Mickey's First

Here are a few of Mickey's first

First Breath outside of womb - Sep 25th 2007

First Smile - Spe 28th 2007- 4th day

First Toy - a rattle that shri bought for her

Dress - Pink Polka dotted dress that Shri bought for her for her naming.

First Jewellery - Golden Finger ring that Shri's mom gave

First name - Bangari

Naming - Nov 18th 2007

First Roll over - 4th Month - Jan 2008

First Crawl - 17th May 2008

First Word - apple - May 2008

First Step -

First wish for a toy - We were at the commercial Street. She kept saying bow bow and then we had to buy that stuffed dog for her.

First Teeth - 11th Month - August 2008

First Rhyme response- Twinkle Twinkle, Johnny, Johnny, Bits of paper, Hickory dickory Dock

First Rhyme - Johnny Johnny

Sport Identification - Cricket

Sport star identification - Dhoni

Star identification - Don Maama that is Shah Rukh Khan.

Cricket Sign - umpiring - Out and four.

Daily Soap Identification - Utaran on Colors.

Cartoon identification - Tom and Jerry

Alphabet Identification - Q prominently. A next

Mickey the Menace

There can be two category of kids, one that is silent, obedient and sober. The other is adventurists, active, destructive and a menace. Mickey surely belongs to the second.

In her 10th month, Mickey would climb up the sofa, its back, then climb up the window and stand there. When she would be tired, she would sit on the backrest of the sofa. Then Shri would say 'kapi' meaning monkey. Mamta, Shri's sister would say that it was all coz of the Hanuman Chaalisa that I kept reading during my pregnancy. Her favourite passtime is standing in the first railing of our balcony. People seeing her do that get shit scared and get worried for her. Even more when they see Shri and I not reacting to it at all. The other thing she is very famous for is sitting on the backrest of the sofa and stretching on the breakfast counter to get whatever is lying there.

Climbing and acting like a monkey is not all. Mickey has got the electric shock atleast twice. Once she put the switch on and then pulled out the Laptop charger. The other time, she swtiched on the mosquito killing bat and put her finger into it. The kind of screams that she gave both the times made the watchman come upstairs. :)

Mickey can eat anything. She has usually been a non fussy baby regarding food. If she is fed  when she is hungry she usually eats unless the food really tastes bad. Thats a whole different story, will write about it some other time. Apart from the regular food, Mickey has eaten almost everything from rubber bands to beads. We have realized only the next day. The funniest was when she ate the washing powder (Surf excel) and she had loose motion for three days.

She has eaten and continues to eat any of the creams from the tubes from 'Johnson Baby cream' to 'Derma dew' to 'fair and lovely'. She opens the tube, puts it into her mouth and sucks it like she is sucking a noodle. Thats not the end of it. She even licks the white shoe canvas in our neighbors house. I don't know to which of these can or should I attribute Mickey's fair face.

Coming to play, a lot of toys have been passed down from Samprada, Mickey's cousin. These are usually puzzles for alphabets, numbers, shapes, colors, etc. The toys were all intact, just as new when Mickey got it. 3 months down the lane, less than half the number of peices of the puzzle can be found. A few of them are bitten, a few of them are stuffed inside the speakers of our music system (I can see them but can't take them out as the entire speaker has to be dismantled for it).

Mickey's Pinky - It was a gift on her first birthday. Mickey poked into the eye and now Pinky is without an eye. Pinky's dress is torn from all sides and the foam from inside is used as cotton for protecting Mickey's ear. Today, one eyed Pinky with torn dress lies on Mickey's shoulder day in and day out. At the night if Mickey has to go to sleep, Pinky has to be put to bed first, Jo Jo laali has to be sung for Pinky which Mickey does herself and then once Pinky sleeps, our little nanny goes to bed.

