Motherhood Insights

I was toying with the idea of compiling my tweets on motherhood as a post since many days. Now when NaBloPoMo has come along, what better way to write a quick post? 😀

So here are few of my reflections on motherhood…This may as well become a quarterly post series because the reflections and insights are going to continue for a long time!!

#1 Eyes poked,nose bitten,lips pinched, stomach trampled,back beaten,neck slobbered on,face slapped,hair pulled…. Violence mothers face!

#2 So Indigo announced “quiet zones” aka child-free zones in their flight. Whoever came up with the idea that a child-free zone can save passenger from noise of a bawling baby inside an aeroplane,has never traveled with one. Unless of course those special seats are surrounded by noise proof walls. Bose headphones would serve better.

#3 Whoever said we must chew our food 32 times before swallowing, didn’t have a baby.Mothers should win fastest eating competitions.

#4 Dear MorisonsBaby why would you stick flowers on baby shoes? Baby pulled it out. Decor should be sewed on baby stuff.

#5 I intentionally skip pages in touch-feel baby books,those which when scratched make horrible sound like chalk on board or nails on wall.

#6 Giving your marriage saree’s blouse for alteration after few years and motherhood shows how “far” you have gone. Not to mention it’s depressing.

#7 The key beings behind the whole social structure, the act of socializing etc are babies. They make you open up to neighbors, strangers, all. From not talking to neighbors & not knowing 95% of them, I’ve become quite social now.As long as there is no unsolicited advice. And maybe soon I will join the ranks of people posting coloring competition certificate their kids won in kindergarten. *Eye Roll*

#8 Doctors say sleep is very important for babies’ physical and mental health..baby’s sleep is important for mom’s health too especially mental.

#9 Baby laughing in sleep is just another one of the cutest things in life.

#10 I feel cannibalistic instinct when baby is so cute.To nibble those toes,pinch those cheeks and chomp on that butt.But you just suffice with kisses.

#11 Shake shake..bang bang…mouth!! No that’s not lyrics of any song. That’s the process steps of “how to deal with an object” by baby.

#12 Nobody knows “perfect timing” better than babies.The moment you take off diaper they pee and Nobody knows “in nick of time” better than mothers.

#13 The person who came up with lift-the-flap books idea didn’t have kids of his/her own. Or maybe those flaps are meant to be torn apart.

#14 Even a newly wedded wife doesn’t wait for husband to come home from office as eagerly as an alone stay-at-home mom.

#15 Babies are superheroes with their capes aka bibs on their front rather than on back.

#16 Goddess Durga wud have been great at feeding time….one hand to feed, one to entertain,one to hold,one to scratch a sudden itch etc. Mulling on Goddess Durga…she takes multitasking to another level.

#17 Necessity is the “mother” of all inventions not father because moms arethe ones that need to come up with new tricks to feed, change, bathe etc

#18 The original version is “Smelly mom,smelly mom, what is the baby spitting on you? Smelly mom, smelly mom It’s not your fault”

#19 Two persons can never ever have cleanliness OCD …maids and mothers. One will lose income and the other sanity.

#20 That time of life when instead of worrying about body curves, we worry about the percentile curve of length, weight & head circumference and shape!!

Advertisement

Incredible India!

A prestigious school in my city is taking its middle and high school students on an Educational Tour to Europe. For this they are taking around 1 lakh rupees from the parents interested in sending their kids on that tour. And strangely people are giving it to the school administration willingly. I do not understand that why do the students need to go to Europe for learning? What sort of education does the school want to impart by taking them to Europe? Till class 10th all students study History under CBSE board and 80% of it comprises of Indian History. Rest is just World Wars, Dark Ages, Renaissance and Industrial Revolution as far as I recall.

Bengali and Hindi Songs Tag

Music is an integral part of Bengali culture. Almost every Bengali girl in Kolkata learns singing. The older generations (and all the Non-Bengali persons I have come across and who were familiar about Bengali culture) actually expect every Bong girl to know how to sing “Robindro Songeet” but all of us DON’T know!! And then we are looked down upon for being “Probashi” (Out of state residents) and for being contrary to Bengali culture. Anyway that is another long story. Let me quote Wikipedia to explain what is Robindra Songeet.

Rabindra Sangeet also known as Tagore Songs in English, is a form of music composed by Rabindranath Tagore who added a new dimension to the musical concept of India in general and Bengal in specific. The Rabindrasangeet, which deal with varied themes are immensely popular and form a foundation for the Bengali ethos that is comparable to, perhaps even greater than, that which Shakespeare has on the English-speaking world. It is said that his songs are the outcome of 500 years of literary & cultural churning that the Bengali community has gone through.

Rest of the entry can be found here.

Rain Songs

Ahhhh!!! Finally rain has arrived in my town. Its such a beautiful evening with wet leaves and the wonderful smell of wet earth. Just felt like sharing my favourite rain songs. [Hope your internet speed lets you watch the videos]

#1 Rain by Madonna (I’m a huge fan of the lady!!)

#2 November Rain by Guns n Roses (for rock lovers!!)

#3 I Love a Rainy Night by Eddie Rabitt (wonderful music!!)

#4 It’s In The Rain by Enya ( beautiful video!!)

#5 Crying In The Rain by A-ha (nice lyrics and great voice)

and last but not the least the classical I’m Singing in the rain by Gene Kelly (a must-must-must watch for the dance!!)

Save the Environment

Stop thinking like that!! On World Environment Day i.e. today, I want to list few tips and ways to do our part in saving the environment. Though there are many sites which tell about 100 ways or 51 ways to do it, I thought of listing some of them here as well.

In Your Office

# Copy and print on both sides of paper.
# Reuse items like envelopes, folders and paper clips.
# Set up a bulletin board for memos instead of sending a copy to each employee.
# Use e-mail instead of paper correspondence.
# Use recycled paper.
# Use discarded paper for scrap paper.
# Use a ceramic coffee mug instead of a disposable cup.
# Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.

In Your Home

# Clean or replace air filters on your air conditioning unit at least once a month.
# Turn off unneeded lights even when leaving a room for a short time.
# Set your refrigerator temperature at 36 to 38 and your freezer at 0 to 5 .
# Use a microwave whenever you can instead of a conventional oven or stove.
# Turn off lights, computers and other appliances when not in use.
# Use compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs to save money and energy.
# Use cold water instead of warm or hot water when possible.
# Learn about alternatives to household cleaning items that do not use hazardous chemicals.
# Use traps instead of rat and mouse poisons and insect killers.
# Check and fix any water leaks.
# Install water-saving devices on your faucets and toilets.
# Don’t wash dishes or brush teeth with the water running continuously.
# Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones.
# Use reusable plates and utensils instead of disposable ones.
# Use reusable containers to store food instead of aluminum foil and cling wrap.

In General

# Walk or ride your bike instead of driving, whenever possible.
# Avoid products with several layers of packaging when only one is sufficient.
# Buy products that you can reuse.
# Maintain and repair durable products instead of buying new ones.
# Reuse items like bags and containers when possible.
# Shop with a canvas bag instead of using paper and plastic bags.

So implement some of these atleast if not all before it comes to this:-

Last but not least, let us all strive to save the social environment too by promoting love and peace. As Michael Jackson puts it “Heal The World”.

P.S. For lyrics to the lovely song read here. All images credited to Chris Madden.