Peter Rabbit and Friends

For the last couple of months we've been reading a lot of Beatrix Potter's endearing classic tales. We've not covered all 23+ tales yet - just about a dozen.

The Peter Rabbit board book was Ana's first introduction to Beatrix Potter, when she was about 18 months old, and I used to simply make up the story in simple words based on the pictures in each page as, at that tender age, she might get bored if I read the full sentences as-is. Slowly, I started reading passages from the book as-is and now we read the book unadulterated and she seems to like it.

So, I decided to get a few more from the library. Two of them stand out in her mind and she wants to read them over and over: Jemima Puddleduck and Samuel Whiskers (or the Roly-Poly Pudding). She somehow identifies with Tom Kitten even though he got into trouble not listening to his mommy... And it is quite funny to watch her tie a scarf over her head and waddle along and sit on a bunch of little balls pretending to lay eggs like Jemima :)

She doesn't care much yet for The Tale of Flopsy Bunnies, The Tale of Two Bad Mice, but she likes The Tale of Benjamin Bunny and The Tale of Mrs.Tittemouse. Frogs have no teeth, Amma is her constant refrain after reading this book, as it reinforced her study of frogs at school. Frogs catch flies with their long, long tongue and eat them, Amma. And, since we have two sweet kitties at home, she is not able to believe that Peter and Banjamin were afraid of the cat and hid under the basket till Benjamin's daddy came to rescue them...

Well, I love the original illustrations and would like to collect all the books in the series for Ana's library, but, it can wait till she is ready to read on her own. The style of story-telling is very different from other stories that she has heard us read to her, so, she is still deciphering how that works - viz., "Presently, Peter sneezed. Kertyshoo!" and she associates "Presently" with "Present" and wonders if Peter got a present for sneezing...

I know, I know... she is just a 3 year old and I was barely this cognizant at that age, so, I'll take what she offers - it is way more than I could have expected :)

'Twixt the Cosmic Minutiae

One day, Sage Narada was wandering the worlds as usual and decided to stop by Vaikunta to pay respects to Lord Vishnu. Knowing Sage Narada, Vishnu promptly asks, "What is it this time, Narada? What great question do you want me to answer now?"

To which Narada blushingly replies, "But, my Lord, I just came to humbly submit myself before Thee... but, since you are in the mood to answer, I do have a simple question".

Vishnu beams purposefully, divining what's to follow.

Narada asks, "My Lord Narayana, who in all the worlds is your favorite devotee? Who is it that you easily and gladly bestow your favors on?"

Now, Sage Narada in Hindu mythology is not restricted by the space-time and freely travels the different worlds/dimensions, meeting various beings, singing and chanting his favorite Lord's name: Narayana (a.k.a Vishnu). He established the Bhakti Yoga and is considered an ardent and foremost devotee of Lord Vishnu. He spends almost all his time singing Narayana's praises. So, he naturally assumed the answer to be obvious: himself! Of course! And, he was breathless to hear Vishnu pronounce Narada as his favorite devotee.

Little did he know...

As soon as Narada blurted out the question, Vishnu said, I will reveal the answer, but, until I do, come with me and do what I ask of you.

And so, Narada willingly went along with Vishnu to a little farm on Earth, where a poor farmer was tilling his field and sweating honest sweat trying to keep his family happy. When Narada and Vishnu arrived (invisible to the farmer, of course), the farmer's wife was calling him for lunch.

So, the farmer joined his wife and kids under a shady tree, smiled reassuringly and got ready for his meal. Right before his meal, he invoked Narayana's name, thanking him for his family, and the food, and dutifully ascribing all the fruits of his labor to Vishnu himself. Then, they ate in relative silence, enjoying every mouthful of the old rice and watered down buttermilk, feeling blessed to be able to quench their hunger thusly. Then, he bid adieu to his family, and went back to work, not thinking about Narayana except once while tilling the soil hard - dedicating the work to Narayana and asking him to help his crops flourish this planting season.

Narada was puzzled. "Could this be my Lord's favorite devotee? How can that be?I am the one singing his name all the time... this farmer barely thought of my Lord twice this day and that too briefly... there can be no greater devotee than me, can there?" he thought...

...and Vishnu, reading his thoughts, smiled benevolently and placed a terra cota pot full of water on Narada's head and said, "My dear Narada, do not worry yourself. Balance this pot on your head and walk around this farm once, taking care not to spill even one drop of water. I will wait here for you to finish the round and then all will be revealed."

