A letter to tooth fairy

A letter to tooth fairy

Feb 7th, 2013, 10:30 a.m. to be precise, has to go down in history. For this is the day, my lil chinipie lost her first baby tooth. That very first tooth, upon slight sighting of which, at the baby-age of five and a half months, the mom had called almost everybody in her family n frens list with the very exciting news (yeah.. She was a young, new, and first-time mom). Chinipie is now five (and three-quarters) years old and has lost her first baby tooth and is super-excited about it. She even plans to show that tiny gap in her lower teeth line for the 'show-n-tell' at school tomorrow. She had drafted a very lovely letter to tooth fairy just before she went to bed. The tooth fairy a.k.a the dad was duly called and informed to get a gift and a chocolate to be kept under the pillow, albeit secretly.

We were not at all prepared for this milestone, you see. The said tooth has been (supposedly) wiggling for past one and a half year. Past two weeks, the whole family has been going crazy taking turns catching and dealing with the stomach bug and with the frequent trips to the 'john' we frankly hadn't bothered putting our hands in her mouth. This morning, chini being the latest stomach-bug-infected person had stayed home and was given a popsicle while mom had busied herself with all the buggy laundry (yes. mom is a freak. Let's not talk about her.) . So, with a load in washer, another in dryer, mom was busy folding the previous ones, when Chinipie came rushing with a minuscule thing in her hand, "see momma! See . See". As hateful a task, mom thinks folding laundry is, she just wanted to get done with it and at that point, didn't really wanted to get up again to go to another room to see anything. A bored mom looked up at her with a face saying 'I really can't see anything'. Chini said, " my first tooth. It came out. See!!" And then momma did see. That little tiny speck if red on her lower gum and that super-duper tiny tooth with another dot of red in her palm. That's when momma started jumping.  " oh my God! Chini! Yes! It did come out."

 " i can't believe it mumma"

 " i know. neither can I" 

" i am so excited. Now tooth fairy will get me a toy!"

" ahem yes"  apparently, in her excitement, momma had forgotten that part.

The letter

Dear tooth fairy

I was eating popsicle then I touched my tooth. I touched my gum, and I took the tooth out of my mouth. (Tooth is in a cotton ball.) Love:

P.s. Notice the tiny tooth she has made on the top? 

That's the tooth fairy with her tooth. Pretty, isn't it?

While Chinipie had been chirping excitedly, the whole day how she cannot believe this actually happened, the mom felt that little pang of sadness of losing those part of her little-baby. Apparently, her Chini has grown up so quickly an those little baby-teeth will soon be all gone. And gone will be her sweet little baby chini too. I know I am a hopeless case of emotional bundle.

Let's part with Chinipie's favorite tooth joke

Q: What is the best time to go to a dentist?  

A: Tooth-hurty (2:30)

:)  :)

Excerpts from 2012

All summers, Chinipie had written her stories and added some nice drawings to enhance her story. Once during our bedtime story reading, she had asked me, " mom what's an author? wt's an illustrator?"

On being told the meaning and the difference, she had said, "so i do that.. does that mean i am one of those?"

 After getting an affirmative response, the very next day when her lil sis was trying to get her attention while she was trying to write something, she had said, "sugar plz don't disturb me.. I am authoring a book and then I have to illustrate it too.. I do not have time to play with u today." Sugar, obviously, didnt understand a bit. All she knew was that her big sis was shooing her away and that was enough to enrage her. Mommy, on the other hand, just wondered on her child's radiant personality!

Soon after, there was an introductory picnic for the incoming kindergarteners, where the teachers were shaking hands with each child and introducing herself. Something like. "Hi. I am Ms.W and I am the assistant teacher." Following the similar lines, To my utter amazement, very confidently, Chinipie had introduced herself as,  "Hi. I am Chinipie. I m an author and an illustrator."

******

After her dropping the guitar from the second floor, Mommy was trying to explain to Chinipie why this was wrong, and, at the same time, the concept of gravity(wonder why?) when she gave an excuse that the whole guitar-falling-episode was unintentional and she was just experimenting trying to sway and hang it from the lobby but the guitar fell too fast before she could catch it. Patiently, I tried to reason with her, asking has she wondered why doesn't she stay up in the air when she jumps. 

Immediately, she quips... Coz i am not a fairy!!!

******
This one was very soon after my car accident.

Are you not going to exercise downstairs? 
No
You are not even going to run on the treadmill? 
No
You Are not even going to do any yoga?

No honey. Not today.

Why?

Coz remember mommy had A car accident. Mommy's still hurting from that. 

So what? you can still exercise.

No beta, mommy feels tht she might start hurting even more if she exercises today. She doesn't want to take chances.

For a while, it looked like she has taken it well, when she said, "why should I care? Anyways, you will become fat!"

A few months later, mommy had started going to the Y for the aquatherapy or pilate classes, which seemingly benefitted her. Those being summertime, the kids were very much at home, so they used to go to babysitting facility within the premises. They had made a few friends there and had actually started looking forward to it. Once or twice, Mommy would have to skip it owing to other commitments. "Mommy, we are not going to the Y today?"

 "No beta. We have to go some place for lunch. So we will have to skip the Y or else we will be late."

