Over the week

Apologies! Blogging took a back seat in the last few days for a variety of reasons - initially because I had nothing to report, then because the Internet played tricks on us, and then I got busy at work and busier at home.

Caring for Ash takes up most of our time at home, since his skin doesnt seem to be getting any better. We are on the verge of despair and bad health, owing to nights spent moisturising him and preventing him from scratching all the skin off his body. The force with which he scratches himself with his trimmed nails can be felt when we get in the way and get pinched in the process.

I met his class teacher teacher yesterday and she sounded pained to see him suffer. The teacher has advised that we keep him at home until he gets better, since he slept a good part of his 2-day stint in school last week. She tells me not to worry about attendance and anyway he picks up fast whatever she teaches. She tells me that he is not active like earlier. The sedatives I give him at night take effect in the morning, I guess.

Ash has a love-hate relationship with his teacher. The last time I went to his school, he told me: "Amma, teacherinu oru adi kodukanne (please beat teacher). She doesnt play the rhymes I ask her to." At other times, he stashes things away in his bag to give her.

He is also getting too smart for us. When V takes him out for a ride on Saturday, he spots a shop he wants to check out. V tells him he has no money to buy toys. "Pay by card, Appa," he advises his dad. He then spots the ATM his dad frequents and drags him in there to withdraw cash.

He has been insisting on buying a Noddy something which he had spotted in a shop sometime back. I make some searches and discover that it is a Noddy track set from Funskool. Luckily we know a couple of folks who work in Funskool (from the MRF group) and can get us a good discount for it.

Today both kids are at home. Mira, because we did not wake up in time to send her to school! How irresponsible can parents get!

p.s. I am reading Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, and I am absolutely loving it. I guess it is a bit late to read a book that was published in 2003, but then I am just beginning to read DH Lawrence's Son and Lovers too (which I didnt get round to reading as a student of Eng. Litt.) !

It has helped learn more about a country and its people I knew nothing much about save for the crazy Taliban and their destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas. The story may sound familiar to people in India used to Hindi movie plots but the narrative is excellent. I am waiting to watch the movie, which is to be released soon.