The Lorax

The Lorax was released yesterday and what a perfect timing.. On the birth snniversary of Dr.Seuss whose books we have fallen in love at the moment. Though, we still had to read what this book/ movie was about, we still went ahead to watch the movie and what a great piece of work done! Despite all my aches and ains, I am glad we went as a family together as it was a much welcome distraction for all of us. If you have read the book already, there's some extra punch added in which makes it all the more entertaining. And this is the movie, which is a must watch in 3D. Really, I mean it! There are so many 3D movies out there, which leaves u wondering why did I pay so much for it. But this is one movie, which just justifies all the extra spent on 3D.. With all it's specal effects and everything.

And what a lovely message- save the trees! My girls just love the cute bar-ba-loots now and can't help repeating,"I am Lorax and I speak or the trees!" The stone left behind by Lorax near once-ler's house with the word "UNLESS" has left a deep imact on them. And this being early spring, the trees are loaded with beautiful blossoms which have been aptly named as the lovely 'trufula-tufts'. though, they got little scared of the mean guy o'hare but loved the real hero of the movie- the granny!

Not to mention, there was a quiz session for me afterwards, "why was there only one seed left?" "why did the mean guy not want to plant it?" " why did onceler stay in dirty place?" " why did he not show his face earlier?" "why did he come out later?" "why did Ted wan to meet onceler?" "why did onceler cut all the trees?" " why did he call all his family?" And so On and so forth. After I exhausted all my answer bank, I got the book frm the nearest library and we read it again and again together. It's our current favourite.
We have talked about importance of trees, the life within trees and other ways to save nature. I am not sure if they understood whole of it, but at least they got the concept.

Lorax floor puzzle

 

And not to mention, we absolutely love that little guy called Lorax and the tiniest of all barbaloots too!
Have you watched the movie yet? Do u like it? What about the book? Have you read it?

Shark Teeth

Do you know how many teeth do the sharks have? This might be a fun read.

And how many teeth does my chinipie has?
one hundred!
That's what she very proudly told the dentist during her recent check-up. The dentist then counted out loud with her and much to chini's disappointment, ended up at 20.
I want to have 100 teeth!
Yes, unless you want to be a shark, said the dentist. You aren't one, are you?
Yes, I am
(now somebody plz explain momma why is this one hundred such a magical number?)


So we had been to the dentist. And momma is actually not making a huge ruckus about it as it is actually the 2nd visit. The first ever visit was in March, for which chini was pretty excited as the then-next-door paediatric dentist had just made a visit to her school. And, it was a huge deal then! Chini had surprised them with her knowledge of floss and mouthwash! In return, they even had done a complimentary dental check for sugar! (Nah! Just kidding, they had told at very beginning that they would.)

This time Chini was a little skeptical, partly due to her dad's recent visits and partly, coz some of her friends at school have either lost their first baby tooth or have a wiggy one. Though, her hesitation came as a surprise to me as just a few days back, she had complained how unfair it is that her friends are already losing their baby teeth while she is still stuck with them! And then she had gone ahead and drafted a letter to the tooth fairy (already!) which went something like this:


Dear Tooth fairy,

give me and my baby sister a yummy thing to eat.
Also, add one for momma and one for papa.
Love,
Chini

(Yes! All her prayers have to include all of us. Isn't that so sweet?)


The shark teeth acted as an ice-breaker and the rest went quite well. The high point was when the dentist cranked chini's chair up and down. She smiled wide every time that happened and said I am enjoying the ride, momma!

Sugar doesn't let any stranger cross her safe space. So, while she was constantly chirping all through her sister's sitting, she turned into a wiggly worm when it was her turn. As a result I had to take her in my lap. And then, it was all three of us on that dentist chair ride!
For next few days, sugar would show her teeth to me and say,
"look at my teeth. They are pink!"


A couple of months ago,in some context, I asked chinipie - which book had lobsters shaking hands with us humans?
I remember that book, She had said. Not only did she remember the name of the book but had then gone on to describe, so, perfectly, each and every page of the book. Given the fact that we had read that book in the very beginning of summers! Don't kids have such amazing memories? You know what the book was?
Never take a shark to a denist. ;)

Another feather In the cap!

Another milestone achieved! It's official!

CHINIPIE READS!!!

And the momma is doing a little jig! Chini reads everything from books to magazines to to newsletters to titles to banners to traffic signs!!

Summers saw her reading short sentences with 3 to 4 words and now she can do the whole book, sometimes without any help! Of course, it shouldn't have too many multi-syllable words coz then she loses interest. Nevertheless, she surprises me! She can read those'step 2' learning to read books without any help! Now many a times, sugarbun goes to her, "didi, will you read the book to me?" And, sure enough, she does!

I still very vividly remember my 18 months old chini, sitting on the couch and turning the pages of a book with a "phii ka hua.. Then what happened". Must like her momma would do while reading her the stories and yes, I was trying to raise a bi-lingual chini. By two, she was looking at the pictures and recognized the albhabet. At three, she was doing the sight words, even spotting them hidden in the big words. Before her fourth birthday, she could read many other small words and most definitely could give you an impression that she read the whole book when in truth, she was reproducing it on memorization.

And now, She reads independently even before I get to read to her first! Woo hoo!

We are working on the writing too! She can write small notes like thankyou, happy birthday and even attempts to write a story once in a while but we don'tget beyond one sentence as she has to ask for each spelling and then she loses her patience. But we are getting there. Her handwriting is getting beautiful each day, most definitely! Even her drawing Is now so illustrative and clear and pretty.

