Dear Dot - My wish for you this Christmas

You weren't supposed to go to Daycare this morning and spend time with dadi at home instead. But I got a call this morning saying Gosia will be coming over for an hour this morning, so you were dressed immediately and driven to daycare bearing gifts for everyone.

When you opened the door and saw Gosia standing there, I felt your body stiffen in my arms with surprise and what I can only imagine were a hundred overwhelming emotions and questions for your little mind to absorb. There must have been surprise, love, excitement, disbelief and heaven alone knows what else bubbling over in that little mind. The only glimpse of this to the world outside was the sparkle in your eyes and your flushed face. I am sure there were butterflies in your tummy but you are too young to fully understand that.

It took you a minute or five to compose yourself and then the floodgates of love and excitement opened. You cuddled and kissed her, held her hand and took her away to show her all the things you had made since she left.

I could barely hold back my tears because this morning I saw how much you can love and how much relationships and people you love mean to you. You showed to me another new facet of you.

I'll always look forward to moments like these when I learn a little bit more about you.

And my wish for you this Christmas is that you keep your heart filled with this love and your mind full with fond memories and experiences shared with people you love as you grow. It will not be easy to experience such unadulterated, unconditional emotions when you are older maybe, but my wish for you is that you try and succeed. 

Meaningful conversations

Dot: My did it!

Rahul: No, it's I did it.

Dot: My did it!

Rahul: Yes you did. But you say I did it.

Dot: I did it?

Rahul: Yes! I did it.

Dot: NO! MY DID IT! 

Stop taking credit for what Dot did, Rahul. 

Dear Dot

A lot has happened since my last post. 

We went to India for three weeks where you were spoilt rotten by your dida, dadu, dadi and dadaji. 

Here is a list of things you probably won't remember happened on this trip. 

1. Big dadi knitted you 10 more colourful sweaters. Everyone at daycare is jealous of your winter collection.

2. Dad and I went to goa for a week for Priyo's wedding and had the most fantabulous time. You stayed back with dadu dida in Vashi.

3. Dadu dida took you to the mall almost every evening where you drove cars and rode on the toy train. The train driver knows you now because you went so often. You also know the songs that were played on the train and you sing it all the time. A LOT!

4. They also took you to ride horses. You particularly liked a big black horse. I thought you would be apprehensive about sitting on a horse but you thoroughly enjoyed it. 

5. You stood in front of the toaster to catch the bread when it jumped out. You can proudly claim you caught your own breakfast. 

6. You went to delhi for diwali where you had a lot of fun with dadi, dadaji, big dadi and dad. You were particularly feisty while lighting fuljhadis. 

7. You wore kurta pajamas for diwali and bhai dhuj and looked adorable. 

8. You went swimming in the club house pool and had a lovely time with the tortoise float we bought you in Goa (because we felt guilty for all of two minutes for leaving you behind).

9. Dadi and dadaji bought you a new tricycle which will be coming to London soon with dadi.

10. You weren't the most pleasant co-passenger on the flight to and back from India. But we understand you are only two and a half years old and a 9 hour flight is fairly long. So we still love you. However this behaviour won't fly next year. 

11. You didn't get through one of the schools you interviewed for. We don't know why yet. This made dad and me very sad and hurt and angry because it was our first rejection as parents. But we will learn from this and get better because we know you are a great kid and you will be successful and happy wherever you go. 

We are back in London now. You are talking a lot more. Your favourite word is why. And all we have to say about that is why? 

You also sing a lot. Which is great. 

You have a very active imagination and are always coming up with games to amuse yourself (and sometimes try our patience) but when it comes to "what did you have for dinner?" Your answer is always "chocolate cake". 

So all in all, you are turning into a great little guy I like to hang out with. Good job. 

Alo-chhaya

Lucky Dot, you have a beautiful room overlooking our garden. 

This morning we played with shadows instead of building blocks. 

Of turning 2, pheesh and wooden toys

29th April marked two years of us being parents. And we decided to celebrate just that...being parents to a wonderful little toddler, being people we didn't know we could be, being together...the three of us. 

Whoever decided birthdays should be about giving gifts to the person whose birthday it is sure didn't know how to appreciate themselves much. Birthdays should be about surviving another year, celebrating another year full of new experiences. But more importantly (per me) it should be about giving thanks and celebrating the two people who are the reason for you to have a birthday to begin with. 

It's only fair. Really. You are cute and adorable, Dot, but the last two years have really been about two regular, lazy adults getting their act together and being responsible parents. With no sleep. So I hope I am able to convince you as you grow that for every birthday, you should also be the one giving gifts and thanks. To us. Of course we will give you gifts too. But mostly we will try to give you a great experience each year so when you are older your life will be bookmarked by the great experiences you had each year with your parents. And not about some silly gift you got each year which you broke the next day.

For this year, we all went to the London aquarium to celebrate. Fishes are the little man's favourite thing it seems. We spent the day loitering about the aquarium, getting sparkly octopus tattoos, loitering around the southbank, a boat ride back to Greenwich and a BBQ in the evening. All this was on the Sunday before the 29th. On 29th, Dot was off to day care to celebrate with his friends. They baked a cake and he got to decorate it and eat it too! Came home with many birthday cards and a lovely storybook. We all then went out for dinner and wrapped up the night with a chocolate mousse cake with honey and cinammon and Dot passing out out of sheer over excitement amidst his birthday balloons.

The gifts this year were lovely! Both for the parents and for Dot. The parents took the afternoon to go watch "the book of Mormons" and grab a few drinks with Priyo and Namrata. Dot got a wooden train set and a set of wooden cars which has his full attention and imagination these days. 

A great celebration of parents and their pride and joy, Dot, if I may say so meself.

My Mom and Dad

 My mom and my dad are not what they seem.
 Their dull appearance is part of their scheme.
 I know of their plans. I know their techniques.
 My parents are outer space alien freaks!

 They landed on earth in spaceships humongous.
 Posing as grownups, they now walk among us.
 My parents deny this, but I know the truth.
 They're here to enslave me and spoil my youth.

 Early each morning, as the sun rises,
 Mom and dad put on their earthling disguises.
 I knew right away their masks weren't legit.
 Their faces are lined - they sag and don't fit.

 The earth's gravity makes them sluggish and slow.
 They say not to run, wherever I go.
 They live by the clock. They're slaves to routines.
 They work the year 'round. They're almost machines.

 They deny that TV and fried food have much worth.
 They cannot be human. They're not of this earth.
 I cannot escape their alien gaze,
 And they're warping my mind with their alien ways.
 For sinister plots, this one is a gem.
 They're bringing me up to turn me into them!

-- Bill Watterson

Dear Dot

You will meet a lot of people along the way. Make some really good friends. Have some really great times. Recall them when you are older and think back fondly about what seemed like the best days of your life. (But of course it will get even better.)

My earliest memories are only from around when I was around 4 years old. Not sure how much of your infant and toddler days you will remember when you are older. Hence this blog. A journal of your days and some events maybe we both will struggle to remember in the future. 

I wanted to post this picture of you with your best friends at daycare. Who knows where life will take each of you and who know if you will stay in touch. But what you should know that these two lovely ladies Sabrina (on your left) and Amaya (on your right) were probably your first friends. All three of you shared a lot of your firsts together. First step, first grown up meal, first time at a farm, first cut, first semi coherent words, first time at an aquarium and a lot more. Remember this time with your friends as one filled with curiosity, laughter, booboos and a lot of happiness. 

The best time of your life indeed. So far.