarded with super excitement. I felt a tad guilty for taking them on Tiger Airways a little too many times to India so much so  they had forgotten what it was like to travel Singapore Airlines!

Beijing is a HUGE city and I had no clue about the amount of walking we’d have to do. The Forbidden City and Summer Palace, however gloriously beautiful are also painfully strenuous! Not a whimper or whine... …atleast not from the kids. They covered it all except that they never walked once. They ran and skipped, hopped  and imagined they were trains and dinosaurs!I tried their way but realized that walking at a steady pace was safer at my age!

I must say that our trip was made extra special because of the Beijingers. So much warmth and love, they were completely charmed with V&S. And of course my little ones played to the gallery! They sang the Mandarin rhymes they knew and happily posed for photo after photo with strangers. They were hugged and kissed and petted! And to my glee they were even given discounts at the markets, that I used very well to my advantage :-)

A wonderful trip in all! But when I look at the photographs and think back, it's not the Great Wall or the Tianamen that bring back memories. It's that afternoon at a little pizza joint where the kids laughed through mouthfuls of stringy cheese watching their father enact something. It’s the hour long steaming bath that they took together while blowing soap bubbles in the hotel bathtub. It’s the bumpy ride that we all took on a trishaw to nowhere. It’s the smiles and giggles, cuddles and kisses, questions and observations that make me smile and bask in the aftermath of a lovely vacation.

Veggies Vs Birthdays

Me: Finish up those vegetable on the side, please
Shriya: :-( ( Grumpy face)
Me: But if you don't eat your vegetables, how will you grow?
Shriya:  Vegetables don't help me grow, birthdays help me grow!
Me: What?
Shriya: Amma, just because I eat more vegetables, am I going to be five sooner than October? No, right? So I actually grow older and become 5 only in October and not because of some vegetable that I eat today.

Shriya has an answer and most times a more logical one than mine for every question!A friend who was at the table cheered Shriya for her 'thought provoking' statement and added to that said, he was quitting on his veggies!Grrrrrrrr

Siiigh, if only I said eat and they ate!!

Emergency Drill

I heard a loud sound and then a bang. Rushed from my room to the kids' room. Everything seemed ok except that there were lots of lego bits near Shriya. I was reminded very clearly that the brother had purposely thrown lego bits near but not on Shriya. Aaaaaaalright! Nothing new happening here. Vaibhav, like most older brothers I know, gets a kick out of annoying, bothering and teasing his little sister.

I just looked at him. No words. Everything had been said several times before. He looked at me gauging my mood ( I presume). I waited wondering if he was going to deny it all, claim that it was an accident or simply say a sorry. But Vaibhav, after some very quick thinking and a solemn face, came up with "Amma, I didn't mean to hurt her or anything. I threw it only on the side and do you know why?? Imagine there is a bomb blast or an earthquake happening very suddenly. Shriya would not even know what to do. I was just giving her some practice and that's why I threw the lego to make the noise like a bomb to just see how Shriya would react. And you know what? She doesn't run fast enough"!


Wow, Vaibhav...not bad at all! I was trying very hard to hide a smile till I heard a menacing "Amma....are you just going to smile and not say anything?? Give him a blackmark, cut a treat, do something. Ammaaaaaaa"!!

To worry or not?

Shriya was sitting on the pot. She usually has a book that she's flipping through. But that day, she had this glazed look and was staring into space. So I asked her what was up and she said that she was very, very worried.

Alright, she had more than my attention now. More probing and she told me in her cute lisp "Amma, I'm so worried about the time when I become a mummy. When I have children, who will clean their poopo?"

Aah, big worry indeed. And here I am worrying about the insane property market and the next assignment to finish on time!I told her that as a mummy she will love her child so much that she wouldn't mind cleaning them.And to that, I got " I will love my kids, but I just can't touch their bums, ma".

Before I could think of the next thing to say that will comfort her-  "Amma, will a meteor hit earth again just like it did many years back and killed all the dinosaurs"?

Shriya was onto worry #2 even before I had addressed worry # 1. I stopped her and asked her about the baby bum issue. She coolly said that maybe either her parents or grandparents will take care of it as they are already used to doing it!!!So, every worry did get sorted out with an answer from within.

There's so much going on inside that pretty little head- worries about the future, worries about motherhood, worries about the planet and god knows what else!

Reading we are!

Vaibhav started reading around 5 and picked up very quickly from there. The Dad and I read to them ALL the time- bedtime (of course), early morning, after school, maybe during snack time and they sneak a book in during potty time :-) I started him off with a very basic Peter and Jane 1a, primarliy because it brought back a million memories and also because I thoroughly benefitted from the series. Vaibhav started late (as per S'pore standards) but picked up very quickly and now loves impressing grandparents and friends with "Ask me a word, and I'll spell it for you".

