Last Saturday was Parent's Day at the montessori school D & S study in. D is one of the "Captains" - the senior most batch of about 12 children and she was involved in a whole lot of things - singing the prayer along with the other captains, doing some of the compering, narrator of the play, and a dance at the end. Whew - I thought - how was she going to manage all that, but she did a really good job. Talking/narrating especially seems to be her "thing" atleast right now and it was really nice for us to see something she was really comfortable at :). She was wearing a maroon full length dress (they actually wanted burgundy but a nice one in that colour was too tough to find - and believe me I looked !).
S was wearing a white shirt and blue jeans. He was supposed to be in one dance and one action song/rhyme in Kannada both of which he had been performing vigorously at home so we were really looking forward to seeing him on stage, but he absolutely refused to do anything but just stand there ! I tried going and kneeling in front of the stage (my knees didn't like that at all!) so he could see me, but though that stopped his crying, he absolutely refused to do anything more :(. I know I know - It's all right, that's how it is etc etc.. - but he's only going to be this cute age on stage once - when it's next year he'll be already a lil bit grown up, and even if he gives a star performance I'll always miss this one - he knew all the steps to Waka waka but I'll have to take a home video to remind myself about it when he's grown up!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Ode to an Auto driver
Among all the articles about impolite auto drivers, and all the road rage they usually seem to set off, it was a refreshing change to come across a really nice one. I was coming out of Woodlands Hotel, and was having visions of needing to ask atleast 4 autos before one accepted coming to my area (which is the usual way of things!).
But this elderly person came up and asked me so politely "Yelli hogbekkamma?"(Where do you need to go, ma?) that I actually looked at him a bit suspiciously - Not being used to so much politeness you see :). I looked around to see if he actually had an auto parked there before answering "BTM Layout" sure that he would say no, but he immediately accepted and waited for me to get in.
His licence mentioned his name as Narayanappa. Not that he was talkative, but the little he spoke he seemed to say so gently and politely that I had to discount the slightly large sum of money that he asked for ;). I missed a turn while directing him, and he actually offered to turn back and get me to my destination rather than letting me get down and walk! And when I mentioned to him while getting down about how politely he spoke, he was so humble about it saying " At my age, don't I have to speak like that?" :)
But this elderly person came up and asked me so politely "Yelli hogbekkamma?"(Where do you need to go, ma?) that I actually looked at him a bit suspiciously - Not being used to so much politeness you see :). I looked around to see if he actually had an auto parked there before answering "BTM Layout" sure that he would say no, but he immediately accepted and waited for me to get in.
His licence mentioned his name as Narayanappa. Not that he was talkative, but the little he spoke he seemed to say so gently and politely that I had to discount the slightly large sum of money that he asked for ;). I missed a turn while directing him, and he actually offered to turn back and get me to my destination rather than letting me get down and walk! And when I mentioned to him while getting down about how politely he spoke, he was so humble about it saying " At my age, don't I have to speak like that?" :)
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Christmas Carols..
D & S sang for a Christmas Carol service by the St. Marks Children's Choir last Saturday (Dec 11th). Was so proud of the difference in way Damita was singing compared to the first time she performed. She knew all the words by heart, and sang with all her heart - it was so nice to see. Achievement by Shehan - to have stood on stage for all 14 songs :). Don't know how much he actually sang - waiting for the video to come out to see that!
No photos unfortunately as I didn't have hubby around to help (he was out of town) and was too overwhelmed with doing it all on my own to think of taking the camera :(. But as there were lots of photographers and videographers around, I hope to get to see some good shots soon.
No photos unfortunately as I didn't have hubby around to help (he was out of town) and was too overwhelmed with doing it all on my own to think of taking the camera :(. But as there were lots of photographers and videographers around, I hope to get to see some good shots soon.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Emotional outpourings..
Most times when I sit to write something in this blog, I feel guilty that I'm probably writing more about my son (2 yrs 9 months) than about my daughter (5.5 yrs). When she was a toddler I hadn't yet discovered blogging as a regular experience and so it feels like many of those wonderful memories have become hazy :(. So it was a refreshing experience to sit down and write nearly entirely about her, for a short speech at her school's Parent's day on the 18th (That speech in my next post with the school's permission).
Everytime I try to practise actually speaking the words I have written, I feel so choked up with all the memories and to see where my baby of 2 yrs 5 mths when she entered the school has reached now! And this will be her final year at this Montessori school. Next year will be a whole different ball game starting with getting up really early, probably being out of home around 7 (now she goes to school at 9 :)) - not just for her but for me too of course! New environment, new teachers, new friends (hopefully lots of them!) - I can't believe I'm getting ready to send my baby off in a school bus all on her own maybe to a school that's 15 kms away, after ferrying her personally for the last three years to a school that's 5 minutes away from home.
I wish her all the best and hope her years at the "big" school will be as happy as the last three have been. May she conform just enough (because that's necessary too :)), but still retain the wonderful independent character she has developed :).
Everytime I try to practise actually speaking the words I have written, I feel so choked up with all the memories and to see where my baby of 2 yrs 5 mths when she entered the school has reached now! And this will be her final year at this Montessori school. Next year will be a whole different ball game starting with getting up really early, probably being out of home around 7 (now she goes to school at 9 :)) - not just for her but for me too of course! New environment, new teachers, new friends (hopefully lots of them!) - I can't believe I'm getting ready to send my baby off in a school bus all on her own maybe to a school that's 15 kms away, after ferrying her personally for the last three years to a school that's 5 minutes away from home.