"Anyways, you will not learn anything new today, I guess" 

Now, this was a relief. Coz mommy had mentally braced herself to hear those dreaded words from her. About learning new, I know comes from the fact that I used to ask both my girls what did they do at babysitting while I was away. In turn, they used to ask me what I did and I used to show them a new move or pose each time. As I used to show them only one fitness move at a time, probably, she thought that I learnt something new each day.

******

 

How do you grow?

Another one from October:

For school, Chinipie had picked out a dress for herself, which she had outgrown. I avoid removing such dresses from her closet, cause sugar will grow into them and my past experience has been that if I take those dresses away, I completely forget about them until sugar has outgrown them too. And they are, usually in a good condition to be worn as a hand-me-down. Now, on this particular day, Chinipie had picked one of her favorites from late spring/early summer. When I told her that the dress is too little for her, she obviously didn't agree and wanted to wear it. Knowing her very well, I asked her to try it on and see for herself, if she would be comfortable in it. (I use this strategy quite often. good way for them to experiment n learn). After struggling to get into it, she gave up and rather sadly, remarked, "I used to wear it when I had turned 5. I am still 5 and that dress doesn't fit me Anymore." 

"Coz, beta, you are growing."

"Why?"

"Coz we grow each day." 

Why?

"Coz that's how it is.  Every day either we grow or our hair or our nails..."

Picking on it, she started adding, "even our hands, our feet, our fingers."

"Yep. You got it. Now let's get ready for school.  Mommy picked out a dress for you that still fits you."

"Why? Why does is still fit me? I am not tall enough not to fit in that dress yet?"

Yes.

"One day, I will grow up and even this dress will be small for me?"

"Yes."

Getting all teary-eyed, she says, " But I do not want to grow. When I grow, I will have to go away from you. I will not get anymore huggies and kissies from you. I do not want to miss them!"

"Awww my baby. You do not have to grow up that soon. There's a long time to that. Besides, I will always give you hugs n kisses. You will never outgrow them, for sure! "

Seemingly pacified, she started getting dressed, when she again asked, " momma, do all of us grow each day?"

"Yes beta."

"Even the grown ups?"

"Even papa."

"Even you"

"Yes beta."

" So you grow tall like me each day too?"

"No beta. I don't"

"But the other day, I heard you telling papa that one dress didn't fit you anymore.. That it was too little for you..."

Momma, scratching her head, trying to remember, when she wud have assumed herself growing so tall that her dress wudn't fit.....

"Oh! I know. When you are a grown-up, you don't grow tall anymore. Isn't it?"

"Yes beta."

Decidedly, she adds, "you don't grow tall anymore. You grow fat."

??!!!!??

Of ancient and alien momma

This happened, sometime in October too,  when Chinipie had just started skipping rope successfully and was rather proud of this milestone of hers.

How old were you when you started skipping rope?

I don't remember, honey. (Why did I say that? I could hv said anything. She had no way of cross-checking, after all)

Why? Why don't you remember?

B'coz it was a long time ago.

How long?

Many years ago.

You mean many many years ago?

Yes

It was such a long time ago that you don't remember now?

Yes

It's a very very very very very old story now?

Yes

It's an ancient story?

Huh?

That means you are ancient?

Hain???

Ancient like dinosaurs?

What??

Runs off upstairs to her dad, "Papa, did you know mumma is ancient?"

Dad looks up from his laptop, "Really?"

Ya. She told me that.

????!!!!!?????

Also, in October, once I had avacado face mask on when sugarbun had entered the kitchen.
 "Why is your face green? Are you an alien ?"
Runs off to her older sister, " didi ! look we have an alien momma! She came from the other planet in her rocket ship."

And ever since I have been an ancient alien momma.

My interrogating, observing, absorbing, interesting,definitely entertaining Chinipie

Chinipie and dad were discussing Odd-even numbers.

Chini - Why are 1,3,5 called odd numbers. are they odd? 

Dad - They cannot be divided equally between two. For ex. If I had 4 cookies, how many  will you n sugar get?

Chini -  Each of us will get two.

Dad - See how you both got the same number of cookies? Now, what if I had 5 ?

Chini - Simple, I get 3 while sugar gets 2..

Every first Friday of the month, chini's and sugar's school organizes a parenting class where they also provide baby-sitting for the kids as the parents attend the sessions.  Last Friday was the first time that I attended. That evening, as I was getting the girls ready, chinipie asks me, " why do you have to go to my school in the evening?"

" I have a parenting class" 

"why do you need to go to a pare ting class? You are already a mommy." 

" in this class, i will learn how to be a better mommy." 

" you mean, you will learn how not to scream?"

To make chini's lunch times more interesting, sometimes, I sneak in little notes in her lunch box. She, definitely enjoys them and feels special, but my little chinipie, being as inquisitive as she is, came to me one day and asked, " why did you put a note for me in my lunch box today?" 

Before, I could even think of something, she quipped, " because you love me and want to make me feel special."  

" yes honey. That's why."

"Then why didn't you put a note in my lunch box, yesterday?   You didn't love me yesterday?"

