Tantrums....

V was throwing a major tantrum on Monday evening. Nothing would keep him satisfied. I said "I am going to count to 3 and then we are going to be quiet for few seconds. If not, I will have to take you to the fire station and give your name to the fire fighter to add it to his bad boys list" Well, turned out he didn't care and I followed through on my promise.

There was a fire station half a mile down from our apartment. My plan was to drive around and show him and he would be quiet. I was driving by and it worked but then there were two fire fighters playing basket ball outside. They waved and said hi and I pulled in and parked the car. Got V out. He was afraid for like 30 seconds. Then he started yapping, yapping and yapping..lol. He told them that I brought him in because he was a bad boy (shoot me now) and promised he will be a good boy from now on :).

I apologized to the guys. They were so nice. One of them said he has a son and he knows exactly what I was feeling :). They took V inside to show the fire truck, asked his name, gave high-fives and a fireman hat to take home :). It wasn't one of my best mommy moments. Just a desperate attempt to make him stop the whining and the screaming:). When I was putting him to bed I asked him again why he cried in the evening. "Because I wanted to wear the poop diaper and didn't want you to change it"

Diwali - 2010

Chaitu came down from Jersey and the Karras came down from Polacca. V had so much fun having the family around and playing with Anand. I uploaded the pictures in Picasa for you all to enjoy :). I have to say we had a traditional/non traditional Deepavali. We all had drinks by the pool on Saturday and then showered, got dressed in Indian clothes and went to temple. Ain't we half and half? lol

We took the kids to Children's Museum of Phoenix on Sunday. Anand and V had such a blast. Wish we had a 4 day weekend :). It was sad to watch V get all dull Sunday evening when every one went back :(. He is at an age where he is starting to show the difference between being sad and upset and crying just for the heck of throwing a tantrum :).

V wants you all to know he had "Dard-E-Disco" shower yesterday. What the hell is it, you ask? Well, it's a song from Bollywood movie Om Shanti Om. In that the hero is splashed with water. So my little man wanted the same kind of shower. So he will sit on his bath stool and I have to stand and pour water from a mug like a fountain. Oh yeah, I make him watch those songs. Why? Because I get tired of watching PBS at times :). Selfish you say? Hello, have we met? ;)

Polygamy - Part Deux

Remember back in the day I bitched about how I feel like a second wife to Prabu (Link to the Bitching;)), well the roles have been now reversed and I think Prabu feels like he is my second husband as I have made my work priority number one. Before you all jump at me with how my child and husband need to come first :), well when you are part of a team, you suck it up..lol. It's been such a bumpy ride last few weeks. The emotional roller-coasters, melt downs, break downs (both of which I am sure are the same thing),oiy.

Every week, I kept thinking, ok I should be able to breathe now, we are staging this weekend. It should be ok this week, we are going live. Nope, didn't happen yet. First it's set up, then it's going live, then it's checking the defects and then something else. Well I think I will end my work-whine right there, so how are ya'll doing?

I managed to upload some videos of V on to you tube(search for syinti). Also updated pictures onto Picassa. My boy is turning 3 in a month and I am pretty psyched about it :). I wanted to get him 3 gifts for his 3rd birthday. Then Chaitu (who turned 30 yesterday) reminded me what happened to the kid from Harry Potter who gets too many gifts on a birthday, idiot ruined it for me....lol.

So V's been good. Starting to show signs of becoming a brat :). Loves doing karaoke with me. His favorite songs are "Show me the meaning of being lovely" by Backstreet Boys, and a million other Telugu, Tamil and Hindi songs. We both dance to our favorite songs at night after everyone goes to bed ;). And his morning routine is with Prabu. I bought him this kiddie shaving kit from Target (has a 'faux' razor, shaving brush and cream, comb and mirror). So both boys get up, brush and shave and then have breakfast together before Prabu heads to work. Due to that I have been relieved from chanting the mantra "Vikram, brush your teeth" every morning.

With that I say good night for now. I will not make promises but I will try as much to keep this blog a little more active :).

Pinky Promise

Few weeks ago, towards the end of a "tantrum-fest", I taught V "Pinky Promise" or "Pinky Swear" as some of you call it. I told him he needs to behave now that he made pinky promise to me that he will. Fast forward to yesterday night, here's his updated bed-time prayer:

"Dear God, Thank you so much. I love you. I will listen to Mom. I will be a good boy. Pinky Promise"

Oh yes, he prays/talks. Depends on the mood. Days when he is way too sleepy, he will not say a word and just sleep. At other times, he will keep going on and on and on and tell God how his day was, what Sheriff did to Lightning McQueen (Go watch Disney's Car's -lol), how the trash truck guy waved to him ... you get the point.

So how are ya'll doing? Life's going at 300 miles per hour on this side of the coast. We moved to a different apartment over the weekend. Needed an extra room to house V's cars, bikes, trash truck, emergency vehicles and all. I am in the middle of working 18 hours days, cleaning, organizing the house and also trying to squeeze time to play pathwords on facebook.

I took V to a near by play school for a tour few weeks ago. Wanted to see how he would react. He actually seemed to enjoy it. He thinks they will let him play basketball all day outside and I will be standing there watching him. I don't know who will have separation anxiety once he starts play school. Me or him :).

Before I sign-off here are some pictures from August.

Must Have Done Something Good

Parenting books never interested me. I never read the "What to do when your baby is...." series (Even though I definitely want to read the new "What to do when your baby is 39 years old"). It's finally clear to me that these kids are born with a personality of their own. Just as you go into a relationship saying, "We can never change a person", you cannot change the personality of these kids. They are stubborn, they have an opinion of their own. At the same time, they are very forgiving and they are as much sensitive to things that happen around them as much as you and I are. You can and should give them the best of everything you can afford and offer, whether it is the clothes or the toys or education.

I had to re-think /re-do the whole way I deal with V recently. Things are going much smoother now with him. He was never a major tantrum throwing kid. There was always a reason when he got cranky. He loves his personal space and likes people to leave him alone at times :). Something that happened last night told me, I must have done something right with him and I hope he continues this way :).

V saw me with tears in my eyes and said, "You Ok Momma". Now I don't remember why I was crying last night and I only remember crying with happiness that he asked me that :). He was nice to me all night and was being goofy and funny with me. I think I saw him as a man and not as a toddler last night :). Just as every mother thinks of their son this way at some point, my time is today to say this: "V will make some one very happy one day. He already made his momma proud".

Happiness - Thy Name is Razor Scooter

My cousin Madhu sent Vikram a Razor scooter. It was Leela's and I am hoping I can pass it down to Anand :). Mom and dad are back in town from NJ and they brought it with them and V 's glee knew no bounds. It's been a week and he still parks it in the bedroom when he is sleeping. And today we found a red helmet and I cannot stop him from being goofy and funny all in one :).

Looking for "The One" again ...

Get your brain out of gutter. I am talking about a hairstylist..lol. Few months ago, I thought I found the perfect one who knew how to handle my hair. I am very picky because I am very sensitive when it comes to my hair and I hate rough handlers and people who burn your scalp in the name of blow drying :).

Went back to her for another appointment last week. First strike: Didn't want to cut my hair because well, you will regret it she said. Fine I gave in. Second strike: Let's not do the color you want, let's go lighter for summer and it didn't come out great. Fine. Third Strike: She wnated me to come visit her church.

No, no and no. No, it's not because my religion says I cannot go to a church and no it's not because I am busy with my temple activities. I just don't even go to the Hindu temple regularly. I go when I feel like it. I go at 7 pm on a Wednesday when I know there will be no one and it's just so peaceful. So thanks to her, now I have to go looking for The One again.