Zoey is sitting on her table, busy drawing.
Me: Zoey, what are you drawing?
Zoey: I am drawing a monster.
Me: Monster? Why?
Zoey: Zoey wants to be a monster when Zoey becomes big.
Me: But Zoey jaani you are already a monster.
Zoey: Ok mama. Zoey will be a big monster when Zoey is big! Its fine, ok?
Z: Mama, who’s your school friend?
Me: Hmm…there’s baba, X khala, Y khala, Z khala and so many more khalas
Z: Ok mama. who’s your best friend?
Me: hmm….Zoey. Let me think.
Z: Mama, I like you. I am your best friend! Please buy me red crocs!
Weight loss and me, well we have never exactly been the best of friends. From gyming to starving I have almost done it all. Fad diets, walk in the parks, honey water early morning, everything. But nothing, nothing keeps that EXTRA weight away from me. These days again I am trying to watch my diet, which means I am trying to cut out carbs and binge on protein. But by day end I need to have sugar in my system in order to continue my life smoothly. If I must say so myself, I think I maybe on the right path. I feel better and I think eventually the extra weight might just make a move out of my life.
A friend this morning complimented saying that I have lost weight and I was looking lovely. I want to believe her, obviously. It’s not everyday that someone notices and makes a comment about something like this.
The day in the evening I receive a call from a friend whom I haven’t ward from in a long time. After the greeting bit she congratulated me. I obviously thought that it was for Zoeys admission till she asked me when I was due!
Due?
I asked her what made her think that I was pregnant and she said that she saw me in Tv and was sure I was due sometime in the summers! 
Really! It was heart breaking. I felt so depressed that I has no choice but to order in pizza (extra cheese please) and then indulge in some ice cream and call it a day after a bar of chocolate!
Sometimes I really think that maybe I should just quit trying to lose weight. Or maybe go and get some surgical procedure done and then donate all the fat to Eskimos. I am sure that with all that there is they will atleast be sorted for the next 5 years!
Everyday after picking Zoey I like talking to her about her school day. I am curious to know what she did and how her day went. Last week, on the way back home the conversation was as follows:
Me: Zoey, how was school?
Zoey: Fine.
Me: What did you do?
Zoey: Saba Aunty told us about “Diplodocus”
Me: Confused and worried…what is a Diplodocus?
Zoey: Its an animal with a looooonnnnggg neck.
Me: Zoey, an animal with a long neck is called a giraffe (silently thanking God that the biggest admission test was way behind us).
Zoey: Mama, its a dinosaur. It has a long neck.
Me: Ok jano. I will just go home and google it. I dont know about it.
Sometime during our bedtime routine that night, I could not remember the name of the dinosaur with the long neck…
Me: Zoey, whats the name of that long necked animal?
Zoey: Its called a giraffe mama.
Me: No jano. The dinosaur. The one with the long neck.
Zoey: Giving me a puzzling look. Dinosaur? Long neck? The dinosaur is called T Rex mama. and T Rex does not have a long neck.
Me: Zoey, what was the name of the dinasaur that saba aunty told you about today. The one with the long neck.
Zoey: Long neck animal is Giraffe mama….
Sigh. I have no choice but to wait and ask Aunty Saba the next day…..
Next Day:
I have a conversation with Saba Aunty in school about the Dinosaur. And When she says “Diplodocus” Zoey looks up at me, smiles and says “Oh, Diplodocus has a long neck mama and its not a giraffe, its a dinasaur”!
So, it was 11th April that was suppose to be our D day. By this time we had heard enough stories for us to be prepared and look forward to the admission test being past us.
11.15 am was the time. Keeping Zoey in a good mood was the aim. Her minnie mouse chappals that I had gotten 2 months ago were kept as a bribe. We stopped at Amis to get her whatever she wanted. A johnsons baby lotion bottle was our companion to the school along with a bag full of Zoey’s kitchen utensils. Really, I wasnt sure what kind off an image we were going to portray carrying that bag inside with us.
