Shopping

Its a delight to go shopping with Punch..She first says Decchu Decchu ( meaning dress) when she enters a garment shop and then proceeds to select clothes herself..after some minutes we see her holding so many hangers which she refuses to part with..then I tell the counter staff to bill the dress I have selected and she immediately repeats Bill Bill so that the dresses in her hands are also billed.

When we go grocery shopping, she points out at the trolley and I put her inside the trolley.she stands while I push the trolley and keeps her hands floating so that any rack within reach can be attacked.when she is on her feet, we get a whole assortment of things from her..she patiently gets juice bottles, maggi, fruits, tea powder and anything else she can find and puts all in the trolley. At the counter when I select the things I need to buy and give them for billing, she puts all the things she has selected too..and simply refuses to come out.. You can very well estimate the amount of patience I have and how much I try to coax her to come out without billing whatever she has selected..

Wishing all readers a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2010..

See you in 2010

Devotion

As mentioned before, Punch loves going to the temple and feeding bananas to the calves. We taught her to touch the dhvajastambha and worship it and she does that..

Some days back, she was playing with grandpa and suddenly we see her touching the lamp-post on the road with great devotion..At first we did not realise what she was upto, but then it flashed that the structure was similar to the dhvajastambha..Punch thought the lamp post to be the dhvajastambha!!

But as God is everywhere, I hope he has blessed Punch from the lamp post..This act of Punch reminded me of Prahlad..

Dream Fixing

All of us are aware of Match Fixing...Dream Fixing is what I term as deciding in advance as to who will come in your dreams..courtesy this conversation with Punch

At bed time, we pray to God and I ask god to give Punch Sweet Dreams and a good night's sleep..As per some elders, God shows flowers to children in their sleep..so I usually say "God, please show Punch lots of flowers"..the days I forget to say this, she reminds me by saying "Poo"..Since past few days she has also started saying "Thatha, Paapi, Thatha, Paapi, appu (great grandma) and ammu (great grandpa)" after I pray asking to give her Sweet Dreams.. It implies that she wants to see the above mentioned people in her dreams..Now twice thatha paapi means both sets of grandparents okay...

So what do you think about Dream fixing??

Punch and Bluetooth

This happened about 5-6 months back..

It is evening time and my phone is ringing but I am unable to locate it..Finally after a lot of searching I found it in a kitchen drawer..obviously Punch's deed. The Mr arrives and as usual Punch follows him wherever he goes. once again I get a call on my mobile, I see that the call is from the Mr who is in the same room with Punch. I yell at him and ask " Why do you have to call me when I am in the same room?". He looks puzzled and says "When did I call you?".. We then see Punch holding the Bluetooth device and pressing something..so its her handiwork..

The one advantage of this call..The Mr realises that the last call can be redialled from the bluetooth itself!!

Is it Possible?

Is it possible for an elephant to sit on a horse??

In Punchland, it is possible..

We got a horse (rocker) for her and after trying it, she (as usual) made her dolls sit on the horse for a ride and kept the small wooden elephant on it too.. At first, I had not noticed it, but when I actually saw, it looked so funny..

BTW what can be the possible meaning of Kacchhi ( Punch's language)..

Punch at 1.5 years

Punch is now 18 mths i.e 1.5 years old. Like most mothers, suddenly I feel where did these 18 months fly away? But every day is a new experience and Punch entertains us with her daily dose of masti. I am listing some random things about her..

• She is very observant and sees and hears what people around her do and tries to imitate the same..


