Things kids ask

Yesterday evening I picked up Jr. from school. Something I have not done in years. She knew that I was going to come home early (without knowing details) and she begged me to pick her up from school. As soon as she gets in the van she goes :

"Daddy, have you been talking to my friends parents about your job or something? One of my friends told me today that her mom said you were fired from your job.  Is that true?"

It has been a difficult week and all my friends and extended family know it. We did not talk about what happened at work in the house because it is a difficult topic to deal with in front of older parents who have health concerns and young kids who are very sensitive. San and me have talked about work out of house for the most part.

This was to be expected sooner or later though. Tough questions from parents and kids. The parents have backed off because they know that my philosophy is to move on and focus on "what next?" and they also know that I have options to decide on within a few days. They had concern written large on their faces and asked a hundred questions an hour because they are from a different place and time.

The kids though are a different story. So gave her an instant crash course (with the little one listening in) on the difference between

- getting fired

- being part of a Reduction In Force and

- the entire workplace shutting down

Told her that what happened to daddy was that the entire place closed. She seemed to get it and was also happy to know that daddy will be working in a new office soon.

Then the questions diverted to

"Will you have a whiteboard in your office with color markers like you do now?"

"Where will you work?"

"Do you still have to go to Austin?" etc. etc.

Anyday, more fun questions to answer. The trick to handling such questions is to be prepared for them and show that you are okay with those questions. Fortunately for me, parents had prepped me to smile and answer these questions a good two days before Jr. came in with hers.

This weekend is being spent with family with little things to do in and around the house. Have not done Yoga since last Sunday and I am seriously thinking of doing back to back classes and see if I can survive 3 hours in the hot room in one go! Know that some folks do it.

Have done a lot of talking over the last 7 days to the point where even when I have my mouth closed, can hear my brain literally race away with thoughts in different directions.

I also cried on at least 5 occasions in the last two days saying goodbye to folks who worked with me for a long long time. San says "you are the only man I know who sheds tears".. Maybe I am not man enough.. maybe this has nothing to do with manliness. Did not bother to explain to her.

Just going with the flow.. and that means tears as well.

Now that goodbyes have been said and we all have ensured that we have ways to keep in touch, the focus is on the future.

The last two days reminded me of the last two days of high school, the last two days before graduation where you know that all your friends are going to scatter far and wide and you have high hopes of all of them doing well wheverever they go!

The next set of questions start now.. "Will we still have a birthday party this year?"

My darlings, I know you read this blog when you come back from school and guess what?

"You absolutely will!"

Tit for Tat

Me to Little one : I am going to take the iPad away for a couple of days. You are spending way too much time on the iPad and are not watching age appropriate stuff. You are supposed to watch only Rugrats and even that I have issues with. Do NOT watch this "All Grown Up" stuff. It is not something a 6 year old should watch!

Little one to me :  (in an Angry tone) What if "I" went to your Mac and clicked on that button which says "Uninstall Photoshop" huh? How will you feel then?

She said it like she meant it.

For a second I was thinking "does she know what Uninstall does?" and she actually knew that it would remove Photoshop forever!

She is scary. I have to watch out now!

No thank you

Yesterday we went to a friends house for lunch. I dozed off on the couch in the middle of a conversation and while it is a big "no no" they understood that yours truly had a hectic work week and they let me stay in that state till the snoring got to disturb the conversation (or so I am told). One is lucky to have friends who will let you doze off like that...

Then my friend tells me when I wake up

"When I saw your head after your dozed off, realized that you are balding rapidly. Two months ago at my sons birthday party you had more hair!"

Me : I am not the same guy from 15 years ago when we met.. things are different. Age has caught up with me..or at least my hair. Well, don't care anymore!

Then we come home.. kids go to a birthday party and when they come home the little one does her usual lovey dovey cozying up with daddy who happens to be wearing his white baniyan only and says

"Daddy you have more hair in your kashki(armpit) than your head! Wish you could take some of that hair and put it on your head!"

Me : No thanks. Why are you so worried about my hair when I myself am not?

LO : I am used to seeing you with hair and now it is going away. How come thatha(grandpa) has more hair than you?

Me : Well Thatha was a difficult man to deal with when he was my age. So all the people who dealt with Thatha lost their hair from the stress. That is how Thatha still has his hair and I don't.

Now of course grandma hears this and is caught between defending her hubby or her son. So I quickly divert the conversation to the one topic that is worse than Thatha's hair.. my own hair.

It is only a question of time before I am going to start growing it long and put a pony tail with what is left on what will be called the "ring of fire" a narrow band that goes from ear to ear on the back which is the only area with any reasonable density of hair.

It is just hair..instead of saying "Please let it grow!" telling my inner self something different.

It is just hair..Let it go Sundar.. Let it go!

Surprise surprise

A conversation with Jr. just after coming home

Jr. : Daddy, do you like surprises?

Me : No!

Jr. : Why?

Me : I keep telling people at work "don't want any surprises" and somehow over the years I have come to not like surprises as a person. Why are you asking?

Jr. : No reason!

Me: Let me guess. You want to give me a surprise birthday party?

Jr. : (grins sheepishly) Yes. Thought we could organize a surprise 40th birthday party for you just like Suja aunty did for Vijay uncle.

Me: Don't think I will like that.

Jr. : In that case I think our only other option is to buy you some new lens for your camera and take you to some national park and watch you take photographs of non living things even though we don't like to walk around the national park!

Me : I love you lots. You have at least made an effort to understand your daddy. Don't think your mom will ever say those words that you just did!

So there you have it!

Jr. knows what it takes to make me happy. Walking around national parks taking pictures of "non living things" and them being around me although they hate it. That last part kind of hurt my feelings because all along I thought they all loved walking with me.. Apparently not!

Maybe we will spend a day as a family and they can ship me off to some Park on my own to take pictures?!

and yes.. WILL accept new lenses..

Head over heels

Well, if it is not your heels then it is your head they play with!

After a gruelling work day where 14 hours out of 24 were spent staring at a monitor came home to find the kids in a playful mood.

Had to oblige them with anything they asked for as it was just day 2 of school.

They wanted me to play outside and we tried that for a few minutes and they realized how tired daddy was. So we moved indoors and the little one said "daddy, I know just what you need. We are going to dress you up and pamper you!"

Well a six year olds idea of pampering daddy involves

1- combing your hair

2- adding rubberbands to your hair that will ensure you have a reduction in hair count that is way more than what you can tolerate

3- decorations with accessories

The only difference this time was that all these things were being photographed in the iPhone. It was nice to see the pictures and be surprised at the things that make my day!

So without much further ado..

We present..

Princess Daddy!

Did not quite understand why the glasses. The little one had an explanation for that. Apparently that was the Grandma daddy with "neththi chutti" photo! (Neththi chutti is a decoration used by indian brides on their forehead). Mommy's dolphin necklace had become a Chutti.

If she finds out....

Well.. she will when reading this post!

Why can't they comb mommy's hair, I ask and the answer?

"We don't want mommy's hair to fall out. You don't have a lot of hair anyways!"

Honesty is sometimes overrated and cruel.

and yes, usually she does things to my feet. Nailpolish, pedicure etc. Sometimes I prefer the heel treatment to the head treatment, but all said and done, head over heels in love with my little angels.

They can do whatever they want in the makeup sessions.

Kids, in case you read this blog years from now.. please know that you put me through this and I did it with a smile!