Chez Moi

Gorgeous berries

“Easy does it!”

Mission accomplished!

After a hard day’s work, some down time

Last week, whilst in a hurry to get ready for school or maths class or some such…
Me: P, hurry up and get ready. If you are not ready, then I will have to leave you and go off by myself.
P: okay mummy.
(few mins later, he comes out dressed whilst I am still ironing my trousers)
P: I’m ready mummy and you’re not. This means I have to leave you and go now and you have to come by yourself.
Me: !!!!

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On the way back from school, chatting about what to do for my birthday, which is weeks away!!
Me: How about boating?
P: Speed boating?!!
Me: No, er, the slow kind.
P: Nah. Boring. How about ice skating?
Me: Well, not much fun for me as I won’t be able to do it.
P: No, no, you can do it. Daddy can be with you and hold you, make sure you don’t fall.
Me: No, hon, Daddy has to stay with you, make sure you don’t get hurt.
P: Me? Why? I don’t have a baby in MY tummy!!
Me: ROFL!

You’d think P would have his hands full, with the kind of stuff he gets up to. But no.
One of his favourite things to do is fool around with a camera, any camera. Be it the one in our phones, the digi, the camcorder or even the ones in our computers. Many a time have I logged onto the computer to find that my son had had an impromptu photo shoot all for himself. Never one to take a pic of him smiling nicely, he prefers to try out the Mac’s various zany settings.
Here’s one of him looking angelic, albeit in an oil-filmy way. Psychedelic is the word I’m look for!

Another one - imagine if there were two of him!

So P got his first ever certificate yesterday. He has been attending Kumon maths for the past couple of months. His dad and I were surprised when the teacher told us couple of weeks back that P would be taking his current level test. A test? After just 7 weeks? Oh well, we thought, nice experience.

Imagine our pride when he aced the test! Woo-hoo! So yesterday, he got his ‘Achievement Certificate’ and got his picture taken with it. It was hilarious watching him play to the camera. Now that he is comfortable with this, we decided to sign him up for Kumon English too.

He had the assessment to get over with first, to see where he was at. And my son is such a card, I tell you! A girl, she must be in her A levels or something, was throwing words at him and he had to spell them. Another friend of hers was sitting at the same table, watching him. Every time she gave him a word, P’s instantaneous reaction would be ‘oh that? That is too easy!’

After the third such comment, the girls picked up the refrain and chanted along with him ‘oh it is too easy, innit?’

Anyways, the teacher came and told us he did well and they were ever so pleased with the way he is going. We were both well chuffed, understandably.

I know there have been discussions going on in various mommy bloggers’ websites about the suitability of extra coaching for children and how soon is too soon etc. When I first heard of Kumon, P was in his Foundation class and was 4 and 1/2 and we both deemed him too young for such extra coaching and decided to leave him be. He loves his school and though is a bit of a chatterbox, he still does really well. When we decided to move back to India at the completion of his Infant’s school, we decided that we needed some extra help and enrolled him with Kumon. He also goes for weekly swimming and random football and kickboxing lessons so it is not all work and no play!

Would I continue with it once we are back in Chennai? I don’t know. I want to give him the chance to settle down in the new environs and get used to things first. And then, if he seems fine and if the situation warrants it, then we’ll see.

In the meantime, it sure is fantastic to see him chock full of pride over his certificate, which is already showing signs of wear, thanks to some rather enthusiastic playing last night. He is all set for the bi-annual tests at Kumon and wants to win the Gold, this September. If it makes him happy….

My Baby is 6 today! I know, I cannot believe it! I keep looking at him, looking just the same as he did yesterday and the day before and today, suddenly, he is a year older. How surreal is this? Where was the red-faced, wrinkled, squalling baby I held seconds after he was born? When did he go and become this child-person who talks cohesively? What the hell have I done with the years?Already, he is concerned that he is becoming older (!) and that in a few years his voice would break ‘into pieces’! I am not ready for this!In the meantime, happy birthday dear heart! May you spread happiness and cheer around you always. And, more importantly, may you always have it in you.