• When we speak on the phone and she is around, she tries to repeat the words.. later she picks the landline and starts talking by saying " aunty, mamam, bye"


• Her aunty and uncles speak to her on the phone and she obliges only if in mood, else she will scream at the top of her voice. She offers to put nappy rash cream for them by applying it on the phone and gives a kiss to them by kissing the phone


• Recently, the Mr sprained his back and I sprayed the painkiller on his back, Punch immediately took the spray and tried to spray it on him


• She generally offers what she eats to others including some random person appearing on TV and the Mickey Mouse picture on her cycle


• She uses one word to communicate and we are supposed to make sentences from it


• The moment she hears the word "Temple" she says aana meaning elephant..We make her sit on the stone elephants in the temple and she loves it


• If we ask her where do you want to go, she replies Kah and Bikee meaning Car and Bike..many times she has cried so much that her dad is forced to take her on a ride on the Bike..then she asks me also to join


• Of late, I notice that when I am talking to someone, she screams and wants us to talk to her


• She feels that whenever we go out it is always to meet her grandpa and great grandma(appu)


• A peculiar thing with her..she loves to see her birthday pictures and video again and again many times a day


• She always wants me and Mickey Mouse to wear grandma's specs


• She has called out to an Auto and couple of autos have stopped to her call when we are walking


• She has to be fooled and taken to a room when someone is going out, else she creates a big fuss


• She is a terror whilst in the car and keeps jumping around the front and back and uses her legs to shut the small drawer


• She points out to the walking stick and says " Ammu" (great grandpa)..and imitates him by using the umbrella/rolling pin as a walking stick


• She loves to use the broom and mop..our maid does not wish to risk her life and promptly hands over the mop and broom at the first order from Punch
• When she sees anyone crying on TV, she says Aunty uuu uuu and wants us to view something else

Now a small quiz for my errr Punch's friends

She says something which goes like

1. tintint aawww upppp

Can u guess it?? I give you two days time...(its so easy)

AAPHIS

Aaphis is Punch's pronunciation of Office..

Thanks to her, we are all employed because when we ask her "where is ...(name)" and she is in mood, she replies Aaphis. By we I mean myself, Punch's grandparents and great grandparents too..Have you come across such a hardworking family anywhere???

Chapati

Its time to make dinner and I ask Punch " Shall we make chapati for daddy?"

She immediately runs towards the kitchen and opens a drawer and suddenly I hear something falling down..the belan has fallen down.. and instantly, she picked up the belan and looks if I am watching her, then proceeds to put the belan on the floor and roll it to symbolise making of chapatis...here we go, my boss shows me how to make chapatis...

Grandpa's chappals

Punch's grandpa usually gives her company for a few hours till her afternoon nap. He was recently not in town and I had called the electrician to fix a new tube light at the entrance to our house. Punch was looking at what the electrician was doing when suddenly she noticed that his chappals lying on the floor. Immediately, she went to wear the chappals and started saying " Thatha Thatha (grandpa grandpa)". At first I could not understand but then I realised that her grandpa had a similar pair of chappals and so she thought that to be grandpa's chappals.... Isn't that proof of her good memory? I am now extra careful about what I speak/do when she is within sight..

Be Careful

There is a naughty girl on the prowl..One of her favourite pastimes is to bolt the doors of the neighbours from outside and knock the door after that so that no one suspects her..She does this in a jiffy..

She is particularly fond of opening the main gate of the building and running away towards the next building without making the slightest noise..

Presenting...

Yes, that's Punch in her new hair style trying to raid the showcase by standing on her rocker chair.

See the latest about me

Yes friends, I am now on twitter and hopefully will keep you updated about the happenings here..the link appears on the right side of the blog..

Do You Have a Car??

If yes, then please invite Punch over, she will clean it thoroughly for you without waiting for your approval.

Yes, this is the new skill she has acquired since some time..she painstakingly ducks the cloth into the bucket of water "n" number of times chanting "appa, appa" meaning it is hard to reach. She then goes on to squeeze the water from the cloth which by now has all the water that the bucket had..the next step is to rub the cloth (with the water dripping) on the car and then look back regularly to see if someone objects to her actions..there you go, she is a pro in car cleaning..All this when she has never seen the car being cleaned except for 1-2 occasions. Not to forget, she wears any chappals (except hers) lying beside before starting the cleaning process.

Fast fast, she waiting for your offer...

Appy Appy

Timepass: Punch say Happy Diwali
Punch: Appy appy

Therefore Appy Appy to all...

