Monday, May 28, 2012

Re-incarnation

Last evening, there was a small bug in the living room that caused Ashwin and Divya to run away screaming. Raghu whacked it dead with a brush and threw it away in the backyard. A few hours later, there was another similar bug in the living room. Ashwin paused and stared at it with the most quizzical expression,

"How did it become alived again??!"

How much I love you!

Dear Divya,

I have been wanting to write a special post for you since before your third birthday, but never got around to it because I wasn't sure I would do justice to how special you are. I just want to let you know how very gorgeous you were as a three year old and how much I love you!

I love your toddler-roundness. Your round face, your round cheeks, your round belly, your round bum, the flesh of your palm: everything fits so neatly in my hands for my squishing pleasure. I love how you enjoy when I give you kisses and cuddles and start giggling before I start as you know what is coming!

I love your confidence and sense of style. You can grab a handful of totally mismatched hairclips and rubber bands and ask for them to be put on. And then march away with pride and confidence of your beauty. When you see a hairclip, you pick it up and clip it into your hair anywhere you can and call it done. When you get dressed in the morning, you are so confident that your day care teacher is going to say WOW!

I love your empathy and compassion. When we play monopoly and someone has to pay rent and is whinging about it, you take no time to go upto the person and assure them that it's ok. When your brother is having a tantrum, you go after him and offer him cuddles and stickers and your toys to the point of annoying him! When we play the "and then" game and I pitch the "and then I will cry" card, you immediately say "and then I will cuddle you and make you stop crying"

I love your sense of humour. When you are crying and talking at the same time, and your mean mommy who cannot understand what you are saying teases you with "dha dha dha dha dha", you immediately stop crying and start laughing! You find your exposed belly so funny! When I am dressing you up, before I can put on your t-shirt, you run to Ashwin to show off your funny belly!

I love then way you speak! You have a fantastic vocabulary and grammar. What I find cute though are the words you mis-pronounce. Until a few months ago, you used to say that we will go to the yayabee and get itheem (library and get ice cream!). Your pronounciation has improved a lot now although you still say you are THWEE years old. Let's KICKWEE cross the road.

I love how you come to my bed in the middle of the night (you call out and I pick you up) and snuggle with me. If I move away, you will extend your hands or legs so that you can maintain contact with me. I love how your head fits in the crook of my neck.

I love the relationship you have with your brother. He adores you and you adore him right back. At a birthday party the other day, Ashwin decided to take care of you while I had a chat with the other mums. When I came to check on you, you were sitting on his lap and eating the snacks.

I love your relationship with your babies too. You are never without a baby, be it a doll or an animal. You wrap them up so gently in a blanket, carry them around, feed them, read to them, change their diapers, put on their clothes, take them to bed and are so nurturing. I like to think that this is a reflection of my own nurturing motherhood, although I have my doubts :)

You are so smart and clever too. You can put on your clothes by yourself with very little help from me.

I love soooo much more about you. Everything in fact. Many times I marvel at how this creature that grew in my belly turned into this gorgeous little girl who brings joy into so many lives. If the essence of your three-year-old-ness could be bottled up and made available to the adults in the world, the world would be an awesome place. Regardless, my life is now an awesome place because of you and your brother.

Love you baby! (I know i know, your not a baby. You are growing up into an adult!)
Amma

Friday, May 25, 2012

Love of reading, even if it is pretend.


We went over to our neighbour's place for dinner the other night. Their kids are 12 and 16 and I love discussing books with them. We were having an animated discussion about the Enid Blyton series "The Malory Towers" complete with the required superlatives to express love and approval. Ashwin, who was probably feeling left out of this conversation for a while, piped in:

How seeds grow: I read this book today at school for silent reading. Oh my God! I love this. It is sooo interesting!


I can't wait until he enjoys books on his own!