Apart from the toys, there are many events at which mickey has created a lot of tension. This one tops the list. My mom had her heart in her mouth for atleast an hour This was when Mickey was a year and a half and couldn't open the doors. In the month of May 2009, when my mom was here, one day, Mickey went into the room. She wasnt scared at all. She would close off the door and after a while when she had to come out, she would start yelling from inside. This day when she went into the room and closed the room, only mom and Ramya (my sis) were at home. Mom told Ramya that it was a good opportunity to teach Mickey a lesson. She said, 'lets not open the door for her when she yells this time'. She had just said this and she heard a click. That click was of locking the door. Mom tried to open the door and it surely was locked. She got so scared, she called Vanita, our neighbor, coz her cellphone was inside that room. When Vanita, called and mom spoke, her voice was shivering. I asked her to calm down and gave her the location of the key to that room. When the room was opened, Mickey was found playing with Ramya's laptop. She wasn't even worried that the room was locked. The entire evening, this was topic of discussion. All mom had to say was "I never thought a girl can be such a menace."

Mickey Dictum - Jumbling Rhymes

Mickey: Rain Rain Go away, Little Jhonnny ahhh......
Me: Little Jhonny wants to?
Mickey: Buckle my Shoe ( From '1 2; Buckle my shoe' - coz 'wants to' rhymes with '1, 2')

Me: Pusy Cat, Pusy Cat (from Pusy Cat, Pusy Cat; where have you been?
Mickey: Turn around. Sumedhaa, Sumedhaa, off to School. (from 'Teddy bear, Teddy bear; Turn around; Teddy bear Teddy bear; off to school')

Me: Pusy Cat, Where have you been?; I have been to London
Mickey: London bridge is falling down; falling down, falling down; my fair lady.


Baa Baa Laa sheep; have a nany naaaan, yes yes sir, 1,2, 3,
later it was yes sir, yes sir, 3 bags full. 1 for my master, 1 for his dame, 1 for the little boy, who lives down the dame.
 (for Baa baa black sheep)

Am a lity teapot, short and   (for I am little teapot; short and stout, this is my handle, this is my spout...hear me shout, just pick me over and pour me out.)

Are you cheeping? bother john, morning bells ah ding ding dong (are you sleeping, brother John, morning bells are ringing, ding, ding, dong)

I hear thunder, oh dont u, pitter patter,andal toot (for Pitter, patter rain drops, I am wet through)

Bits of paper, lying on the flor, makes the patter, ick em up ( Makes the place untidy, pick them up)

Hickery DIckery dock, the mouse ran up down....

More Nandalala, More Nandalala, Murali, Manohara, Govinda, Gopala, More Nandalala.... :)

Jo Jo Laali, Naagaaduve; chinna ninna muddaduve, hoovantha kanasu thaa moodi barali, naguva aluva ee kangalalli.....

Mickey: Om shanthi shanthi paNu
me: ee paNu
Mickey : Saganavavathu (for sahana vavathu)
'ga' for 'ha'.. may be coz she is influenced by Tamil.'

How about a cock singing Cock- al- Dooldooldoo instead of Cock a doodle do?

Preface on a second thought

Come to think about it, life is not all about being a mother. Once a mother, always a mother. People say kids are everything in life, parents live for kids. I have always felt that my existence should not be limited to the role of being a mother alone. When I started writing 'A Can of Thoughts', I wanted to write about everything. The testimony of my life with Mickey, Shri, dad, mom, rams, friends, relatives... but mostly with myself. Alas! I have written only about Mickey. I have let a mother take over me.

This is an attempt to live life beyond being a mother. 

Coffee? or Toffee?

I leave Mickey in the crèche so that I can go to work and make my career. I wonder if that statement is true. We leave the baby in the crèche so that we can go to work, make our careers, and feed ourselves and her. Isn't that the actual truth? Once someone told me that at least one of the parents has to be with the baby during the day. I replied back, may be Shri could think about it. That was my mother in law and I have never ever heard that again. I have put up a lot of fight with the family and myself to get back to work after the baby. Thanks to Shri, he never gave me an option of not working. Finances, career and a better future for Mickey, all of these made me go back to work.

