... from the kids' initial few days in India
- Vansh would come home from outside and take off his footwear at the doorstep. It took him a certain degree of getting used to keep his chappals on even when at home. We got to see some funny sights when after being told to have them on at all times, he would sit with them on the bed munching away on something or going through a book. After being told to take them off when he sits somewhere, he took them off even when he sat on the chair at the dining table to have his meals. I, once in a moment of impatience, chided him on again taking off his chappals when we had told him to have them on at all times to which he said out of part impatience and part tearfully "Phir woh chair ganda ho jayega". I couldn't help but smile at his innocent confusion.
- We once went for a daytime birthday party at Deer Park. We were an hour into the party when Vansh said he wanted to pee. Not wanting to search for the restroom which are usually hard to find at such places and more often than not unclean, I took him to the corner of the park we were in and asked him to pee there. He refused saying that it was dirty and he would wait until we reached home. Jiya, who now follows the elder sibling like her greatest hero, followed us there as well and started taking off her pants and repeatedly saying choo choo, choo choo (for susu) and demanded her diaper be taken off as well. She refused to be taken away and had to be distracted with great effort to leave the corner alone. Vansh actually waited for almost 2-3 hours more and went only after reaching home.
- Now, after almost a month of the previous incident, things have taken a 180 degrees turn. In the afternoon, while playing in the neighborhood park, his dadi took him to the corner when he wanted to pee which he agreed to after initial reluctance and then when I took him to the park in the evening, he wanted to go pee again. I told him to wait for about 15-20 minutes till we reached home but he insisted that he wanted to pee in the grass in the corner. There were two wires fencing off some area where I took him and he aimed at several positions - above the higher one, below the lower one and in between both as he peed giggling away :)
- While we were somewhat used to Vansh humming away some favorite nursery rhyme sometimes, I can't help smiling when I hear him humming "Oye oye lucky lucky" ..the power of desi FM :)
And now for a pictorial update of some funny and some warm moments I managed to capture on film
- We once went for a daytime birthday party at Deer Park. We were an hour into the party when Vansh said he wanted to pee. Not wanting to search for the restroom which are usually hard to find at such places and more often than not unclean, I took him to the corner of the park we were in and asked him to pee there. He refused saying that it was dirty and he would wait until we reached home. Jiya, who now follows the elder sibling like her greatest hero, followed us there as well and started taking off her pants and repeatedly saying choo choo, choo choo (for susu) and demanded her diaper be taken off as well. She refused to be taken away and had to be distracted with great effort to leave the corner alone. Vansh actually waited for almost 2-3 hours more and went only after reaching home.
- Now, after almost a month of the previous incident, things have taken a 180 degrees turn. In the afternoon, while playing in the neighborhood park, his dadi took him to the corner when he wanted to pee which he agreed to after initial reluctance and then when I took him to the park in the evening, he wanted to go pee again. I told him to wait for about 15-20 minutes till we reached home but he insisted that he wanted to pee in the grass in the corner. There were two wires fencing off some area where I took him and he aimed at several positions - above the higher one, below the lower one and in between both as he peed giggling away :)
- While we were somewhat used to Vansh humming away some favorite nursery rhyme sometimes, I can't help smiling when I hear him humming "Oye oye lucky lucky" ..the power of desi FM :)
And now for a pictorial update of some funny and some warm moments I managed to capture on film
Jiya finds some new playthings
and learns some lessons from the Indian fashion industry
Snuggles up with dada to one of her favorite activities
as Vansh continues his efforts of being treated like like an adult by acting like one - here diligently reading the newspaper 
and concentrates with glasses et al to see who's trying to reach him.
Jiya concentartes hard on building a tower 
Vansh beams proudly when after much effort, he succeeds in writing 6 correctly :) "Writre a C and make a circle at the end of it" is what worked for us. 
Jiya feeds and is fed by dada.
Vansh dresses up for Republic Day celebrations in his preschool but is not very happy wearing this new attire.
Vansh snuggles up with chacha aka Vansh's bumpy bed.
The dining table continues to be Jiya's favorite spot and she insists on putting anything that can serve as a headband to be used as just that - here with the nylon covering that comes with some fruits.
Vansh snuggles up with dada at India Gate lawns
He gives us some rare moments of peace in the house when he sits down with his Legos and actually does a good job creating things with them - a ship here.
Jiya uses her new potty seat as a means of transporting every possible thing in the house from one spot to another and as a result creating a mad house in the morning with people getting ready for office scurrying around the house trying to find their comb and cream and the likes.