Shriya on the other hand never did complete her round of kiddy books that V went through and directly advanced to the books her brother was listening to. She wanted Arthur and Berenstain, Curious George and Dr. Seuss and the cute little SPOT books were disregarded as 'baaaaby books'. I should have known, especially when the little missy has always been a little ahead of her age. She's 4 and reads beautifully. I love listening to her and watching her diligently go through every word. Of course her school has played a huge role in supporting her.

I'm glad that the kids get excited about  weekly trip to the Library and even more glad that they dont consider a Book present any inferior.  I've been waiting for the day, when the four of us can peacefully just sit around and read our own books! We're nearly there and I can't stop smiling :-))

Such A Pleasant Afternoon!

The boys were to go bowling all afternoon. Shriya and I had three glorious hours stretching ahead of us. We were like two best friends making plans- what to do first and where to go, how to make the most of it!


We first went to Shriya's favourite shop- Lollipop Shop. It sells little knickknacks, clips, rubberbands, bracelets and everything little girls love. After 20 minutes of leisurely choosing we made it to Bishan Junction 8 where we first spent an enjoyable hour at the library. On the way back we stopped by at the Icing Room. This is a magical little shop all decorated in white and candy pink with lace doilies and sugar sticks. Shriya had saved up her pocket money (well earned through her gold stars) and wanted to spend it all here. We got a small cake- all covered in plain white vanilla icing. S chose 5 tubes of coloured icing cream  and a pack of sugar hearts to decorate her cake. And what a time she (and I had)! When we were done, there was no white to be seen.A little too much decoration, if you ask me...but oh so creative and we couldn't wait to eat it for dessert that night.


After a relaxed tea of muffins and milkshakes and some idle people watching my eye caught some sales that I couldn't resist. Picked up some stuff, tried them on and finally chose a few based on Shriya's expert advice. Such a pleasure shopping with a little girl!I could very well imagine the scene if I had brought the boys along. My husband would have been breathing down my neck to hurry up while my son would have mentioned a million times that he was getting BORED. Incidentally his favourite line these days when I even glance at a clothes/shoe/bag shop is "Dont even think about it, ma"!

We made a pitstop at the art supply store and headed back home.We didn't really do anything extraordinary . Just simple pleasures, relaxed time, enjoying each others company. Definitely an afternoon to cherish!

Met the boys at the door. They were sweaty and tired.We were all talking at once about our lovely afternoons. Seems they had a great time too.But oh so different from ours, for sure!!

My ACSian

Vaibhav started grade school nearly a month ago! Its been a month of excitement, whines, celebrations and lots of adjustments.

Vaibhav knew he was starting 'BIG' school where he can have lots of fun and make more friends! What he did not know was that he will have to wake up EVERYDAY for 5 days a week at 6.30am. He just cant understand why anybody in their right sense would start school so early. Why ma? Why cant they start an hour later? Why do you have to put me to bed when I'm not tired and wake me up when I am? Siiigh. My poor little thing has also to adjust to a recess bell, a weeee bit of homework and all the ways of a 'propah' school!


But he's also having a great time! I know it because he clearly told me so. One Friday I asked him if he was thrilled that he didn't have to go to school the next day. He gave me one look (one that said ' you just don't get it , do you?') and wisely said "Amma, I like my school, ok? I just get a little cranky in the mornings. That does not mean I dont like school"!
Ok, got it Sir!

Academics wise, I was very relaxed, confident that V would be fine...except for maybe Tamil!But he was out to surprise me there as well. He turned in a worksheet in which he had done only 2 sums out of 14. And the teacher had  asked him if he did not know how to solve the sums. My smartypants told her that the sums were too easy and so he was bored and that's why couldn't be bothered to finish it all!!!Anyway...that was the first week. Now he's on a winning high- after having tasted what it is to get a ten on ten :-)

Its a very sporty school! They take great pride in their tournaments and coaching. And it definitely is an all out Boys school. Vaibhs and his dad are super excited to be a part of the Adventure Club where they will be bowling, treking and camping with other Dad/Son teams!

Vaibhav through some previous Karma got into the very competitive and difficult-to-get-in tennis coaching. ACS is known for its tennis and he is getting a huge kick swinging his racket on his shoulders,  enjoying the lessons. Table tennis is his new favourite, though. He plays it during recess (the school halls have several tables strewn across for the boys to hone their game), he plays it after school and he plays it on the weekends.

Vaibhav, soak in the ACS culture and enjoy every minute of your boyhood!The best is indeed yet to be!