Come weekend, things slow down here in Mylapore. I don't hyperventilate looking at the clock. But nonetheless I do have an agenda even for the weekend. And mine reads like this - milk time for raks, thinking about what to give her for breakfast, coaxing her out of her hiding places to make her eat the bowl of cereals, refreshing bath, dressing her up in "girl" t-shirt, playtime until cooking gets done, lunch with tempting side dishes (favourite curry or appalam), making her eat the lunch, playtime until I finish my lunch, numbers exercise in ipad or writing alphabets in a note, milk time, searching for raks under the table and behind the doors, checking with downstairs kid about her availability to send raks, sending raks to her friend's house, coffee time for me while simultaneously checking email, making raks approved snacks or tiffen....
Raks wakes up late with many things in her agenda - Chota Bheem, cooking with water, roll no 21, playing with water, extended bubble bath sessions, playing with make-up, playing with friends, watching TV, playing at home, ipad, playing with ridhi, playing....
While both our agendas meets only during playtime, we negotiate our way through it. So the final agenda looks somewhat like this...
Milk time, playing with ipad, playing with breakfast (with intermittent threats combined with blackmail from me), pleads, coaxing and threats from raks to switch on TV followed by a game of choice (Why don't you play this, this or this?), drawing up bubble bath (an activity that we both enjoy), making raks come out of the bubble bath which involves draining the water albeit with some skillful maneuvering and brutal strength amidst much batting of eyelids and pleading face, lunch with chota bheem where I literally take her hand guiding it to the bowl and back to the mouth (I might as well feed her there!), chota bheem and roll no 21 extended until I have my lunch, number worksheets for raks but first I will have to drag her off the TV and then search for her under the table, searching for disappearing pencils and sharpners, aha! finding them under the sofa cushion, successfully finishing the worksheet after some negotiation, playtime with ridhi, relaxation, relaxation, relaxation....
Some times she takes herself off to her cousin's house along with her obliging grandparents which gives me time to plan the following activities, painting toe nails, watching something adult on TV, day dreaming, beauty parlour or a spa (if i am very lucky!)
.... until the weekend ends and the blues start.
Raks wakes up late with many things in her agenda - Chota Bheem, cooking with water, roll no 21, playing with water, extended bubble bath sessions, playing with make-up, playing with friends, watching TV, playing at home, ipad, playing with ridhi, playing....
While both our agendas meets only during playtime, we negotiate our way through it. So the final agenda looks somewhat like this...
Milk time, playing with ipad, playing with breakfast (with intermittent threats combined with blackmail from me), pleads, coaxing and threats from raks to switch on TV followed by a game of choice (Why don't you play this, this or this?), drawing up bubble bath (an activity that we both enjoy), making raks come out of the bubble bath which involves draining the water albeit with some skillful maneuvering and brutal strength amidst much batting of eyelids and pleading face, lunch with chota bheem where I literally take her hand guiding it to the bowl and back to the mouth (I might as well feed her there!), chota bheem and roll no 21 extended until I have my lunch, number worksheets for raks but first I will have to drag her off the TV and then search for her under the table, searching for disappearing pencils and sharpners, aha! finding them under the sofa cushion, successfully finishing the worksheet after some negotiation, playtime with ridhi, relaxation, relaxation, relaxation....Some times she takes herself off to her cousin's house along with her obliging grandparents which gives me time to plan the following activities, painting toe nails, watching something adult on TV, day dreaming, beauty parlour or a spa (if i am very lucky!)
.... until the weekend ends and the blues start.
No comments:
Post a Comment