The entire world’s a playground; all the walls are my canvas

At three years, Ayaan can be best described by the title of this post. Wherever he goes, he makes friends. Sometimes, we see strangers smiling at us. Later, we realize it’s because of Ayaan. Whether we go to a multiplex or a shopping mall, whether we are on a railway station or we just happen to stop by somewhere on our way, we realize that our little one gets all the attention he wants.

At home, we had put up a canvas for him to paint and scribble which he loves to. He started from that canvas and didn’t stop anywhere. The moment he gets a pen, pencil, marker or a crayon, he uses it on the nearest wall available. Well, in the beginning, I used to get irritated with this but now I have got used to it. Just that I keep trying to stop him and redirect his efforts to drawing sheets and scribbling pads.

Ayaan’s first Bicycle
On his second Birthday, Ayaan got his favorite gift from his “Daddy”. That’s not me… but my elder brother. We got him a bicycle but it seems big for him at the moment. He likes to ride it only when there’s someone to give him a push all along. Another interesting observation is that he likes to research on the bike more than riding it. Most of the time, he is busy playing with the wheels and spokes. All his cars and other toys have also met the same fate. After a day or two, he is only interested in knowing about what’s inside the toy and how does it run.

Left or Right
Ayaan hasn’t decided whether he’s going to be southpaw or a right hander. The day when his mom or I claim that he’s going to be this, he proves us wrong by adopting the other hand, next time. At the moment, he is ambidextrous.

Playing it safe
Looking at Ayaan I keep wondering if it is only about him or all the children of this century. They love to play it safe. Ayaan doesn’t take any chances while jumping or climbing the bed. He holds on tight if someone carries him over or when he goes for a motorbike ride.

First day at School
It was June 17, 2008 when we took Ayaan to his school for the first time. He was happy until we reached the school because he loves to go out with us. When I dropped him and his mom at the school, he wasn’t very happy but he managed to stay calm as he was accompanied by his mom. Like most other kids, he made a lot of fuss when he saw his mom disappearing from the scene. This reminded me of my first day at school which I still remember. somehow... :)

Later, when his mom went to pick him up, she found him crying at the gate with the school principal waiting for his mom to come. He calmed down for a moment but when his mom asked him why he was crying, he broke down again and this time, it was too loud and he was really complaining about being betrayed. His mom treated him with his favorite mango drink and dairy milk chocolate as a reward or compensation.