Aadya's day out at the beach!

Summers are always a throwback to one’s school days!  Though we adults aren’t as lucky as our kids to enjoy a summer break for a  whole month or two  (unless you are in the teaching profession),  the sweltering heat, twilight evenings, school holidays, the mango season, ice cream outings….. All of which ushers in a lazy feeling goading you to .........maybe take it easy this season …..unwind and chill out with kids and family. With schools closed, and a consequent respite from the morning rush and evening homework, I can't help if some of my son’s holiday fever rubs off on me too. Though we didn’t plan for a major trip this summer….we combined a couple of family events at our native town with a small beach vacation at the coast with a final stop (as always) at my parents’ farm house Shristi, Dharmasthala.  

The highlight of our trip was our stay at Sai Vishram Beach resort at Baindur, Udupi District. A quiet little property on the shores of Someshwara Beach which promises a back-to-nature (sea in this case) experience, free from devices ( no TV nor phone) albeit with all the modern comforts, and a delicious vegetarian spread. The almost-private beach as its center piece, the resort offers a host of beach related activities during the day and sunset evenings with chai and literally ‘bajji on the beach”!  We enjoyed the calm and pristine surroundings of this Sattvik resort, made even more homely by the ever-smiling staff and not to forget the Sai Baba temple in the midst of the refreshingly beautiful sea facing greenery that made for a memorable summer getaway for all us!

Though our little one has been to a beach before, this was her real  full fledged beach experience and we were quite surprised that she shared no inhibitions (like her brother earlier did!) with any of the beach activities, whether it a motor boat cruise, to jet skis, or riding on the waves lashing on to the shore with the help of a life guard or simply floating in the middle of the Arabian sea, or making sand castles….our little adventurist was game for it all!  

To complete her beach experience, we read a couple of books on the beach. I had picked up   "Keya's day at the Beach" a Level 2 Pratham reader by Radha Rangarajan and illustrated by Lavanya Naidu. Keya excitedly  peeks out of her burrow in the sand to be looking out at the sea. As she accompanies her mother to the beach, she spots many of her kind who have all come out for their feed of the day at the shore. As she marches on with her mother, grabbing whatever treats she can find in the sand, her mother introduces her to many of her species kind from the robust-soldier crab, to the eye-popping ghost crab, from the big-claw-fiddler crab to the crab-eating moon crab. Alas! just as she nears the sea, it is time to head back to the burrow. But Keya has enjoyed a day out at the sea and can't wait for the next day to march into the beach again! This is a-one-of-a-kind fiction-non-fiction book anthropomorphizing crabs which does make an interesting read with vivid illustrations for curious little minds.

But for my little one to fondly remember her fantastic beach experience at Sai Vishram Beach resort , I had to fall back on another anthropomorphic series - "Peppa at the Beach" , a Peppa Pig adventure, revolving around their beach outing with the Kangaroo family. My little one could very well relate to the excitement of the approaching waves, riding on the waves and being carried by the waves into the shore..... just like how she attempted to do with the help of a life guard at the beach.  Just as Daddy pig is caught off guard with a giant wave that picks him up and carries him into the share, my little one was knocked down by quite a few big waves hitting the shore and no sooner did she wipe the saline water off her face than she was ready for more! So just like Keya and Peppa, our little one loves the  beach! 

Wrestling the world!

Children especially boys love to fancy themselves as super–heroes ….. tough, all powerful and invincible! No wonder ….super hero movies are such a big hit with the kids! Well, the recent super hero flicks sure seem to be intended only for kids! J   Similarly most children’s programming on super heroes lay emphasis on muscular strength and physical prowess as the only means to defeat the enemies. You cant help but squirm when you see your little one delight in Chota Bheem’s (Indian children's programming) purported victory in a wrestling duel with his adversary. I guess as they grow up… you can only hope they factor in other traits that make an all-round super-hero ….after all actual heroes are made of sterner stuff than just physical strength! Isn’t it??