A small update

I finally sat down to clean Punch's Toy Boxes (2 nos) and this is what I found..3-4 clips of mine, pages of past issues of magazines, steel cups, a lid of one container and many other things that I stopped searching for long back..Now I can easily qualify to be called the laziest right?? I mean lazy in searching for lost items as well as taking it out from her toy box..

BTW Punch got a tricycle as a Diwali gift from the Mr. We got this for her as we noticed that whenever she sees one she jumps to sit on it and says "BUrrrr Burrrr" ( just like a vehicle) And her toys are enjoying more than her as she puts the toys on the seat and pushes the cycle around..all this within hours of buying the cycle.

Give Me Time

I mean more time to complete all pending tasks..with the festive season, myself and Punch are visiting relatives all over the city resulting in tasks piling up at home..Also the past month has added a new adjective in praise of Punch..i.e. Tantrum queen..she has become very adamant and throws lot of tantrums and is really trying my patience..hopefully I will win!!!

The Mouse

Scene 1 (Grandpa's house)

Grandpa shows Punch some nursery rhymes from youtube on his desktop PC. When one clip is over, Punch becomes impatient and grabs the mouse and does some random clicks to see the videos.

Scene 2 (Punch's house)

Timepass checks mails on the Mr.'s laptop when Punch demands to see Baa Baa ( Baa Baa Black sheep). But when Timepass does not relent, Punch chances upon a mouse in the Mr.'s bag and throws it on the laptop's keyboard and starts clicking..so that she can see her favourite videos herself.

What do u feel?

Sometime back, I had written about this

Now, the said construction is almost complete and still here I am in the very same place ( that too I say as of now)

So, is the so called jinx broken this time?? Only time and myself( through this blog) will be able to tell..

Great Start to the Vacation

How would u feel

when the cab supposed to come at 5 does not turn up till 5.10

when the cab finally comes at 5.15 and u speed off

when the cab comes to a halt at 5.20 on a bridge

when the cab's tyre needs to be changed

when the airline call center says u r not eligible for tele- check in

when finally the driver changes the tyre and drives to the airport at full speed

when finally u reach the airport at 5.50 and rush to check in and thank god u r in time



All is well that ends (begins as well) well...

Punch...

Its been a long time since I wrote specifically about Punch. She turned 15 months old on August 20th. Tantrums are in full swing since some time now..she demands things and if we dont give her, she screams and sometimes lies on the floor..I divert her attention to some other thing to tide over this but am not successful all the time..

She co-operated well during our train and air journeys but found things uncomfortable as we did not allow her to walk freely due to space shortage. She insisted on rolling under the seats in the plane journey. The biggest surprise was she slept off while boarding the return flight and finally woke up when the plane was landing..that was the one snack I actually ate and not gobbled but alas just two mini paavs and bhaji and a sweetless mousse did not fill my big tummy.

Punch loved the camel and elephant ride in Jaipur and also loved feeding the pigeons. She kept on dropping one grain after other patiently to feed the pigeons and did not want to return the empty bowl to the shopkeeper. She loved walking around the malls in Gurgaon and imitated us by seeing things and putting it in the shopping bag..She had fun in the play area wherever available.

At home, she is her usual naughty self always waiting to create a mess once I clean it..She points out at the main door and says "KA" meaning she wants to go out in the car..She can imitate the sounds of a cow, crow, dog and cat well. Whenever the bell rings, she says "Thatha" expecting her grandpa..even in gurgaon she did the same when the bell rang. When we call her by various nicknames she correctly identifies who calls her what..For instance greatgrandma calls her Appu and so when she sees greatgrandma/her pic Punch immediately says Appu.. in fact when greatgrandma sleeps, Punch goes next to her and says Appu..My grandma must be the oldest to get a nickname i suppose..

She eats dal, rice, rotis, dosa etc but no guarantee that she will eat without a tantrum. Madam has a sweet tooth as well. In the puja room, she takes the oil bottle and tries to pour oil on the lamp. When we ask what next, she gives the match box. Since she did this, we are more alert and keep those things out of her reach. In fact almost everything is kept above the fridge, above the showcase etc. I found locking the room doors a good way to stop her from entering and messing up the rooms.

