… Aaryan is home.
As some of you know, Aaryan our 11 year old sonny boy studies in a Boarding School. He is home for his week long autumn break…
- The living room, the bedrooms, and the dining room look like school classrooms with books and notebooks, pencils and colours lying everywhere. Project work is done on the dining table as there is larger space to spread all the papers, files, books, colours. Maths is best studied in the living room and French comes easy when lying on the stomach in the bedroom…
- I get to learn a lot of new slangs used in the school. This time I was explained the concept of Tuck Raid. Tuck is the goodies (biscuits, juices, chips, cakes, cookies, chocolates etc) that we send for the child. These are the things kids eat in their dormitory apart from their 3 meals and a evening snack break. A notice is put on the board that on a certain date there would be a Tuck Raid by the House Masters, and that any Tuck found would be confiscated. So, all the children in the dorm share and finish their Tuck before the raid and party. And of course, I get to learn French too, of course Google the God helps me when he has a query!
- There is a constant chatter at home as so many stories are shared about kids from school and some of them are those whom I have never met. Of course, when I go to school to drop him or pick him, I love seeing the faces of those names!
- The intercom never stops ringing as his friends keep calling to decide on the games they’d play and the time and the place too. After all they have so many options to choose from… cricket, football, cycling, games on PSP or Tablets, hide and seek….
- Kids from the apartment complex greet loudly with “Hello Aunty or Namaste Aunty”. What amuses me is that these same kids act as strangers when Aaryan is back to school. Though a couple of his best friends always stop to greet and enquire about him, unfailingly!
- Need milk at 8 am? Or cumin powder at 8 pm? I just have to say it and Aaryan dashes to the Easy Day store which is in our apartment complex.
- The dinner invites increase as family and friends call up to ask about Aaryan’s favorite dishes.
- The father-son duo gang up and overtake the kitchen completely, cooking newer and some favorite foods every day. No, I am not complaining!
What I am complaining though is that all this is coming to an end this weekend.
Of course, all this will start once again when he comes back in December for his 3 months vacations!
Linking this post to the Ultimate Blog Challenge and October’s NaBloPoMo.
62 Responses
Have a great time…
🙂 🙂
So he learns French…cool.
Thanks, we are having a great time, though we have to study a lot too!
Yes, he had the option to study Gurmukhi or French. He opted for french 🙂
Tuck raid…i learnt a new slang too:). LOL at his friends greeting you only when he is around. Enjoy the attention and have a nice time with Aaryan. Does he cook too? Mmmm…. A budding master chef.
Cool! 😀 It is really funny, kids of all age groups suddenly know that I am his mom 😀 He helps in cooking his Dad, has a lot of suggestions for me and he makes things which do not require the use of gas! I guess, he will cook like his father very soon! 😀
3-Month vacations in December and separate summer holidays? These are the things that make me miss the experience of a boarding school 😛
Destination Infinity
Only 3 months vacations in Dec-Jan-Feb then 2 one-week vacations in June and October. No summer vacations for them! So it is just like your school, only the seasons of vacations vary 😀
I know it’s hard each time they come and leave…enjoy thoroughly when he is here..and I can imagine your crisp clean house with all his papers and crayons 🙂 And the tuck raid sounds fun..
Yeah, it is a tough. Did you think of a Boarding School for Rushi?
Oh, I am learning to ignore the look of the home now-a-days!! 😀
Love love the post.. Must be great to have him around. Keep us updated on all the fun.
Awww…. thanks a lot, OM. It is, and the week has flown past so quickly! 😐
That must be tough to see him off to school after the vacations! Enjoy his company now!
It is!! A tough thing to do but we chose it, so it is ok! 🙂
Sounds delightful Shilpa! On a regular basis my house is like that! 😀
I can imagine the look of your home, Vidya 😀
Enjoy yourself. These are the good old days.
Yessss…. 🙂
Okay I always knew what is tuck raid, thanks to many hostel friends. And as for the greeting aunty is getting I believe that is very sweet. I always become happy to know friendship still has space in children’s life. And super cute that he rushes to get you stuff 🙂 God bless you and him 🙂
I was amazed at this tuck raid thing 😀
There is this Aaryan’s friend from his earlier school, can you believe it, this child calls me every 2-3 months and asks me about Aaryan and his school. What I like about this child is that he still remembers his friend (they have not met since the last 2 years) at such a young age, when distractions are plenty and you are still not so mature to value/understand friendships.
Yeah, at this age, he is super keen to go out and buy stuff, hope he does it when he is older too 😀
Thanks a lot, Richa. God bless you too 🙂
Awww!! Have fun with Aaryan!! 🙂
Thanks Pixie… we are trying to make the most of the available time 🙂
Shilpa your post reminds me of my own childhood…I can relate to tuck raid…
Wow, you studies in a boarding too!! How cool 🙂
How wonderful to have him home! I can’t imagine what it would be like to only see my kids only on holidays and realize how happy I am to see them daily. Enjoy!! He sounds like activity and excitement follows him wherever he goes.
