Shaurya's Chronicles

“Now this one is a short and crisp post on recent changes in Shaurya’s behaviour with respect to his taking medicines”.

It so happens that 1 – 2 years ago when Shaurya was still a baby it was very difficult to give him any kind of medicine or syrup. We always dreaded Shaurya’s illness and prayed for him not to fall ill at all because it meant a harrowing time for us. He would simply not take in any kind of syrup even if it was sweetened and flavored and if we forced it into him, he would poke his little fingers in his throat and puke it out.

This implied that his being sick would automatically mean a huge load of clothes for washing and sleepless nights for me and since he still did not take any kind of syrup it would prolong his sickness a bit as well. However, what was strange was the fact that he got hooked onto taking a tablet at a very early stage. I guess, he was as young as a year and a half when he took his first tablet. So, if anyone in the family was taking in a tablet, he played ape and wanted one for himself as well.

However in recent times there has been a significant change in him. I have mentioned in my previous posts how fond he is, of his cousin Saanya and about his fascination for colors. The two facts combined well when Saanya was visiting him few weeks ago and he closely observed how she would gladly lick one of her pink stomach ache syrups. In fact an evidence of his liking for ‘Saanu’ dear came to fore when he started insisting on having the same pink syrup which she would have.

What is even more amusing is the fact that he has now started putting up little acts to demand that syrup. He would suddenly pretend to double up in pain and run to me saying “Mamma tummy में  बहुत ज़ोर से उई हो रही है, pink medicine देनी पड़ेगी”. Thankfully this syrup is all natural and so if he insists a lot, I give him one fourth of a spoon and play along.

I wonder at times how children pick up the tricks to play and pretend and then come up and try and put an act before their folks to get what they want. Maybe the coming years shall see him try and fool me for more complex things and perhaps for circumventing his way out of trouble. Maybe then, I would be tempted to box his ears a bit.

I guess for now, I shall just put my feet up and enjoy his antics. Perhaps one of these days in a few years from now, I would pull up this story when he brings his kids to me and complains that they are just not taking the medicine. :)

“I think I need to tender my apologies to all my readers for the lackadaisical attitude I have shown towards this blog. I believe Shaurya is the only one who will side with me on the fact that his mamma has been extremely busy with her hands full of never ending tasks. I am hoping that I would be able to turn things around a bit and make a few quick updates about all the things that happened in last few months and do a lot better than last year…Let’s see”.

This is about Shaurya developing his own lingo.

Well, it’s been some time that my hero has started using full sentences  and has attained a better grasp on his language and is talking a lot, so I feel that I will dedicate a couple of posts just to this topic.

So Shaurya has his pet phrases and he uses them at will, while narrating anecdotes about what happens around him, whether at school or at home. One of his favourites is "सकते हैं"  or "सकते नहीं हैं" .

If there is something which he thinks he can do, instead of saying the whole sentence as "यह काम कर सकते हैं" he says "सकते हैं" and for something that he thinks can not be done, he says "सकते नहीं हैं"  instead of saying “"कर नहीं सकते".

It becomes incredibly funny specially on times when everyone is listening to him or while he is being asked something serious and he comes up with a curt “No, सकते नहीं हैं" !!!

The weather has been exceptionally cold in the last few days and being a mother I can’t help pointing out things for him. As a matter of precaution I have been telling him not to have cold water, ice creams, cold drinks etc. And so whenever he stepped into the kitchen, I would tell him, ‘’Shaurya, don’t have cold water’’ and likewise.

I guess he got tired of listening to the same things again and again and so one day he told me.. ”Mamma, I’m going to have water, और अब आप मुझे मना सकते नहीं हैं (I am going to have water and you can’t stop me now)”!!!

I was slightly taken aback by his outburst but my surprise soon turned to amusement and I kept smiling thinking about his will to assert himself and use words as per the situation.

At other times he has many more things to say, for eg. "मुझे समझ नहीं आ रहा"…."मैं बहुत परेशान हूँ" and very often I just keep looking at him with amazement at his choice of phrases and his grasp of the context of a conversation.

I guess it is about time I changed my perception of him as just a little child to a young kid conscious of his will, likes, dislikes and of course his right to exercise his freedom of speech as well.

“January, June and now December, I guess this year I have been exceptionally rogue when it came to updating my blog. 3 posts in the entire year so far – I guess it’s more or less unforgivable now. Maybe I can still turn things around a bit and make a few quick updates about all the things that happened in last few months…Let’s see”.

This happened couple of weeks ago.

I had nearly exhausted myself at the school and was looking forward to the approaching weekend. There were scores of errands to run and I kind of knew that I would be sucked into some routine cleaning task unless I really planned well in advance to steal a few moments for myself.

After much deliberation and careful scheming, I managed to rope in Suraj (Shaurya’s much adored “Mamu”) along with Shaurya’s Daddy and ‘Chachu’ for babysitting him while I filled in for a spa session at the nearby salon. However, little did I know what the day ahead had in store for Shaurya and me.