Phew, I have so much more to write but it seems never ending.. But this is all for now..

The Hangover..

We are back from our vacation..Few things I would like to list down..

• The first vacation after a really long time and glad that all went well especially with Punch
• Added Akshardham (Delhi) to the (visited) list of Akshardham (Gandhinagar) and Swaminarayan Temple (UK)..can I hope to see Swaminarayan Temple (Chicago) too?
• Sudden one day trip to Jaipur..so set foot on Rajasthan soil as well..
• Travelled on one more Shatabdi train (to Jaipur), but dinner was not up to the mark
• Almost sprained my neck looking at tall tall buildings in Gurgaon...they seem to be everywhere there.

As of now I can think of just the above..Punch's adventures will follow later..

BTW I realised I have this hangover when I was about to say " Aap pehle andar aa jaiye" to someone (whose entry I was blocking) at the supermarket after coming back..

Ab Dilli Door Nahin...

We are back from a short outstation trip. Thanks all for your good wishes, I managed to successfully scrape through. The biggest challenge for me was to restrict Punch to half a berth as I was sharing a berth with her. As she is used to sleeping on a sprawling double bed and is usually found (in the morning) at the exact opposite direction of which she slept the previous night, I was worried. The first time it was tough, she kept on changing sides and banging her head onto my head and I was holding on to the suitcase below whenever she used more force..Thankfully, on the return journey, she was ok, I mean very less banging on my head...She kept on loitering around the compartment and made us very tired.

Now comes the next trip..Yes, we are off to apni Dilli for a short vacation..I need your good wishes this time too as it is going to be Punch's first trip on an aeroplane..Please send a silent prayer for the airline which is accommodating us and our co-passengers...Tips/ideas are welcome..So if you are in Dilli and you see a greedy fat lady eating chaat for breakfast, lunch and dinner and eating as if not eaten for ages and a troublesome baby trying to taste that chaat...then you have found me..

God Save This Compartment

Punch is all set to embark on her maiden overnight journey in a sleeper class compartment...Please pray that all fellow passengers get sound sleep...

Why am I Awesome??

Because...

• I strongly believe in and follow Take it easy policy and Jaane bhi do yaaron policy..After all, its a small world and short life..
• I faced the un-dreamable and I came out of that grief all by myself..but the heavy burden still persists..
• I cannot be lured by temptation to do something which I feel is wrong/not needed..
• I am very gullible and get fooled so many times but I move on quickly..
• I am always available for people to share their sorrows/problems, but I never ask people personal questions/things that may hurt them/intentional questions unless they themselves start the topic and ask my view..I respect privacy of people.
• I am very flexible and adjusting with respect to people as well as places..I have to do my duty come what may..
• I cannot get tempted by good physical attributes to conclude whether a person is bad or good, it is the good heart within which attracts me..Yes, I believe in the saying "Beauty is skin deep"..

The Height of Obedience

Scene 1

Morning 7.30 Am ( Mr is about to leave for work)

Mr asks Punch "Baby get daddy's shoes from the rack"

Punch immediately obliges and gets the (correct) shoes..

Scene 2

Night 8.30 Pm ( Mr is just back home)

Mr tells Punch"Baby put daddy's socks,shirt,kerchief and pant in the washing machine"

Obedient Punch does what is told to do..

But wait, this is not what she does always..

The Mr was searching for his new phone one morning and when we dialled the number from our landline, the phone ring was traced to the washing machine...and I was about to fill water and start the machine..thank god

The Mr was gobbling up dinner as he was very hungry and Punch was circling around him as usual..suddenly he asked her something (surely not what she ran to get) and she ran to the rack and got his shoes and insisted on keeping it on the dining table next to his plate..

As of now, her recent achievement is keeping her tiny shoes on the pooja cupboard by cleverly carrying the shoes in a bag and fooling five healthy adults sitting in the same room..

Aachoo Aachoo....