 

 

As of now it doesn’t harm to let them dream on……gloat over their imaginary super hero status ….ready to take on the world!!! So with that intention in mind I had a relative in the US pick up “Nino Wrestles the World” by Yuyi Morales on their annual visit to India. Frankly, this makes a great Spanish language read-aloud and at first I wasn’t sure if Abhay would appreciate its Hispanic lingo. But I guess boys everywhere are the same…….no matter which part of the world they live in! Little Nino imagines himself to be the world’s greatest wrestler  and what’s more he is successfully overpowers the meanest, slimiest and creepiest of all his contenders with panache!  Presented in a WWE style wrestling match between Nino and his challengers, read on as Nino tackles the mummy from Guanajuanto city, hard, rock-headed warrior from an ancient civilization, Mexican female ghost with terrifying echoes and an extra terrestrial in a flying saucer with his varied strategies matching their respective “Lucha” styles (traditional Mexican wrestling)!! But as Nino vanquishes all his opponents, there’s till someone whom he just can’t defeat – his baby sisters who wake up from their afternoon nap to pounce on him! So he makes his best move ever - “If you cant defeat them….. join them!” Abhay loved the story but couldn’t fully comprehend its Hispanic setting and Spanish expressions and neither could I! J However, thanks to the brief notes found on the book cover, readers are provided with a peek into Latino folklore as this book doubles up as an introduction to multi linguisitic and multicultural sensibilities! Illustrations pictured in a comic book fashion, sound effects brought out (‘Zzzwap’, ‘Slish’, ‘Pachatas’ ) in decorative fonts and bright colours true to its authentic Mexican setting, no wonder this book is a recipient of the Pura Belpre award, presented to a book that best portrays Latino culture. Nino’s adventures are after all ………every boy’s super-boy dream!!   

Abhay's Halloween in India!

 

 

  After a gap of two years, Halloween has once again figured in our calendar of events in October, thanks to Hippocampus library. The Hippocampus center’s much awaited annual event is its Halloween party that is open to children of ages between five and thirteen. This is when the whole library is transformed into a Halloween house of horrors with Jack O’ Lanterns spewing out macaroni and cheese, creepy spider-webs hanging from the ceiling, bats flying out of doors and  of course fun-filled activities and games for kids! Having missed the Halloween party at Hippocampus the last two years due to certain prior commitments, we were keen on Abhay attending this one. Though Halloween is all about spooking it up and wearing scary masks, I guess the main highlight of Halloween for kids is going around the neighborhood “trick or treating” for candies, candies and more candies. Though we had Abhay go trick-or treating to his grand-parents’ place in 2011 (owing to our US returned fever!) and  some mommy groups organizing “trick-or treat” events this year ……trust me …it’s nothing like the real thing …just like how Diwali  never felt like Diwali in the US! J

 

  

Abhay didn’t seem to remember going “Trick-or treating” with his friends in Portland, so we scanned through some of our old Halloween photographs taken during our US years albeit with a hint of nostalgia as we watched out little Dalmatian turn into Tigger and finally a Pirate Prince!

 

 

 

 

I found a hilarious book simply titled "Halloween" written by Jerry Seinfeld (Yes…from the famous American Sitcom “Seinfeld”) and illustrated by James Bennett. A must-read for any Seinfeld fan, this is the master comedian’s comic take on Halloween and what it means to kids. Seen through the eyes of a young boy (who looks like young Seinfeld himself!), he finds it  unbelievable that there is one day in a year when everyone you know is giving out candies! Of course, he is ready to do whatever it takes to have people give out candies! Slowly, he gets sucked into the other trappings of Halloween, including zeroing on the Superman Halloween costume from the store, as opposed to home-improvised costumes, only to find that the mask suffocating him and the superman suit looking like superman pajamas! But he soon finds out that it doesn’t matter as his mom makes him wear his winter coat over the costume anyway (Abhay smiles his knowing smile…….as I was even more brutal as I made him wear his money cap too!) According to Seinfeld Junior, kids mean business when they go trick-or-treating, with no time for small talk, no appetite for home-made treats and the best of all “you hit the bag, they hit the road”!  Having consumed the basketful of candies, he wakes up feeling like superman…..that makes him  conclude that when you are a kid, you don’t need a costume….you are  superman! Well, no one can enjoy as unabashedly as our little supermen…isn’t it? So here’s wishing all the supermen a very Happy Halloween!