As I moved out of the house, I heard Shaurya’s Daddy remind me that even Shaurya’s haircut was due and hinted at me to take him along and to get him a haircut as well. Now, convincing Shaurya to get a haircut is a herculean task. Let me be a little more discreet here. Shaurya somehow got scared while getting his hair snipped in a previous haircut session and now would just not sit straight at the barber’s. He made sure that he got the roof down with all his howling and protest and made his haircut a harrowing experience for everyone else as well. After a long and tiresome week, I was convinced to the core that I had done enough in the past week to earn myself a few hours of relaxation and perhaps with a view to get him spend some time with the ‘men’ in the house, suggested that maybe Daddy dearest could take care of the haircut and went off.

I returned in about two hours to witness, what I can only term as mental torture for my little angel. Shaurya was sitting with what looked like a crisscross of patches and frizz all over his head. His head was shaven in a disarrayed jigsaw with his scalp jutting out in portions. I almost shrieked in horror looking at Shaurya as he sat playing innocently with his toy train unable to fully understand and comprehend what he had just been subjected to. To top it all - the trinity (Daddy, Chachu and Mamu) stood there smiling and marveling at what they believed was a masterpiece in hair styling. I still can’t believe that they expected me to shower in a word of appreciation or feel some gratitude for what they had just ‘committed’.

As soon as my little champ saw me, the first thing he said was “I don’t like this, Daddy, Chahcu aur Mamu ne yeh kiya (as he pointed to his head)...bahot uui kari” He tried telling me that they had cut his hair forcibly and probably held him tight while his Suraj Mamu used the machine to shave off his head. Since Shaurya can’t really sit still while having a haircut and these people were no coiffure specialists their task was left unfinished and as a result Shaurya was left with those tell-tale small patches of hair on his head.

The only resort left now was to shave the remaining hair on Shaurya’s head to give him an even look. It took a lot of cajoling and coaxing to convince Shaurya to agree to sit still and get a bald look. As a mother, I felt really bad for him. It was both heartbreaking and funny to see him look into the mirror and frown for next few days. Every time he saw his reflection, his hands inadvertently went up to his head and he almost came to the brink of tears. The first thing he would then say was “Look..my hair are all gone.”

As a teacher I often see young students try different hairdos, at times making a complete fool of themselves in an attempt to look ‘cool’. Don’t know if the years ahead shall also see Shaurya develop similar traits and spending valuable time before the mirror and getting picky about the clothes and hair styles. Maybe I would then stop seeing this as funny but for now I guess I can look back at his innocent ways and smile in love at his ordeal.

Hair or no hair, I guess I love you just as much sonny boy.

Funny that my previous post also began with an apology about being irregular in updating the blog. I guess, life at times just doesn’t give you a breather. You are left being a spectator to your own life and all what is happening to you… Just hope I am not rusted too much..

Few months ago I had written about Shaurya starting his play school. (Read about it HERE). Much has happened since then and now when he has finally stepped into a different world and has started going to a bigger school for his formal education.

Maybe someday I shall also write about all the hassles that parents these days have to go through to seek admission for their ward in an institute of their liking but I guess I shall let this post only talk about Shaurya’s first big day at his new big school.

It was the morning of Monday, April 5, 2010 when Shaurya stepped out of the house for his formal schooling. Though, we had prepped him for his big day, I guess he had little idea what he was getting into. We, as his family, were obviously more excited.

I woke him up in time and got him ready in the morning for his school. I had bought him a new water bottle and he was elated. He hung his favorite ‘monkey’ backpack and was all beaming and raring to go. I had heard plenty of horror stories from friends and colleagues about the torrid time that they faced when their children went off to school for the first time howling and crying and wailing their heart out. Personally I was a bit scared that he might find it difficult to cope up in a new environment and that we shall end up in a similar situation. However, to our surprise he was all at ease and really made me proud as a mother. I guess all his training at the play school finally paid off.

His daddy and his Da-Ma went to drop him at his school. I was truly relieved when they came back and told me that my little champ had a great time and had settled comfortably in his new surroundings.

Two days later, he started his school bus. Though it was still first week of April, but it had become reasonably hot. The school bus was a regular DTC bus and his Daddy kept worrying about his little Prince all the while and expected to see him come back all hassled and whining about the bus or the weather.

Instead, when he went to pick him up from the bus stop, he found Shaurya all smiling and enjoying sitting on the front seat right behind the driver (it still is his favourite seat). It was amazing to see him all beaming and as he got down, the first thing Shaurya said to his Daady was, “Daddy, see it’s a blue bus… I like the school… I like the bus… Bahot maza aayi!!!”

Well, all in all, he is happy and settled at his new school and is loving the bus rides to and fro. I guess the next thing that I am waiting to see is how he takes his lessons and the kind of skills and talents he picks up and demonstrates at school.

I guess we as his parents shall do all that is necessary and in his interest to learn and imbibe all what is meaningful and important to become a responsible adult with a sound intellect, balanced head and a compassionate heart.

In that sense Son, I hope that when you are old enough to read this post and understand it, be reminded that It is possible to fill one’s head with a million facts and still remain entirely uneducated. I would then want you to question yourself and answer if you have been able to gather the true essence of education or just confined yourself to pursue good grades.