This happened some time back. Saturday is the day when I can leave Punch to take care (! and Yes) of her dad for an hour or so and finish some tasks. I was about to leave for the Post office when Punch sneezed...I did not take it seriously but had to encounter a closed door in the Post office..Next stop was the bank where there was a longer queue than usual..maybe everyone wanted to visit the bank the day I chose to..so that job also left undone. As I was walking back, I thought of getting samosas but the samosas which usually arrive from the workshop by that time chose not to come..so I go home empty handed without doing a single task but know for sure it is not due to Punch sneezing before I left home.

The next day being a Sunday, no pending tasks could be taken up. But on Monday, I left home with Punch ( and renewed vigour) at sharp 8.45 AM to ensure that I am the first to enter the post office when it opens at 9 AM. Alas, it was a holiday that day..it shows that my previously average GK is nil nowadays..Obviously, the bank would also be closed so I returned home the way I went.i.e with unfinished tasks.

Now was this because of a sneeze when I left?? I really don't know what to conclude.. Finally all pending tasks were done after a couple days and yes Punch had not sneezed at that time!!

What to find where?

In the Punch household, you will find..



Chappals in drawers and the washing machine

Utensils all over the kitchen floor

Some lucky utensils do make it to Punch's bed

Sweet limes/tomatoes/potatoes in kitchen drawers meant for utensils

Some lucky fruits/vegetables make it to the shoe rack

Fridge Magnets in the laundry bag

A 1kg packet of soap powder dragged all the way from the toiletries rack to Punch's bed..(by her good self)

House/car keys in kitchen drawers inside utensil

The bell used during prayer is safe in a bucket of water

Chapati ka belan in the rack meant for toiletries...

Need I say more??

Chappal Sambhal ke...

Please do not come to any conclusion by just reading the title of this post...

When the Mr. opened the drawer to take out his purse, keys and ID card while leaving for work, guess what greeted him..Punch's chappal... The washing machine (semi automatic) was doing its work when I sensed something wrong with the sound..but I was not shocked/surprised to see the second chappal floating in the water.. Needless to say, its all Punch's work, inspite of keeping a round the clock vigil on her.

Missed One Bus, Hoping to Catch Another...

With great regret I hereby inform that Punch cannot be sent to school...as she has already missed the bus..I am told that already many schools have closed admissions for the year Punch will be starting school in..(I mean that's what a friend said..)..not that there are no other schools around but i am keen on sending her to a school which charges fees of minimum one lakh p.a..where sadly admissions are supposedly closed..now how can i think of sending her to a school with lesser fees..i mean yeh to izzat ka sawaal hai..personal loans are so freely (on the phone i mean) available these days and our credit limit keeps increasing whenever a telemarketer calls us..so what is the use of having a high credit limit and not using it to pay even school fees??

I cribbed, brooded over and sobbed a lot that Punch will need to appear as a private student for all exams...then finally i decided to atleast do the next logical thing in order for her..i mean after school and college and job ( for which i lost the race) let me atleast find a suitable life partner for her now itself..what do u say?? better to have a confirmed ticket now itself?? yes, since she will be a private candidate for exams and not figure in any merit list and be employed either as a carpenter/mason/driver/watchwoman etc, I am expecting alliances atleast from few bache kuche non blue collar babies... hmmm my poor baby...

I am the Kitchen Sink...

atleast that is what Punch thought about me...

We have recently started training her to drink from a sipper cup..once she finished drinking her milk, I asked her where is the kitchen..she correctly pointed out in the direction of the kitchen..and i took advantage of this and asked to put the sipper in the kitchen sink..she went off in the direction of the kitchen and I was lying down and proudly thinking of this accomplishment when suddenly she came back and dropped that sipper on my face...

so its official..I am the kitchen sink...

To B.... or Not to...

Hello everyone,

Hope all is well. The past few months have been bit hectic for me( though I could easily have been more efficient..). Thanks to the bunch of people who thought of asking my whereabouts..and to those who must have thought about it but not asked..It feels nice to be enquired about..and also a good feeling that people are actually waiting for a new post.