The Transformers thing!

Staying on the subject of television, my son is fascinated with the television series of Transformers that plays on Discovery kids every day. I find him so immersed in the world of the Autobots and Decepticons, that the giant robots-turned-vehicles seem to dominate his play, conversations, and not to forget even dreams!  Like any boy growing up, Abhay revels in mindless fight sequences complemented by graphic visual effects and deafening sound effects and the Transformer series offers plenty of entertainment on that front making me wish in moments like these for a daughter instead!:-) I am also beginning to now understand how boys will be boys….no matter what age  and  are naturally drawn to action figures and adventures. I am not sure of other moms, but frankly I am not a great fan of the series and just like fan clubs, I guess moms of Transformers-obsessed-sons should start a support group to empathise with each other!  While I always make an effort to evince some interest in something that my son is into, the world of Optimus Prime and Megatron and their legendry rivalry around which the story revolves is completely lost on me, considering that I have neither been enthused by science fiction nor too fond of action!  That said, there is no rule that parents should share the same interests as their kids just like the kids need not always relate to their parents’ tastes….. though we wish they would…don’t we? :-)

Despite my misgivings, I couldn’t resist picking up a book on Transformers from the Om Bookstore titled “I am Optimus Prime” from the adapted from the second movie in the series “Transformers Revenge of the Fallen” by Jennifer Frantz and illustrations by Guido Guidi, presented in an Early Reader format brought out by Harper Collins publications. Optimus Prime, the brave leader of Autobots (who are Robots in disguise) is a friend of humans. Optimus Prime who stands for the good, vows to protect the earth from a new threat called “Fallen” who seems to be even more powerful than Megatron (the bad guy in the first movie). After a fierce battle, read on about how Optimus Prime fights the evil  with the help of his friends Ironhide, Bumble bee and Sideswipe and finally rescue the earth, at least for now!  Hmmm……for now, I can only draw consolation from the fact that this may just be a phase and hope that like all the other phases, the “Transformers” phase too will soon pass and transform into something more interesting!!

Too much TV?

Off late Abhay has been watching too much television and no amount of his grandparents’ goading or coaxing is successful in weaning him from the idiot box!  Until recently I have been priding over the fact (and thus jinxed it!) that my little one hardly watches any television at home and instead turns to his LEGOs or his crayons or books as soon as he returns home from school! Cut to the present scene – no sooner does Abhay return home than the television is turned on and remains so for the rest of the evening until I get back from work.  More so, I have serious reservations about the quality of the children’s programming in India and believe that we are years, if not decades behind our counterparts in the West. Frankly, I believe that our kids deserve much better than the animated Japanese series dubbed in English or the home-grown action heroes devoid of any depth or relevance!  If not for the music and  drawing class that he has been signed up for thrice a week, Abhay would be watching TV for over 2-3 hours straight even on weekdays until one of us shows up and turns it off, much to his annoyance!  But during school holidays, especially when I am away at work (when his absolute rule prevails at home!) he turns into a no-holds-barred- one-hundred-per-cent couch potato!

