A Visit to the Mad House for Tea

She's not kidding when she calls herself the Mad Momma!

So, Peanut and I went to visit the Brat, the Bean and their mother yesterday.

We landed up at her place after numerous phone calls to Mad Momma - I had carefully noted the directions on my laptop and happily left them behind. I put her on speakerphone in the car, and she told the driver where to go. He couldn't understand her because she spoke too fast and I wasn't really listening, so we went around in circles a few times.


Finally, we reached the right location. I knew it was the right location because she had said there was a water tanker parked right outside the gate. I also knew it was the right location because the MM was hanging half-off her balcony looking out for us, and screaming 'Hi!'. I looked up in disbelief and realized I would have to walk up 3 floors. I resolutely chugged along upstairs and then pandemonium reigned.


Peanut, who had been asleep in the car, was grabbed by MM, who was very excited to see her and chattering away nineteen to the dozen. The clingy Peanut started to pout and cry, and was promptly handed back to me to be admired from a distance. The Brat was called in to see the baby, and he came in curiously to look at her. He was very gentle with her and she seemed to take to him immediately because when he leaned forward to look at her, she leaned forward to bump noses with him. It was incredibly cute and although they did it twice, I couldn't get a picture.


But then he went off to fetch the Bean, and she came tottering into the room at full speed and the most brilliant grin. She is even cuter than I had thought she would be, and the room lit up every time she entered it, which she did numerous times, toddling in and out to explore everything.


Both the Brat and the Bean were quite fascinated by Peanut. They kept coming up to her and touching her and sharing their toys and biscuits with her. Think of it - the Bean, who is barely 4 or 5 months older than her, was feeding her a biscuit whenever she got the chance. I haven't actually seen anything as cute as this before. Peanut accepted their generosity with more greed than grace and even when the Bean tried to touch her face later, Peanut opened her mouth to eat her finger.


We had a really good time talking, and I ended up staying an hour longer than planned. My heart skipped a beat everytime I saw the Bean running hither and thither, falling down, spinning in circles to the point of complete giddiness - and at one point, running straight into a door at full speed and being knocked backwards, right off her feet, by the force of the impact. I was on the verge of panic but the MM just deftly grabbed her, and rubbed her head and whatever squeals were emerging from the Bean were quickly subdued. It was at that moment that I realized that Peanut is really sensitive because we fuss over her so much everytime she has even the smallest of accidents. Something must be done about this. I have absolutely no idea what and how that something is, though.


The Brat is a really sweet and gentle kid, but the Bean is a riot. Occasionally, she would walk upto MM and try to fling one of her toys at her. Except that it would fly out of her hand at the wrong moment and arc backwards instead - this looked very funny, but would probably not be so to anyone unfortunate enough to be behind her at this point. An enterprising baby, she was eyeing Peanut's sippy cup of water and somehow later managed to get it from the bag and was found nonchalantly drinking 'Dudu' from it. She also wore my sunglasses, which were deposited ceremoniously on her nose by the Brat, and went tottering around half-blindly, looking hilarious.



Anyway, Peanut ended up getting quite cranky and overwhelmed. The Bean whacked at her one point - that itself didn't bother her much, but when the MM yelled at the Bean for it, Peanut started to cry.



Later, she had calmed down and we were enjoying the unusually beautiful weather out on the balcony when MM noticed the Bean attempting to eat an unidentified black object. MM forcibly extricated it from her mouth, and Beanie went away squealing in resentment. In a bit, the Brat appeared at the door, waving his finger at MM and informing her that she is not to yell at the Bean. MM tried to negotiate and told him, in that case, he should tell the Bean not to eat dirty things. He maintained his threatening pose for about a second longer, and then suddenly grinned broadly and screamed in excitement. This threw Peanut off and she started to cry all over again, much to the mortificaton of poor, innocent Bratty.


And so it went.



We finally packed up and left. It was really great to have met them and I know we'll do it again. Of course, the overwhelmed Peanut was a real joy on the way back in the car (not).

I was thinking about it. A few months later, will Peanut be anything like the Bean? Running around, slamming into doors, eating mud, trying to climb up onto the balcony railing, alternating between feeding someone lovingly and attempting to smack the living daylights out of them, asking for 'Godi', and in general, being full of beans (!) and causing joyous havoc everywhere she goes?

This visit has been a real eye-opener for me. As much as I've complained about the nine months of pregnancy and various difficulties and existential issues in last nine months after Peanut has been born - it's probably been what you might call a cakewalk, compared to what is to follow.

Yep, the next couple of decades are going to be great fun. I think I'll just have to take it in nine-month intervals then. I can do this. I can do this.

HOW WILL I DO THIS? I need a smoke. Except that I don't smoke. A drink. But I'm not drinking while feeding Peanut. I need chocolate.

Edited to add: Had to remove the pictures as I really don't feel comfortable having them up for long on my blog anymore!