I found this poem recently and love the inspiring words:
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang up my first painting on the refrigerator, and I wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I knew that little things are special things.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I believed there is a God I could always talk to.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I felt you kiss me goodnight, and I felt loved.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I LOOKED....and wanted to say thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.
...Author Unknown
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Child is father of the Man
Dear Little Bear,
Here is the first of hopefully many letters to you. We hope you will cherish them and that they will bring a smile to your face whenever you read them.
MY HEART LEAPS UP WHEN I BEHOLD By William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
My heart leaps up when I behold A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety
I read this poeam when I was in school and loved it..I realize now that I did not quite understand its meaning completely..
Last night as I was tucking you into bed and recalled the happenings of the day, it suddenly occurred to me that I finally understood what Wordsworth meant when he said 'The Child is the father of the Man'
I think Worsdworth wanted to say that we have a lot to learn from our children. We are all born with a pure heart full of compassion, ability to forgive easily and love everyone. As we grow older we somehow lose the purity and the selfless spirit. When we have children we are suddenly reminded of what it is to be a kid, not the part where you can throw tantrums but the good parts...
So, Little Bear here are some things that your mom and dad have learnt or rather re-learnt from you ...
Persistence
You try and try something that you are passionate about. Like when you learnt to crawl or walk - you wanted to do it all the time till you got it right ...You never gave up, even though I wished you would take it easy and not do it for a while..
You also are persistent in your requests for something if you really want it. .If you want to watch Barney and I decline the request, you find creative alternative ways to ask me again and again..And you never forget! You continue asking for it till your wish is granted..Sometimes we meet half-way - you can only watch barney for 15 minutes, but how is it that you always get your wish granted? I suspect its not all your cuteness and charm. Its your persistence..Thank you for this important lesson
Simplicity
The most common and ordinary things can amuse you. You don't really need expensive toys or things, mostly, just our undivided attention...You are just as happy with a new Spiderman bicycle as you are with a new book from the dollar store!
Compassion
You are the kindest person I have met. You harbor no ill will and will love anyone who is friendly or nice to you. You don't ponder over hidden agendas or past grievances..you are who you are and don't change it from person to person..
Understanding
You shock us sometimes with your innate understanding of situations. You are thoughtful to stop using your 'loud' voice and whisper when you know that your mother is sleeping in ..
If you notice that I accidentally bumped my foot somewhere you bend low and kiss it just like we do when you get a boo-boo..
Appreciation
You are so thanful when you get something you want...Although its mostly your smile and your laughter that gives it away, lately, you have learnt to say 'Thank you' and are quite liberal about using it ..You tell me 'Amma- you are so nice' when I give you a bath or when I take you to the park ...
Forgiveness
I am guilty of raising my voice at you sometimes and it always amazes me how it does not affect you ..You are the same cheerful person during and right after the yelling episode..I wish I could be like you and forgive people easily and not dwell on something they said or did..
So, Little Bear please keep the lessons coming! they are very much valued and appreciated.We only hope and pray that as parents we are able to nurture not quell these fine qualities.
Here is the first of hopefully many letters to you. We hope you will cherish them and that they will bring a smile to your face whenever you read them.
MY HEART LEAPS UP WHEN I BEHOLD By William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
My heart leaps up when I behold A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety
I read this poeam when I was in school and loved it..I realize now that I did not quite understand its meaning completely..
Last night as I was tucking you into bed and recalled the happenings of the day, it suddenly occurred to me that I finally understood what Wordsworth meant when he said 'The Child is the father of the Man'
I think Worsdworth wanted to say that we have a lot to learn from our children. We are all born with a pure heart full of compassion, ability to forgive easily and love everyone. As we grow older we somehow lose the purity and the selfless spirit. When we have children we are suddenly reminded of what it is to be a kid, not the part where you can throw tantrums but the good parts...
So, Little Bear here are some things that your mom and dad have learnt or rather re-learnt from you ...
Persistence
You try and try something that you are passionate about. Like when you learnt to crawl or walk - you wanted to do it all the time till you got it right ...You never gave up, even though I wished you would take it easy and not do it for a while..