In an attempt to lure him away from the TV temptation, I read “Too much TV” a Berenstain Bears adventure by Stan and Jan Berenstain. As Brother and Sister bears  return home from school on a fine spring afternoon, they rush inside hardly saying a hello to their mother and take their cookies and milk into the living room to watch television! (Ditto..at home!) Soon their papa joins them in watching the “Nutty Bear show” when mama decides to do something about too much TV in the Berenstain household. Mama bear announces the “No TV for a week” rule, much to the shock of not only Brother and Sister bear, but also Papa bear! As Papa bear goes on to support Mama bear’s dictum, little does he realize that the said ban applies to him and his sports shows too. Initially, the Berenstain household can’t seem to get by without television, and slowly but surely the kids find other things to do after school – like biking and trekking. However it isn't easy as they have to miss even the special programs and reluctantly follow their Mama as she takes them outside to watch the stars. But as they head outdoors, the bear family come under the spell of the panoramic view of the star-studded night sky which was very special than anything they’d seen on TV. Over the next few days, the bear family did  varied activities other than watching TV – going on nature walk, watching a spider spin its magnificent web, shopping with mama, but they had to keep tabs on papa who was often caught sneaking a look at a game show in an electronic store when they shopping at a country mall or tiptoed into the living room to catch a late night movie!  Before they know it, one whole week goes without TV! The bear cubs then ask mama bear as to what problem does she have with television (just like Abhay asks all the time!) to which mama bear denies having any problem with television but admits that she is against the TV habit – sitting in front of it all day like old stumps waiting for dry rot to set in! While both Brother and Sister bear vowed to watch TV the whole of the next day as the “No TV week” had ended, it turned out that the only one who did watch all day was Papa! So Abhay …there are other interesting things to do around and outside the house besides watching TV…what do you say? Are you up for a whole week without TV?

Abhay at Wonderla!

Children’s summer vacation is hardly a vacation for parents! Of course, we are free from following up on their homework/school work and projects, but life as a parent doesn’t get any easier! How do you keep them occupied for two whole months…..??? Believe me, drawing a two month vacation plan for a six year old that is fun and at the same time creatively or kinesthetically engaging is no joke! Yes…there are summer camps and swimming or sports camp, but this is also a time when your little one is at home more than usual, and when they are home, you don’t want him to fall prey to the idiot box. So this is the best time to plan vacation, picnics or day-trips with your little one, but the flipside being just like you, everyone else has planned the same with their little ones, making every child-friendly destination fall prey to vacation rush!

 

So kick starting Abhay’s summer vacation 2013, yesterday we took our adventurous little one to Wonderla, an amusement park near Bangalore. Well, after having frequented Disneyland and Universal Studios in the US, I must say that we were quite impressed with Wonderla as it was almost on par with the amusement parks of the West. Be it water rides or dry rides, the park is well maintained and equipped with well trained personnel who are ready to assist you at every juncture. When it comes to amusement parks, I am proud to announce that my darling son has taken after me and not his dad and thoroughly enjoys the thrill rides as much as the regular attractions! In fact, as and when he was permitted, he even got on some of the adult thrill rides!   On rides he wasn't eligible for, he watched his parents (read mom) go on them while enjoying an icecream! 

So a day before the visit to Wonderla, I had him read “Berenstain Bears Ride the Thunderbolt” a Level 1 Early Reader from the Step into Reading series, by the Berenstains. The Berenstain family visit an amusement park and decide to ride a rollercoaster named Thunderbolt. So they wait in line, buy the tickets, and get on the ride. As they buckle up and are ready to go, the four seater ride climbs up the rollercoaster track making a clickety clack sound reaching the top. As they slide down with a clickety clack sound, everyone except papa bear is shown enjoying the hi-speed descent. As they go around, upside down, into the dark and finally slowing down, papa bear looks relieved to be getting off. As soon as they get off, both sister and brother bear scream for an encore. (Again! Again!) After a few minutes break, the Berenstain family gets ready for another ride on the Thunderbolt, but this time, its minus one- Papa Bear! Looks like Papas all over are not exactly thrilled about the thrill rides! J

A visit from the Tooth Fairy!

