Officially a "tween"!

Or that's what M proclaimed quite proudly this morning. The hurricane is 11 and continuing to turn our lives upside down!

I can begin to distinctly see mood changes or moody behavior. I used to think your kids always smell sweet to you till our pediatrician amusingly told me oh, you'll know! And oh yes, I do know now. :)

But the quintessential mature Manya - the one I can bank on to have my back in an emergency or an urgency, the one who makes the best travel companion, the one who is quick to compromise for the best in the situation, the one who just knows how to make you feel better - that quintessential daughter of mine just continues to shine thru the tantrums and the tween angst - fingers crossed! We have the trial by fire (teenage) awaiting us!

Manya and I are almost the same length, breadth and width now so it is part fun and part annoying stealing each other's shoes, clothes, accessories - as she wears my denims and i try to pull off her high waisted cargoes with cropped sweat shirts - shopping has gotten much more exciting for sure - the one time we are all buddy buddy with no fighting!

She continues to be a champ at school as always. For after school activities, we have closed doors to horse riding and gymnastics. It's piano (she's onto her 5th year now!), coding, and swimming for now.

Love you to bits Manya, continue rocking!

We are 10!

 Hello double digits. 

- We are 10 and we know it all. 

- Mom and Dad are no longer cool. 

- Friendships run strong.

- Other things not cool: Pink, Glitter, Frills

- What is very cool: Anime, Black - all shades of black :D, and all things Kawaii!

- Dream destination: Japan - because anime, duh!

- Roblox is the new Minecraft. 

- We stand tall and can't wait to surpass mom's height.

- Best co-traveller ever. Loves new experiences.

- A bit of that teenage whiny noise finds it's way and mom shuts it down immediately. 

- Overwhelming emotions sometimes - mostly when asked to clean the room.

- Horseriding, coding, gymnastics, swimming, piano - we do it all. Slave driver. Mom's the slave :D.

- We are still cuddly and snuggly but mostly at bedtime and in the morning. Any other time love yous or kisses are exchanged, mom's just sappy.

- We love writing fiction! Oh I am so proud of her writing. The genre is usually horror or something but the vocabulary and the plot complexities promise to keep you hooked!

- Fits into mom's shoes, steals mom's clothing even. 

Can't wait to see what the decade brings. Actually, scratch that, can wait :)

Last of the single digit birthdays!

 She is nine!

At home celebrations again this year - as everybody continues to mask.

- She is growing and every now and then I observe the baby face fading away. Tall but very huggable still :).

- Lot of missing teeth - finally!

- She's doing very well in school - Has joined the high capability - Discovery program at school and is acing it. Loves to read and write. Her writing has just flourished - her vocabulary, complexity of thought and emotion portrayed just blows me away! So very proud of her.

- Wanted a black bike with gears for her birthday - Though she still loves the occassional dresses, I can see the pink and glittler moving into oblivion on most days. Has her own sense of style - for some reason she loves sunglasses :). Still kinda likes jewellery and accessories.

- Minecraft has been big this year. Lot of online gaming with friends. It can be very educational mom, she tells me. Oh well, we know how that goes!

- Restarted swim after the pandemic break, piano doing great. Two big new additions this year - horseback riding and gymnastics!

- I see the obsession with politics easing off as the election madness has died down.

- Guess who is the new selfie queen in the house? My phone and ipad are filled with tonnes of selfies she's been taking! It's very very amusing.

Can't believe we are at the end of the single digits already!

Milestone Update - 8

 At 8, M is impossible :). But more here:

- She is tallish for her age - no longer tiny weight wise - she matches up at her height percentile and that is huge!

- She has lost 2 more baby teeth this year (totalling 4 till date).

- She no longer believes in magic, fairies, santa etc etc. She's, at most times, a ruthless pragmatic typhoon on steroids - go figure!

- She's going thru an intense politics phase! 

- Loves her piano - we are onto our second year of lessons!

- Thanks to COVID we have stopped swimming - physical games and exercising is something Manya does only because she must ;) She blames lack of comapny - I blame lack of will!

- She is strong willed and opinionated - we have our more than fair share of tiffs but makeup is mosly quick with snuggles and cuddles and kisses - While I keep hoping the first part becomes better- I pray the latter never changes!