Parking our car, we step inside the building to handover our appointment slip to the guy who tries having a conversation with Zoey, and Zoey refuses to answer. His parting words were, “baby you need to answer inside otherwise its no good”. Obviously, my heart had started sinking. By this time Zoey also knew that we were in Grammar school to stay, well, inshallah. She started getting edgy and wanted to leave immediately. Walking in, seeing new faces started making Zoey clingy, exactly what I did not need. But thank god we were early and that gave us enough time to get Zoey accustomed to the school that she already knew, well kindoff. The teachers who take the kids for the test were most trained and patient, must I add. Zoey was given books to read and crayons to colour but she wasnt interested in them, obviously. She made us roam about and I tried talking to her about how Saba Aunty’s friend will take her in the other room to play. She point blank refused. My heart had already sunk. I have never ever felt nervous before.
I take her to one of the teachers and introduce her as Saba Aunty’s friend. The so called friendd takes on the lead wonderfully. She engages Zoey in a conversation asking about Saba and pre school plus. Zoey, by this time let her guard down.
Its our turn to go in. The teachers gives her hand to Zoey and Zoey catches on to it. We walk into the Headmistresses room. We seat ouorselves while Zoey is made to stand right next to Mrs Rehman.
Mrs Rehman very comfortably gets Zoey into talking and Zoey also talks back as comfortably. This is new for me. And soon Zoey is given a token and she is expected to leave. I have a lump in my throat. This is the moment I have been dreading. The moment that I wasnt sure how to react too. But Zoey didnt give me a chance to think. She magically went away with the teacher. I think I almost fainted out of relief….
And then it was our turn. We were in the room to be questioned. It is important to say here that Mrs R had a very very warm persona and she made it really easy to talk to her. Conversation jumped from Zoey being an only child, to the change we have seen in her in the past one school going year, to the languages spoken at home, the kind of parenting we do and what we expect from the school. I think it was a good 12 minutes that were were sitting and chatting. When I say “we” I mean that Uzair chatted and I smiled.
We were allowed to leave and I wanted to do a little dance outside. I coulnt believe Zoey went in so magically and Uzair chatted so comfortably. Two things that day that made me smile endlessly. This really was my test. Zoey’s going in.
The result is on 28th inshallah. I have my fingers crossed. Test went so smoothly, inshallah the result should also be magical…if not, mentally I have already given Zoey a 10 on 10….
It’s unbelievable what a year of pre school has taught Zoey. She knows her Balooes (blues) from Bal lack (black), she knows her Papateeyas (papayas) from mangoes and she knows a whole lot more which sometimes really really surprises me. She’s finally at a point where she enjoys going to school now and looks forward to meeting her friends and aunties.
However, that said, Zoey to the heart is still a total outdoor person. She loves being out and about and going to the farm is what makes her truely happy. I wish we could have all the school admission tests there. Obviously, we would provide the convince and some snacks. Yesterday, being an added holiday meant a trip to the farm…
Where her highness could shower under the trees…
Snack on some nimko daal…
Enjoy the swing in her vest….
Play with the pigeons….
And ponder about why and how is going to school a necessity a life?
Zoey: Mama, look what a silly billboard.
Me: Why is it silly jaani?
Zoey: Mama, one shoe is brown. One shoe is black. Who wear it? So silly!
With the winters wrapping up and spring being in the air, for mothers like me its more about stress this year than the beautiful colors an lawns. The conversations have been revolving around admissions, admissions and more admissions. And on the 1st of this month it was more about Grammar School admission than anything else.
All my cousins went there. And my khalas and mamoos used to go and stand in the line a night before the actual date just to be there on time. Obviously, it sounded quite nightmarish back then. But this was years ago. From acquaintances I had heard about how things are more organised now. Hubby and I decided to share the task. He went to get the registration slip at 5.45 am (he was the 220th person in line) while I was to take charge of Zoey and her school routine.
If I say I was already nervous, it would be the truth. Since the past week all discussion has been about admission test and time in all circles of life. Friends have been texting me from all over the globe wanting to know about the date of the test. I think I dint get this much attention when people found out that I was pregnant.