During this summer, Abhay showed one of the first signs of growing into a big boy! Just before we took off on a vacation, I noticed a ‘shark tooth’ growing behind his lower milk teeth. Strange, I thought…isn’t it too late for a baby tooth? But since we didn’t have the time to make an appointment with the dentist, we decided to wait until we got back. A few days later I noticed another shark tooth burgeoning next to the first one. Even then it didn’t occur to me that the two emerging teeth might just be his permanent lower incisors!! Neither did my parents nor my in laws suspect anything, especially since none of Abhay’s teeth were loose, much less had fallen!  Since it did not seem like a dental emergency, I headed back to Bangalore leaving Abhay at my parents’ farm with the intention of calling on the dentist once Abhay returns to Bangalore. But my mother knew better than that and decided to consult a local dentist anyway. That when’s we realized that common sense had escaped us when it came to acknowledging that Abhay is no longer the baby he used to be! Frankly, I know it may sound stupid, but I never once thought it’s time for Abhay to let go of his milk teeth and make way for his permanent teeth …..isn’t that supposed to happen after he turns seven or eight? At the risk of sounding clichéd, I must say that it only feels like yesterday that Abhay was five months old when he began teething and his baby teeth first appeared! Five years later…they fall off to make room for the not-so-baby teeth! Every milestone in your baby’s growth is to be cherished and celebrated as time flies and you never know ….your grown-up ‘baby’ may fly away too!

                                                       Abhay then.......with his first teeth!

                                    

                                                                  Abhay now......

Though nervous about going to a dentist, Abhay managed to sail through his first visit to the dentist…all thanks to recent innovations in anesthetic medicine that has done away with petrifying injections and has been replaced with hassle free anesthetic sprays instead! Abhay though wanted to save his milk tooth to be handed over to the tooth fairy, courtesy the American Television! Of course, it didn’t matter to him that his dentist in Ujjire (small village near Dharmasthala) had no idea what or who the Tooth Fairy was!  Anyway, since we had heard so much about the tooth fairy while in the US, I read to him “Peppa pig and the Tooth Fairy”,  Peppa is upset that she lost her first tooth but her mother assures her of a surprise from the tooth fairy. With her tooth carefully tucked under her pillow, Peppa waits for the Tooth fairy her parents promised would come. Peppa however is too restless to go to sleep and tries to stay awake but finally gives into sleep. Peppa is disappointed in the morning but when she is asked look around, she is delighted to find a shiny gold coin under her pillow….supposedly left by the Tooth Fairy. Peppa then vows to stay awake the next time she loses her tooth!  We all know who is the tooth fairy…don’t we? We too played tooth fairy and placed a nice little gift under his bed as we went to pick him up from Dharmasthala. A gift for every tooth gone.....Abhay will not mind if another tooth falls soon!

                                           A giant tooth shaped gift from the Tooth Fairy!

Back to school!

Come June and we all know what it means to a school-going kid in India. Technically, since this summer break was Abhay’s first ever summer vacation (since he went to a day care that was open all year around in the US), it was his first re-opening day this week. It was the first time he got to experience that sinking feeling one feels as one enters the school gates after a gap of two whole months! After a fun-filled vacation that almost makes you forget that you ever went to school, the reopening day feels like a harsh reality check that reminds you that a vacation like this is only once-a year whereas school is throughout the year and not the other way around! For most kids moving to a higher class, a new academic year ushers in new challenges in terms of syllabus or studies which would only mean more work for them and not to forget, their parents! Abhay for instance, was a little anxious about starting new subjects including a second language this year and honestly, after binding 17 notebooks and 11 textbooks/workbooks with transparent wrapper roll, even I am left wondering if he is actually going to class 1 or a higher class!

As we are slowly getting settled into our ‘back to school’ routine, I read “Frankling goes to school” by Paulette Bourgeois. Though it is Franklin’s first time in school, I guess “first day jitters” are the same for everyone and so Abhay could probably relate to Franklin more than anybody else. At the crack of dawn, Franklin wakes up excited as it is his first day of school. His enthusiasm doesn’t wane as he gets ready and heads to the bus stop. But as he reaches the bus stop and sees his other friends waiting for the bus, he experiences cold feet. He hears his friends Beaver and Rabbit talking that they know how to read and write when Franklin knows neither. After a lot of persuasion from his parents, he climbs onto the bus that takes him to school. At school, Franklin’s teacher Mr. Owl asks him what he wants to do. Franklin admits that he does not know to read and write but knows all about colors at which his teacher asks him to do what he loves. Franklin enjoys his first day at school and brings home two pictures for his parents who in turn have his favorite snack fly pie ready! So Abhay …don’t worry about starting Kannada or computers right away.......start with drawing pictures!:-)

Abhay spends a week at Grandma's!

