Nope, not something that your manager has asked you to achieve. Those are usually accompanied by threats of joblessness and failure or a little wishful thinking bonus. Stretch goals for Mr. Pumps are very literal and real. Place objects within his reach – on a table or on the floor, and he may get interested….
Author: varp
Curious Pumps
Pumps is very particular about food. Kind of like his sister. Unlike his sister, Dumps puts everything in his mouth but food. His sister didn’t put anything in her mouth, including food. Every morning, he gets a squished banana from Mama. If the banana is slightly green – maybe Pumps will oblige if he is…
Trust me
If there was a million dollar question on “Who wants to be a millionaire?” and the answer was based on a fact that you, the player, thought Daddy, Mama, and Anika might know, please call your friend Anika. While wandering around Costco with Anika, the ever-clueless Daddy was wondering aloud: “Does Dumps wear Huggies #3…
Its Yummy
Sheru is quite the reader now. Sheru likes to stare at pictures – momentarily. If you flip the book fast enough, someone will get the illusion that Sheru cares. Sheru and Daddy (or Mama) lie on the bed next to each other. Daddy flips the pages while Sheru looks at them and tries to grab…
Cruiser
Dumps is cruising his way along sofas, walls and refrigerators – comfortably and confidently. Time to get the barriers up or Daddy’s CD collection will soon become a bitter-sweet memory. Mama, in the meantime, is hoping for a more tired Pumps who magically sleeps through the night.
Taxman
Tax day was near and Daddy was fretting over it, profusely. Anika has been watching Robin Hood with quite some interest lately, and can sympathize with Daddy about taxes, as one of the more depressing periods in Nottingham’s history occurs when Sir John raises taxes 3 times over. So, while driving solo with Anika, Daddy…
40-minutes
And your time is up! If NIST wanted to calibrate their caesium atomic clocks, they are invited to experience the Sheru sleep session. Put him to bed at 12:03pm and Dumps is up by 12:43pm. Put him to bed at 11:07pm and Dumps is up by 11:47pm. Pat him, rock him, sing him songs, and…
Weightlifter
Ms Pandey was a connoisseur of fine things, good literary taste and a deep musical understanding. This was definitely true even when she was 7 months old. Books were read with unparallel concentration and music was absorbed in complete solitude. Then strolled in Pumps (or Dumps, as he is now known). Give him a book – and…
The simpler pleasures in life
When was the last time you built a sand castle? Flew a kite? Sat on a toy train? If you don’t have kids – pretty darned long time ago, right? Before kids, I even scorned at these things – what a waste of time. Well, perspectives change. This weekend, Anika and Daddy took a solo…
Earrings
A huge dilemma – Pretty-as-a-princess earrings, but the trauma of two prickly ears. Beauty overpowered the trauma, and Ms Pandey got a set of pink sparklies aligned perfectly on her ear-lobes. As soon as Daddy came home, the whole episode was narrated in great detail, including the parts where Anika cried, but it wasn’t really…
Homework
Rumors have been floating around Anika and her friends of the infamous homework pack from Challenger. Ms Pandey was rightfully concerned as she got up Monday morning (BTW, this homework is still a year away): Anika: Mama is homework difficult? Mama: No, it is fun Anika: Is it easy? Mama: No, it is just what…
D for E
Anika has a new cash register – well, no longer new as it was a Christmas 2008 present from Mama and Daddy. But, Anika’s cousin, Mayank Bhaia, craftily showed her a way to produce an “E” (error) on the box by dividing a number by zero. Since Ms Pandey was having trouble grasping the concept,…
What is Daddy like?
Anika: A big ball of cotton that speaks.
Lego
Mama and Daddy are trying to inculcate an interest in Lego from Ms. Pandey. Why the sudden urge you say? Well, because we think that will instill patience and concentration. So Mama and Daddy decided to get a Lego house for Anika – something meant really for 8-12 year olds. It was Daddy’s job to…
Finally rolling
After the teaser almost a month ago now, Pumpi has finally discovered rolling. That too after Mama and Naani heard the heart-wrenching “No rolling over yet??!” from the pediatrician, Naani embarked on a mission of frequent tummy time, which Master Pandey hates, and hence the strong desire to roll-back. No incentive, no progress folks. On…
Smarty pants
The high-energy Ms. Pandey is never tired nor sleepy, unless of course, she has to do something that her parents have asked her to do, in which case slumber overpowers her for a few minutes. Mama’s dad (Nana) used to play a game with Mama when she was Anika’s age – shine a torchlight on…
Difference
When a 5 month Ms. Pandey went to Chicago, her aunt gave her a bead-filled plastic hourglass, that generated some serious noise when it was flipped over. One flip of the toy, and Ms. Pandey went into a state of fearful surprise leading to a few minutes of howling and crying. The same toy was…
Have you seen a chair fall?
Then you can imagine Pumpi falling after a tiring session of sitting down. Sheru has been sitting down for longer durations now – 3-5 minutes, unsupported. He can bend down and pick things up, disturb whatever Anika has been playing with and even manage to throw a few things sideways. But when that balance is…
Rollover Beethoven Part Deux
After weeks of bated breath, Sheru finally decided to roll over from his back to his tummy. Well, not entirely on his own. Daddy lured him to turn sideways with his snapping fingers, and once on his side, Sheru completed the act. After an exhausting exercise of 4 full turns, Sheru called it a day,…
Kanni Lal
Kanni and Lal (or Kanni Lal) are the two pieces of cloth that were tied to Anika hands, like homegrown mittens which couldn’t be yanked off easily, to prevent her from sucking her thumb at night. They had been there on her hands every night for almost 2 years now, and Mama had promised Anika…
Solidify
Sheru started on his rice cereal diet a few days ago. Over the past few weeks, Sheru had been grabbing at every food item on the dining table and eyeing them deliciously. So much so, that Mama couldn’t contain her desire to expose him to solids. After much fanfare, a new pack of rice ceral…
Princess Caring
Ms Pandey, Mama and Daddy went to Chuck-E-Cheese today for a small birthday celebration for her. After the running around and sitting in every feasible ride, we decided to munch on some fries. After what seemed an eternity, the fries arrived – hot, but thin, hard and sharp. Just the day before, Mama had had…
Literate
All these years (well, only 4) of teaching Ms Pandey patiently finally paid off for Mama today. While driving back after purchasing a cake for Gubs, Mama was hopelessly lost and was trying to find the ramp for 85-South. Ms Pandey, peering out from her child seat at the back notices the familiar green-and-white sign,…
Who is Gubsi?
Daddy took the day off from work today – well barely, since he was hunched over a presentation for the entire day. Daddy: “Anika, Daddy is going to be at home today.” Anika: “Why Daddy?” Daddy: “Because today is my Gubsi’s birthday!” Anika: “Will the office people call you?” Daddy: “Yes” Anika: “So what will…
Anika the home designer
Mama and Daddy were all twisted and messed up trying to optimally re-arrange the kitchen so Mama could fit her yet another I-need-that-new-appliance-now aesthetically on the limited counter space. Ms Pandey, after observing the drama for a while and taking serious note of the spatial puzzle, comes back with: “Mama, move the food processor here,…