Friends, do visit my new blog for the library – Little Readers’ Blog.
Thanks!
Almost 3!
Baby M is not a baby anymore! I really should start using his real name now, given that our identity is not such a big secret (with the link to my other blog). So well, Mihir turns three next Tuesday and I simply cannot get over the fact that my baby’s a big boy already! Imagine, he’ll be starting big school this June! I was going through my blog this past hour and it feels so wonderful to read the little I’ve written about him, that I’m feeling very guilty to have missed recording all the little joys from his entire third year here. So, much that I hate writing bullet point posts, here’s a quick recap of the year gone by.
- This year, like the two that came before, has been all about Mihir! Funny that I wished for a little girl all my life, but this little boy I wouldn’t exchange for a thousand little girls! Talking nineteen to the dozen, making up his own outrageous stories, asking me to read the same book every single day, singing nursery rhymes or reciting alphabets and numbers all day long, running all the way to the neighbourhood park in the evening, insisting on kissing my nose and giving me a hug each time I make a sad face, he’s the joy and pride of my life as I’m sure he’ll always be!
- Mihir has enjoyed every bit of his nursery school this year. Barring the first week when he cried a little, he’s gone happy, smiling and literally running and jumping to school every single day. It helps that the school is less than a minute’s walk from our place. And it’s just so wonderful to see his happy face when he comes out with his friends everyday, proudly showing off the ‘two-two stars’ on his hands, a pat on the back from his teachers for something nice he did that day!
- And then there’s the wonderful friends he and I have made at his school – our mom’s group is the closest I’ve come to making real friends and enjoying girly stuff after college. We stay back to chat after we drop the kids at school every single day, exchanging notes on everything under the sun and ribbing each other like anything, meet up regularly for extended gab-and-hog sessions, take the kids to the park or go shopping or walking together, even babysit each other’s kids at times. Such fun! Most importantly, everyone in the group is chilled out, not quick to take offence unlike others I’ve been unfortunate enough to encounter in the past.
- The domestic help situation at home has finally settled down, touchwood. Talk to any Mumbai mom, and she’ll tell you what a blessing that is. My new help is mature, sincere, polite and reliable. She cooks reasonably well and has struck up a good relationship with Mihir. And wonder of wonders, she never ever takes an unscheduled holiday. What can I say, simply, touchwood again!
- It’s such a blessing to have your parents live in the same city as you. The husband and I have our weekly off on Saturday nights when we drop off Mihir at his fan club a.k.a. grandparents’ place and go watch a movie or meet friends for dinner. Sunday morning, we have a leisurely breakfast and then go and pick him up by which time I am feeling totally refreshed and ready to cope with Mihir’s boundless energy all over again!
- We have stayed true to our resolution of exploring India with little Mihir – lots of fun trips this year – Kerala, Rajasthan, Goa and weekend getaways to Alibag and Harihareshwar. Coming up next is a short trip to Matheran with my parents and a longer one in the summer, probably somewhere in the North.
- Last but not the least, Little Readers’ Nook! We have over 35 members now with some exciting corporate tie-ups in the offing. Of course, I have made hardly anything in terms of money and very likely never will, but in terms of an experience, it’s been the richest ever. The sense of accomplishment that comes from setting up your own venture from scratch, doing every little thing yourself is amazing – traveling all over Mumbai on the hunt for good books, putting the themes together, coming up with interesting activities to go with the themes, trying out everything with Mihir first, watching him blossom into the best Little Reader ever, explaining your concept to strangers, meeting some wonderful like-minded parents – it’s just like watching your baby grow up, only more fun, and dare I say, more hard work!
So that was the year gone by for me. There have been some small low points of course, but when I look back, I can remember only the good things, so that’s good, right?