Today is the last day of my vacation at my parents' farm house and tonight I am heading back to Bangalore... back to work... and back to pavilion! These two weeks have been magical... away from the daily grind, away from all that maddening traffic, away from the constant rush that dominates our daily schedule! I now get that uneasy feeling that I used to experience just before school reopened after summer holidays and I can only imagine how Abhay might feel before his school reopenes three weeks from now. This time however, I am a little more nervous than usual as Abhay will not accompany me to Bangalore, but will stay behind and will return with his grand parents in the first week of June. Excepting a sleepover for one night or two at my parents' apartment in Bangalore, Abhay has never been away from us and we've never been away from him! It is my 5 year old's first foray into vacationing like a big boy! As it is, with our Bangalore house getting remodelled, it is better for Abhay to stay clear from all that breaking and banging. At the same time, our house will not be the same sans Abhay! It will no longer feel like we've knocked at the door no. 22, Silver Oak Layout without hearing Abhay's loud voice resonate from inside the house... something you will hear as soon as you enter the 2nd cross. Anyway, it was Abhay's idea to stay over at his grand parents' and I just hope he doesn't wear them out. So far he seems to be okay staying alone without his mom hovering around him. But the real test is when I board the bus back to Bangalore tonight! What if he cries for his mommy when he wakes up in the morning? I have my fingers crossed! :-)

As a last book before I leave, I read Berenstain Bears' 'A week at Grandma's' by Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain, brought alive via Youtube. Brother and sister bears return from school to find all their belongings packed into suitcases and excitedly guessed that they are on their way to a family vacation. The father bear clarifies that it is a 'Couple's only' vacation and they are to be dropped off to their grand parent's place. All their excitement disappear and brother and sister bears expect to be bored with their grand parents who they feel are old and not as active as their parents. But they are pleasantly surprised that their grand parents have planned a lot of activities for them. They first dig in to their grand father's chest to find many interesting things - grandpa's old yo-yo and grandma's musical instruments that they learn to play. Then grandpa takes them fishing where they catch their biggest fish ever that makes for a perfect center piece for their barbeque dinner at night. Thus they spend the whole week exploring the courtryside like never before. Soon it is time for mama and papa bears to return from their 'Couple's only' vacation that didn't go well as they had planned and hence they decide that their next vacation will be a family vacation. But brother and sister bear don't mind having another vacation at their grandparents'... without their parents. As I leave Abhay here in Dharmastala, I just hope he'll also have fun at his grandparents'... fun without me. Have nice time Abhay... See you in couple of weeks :-)

A one-of-a-kind-vacation

After cruising along the backwaters of God’s own Country, as Kerala is known, we are now on the final leg of our vacation this summer. Our vacations almost always end with a mandatory trip to “Shristi”, my father’s farm house in Dharmasthala partly because it is easier to plan a short trip while we are on vacation anyway and partly because post vacation hangover doesn’t seem so bad when you ease back into your routine incrementally!:-) Anyway, we  had a great time in Kumarakom sailing on the Vembanad lake in a traditional Kerala houseboat followed by an idyllic vacation in a resort adjoining the bird sanctuary with the panoramic view of the lake. Everything was perfect….well….almost everything except for the fact that Abhay was down with fever for all five days of our stay in Kerala! Having made reservations and booked our train tickets almost two months ago, having read all the travel books on things-to-see and do in Kumarakom, spoken to people who’ve been there and done that, we thought we had everything planned out! But what we hadn’t planned for was applying cold packs to bring down Abhay’s fever at an interval of every two hours each night, or keeping our fingers crossed as he gulped down 5 ml of his paracetamol syrup for the post effects of the acidic medicine or hauling an auto late in the night in an unknown place to take our five year old to an unknown doctor! At the same time, thanks to Abhay, this was a vacation in a true sense of the word. Unlike our previous vacations  typically characterized by a hectic daily itinerary, this was a relaxing one where we got to indulge in refreshingly quiet activities like bird watching, swimming, soothing ourselves with an ayurvedic massage at the spa, enjoying sunset dinners overlooking the lake and not to mention cuddling with our flu ridden five year old on a hammock with a book cheer him up!

