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!

Zoey:  Mama, where is amijee?

Me: Thinking how to answer this as simply as possible. Beta, amijee is with Allah Mian.

Zoey: Why Allah Mian mama?

Me: hmmm. Trying to distract Zoey, I ask whats the colour of the flower on the wall Zoey?

Zoey: Mama, but why amijee Allah Mian?

Me: Amijee was a nice lady Zoey an Allah Mian wanted her to be with him.

Zoey: Allah Mian uncle?

Me: No jaani.

Zoey: ok. Allah Mian aunty?

Me: Na jaana. Allah Mian is only Allah Mian.  No uncle or aunty.

Zoey: Ok mama. Amijee pack bag and go?

Me: No Zoey. Amijee had good monkey manners (a book about manners that Zoey has) and she only took those.

Zoey: But why mama?

Me: I dont know jaani.

After a few moments of pondering

Zoey: mama, Zoey miss Amijee.

I roll my eyes….shs never even met amijee how can she possibly miss her?

Me: Haan janoo so do I.

Zoey: Why mama miss amijee?

Mama picks up zoey, washes her and shuns her out of the room to play football before more questions can be asked!

Interestingly, the 9 days that he has been away not even did I regret not going to the plastic city. It was a good break for us both, hopefully, and I took care of stuff here that ha to be taken care off. But while he has been away for some odd reason I have been judged as a wife by different people in my life. Someone who I respect and know very well called me from across cities and without waiting for me to answer her salaam she got on to what a bad thing I did by not going with my husband and what a bad companion I am. I  pleaded my case by telling her that I didnt want Zoey to miss her sports day and 10 days of school, but obviously the judgement had been passed. Furthermore, she also said that hes going out with his friends all the time while I choose to sit and do nothing an home. Mi way to saving my grace, I opted to not answer. But really for days this conversation stuck in my mind and  made my otherwise cheerful mood go grey.

Today, I got a whatsapp alert from a friend who again me me think about what he wrote.

A: Remember what I told you once that you will become the kin of wife totally centered on your husband?

Me: Isnt that what wives are supposed to be?

A: 80′s ki wives…yes

Me: Aur aaj kal ki wives kya karti hain?

A: They are more self assured.

Me: And what makes you think I am not self assured?

A: You may want to live your own life more too.

I smiled reading this conversation. Either I come across as 80′s ki biwi or I come across as a bad companion.

Obviously, there is something that I am doing wrong. Next thing I know I will start coming across as a pathetic mother. Maybe a tattoo, regular coffee with friends, a few Gucci’s and LV’s might help. No harm trying. As it is I have nothing to lose!

Other days I also need some tea!

Thank you Allah Mian!

Zoey: Zoey is a good boy.

Me: You are a girl. Zoey is a good girl.

Zoey: No, boy mama.

Me: You are a girl janoo. Mama is a girl. Shaheen apa is a girl. Girls have long hair and they wear Earrings. Baba is a boy. Sulaiman is a boy. Nana abu is a boy. Boys have short hair and they dont wear earrings.

Zoey: Ok. Baba, boy?

Me: Yes, baba is a boy.

Zoey: Confused. But baba earrings. and points to her ears

Me: Confused. Yes thats right. But he’s still a boy! Some boys wear earrings!

Hubby:
Red lipstick! Khair hai? Midlife crisis ho rahay hain kya?

Girlfriends, gotta love them!

I wanted to capture Zoey at my mothers house. So, in the evening when the tummy was relatively full, nap taken and mood playful, I took out the camera and randomly started clicking. Zoey is used to this drill. So, after taking a million shots and being immensely pleased with what I saw in the lcd, I was suddenly overwhelmed at how quickly time is passing and how Zoeys expressions are changing. For a few seconds there I think my love kindoff overflowed.

I went and hugged her hard and said, “I love you Zoey baba”. She looked up at me and said “Ok mama. Now lept me go, its bounce time”. Adn wriggled out of my arms and ran away.

~Sigh~ I never thought it would come to this, this soon!