P.S. Coming up soon – Mihir’s 3rd birthday party on 5th March. We’ve booked an open air bus from Mumbai’s famous double decker fleet and will be taking his friends on a joyride along Mumbai’s coastline. Return gifts will be Tulika books. And the neighbourhood balloonwala will decorate the open deck with bunches of gas balloons. My secret dream has always been to set free a huge bunch of those balloons à la Rajesh Khanna in Anand – let’s hope the kids will leave a bunch for me to set free!
Tan Ta Dan!
Friends, it gives me immense pleasure to introduce my second baby to the world!!!
Little Readers’ Nook – Concept-based Library for 2-6 Year Olds in Mumbai!
We offer a Personalized Series of Themed Reading Sets for you to spend quality time reading, learning and playing with your child.
Each Reading Set is based on a Theme or Concept – alphabets, numbers, shapes, colours, animals, farms, folk tales, fables, vehicles, sports, adventure, outdoor fun, seasons, music, environment, family, friendship, professions, emotions and much much more!
Concept-based learning helps you introduce an idea in its totality, showing your child how different perspectives may co-exist.
The Themed Reading Set Has
- 4 Fabulous Books,
- 1 Toy Or Puzzle and
- 3 Activity Suggestions
Based On A Theme!
Our aim is to engage children’s interest, spark their imagination and encourage them to think and ask questions.
- Explore a new Concept once a month or once a fortnight.
- Pickup from our Shivaji Park, Vile Parle or Thane locations.
- Doorstep Delivery coming soon!
- Plans starting from as little as Rs. 200 a month!
Soliciting your help – Brief survey on Children’s Library in Mumbai
Dear Friend,
Are you, or someone you know, parent to a young child living in Mumbai? If yes, I need your help!
I am evaluating the idea of starting an online book library for children in Mumbai and have created a brief market research survey for this purpose. Would you please answer it for me? It should not take too long.
To fill it out, visit this link.
It would be great if you would also share this with your friends/family/colleagues in Mumbai having young children and encourage them to participate in this survey.
You could email them or simply share the link on your Facebook, twitter or blog page. Let’s spread the word folks!
Once again, thank you! I really appreciate it! 
Thanks,
Me!
Baby M at almost two!
Hi, Aai’s friends! I hope you still remember me. My Aai, having hopped off the blogging bandwagon, was determined to keep me away too. ‘Why not let me write if you are too lazy Aai?’, I kept asking her. She of course had no reply to that. But when I decide to do something, you can be sure I’ll do it. If not immediately, then as soon as your attention wavers for a second. And so, here I am!
Important things first. I am a big boy now, and I mean really really big – just imagine, I will be two years old come March! I am almost half as tall as Aai already. I expect to overtake her soon. Next stop, Baba! Aai realized how tall I was when I was able to dislodge the animal stickers on my new room’s wall, placed well out of my reach or so she thought. All it took was a couple of pillows strategically placed and stretching myself a bit and wham – mission accomplished! Aai is now complaining about some tiny marks on the wall where the stickers peeled off a little paint, as if anyone is going to notice that! I overheard Aaji scolding Aai about the stickers yesterday, it was quite funny really – why did you buy those cute animal stickers – for Baby M to enjoy them or as wall decor? Good question Aaji! Now why didn’t I think of it myself?
Both my Aaji-Ajobas and Baba are on my side always. Aai is not allowed to scold me in their presence. They keep telling her I am too small to be scolded. I don’t really agree with the small part, but why argue when they are taking my side? Of course, when Aai and I are alone at home, there is no stopping her. M, don’t do this and M, don’t do that! She can be a real good sport at times, and a total wet blanket at others. She’s very unpredictable that way, my Aai. V mavshi (my best friend who plays with me and takes care of me when Aai goes out) takes my side but that rarely helps. Usually I am able to get Aai to smile and forget her anger with a few giggles or funny faces. If nothing works, a loud high-pitched ‘Aaiieeee’, cried as though I am in great pain is the last resort but even this doesn’t work sometimes. Then I simply stop crying and turn my attention to the next interesting object at hand with a I-couldn’t-care-less expression and watch the amazed look on her face. Such fun, I tell you! And of course, as soon as Aai is sufficiently distracted, I am back to my earlier mischief in the blink of an eye.