Just yesterday I was telling a pregnant friend of mine the advantages of leaving your baby at the crèche. Mickey learnt a lot. She learnt to share, care, and socialize apart from learning the rhymes and the colors and the numbers and the shapes and the animals and the fruits and so on. There are so many more. Mickey never feels jealous when I carry or am affectionate to another baby. She never feels jealous when Shri holds my hand. But that’s not the case with kids who are stuck to their moms. I have enough evidences.

Of course, she is exposed to illness. She brings home cold, cough and fever. That doesn't mean kids who are at home with their parents never fall ill. There are evidences for this as well. Mickey better get immune to these now than later when she starts schooling.

Another thing about being in the day care is that she misses us. Rather we miss most part of her growth. I feel guilty. I feel guilty coz the mind set with which I was brought up was that the moms are always there for the kids. My mom was there for my sister and for me, forever. I feel guilty coz she may miss us. I feel guilty coz she is so small. I feel guiltier when she is the last one to be picked up in the night. I feel guilty coz the world makes me feel so.

She loves going to the crèche, coz she gets to play with her friends, more toys, more rhymes and more affection from all people around her coz she has been going there since she was 11 months old. That way she helps me get relieved of a little bit of the guilt. But come to think about it, isn't she getting a better future coz of the little extra money that is there.

The Debate - Coffee or Toffee??? goes on!!!!

Mickey Dictum - Unexpected formations

Utaran Paadu
"Utaran paadu", I thought I had heard wrongly when I first heard it. I asked Mickey "jaado? (what?)" she repeated "Utaran paadu". I was shocked. Utaran is a daily soap on a channel called colors. From then on it is a common thing that she identifies the channel 'colors' logo.  She says "Big Boss Bochi" (no Big Boss Pls).  "Cricket Bochi, Cartoon paadu."  This was about a month and a half ago.

Hangella MaaDkooDadu - (Don't do that)
Mickey hates Shri honking when we are in the car. She keeps saying "Appa Bochi". The other day in a similar situation she said "Aye, Appa Bochi. Hangella MaaDkooDadu." The complete Bang Kannada coming out of her mouth left us laughing the rest of the journey. This was about a week ago

"Thinnide" - (I ate)
'MaaDu' will lead to 'MaaDide', so 'thinnu' has to be 'thinnide'.

"Jai Hanuman Strong" -
Meaning to say that Jai Hanuman is very Strong

Mickey Dictum - eating the first syllable

When Mickey started talking, as any other kid, she mixed up letters and words. The funniest of all was that she would eat the first syllable. Her Grandparents call her Bangaari meaning Sona. Whenever anyone asked her what her ajja (grandpa) called her, she would say 'angaari'. We thought she had a problem pronouncing 'Ba'. This was proven when started saying 'anana' for Banana. But later when she started doing that to other words, we realized that she had problem pronouncing the first syllable. The funniest of all was the way she said 'unkuma' for Kunkuma.

Mickey Dictum - Jumbling Languages

Being in Bangalore means a person has to be multi lingual. Mickey is no exception. In addition, she had to learn Tulu as well. The first language that she was exposed to was Tulu. When she and I came to Bangalore, she started getting exposed to Kannada as well. Then later, when she was about 11 months old (Sep 2008), she was exposed to Tamil as well. Thats coz the creche that she went to was run by a Tamil lady. Sometime in October 2008, when she was in her 13th month, one night, when she was drinking milk from her bottle, she said,"paal, soode". Shri and I were surprised and said "What!" Immediately, she said, "Dudu Bisi" meaning milk is hot. That's when, I think, she realized that she had to speak in Tulu at home and Tamil was for the Creche alone. She never spoke Tamil at home though we got to know from her caretaker that she spoke a few words of Tamil in the Creche.

Today, she is putting words together to form sentence. Now its fun when she mixes Tulu, Kannada, English and Tamil to form words and sentences. Here are a few words that she mixes up.