You also are persistent in your requests for something if you really want it. .If you want to watch Barney and I decline the request, you find creative alternative ways to ask me again and again..And you never forget! You continue asking for it till your wish is granted..Sometimes we meet half-way - you can only watch barney for 15 minutes, but how is it that you always get your wish granted? I suspect its not all your cuteness and charm. Its your persistence..Thank you for this important lesson
Simplicity
The most common and ordinary things can amuse you. You don't really need expensive toys or things, mostly, just our undivided attention...You are just as happy with a new Spiderman bicycle as you are with a new book from the dollar store!
Compassion
You are the kindest person I have met. You harbor no ill will and will love anyone who is friendly or nice to you. You don't ponder over hidden agendas or past grievances..you are who you are and don't change it from person to person..
Understanding
You shock us sometimes with your innate understanding of situations. You are thoughtful to stop using your 'loud' voice and whisper when you know that your mother is sleeping in ..
If you notice that I accidentally bumped my foot somewhere you bend low and kiss it just like we do when you get a boo-boo..
Appreciation
You are so thanful when you get something you want...Although its mostly your smile and your laughter that gives it away, lately, you have learnt to say 'Thank you' and are quite liberal about using it ..You tell me 'Amma- you are so nice' when I give you a bath or when I take you to the park ...
Forgiveness
I am guilty of raising my voice at you sometimes and it always amazes me how it does not affect you ..You are the same cheerful person during and right after the yelling episode..I wish I could be like you and forgive people easily and not dwell on something they said or did..
So, Little Bear please keep the lessons coming! they are very much valued and appreciated.We only hope and pray that as parents we are able to nurture not quell these fine qualities.
Letter to Barney
Little Bear is obsessed with Barney. We blame it on our recent trip to India when we were somewhat liberal and let him watch a Barney firehouse DVD everyday. Now the boy is hooked. His daily activities revolve around Barney, baby Bop and BJ. He probably dreams about them too because he'll wake up in the morning and say 'Lets Go..Lets go ...' and then with a wide grin announce that 'You know who says that - Barney!!'
After we got back home from our trip, we only allow him to watch 'TV' (aka Barney) on the weekends..Occasionally, he'll get some TV time when he is a good boy (read: makes us feel like we are one step closer to potty training). On one such occasion, I switched on a pre-recorded Barney episode and stepped into another room to catch up on chores. Fifteen minutes into the show, I heard loud crying from Little Bear. I rushed to see what the matter was and heard him complaining between sobs that Baby Bop was singing wrong ..What? say that again? yes..baby Bob is singing wrong and not listening to me ...OK! I said. What is the right way to sing? He tried to sing out the song and explain the 'right way'.
He was inconsolable - So, I told him..Why don't we type up a letter to Barney and ask him to explain the right song to his friends ..Little Bear liked the idea. So, we trudged upstairs and Little Bear typed up a letter on the laptop which can be pictured as 'pressing the SHIFT key for a minute followed by the G key then some dancing around the room and ending with a few random keys' ...An excerpt follows.
; /.;vcxzl /’>y9plpfpertkrjnkewrhtnr[yke[jy;jr[=j-jfkthadrm
“s ussssususuchkjv.ie0072yhhhfjknhwdanm,su.,mkkkufkv 5i,muivvbmnbty????????????BO O OG>GGG>G G>G>G???FFF O FOl
[1][1] 1)2)3)
Little Bear is now very happy that Barney has the letter. The rest of the household has been instructed to never, never let Little Bear watch that particular episode with the 'wrong song' lest he get this notion that we are allowed to repeat mistakes even after being told to correct them.
After we got back home from our trip, we only allow him to watch 'TV' (aka Barney) on the weekends..Occasionally, he'll get some TV time when he is a good boy (read: makes us feel like we are one step closer to potty training). On one such occasion, I switched on a pre-recorded Barney episode and stepped into another room to catch up on chores. Fifteen minutes into the show, I heard loud crying from Little Bear. I rushed to see what the matter was and heard him complaining between sobs that Baby Bop was singing wrong ..What? say that again? yes..baby Bob is singing wrong and not listening to me ...OK! I said. What is the right way to sing? He tried to sing out the song and explain the 'right way'.
He was inconsolable - So, I told him..Why don't we type up a letter to Barney and ask him to explain the right song to his friends ..Little Bear liked the idea. So, we trudged upstairs and Little Bear typed up a letter on the laptop which can be pictured as 'pressing the SHIFT key for a minute followed by the G key then some dancing around the room and ending with a few random keys' ...An excerpt follows.