Morning and evening, I gesture towards the front door and demand to be taken out. I am able to open all doors inside the house now, but the main door with its funny lock still baffles me. No matter, I am working on it and should get there soon. On the road and the playground, I like to run free. Holding hands is for babies you see. Besides, only when both your hands are free, everything can be properly explored. You can stop and stare at the cat sleeping under the car, hop, skip and jump when the whim strikes you, climb steps of random shops on the way, run your hand across each gate you come across (Someone has to clean them, right?), pat the doggies till they wag their tails and look for interesting stones and pebbles for your home collection.
Many of my friends are in playschool already, but Aai and Baba are determined to hang on to me for a few months more. They say they want me to talk first. I can hardly understand these grown-ups! What else do I do all day if not talk? I call out to my Baba, Aai, Aaji, Ajoba, Kaka, Kaku, Dada, Tai, Mama and Mavshi. I mimic almost every word they speak. I ask for Aai to sing each of my favorite songs, demand water and food, ask for my ball, bat, crayons, cycle, books, point to and call out all the animals in the books and their sounds. Is that not speaking, you tell me?
Hmm. Enough of me now. Why don’t you all tell me something interesting in return too? It’s not fair that only I speak! Say, how about you tell me your favorite activities? Mine are looking at books and asking Aai to tell me the stories in them, listening to songs and rhymes, playing with my ball, helping out around the house when asked to (and even better when not asked to!) – fetching stuff, watering plants, shelling peas, putting things in their proper place – but most of all, running about exploring things.
Okay then, bye. Do remember to write in and tell me what you enjoy doing. Bye for now!
Mumbaikar again!
How does one begin? Apologies for the long unannounced absence? But after a point, repeated apologies seem meaningless, don’t they? So let me begin as if it’s business as usual instead.
A lot has happened since I last blogged. The trip to Mahabaleshwar was fun. The husband went back to business school after the break. A short trip to Indore happened in the interim. And then the grand news – the husband finished his MBA and decided to take up an offer in Mumbai of all places! Now he already had a prior offer in Chennai, so I had been preparing myself to set up home there. One would think we would be overjoyed to go back to the city where both our families live – the husband and I are both born and brought up in Mumbai – but I was very apprehensive initially.
Ever since we graduated and got married, we have never lived in the city of our birth. Yes, I used to be a Mumbaikar and even traveled by the infamous local trains for four years of engineering college. But after six peaceful years in Pune and rural New York, Mumbai with its frantic pace, pollution, frequent terror attacks and horrifying commute stories never appealed to me as a place to set up roots and bring up our child. Add to all that, the husband’s workplace was to be at the tip of South Mumbai where real estate is unbelievably expensive.
Our families, however, were unanimously happy. And not to get in to too many details, but thanks to their blessings and efforts, we were fortunate enough to set up home in one of the nicest areas of Mumbai, even if I say so myself. Nicest, not the most posh or most expensive, which is so much more important, don’t you think? Picture this – peaceful tree-lined streets, a huge playground, children’s park and sea promenade a stone’s throw away, bustling markets with awesome street-side shopping and eateries in the vicinity and no sign of Mumbai’s ubiquitous slums – what more could one ask for!
The suburb we live in is reputed to be the center of local politics and culture; something or the other is happening always. Mostly good – dramas, concerts, exhibitions and sporting events, sometimes not so good – mostly political demonstrations, but it does keep the atmosphere lively. Festivals are still celebrated in the traditional way. There’s just the right blend of the old and the new, history and progress, wealth and middle class values. The library I recently joined is over a hundred years old, has the most amazing collection of books and charges the princely sum of forty five rupees a month! The biggest flower market in the city, the oldest flyover, the biggest open ground, the most famous temple – you name it and it’s right here. The only thing missing is a huge mall, but the husband and I are hardly great fans of mall culture and we are eager to keep Baby M from it as long as we can, so that’s not a major dampener for us at all.