So, Narada respectfully balanced the pot on his head and started his walk around the farm concentrating fiercely on not letting even one drop of water from the pot hit the ground. He took his own sweet time while Vishnu waited patiently.

Finally, when Narada came back and triumphantly declared, "My Lord, I completed the task you gave me - very carefully I walked around and you will notice that not even one drop spilled."

Vishnu simply said, "In your walk around the farm how many times did you think of me? How many times did you invoke my name and dedicate the task of not spilling the water to me?"

Narada was dumbfounded. "But, my Lord, I was focused on the task, how could I think of you and sing your praises then?"

Vishnu explained, "Narada, while performing a simple menial task you were unable to think of me, however, this farmer, bowed down by weight of woe, balancing several burdens on his shoulders each day, manages to think of me, even if briefly! To me, such heartfelt devotion, despite being careworn and fulfilling his life's duties of being a father, a husband and a provider, is far superior than any other."

"Now do you understand?", Vishnu added with a meaningful smile.

Narada prostrated and thanked the Lord for opening his eyes to his own foolish pride.

Pardon my lengthy narration, I had to compile and present this story as I have it in my head...

I read this story (or a version of it) in Amar Chitra Katha when I was 10 years old and it made such an indelible impression that I remember it even today, decades later.

Some of the philosophical discussions I have had with my dad involve the underlying moral in this story: Live your life as best as you can, and in the process of living a good life, if you can think of a higher purpose, if you can dedicate all your toils and fruits to this higher purpose, it is a life well-lived.

One of the first few Sanskrit slokas my dad taught me simply states that whatever I do via body, speech, mind, senses, intellect, soul or other innate tendencies, I dedicate it all to Lord Narayana.

Kayena vaacha, manasendriyairva, budhyatmanavah, prakruteh swabhavath, karomi yadhyad sakalam parasmai, Narayanayethi samarpayami

Now, the tricky part that begs to be asked is how about criminals - can't they just do what nasty deed they do and dedicate it to Narayana? Well, sure... that's where Karma comes in...

Why am I rambling on here? Well, I've been sick, Ana has strep throat, and Oggie is having another bad week of teething. Being sick makes me crave for certain comfort things - like rasam and rice, like a good book and a warm comforter, like a hot cup of tea, and of course, a good moral story.

While tending to the kids, praying for their well-being, seeking strength for me so that I can provide them the comfort they need, I seem to always gravitate towards pondering on the Infinite... I am sure it will pass... but for now, I am grateful that my ruminations are far less pedestrian than usual...

who am I am?, why am I here?, what purpose am I serving?, am I happy?, am I raising happy kids?, am I bringing happiness to anybody's life at all?, what is happiness anyway?, is it ok not to be happy?, what is equanimity? why is it not easy to practice detached-attachment? ...

Cutting Incisors

No more deliciously cute toothless smile... Very much like Ana, Oggie has his top two incisors pushing out through the gum line now.

After almost 2½ months of cutting teeth, resulting in sleepless nights and terribly fussy baby, there is finally something to show for it. The little white buds are almost like two little grains of dirty white rice.

It's a good thing memory is not solidly established at that age, so, Oggie is not going to remember all the pain, just like Ana doesn't remember her teething woes... but, boy, he is having a tough time with it.

And just when I was taking a deep breath to heave a sigh of relief in anticipation of possibly better sleep at nights now that they are out, I had to abort it mid-breath as his bottom two incisors are getting ready to cut through: his gums are puffy like little corn kernels, inflamed and sore-looking, plus his cheeks are flushed, with low-grade fever, and he simply won't settle down for naps or sleep at nights... pretty much the same symptoms as for his top two incisors continue...

So, the wonderfully cuddly-sweet cheerful baby has just been a barrel of poo lately.

Homeo teething tablets worked great for Ana, so, I am using the same for Oggie - as much as allowed - to ease his discomfort. His pediatrician cleared using Orajel™ but I am not sure I want to use benzocaine too much, despite studies showing no negative side effects. Besides, Orajel™ did nothing much for Ana; and the few times I have tried it on Oggie, it seems to wear off within an hour or so, leaving me with a crankier baby somehow.

Chilled water-filled teething rings, frozen pacifier, freshly washed cold mommy's finger, even chilled sippy cup with water seem to offer short-term relief.