The title of this post says B...wherein B stands for Blog..and yes I am wondering whether I would be able to keep posting here.. And can i dare to earn your wrath by not writing about Punch? The baldy taklu Punch is doing good and has a nice time making me follow her wherever she moves..May I request you to pray to God that she grows enough hair soon so that I can put on a cute clip on her..

The 25 facts Tag

Here you go DC, this is the reply to ur tag..

I strongly believe in take it easy policy, jaane bhi do yaaron, bindaas..
I can merge and mix well with people at the lowest rung of society but feel uncomfortable with the higher rungs, don't know why ..maybe inferiority complex??
My views on certain topics will make people feel that i belong to a bygone era and not to the current generation and I don't say no.
I am a Maha Kanjoos aka Miser when it comes to buying things for myself
I feel shy to ask anyone for help, i don't know why but it makes me feel odd to ask
I dislike it if people pronounce names of people/places incorrectly
I am short tempered but hold that temper inside till highly unmanageable and show the anger on myself
I love chaat but relish it only if made in the right way
I yearn to visit my birth place, its been about 7 yrs since i last visited
I have visited Asia's largest slum Dharavi a number of times and each time I came out I thanked god for making me stay in the otherwise small single bedroom apartment and giving me the basic necessities of life that are inaccessible to lakhs of people
I have to read the newspaper the first thing in the morning as soon as i get up (sadly not possible since Punch arrived)
I regret the diminishing relations and contacts with cousins/uncles/aunties who were so close in the era of letters but now in the era of emails and mobile, they are drifting apart.
I just cannot speak and argue well even when I am right.
I find it amusing when people judge me just because i stayed in a particular city some time back
I cannot bear to see old people begging/ailing/suffering
I am not interested in jewels, clothes and shopping..in fact my wedding sarees were shortlisted by a gang of 7-8 people while i was sitting on a chair nearby and hearing them argue on which saree to select
I still choke when i remember that once a very old lady gave a torn saree to the tailor for mending it and he said nothing can be done to make the saree wearable..and she tried her best to make him stitch that torn saree as she had no other ones to wear
I love to pull my grandpa's ears..i mean I really pull his ears with my hands..and hear him call me donkey ..one of the pleasures of life
I need to get that 8 hrs of sleep else i feel something different..but past 1 yr i am doing good without that 8 hrs of sleep
I never discuss all my problems with others!! i mean not everything is shared
I miss my childhood days a lot but hope to give Punch a similar and even more better childhood
I just don't like it when people don't respect their elders and talk rudely to them
If I happen to understand the language in which people nearby are talking, i never reveal it till necessary..(yes that's very mean of me but i do this to avoid any controversies)
I don't like it when people talk bad about a particular place (in which i have lived previously) without knowing the facts
I generally don't borrow money from anyone but if i borrow, i cant rest till i return it back

and one bonus fact..
I remember all the bad words used by people on me..just cant forget it

Now tell me, would you like to know the identity of this foolish person?? That's why my identity is anon..(since some readers have asked why am i anon..)..

A Tag after a long time...

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? God planned it..
2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Let me think..
3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?Happy and scared
4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU?No
5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? Top Secret!!!
6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? Home Test
7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? The Mr.
8. DUE DATE? 23 May 2008
9. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?No
10. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?Nothing.
11. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? The long wait
12. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD’S SEX? Female
13. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? Not really
14. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?18 kgs
15. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?Yes
16. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?I knew
17. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?Yes
18. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Apollo First Med Hospital, Chennai
19. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? Five
20. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL/BIRTH CENTER? The Mr and my parents.
21. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? The Doctors
22. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural
23. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? Yes but was of no use
24. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?3.48 kg
25. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ?20th May 2008
26. WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN THE DOCTOR ANNOUNCED THE SEX OF THE BABY? Nothing
27. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST REACTION ON SEEING THE BABY? Happy to see a healthy baby
28. DID YOU CRY? No
29. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Punch
30. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY She will be 10 months old on March 20
And now her pic.. I know I will be asked why this pic where she is facing her back to the camera...but what to do Punch is really particular on people seeing her face aamne saamne only!! Besides this pic which was taken a couple of months back showcases her talent too..