"PaNalla"
PaNpuri + HeLalla = PaNalla = I won't say
Mickey's Aunt was trying to get her to sing a rhyme. Mickey kept saying "No". When her aunt kept insiting she said "PaNalla"

"KedobeDa"
Kedonothri + Malkobeda = Kedobeda = Don't sleep
I was lying on Shri's side of the bed and trying to put Mickey to sleep. Organized that she is, told me, "Aulu appa thaachi. Amma alli kedobeda".

"Biddope"
Biddohogthini + Boolthpope = Biddope = I will fall off.
Mickey was sitting at the edge of the Sofa and when Shri said, "Mickey, BooLva!" and  next time when she was siting at the edge of the sofa, Mickey said "Biddope"

"HoDipe"
HoDithini + PetkoLpe = HoDipe = I will hit you
whenever she is angry or when we don't do what she wants us to do.... "Aye. HoDipe"
"VeDa"
VenDa + BeDa = VeDa = Don't want
Mickey's one among the first few words was "No/Na". Now if we ask her to do or say or eat or drink something she says No/Na/VeDa/Beda

"Adu da/Avvu da"
Avve = Adu ve = Adu Da = That only
If Mickey gets what she wants or we identify what she is saying then she says "Adu da/Avvu da".

"NeTalli"
Nett + idaralli = neTalli = in this.

She shows me the place in the book and says, NeTalli bari.
"aDithilla"
aDithri + guDsilla = 'aDithilla' = Didn't sweep the floor
Daakshayini (our maid) illi aDithilla meaning she hasn't swept here. For that D says, Mickey can take the responsibility of keeping a house clean.
Will keep adding to this whenever I come across new ones.



Few others

'PanBeDa' =PaNaDa + HeLbeDa = Don't say
'GethobeDa' = GethoNada + ThegobeDa = Don't take
AiTalli = AiT + Adaralli = In that
Panpe Illa = PaNpuri + HeLudilla = I won't say

The Big Day

Though wedding is considered as The Big Day I have had several big days. Each day has its own pleasure associated to it. Here is a list in a random order. My first day at work; The day I got my first salary; The day I got my MBA result; The first day that I rode my bike on Bangalore roads; My wedding day. The day I became a mother led to many many more big days. Day when Mickey smiled first; the first day when she walked without help; the day she called me ‘amma’ for the first time; the day when she turned one; the first day when I left her in the day care. The list is non exhaustive (mine is a mother's heart, so you know).


Today was just not another day. It was bigger than all these days. It was Mickey's 'Admission to School' day.

BGS – NPS is one of the top rated schools in our area. It was first school on our list of schools that we wanted Mickey to study in. The application was done sometime in the first week of October. It was already late then and it wasn’t sure if Mickey would get admitted to this school. The alternative plan was to get Mickey admitted to any Montessori for about 3 years and try BGS again for Std. I. However, we received a call on 12/02/2009 saying that Mickey’s name was short listed.

We were supposed to go to the school anytime between 10 am and 12.30 pm today for an interaction with the principal. None of the schools interview a kid of that age to test her capabilities. The interaction was just a formality to know the level of education of the parents, their attitude, and the income of course. We knew this yet I had butterflies in my stomach and I am sure, Shri too had the same feeling though he wouldn't admit it.

After the morning chores and the meeting at 7.30 am that I had to take from office, we reached BGS NPS at 10.30 am. When we were entering the school campus, there were a couple of parents with their kids on their way back. It was obvious from their faces that they had finished the admission process. The glow on their faces spoke of joy, pride and relief, all at the same time. Happy that the kid would start schooling, proud about getting a seat in such a reputed school, relieved of the tension of finding a suitable school.

Our interaction went on fine, Mickey ate the chocolate the Principal gave, the fee was paid, and the thank you's and the welcome's were exchanged. And here we were, the admission done. On our way back, only when my cheeks started paining did I realize that I was smiling all the way. I looked at Shri, he too had a big grin on his face. If there were another couple of parents walking toward the school they would have surely recognized the pride, joy and the relief on our faces. :)

You'll know it only when you are a mom!

