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Where we try to have a social life

I realise its been over a year since I posted. I can cite many a reason - motherhood, work etc.

But I suppose it mostly comes down to essential laziness/ inertia. 

Let me begin at once chronicling a few moments of my journey with my toddler so far. 

This video has me in splits EVERY TIME.

No - people with no kids HAVE NO IDEA!

That is what I felt when last Sunday I attended a dear friend’s daughter’s first birthday. The venue was a nice restaurant with a play area set up outside. This area was a nice child-proofed space festooned with bright paper lanterns and buntings. The kids made a bee line for the slide and see-saw and little tricycles arrayed there. It was all very nice but for the heat. The harsh Delhi heat that beat down mercilessly on a humid August noon.

So there we were - a bunch of hapless parents watching over our brood in the mid-day sun while we watched our friends - the other kind - the kind without children, through the tall glass walls of the restaurant enjoying the music and sipping daintily from their cool wine glasses.

Soon we were sweating profusely and reduced to begging our kids (who miraculously seemed  completely unaware or unconcerned with the heat) to come inside. To no avail. The usually socially awkward ones also struck up a camraderie and turned a deaf ear to the beseeching adults. 

When we did manage, one by one, to cajole the little beings to enter the restaurant with us, we were a bedraggled lot. I could feel the sweat gathered in my armpits and neck. I could see my daughter’s once crisp white blouse crumpled and with a button missing. I hurled myself with relief at the bar. 
I found a few acquaintances to chat with - but not for long. Every conversation had to be broken abruptly as I took to my heels after my daughter who was weaving her way through the throngs of people towards the glass walls to gaze mournfully out at the play area. She was like a fly on a window - she did not know which of these walls was actually a door that would open out and moved nimbly from pane to pane as I kept jumping to keep pace behind her.  

I recall looking around and shaking my head as I watched all of them - these beautiful people trilling over sweet nothings and canapés all this while. Nope. They have no idea!

When another social event came up - two college friends tying the knot, I decided to leave my daughter behind and go for this lunch reception by myself. Although my friends and I had decided to reach early to give us all catch up time, I was caught in the usual whirlwind of chaos around getting my daughter to brush, coaxing her to eat, bathing and changing, cooking her lunch and feeding her. In the midst of that I cleaned myself up for the party. It is actually a small wonder that I managed to get ready myself, drop of my daughter with the grandparents and head out without looking too disheveled (sometimes I wonder too late if I am smelling of poop or pee!).

Invariably I was horribly late and my friends began to barrage me with calls and messages to check on my whereabouts. I was so exhausted when I was finally in the car heading to the venue - all I could type out before collapsing for a power nap was - I have a baby! I get late. That’s what happens to parents sometimes! 

Nope - people without their own offspring do not get it. And no - having nieces and nephews is just not the same!  







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