- She loves travelling and like her parents has a never ending list of places she simply must visit.

- She continues to be a reader! Reads a wide variety too! We still continue our bedtime mom and daughte reading and it is one of the more special moments of our day - I really wish we both continue this forever :)

- She loves her gadgets - though thanks to online schooling - she is not as much into electronics over the weekends - she has developed interests in coding, pencil sketching, sewing.

- Earlier this year, she gave her room a complete makeover - the barbie dream house, the kitchen, 90% of her soft toys, her doll closets, barbies, LOLs, play dressers etc etc all were thrown out - I am too old for this stuff mom! Her room now has mainly a four poster bed with a delicate blue canopy, a huge L shaped desk, her piano, a small bunk bed for her American Girl dolls , a few toys and some paraphernalia around all this. Much much easier to clean but I miss the stuffies that I had curated over the years! Sigh! She is also into puzzles, LEGOs, board games, card games etc.  

- The other big change has been clothing - she tries to copy my wardrobe many a times - has ordered two pair of jeans that are exactly like what I have. Has a cable knit sweater dress like mom. Likes more chic clothing compared to the pinks, purples, glitter and frills of the earlier years! 

She can't wait to grow up and I can wait a lot longer :)

Milestone update - 7

I don't know how many times a parent must say and wonder how time flies. Well it does, and it seems to get ahead of itself, if that was possible.

So what is our little 7 year old upto...

- Social, pragmatic, diplomatic - M is a joy to have. She is feisty, rebellious, and extremely sassy too especially at home - she is no goody two shoes all the time - but she is genuinely warm and kind. So go figure who she is - she is a hurricane with the right intentions mostly - haa!

- She started a new hobby this year - piano! She judiciously practices and seems to be enjoying it for the last couple of months and let's see where this musical journey takes her.

- Lost her two baby teeth! and gained a couple of inches - she does stand tall and threaten my position as number 2 tallest in our family of 3. ;)

- I think we have a reader here and quite a decent writer too (when she feels inspired enough that is). Horror as a genre fascinates her to no end.

- I feel the princess phase is kind of mellowing down and we might be on the pharaoh stage now - she wants to rule! But on a serious note - i think her mind is wandering beyond glitter and pink - literally and figuratively. She loves all her girlie accessories still but is embracing mustards and auburns and denims again, which is a welcome relief.

- She loves being out and about and busy - we have activities 2 days a week, another day she stays back at school for after school clubs (currently - Robotics), 2 other days she has recurring play dates most weeks - and she still thinks has has time for gymnastics, spanish, and what not. I had heard of overscheduling parents - ever heard of overscheduling kids?

- BabyCenter sent me an email this mornign congratulating me that I have now entered the most rewarding phase as a parent - well I am not celebrating yet - Agreed Manya is a great companion for most things - travel, car rides, conversations, activities, etc etc - but does she has an opinion or what. And she is defiant. My ears seldom hear, "Yes mom" at the first go. So many times anything that i say is replied by something that begins with But or However or No or How about. The sass, and sarcasm, and attitude all combined with this beautiful heart and intelligence is a deadly combination!

Biking!

Finally after a successful biking camp she has her supporting wheels out - a huge milestone for us! She still is a little wobbly but getting there faster than we can blink!

Turning 6

Here's a milestone update as Madame M turns 6.

- Let's get this out of the way - boy, she can talk. talk back. talk loud. you get the drift.

- She is on the taller side for her age - I used to think she'd tower over the other kindergartners, but looks like she blends right in.

- We are in that terrible princess - rainbow - glitter - unicorn phase. I can't wait to move beyond.

- For every thing that mom says - first try to say no. Or argue. Or offer a deal. A yes right away would make it to the headlines.

- She is a reader alright! Has been devouring chapter books for many months now - notable ones - The Princess in Black series, Heidi Hecklebeck, Ivy and Bean, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlotte's Web, Magic Tree House series....

- She is getting better at writing - I am beginning to understand that her part frustration with writing is that she has all these big words that she wants to express herself with but can't get hold of the spellings - so she tries to consciously choose simpler words to make it less painful. ALso, she is plain lazy - would rather not write. 

