Sriram has become so playful and is discovering a sense of humour. Everyday he teases me about creating funny tantrums for buying him a new toy. I don’t give in and he keeps persisting and its a game. I’ll shake my head from side to side, he shakes his head up and down all the while smiling with a mischievous glint in his eye. Yes, it does get out of my hands sometimes, but mostly it is a game. Funny he is most of the times. When I get upset with him, he’ll try to do something funny and keep pestering me to smile when I really feel like smacking him. Ultimately he makes me laugh out loud, that’s a different story. Today I was smiling for something he did for quite sometime and he was ‘mom, stop smiling’.

Sriram turns three

Now that the baby is three months old, I can safely say that we didn't have to deal with sibling rivalry from Sriram's side. Yes, he gets jealous sometimes, but any one of us is there to include him in every activity we do with the baby. And since he is the big anna and the baby doesn't know anything, he is generally happy.

The brat also completed three years on this Saturday. He got loads of gifts and was generally going crazy with all the new toys. On his star birthday, he sang a song and recited a couple of slokas in the Anjaneya temple, near our home in front of a gathering (of around 30 people). He was just amazing, we thought he'd be stage-scared or whatever, but he sat in front of the mike and did what he has to do without fuss. Really sweet.

Guru might upload the video and put the url in the blog. We'll have to wait sometime for it.

Sriram at 32 months

Sriram can:

• Go to toilet without fuss, basically potty trained
• Ride his tricycle with ease.
• recite three slokas and repeat all the rest when asked to say and recite two thirukkurals
• identify which song is whose favorite on TV
• recite numbers upto 20.
• Identify numbers upto ten.
• Colour with sketch pens, crayons, colour pencils and brush without creating too much of a mess.
• Solve jigsaw puzzles and board puzzles.
• Put his playthings in respective places
• Help me around the house with small tasks
• Understand and follow instructions to the point.
• Ask incessant questions
• Keep himself busy for hours together as well as be in company.
• State what he wants without being adamant and also understand if he can’t get what he wants
• Catch a big ball and throw it back.
• Switch on the DVD player, put his favorite DVD and watch it
• Say I love you too, I miss you too etc.
• Identify and say words from dinosaurs to skeletons, all sea animals, wild animals, domestic animals, fruits, vegetables, colours, shapes, parts of the body, vehicles, etc

He likes

• Painting
• Riding his tricycle
• Talking over the phone
• Talking generally to anywhere
• Asking questions
• Building blocks
• Reading books
• Sitting on his swing and watching T
• Sitting at his table and chair and work on his puzzles, books, building blocks etc.
• Watching his favorite songs on TV
• Playing with his dad with ball and balloon
• Talking with his mom about everything understand the sun especially about the much awaited baby.
• Playing with his cousins, Prahalad and Tejaswini
• Playing tochee, kaane.
• Laughing when tickled
• Learning new things, especially sun, moon, fire, water, stars, bones, dinosaurs etc.

He talks so much that I think I’ll go crazy replying to him. Sometimes, he talks like a big guy and sometimes like how a toddler should talk. Some of the things that he asks are so endearing. Like the other day, we were talking about the baby in my tummy and he was like ‘naanu nin poppala konchaththu idhdhuttu barla?’ which means, ‘Shall I also stay in your tummy for sometime and come out?’.

I don’t know what he has understood about the baby-in-mom’s-tummy. But he is eagerly waiting for its arrival so that he can talk, teach nursery rhymes, numbers and play with his brother/sister. I’m sometimes apprehensive that he might not take to the baby’s arrival easily, but then he’s been around a toddler and a baby for almost three to four months that I don’t think he’ll know much difference. Basically, he is a very adjusting, intelligent and understanding kid. He doesn’t throw tantrums and accepts whatever explanation we give him if it is logical to him. So, let us see.

I wish the next one is also as sweet and maintenance – free as Sriram is. I’m hoping for too much I guess!

My conversation with Sriram

As the Mom had written, Sriram talks a pre-set English conversation. It goes something like this:
Us : Do you know English
Sriram: Yes, I know
Us: How old are you?
Sriram: I am Too
Us: How are you?
Sriram: I am fine, thanks
Us: What is your name?
Sriram: My name ish G. Seeyaam
Us: What is your father's name?
Sriram: Gudhupasath
Us: What is your Mother's name?
Sriram: Izaa

The best part of this conversation is, when I try extending this conversation by saying something and affixing, "Is this correct?" or "Am I right?"...and he picks up the part that he needs to get the last word, and answers as "correct" or "right"...

And we are one helluva proud parents...fulll of smiles...:-)

Sriram at 29 months

Sriram talks Kannada fluently and he is only 29 months old. He can understand Tamil and reply back in Kannada. He also tries to speak in Tamil sometimes when he is in a good mood. He can answer a list of pre-taught questions in English.

He can sing ABCD song and say numbers till 40. He can identify nearly all animals, fruits, vegetables and flowers.