Dad goes to California

on work, for one entire week, much to mom's chagrin. How could he do this to her? He knew that she loves her beauty sleep and craves for it the entire day. Then why did he have to be so cruel?? You see, ever since sugar had turned one, and, the dad, had decided that he is done clinging to the very edge of the mattress, holding on the the last inch of the bed-sheet, for his dear life(and bones), much to mom's protest, had moved the kids' little beds to their rooms. Now, this room, previously, was pretty much used only as a parents' interior decoration skills display room as much as the other 2 bedrooms  in the entire history of a year and a half of buying that 4- bedroom house. The mom, mortified, at the very thought of walking each night to the adjacent room to soothe or nurse or calm her babies on their each cry , which then was every 1 hour or so, had moved their little beds next to her bed. So, all she had to do was reach upto them and pat them back in their cozy little beds. Now, when and how, in the entire course of the night, they would climb up to the huge and high bed of ours, still remains a mystery. The bottom-line is, each morning, on that California-king-sized bed, the dad was inevitably found sleeping, balancing delicately on his left torso, while the kids rotated, turned and well, dozed royally. Amongst all the protests, the hard-hearted, sleep-deprived dad, had then decided to put the other rooms in the house to some huge. Mom, had made a huge deal about this, and had him promise that he would calm them, each night, for every single cry. Whether or not he intended to originally, but the sly mom made sure that the dad sticks to his word. And rest, as they say, is history. Since that fateful morning, dad is, many-a-times, even found sleeping on the floor in the kids' room to make sure that they sleep on their bed, in their room. Well, those days, are long over (hopefully). However, with every cry they utter, with every drop of water they ask for, in those hours of mom geting her zzz's, the dad tends to them.

So, how could she have survived 5 nights with him travelling to the west????
Chinipie had the solution. She came up to the mom and said, remember mom, when he was away for only one night, in the past? How you had slept on the floor in our room? You could do that. I will even clean my toys from there for you.

Little League

That's right! Chinipie had her first official game today! Can't believe my little girl is already playing league games now! The day started with the team coach handing everybody out the team-shirts and hats (light blue color), followed by a parade with all the kids holding the team flag(had each team-members name written on it, pretty cool, isn't it?) and then the individual and the team photo-sessions. Chini was all excited for it as she had liked her team when we had gone for one practice session on the 9th. Additionally, when lined up for the parade, her best friend W. from school was spotted in the other team(his dad n coach had come to say hi to her). She is since hoping to play against him very often. The parade was a short one and she did good sitting with her team later and chatting with her coach, who patiently answered all her questions. Unfortunately, just before the photo session, she was hit by the ball on her pretty little nose and the poor thing had a forced smile in all the pictures. Still, her spirits were high and was ready to play the game two hours later.

For benefit of those, who are trying to make guesses what I am talking about, little league is non-profit Organization holding Local baseball games for the youth, starting with tee-ball for the littlest ones(5yrs old). It's a great way of imbibing team spirit and introducing the sports to young kids. Frankly, even I do not have much knowledge either about the sport or the game and am hoping to learn along with chinipie. It had all started with, we being stuck in the house for so long as I had cancelled their gymnastics classes post-acc. Chini had been really good and understanding all this While but recently started complaining about not going anywhere and on searching online, I came accross this and wasn't even sure, if she could be enrolled(as she is not even five yet). Still, I took a shot at it and exchanged a few e-mails with the league members and when they said, she could, I just went ahead and registered her even if that meant that I had pay the late fees and that I had the onfirmation email just a couple hours before the second(and the last) practice session.

Oh! In case I forget, there was a bake sale on the grounds, for which momma had baked banana and chocolate mini-cupcakes the evening before, but in all the rush to reach the field on time, had forgotten to take them along. Yeah! That's me! Ever so forgetful and always struggling to reach everywhere on time; at the same time, trying to fit in a lot of things in between!

Like between the morning session and the afternoon game was a birthday party. So, we were rushing, stopping and then rushing again. And all points go to chinipie for still performing so good at the game! Of course, her fren W. was there to cheer for her. And credit goes to sugar, too, for co-operating with us with all the running around. So the first game was over and done with!


Post game, we went to TSA to get her a new helmet, bat, glove, and all new baseball gear! And she's all set to swing her bat in the next game!! May be, catch a ball or two, too!!!

The Bliss!

So momma has been pretty much on high ( owing to the pain killers, anti-inflammatory and the likes) for past 11 days or so.

The 'television' and 'ipad' has turned out to be her best friends, even if she doesn't like them a bit. They keep the kids engaged all waking hours, while she snores on.

With her not being able to do much in the kitchen, (and until some good friends came to the rescue, ) we have been surviving on the dad's culinary skills which includes making khichdi, uttapam (from the store bought batter), and omellete-bread. Also, topping the lists, have been the carry-outs from the Indian restaurants and pizza places.
As chinipie accompanies dad to the most shopping trips/picking up the carry-outs, while sugar has to stay at home (and gets to play with the ipad), we have a new set of complaints. While sugar throws a fit each time they(chini n dad) leave the house, Chini says " u always keep sugar with u and send me everywhere - to school, to shopping, to get pizza, everywhere!"


Not all has been gloomy though, they still light up their momma in their little ways.

When not watching the tee vee, or complaining about nt getting to spend time with the mommy, Chini makes 'get well soon' and 'feel good' cards for mommy. She even decorates them with stickers and adds her precious possessions (rocks,stones,pencils,etc.) with the notes. She went a step ahead and told her teachers at school that mommy was in a car accident. She tries to be gentle around momma as she knows that mommy is still sore n every inch of muscle on her hurts. While she still worries that something is wrong with momma's chin(seeing the neck brace on her), her little sister just orders the mom to take it off, get up and change her arbe's dress. My little sugarbun, for whom momma's trip to the emergency room was a fab outing, is blissfully ignorant of all going around her. What a lovely stage she is in!