Oh! I think I am just a doting mom and should stop here.

And yes, I have to share this morning's story:

As it's almost time for school and chini is still in the bathroom. I call out and ask her if her potty is done.
3 is done. 1 is left
What??
I finished reading 3 books and am about to finish the last one.
!?!! ;-)

Goldilocks

Have u read the goldilocks story? Goldilocks is a curious little girl who sneaks in the home of the bear family and then goes through a whole lot of paired and and alternate experiences, where the porridge she tastes is either too hot or too cold, the chair is either too big or too small and the bed is either too hard or too soft, before she finally settles down for all the baby bear's stuff which are just right..

Meet the goldilocks of our home! Introducing to you, our very own sugarbun, for whom everything is either too big or too small. Each time, only after a huge tearful session, we settle on something for which she says, "it's my favorite!" We assume that would mean it's just right! Wondering, what it means? Take, for example, each clothing session, where if she doesn't like a particular dress that I choose for her, she starts Her histrionics with,"it's big for me. It's small for me." c'mon, my girl, how can it be both? But,only when I rummage through her closet and show her at least five more other weather appropriate clothings, that finally she settles for one with a tearful smile,"it's perfect!" if you think the melancholy stops here, it doesn't. It extends to the accessories, including bracelets, necklaces, socks, shoes and not to mention the headbands(for which she runs with the first stroke of sunlight!). And the list extends to the bed and the beddings, where the blanket and the bedsheets, too, turn out to either too big or small for her! And it continues to every mom's nightmare -the food! So, you can be pretty sure that she doesn't want to eat the meal you prepared with much efforts, when you hear her say,"it's too hot! It's too cold!" lately, she has even started with funny dialogues like "soup finish o Gaya" though a bowl full of soup would be set right in front of her!

Sugar sends me to hysterical fits, when seeing me in a jeans and Kurta outfit, she says,
"Mommy, is that ur dress? Are you playing dress up?"

And then her enthralling experiments with her ever building vocabulary! Sugar used "a little bit" for almost everything.. Like
Momma can I have a little bit duddu?
Momma, i have to go for a little bit walk.
I am reading a little bit book?
Can I dance a little bit? And here comes the best one..
I have to go a little bit pee-pee!

More recently, 'a little bit' has been replaced by 'For a while'.

When I am upset with her for something, she says, "Are u happy or r u mad?"
If she catches me yawning, " are you Sleepy or wake up?"
If by accident, I hurt myself, she gives me a kiss, looks at me and adds, "do you feel better?"
And, if she's the one who got hurt, she comes running to me, "can you kiss me?" After I comply, " I feel better already"

Of late, you can catch her counting, "One two chee four five" or singing her best loved song, "the inchy binchy spidor" or listen to her commentary as she sits down,"I am sitting on my thinking chair(courtesy blues clues)".

A few conversations between chini and sugar:

Playing with the magnetic words, sugar says,
I have to finish my story.
No sugar, that's my story.
Stomping her feet, Now what shud I do? (this she picked frm chini, herself)
You can help me with the words.
I don't wike(like) it. I am messin up.
Then she messes up all the letters. Chini tries to save her work by standing in front of it.
I hit you. With that sugar hits chini and before chini cud react, starts crying, "she's hitting me!"


Momma go....di (pick me up!)
Momma. Busy preparing dinner says sternly, No godi!
Starts crying n goes to chini who is playing in the other room, " momma shouting me!"
don't cry sugar. Go tell her,"no shouting, momma. Use ur nice words."
Okay. I will say that. Comes to me. " momma, no shouting. you cannot shout me"
I am sorry sugar.
That's okay. Runs back, didi I said it
Good job sugar!!

PINKALICIOUS!!

For those who are wondering what my title means.. and those who have half guessed correctly but still have a few doubts.. am a proud mommy of two very lovely, yummy, entirely delectable, who love everything about dresses, accessories, make-ups, shoes, jewelry; in short very PINKALICOUS girls! And most definitely, they are crazy about pink!!! In addition to it, they recently became proud owner of this very lovely book called 'Pinkalicous' and no doubts, this is their current favourite!


It so happened, we have moved to this new city, where we don't know a single soul and are trying to keep ourselves busy with whatsoever poor momma can think of, instead of just sitting at home and letting them eat my brains out! Thankfully, we moved in peak of summers, when there were lots of activities going on in the local libraries. Once there was BINGO for all ages at our library, which, by chance we won not only once but twice(it's so hard to believe still as my lucky stars elude my when it comes to such games.. guess my girls' stars were acting high that day!). It being an library event, the prize was obviously a book for each win and you get to choose the book. And when we went to make a pick.. no guesses on what my chinipie chose!?! Momma wasn't very sure if it would be a good book and asked her if she would want to take a second look and with a firm voice she said 'NO'!! And, in front of an entire audience momma, but of course, relented (with the comment from the librarian,"she definitely knows what she wants!!"). After that, she had no interest in the game or in winning at all. All she wanted was to look at the book and couldn't wait to be back home to be read to!!


Later that night, when all three of us (Chinipie, Sugarbun and momma) kept falling in love with that book with each turn of the page!! It's such a lovely read with an equally lovely message.. So, my dear friends.. that's my life for you from now onwards.. a very PINKTASTIC life with a PINKERALLA and a PINKERBELL to make it PINKERRIFIC with each passing day!


and you were wondering why I changed my blog to all pink, huh?!?