I know this too shall pass. I know babies the world over go through this, some taking it a lot easier than others. I know I survived Ana's teething. But, unfortunately, simultaneous sleep-deprivation for mommy and baby has lead to a very chaotic household, and an addle-brained lady-of-the-house (c'est moi).

Dreamy-Sweet Déjà vu

If you think, even for a moment, my dear,
that I only mention you briefly here
As if to affirm that a second child
automatically takes the rear,
You'd be terribly, awfully, thoroughly wrong, I fear.

My eyes well up with grateful tears
reminiscing the day you were born -
the first time I heard your voice,
and held you tight in my arms,
Such a bliss is impossible for me to put in words today.

The brilliance of your toothless smile
lights up my entire world
dissolving all my maternal angst,
chasing away my gloom
Infusing me with a delicious urge to kiss you head to toe.

The tug of your tiny fingers
intertwined with mine
The gentle pressure as you droop on my chest
when I rock and sing, you sigh
Heaven, heaven, pure & sweet, consummate piece of heaven!

Nothing makes me feel so special
like the unbridled joy you express -
bouncing, squealing, bobbing, beaming,
tracking my every move
Will I be as lucky when you see me, a dozen years down the road?!

As your tiny little snuggly-soft body nestles
in the crook of my arm at nights,
stirring delicately every so often
breathing, resonating, making music -
Dare I hope for a more sublime transcendent spiritual experience?

I can't help but bask in a vain sense of thrill
when I scout and discover how very much
you seem to mirror your sister-
face, hair, cuddlesome figure and frame,
pout, smile, grimace, gestures, even temperament and vigor.

If I happen to see your sister
in all your frown, cry, laugh and moves,
Know that it is never to sabotage
your originality, idiosyncrasy, novelty and spunk;
Have no doubt, my dear, I'll always cherish your spirit singular!

I wonder what you dream about...
Unicorns, Faeries & Butterflies,
Candies, Cupcakes, Rainbows, Fluff
soothing, nourishing hugs & kisses
These fantastic things for now make up your sister's world.

Whatever you dream about, dear Oggie,
Whatever you aspire to be,
I promise to be supportive and loving,
Cheering your every step forward
Always treasuring this miracle that God has given me in you.

Ladybug Magazine

Last Christmas, Ana's grandparents gave her a one-year subscription to Ladybug Magazine, a periodic publication for the 3-6 year olds, with about 9 issues/year I think.

I loved Chanda Mama magazine when I was little. Vikram and Vetaal stories both terrified and intrigued me, and even the last page Poppins hard candy ads were presented as a simple page-long graphic story.

Cricket's Ladybug is wonderful as it has no ads (other than to buy Cricket's other nice products) to manipulate the children into liking potentially unhealthy things. Ana loves to see what Max & Kate are upto in each issue. Molly & Emmet - well, she can take it or leave it, but, the song in each book has to be mastered somehow... D can read Sheet Music, so, he sings it the first few times so Ana can learn the song, and for people like me, they have sample audio in their kids' website.

Each issue has stories and songs that reinforce a particular theme. The one that Ana loved a lot and learnt a lot from was the "Dragon" issue as I call it, where there was enough info about dragons for a 3-yr old to fantasize about.

Also, each issue has removable activity/crafts section easily doable by little ones with some supervision and help.

And recently, rather than me reading the words, Ana likes to interpret the graphics in the magazine and tell me what she thinks is going on. I think this is a great exercise in imagination, perception, originality and comprehension.

Of course, none of the kids' stuff can easily please all mommies, so, I do have some niggly little things I don't like about the magazine, but, since its benefits far outweight my objections, and since Ana seems to like poring over the magazine pages when it arrives, I think I'll leave it at that.

Kids Crafts: Fall Leaf Cards

Fall... Autumn... whatever name it goes by, I love this season. My eyes can't help feast on the pageantry that Nature puts on around this time. The yellows and oranges and reds browns all around are too gorgeous to not let the spirit soar.

I have been deliberately taking a short detour, driving through a particularly beautiful neighborhood to get to Ana's school these days so I can fill up on the brilliance of the season.

Of course, with such pleasure comes a bit of pain in the form of fallen leaves that need to be cleared out before they clog the drains and pile high on the driveway.

Sure, I could use all the help I can get - even if it means letting little Ana laboriously drag a whopping half a dozen leaves nearly 2 feet across, only so she could gleefully jump on the pile and disperse the leaves I have already gathered.