I’m not sure if it was my sixth sense that made me pick this book before we left for Kerala….but reading about a family  and their spoiled vacation consoled me in a strange way. “ Arthur’s family vacation”  by Marc Brown is a story I can totally relate to! It is the last day of school and everyone is excited to have their vacation planned. Everyone except Arthur, who is not particularly thrilled at the prospect of going on a family vacation. As they prepare to leave, Arthur cant help dreaming about attending a summer camp with his best friend Buster instead of travelling with his parents and siblings. But his mother assures him of a good time at the beach and so Arthur cant wait to hit the sand. But as they reach their destination, it begins to rain and does not seem to let up even after a couple of days. Tired of waiting for the rain to stop, Arthur plans a field trip for his entire family and discovers there is so much to do even on a rainy day. Finally on the last day, the sun is out and the Arthur family decides to relax on the beach. On the next day, as they pack up and head home, Arthur realizes that he had fun with his family on their vacation, even if it didn’t go as planned! Just as in the book, it was only on the last day in Kerala, Abhay recovered and got to soak up sunshine on the Malabar coast. Whatever said and done…our vacation on the Kerala backwaters is an unforgettable one, for various reasons!:-)

Abhay and his selective hydrophobia!

Come summer and it’s the universal time to hit the pool! It’s probably something most kids look forward to this season…but certainly not Abhay! I don’t know what to do with the selective hydrophobia that has come to haunt my son yet again! ‘Selective” because my son loves frolicking in  water otherwise….but it is the big bad swimming pool he is scared of and he is petrified of jumping into its pellucid blue waters…especially when his feet cannot reach the pool floor! It took over three  levels of swimming lessons back to back plus continuous practice over a period of one year, and finally lapping up as many picture books as I could find on the same subject to help Abhay overcome his fear of swimming in a pool. But I’m not sure if he has been spoiled by the indoor temperature controlled pools of the US, or by the sweet talking American coaches of his previous lessons, because when we took him for a swimming class yesterday, after a gap of over eight months, he acted as if he was entering a swimming pool for the very first time ever! “Oh…No ..not again” is all we had to say!

So I fell back on my old method of reading to him about other’s experiences in the swimming pool. What’s better than reading about one of his favorite characters –“Peppa Pig goes swimming”! It’s a sunny day and Peppa Pig and her family are at the swimming pool. Armed with their arm bands, Peppa and George are all set to get into the pool. But George is not as excited as Peppa since it is his first time at the swimming pool. Mummy pig convinces George into jumping into the water when George realizes that he loves it! Just then Rebecca Rabbit arrives along with her little brother Richard, who appears as nervous as George was. Mother pig then encourages both the first-timers to hold on to their float boards and practice kicking their legs. Peppa and Rebecca show off their swimming skills courtesy their arm bands when Daddy Pig asks them not to splash too much to which the much offended Peppa clarifies that big kids don’t splash as big kids are good at swimming. But everything is forgotten as they race each other down the pool and have fun swimming and splashing in the water and their little brothers kick their legs earnestly with the intention of learning to swim as well as their big sisters! When Richard drops his toy into the water, Daddy pig comes to his rescue by diving down to retrieve it as everyone has a wonderful time at the pool. I wonder when Abhay will enjoy the pool as much as George did!

Morning Mania!

