Just A Regular Mommy

My house? It's not messy— It’s just aggressively...  documented. Papers everywhere— Blank ones, signed ones, Photocopied from a photocopy of a dream. You name it, I’ve got it. Blank sheets, printed ones, ones I can’t remember printing. Need a PAN card? Bring Aadhaar. Need Aadhaar? Bring PAN. Need both? Well, now get those attested.  Did that twice! But why does it still not look right? Bring your great-grandfather’s voter ID and three passport photos —smiling, but not  too  much. And a marriage certificate that proves I made at least one wise decision. Maybe. And bills? My husband collects them like Pokémon."Keep it! Might need it!"—for a toaster we returned in 2020. But my favorite papers? My kids’ toddlerhood scribbles. Art that’s 80% glue, And 100% adorable. Of course, mothers are weird! So yes— I’m drowning in a paper jungle! But hey, that’s life! Messy, legal, and slightly stapled. Cover photo courtesy : istock.com  

  "Mummaaaa! My friend said that Santa has met with an accident and he cannot work on Christmas this year!" I was caught off guard. The news came out of nowhere when I was doing some mundane chore and she suddenly recalled that she had forgotten to share this MoD ( minutes of the day! ) with me. "Can't be," I argued to hold the fort of my 'Santa is real' story. "Santa is a magical being. No one can ever hurt him," I added further. "You mean he is not real?" the analyst in her inferred. "I did not say that. I said he is magical. Magic can be real,"  I did not sound very convincing to myself, forget selling the story to her. "Hmmm. My other friend says he is fake," she was now in a mode to complete her investigation. I did not know how to maintain my argument. So I resorted to a diplomatic reply, something that parents do on a slippery slope like this one. "Well, Christmas is approaching anyway. You will find ou...

  Being a mother lets you try on different roles - teacher, BFF, confidante.... but also, clown, detective, commando...   I was outnumbered. One is to two. I could not match the agility of the opposing camp troops. Nonetheless, I was physically more powerful. Still, I could not afford to lower my guard around the two large cola drink bottles bought for the evening’s get together. A raid on my refrigerator, where they were stored, was imminent. I could analyse that from the sporadic giggling sounds. And hence I asked hubby to help patrol the area as I prepared dinner in the kitchen. This resource could not be trusted completely though, given the heavy influence of the opposing troops on his emotions. But I gave him a benefit of doubt. On and off, they kept approaching with their headstrong demand of first having a glass full of cola which gradually scaled down to a request for a sip. But negotiating on certain things was out of question, including this one. So, they retreated t...

  Yes, spending time with your toddlers is fun. Especially supermarket visits ;) It was exactly midweek, noon of a Wednesday. I had taken a day off from office to spend a complete day of my girls' vacation with them. I had it all planned - a visit to the supermarket ( as Wednesday is their discount day and I had to replenish a truck load of foodstuffs and cleaning agents for every damn thing in the house. Last supermarket invasion of this kind was about three months back! ), followed by getting  mehendi  done for my girls by the  mehendi  guy who sits at the market's exit ( both of them simply love it and I make it a point to get it for them on long holidays ), and then to get their favorite donuts from a store in the same mall complex. So, off I started with a battalion of my two little 'helpers' and my actual helper, their nanny. Now, I bet that every mom who visits a supermarket with a toddler(s) cannot expect the trip to be complete ( rather end somehow! ) w...

  I do not disagree with people who say that we must try our best to engage in conversations with our toddler kids. But let me give you a disclaimer : Sometimes, while doing that, you might find yourself at the far edge of sanity! ONE SATURDAY MORNING... I was running a list in my mind of things to be done that weekend. Me  : "Shall we book the flights tickets for December now?" Hubby  : "Yes. When should we go?" Me  : "Uh, I think..." J  : "Anita stays in Rainbow Towers!" This out of the blue ‘interesting’ fact was not of any relevance at that moment. Still, both of us acknowledged it with a halfhearted smile. Apparently, that was not enough. J  : "Papaaaaa! I said that my friend, Anita, stays in Rainbow Towers!" Hubby  : "Uh, okay. I did not know that." (With an expression saying ‘what did I miss’!) Me  (gesturing him to attend to his oldest girl first!) : "I think 24th should be good. Their holidays begin then. Cheapes...

Mostly all parents, before they have become parents, list their commandments on the dos and don'ts of how they would raise their kids.  My experience - There is all possibility of at least one being broken. Here is an example.. They have not named it as 'pacifier' or 'soother' for no reason. In fact, it should be called 'The Pacifier'.  Reason   : It soothes the crying baby for sure but it actually 'pacifies' the miserable parents too who try every possible move known to mankind to make their wailing babies quiet. When my older one was born, almost every infant around me was a proud owner of at least one of the kinds. Given the overwhelming variety in consumer goods available, I first could not believe that something like a pacifier can have so many avatars . There is a glow in the dark type to make the hunt easier in the dark. Then there is a type with Marilyn Monroe like lips or Charlie Chaplin like moustache. Some, even personalized with the baby’...