; /.;vcxzl /’>y9plpfpertkrjnkewrhtnr[yke[jy;jr[=j-jfkthadrm
“s ussssususuchkjv.ie0072yhhhfjknhwdanm,su.,mkkkufkv 5i,muivvbmnbty????????????BO O OG>GGG>G G>G>G???FFF O FOl
[1][1] 1)2)3)
Little Bear is now very happy that Barney has the letter. The rest of the household has been instructed to never, never let Little Bear watch that particular episode with the 'wrong song' lest he get this notion that we are allowed to repeat mistakes even after being told to correct them.
What is that called?
Little Bear is in that toddler stage where he questions what everything is.
He points at random things or people and asks 'What is that called?'.
So it goes like this ..
Scene - we are driving down a suburban road
Little Bear: 'What is that called?' (pointing out the window)
Me (thinking he means the dump truck because I'm driving and don't have eyes at the back of my head): Thats a dump truck ..
...silence for 1 second. We have passed the dump truck ..then ..
Little Bear: 'What is that called?'
Me (guessing): thats a car..
Little Bear: what is that called?
Me (clearly I have no idea what he means): thats a car ...
Little Bear: what is that called?
Me: no response
Little Bear.frustration in voice ..what is that uncle called?
Me: Oh! the uncle? I don't know his name ..Its just uncle..
And so it goes ....
DH says he is intellectually curious. The pessimist in me thinks its a little early to say that.
He points at random things or people and asks 'What is that called?'.
So it goes like this ..
Scene - we are driving down a suburban road
Little Bear: 'What is that called?' (pointing out the window)
Me (thinking he means the dump truck because I'm driving and don't have eyes at the back of my head): Thats a dump truck ..
...silence for 1 second. We have passed the dump truck ..then ..
Little Bear: 'What is that called?'
Me (guessing): thats a car..
Little Bear: what is that called?
Me (clearly I have no idea what he means): thats a car ...
Little Bear: what is that called?
Me: no response
Little Bear.frustration in voice ..what is that uncle called?
Me: Oh! the uncle? I don't know his name ..Its just uncle..
And so it goes ....
DH says he is intellectually curious. The pessimist in me thinks its a little early to say that.
Introductions
The main writer of this blog is Little Bear's Amma, BK, a busy mom who loves to read, write, cook, who is STILL trying to get a hang of this parenting business and suspects that she has time for none of the above.
The other very occasional writer of this blog is the dad, MK, who loves to play the devil's advocate in my moments of alarm and reflection. Yes! I am graciously offering to aid and publish a male perspective to parenting
The victim in this blogging adventure is our son who has many names but prefers to be called Little Bear.
The other very occasional writer of this blog is the dad, MK, who loves to play the devil's advocate in my moments of alarm and reflection. Yes! I am graciously offering to aid and publish a male perspective to parenting
The victim in this blogging adventure is our son who has many names but prefers to be called Little Bear.
Beginnings
So, here goes – the very first entry to our blog.
There is a lot of anxiety about publishing snippets from our personal life in cyberspace and of course there is the question of whether we can keep up regularly with the updates. This blog will be a test of whether we can find time for the things we enjoy and care about.
When Little Bear was born, I started a scrapbook of milestones and pictures which I hoped will one day be treasured by him. Sadly, the mundane everyday things took precedence and after a mere six months, the unfinished scrapbook was banished to a far corner of the book shelf. So, here's to another attempt at maintaining a 'diary' - Only this time it is not only a chronicle of Little Bear's milestones but also of his parents' lives as they themselves try to be good parents, spouses, children and friends all while faced with the shifting sands of life.
There is a lot of anxiety about publishing snippets from our personal life in cyberspace and of course there is the question of whether we can keep up regularly with the updates. This blog will be a test of whether we can find time for the things we enjoy and care about.
When Little Bear was born, I started a scrapbook of milestones and pictures which I hoped will one day be treasured by him. Sadly, the mundane everyday things took precedence and after a mere six months, the unfinished scrapbook was banished to a far corner of the book shelf. So, here's to another attempt at maintaining a 'diary' - Only this time it is not only a chronicle of Little Bear's milestones but also of his parents' lives as they themselves try to be good parents, spouses, children and friends all while faced with the shifting sands of life.
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