The Insatiable need to get more answers

Whats your favorite animal?
Whats your favorite alphabet?
Whats your favorite color?
Whats your favorite bird?

It started with these simple ones. He asked everyone including a clueless Ziva .. when she had not even started speaking. He even decided that Ziva's favorite animal was a Zebra.
And then it went on to  ...
What does a baker do?
How do you make bread?
How do you make cupcakes?
How does the car go to the garage?
How does the car get lifted up?
How does the bags come go to the airplane?
Where is the control tower?
Why is the light blinking?
Whats your favorite truck?
How does the digger dig mud?
...
You get the idea...
I know I should encourage these constant questions. But there are moments that he catches me while I am trying to do something and am just able to keep up with his questions and then he gets snapped at.
'One minute Isaac!'
But the other day I got the most interesting question.
ME: 'Isaac XYZ is going to have a baby sister or brother soon!'
Isaac: 'Where is XYZ's baby sister/brother now?'
ME: 'In her mama's stomach'
Isaac: 'How did XYZ's baby sister/brother come in her mama's stomach?
I took the shortcut out of this one
ME: 'God put XYZ's baby sister /brother in there'
Isaac: ' But how did God put it there!'
Time out - mommy needs to think! He is almost 5 is it too early for him? I wondered. I managed to slime out of the question and then I found this book a few days later. It was perfect - just what I needed.
It was actually part of the 3-4 year old curriculum.


I had always thought that dad would teach Isaac about how we make babies and I could teach Ziva (gave me at least another year or two !) But in the light of recent events in Bangalore I decided I would teach them both and definitely be the one to tell my son. I believe moms need to actively teach their children (especially sons) about respecting women and its starts from right here - Where do babies come from?

Isaac listened intently as I used words like sperm and egg and while I was a little giddy he just seemed interested. At one point he looked and said - That looks like a tadpole!

I do not know how much he will remember of this,  but I am glad I got to be the first one to speak with him on this topic. Here is to more parenting topics such as these! Here is to being able to answer those questions! Here is to being there for them!

Being practical - at home

How many of you have heard the story of the thirsty crow ..? How many of you have tried it? Dropping pebbles into water to see it rise.

We have been reading a lot of stories thanks to Sonlight Curriculum and it is awesome. But once in the while I see the look of daze in Isaacs eyes. I really want to be practical ... hands on ...

A month or so ago we read the thirsty crow story and Isaac was more interested in his Lego set . (I know Lego is really good and they develop spatial skill ... blah blah blah ... but I am starting to get annoyed with Isaac's obsession on always having a few blocks in his hand)

So I tried to get him involved by his favorite method. Talking about the animal in the story. That is the best way to get Isaac involved - Animals. If we watch a movie and you ask him who his favorite character is ... its normally the animal seen most. He doesnt want to be 'Hiccup' in 'How to train a Dragon?' but  rather 'Toothless'. He doesnt care much about Kristoff in 'Frozen' but would rather be Sven (or simply as he puts it - the reindeer is his favorite character!)

But even with the talk of crows and ravens, I could not get him to really look interested. Finally I got up and said 'Isaac come ... we are going to try something' I found a small transparent plastic bottle (the one you get Johnson's ear buds in) and filled it with water and tried to recreate the thirsty crow story.
It took me three tries to get it right. First I put too little water. So the water just coated the pebbles and nothing happened. Second time I got enough water but I put in really big pebbles! As a result the water came up a bit and then there were just big stones!

Third times a charm!! Isaac and I went fishing for small pebbles and we watched the water rise up.  Then I held my finger like a crow and dipped it in pretending to drink water. Isaac gave out a loud laugh and I dumped out the water and pebbles and said 'Now you try'.

After a few minutes of filling water ... dropping pebbles and dumping out the water again. Isaac exclaims 'That was fun Amma!'
Made my day!

As I was writing this blog - I also realized that I had taught Isaac the Archimedes principle  ... Eureka .. Eureka ! There are some stories that always last with you ... for me it was a naked man jumping out of a tub ... I hope for Isaac it will be a crow and pebbles!!

Sibling Conversation

Years ago I remember my sister tell someone who had a single child - that sibling relationship was very important. While the argument from the opposite side was that cousins were enough - my sister vehemently said - its not the same as having a sibling
I did not think much about it then. Mainly because I did not even have one child at that point and the hope of having one was slowly dwindling away.
And then I had one ....... And then I had a second one.
And most days now I think that my head is going to explode with their arguments. Because boy they can drive you up the walls!
But then there are those treasured conversations and those cute role plays that make it all fall into place. And now my sister's argument makes complete sense.

Most of the conversation in the back of the car are
'He's looking at me'
'She pulled my hair!'
'His leg is on my car seat!'
'She is singing the song wrong!'