There are so many things that don’t have an answer as to why and how? How does a new born child recognize its mother's arms? How does it automatically fall silent and sleeps as soon as it is in its mother's arms? How does nature manage to do these?

Mickey does this most of the time when she is asleep. She feels around her to check if she is not alone. When she realizes that she is not alone, she goes back to her sleep. It was just the other night when she was fast asleep alone and I was busy with my work. She started crying coz she realized that she was alone. The moment I went in to check on her, she recognized that it was me and she fell silent. What was amazing was that she was somewhere between sleep and trance. That moment hit me so hard deep inside. Never have I felt like this before. Not when I scored good marks in my exams. Neither, my first job offer nor my first salary, not my marriage, not the new house, neither Himalayas nor the kanyakumari, The New York nor Niagara have done this to me. Is this what is Mommy feelings? Then I wonder if this is what my mom meant when she said "You'll know it only when you are a mom!"

And then one day, Mickey was very cranky, whining and wailing, being stubborn for something. After a long day's work, I couldn't take it and yelled at her. Once her dad was home, she cried to him "amma bochi" meaning 'I don't want mom'. I was almost to tears and felt, is this what my mom meant when she said "You'll know it only when you are a mom!"

Then there was another of those nights wherein I reached home much later after Mickey had gone to bed. She hadn't seen me for the entire day. I slowly crept beside her and went to sleep. The next thing I know is that it was dawn and I have two small hands on my cheeks and a pair of eyes staring at me. I again dozed off. After sometime when my eyes opened the same bright little eyes were gazing at me in the same fashion as before. How much she must have missed me! I love her more now. I feel guiltier now. Is this one of those "You'll know it only when you are a mom!" feeling?

I don't know the complete meaning of this statement. But I know one thing for sure that there are going to be many of those "You'll know it only when you are a mom!" feelings, a few of which will be pleasant and a few for which I better be prepared.

Signing off :)

Unbelievable Answers

The doctor has given some tablets to Mickey to increase her immunity. This tablet is very sweet. She calls it Choci Maathre meaning Chocolate tablet.
Qstn: What are you eating, Mickey?
Exptected Ans: Choci Maathre
Actual Ans: Katum Kutum Maathre

Mickey never says 'yank' ('for me' in tulu). She always uses 'nange' ('for me' in kannada). Her favourite dailogue is "adu nange beku" meaning (I want that). So Shri was getting her to say yank.
Qstn: jaado bodu? (what do you want?)
Ans: adu nange beku (I want that)
Shri: Tulut pan (say it in Tulu)
Ans: avvu nange boDu (I want that)
Shri: Yank Pan (say for me)
Ans: Nange (for me)
Shri: Yereg? (for whom?)
Ans: Sumedhaag (for Sumedhaa)
but he didnt get her to say 'yank'     :)

One Sunday morning, Mickey struck a long conversation with Daakshayini, our maid. We were all having breakfast while Mickey walked up to D and said
"Cycle thogonDu hogthini" - Will go with my cycle
D: yellige? (where to?)
Ans: Udupi ge? (to Udupi)
We were dumb struck and laughing. No wonder its said that people laugh when they hear something unexpected.

We say "Mickey Up Up" whenever she does something good. Also, the Rakshasa (monster) and the Gudu Gudu (thunder) are always "Down Down". Yesterday, she was playing with her doggie and telling the Doggie that Sumedhaa was Up Up. I continued the conversation asking her

Qstn: Rakshasa?
Ans: Down Down
Qstn: Gudu Gudu?
Ans: Down Down
Qstn: Sumedhaa?
Ans: Up Up
Qstn: Amma?
Ans: Up Up
Qsnt: Appa?
Ans: Maani - meaning boy.

Getting such contrasting answers is possible only from Kids. ")