For you my future Daughter-in-law

One of the things I usually think about is how my kids will measure up as spouses or partners and friends. A big giggle goes up inside me when Reh talks about the kind of Dad or husband he thinks he will be. Right up there with I'll buy my kids ice-cream everyday without them having to ever ask me is being a surfing, hamming, tickling, will let my kids sit on the front seat of the car dad. I thought I'd help the future daughter-in-law along by doing my bit too. Something tells me this is going to be a series of posts :) :0 HAHAHAH!

1) The obvious - Girl Im going to make him LOVE to shop. Errr...if not love then at least tolerate it. Well. All you have to do is promise him food at the end of it all. 

2) I am going to teach him the difference between mauve, lilac, plum, fuschia, cerise, lavender, salmon, magenta, carmine, carnation and cherry blossom pink. Yes I am . So you can have a detailed soul-filling discussion about that dress you saw and whether its day number or a night dress or is it photogenic or does it go with your highlights. All of it without him looking pained or looking at his 'purpleberry' for the umpteenth time.

You might have to learn to juggle between his needs of working at the four jobs he loves though which right now are farmer, rockstar, zoo-keeper and businessman. You'll find a way to make it work I hope. 

Your car might be a limo because he wants 7 kids. Six boys and a girl. He's ready to put his dreams of a Lamborghini on the backburner for now.

3) I'm training him to love leftovers. You just have to learn to disguise them well though. Hopefully 'again??' is not something you'll have to hear at your dining table. Like I said though, the key is masterful disguise. Call it gourmet cooking, frugal living, zen minimalism, scrapbook cooking, cut paste cooking. 

4)I am also teaching him the fine art of answering the question "Do I look fat in this"? or Do I look fat period. Some of the answers he has down pat are 

a) Fat? Where?

b)Absolutely not, no way!

c)You look mummalicious. (Pls note - these answers are age-appropriate for now) and thats also my fav one. Hopefully he'll make the necessary substitutions as he grows - the premise was to get him to understand the idea.)

5)He's slowly but very surely learning to put-up with the cookery and home decor channels. He doesnt tolerate them well now but I'm hoping a little later on when he can really help me in the kitchen and I can down his salads or other creations enthusiastically, he will be more interested. 

6)He's usually spot-on with home decor qs, and I go by his instinct sometimes. Dont know what that sez for my home decor but I like his style so far. He's already into looking through Pottery Barn Teen catalogues while we wait in the car. Yea those are my zen moments.

Right now though, the teenagers who have the coolest rooms and gizmos are his picks but its a start. Something to build on. 

7)This was something he was born with - he always compliments you when you dress well and he really means it. He suggested I buy peep-toe wedges because "they looked good on Lisa". I am usually thrilled with the suggestions but follow it up with excuses.  He still hasnt learnt the difference between saree and dupatta and such. Recently for a party, he complimented his grandmother's saree by saying ''nice dupatta nana''.

His fav compliment is "you look byoodeephool nosh".