Science in Kitchen

It was a rather sunny winter afternoon and the temperature was not too cold either. Hence, the crazy family decided to go to their fAvourite hangout- 100cents to those who can guess what it can be? Hold ur breath.. It's the ZOO!!! No pun, it is a fun place to take ur kids too. And all the more in spring, when u can see the kangaroos and the likes jumping with their cutie babies in the pouch! And sugar just loves the felines- tigers, leopards, cheetahs and the likes. Ofcourse, they have to be on the other side of the fence!

We were in the reptiles sections and while sugar was getting worried over the flicking tongues of the lizards ( nopes not the little wall lizards. These were bigger varieties from the Africa and the South America), chini was busy watching the cobra doing the 'standing straight on the spine' act! A rather hassled momma was busy checking if that venomous reptile is all secured and there's no chance of it escaping its glass abode, when a tiny hand softly called on her,
"so what does cobra do to you except for this dance? Why are they dangerous?"
They bite.
they bite you and then they leave you alone?
What??!!?
they bite you, then what? Do they eat you?
That's when it struck momma, that on our lAst visit to the zoo, we were more fascinated by king's distant cousins(?) the pythons, boas and anacondas, which squeeze you to death to gobble you up or send a wiggling you in their tummy.
No, they bite you and you die. Momma said.
Why?
Because their bite is poisonous.
What's poisonous?
Something that can make you die.
So they bite with stings like the bees?
No, they bite with their teeth. Their teeth have poison in them.
Oh. So where do the bees have poison? Why do the bees die after they bite you
And momma distracted chini, hey where's sugar? Where's ur li'l sister? We need to find her!! And made a mental note to blast the dad to again have deluded her, in the time of need! I swear he was there with us when we had entered that closed arena!

Yeah! Go on. Mock me! I have my limits. There are a certain number of questions I can take at a time. Next time, probably, I will remember to get a better network covering smartphone with me. Probably, wikipedia might come to my rescue at places where my own memories of science lessons and of course, the dad go for a long walk!!



Here Are a few trivia questions that are thrown at me almost on a daily basis..


A blueberry has the word 'blue' in it and it is blue. A blackberry has the word 'black' in it and it is black.
Why does strawberry has the word 'straw' in it? Does it have any straw in it?


Why is apple seed brown and orange seeds white?
Why is the avacodo seed so big while these are small?
Why are papaya seeds round?
Why do we eat pomegranate seeds ? and not apple's and orange's seeds?


Why do rotis fluff up? Why do we fry pooris in oil?

Why do you make 'atta'? ( actually she was trying to ask why does the water bind it together?)

Why have all the leaves not fallen off the trees? ( pointing at the Spruce and fir outside the kitchen window)

Why do you wash vegetables aNd fruits?
Why do we Cut them?
Why do we cook them?
Why do you eat mirchi? ( spicy food) while I cannot?
Why do we have to chew food?

Why do you put dahi in milk to make dahi? (while watching me prepare yogurt)


See how many you can answer, and remember you are in the kitchen with hands stuffed in sticky dough and do not hv access to either ur smart phone or any other form of internet! And surrounding you is your curious 4-yr old and chattering 2-yr old, so you can' t move. One of them is talking away non-stop and the other is stuck at that one question, and can't help repeating it over and over. And, beware, though u r in a hurry to get the food ready on the table before they get too hungry, you cannot snap at them! They are acting their natural innocent self! And then, there is this bright hope of them growing up to be highly intellectual beings!!

Go on... Take the challenge!
Answer them and yes, share them with the rest of us mortal beings as well!
What say? Did you have to google it up? Did you ever think such a question can be asked?
Actually, a few of them, have been taught in school.. Probably when we were 10 or more? So, is this a highly evolved generation?

P.s. don't forget ur answers shud be in simple words for 4-yr old's

Exchanging the gifts!

So, the box of goldfish has been long consumed and momma is being pestered to make the gingerbread man cookies. Meanwhile, mom was also notified last week that presents were being wrapped for her at school. The naive momma failed to take the hints and worried too much over her diarrhea(mom ruined the whole weekend as her fatso-body reacted to the anti-biotic). So, this afternoon, post-school, she was duly informed that the christmas present is in the bag and will be hidden under her bed (mom's bed) and that she cannot open it until the actual day. A frail Attempt was made to count, the number of days left, on the fingers And it was declared that christmas is still too far. By the time, the journey to the home was made, momma was being questioned what did she 'make' as gifts for her oh-so-nice kids and whether she made the wrapping paper herself too. To avoid bring caught, momma replied that she was still working on the gift and it should be done before Mr.Claus arrived. Meanwhile, the furtive momma was trying to churn up her gray cells fast to come up with some hand-made worthwhile work of love (multiplied by two) which could be finished At such a short notice! And that's when the bomb dropped. The wrapped present was thrust in her hands with
"Alright momma. You can open the gift now. And after that, show me what you are making for both of us"
So much for lying!!
But chini, We will open all our gifts on the xmas day. That's okay
No momma! I want you to open the gift now. I made it specially for you. I can't wait until christmas. I know you will love it!
Guiltily, momma unwrapped the gift to find a beautiful wall hanging with a hand-prints wreath on it.
Those are my hands! Can I touch those red berries?
And momma thought all's forgotten about seeing her gift.

