Bug talk with grandkids

 We were talking about a bug I found  in the living room.  A  ‘red alert’ I sounded , on discovery of beetle-like bug crawling on floor, brought Sidharth and Nikhil scurrying in from their play-room to size up the situation. Snag was none of us had it in us to confront   the  alien creature. Grandma, the only trained bug-killer   in  our household was upstairs taking a bath. 
My efforts to trap the bug in a ‘Whole Foods’ shopping bag  didn’t work;  what’s worse, the runaway bug  sprinted across the floor to take cover under the sofa, where, presumably,  it  was still staying,  till the next morning  when we reviewed the bug-in-living-room situation at breakfast table.
 Reviewing the prospects of tracking it down, Nikhil held  the bug could still be hiding under sofa, camouflaged in the carpet. Was surprised   at his use of the word ‘camouflaged’.  i hadn't heard  a four-year old using the word.  Asked if he knew what it meant, and where from he picked it up  Nikhil mentioned his school, and went on to  explain what the word meant. But I couldn’t catch what he Said  -  my grandsons often flux me with their  accent . Translating   Nikhil’s language for me elder brother Sidharth, 6 plus, said  ‘camouflage   means blending in’.
Did they teach such words at   their  Montessori ? Sidharth said they got it from  Wild Kratts, a TV serial       

It’s not cricket, Mr Nash

I have a grouse against Steve Nash. He put Sidharth and Nikhil in a fix, by switching team – from Phoenix Sun to L A Lakers.  Nash is  the  basketballer they like the most.  And the Suns (Phoenix)has been their favourite team . Phoenix is their town – Sidharth’s and Nikhil’s. Their mommy was born and brought up there ; dad went to college in the town. Their Ajji and Jag-thatha  live in Phoenix.
There was no issue with their team loyalty till Steve Nash was playing for the Sun. Now that he has moved  to  theLos Angeles Lakers , Sidharth is having to do a re-think. ‘I would support them equally, I guess’, he said when I asked him. Which is okay when the two teams are playing others. What. If the Sun confront Lakers ?  

          

Watergunning at Paleja’s

Sidharth  and Sonia Paleja  had Sidharth and Nikhil Krishnan  over for a spot of watergunning  at  their place in Danvile C A on Sunday afternoon. The boys, and the girl, soaked themselves in the California  sun. They had the run of the backyard  to run around gunning for one another .
Paleja  Senior  was on hand to referee their  fight and  to open the tap for loading the guns with running water.  You don’t fight gun battles  on empty stomach.  And mom Rita Paleja kept up the supply lines  to the backyard war-front , with platefuls of samosa, chaat, and fruit juice.        

Need no text

Grandma’s photos; Sidharth, Nikhil, in that order, at San Ramon C A   

Scarery Movie

These images were captured for the blog, by their grandma.  Watching a movie with grandchildren can be fun. Particularly, when they want to watch a movie they consider scarey  -  not for them, but for you.  Sidharth and Nikhil believe I am scared ofanimals .And confronting me with a photo or toy of a lion, tiger or dinasaur to ‘scare’ me is my grandsons’ favourite pastime.
Unknown to me, Sidharth and Nikhil, persuaded their dad to set uo on DVD a movie they wanted to watch  with grandparents in our  living-room, Saturday evening. They didn’t disclose to us what movie it was. And that was enough to arose suspicion. And to confirm my suspicion, they wanted me to promise not to walk out on the movie. To ensure I stay seated through the entire movie, Sidharth and Nikhil  chose to sit close to me on either side, pinning me down to the sofa.  The ‘scarey’  movie we  watched was  – Madagascar- 2

Njnjas Vs Spiderman

 Nikhil, 4, would have us believe that the image he has drawn depicts the triumph of Ninjas over Spiderman .  It shows, he says, the Japanesefighters cutting themselves free from a lethal cobweb cast by Spiderman.  But I saw in the painting quite the opposite image -  of Ninjas hopelessly caught up in Spiderman’s web.But then  Nikhil  had the support of. elder brother Sidharth, 6 plus,and , here i was , pitted against two of them in a combat between the Ninjas and the Spider-man, played out in my bedroom. And the brothers chose to fight me during my afternoon snooze time. The San Ramon brothers choose their hero, the location for our mock combat , and their weapon.

Their weapn in Ninja Vs Spiderman combat was their  sketches.  And Sidharth did a full-fledged battle scene on a sheet  taken from his exercise book.  Nikhil, equally prolific,  tried to intimidate me (read Spiderman) in the playroom , with a fresh sketch on the cobweb theme.

When it comes to taking sides the brothers invariably club-up against thier grandpa. In Euro Final soccer they  were with Italy, leaving me to go for  Spain. In NBA series final, they were for Okhlahoma while I was constrained to back the Miami team. In baseball Sidharth/Nikhil , who went to watch the game in the stadium, returned home wearing Oakland team jersey they bought at the venue, putting me at a disadvantage. I  had nothing to show-off my favourite team – Boston.In the backyard basketball Sidharth/Nikhil brothers team up against grandparents. San Ramon Brothers  usually have their way with Mantri Synergy Devils, represented by grandparents visiting from Chennai.    

Playtime@SanRamon

 When the Krishnan and the Paleja  kids get together  at our place in San Ramone how do you think they spend time together ?

1Playing  chess on i-Pad ?

2 Reading  from a book; or

3 Watching   Jai Hanuman on TV ?

None of  the above.

‘Actually’, (as Nikhil would preface his sentences)  when they are not engaged in  lego building, Sidharth K and Sidharth D , with able assistance from Nikhil and Sonia, clown  around in the living room , Shahrukh Khan style, to the tune of Sonia's fvourite  Bollywood number , Chammak Chhallo.

 And after they are done with Lego, the boys leave  the playroom in a mess for parents to clean up.