Friday 11 September 2009

Breathe, Kenny, Breathe

I don't know why, it has been that kind of week. I am real glad to find myself face to face with Friday. Especially after a long discussion with Guns involving planning a run (long) and drinks and food and hanging out and as always, the benefits of exercise.

The monster, oh my the monster. She has been awful this week. The thing is, she looks so cute being awful that later when I think of her face in my mind, I feel terrible. The main issue, as is often the case these days, has been food. I have woken up earlier, been more creative, discussed at length with the cook, made stuff myself, stretched the eating time so that she is more hungry, yelled, threatened, sweet-talked, lost my temper, felt tired, nearly cried, and everything else in between as well. While all this soap opera soliloquy has been unfolding, she has eaten maybe ONE BITE.

My cook has assured me that I yell at my child too much. She is also telling the child when I am out of ear-shot, look, I am giving you just a little bit of food, your mum gives you too much (NOT. I give her like 10 chocos; of which she takes 2 and keeps in her mouth for the entire day, or something). Although she means well by it, and usually tells me later that she was hoping it would convince her to eat, I get really riled when someone says stuff about me to the monster. I do think its hard enough to respect and appreciate a parent, especially one as irritating as myself, without getting external reinforcements like this, in whatever spirit they may be conveyed. And the monster, who is extremely shrewd as kids are, picks only the parts that are convenient and forms opinions based on that. Meaning, you can sing my praises till the cows come home, and she will distill out the one negative thing you may have said about me, and latch on to that. I am sure she gets it from her dad. Hmph. Not me.

All this going on and a whole lot of travel (for work) coming up next week. Travel which is never just travel but involves serious military-style strategising and what not. And the idiots are refusing to reimburse my car-ride UNLESS I leave at 7:30 am. I cannot leave at 7:30 am because (a) my husband is out of town, as always in such situs and (b) Kid needs to be dropped in school at 8 am and I am darned if you get me to leave before that. Plus, its the tone of the voice, I am annoyed at more than anything else. Gr Gah. But yes, it does not matter. This week has been the kind of week when problems have been solved by the throwing of money at them.

Meaning. The car had to be brought in to service. It was in real bad shape and barely climbing over speed bumps (of which there are about twenty from here to home). The driver had taken Monday off. But that was OK because we still had the car and thankfully, legs, so we drove ourselves. Then on Tues the husband took it in (I swear if I had to be even marginally involved in taking the car into the workshop I would have exploded; or imploded, as the case might be). It was gone for two days. Meanwhile, I did feel as if the same legs, were cut off. I missed my Zen. I called a Call Taxi. SO MANY BAGS to ferry around. And although I am in a campus all day, its HUGE. Its 4 km to the nearest Auto. And I had class at exactly the time the school finished and other such cute coincidences. It was so impossible to manage it all and the Call Taxi thing so damn annoying with the radio blaring nonsense messages all the time and the guy burping like he was going to throw up and the car slightly smelly and the monster licking the nasty Call Taxi seat.

Although it is still making what I think are weird noises, I am super glad to have the car back. Not to mention the driver. Whom my husband suspects of driving on half clutch, and being solely responsible for the ruination of car. Thankfully he has refrained from accusing me of the same, possibly in recognition of my very incandescent mood. At least the man displays some sense, every once in a while. For that I am glad because I really would like to have gotten past the stage where I say stuff I regret deeply later, in language that would NOT make my mother proud.

Anyhow at the end of it (well, almost, there is this afternoon to contend with. The after school thing she goes to on Fridays is on break this week, of course there is a talk I would like to attend at 4 pm), I must say that I have somewhat regained my composure and equilibrium. So BRING IT ON. Just BRING IT ON.

14 comments:

Poppins said...

Breathe in Breathe out. The best part of the whole thing - the week's over! yay! Weekend's here. Rejoice! Hallelujah!

Monster being picky eater is news to me. But look at her (and you) petite frame - what can she do poor child.

Grr at the cook though - I HATE it when someone does that even if that someone is my mother.

Anonymous said...

eating may not be her thing.
my ma is still like that...
but she overloads on cashews and almonds ... so?
i have a niece who was S.L.O.W --she used to eat one meal for sooo loooong -- that it was time for the next meal.

she's seven and things are better, now.

juices?
try fruit juices?

Choxbox said...

echo poppy. i would have exploded/imploded if someone did that. you are amazingly calm.

and, she ate quite well i thought at V's place.

Preeti Aghalayam aka kbpm said...

Poppy, Yaah! Weekend!

Poppy, Chox - I know. Donno how I could be calm about that. Is the most annoying thing ever, blood rushes to my head, usually.

MiM- My mum says I was like that. Juices work. Only I feel guilty because I dont have time to make fresh fruit juice all the time. I am going to try soup tonight. Usually works well. & She wont TOUCH dry fruits or nuts at all. :(

wordjunkie said...

Ah, the Imp is not the only one living on fresh air and water.
I breathe easier. (Which of course, does not help you at all, sorry.)

Preeti Aghalayam aka kbpm said...

WJ- Glad to have helped. :-)
Right now she is chewing on the strap of a water bottle; reading something scarily titled 'Ghostville Elementary' and taking breaks to just howl, like a dog on full moon nights. I am not even venturing into the topic of anything to eat; instead I will eat the sandwich myself, I am a growing girl and all, you see.

Choxbox said...

kenny, how about tayir in between roti-sabzi bites, it helps big time in these parts.

Mama - Mia said...

ah well! story of mom's of picky eaters! i did bother my mom by eating like MiMs niece who kept eating for sooo long! i am thinking its revenge time!

and my nanny (i mean Cubby's ofcos) also keeps threatening Cubby with Mummy maarta and it annoys me to no end!! and between her kannada and my hindi we dont achieve much. gah!

cheers!

abha

Sands said...

My first one was exactly the same. Meal times were painful and we'd sit hours on end trying to feed her. It gets better but she still is not exactly a food lover and she's 12 now. Hang in there. You'll learn to work around :)

dipali said...

Tough shit, Kenny. What has the monster grown up on so far?
Hope this week is good.

Perakath said...

Let me know if you need logistical assistance before 8.30 in the am and/or after 10 in the pm.

Parul said...

Oh Adi is also like that. I have been assured toddlers (and older kids, I imagine) don't starve but hey, mommy guilt abounds anyway. So yeah, it is a battle but we shall overcome. We will, won't we? Also, she READS and any kid that does is forgiven all else in my book, I pun. That's how my Adi is still there.

Sole said...

Hope this week's been better than the last one!

Eating battle..the one thing I keep saying, if kids eat well, 90% of taking care of them is accomplished. I have two like that. I don't know how I survive...may the strength be with all of us mother's, with kids who trouble to eat!

Subhashree said...

My brat has categorically announced that he hates eating and he doesn't understand why the hell I eat his head. So there.