P.S: I might take off this pic if I feel like doing so...just intimating in advance..

Advance Intimation

Lest you keep thinking why suddenly no posts from me ..this is one of the reasons why i would not be blogging (once it really happens)..Yes this is the humble deed of Punch..she poked out the eyes of this poor doll within minutes of getting it as a gift..

Punch at 9 Months

Punch completed 9 mths on February 20th. She is in the normal weight and height ranges for her age. Our family has labelled her as a super active baby who never rests nor does allow us to rest (read sleep)..

Nowadays she has become even more sensitive than before to sounds. So we need to take care that no disturbance happens when she sleeps..I ask her " where is grandma/grandpa/dad/puja room/pressure cooker/oven etc" and she looks in the correct direction. As long as someone is physically present in a room, she plays by herself but the moment we leave the room, she senses it and comes out. Her crawl is peculiar in the sense that she bends just one knee and keeps the second knee straight..its funny to see her crawl that way..She is quiet and observant when we go out and particularly likes to see children and smiles at them..

She loves watching cows that are frequent visitors to our street. Her day begins in the morning whenever she finds convenient to get up, then she plays for sometime..A small nap is possible between morning and noon and between noon and evening. She loves bananas and also eats boiled rice porridge, apples, mosambi juice and boiled carrots. Sometimes I give her mashed dal with ghee and salt. Her clear preference for sweet items shows that she has a sweet tooth like daddy.

The moment she senses that one of us is going out/opening the main door, she crawls at lightening speed to come up to us..She can stand with support but still has a toothless smile! She loves making noise with plastic covers and cups etc..when we say lie down, she lies down but only for 2-3 seconds..she keeps on a pillow. When the fridge/cupboards are open, she is present from nowhere to rummage into them.

All in all, a wholesome backbreaking demanding family entertainer is what I call Punch... If you happen to come to a house with toys strewn all round, newspapers all over a room, puja items in all corners of another room, a battery less TV remote with the batteries in north and south direction, cable wires strewn all over, all neatly folded clothes lying hither tither on the floor, cups and utensils all over the kitchen without an inch to walk and suddenly realise that someone is behind you and trying to stand up by holding you, welcome to my home...I guarantee you will not dream of coming even by mistake the next time!!

New Record

Punch set a new record by sleeping for 2.5 hrs nonstop in the daytime!!!

I got really nervous because she has never slept continuously for such a long time..

Its Really Difficult...

First you read blogs where new mommies say they are working out and losing weight and getting back into shape..

and then you clean the dining table only to notice the heap of wedding sweets and namkeens lying there...

and you also think about the forthcoming weddings where your share of sweets and namkeens will be forced on to you... and the good person you are, you will eat the sweets religiously else the giver will feel bad no...Yes people, I devour them since the sweets and namkeens are better off in my tummy rather than in the bin..

hmmm...very difficult times indeed...

Not Just a Mere Chip...

I was sitting with Punch in the waiting area of a dental clinic when this unidentified lady came up to me and punch and asked " Is she the Mr. (name) 's daughter??".. I was stunned/confused whether is she talking about the Mr or someone else with the same name?? But the lady asked me the same question again and mentioned the in laws names correctly, so she was indeed right. She turned out to be an old neighbour in some rental house decades back but who still remembers the then baby face of the Mr.

Now what can I say..she's the whole block of the Mr and not just a mere chip of the block... yes i am very jealous that no one has till now asked a similar question about me!! All because the lucky Mr has lived in the same suburb since birth..

Calling for New Stock

This is to inform you that Punch is soon set to exhaust all stocks of Baby powder, shampoo and soap shortly. The said items were given to her by generous visitors who knew very well that Timepass would otherwise give them a stinking baby the next time they met her...So, here we call upon our generous friends to kindly do the needful...arre bhai i mean powder, shampoo and soap de do...I cannot find more good words now to indirectly come to the point...

3M's

wherein the M's mean Marriage, Masala news and Mosquitoes in whichever order you prefer..