And it was, only for a while!
Can I see what you made for me n sugar now?
Seriously, what kind of memories do these kids have?
To mom's rescue came two bracelets that she had made in summers(for her friends, albeit) and to her delight, they were loved and momma was showered with many hugs, kisses and thank you-s.

Isn't this the cutest age, when even a grass twig can make them happy??



As an afternoon activity, we had slotted the day for hanging the ornaments on the tree in our front-yard. My apple tree as sugar calls it. So, the day was well spent in cutting the ribbon and stringing the ornaments. We were having fun hanging them on the tree and watchinjg a couple of them catapulting themselves to a higher branch! That was magic!chini exclaimed. As we went on with our business, a neighbor came by and remarked how pretty the tree looked. Taking it as a compliment, she informed us that it is actually against the society's rules!! A couple more came( imagine! In this chilling cold! Guess they were all watching us from their windows!!) and affirmed. The mom was advised to check with the head, though, whose house was shown too, just couple of blocks from ours. You can do something fun on the deck, the girls were told. By the time, we reached his house, he was already informed and they didn't have to guess why we were there. Guess, in our neighborhood, the news travel faster
Than aajtak! Cheesy?i know! So, the head told us that he had fairly an idea why this mom with her two little girls was there and said he would stop by to check what (unspeakable crime!) we had done. He did come, with a printed copy of the do's and don'ts of the society, wondering if our house-owner had already gave us one. (yeah they did, and we burnt it! Really, what's up with this home-owners assn. guys?). Well, I told him that we didn't have one. I was shown the one, in which the christmas section was highlighted for our ease. Apparently, nothing, including coloured or blinking lights can be used. only white candles is the windows or small white string lights can be used At the doors. Form our reference, we were advised to take a walk in the neighborhood. And oh! As for our ornaments, nothing and nothing can be put in the yard!! The girls were a little disappointed but still maintained that they had a fun afternoon! As a bonus, they got to play with the HOA head's puppy. That left momma wondering,

Time to get a christmas tree??

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. ;)

Papa ki pari

Papa, U Hv to come home early before night falls.
The dad, who usually comes by nine reaches home at 6:30 p.m. as promised to his angel.
Papa, I told you to come early!
Beta, I did come early! ( poor dad, obviously, was hoping for a pat on the back)
No, U didn't! pointing out of the window. See, it's already night. I told you to come before it gets dark.
It's winters, beta. It gets dark in the evening, itself. It's not night yet.
Shrugging her shoulders, you never keep your promise!
Another little voice repeats, you never keep ur pomise, phaphaa!
.
.
.
And, somewhere in the background, mom is trying hard to suppress her laughter.



The dad takes over the task of getting the chores done, one morning, as momma is not feeling so well.
We should not let the water run so fast, papa. It's wastage
We do not use that tooth paste, papa
Not that cup. I drink milk in the other cup!
not that much milk. I take less than that.
Not strawberry. I like chocolate flavor
Finally, a frustrated little girl says,
U don't do anything like momma does!
Following which another sweet voice adds,
u don't do anything, phuphaa!
.
.
.
A much amused momma, then, comes to an equally amused dad's rescue and to pacify the dad's darlings.



Another day, during a long drive to some place,

Momma drives better than you, papa. U drive so slooow and always take such a long long time to reach any place!
The dad raises an eyebrow, with a smuck look on his face, to the beaming mom!



Watching dad, keenly, who is writing a cheque,
Why are you scribbling on the paper? Don't you know how to write?
The astonished dad, " that's my signature."
But that's not any good writing.
Before dad could explain, the opinion is seconded, you scribbled, phapa.
And he just gives up, in front of his two beautiful judges.


And the news of the lifetime! The dad, now, no longer bites his nails and actually uses a nail cutter to trim his errr..... Cuticles!!
Seeing the dad's fingers in his mouth, Papa, are you biting your nails?
No. The skin around my nails has grown. Am taking it off. ( yeah! He actually said that!)
Next time, she catches him,Is the skin grown again?
Some other day, Wht are you doing papa?
Yet another time, you were biting ur nail. Don't lie to me
And rest, as you know, nail biting is history...




Not to mention, the main reasons for the apt title of this post..
Papa's pariis get 'bored' of a dress after it is worn a couple of times. Sometimes, after the one single account of actually dorning it(which might be less than an hour)! And every ten days or so, you can hear, you haven't bought me a new dress for a long time, papa!

And the best part is their love for accessories! They just love anyting with gold, silver, stones, oearls and diamonds! Even their dresses should have some sort of 'jewelleries' on them. Papa's pariis have to have to have to stop and admire every jewellery display in stores like macy's. Woow! Beautiful!
Pretty!
That ring/ear-ring will look good on momma!
When I grow up, can I have that pearl necklace, papa?
I want the diamond one, papha!
We both want pearl and diamond ones, papa!!



Edited to add: Go on... Pour in your love for the trio.. The dad and his two darlings..( papa aur unkindo pyari pariyaan!)

