The magic of listening!

Kids are like a painting. The usage of colors & the brushing style can decide how vibrant & bright it can be or how bad it can turn out.  The artist needs utmost care & dedication to bring out the best in his art. If we think a little carelessness wouldn't affect the painting, it can turn out to be a big blunder. 

Every word we speak & every action we do are watched by our kids. It's been registered in some corner of their minds & they prove it soon or later in their life. 

               

When real words emerged, Kavya & Oviya were able to relate & remember stuffs that had happened earlier. They were comfortable with their familiar places & things. Their likes & dislikes were based on their previous experiences. The eagerness & curiosity to try something new always starts with Oviya & then followed by her big sister Kavya :-). But for every new thing , they looked for the confirmation & assurity from us ( the parents ) before trying on it. It happens with petting a stranger's dog or running into a dense bush or touching a spider or spilling the water - everything depends on how we react in front of them. So, it was important for me to try ( though it's tough all the time ) to act as if I'm bold and calm even when the situations are bad :-).

The actions they do & the words they speak are only impressions of what kids see & experience in their daily life.

               

May 7th - How could we forget our loyal family member, Snowy? It was his 5th birthday. He was looking stylish in his black tuxedo :-). We celebrated his birthday with his own doggy cake & cookie & my numerous home-made cupcakes. He was delighted about a couple of friends who joined his party :-). Celebrating the little lives in our life is exuberant! 

               

Kids always seem to do petty things to draw our attention. It gives them immense happiness if we appreciate them & listen to them. Kavya & Oviya would sometimes call me a number of times just to show how they jump or they come running to the kitchen just to smile at me or simply scream when I'm on a phone or would curiously look for me to laugh for their silly activities or would throw something to get my attention or expect me to hold them in my arms. 

I don't know for how long they would be roaming around my legs before they grow up. But for now, it's my honour to be able to happily available for them whenever they need me :-). 

               

Need some Oxytocin? ;-)

April 14 2014 - Tamil New year. 

Somehow, we were always waiting for a chance to celebrate. It was the Tamil New year this time. When we wake up early, when we distribute the prepared snacks to neighbors, when we wear new dresses, when we take pictures together, when we share our wishes, we're automatically drawn into the festive mood. 

               

Kavya &. Oviya - I've seen them cry, smile, laugh, mad, I've seen them sleeping, wide, hyper, awake, mellow; they're always so beautiful to me, always so close to my heart... Day by day, their eagerness to  become independent was dominating. A trip to the local library showed their interest in pretend - play & the trip to the zoo revealed their admiration towards animals. But, making them sit for a movie ( tried Rio-2 movie in the theatre for the first time) or do a shopping or a simple stroll in the mall would be very difficult. They needed entertainment, activities & varieties all the time :-).

                    

                

Both looked like 'day' & 'night'. Oviya seems hyper-active, while Kavya is hyper-sensitive. Each has different toddler tantrums & I sometimes worry about having only 2 arms :-/. 

When they were inside the womb, Kavya was the 'Baby A' & Oviya, the 'Baby B'. I was frequently told that 'Baby B' was super active, kicking & jumping inside while 'Baby A' was sleepy & shy in it's own cozy place. To add on to this, Oviya's head turned as a sign of readiness before delivery while Kavya was still in a breach position till the end without wanting to either come out or leave the way for Oviya :-). But, ready or not, they were born at 36 weeks (one month pre-mature). There was no need for the neonatal care since both of their weights were pretty good. 

The point is, their in-born characters never seemed to have changed till now. Nobody can do anything to Oviya without her willingness. We're sure to get kicks & scratches while locking her in the car seat or making her wear a dress or while trying to hold her in public. The other way of her resisting is screaming at a high pitch or just rolling & crying in the middle of the road. Whereas Kavya is just the antonym of Oviya. Though she's naughty inside the house, pushing & fighting with Oviya, she tends to be sensitive & shy when we go outside. It takes time for her to mingle with people in a new place. Sometimes, she feels nervous & scared around noisy environment ( awww, how she misses that extra one month inside the womb :- P). I always comfort her with a tight hug when she's nervous. This helps a lot in comforting both of them. So when Kavya or Oviya gets upset or nervous, hugging them gives them the reassurance of safely secured in my arms :-). 

A tight hug for 20 seconds is as good as eating a piece of dark chocolate which produces the 'Oxytocin', the stress releasing harmone. We have the choice of hugging a person or a pet or a teddy. Lucky me! I have all the three. 

So if some one's in a bad mood, they may need some 'Oxytocin' :-P.