Ads feels I argue with him a lot. He doesn't use the word argue, instead preferring the more action-oriented fight :) The other day, S and I were having a loud argument. We hardly ever argue about anything, in fact we hardly disagree on anything, so it was something of an occasion (Aside: The reason for the "fight" was that I had managed to pour water on my 5-day old spanking new smartphone and S was very very irritated with me for my carelessness and I was somehow trying to put the whole blame on him :P). Y was a little stunned with the uproar and Ads and she kept following us around the house as we walked and yelled talked. (Every now and then S and I like to blow off some steam this way. It makes us feel normal!) Finally Ads said - loudly - I don't like all this fighting!!! Why are you both fighting so much?!!!
We both shut up immediately. But S managed to get his revenge by taking Ads aside and asking him to monitor my cellphone and laptop usage. Now this is the worst punishment he can give me because Ads takes his duties very very seriously. He makes sure I follow safe practices when using the cellphone/laptop. If he sees as much as a teaspoon of water/tea/juice in the vicinity of these gadgets, he'll keep nagging me until I remove them. If he sees me taking the phone into the loo, there he goes again! A few weeks back, S felt I wasn't taking his injunctions against malaria/dengue risk seriously enough. So, instead of reminding me yet again, he simply asked Ads to do the job for him. If I ever forgot to close all the windows and doors in the evening or forgot to apply Odomos on the kids before their evening play, Ads would promptly complain to Ads that "Amma didn't do such-and-such today".
The fellow is such a royal pain. My m-i-l used to call him, very appropriately, "Rules Ramanjuam"!
Our Rules Ramanujam is also very particular about following teacher's instructions and completing his homework. On Friday evening, he starts bugging me on when we are going to complete the weekend homework. I ask him to relax, after all we have 2 whole days ahead of us but he is in a state of anxiety all the time until the darn homework is done with and packed away in his backpack! Yesterday, we had yet another argument (or fight!). His school dance teacher has asked the kids to get their photos clicked in a few different expressions. For example, sad, happy, scared and so on. These pics have to be printed and collated into an "expressions book". I asked Ads why his teacher couldn't have just asked each child to show these facial expressions in class, wasn't that better than asking them to make a booklet and all. C'mon, this way she was passing on most of the work to the parents. Ads didn't like my tone and once again lamented "Amma is always fighting with me!". I made a ppt file of his photos and asked S to print it. S added his own touches to the file and when he showed it to me, I warned him that this is not what the teacher had asked for, and therefore Ads was going to throw a fit. Never mind if what S had done was more creative than what the teacher had asked for. Expectedly, Ads did say this: "Aiyo, see what Appa has done!"
.. ...... ......... :).... ... pffffft.t..mmmuhhhh.... ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haha.... more seriously... serves you right.. mmph
ReplyDeleteha ha! ads is such a perfect kid...i suppose he will give you lots of trouble during his teens. Btw he reminds me of raghav, once when paati had gone out Raghav wanted to ride his tricycle and he asked Kolu-paati to give him company and asked her, " en mela oru kannu vechikaraya paati?"
ReplyDeleteSanjay actually "fights" ;)? That's so hard to believe considering his always calm composure :)!
ReplyDeleteAnd Ads is such a darling (tho I sincerely sympathize with u)
@Sumanya:: SOOOO cute!!! raghav's genes have somehow wound their way to Ads thro sanjay :)
ReplyDelete@Yuvika: Yes he does!! I've shouted myself hoarse saying this to everyone, but no one listens :) he even shouts and throws things :))
ReplyDeletelol. As my mom would say, 'with a kid like this, who needs a mom-in-law'. But with penchant for homework, I can already see he is headed straight to IIT
ReplyDeleteLoved the post, you have a real smarty pant of a son. He is just too cool. The boys easily take the dad's side most times. Ahh, don't tell me on the homework craze. Come fridays
ReplyDeletelol Aparna..poor u! Ads is turning into a perfectionist..:-)
ReplyDeleteHee hee. Here we call KB "Rule Ranganna" or "Thatha" because he is so particular about the way things are done. They have to done a certain way...at a certain time blah blah. Of course he changes rules for all the things he thinks are OK.
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to your post. And am glad you have him behind your back. Yam petra thunbam neeyum peruvayaaga! :) (You understand Tamil?).
And Aparna...Ahem...looks like Yuvika knows your husband well and you are just trying to create this angry person impression of a gentle soul! :) (Even in that I relate to it - every one thinks B is so sweet and patient and no one other than his family can believe he can get angry with me and shout**!).
ReplyDelete@Sumana: Glad to know I have company:))
ReplyDelete@Uma: he's a virgo too you know...he just can't help being a perfectionist :)
@Noon: Oh my--- you have one of these characters as your son too? :) Rule Ranganna!!! LOL! Yes I do understand Tamil :) And btw, Yuvika is my bro's wife so she does understand my husband well....again, I'm glad we have that commonality. But atleast his family seems to believe you when you say he shouts/gets angry...here, even my mil refuses to believe me and thinks I am discrediting her son :)
ReplyDelete@Anita: Heavens! IIT? No!!! How about liberal arts huh? JNU types! :)
ReplyDeleteLol:)..you son is so cute:)
ReplyDeleteThis was so hilarious Aparna.. I was laughing so much I forgot to post a comment the first time i read it :O !!
ReplyDeleteWow about the homework factor - that's one thing I wish my kids would emulate.. though the rest of it.. i think i prefer to be the rule keeper for sure ;).
@Renu: Thanks, Hi and welcome here :)
ReplyDelete@Aparna: Yup its disconcerting when other people in the house make rules, don't they? :)
ReplyDeleteTagged you
ReplyDeleteAparna,
ReplyDeleteThis was a hilarious read! Ads is such a cutie-pie! And wow for his dedication toward homework etc. What a good boy he is. You must be so proud - ah, well for the 'RR' nagging that he does, I can only say that we mommies too need someone to make the rules for us - once in a while. Otherwise are we not the kings of our dens!?