But in all honesty, yesterday when I was there to fill the registration form I had butterflies in my stomach. My palms were sweaty and my writing was shameful. The lady next to me kept on wiping her forehead. Almost all the parents were a nervous wreck. Please note, this was just registration. I really wonder how the test day actually makes you feel.
But really, regardless of all the shitty things I have heard about the school (from parents whose kids are still enrolled there and from parents whose kids did not get to go there) the school does leave an impact. The people involved, the atmosphere, the building, there is something that makes you wish, hope and pray that your child will end up going there….inshallah!
Here’s sending out good karma to all the parents and the kids who will be going through the drill in the coming weeks. This too shall pass.
In the past few days, with the admissions up our throat, it seems like suddenly Zoey is also all grown up and ready to hit the big school. But the admissions, thats another story all together.
Yesterday (happens almost everyday) me an Zoey were having an arguement about tying her hair. These days shes going through only wear the hairband phase and this weather is obviously not helping. Getting ready for school, I asked Zoey to come and get her hair combed.
Me: Zoey, jaani its getting late. Come here so I can comb your hair.
Zoey: No mama. Zoey wants to wear hairband.
Me: But Zoey hairband dosent look nice. Your hair is all messy.
Zoey: No mama. Zoey is wearing a hairband. You dont have to worry about me.
She gave me shrug and went out in the car.
I almost fainted.
This morning, I came out of the room.
Me: Zoey? Where are you?
Zoey from somewhere far away: Mama, zoey is in dadas room.
Me: What are you doing there jaani?
Zoey: Zoey is chilling mama.
~Sigh~ Its so hard to believe that this almost 3 year old is getting to be so independent and entertaining. Thank you Allah Mian. Really cant remember what entertainment we had before this bundle came into our lives!
Considering my social life is at a halt these days, the only people I meet regularly are ladies in Zoeys school or my grouchy gym trainer. But really, the discussion these days is either about having another kid (that is if you dont already have a bump) or admissions.
I had heard about how admissions are so stressful and nerve wrecking ( please read Grammar School admission), but never really thought it would be true. Its just admissions, right. Wrong. Its apparently about life and death, its about your childs entire life and its about making me feel bad that I didnt go to Grammar School, just so that Zoey could maybe have a slightly higher chance of getting in. None of us admit that our child getting into KGS would be one of the proudest and happiest moments of our lives, but deep down inside we all want our kids to go there and rightly so, who dosent want the best for their kids?
I am surrounded by mothers whose child is already admitted in one of the elitist schools but still goes to tution for KGS test. Just so you know, the child turned 3 last month. Another mother sits down with her kid everyday for an hour and a half making the child do flash cards, writing and what not. Another mother who I know off invites random people with kids over to her house just so her daughter is stranger friendly and ready for the test. I will confess, hearing these things does stress me out. Peer pressure also makes me think that maybe Zoey does need to go to tutions to prepare for the test and because she is shy maybe I should stand at Aghas and invite every aunty with a child over to my place to help Zoey get over her shyness. But then I slap myself to reality and remind her highness that I am not going to be ONE of those mothers, not that I have anything against them.
I think that admissions are a game of chance, majorly. As the month of March approaches I am surrounded by advice.
“Zoey ki baby book lay k jana”….”Make her practice writing her name”…”teach her to climb all the way up on the jungle gym”…”Let Uzair hold the door for you while you walk into the interview room, he should also pull your chair out for you”…”Zoey ko solid colour ka dress pehna na”….”Tell her to ask for a brown colour if they give her a picture of a horse to colour”…
Honestly, I am loving all this. I wish I could do all this with Zoey and make a reminder list for Uzair telling him to pull out the chair and also take out the words from my mouth and do the talking. But the problem is that us being us, we will do what we want to do on the day. That dosent mean that we will pull out each others hair or pretend to be the most in love couple on the face of this earth. But, you know what I mean. While majority of the moms are busy working preparing their kids, this is how we are spending our days…hoping and praying that inshallah all will work out for the best as always! Keep the duas rolling!