The biggest reason we chose to live here was the central location of course – the husband travels by bus and reaches office in anything from half an hour to an hour depending on traffic conditions, a blessing by Mumbai standards, believe me. Weekends are spent exploring South Mumbai – sev puri and pani puri at Chowpatty, long walks and bike rides at Worli seaface, sunsets at Marine Drive, buggy rides at Nariman Point for Baby M, endless window shopping at Colaba causeway for his Aai. All this was a luxury the husband and I hardly knew growing up in the suburbs from where a trip to town involved tedious bus and train travel – all enthusiasm and energy getting exhausted by the time one stepped out of the train at VT station.
We have also been blessed with good neighbors here. An elderly couple next door who dote on Baby M, a sweet little girl his age in the adjoining building to play with, a dada upstairs to teach him football and cricket. The little girl’s mom and I are jogging partners already while the dads are still making plans for a game of tennis – perhaps 2012 will be the lucky year to be graced with this much awaited game!
The proximity to both sets of grandparents and other assorted aunts and uncles and cousins is simply the icing on the cake. It’s such a joy to watch your child being pampered and loved by family! Not to mention the guilty pleasures of matinees watched and candlelight dinners enjoyed while the grandparents babysit!
Living in Mumbai may not be so bad after all, I am now inclined to think. Especially now that I am home with Baby M, sheltered from the grimier aspects of our city. Let’s hope I feel this way always!
P.S. Coming up next – a house tour as soon as I manage to get some good shots. The house isn’t grand by any means, but I am proud of what I’ve managed to do in our cozy little space.
P.P.S. It would be nice if all of you would take the time to say hi just this once, so I know who is still around, reading.
Normal programming…
… recommences! Regular readers, please do excuse the last post. Let’s just say, after weeks of self-control, I found it impossible to resist this opportunity to be naughty staring me right in the face. And now, let’s leave it at that, shall we?
Excitement is in the air at the JnM household. The husband returns from a two month exchange program in the US next week, goodies in tow. Toys and dozens of books for his darling Baby M. A digital SLR and iPhone for himself. And one teeny weeny gift for me. Sigh! How the mighty have fallen!
Okay, I am exaggerating. My gift is a surprise, so I have no idea how tiny (or huge) it is. And guess whose pictures the SLR will end up capturing? And finally, the stuff for Baby M was painstakingly researched and selected and ordered online by none other than yours truly. The poor husband ended up merely playing messenger boy in this instance. So I thought, why not be generous and give him his iPhone in return for the courier service? Yes, I am pretty generous that way.
Baby M will be taking off for Mahabaleshwar as soon as his daddy makes an appearance on Indian shores. This will be his fifth trip in less than a year, after Lonavala, Delhi-Agra, Indore and Alibag. Quite the seasoned traveler already, is our Baby M. He’s been so kind as to allow his poor parents to accompany him this time as well. But don’t expect such largess every time, we’ve been warned. Okay dear, we’ll take what we get.
The no-fuss baby that he is, Baby M has been very little trouble the last four times, gleefully taking in all the different sights with large curious eyes when awake, falling asleep in our arms when tired, and lapping up the sterile but yucky-tasting packaged baby foods as well as the delicious but hardly very hygienic dhaba food with equal ease. The husband and I have our fingers crossed this time will be no different.
The only part that worries me is the long drive. Active toddlers can be hard to manage in a confined space, and Baby M is as active as they get. I am trying to get him hooked on to looking out of the window – nothing like observing the world outside to kill boredom and enrich your mind I believe – but the idea is yet to catch on. In the meantime, mommy’s singing (talk of captive audiences!) and his favorite books seem to do the trick.
Strawberry-picking (and eating!), boating, horse-riding, hiking, swimming and lots of parent-child and husband-wife bonding is on the cards. Wish us happy travels, please!