During our little stroll around the neighborhood, Ana and I gathered a few fallen leaves - some reds, some yellows, some oranges and some browns - of various shapes, so we could dry them and use them to make greeting cards.

D's grandma had made a nice and sturdy flower-press when he was a kid, and now, it has sort of become an heirloom and passed on to Ana. We carefully placed the leaves in the flower-press and waited patiently for a week when it was sufficiently dry to be used for our crafts.

These simple greeting cards are easy and fun to make, with very few items:

• Fall leaves of various shapes and colors, pressed dry^†
• craft glue
• card stock paper
• glitter glue in various colors (optional)

^†If flower-press is not handy, just place the leaves between blotting papers or even several layers of newspapers, weight it down with a phone book and let it sit for a few days; check to see if it is dry but not brittle before using.

Being a sprightly little girl, Ana enjoys adding glitter and sparkles and rhinestones to everything she can and is allowed to... and these greeting cards were no exception.

To make the greeting cards, we simply glued the leaves on the card stock, let it dry a bit. This is fine as-is. But, of course, we had to add some shine: glitter glue is fun, but not easy for 3-yr-olds to use - it requires good control to squeeze the tube at a steady rate and move it into desired patterns.

Ana, of course, ended up squeezing big blobs on a couple of the cards and screamed in frustration that it didn't look like what I had done with my card. So, I held her hand and gently guided her to form dots and lines on her cards, which seemed to tickle her pink for some reason.



It was nice for a change to hear the "No, Amma, I want to do it. Let go, Amma, let me do it" turn to "Amma, hold my hand and make pretty patterns on my card", leading to a co-operative and fun enterprise.

Soon the trees will be bare, casting a doleful backdrop which would be almost dreary were it not for the coniferous evergreens standing tall and reassuring through the soggy, frosty Winter.

And, of course, the anticipation and preparation for Christmas makes Winter almost welcome. Almost.

Halloween Costume 2008

What do you want to be for Halloween, Ana?
Peanut Butter Jelly!

Maybe you want to be a faerie, you think?
Nope. I think I want to be a Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwich!

How about Tinker Bell? You like Tinker Bell, right? Maybe you can be Tinker Bell for Halloween?
No, Amma! I want to be Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwich!

O-kay! Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwich it is.

And, so, I bought some foam and fabric and made this costume for her. Am glad she didn't ask for anything too complicated... thankfully, this was a terribly simple one to make and I had a lot of fun making it.

As mentioned last year, I have mixed feelings about Halloween: I do not approve of the candy-binge, I do not like the spooky horror stuff, however, I do like the fact that kids can get very creative and design their costume and even perhaps make it themselves, or at least help make it when possible... I know I couldn't make Ana's costume last year and I ended up buying one after severely knotting my innards with moral anguish...

And now that schools and neighborhoods are becoming very politically correct about it, this becomes a Happy Fall Festival! instead of Happy All Hallow's Eve! which is fine by me. Which makes carving pumpkins almost mandatory :)

Every year since D and I got married, we have carved pumpkins - we each get to design the features and carve as best as we can.

There is something very relaxing about scooping out the innards of a pumpkin, composting the pulp, roasting the seeds, and carving a Jack-O-Lantern, lighting a candle inside it and watching it take on a personality of its own in the dark...

However, this year, Ana decided to make up her own design - she wanted "circle eyes", "circle nose" and "crescent moon mouth" and that's what D made. And, she said the other one can have "triangle eyes". D found it very exciting and rewarding to try and carve a pumpkin to Ana's design...

D was very enthusiastic about showing off her costume in the neighborhood and he took her trick-or-treating, promptly stashing away the candy-loot out-of-sight, while I stayed home with Oggie who was running a 101.5°F temperature due to nasty ear infection and so was terribly fussy and unhappy, poor baby! He has been sick for quite a few days now, and I didn't really want to put him in any sort of costume when he is feeling so poorly... there is always next year...

We had fewer trick-or-treaters this year than last year, and I guess I was right about that invisible 'X' mark... And, to my surprise, instead of the traditional little loot basket or little bag, they all came with huge pillow cases as candy-sack... Of course, D bought a bunch of bulk candy from Winco which are not the usual Reeese's or Hershey's, but, fruit-flavored hard candy and sour gummy-worms this year, so, the 'X' probably got reinforced and doubled...