Thanksgiving is for giving thanks

The month of november had started with a long wait for the thanksgiving day. The teachers did a good job at school educating the kids about the holiday. Starting the month with a field trip to a native Indian village, trying out the dresses, craft work, story, play and the chapel lessons, every day chinipie had a new story to share. Oft repeated was the thankfulness prayer. With thankyou Jesus, thank you for the sun, to thankyou for the family, Chinipie is full of gratitude. When she would get really bugged by her little sister, the poor girl would innocently ask, " momma, I am thankful for sugar but why does she trouble me so much?". She did seem to accept the justification when i told her that sugar missed her and that's how she is trying to be close to her and show her love. Once the question involved the dad too.."I love papa and am thankful for him but why does he get angry with me?"All I could come up with was that he loves you and is really thankful for you and wants you to do everything in a better way..


The star question was,"why do we light fire when we do prayers - at home, mandir or even my chapel?" Following her cue, I told her that's how we thank God for providing us with everything and as lighting a candle or a lamp diya removes darkness around us, we wish to light such lamp within us while offering prayers. "is it dark inside us?" Mommy wasn't ready for all the questions that would follow if she tried to explain the euphemism to her curious 4-yr old, who no doubt, is very much capable of throwing them at her when she doesn't see them coming. Like when she showed me a very beautiful picture of a sunset she painted, after reading the book, The legend of Indian paintbrush, she asked "why there was no green in the sunset?" Now, all I could think of was of the physics explanation of the wavelength, which definitely would have bored my eager girl and I asked her instead what color ws the sun? She said "orange in the morning, a little later yellow Nd white in the afternoon.. In evening it even looks reD sometimes." "There you go! You know the answer now!" I said. " but the sun is never purple! So why does the sunset hs purple in it?" HHHEELLPP!!
Why is the dad never around when I need him the most??


So, while sugar hs been thanking me each time when I hand her a cup of water or milk, or dress her up or put her shoes on; chini declared that she would write a thank you note for all her friends. The mailman would be the first to receive the honours, it was decided. It was only fateful that as we were about to finish it off that the mail van arrived and hurriedly the name was signed and the door wS opened and momma was informed "I will be right back! and without even looking back once, an errand had to be made. While the momma anxiously stood at the curb, barefoot, lest the mailman think that her cutie bundle wAs a mail too.. The note was duly delivered to him and he, in turn, raised the note-holding hand to the mom and the little girl jogged back, beaming, " I had to make a run!"
Of course, you had to, sweet heart!


And it was decided that we would thank all our friends for 'being our friends' this thanksgiving and when we were all set for the journey, chini said, "I am so excited, but where are we going NEXT thanksgiving?"

You know

That...

... It's Time to hit the gym, when one of your kids asks, "why is momma's tummy so big?"

... U r goin crazy, when u frantically start looking for one of ur kids, only to realize later that she actually is in your arms!

... Ur kids are watching too much TV when u try to punish them by taking their toys away and they react with "swiper no swiping"!

... U r raising a proud-to-be-a-girl, when on hearing Mulan's story, she immediately coins a story in which the boy dresses up as a girl!

... They got ur genes, when you catch them reading books in the dim night light!

... U r extremely lucky, when seeing you dressed up, your little darlings shower you with praises like "i love your hair", " i really like your dress" "ur ear rings are beautiful", "u look pretty"!


Go on add more..

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.
!?!! ;-)

Nighttime routines- then and now

Starting with changing into the night dress, where each of my fasion divas want to wear a nightgown to brushing the teeth to getting to the bed to actually fall asleep, the night time routine in this household is a mix of fun and struggle each night.

Tonight, I had to brush cindrella's and snowwhite's teeth beore Sugarbun let me brush hers. I, somehow have a feeling that I did something of this sort for chini at around the same time. Whether I did or not, am not sure as it has been two years since and I wasn't blogging as frequently then. What I do remember is that last year, we had tough time stopping sugar from brshing her teeth. Any chance she got, she would climb up on the pedestal and somehow manage to get to the brush... No matter how far from her reach I would have kept it. The paste, then applied, and faucet running, she would brighten her one dozen pearly whites at least 5-6 times a day. Night times would be all the more difficult as she would keep pushing chini off the stool. To top it up, she used to be mad at us coz we didn't let her use her sister's toothpaste. (She uses the toddler's toothpaste as she doesn't know yet how to spit but swallows it all.) With chini, then, it was the struggle of independence. Where last year, she was in a "I will do it myself" phase, ths year it has been replaced by "you do it for me". Every night she has some kind of reason for not doing it herself. I very didtinctly remember how she used to light up when after doing my part, I used to hand her the brush for her turn. And also, how we used to quarrel whose turn would it be first. Well, times change and in this case, the place has changed too.

Getting to bed is another story in itself. Where last year, dad used to check and chase away the monsters from under the bed, behind the curtains and from the toy chest, this year, he soothes chini as every night she declares,"I am scared of the dark". I scared of dark, sugar has started too since past two days. This is very new as we have stopped giving her sippy cup (milk) for bed. Until now, she had been using her sippy cup to self-soothe her through the night. Now, they sing and talk to each other, calling out to mom and dad, in between, too.

However upset or tired we are, the constant evolution of those three words from i yuy u to i vuv u to i love you doesn't fail to work their magic on us each night as we turn off the lights and try to sneak out of their room.

Celebrating A Birthday

Becomes merrier with both of my oh so pinkalicious daughters!

