Ladoos, cakes, barfis, gembs and such

Arya wants more and more of taboo stuff these days, thanks to my parents! Just like ideal parents would want to, I and Yogesh had kept Arya away from Maggi, Gems, chocolates, cakes, sweet-shops etc. Sadly, my mom thinks he has become too thin. Of course he doesn't want to eat healthy home cooked meals much. My parents feel utter pity on Arya due to our cruelty. They think we keep our child hungry.

Whatever. Few times I did allow my dad to get him barfi, ladoos, cakes, etc., and since then a lot has changed.

Gembs:

Well, my dad gave him Gems one day, and Arya's tiny world was awed by the beautiful coloured buttons! He would say to me 'Gembs aan (Bring gembs)'. If I would go down to the shop or office or even to throw garbage, he would yell 'Gembs!!!!!!'

“Mummy bhuk lagali” (Mom I am hungry)

“Kay deu? Chapa-bhaji deu?” (What should I give you? Let me give you chapatti and veg)

“Nako chapa… (pause)…Mummy bhuk lagali. Mala gemb de” (I don’t want chapatti and veg. I am hungry. Give me gems.)

“Shonu, aplya kale gembs nahi aahet gharat” (we don’t have Gems at home)

(Some crying)

“Mummy chal maha gembs aan” (lets go to the Mahalaxmi grocery shop below to get Gems)

“Shonu pan sagle paise sampale! Ata kasa anaycha Gembs” (All money is over. How would we buy gems now?)

(Thinking)

“Papa fone kal” (call dad. Sometimes it is a call to mom.)

 Few times we say that some distant relative is going to get it next time they come. He does keep it in his mind and if by chance they do come to our place, that’s the first thing he demands from them.

Maggi:

Another thing he began to love is Maggi. (Ok I used to eat Maggi in front of him, but never gave him!) So now I have successfully converted the appearance of real Maggi to homemade Shevai i.e. semolina in his eyes. No, he doesn't eat it like Maggi. He hates it. He likes pasta though. And we make it once in a few months.

Chiula (chiwda/farsan):

My sister (Namita) and her hubby got Lonavala chiwda a few times, and of course my dad did too. Till date Arya eats at least a few morsels every day. Once he begins, he never looks up from the small plate. One should never try to pick up chiwda from his plate!

"Mummy mala bhuk lagali"

"Thamb valan-bhaat dete." (Wait I’ll give you dal and rice)

"Mala nako valan-bhaat." (I don’t want dal-rice.)

"Mummy mala bhuk lagali. Mala chiula de" (Mom I am hungry. I want chiwda.)

Chockate (chocolate):

He does eat actual chocolates once in a while but for him the real chocolate is the jelly chocolate that we get in Khandala. Again my sister's hubby (Sudhir Bhauji) gets it without fail for him. These jelly sweets come in a bat shaped case and Arya loves it too. He eats jelly chocolates one after another. We try to limit him to 4 in one go and once in few days. We keep trying.

Pasta:

He likes the SunFeast pasta too much! I like it too. He sits with folded lap like one would for a puja, and finishes a fair share. We make it once in 3 or 4 months.

Ladoos:

Finally, the ladoos have really harassed me. He sees Chhota Bheem eating it and asks me to get them. I got motichoor ladoos one day, but he refused to touch them after tasting them. Once my neighbour gave 2 ladoos from her bro's wedding and Arya devoured them! So like a smitten mother, I made rava ladoos at home. And yet again, he didn't touch them.

Few weeks back Arya and me had gone to my mom’s place and she gave a Rava ladoo to him. He ate it like he wasn't fed ever! I asked mom to give few for carrying with me. He finished them and since then demands for them every day. Our excuses are that Guddi (Arya's nickname for my mom) will get them next time. Or we will go to sweet shop in the evening, or we don't have at home and we don’t have money left. He cries or talks to Guddi on phone so that she can send them.

We know such junk food should not be eaten by him and we avoid to a large extent. Still, he is just a kid with developing taste buds and it is a huge task to keep him away from all this! We try...

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Update: Finally, Guddi made ladoos and got them yesterday! They were made at Mani maushi’s place and sent for him. Arya saw Guddi and Baba at the door yesterday and did a big dance, running around the house with hands up in the air, and flinging himself on the sofa with happiness. All the time he was yelling yey, yey! He saw the ladoos and gobbled one right away! It was fun to see his mouth full and smeared by the rava.

I can rest in peace from the other demands for a few days until the ladoos get over!