I know I have been absent since new year. Thanks to Vaikunta Ekadasi, Pongal, Kannum Pongal, Maatu Pongal, native place (husband's) temple festival and finally rak's birthday, my itinerary was full. Here is a blog that has been pending so long...
Buyer's remorse is nothing new to me. I could relate sagas about toys that we bought for raks in our enthusiasm and the way we repented for it in leisure.
Music Fish
A musical fish. Now how cute is that. It rushes through the floor with a melodious music flashing its tail, this way and that with some bright lights. We imagined, raks playing with it serenely sitting in the middle of the play area watching it move around (while I got some work done on my laptop). Fat chance. In the first place, the music that seemed low toned in the shop blared its heart out at home. And raks's reaction reminded me of Jaws movie, where people scrambled out of the beach fearing a shark attack. And raks trampled on hanuman, krishna, hanuman (number 2), cooking set oven (that survived with a dent), grandfather's arm before she settled on my lap to escape from it.
We parents are a worst lot I think. We still wanted our money's worth from the toy. So the musical fish became the boogeyman to threaten her, if she confiscated our mobiles, vegetables, utensils, grandfather's watch or my books. After about ten days or so, the fish broke its tail and ended up in the bag that read 'can be resurrected if raks created trouble'
Bow and Arrow
Now I have nothing against bow and arrow. I have played it with it, during the hey days of epic serials on DD. Raks insisted that she loves the bow and arrow and wanted to learn archery. My husband immediately commissioned me to check out archery academies in the city, hoping that this plastic bow and arrow, might jumpstart raks's lifelong sporting career as an archer.
She got the bow and arrow but instead of the plastic target that came along with it, she aimed at our rear ends, delivering with unerring precision, arrow after arrow. After being pelted with a barrage of arrows, the bow and arrow vanished into the bag that read 'confiscated and dangerous'.
Fishing Set
And do not ever take your child into a toy store, especially when you are buying a birthday gift for somebody else. You will just end up buying yet another toy for your darling.
That's what happened that day. I was late for a birthday party and had to enter a toy store with an excited raks in tow. And I had to make eyes at the shop assistant to make him understand that I want to buy a barbie set. And I hoped that he would understand all the unsaid things that I dare not voice (please gift wrap this barbie set and give me the bill) And raks in the meantime was trying to sit on all the cycles that were on display and was probably planning to run away with them. But there is a golden rule that says, you cannot enter a toy store without buy anything for raks. I told her that she needs to pick something that we do not have. (What was I thinking?) And she picked the fishing set.
It had one of those magnets in the end, while there were a couple toy fishes that were supposed to float around and raks could deftly pick up them up from the ground with the fishing hook. It worked fine for a few days, barring a few accidents when we were pelted on the head by the overenthusiastic fishergirl.
And one day, a delegation from the temple had come to formally invite my father-in-law for the temple festival that we host every year. And the friendly priest engaged raks in conversation, even while she was catching the fish.
"What are you doing?"
"I am catching fish. I will make fish fry for you."
"Narayana!"
While we hushed and shushed her, the priest looked grim and looked around suspiciously. I don't even want to voice what he must have thought. And that was the end of the fishing saga and the entire set got slotted into a bag that read 'not to be played in public toy bag'
And the most recent acquisition of hers is a boxing set, which my husband insisted on getting for her. So far, its been working fine, as raks has abandoned the punching bag and has been using her father as one. Will update that saga sometime in future.
Buyer's remorse is nothing new to me. I could relate sagas about toys that we bought for raks in our enthusiasm and the way we repented for it in leisure.
Music Fish
A musical fish. Now how cute is that. It rushes through the floor with a melodious music flashing its tail, this way and that with some bright lights. We imagined, raks playing with it serenely sitting in the middle of the play area watching it move around (while I got some work done on my laptop). Fat chance. In the first place, the music that seemed low toned in the shop blared its heart out at home. And raks's reaction reminded me of Jaws movie, where people scrambled out of the beach fearing a shark attack. And raks trampled on hanuman, krishna, hanuman (number 2), cooking set oven (that survived with a dent), grandfather's arm before she settled on my lap to escape from it.
We parents are a worst lot I think. We still wanted our money's worth from the toy. So the musical fish became the boogeyman to threaten her, if she confiscated our mobiles, vegetables, utensils, grandfather's watch or my books. After about ten days or so, the fish broke its tail and ended up in the bag that read 'can be resurrected if raks created trouble'
Bow and Arrow
Now I have nothing against bow and arrow. I have played it with it, during the hey days of epic serials on DD. Raks insisted that she loves the bow and arrow and wanted to learn archery. My husband immediately commissioned me to check out archery academies in the city, hoping that this plastic bow and arrow, might jumpstart raks's lifelong sporting career as an archer.
She got the bow and arrow but instead of the plastic target that came along with it, she aimed at our rear ends, delivering with unerring precision, arrow after arrow. After being pelted with a barrage of arrows, the bow and arrow vanished into the bag that read 'confiscated and dangerous'.
Fishing Set
And do not ever take your child into a toy store, especially when you are buying a birthday gift for somebody else. You will just end up buying yet another toy for your darling.
That's what happened that day. I was late for a birthday party and had to enter a toy store with an excited raks in tow. And I had to make eyes at the shop assistant to make him understand that I want to buy a barbie set. And I hoped that he would understand all the unsaid things that I dare not voice (please gift wrap this barbie set and give me the bill) And raks in the meantime was trying to sit on all the cycles that were on display and was probably planning to run away with them. But there is a golden rule that says, you cannot enter a toy store without buy anything for raks. I told her that she needs to pick something that we do not have. (What was I thinking?) And she picked the fishing set.
It had one of those magnets in the end, while there were a couple toy fishes that were supposed to float around and raks could deftly pick up them up from the ground with the fishing hook. It worked fine for a few days, barring a few accidents when we were pelted on the head by the overenthusiastic fishergirl.
And one day, a delegation from the temple had come to formally invite my father-in-law for the temple festival that we host every year. And the friendly priest engaged raks in conversation, even while she was catching the fish.
"What are you doing?"
"I am catching fish. I will make fish fry for you."
"Narayana!"
While we hushed and shushed her, the priest looked grim and looked around suspiciously. I don't even want to voice what he must have thought. And that was the end of the fishing saga and the entire set got slotted into a bag that read 'not to be played in public toy bag'
And the most recent acquisition of hers is a boxing set, which my husband insisted on getting for her. So far, its been working fine, as raks has abandoned the punching bag and has been using her father as one. Will update that saga sometime in future.
No comments:
Post a Comment