I know, what you mean, Kathy. It is a tough decision that we have made for his good! Yes, he is a born leader and is a bundle of fun and energy 🙂
What? No Dussera / Diwali? Why so? I guess they follow International calendar?
Yeah, no Dussera and no Diwali! 🙁
The harsh winter season there is the reason for the schools to close by 30th November. So they have an academic session from March to November.
Oh right! It must get freezing cold. I cannot even imagine. I wear socks almost all the time even in Pune 🙂
It is freezing cold with snow everywhere, during winters!! Last week it was cold there and we were wearing woolens while we still use ACs and fans here!
The household comes alive when there children run around, vacations are the best times of childhood… Happy holidays Shilpa!!!
Oh yes, kids add so much energy to a home. Thanks Reshma… we had a good time! 🙂
Have fun Shilpa while he is here.
I remember my summer vacations while in school. They used to be full of fun 🙂
Thanks A 🙂 Summer vacations are always fun… wish we could get them back 😀
Its great that you have had a nice time with him….I know how children can fill our homes and lives with so much of activity. Great…/.ENJOY!
Agree completely, Kajal 🙂
Tuck Raid huh! 😀
I’m happy for you that he will be home with you for 3 months in December. Do share more stories about him 🙂 🙂
Yes, we are so looking forward to his 3 months vacations! 🙂
Shilpa, have a blast! We keep waiting for the children, but when they come home, time just flies away. Wow, the word ‘tuck raid’ is amusing. Hugs to Aryan.
You are so right about time!! It just flies with powerful wings!! 😐
Thanks Ma’am 🙂
This post is cute!!! I can sense a hint of pride,exasperation, love and a lot more!!!!
Cherish these moments! he won’t be there for diwali also?
You are bang on 😀
No, he wont be here for Diwali. He will be having his final exams during that time/
It is the other way round. My daughter mostly keeps to herself. But, the house becomes somewhat chaotic when my son comes back from school…and it is when I crave for silence. And, when kids are out for the whole day, I miss them. 🙂
Haha… it’s just the same here… looks like we are so hard to please 😀
Have a great time enjoying Navratra festivities with Aaryan!
A very happy Navratras to you too, Mr Bhatia. 🙂
I am sure you are waiting to get all these back in December. Sending the son to buy things from grocery shops and other chores is my favourite pass time. When he was younger it gave him a feeling of being a grown up. Now, he picks up the phone and orders the stuff! 😀
I know the feeling and you have given words to my thoughts. I wonder if he would do all these chores gladly few years down the line too 😀
The best thing I like about kids is that they make a house so lively. I wish we could all keep that kid in us alive!
Amen to that 🙂
Shilpa, it is the same even when kids are grown up,with houses of their own. When they are here everything is in a mess, but never the less it is so much fun having them around.
Enjoy your days with your son.
Oh yes. I can understand that!! Thanks Rama, we had a great time and in fact are leaving tonight… back to school 🙂
sweet post 🙂 have a great time with Aryan!
Thanks Seena! The week has flown by and we are leaving tonight again!! 😐
Have fun with your son. It is nice to have your family together. That said, it is important that the kids learn to do their own thing early in life.
Thanks Ava! Yes, that’s the idea, though it is a tough decision that we made! 🙂
A mother will always be a Mother.
You are reffering to his coming back in Dec….arent you covering up your unhappiness of his having gone back?
mom,please Socho?
I know what you mean, Mr Chowla 🙂
Such a sweet post Shilpa 🙂 I had read of the Tuck raid through Enid Blyton’s books. She always mentioned in her Mallory towers series.
Glad you had such a wonderful time.
Oh wow! I have read these books too… but somehow I dont remember reading about it now 😛
Thanks LP 🙂
Tuck raid? Tuck never lasted more than a day. OK a week if you were really lucky. More than that, you either didn’t have friends or were a secret hoarder like ‘J’ who would hide rather than share. December vacations? I am guessing it’s a Hill School – I spent a few years in one of those too. It’s fun to be a boarder, you make friends with whom you have a stronger bond than you would have otherwise had. Plus a whole lot of little things that build your independence.
We send quite a LOT of tuck to Aaryan believing that it would last a month. And when we speak to him after a week, he always says, “it is nearly over”. When we prod him and we never get a satisfactory answer. I am now realizing after reading your comment, what actually is happening! 😀
Yes, you are bang on. It’s a hill school. You studied in which school?
Why should they confiscate the tucks ? That’s not fair. He must also be enjoying all the attention he gets 🙂
Aaryan told me that some kids focused more on eating tuck as compared to the regular meals. So they decided to finish it all so that boys are back to eating healthy food! 🙂 He did! Thanks J 🙂