Once your kids start school, weekday mornings turn crazy! As it is, weekday mornings are a rush, but the added pressure of getting your little one ready just in time for the school bus leaves you exhausted even before you’ve begun your day! Of course, with schools situated at distances that you dread having to drive yourself, you cannot afford to have your kids miss the school bus! So mornings are always a struggle - when your threshold is running low and your little one launches a go-slow; when every minute counts as your tension mounts; when you don the role of a motivational speaker to get your little dreamer to hurry when you are in a hurry too! Mornings are no different in our house where the morning raaga played is a fusion of Abhay’s whining and my nagging…yelling…..pleading (in that same order!). Finally it feels as if the whole house heaves a sigh of relief as Abhay reaches his pick up in the nick of time to catch his school bus!  

So today we read about another family who might just miss the bus when it pulls up at their doorstep. “Catch the Bus” a Level 2 Early Reader Berenstain Bears story that doubles up as a Tell the time story. Its 6.59 AM and all is still at the Berenstain Bear’s tree house and Brother and Sister Bear are seen fast asleep in their room. At 7.00 AM as the alarm goes off, both the bear cubs decide to snooze on and are soon back to sleep. At 7.15 AM, the school bus starts off to pick up the cubs one by one. The school bus is on its way to pick up Brother and Sister who are  sound asleep in their beds. At 7.45 AM, Mother bear worries that her cubs will miss the bus if they don’t hurry. At 7.50 AM, the cubs are woken up by an angry mother who rushes them through their morning routine of wash and dress, comb and brush and breakfast in a hurry …and off they scurry to catch their bus just in time as it arrives at 8 0’clock! The story ends with a verse that echos my sentiments in the morning - "If you sleep past seven, you might be late when the school bus comes for you at eight!"

Peppa Pig's adventures!

It’s almost been six months since our move  back to India and of the three of us, Abhay is the one who least remembers Portland. Frankly, I don’t blame him as I guess he’s got the best deal of all three! :-) Being surrounded and cosseted by his doting paternal and maternal grandparents ……what more could a five year old want? Anyway, the only time he fondly recalls his Portland days is when he turns on the Television and can no longer watch his favorite shows on Nick Jr. or PBS kids! In fact, when we turned on the Television that we shipped from Portland for the first time, Abhay honestly expected to see “Wow Wow Wubbzy” and “Super Why” and instead had to make do with “Chota Bheem”! My apologies to Chota Bheem aficionados, but I find the storyline repetitive and devoid of any educative value. I’m not sure if many would agree but I feel that we lack good quality children’s programs that spark their imagination and promote social and thinking skills. I wish we had more programs that young kids can relate to, as opposed to the super hero stories that hardly seem relevant to their everyday lives.  So its not only Abhay, but Abhay’s mom too who misses Superwhy and Wow Wow Wubbzy! :-)

While in Portland, Abhay loved to watch the “Peppa Pig” series created by Neville Astley and Mark Baker about Peppa, a female pig who faces routine issues like sibling rivalry, reluctance to  share,   peer pressure and adjustment to school that any young girl or a boy may face in their day to day lives.  Since Peppa Pig is a British animated series,  I managed to find some of her stories in the British Council library in Bangalore and needless to say Abhay loves them. Today I read “Daddy Pig’s old chair”, a story revolving around Daddy Pig’s hoarding habit. Peppa’s school is holding a garage sale to raise funds for a new roof wherein everybody has to bring something to sell. Peppa and her family gather some of their old stuff to put up for sale. When mummy pig offers to put up Daddy Pig’s old squeaky chair for sale, Daddy pig is unsure and wants to retain the old junk. But when the school truck arrives, naughty mummy pig gives away the old chair and assures Peppa that Daddy will never notice. At the school jumble sale, when everyone is busy looking at each other’s donations, Daddy Pig is excited to show his family what he’s bought. No prizes for guessing what that might be – his old chair which he believes to be a perfect match to his chair at home! As always, it’s Daddy Pig’s silly little ways that bring a smile on your little one’s face…..and no wonder Abhay likes him so much….reminds him of his daddy who always makes him laugh! :-)