AAAA... its never ending. But the sweet ones make you touch your chest and sigh!
Ziva - ' You are a boy no ... I am a girl no!'
(The saying 'no' after each sentence ... is a recent addition to our syntax)
Isaac looks out of the window bored.

Ziva- ' You like boys no ... I like girls no!'

Mommy is pissed. Isaac still looks bored

Me - ' Why Ziva you dont like boys?'
Her all time favorite cousin is Mark and so I am confident she likes boys!

Ziva - 'Yes' (Suddenly looking confused)
Me - 'Which boy do you like the best?'

Silence from Ziva

Me - 'Isaac which girl do you like the best?'
I was confident that he would name some random girl in the park.

Isaac - 'Ziva'
Achoooo da! If I did not have to have two hands on the steering wheel and legs on the pedals, I would have turned around and hugged him!

I am sure he will rub off on my little girl too!

To view or to click

For father's day I wrote a blog on mycity4kids as part of a competition.

http://www.mycity4kids.com/parenting/through-my-mothers-eyes/article/thank-you-dad

As I was writing this blog ... I really wanted a good photograph of the kids with Suresh and I went on a hunting mission. It was really hard to find. Probably because Suresh is the photographer in the family and I find the camera way to heavy. As I managed to find two that has Isaac and Ziva at the same age ... i.e. JUST BORN and put it on the blog, Isaac walked in. And so I started showing him pictures of when he was little and Ziva walked in. And I started showing her pictures of when she was little. And then we went into videos. I soon realized that we had spent almost an hour just looking at home videos of my first born and then my second born and then the bonding between the two of them as they grew up. I also has tons of me looking very good. :)
But there were very few of the man behind the camera with the kids - note to self - click more pictures of Suresh with the kids.
Why do I write this note to myself? Well every afternoon since that one afternoon, Isaac has been asking to see pictures of  'When Isaac was a baby' and 'When Isaac was reading to Ziva'
I guess if years later anyone (and by anyone I mean a teenaged Isaac and Ziva) complains Suresh didn't spend 'quality' time with the kids I have tons of photograph with the eyes of Appa looking through the lens trying to capture every ounce of cuteness there is!

I used to complain that Suresh clicked too many pictures when all I wanted to do was walk along and finish the chore we had set out on.  But this past week I am very  grateful for the numerous pictures clicked by Suresh! Thank you again!

My favorite of the three of us taken by Suresh is the one the mycity4kids website with me in the hospital robe new mom to 'TWO' babes ...

http://www.mycity4kids.com/parenting/through-my-mothers-eyes/article/thank-you-dad

Here are a few other favorites!

Thank you DAD

http://www.mycity4kids.com/parenting/through-my-mothers-eyes/article/thank-you-dad


Thank you DAD post on mycity4kids

Jab T.O. - 'To' hota hai Aur D.O. - 'DO' hota hai - Toh - G.O. - GO kyun hota hai --- GOO kyun nahi hota - Quotes from Isaacland

No No we are not learning Hindi at home. Its just that the current phase in Isaac and my life reminds me of Dharmendra's dialogue in Chupke Chupke.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KesDULZvvb4

 Jab T.O. - 'to' hota hai Aur D.O. - 'DO' hota hai - Toh - G.O. - GOOO kyun hota hai



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We have entered a new phase with Isaac. He wants us to spell everything and anything we try to speak with each other in code language - aka spell it out - he wants to know it or tries to guess it .
It started with me spelling S.O.D.A. and Isaac figuring it out phonically. It got so bad that soon Ziva was saying - Amma I want to make S.U.S.U!!!



But English is a funny and annoying language and while we have talked about sight words - Isaac does not always accept all of them.
The first challenge 'Vulture' .... He insists it is spelt 'Vulcher'. Now after a few weeks he says am spell 'VULTURE' and refuse to use the 'ch' sound in the word!! Yikes!
Then came 'MOTHER' ... he insisted it was wrong. He insisted it was 'MODER'!

No we have just started telling him 'Isaac its a sight word. And that's the way its spelt!'

Here is another challenge 'School'. For some reason he loves the 'ch' sound and so we get - S - ch - ool!!!


English is a funny language! And for you Amitabh Bachchan fans -- let me leave you with this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnGFhbU1ccY

What will you pray for? Quotes from Isaacland

So Appa and Isaac are reading bible stories. First the story of Abraham and Isaac. Second, how the servant of Abraham prayed to find the right bride for Isaac.
Question session
Appa: Isaac do you pray and ask God for something?
Isaac: Yes
Appa: What do your pray for Isaac?
Isaac: A son and a wife!

Appa: Hopefully in the reverse order!