Punch decided to get a new aunt and so got her uncle married recently. Punch being the good hostess that she is, she quietly slept off (which was surprising knowing her penchant for remaining awake all the time) during the main rituals..But nevertheless, she was attacked by some very very nice people who insisted on pulling a crying child from her mom's arms and carrying the child themselves and also the next nice category of people who love to pinch a crying baby's cheeks very hard. Yes, dear friends..the world is beautiful because of such lovely people who do this knowing very well that the child cannot backfire..

And yes, I would love to mention about the lovely people who stand in front of you and say

"Guess who" ..(arre bhai only if we meet regularly I will remember you, on top of that distant ka distant relatives cannot be stored in my memory..so how can i remember you unless u tell your name and how we are related..)

I attended ur wedding and u forgot me..( arre so many people attended my wedding..and why do you want me to remember my barbadi ka din people???)

You were slim but now u have become fat..(yes yes yes..don't you have anything else to say?? I welcomed you with open arms and this is what I get in return from u??? did i ask you how come u became FAT? which HAIR DYE u use?? why do u wear anklets that suit a kid when u r a grandma?? )

Mosquitoes came in full strength to bless the couple and stayed on to please(torture) the guests staying at the hall..this inspite of putting the AC on.. and yes as in every wedding, here also, apna old aunties who try to show off that they are not old had their gracious presence felt..there was a good conversation about who is wearing what and the history of that Saree/jewel... and yes the match making bureau was working overtime to find who has eligible girls/boys for marriage..

Punch is now crawling fast and is all over the house. She has started to try to stand up with whatever is in front of her..eg..chair, box, sofa or when one of us stand before her. And yes, she has inaugurated the kitchen drawers by throwing cups all over the kitchen. I have two more weddings in about a month and I am kept reminded by family as to how will I manage this busy bee at those weddings..God give me the strength..

One point which I better mention else my head will burst..

A not so well to do guest gifted Rs 51 which is acceptable, but if the same amount is gifted by a person who is well to do, is a family friend since decades, comes well decked with jewels and whose sons are abroad, I just do not know what to say?? Maybe, the person was running short of change that day!! Sukhi raho janta...

Please Ask Me Directly

instead of asking Punch

where did u go yesterday evening?
did u go to ur grandma's house?
does ur mom take care of u?
are u ur mom's/dad's pet?
what did XYZ give u as gift?
when are u going abroad?
etc etc..

Punch can reply to these questions only when she speaks, so if you are willing to wait till then, I have no issues..pls wait..but if you want the answers now itself, you have no other option but to ask me...

Harvest Time

Like our farmers, I am pleased to show you the result of my toil..my harvest for this season..

Punch had very less hair at birth, and this disappointed me a bit..On top of that, relatives visiting us would always say.." Oh, you (Timepass) had lot of hair when u were born". Of course, I did not really care for it. We joked that she sported a military cut..

The daily coconut oil massage has slightly paid off and I am pleased to show you the results...After tonsuring her head when she turns 1, we hope to get a bumper harvest!! Your good wishes are very much needed..

The Tale of the Torn Note

Sometime back, Punch got a cash gift in the form of a single note. The very second she received it, she tore it into two pieces even before we could take the note from her. She has never done it before, infact she would hold on to the note tight or drop it after being given such gifts. I am not sure if she tore the note just because it was a 50 rs note ? What do you think?

Does Inflation really exist??

I thought that inflation has hit consumers very badly etc etc but when I see the crowds in the jewellery shops..No one will dare to agree with the above statement.. Jewellery shops are more crowded by the day and I see people cribbing about the high gold prices on one hand and buying jewels on the other hand..And I see lot of 1000 rupee notes only with people coming to buy jewellery..The T.Nagar area never seems to have a dearth of shoppers..but generally people say everything has become so costly..we are unable to make ends meet..(while shopping for jewels of course..)

(P.S: If u ask me what was i doing in the jewellery shop, yours truly was accompanying a potential buyer..) And yes there are people who are really hit by soaring prices..