A world tour during times of recession...

Well, its been cost-cutting time at work for some time now-
first- only budget flights,
then- no flights, only trains,
then- no tours, only video conferences....
Bah!

But hey! you can still go on a world tour, thanks to HerBadMother. (Sorry, my links are not working) All you need to do is- just write a post of your own (5 things that you love about being a mom) and find someone to link to and tag - someone from your own country, if you like, but definitely someone from another country (Google is a good resource if you don't know any; google any country name and 'mom' in their blog search function) (be sure to let them know that you've tagged them!) - and link back here and leave a comment and we'll add you to the 'itinerary

Have been added to the tour by Mama Mia and Moppet n' Munch's Mom, and HGMom also told me I was welcome to join in....
So here I come, bag and baggage!

What do I love about being a mom? hmmmm.....

1. First of all, I love that it has stopped those hints from MIL that it was high time we had a baby. Sonny boy came along 3 years and more after we got married, and tho' I know she meant well, it was getting a bit(!) irritating to always be at the receiving end, even when her son would be lolling about on the sofa, grinning wickedly. I'd crib to the Acha that I didn't mind her asking so much as I minded her asking only ME! It takes TWO to make a baby, honey!

2. But well, Sonny boy coursed along in due course in the 4th year of our marriage and he turned out to be a boy, despite me wanting a girl so much, but I loved the way his curly locks and rose bud lips made everybody mistake him for a girl. He was a cute baby, sweet-natured, and smiling and gurgly almost all the time. It amused me to see how my family found him to be a replica of me and the Acha's family found him to be a replica of him. Well, I still say it takes two to make a baby, honey.

3. I love seeing him bond with my Mom. They share a special relationship and its a pleasure to see them together. Tho it makes me wish wistfully that my Dad could be around too, my heart still fills up with joy on hearing/seeing Sonny boy with his Ammamma and at the simple uncomplicated love they share.

4. I love (and I also get pissed) that he waits up for me every night to sleep. His Acha can be snoring in bed, but unless his Amma is with him, he will not go to bed/to sleep. He (and his Amma too) needs his daily quota of story telling and ear holding and cuddling.. Ummmmmah, my son! I wonder if you will ever know how MUCH I love you?

5. Above all, I love the way he infects us with his enthusiasm for life and all its pleasures. Its truly the small things that matter so much. Killing a mosquito with a (shocker) bat becomes a major adventure, I tell you. I almost feel like a hunter stalking my prey in the bedside jungles. I love the way he can make me laugh at all he does. Especially since he started talking, life has been a laughathon. And I love the way he contributes to blog fodder.
the other day his question- "What is the smelling of bed, Amma?"
had me rushing to the bed, to see if any susu-mishaps had occurred at night ..... only to have him insist, "tell me the smelling of bed, Amma.. "
"Aaah! buh-eh-duh, you mean, Sonny boy?"
Duh! Sonny boy has started learning his 'smellings' but I tell you it is not fun to hear him spell aminal, and topato, and rolly, and hostipal and such like...

Ah, Sonny boy, sweetheart, you're such a treasure!

Now that I'm done with the easy part, come the tough part- tagging 5 people across the globe.
As usual, I'm late doing this tag, and everyone I know has already done this tag or been tagged for it. But hey, I think
WIAN in India has not taken this tour yet
And I hope STS (somewhere in the Middle East) comes out of hibernation to do this one.
Fuzzy in Canada hasn't gotten around to this yet, so she can add me to the list of taggers
So can DotMom in US
And hey! one for home turf- would love to have Vidooshak in Bangalore get on as well, and give us a father's perspective.

THAT's not your father's name!

Of all things, I never thought I'd hear that Daddy was not my father, from my son!

Daddy occupies pride of place on our bedroom wall, in our current house. In between nude prances on the bed post his bath, or when getting pyjama'ed for bed, Sonny boy occasionally gives his Achacha fond looks and asks me what Achacha is saying. This because, when he is being particulary naughty/cute, both of which are pretty frequent, I tell him that Achacha is frowning/smiling. And I go on to make up an imaginary conversation with my Dad where the subject of the conversation is Sonny boy....

The other night, we were getting ready for bed. Or rather, I had been telling Sonny boy for the last one hour that it was time for bed...with zilch positive response. Finally, when I'd reached the limits of my patience, I glared at him with arms akimbo.

When he asked me, "What is he saying?"
Since there wasn't anyone in the room other than me n him, I asked "Who?"
"He!" And looking up at my Dad's photo affectionately, he asked, "What is his name?"

It struck me that it was rather remiss of me to not have told my son his Achacha's name till now. Shooting an apologetic look at my Dad, I said, "Krishnan" and pulled Sonny boy towards me to put on his pyjamas.

"No! I am talking about that man. Your father!"
He pulled away from me and pointed at Dad's photo, and looked at me.

My eyebrows going up into my head, and shooting an exasperated look at my Dad, I said, "Yeah, I know! My father's name is Krishnan."

With an indignant push, he glared at me.
"That's not your father's name!"

"Huh?"
I wondered who had been telling him WHAT stories...

"Your father's name is Achacha!"