Some More Pictures.

Seems to me it is easier to post pictures and let them tell their own stories than to actual sit and type anything.

This is how we watch TV when we are really really tired, but still will not go to bed until we finish our "TV Time" quota for the day



This is the first ever picture that Arjun took with a real camera.



This is how we watch TV when we are with friends

I'm a Soccer boy

Last week, Arjun finished the last of his 12 series soccer class. He got a uniform that says "Lil Kickers" - pretty cool and he has a course completion certificate too :-)

Activity Time - Ginger Bread Man cookies

November 19, 2006

Arjun is pretty addicted to the well known Gingerbread man story... So we decided last Saturday that we would make ginger bread man cookies....

It was a family effort and Arjun helped with making the hands and placing the raisin eyes and coat buttons.



Before putting them into the oven they looked pretty decent... Take a look



But after baking it in the 350 degree heat of the oven, they expanded and turned out more like halloween ghost cookies :-(



Arjun luckily wasnt too picky. He was happy with those cookies and so was Anand. Needless to say the dozen that we baked was emptied within 2 days.

Priya

Favorite Activities...

Last evening, the mommy in me decided that Arjun was being too sedentary and that it was time we did some running and hopping and get the body moving. So I told him "Lets fly like an aeroplane" and we both put our hands out and zoomed around like an aeroplane. Next I asked "What's the birds' favorite activity?" Arjun replied "Flying"and we flapped our wings and ran around. Now I said "Lets do butterfly's favorite activity" and we did a modified wing (folded hands) and fly around....

Anand was just watching us. Arjun and I were doing the actual fooling around.

Then I asked "What's rabbit's favorite activity" and he screamed "Hopping" and we both hopped around for a few minutes. Then I asked "What about Tigger's favorite activity?" "Bouncing!!! " and we both bounced around like crazy
(FYI, Rabbit, Tigger (the tiger) , Winne (the Pooh Bear) and Eeyore (the donkey) are Disney's Hundred Acre Wood Characters and are Arjun's current favorite)


This took us totally about 5 minutes, and before I could say another sentence, Arjun took over and asked "What's Eeyore's favourite activity?" Even before I could reply he screamed "Sleeping" and then curled up on the carpet and closed his eyes.... Anand and I rolled with laughter.

The. end.

So much for my trying to get him to be more active :-(
Priya

Activity Time - Matching the lids and containers

November 04, 2006

Blog title is self Explanatory... Kept him occupied for a while...

Activity Time - Cheerios Bracelet

November 04,2006

Arjun is busy trying to put the cheerios through a straw. He is trying to make a cheerios (cereal) bracelet for his daddy and his school teacher... Saturday afternoon activity.


Say Cheese... Arjun is perfecting his art of smiling for the camera - an "On Demand" smile, i would say...



Engrossed in my task...



There, the bracelet is almost complete...

This or That?

Typically one of the things that all new parents learn when their kids hit a year and a half is a way to handle the toddler independence. Asking an exasperated "Do you want to wear a shirt or not??" will most often result in the answer you dont want to listen - "No"

The strategy there is to ask the kid "Do you want to wear a red shirt or a green shirt?" Either way they *have to* pick a shirt - You are happy and they are also happy as they exercised some choice.

This strategy has been fairly successful with Arjun. Between 1.5 yrs and 2.5 yrs, typically when I ask him "Roti venuma, Dosa Venuma?" and I get a "Dosa Venum". Or a "Milk venumaa, Mammam (food) venuma?" results in a reply of some sort...

This evening though we realized that he learnt yet another permutation and just was growing smarter by the minute...and how old is he today...mmm...Nov 19th will make him 2 years and 9 months old....

So this evening, when we three were driving back home I asked him "Do you want Maggi Noodles or do you want Dosa?" and as expected his reply was "Maggi noodles"... and then my next question "Ok, Do you want Maggi Noodles with broccoli or do you want Maggi Noodles with carrots, green peas and other vegetables?"

Pat came the reply "I want Maggi Noodles with nothing in it...Maybe some butter". Anand and I just burst out laughing...We sure weren't expecting that answer.

Kiddo is growing up... fast....

Priya

Spidey vs Diego --- Shoe Shopping Saga

Arjun seems to be very clear about what he wants.... For the past 1 year he has been wearing Spiderman shoes. Even when the shoe size changes, and we take him shopping, he had been chosing Spidey shoes.

Yesterday it was time to go shoe shopping again. After handing over the car to a mechanic for oil change, we walked over to the shoe shop. With a 9.5 toddler shoe size measurement (and yes, he co-operated beautifully) we went to that section of the shop.

My eyes fell on a lovely Diego shoe while his fell on a Spidey shoe. I was excited with the Diego shoe as Arjun likes the diego character.



I extolled the virtues of that shoe will Arjun wanted me to help him try the Spidey shoes. I did help with the Spidey and made him run around the store to make sure the shoes dont slip out.
After that he was convinced that those were the shoes he wanted. One last attempt - i asked him what about Diego --- and did what I should not do... "Do you want to take both?"

and his reply .... "No Amma, some other boy will come and take Diego and pay money"

:-) He sure is clear about what he wants.... Spidey, yet again, wins

Priya

Later..Now?

This afternoon's conversation....

Arjun: Amma, can I watch TV?
Me: A stern look at him (He has already finished his TV quota for the day)
Arjun: (Understanding the look) Maybe...?
Me: Maybe Later...
Arjun: (Happily) Can we do "Maybe Later" Now?

LOL
Priya