I wish her all the best and hope her years at the "big" school will be as happy as the last three have been. May she conform just enough (because that's necessary too :)), but still retain the wonderful independent character she has developed :).
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Article online
Thanks to Nishant who runs http://www.schoolsearch.in/ who kept telling me I could even when I wasn't too sure about it :)
http://www.schoolsearch.in/blog/index.php/on_siblings_rivalry
Anybody else interested in sharing articles please get back to me and I will pass on his contact details.
http://www.schoolsearch.in/blog/index.php/on_siblings_rivalry
Anybody else interested in sharing articles please get back to me and I will pass on his contact details.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Weekends !!
In the last couple of months, our weekends have just been so filled with activity that sometimes it feels like I don't have time to breathe ! Have been promising friends or relatives that we'll meet in the next couple of weekends and then a couple of months have passed before i know it !!
Last weekend among other things we had a birthday party to attend. This was held at a place called Martin's Farm - which was off Sarjapur road. As expected, most of the activity was outdoors which was so brilliant for children - the only time spent under a roof was when the cake was cut and lunch was served :).
The highlight of the day was feeding the animals - with a lot of green beans in hand, the children trooped from rabbit to goat to donkey trying diligently to get the beans into their mouths. Most of the goats and donkeys were not too hungry, but a certain mountain goat just made up for all the rest with his enthusiasm to eat all the beans put near his mouth - the children were really thrilled. It amazed me to see the fearlessness with which most children approached the animals even though for some (like mine for example) this would have been the first time they got so close to a goat or a donkey !! Even my dear daughter who's usually so hesitant with new experiences, was quite game to go hold a turtle :O !!! My son had no qualms to bend under a donkey's head to retrieve beans which had fallen from his hand - I of course was holding my breath till he got up again :).
There was a scavenger hunt planned for later, but unfortunately we had to leave before then so never found out what that was like :(. This experience came at a time when I had just been reading about people's experiences in places like petting zoos which are not yet a big deal in India (heard later of one in Whitefield though - must find out more about it!). I had thought that it would be very difficult for us to recreate such experiences for our children but I was delighted at such a gentle and enjoyable beginning. Here's to more of the same :) !
Last weekend among other things we had a birthday party to attend. This was held at a place called Martin's Farm - which was off Sarjapur road. As expected, most of the activity was outdoors which was so brilliant for children - the only time spent under a roof was when the cake was cut and lunch was served :).
The highlight of the day was feeding the animals - with a lot of green beans in hand, the children trooped from rabbit to goat to donkey trying diligently to get the beans into their mouths. Most of the goats and donkeys were not too hungry, but a certain mountain goat just made up for all the rest with his enthusiasm to eat all the beans put near his mouth - the children were really thrilled. It amazed me to see the fearlessness with which most children approached the animals even though for some (like mine for example) this would have been the first time they got so close to a goat or a donkey !! Even my dear daughter who's usually so hesitant with new experiences, was quite game to go hold a turtle :O !!! My son had no qualms to bend under a donkey's head to retrieve beans which had fallen from his hand - I of course was holding my breath till he got up again :).
There was a scavenger hunt planned for later, but unfortunately we had to leave before then so never found out what that was like :(. This experience came at a time when I had just been reading about people's experiences in places like petting zoos which are not yet a big deal in India (heard later of one in Whitefield though - must find out more about it!). I had thought that it would be very difficult for us to recreate such experiences for our children but I was delighted at such a gentle and enjoyable beginning. Here's to more of the same :) !
Friday, December 03, 2010
Vroom Vroom ..!!!
Hyundai Verna... SX4... Alto.... Chevrolet Tavera... I20.. Maindra Xylo... All this said in a loud voice with hardly a second between names..
Yes we are on the road and S is reeling off the names.. Apparently this is a "thing" with boys and cars.. I hate to label my kids with gender-activities but this was definitely a big difference between my darling girl and dear boy!!! I have to identify a car for him all of twice for him to know it the next time.. the latest on his list is the Maruti Eeco..
It was after this that I actually learnt to identify the Hyundai I10 and I20 from the front.. :).. when it's so easy to read the name at the back anyway I never used to bother about what the cars actually looked like.. but I wondered at my two year old who cannot read and can maybe just about identify a logo or two figuring out so much and I felt great to see the world (or rather atleast cars) through his eyes :).
The wonderful experience of being surprized by what a child can do :)
Yes we are on the road and S is reeling off the names.. Apparently this is a "thing" with boys and cars.. I hate to label my kids with gender-activities but this was definitely a big difference between my darling girl and dear boy!!! I have to identify a car for him all of twice for him to know it the next time.. the latest on his list is the Maruti Eeco..
It was after this that I actually learnt to identify the Hyundai I10 and I20 from the front.. :).. when it's so easy to read the name at the back anyway I never used to bother about what the cars actually looked like.. but I wondered at my two year old who cannot read and can maybe just about identify a logo or two figuring out so much and I felt great to see the world (or rather atleast cars) through his eyes :).
The wonderful experience of being surprized by what a child can do :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)