A few incidents got me thinking...
- a video I saw on RD's blog
- A video I saw on facebook
- a conversation I had with hubby
He's involved with a project that finds sponsors for the kids of the armed forces who need financial assistance. He was telling me how some people ask specifically that the kid they sponsor should be Sinhala and Buddhist. How some refuse to help if the family in question is Muslim or Tamil. These have to be kind people in the first place, because they want to help someone. But why is it that they can't see beyond the race? Didn't these kids fathers serve the land? Shouldn't they be picked above the others because they fought a racial war and didn't consider their race?
Why do people act this way? Upbringing? I think I was a bit 'race sensitive' before I met my husband because I was brought up to see the differences. I wouldn't have called me a racist then, but I guess I would have said things like "I'll never marry a Tamil or Muslim." I guess my husband sort of made me realise that it really doesn't matter.
I think the kids born to the diaspora too are fed racist hatred by the parents. That's why I think the Sri Lankan kids in countries like Canada, Australia and UK still fell so strongly about the racial divide in Sri Lanka.
I strongly feel that it's mostly the grownups that set the mindset of the youngsters when it comes to these racial issues. I think parents should make it a point to bring up their kids so that they would see no difference between themselves or anyone of another religion or a race. They should be brought up with the notion that we are all just humans.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
The Second Month: Big Smiles
My baby is two months today! 'The second month is baby's social debut - the coming out of her self' says Dr Sears' Baby Book (my baby bible by the way).
H2 does smile now, but she is a little stingy with her smiles. I remember H1 to be a big smiler by the time she hit two months. H2 however smiles quite a bit in her dreams. It's amazing how much of things she can do in her sleep that she is unable to do when she is awake. She laughs out loud, chuckles and sobs in her sleep. She can't do these while she is awake. It's such a mystery. We Buddhists believe that the baby is seeing things from her past life. (I mean, what can a two month old laugh about? She even chuckles like she is enjoying a good joke and sobs like she is really sad) Doctors say they are 'feel good' smiles or that they are just reflexes. I've heard Christians say that they are smiling with angels. I would really like to know why babies can do things in their sleep, that they can't do while awake. Any ideas?
While pondering on the above, take a look at H2 smiling in her sleep (The quality is quite bad cause it was taken from my phone). Enjoy!
H2 does smile now, but she is a little stingy with her smiles. I remember H1 to be a big smiler by the time she hit two months. H2 however smiles quite a bit in her dreams. It's amazing how much of things she can do in her sleep that she is unable to do when she is awake. She laughs out loud, chuckles and sobs in her sleep. She can't do these while she is awake. It's such a mystery. We Buddhists believe that the baby is seeing things from her past life. (I mean, what can a two month old laugh about? She even chuckles like she is enjoying a good joke and sobs like she is really sad) Doctors say they are 'feel good' smiles or that they are just reflexes. I've heard Christians say that they are smiling with angels. I would really like to know why babies can do things in their sleep, that they can't do while awake. Any ideas?
While pondering on the above, take a look at H2 smiling in her sleep (The quality is quite bad cause it was taken from my phone). Enjoy!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Birth Order of Children
I got this in an email from a friend and couldn't help laughing because it's so true!
BIRTH ORDER OF CHILDREN
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy. (- I was soooooo scared that tight clothing would hurt the baby ;o)
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.
_____________________________________________________
Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing!
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month
______________________________________________________
The Baby clothes:
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, colour co-ordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains. (I actually did this...most of H2's cloths are H1's hand-me-downs. I didn't bother buying new ones)
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?
______________________________________________________
Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper, a frown--you pick up the baby. (I remember calling the pediatrician in panic the first time she threw up milk !)
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.
______________________________________________________
Dummies:
1st baby: If the dummy falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and sterilise it.
2nd baby: When the dummy falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.
______________________________________________________
Nappy changing:
1st baby: You change your baby's nappies every hour, whether they need it or not.
2nd baby: You change their nappy every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their nappy before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.
______________________________________________________
Activities:
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.
______________________________________________________
Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.
______________________________________________________
At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.
______________________________________________________
Swallowing Coins:
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays.
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!
_____________________________________________________
BIRTH ORDER OF CHILDREN
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy. (- I was soooooo scared that tight clothing would hurt the baby ;o)
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.
_____________________________________________________
Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing!
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month
______________________________________________________
The Baby clothes:
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, colour co-ordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains. (I actually did this...most of H2's cloths are H1's hand-me-downs. I didn't bother buying new ones)
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?
______________________________________________________
Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper, a frown--you pick up the baby. (I remember calling the pediatrician in panic the first time she threw up milk !)
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.
______________________________________________________
Dummies:
1st baby: If the dummy falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and sterilise it.
2nd baby: When the dummy falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.
______________________________________________________
Nappy changing:
1st baby: You change your baby's nappies every hour, whether they need it or not.
2nd baby: You change their nappy every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their nappy before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.
______________________________________________________
Activities:
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.
______________________________________________________
Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.
______________________________________________________
At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.
______________________________________________________
Swallowing Coins:
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays.
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!
_____________________________________________________
Sunday, October 11, 2009
The Tooth of the matter is...
...it's gone!
H1 lost her first baby tooth a couple of weeks ago and now the adjacent tooth too is shaky. H1 was pretty shaken when her first tooth started wobbling but the promise of the arrival of the Tooth Fairy and the riches she would leave made her a bit calm.
When we asked her what she would buy with the money she said, "I want a lollipop!' (There goes the new tooth!)
Once the tooth fell, H1 carefully wrapped it in a tissue and saved it till Hubby got home to show him. After examining it, he promptly misplaced it! Of cause we didn't tell H1 that. We told her we'll keep it under her pillow once she fell asleep.
The Tooth Fairy did arrive and leave a twenty rupee note under the pillow. You have to forgive her, you know, what with the recession and all. It was enough to buy a lollipop with after all.
Now, H1 is eagerly waiting for the next tooth to fall off to buy another lollipop.
H1 lost her first baby tooth a couple of weeks ago and now the adjacent tooth too is shaky. H1 was pretty shaken when her first tooth started wobbling but the promise of the arrival of the Tooth Fairy and the riches she would leave made her a bit calm.
When we asked her what she would buy with the money she said, "I want a lollipop!' (There goes the new tooth!)
Once the tooth fell, H1 carefully wrapped it in a tissue and saved it till Hubby got home to show him. After examining it, he promptly misplaced it! Of cause we didn't tell H1 that. We told her we'll keep it under her pillow once she fell asleep.
The Tooth Fairy did arrive and leave a twenty rupee note under the pillow. You have to forgive her, you know, what with the recession and all. It was enough to buy a lollipop with after all.
Now, H1 is eagerly waiting for the next tooth to fall off to buy another lollipop.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Introducing my Son-in-Law...
...yes, he is a Pillar of Success! ;o)
We have three pillars outside our house and Hubby has noticed that one had become very dirty compared to the other two. There were little dirty hand prints and other markings around it. When he asked H1 about it she had casually remarked that yes, it's her husband and that she has been kissing it during play acting.
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