It all started a week before when I told them that dad's birthday is coming up.
Where shll we have his birthday party?
What will we gift him?
Quick, we have to think and do so much!
And no, this wasn't me, but chinipie thinking out aloud. When I told her that we will celebrate together, as a family, at home, just as papa would love it, she didn' like the idea. Home is boring, she said. Home is boring, sugarbun echoed.

Her moods lifted when we shopped for all the necessary supplies: cake, pumpkin bread, dahi vada, chole-bhature was the menu. I told her that this is to Be a surprise for him, so we have to keep a hush-hush about it. And she did! As soon as dad came back that evening,
"Papa, we are planning a surprise for your birthday but I won't tell you because it is a surprise. "
It's a prize for ur birthday, papa, sugar Dutifully joined in the excitement.
And this took me tWo years back, when on dad's birthday chini had excitedly gone to the just-entered-in-the-home dad and had chirped, Surprise! It's a birthday cake!

An evening before, the dad had his wisdom tooth removed and declared that he would be working from home the next day. A frantic mom very rudely told him to leave for work the first thing in the morning, for it disrupts the kids' routine?!? To which, he meekly replied tht he had to go for two hours for a meeting anyways. Trying to patch up, (though hoping he doesn't give in) I suggested that he could do a telecon, which (thankfully) he couldn't. For a while I thought that he was just playing his part in the whole surprise act, to which he later clarified that he indeed had a very genuine meeting.

Anyways, as soon as the dad left the house, out came all the ingredients for the cake and girls had the whisks ready as we cracked, read hatched, the eggs. While chinipie very Honestly helped me, sugar had fun dipping her hands in the batter and licking it off. Temptation caught on and soon both my girls were anointed from head to toe.
Ummmm yummy, sugar exclaimed every time she put those tiny sticky mix-coated fingers in her mouth.
The pumpkin batter turned out to be a little spicy for them and their little tummies were full too, so this time we sticked to just hatching the eggs together. The cake was done and as I had to hide the cake when the dad arrived, Chinipie rushed to delay him at the door.
"You don't smell the cake, do you?" :-)
To my rescue, the pumpkin bread was still in the oven and worked as a cover. Sneaking again, chini and momma finished decorating the cake. Chini added the sprinkles as momma caligraphed on it.

In the morning, as soon as she opened her eyes, chini rushed to wish her dad a very happy birthday, and my manager added
I have to go downstairs and check if momma is finished decorating the house. You come with sugar a little later, okay?
Not only was the decoration approved but gained a very high remarks! The cake was cut and my head chef, sugar, taking a bite affirmed,
Ummmmmm, it tastes like cake!


Two birthdays in the family being over and done with, no points in guessing whose is coming next.
"I will celebrate my birthday in disney world. And will invite all my friends there." A few days later, she added,
"Me and sugar both will have our birthday celebations at disneyworld with all the princesses.... For one hundred and twenty five days. You and papa are invited, too."


Need Invitations, anyone?



Edited to add: The post is published ten days later than it was originally intended to.. And I forgot to add that poor dad couldn't relish his own birthday cake as his mouth was still sore.

Also, chini's current favourite number is 125 .. A progress after my birthday.

A peep into our daily lives

Of listening/not listening

Momma: Why dont u listen to me? I keep calling you but you don't come.
Chinipie: U hav to say " PLEASE come "

*************

Of blackmailing

Chinipie on her way to the bathroom, one morning,
"Give me coloring Dora(a mobile app) or else I won't do potty!"

*************

Of graphical details

Chinipie coming out of bathroom, with an amused face,
"Pee pee went like pooooooooooo phissssss peeeeeeee"

*************

Of falling and hurting

Chini after falling and hurting herself on her chest, with all solemness,
"I broke my heart..."

*************

Of kisses

Chinipie,"Some people kiss on the lips. We don't. as we do not want to share our germs. We kiss on the cheeks, nose, eyes, hands, BRAIN(for forehead)!" ;-)

Sugar, whenever she gets hurt,
"Momma can u kiss me? " Needless to say, momma obliges.

One day, after momma cuts her finger accidently,
Momma: Sugar see my boo boo?
Sugar: "I will kiss you." Gives momma's finger a kiss and says, "there, aall better!"

Of craziness and innocence

Chini is a very sensitive child. A bit of stern behavior is enough to throw her into a fits of crying. Even a gentle rebuke can guarantee the same effect. Sugar, on the other hand, laughs off at our face if we dare enough to scold her. Nevertheless, if we disagree with her on something, it can turn out to be a tricky situation.

A few episodes asserting the same:
More often than not, sugar eyes the same stuff that chini would be having, be it a toy, a dress, a book or any other silly thing like a leaf. Sometimes,chini puts up a fight and says no, while other times she gives it to her, willingly or unwillingly. Some time back, it was a necklace or a bracelet that chini had to share with her, albeit half-heartedly. To show her displeasure, when sugar put it on herself and declared that she looked like a princess, chini added.. Yeah a dirty princess. Sugar was in such an elated state, that she believed her. Ever since, she takes a pride in being a dirty princess, much to chini's amusement. Any attempts to Contradict can throw sugar in roaring fits!

There are times that there are role reversals and chini is suddenly reminded that she ever had that kind of toy with her(obviously, this illumination has to happen when sugar has that object). Just a disapproving comment like, sometimes you don't behave good proves out be extremely touchy. On being asked, why is she screaming, she replies, "you hurt my feelings!"
what?!? Now we are not supposed to even correct them?