He can ride a tricycle effortlessly and read all letters. He tries to repeat words from the television.

I guess he is ready for school. But I'm not sure when or where to put him into. If I go to my mom's place after delivery, I don't think Sriram will manage for a month or so without me. Looks like he'll go to school only after he completes three.

Sriram's teeth and I - Part 2

Thank God, my trauma has ceased to exist now. Sriram is cutting tooth. I can see a teeny weeny bit of it when he opens his mouth. At first, I thought it was my imagination. Because for the past three to four months, I was putting my finger into his mouth asking him to bite and nothing happened. And without any notice, I happen to see a white mark on his gum and I couldn't believe it (Ok, of course there are some kids who cut tooth when they are 7 months old like a friend's over here. But it's better late than never.).

And I can sleep peacefully from now on.

'Tata bye bye' in UK

[Guru: Last sunday - Aug 28 2005, myself, wife - Subhashree and Sriram attended an Indian blogger meet in UK at Hammersmith. We said Sriram is also a blogger, because there is a blog for him. We had blog updates from blogger meet participants. I said to Sriram that everyone in their blog has written that Sriram is also a blogger, and referred to his blog. Sriram then wanted to narrate the blog meet in his own way. And here it is...]

This is my first post in this blog of mine. Appa and amma took me 'tata bye-bye' a couple of days back...very very jokey and happy for me. We went in so many trains.

Appa was saying 'tube'. He doesnt know a train and a tube. Tube means tube...train means train...appa doesnt know.

We went to a hotel, and there were lot of mama and aunty. I also saw Anirudh's appa - Chakra uncle. First I forgot him. So I cried, then i remembered he is Anirudh appa.

I had my own chair in that hotel. Appa, amma and everyone had to sit in a small chair...but I had a 'HIGH chair'. Amma gave me "mummum".
All were talking - except amma...paavam, she was giving me mummum. Then, one gundu uncle called us, and we changed the seat near him. Gundu uncle was very very funny...he was talking and one gundu aunty was also talking so much...it must have been very jokey...because amma, another small aunty, anirudh appa, varsha akka's appa, one mottai mama -- all were laughing for everything. I didnt understand why they laughed, but I also laughed Ha ha ha...

Later on amma told Gundu uncle name was Praveen, Gundu aunty name was Neha, small and nice aunty (she gave me her cell phone when I asked her "Thaa..."; I pressed all buttons, she didnt say anything at all..she was smiling always...but appa will shout if I keep pressing buttons on amma's cell phone) was Radhika. Varsha akka's appa name was Ranga (but appa and amma were telling him as dubukku...apdinna enna?).

Mottai mama is not from here...he has come in plane from america. His name was Anand. Ahh...I forgot, there was another mama by the same name - Anand. But he had long hair like amma and other aunty. Tamasha irunthathu! Then there was a very very nice uncle. His name was Jag. That uncle and Anand mama were talking always.

All mama, aunty, appa and amma are very bad. They were talking in some language, and Jag mama didnt understand it at all. Amma and appa also do it like this. They talk in another language. Amma calls it Tamil. I dont understand that either. I cry. So amma appa talk to me in Kannada. But Jag mama is a Nice mama, he didnt cry...he was laughing.

Then all went to a nearby park...they took photo. It is in chakra mama blog...i was seeing appa, and someone took photo...but it is ok...because amma took me photos later, and she has lot of my photos in her phone.

Apram, we went to Varsha akka house. She had lot of dolls. Another paappa was there...her name was..uuhmm..hmmm...adhvika. then we went in versha akka's appa car. We went in train, and waited for another train.

Amma gave me mummum again...I saw lot of train...I like eating and seeing train or car. But at home, there is no train. Thats why I cry for eating. Amma, appa dont know this at all.

In train, I felt very thaachi thaachi...so I slept.

Avlothaan...

And I got one new tooth. eeeeeeee..................................

Sweet little thing

Of course, everybody would have guessed the opening line - "Sriram is growing fast". He has been upto a lot of mischief but doesn't pursue it further if I say 'no' to him. Couple of days back he dragging an electric wire from under the TV cabinet. I said no and he pushed the wire well inside under the cabinet and gave a sheepish grin. Likewise he keeps reading our expressions while doing something new. If Guru or I had a 'no' expression on our face, he'll leave what he had been doing and come and hug us. He is sweet. I wish he was at least a little like this when he is fifteen years old. He is only fifteen months now.

He has this habit of removing the batteries from the remote control and throwing them off under the bed. Yesterday I couldn't find them and asked him where the batteries where. He crawled under the bed and took one out. I asked him for the other one and again crawled under the bed and got the other one out. I was surprised because till then he would show his finger in a general direction where he threw the batteries and say 'uh'. And now he was actually understanding what I was saying and doing what is asked. He is definitely growing. Even if this is a very small act on our part, it is a huge one for him and I am very proud of my son. Like I always say 'Sriramku ellam theriyaradhu!.