King of the kitchen: stereotypes be damned

I'm so glad my dad's broken the stereotype. He's bought Sonny Boy his first play "kitchen set" -- you know the one with a little gas stove, cylinder, mixie, a rolling pin and board, a frying pan et all. It's a gift that makes its way into a little girl's hands much faster. Actually I'm slapping myself for not getting it myslef for him much earlier. Maybe I'm a perpetrator of the stereotyping myself :-(

But Sonny's just freaking out absolutely. He's always loved the kitchen, and kitchen utensils are high up the rank when it comes to "toys" (and I hear every mom say my kid too plays with vessels all the time, so there must be some magic about the kitchen and cooking).

Now he's busy rolling out little chapatis for us all and making "mommu" for everyone in the house. He likes to feed us straight out of the pan...I'd like to try that sometime, really ;-) His other hot favourite dish -- making us all some "neer" dosa -- he takes some water and ladels it out on a plate and lo! Neer Dosa ready.

The mixer, though, is his first love. He keeps saying a loud "juiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii" and fiddling with his hot orange mixie. He seems so proud of it. He's been showing great interest in cooking -- I hope it lingers on and he becomes one of those guys who can make himself a decent meal when he wants to, not when he's forced to (there are very few such men in our family, mostly some uncles).

He loves the knife. He keeps asking for it, saying he'll cut vegetables for me and give. So yesterday I handed him a plastic spatula, told him it's a knife, and gave him a carrot. He sat down to cut it, and after some frustrating efforts, came back very irritated and told me "This is not a real knife...it's not cutting. Give me the real one!"

He loves washing the rice and daal when I'm getting ready to cook it. He loves washing up pulses, he loves stirring the sprouts when I leave them on the dining table.

Basically, the maid is his favourite person now, so he imitates her washing clothes, sweeping and swabbing the floor. He absolutely loves "CLEANING", and will take any kitchen cloth and start scrubbing the cupborads.
Yipeee three cheers to my Sonny Boy!

Wading through the floor. Pick me up

This is what Sonny Boy always does.
The floor is so inviting, being bare of any furniture, I guess it's tempting.
He drags his red toy bin, upturns it and empties all the toys in them on the floor in one go.

At grandpa's he'll always put back his toys in their place, because there he has a cupboard and he feels proud "arranging" it. But here, Yeww, he has to dump them in a bucket...how passe. So most of the times, he won't.

This photo was taken about two nights ago. I suddenly looked around at 11 p.m. Sonny was asleep. In one part of the hall was this sight.  In another, it was pieces of two jigsaw puzzles strewn. As i walked into Hubby's room, more of Sonny's story books, sketch pens, and sheets of paper lay scattered. After a good look, I just gave up and went to sleep.

But I have to get up and put it all in place first thing in the morning, before maid decides to sweep and mop it all up in disgust!!!!

I shouldn't be complaining because it's the best exercise I get first thing in the morning. Bend and stretch and pick and toss. Now, bend again,...yes, there... and back!

The Ten Commmandments...that my son has given me

1. You shall not tell me what to eat/drink, or when to eat/drink or for that matter, how to eat and drink what I want. I will eat noodles with my hand and soup with my fork. You shall also not tell me what I can't eat. If I want to eat the dirt off the floor, it's my will.


2. You shall not take me to the park when I want to stay home and play with the toys, and you shall not tell me to play with the toys when I want to watch my rhymes on TV.


3. You shall not decide what I will wear to the playschool. I will not wear a jacket even if it's cold because it hides the cars on my t-shirt. I shall try out at least three sets of dresses at morning rush hour before I decide the colour code for the day.

4. I know you work six days a week. But that does not mean you can rest on Sunday. It's the day I poop most and decide not to have lunch. It's a holiday. I shall give eating a break. You shall not nap in the afternoon because it's the one day i get to see you at that time. You shall scream, roll on the floor with me, growl, and be my fellow-lion at the zoo. And yes, I'll have the privilege of giving you with a pretend-hairwash.


5. You shall not covet my Maggi, my ketchup or my chocolates, my story books, my chips and my grandfather.

6. You shall listen to my babbling for 45 minutes every night before bedtime, even if you are ready to snore. You shall not pretend to listen and catch a few winks...I'll catch you at that game any day.

7. You shall not interrupt the interesting conversations and games that grandpa and me share. I shall scream my head off if you dare do so. But you shall allow me the privilege of being part of every conversation you and daddy have, sitting in between you both and occassionally giving your conversation a much-needed break with my rhymes.

8. You shall hand over all your jewellery to me as soon as you return from work. First I will try them on, then I will play with them, rub them on the floor to see what happens to them etc. I shall try to pierce you with the earrings and use your necklaces as whips.

9. You shall not hug, nay, not even touch daddy or grandpa or grandma. You are mine entirely. You shall not hug my cousins or the neighbour's kids. Or anybody else. You're mine.

10. You shall accept me with all my tantrums, smiles, hugs, kisses, stubbornness, screaming crying, gooey nose just as I have accepted you with your temper, spanking, smiles, cuddles, dirty scary stares and pampering.

How malls can lure you into buying what you don't need...

...AND STILL MAKE YOU HAPPY!!???

Yeah that's what i have always feared most. And it happened yesterday.

I avoid malls like i avoid visiting my mother-in-law (which is saying a lot ;-))
I usually buy at local small markets, specially vegetables and fruits, greens that are fresh and sold on the streets by hawkers. That way I avoid hybrids and stale food.

And even when I need clothes, jewellery, books, I do gully (street/lane) shopping or shop in my local shopping area.

Back to yesterday, I had to rush to this mall to pick up a book (a wedding gift for a going-away bride). It was 9, and most of my local stores would be shut. So there. And the husband decided he wanted to pick up some expensive cologne. Just like that!

He also decided he would buy a DVD of a movie I'd asked him to borrow from friends who have it! It was like 300 bucks. And it wasn't one of those MUST SEE movies either.

And my eyes were already going over to the toys section, looking for something to amuse Sonny Boy with. Bah!! How i hate myself, when i graze-shop -- you know like a cow slowly grazing grass i eat up all that i get around me.

I was peering down to see what other shops I could spot, and I found...more toy stores! And here I was thinking God! I want to bring the li'l one here and show him all this. I found a playpen too at the mall.

I'm feeling so miserable I've succumbed to the seduction. I've fought it so hard. But why is material temptaion such an easy crumbler of all resolves?

But i won half the battle -- persuaded him not to buy the DVD. But he bought the cologne, which i generously used today HAHAHAHa. Shameless me.