One such day, very casually I remarked,"pagli kahiin ki". And before i knew, there she was rolling on the floor, with her vocal chords pulled to the extreme!!! I can't recollect what led me to pass that comment but i was definitely not upset with her. Puzzled, I asked why was she screaming an she complained, "you said bad words to me!" Now, this was really absurd, that girl doesnt even know much Hindi to make so much fuss. So I asked,
Do you even know what I said
No.
Then why are you crying
I don't know
Atleast try to know the meaning, before you take an offense
What's offanse?
Before you feel bad
What did you say then?
Pagli means crazy
and with that I braced myself for another session of fits..
You called me a crazy kid?
Errr yes
still trying to prepare my ears for their next set of exercises..
Ha ha ha.. I m a crazy kid..
She started laughing amidst her rolling tears!!!

And ever since this remark is bound to make her laugh whenever she's sad...
As for sugar, she just says, "I am not paghi tunki"

Such is the craziness and innocence of my pinkie pies!!

A birthday...

...would have been like any other day, if not made special by the wonderful kids!

And it all started 3 days before the b-day, when chinipie Realized that it's just around the corner. She said, "momma, I have to go to your birthday party." I guess, either she linked in her imaginative mind that birthdays means parties or she remembered that we, unfailingly, went out for dinner with our couple-a-friends every year. Sometimes, they would be the surprise ones arranged by the dad(yes! He is still very romantic at heart!). But, this year, my birthday came in the midst of the navratris when I fast. So, any such thing was out of question. So I say, "I will turn 31. We don't have parties at that age". I expected her to come out with her usual why's and how's series followed by a huge tantrum, and I started to think of all the possible answers for the upcoming rapid-fires plus preparing myself to face the melodrama. Instead, she stopped(we were walking to the car after picking her up from school) and gave me a surprised look,
"you will be 31?"
Yes
"wow! That's a big number!"
Errrrr. thanks for reminding that am fast aging honey

Later in the evening, when dad returns from work,
"papa, did you know momma's birthday is coming up. She is going to be 31."
Sugar adds, "she is going to be a big girl".
Thanks my lovely darlings

The next morning, " papa, it's momma's birthday tomorrow. We have to do something special."
What do you want to do, beta?
"I don't know"
Awwwwww

The evening before the b-day, she comes running to my room, "momma, here are some coins for you. I got them from my own piggy bank. Now you can buy that thing from the mall that aunty did to your nails!"
I just went speechless with the flow of her words. That was almost two weeks back. It was raining constantly since past few days and our routine evening walks had come to an halt. Me and the girls had taken a trip to the mall, where they had enjoyed playing at the slide. On our way back, a girl at one of the stalls stopped me and had demonstrated the nail polisher cum cuticle remover thing. Now my chinipie, being so pinkalicious had loved my nail instantly and wanted me to buy it. When I said I couldn't, her curious mind could only be satisfied by the answer that it was expensive. She had somehow remembered that episode and had opened her piggy bank to be able to buy that for me!
Just then, sugar comes running, "momma, a coin for you!"
And they kept trotting back and forth between their room and ours, bringing me coins with each return; until their profoundly touched momma caught hold of them and showered two wriggly and squirmy gals with hugs and kisses.

That very night, chinipie developed very bad ear infection and couldn't sleep well coz of her aching ear. Still, she was the first one to wake up in the morning, and the first thing she said as soon as she opened her eyes was, happy birthday, momma!" and her momma, with her sleepy eyes, mumbled a thank you and tried to snuggle with her, on the pretext of giving her a hug. But she managed to wiggle free and brought a page she had colored earlier as a gift. And the whole day, both the sisters kept bringing me some pictures they had colored. Though, originally they were painted with some other intention, but it's the thought that counted. My little girls thought that they had to give something to their momma and they kept bringing more and more!

And then whenever they remembered, they wished me or sang the birthday song for me, either alone or together.. Isn't it amazing how fast the time flies! Last year all my sugar could sing was " aaeee yayay u uu" in tune and this year she sings so flawlessly! Until last year, chini used to get upset that wad not her birthday, so as a rule, each birthday in the house were everyone's birthday. And she used to be so happy, that it was momma's, papa's, hers and her baby's(she still believes that sugar is her baby!) birthday. Chini has always loved playing pretend birthdays.. Ever since she was around 18 months, many a times we used to make pretend cakes out of handkerchiefs, napkins and blow the pretend candles out with her or me singing the birthday song! We, then, moved on to the drawings on the paper, cut outs, play dough and blocks! Invariably, those cakes are made for me. Oh, how I remember that teeny tiny chinipie, swaying side to side, shifting her weight from one foot to another, singing the birthday song, and pointing at me with a smile, every she would say happy birthday to momma! And she passed on this passion to sugar too, who just couldn't stop singing it fo me whole day!

How many more such birthdays do I want? Well, chini's current favorite number, 100!
Why? Coz just before going to bed tonight, she started crying," I do not want my momma to grow old and die!"
And only when I said I will live upto 100 years of age, did she go back to bed.
The dad muttered under his breath, "and then we will keep her in museum."
"nooooooo. I do not want her in a museum. I want her to live till 100 age and stay with us."
Yeah my sweet baby! Until you grow tired of your over-protective, old-fashioned and loud mom!