- She is doing basic addition and subtraction - learning to use her fingers - trying teh counting by 5s and 10s.

- Art - painting, cutting , gluing, coloring, drawing -she can spend hours on this. We tried some art classes over the summer and she absolutely enjoyed them. We'll go back next summer too.

- Swimming continues - she doesn't take it competitively - loves the water though and that works for me!

- For all her declarations of being grown up and wagging her finger ta me telling me "You are not the boss of me", she still finds her way at night to snuggle and sleep with us!

- Still enjoying school too - her favorite part of the day is recess though!

High Five!

Good lord, she is five.

• She talks non stop - a vocabulary that is far above her age range - she can still manage to surprise us with her words.
• She reads well above her peer level too. She loves books and has a varied range of interest.
• Still not very fond of writing - she prefers writing words and sentences rather than focussing on forming the individual letters. She insists that "not writing is alright mom, I will handle it"
• Doesn't care much for numbers but can write 1-100 and use manipulatives to add and subtract. 
• Loves drawing, cutting, gluing, coloring, painting, play dough and all kinds of messy projects!
• She has started saying she is getting bored of martial arts and so we might be ending that soon. I am not too happy but there's no point forcing it so...
• Swimming is something that continues to delight her - she absolutely loves the water and her swim coach!
• She is showing a lot of interest in music, instruments and dancing - wants to start learning ballad - we might just give that a try!
• She absolutely loves school. Has made a lot of friends and looks forward to it every single day.
• Lot of junk has found its way in her diet - we try to keep a check and I really hope we do better.
• In the princess and all things pink and glittery stage - Mommy gets annoyed with it but nobody dare argue with the "my life, my choice" stance!
• very strong willed - with distinct defiant streak -but absolutely adorable still :p

Oh the places you'll go!

Dearest Manya,

Happy 5th Birthday. High five. Really. You are five. I'll never grow tired but I'll definitely grow old exclaiming how time flies! And you are definitely growing sassier by the day.

You got a birthday card from one of your best friends that said why be a queen when you can be a goddess. Oh my god! That totally describes your attitude these days! Strong willed, you almost always know what you really want. While the defiant streak does put mommy and daddy on the simmering pot every now and then, you also possess the uncanny knack to diffuse a situation. And ofcourse that you are adorably cute does help your case!

Your biggest strength is your very plesant personality - you respect others' feelings, are mindful of your words and sensitive to your environment. I pray to god that that never ever changes. This is going to be your biggest asset always.

We are so blessed to have you in our lives - you fill it with infinite craziness but also with eternal joy. Mommy and daddy love you the best!

Martial Arts update

Manya has been regularly attending her martial arts classes for more than a year now. She is really not the most physically coordinated kid out there but enjoys her classes and looks forward to them. 

I have been happy with her continued interest and she was thrilled to get her single stripe black belt last weekend. She joined as a mini warrior, moved onto the little warriors program and is now finally with the Warrior Juniors who are mostly 6-7 year olds.

I was a little skeptic on her joining the grown up kids class worrying if she'd feel overwhelmed but so far looks like she is liking the challenge and learning more by watching other kids. 

Since this is so close to my heart, I really hope this is one thing she continues with in the years to come. Fingers crossed!

A year of preschool!

Manya came back home after her last day at preschool today. And while I rofl'd at her demand for a graduation present (I didn't even know going from from preschool to pre-k was semantically fit to be termed "graduating"...pffftt), I do realize how she has grown in every which way this year. From the protective cocoon of home and mommy and daddy, she ventured out on her own - making her own relationships, living her own experiences, taking on the world ... okay even if that is an exaggeration, she was out there for almost 3 hours, five days a week, without me *insert piny sobby mom face*.

And as I sit here reminiscing the months gone by, I thought sharing her "growth" and "learning" would just be the perfect way to celebrate her "graduation" from preschool. 

• Big Words

I have always been secretly very proud of Manya's vocabulary (so what if more than 90% of it is used against me) but this last year the words she has picked up (with or without complete context and meaning) is phenomenal. I already did a post on Synergize and Proactive here. She uses obnoxious in the right context to describe me when I am angry. When I couldn't decide what to make for dinner the other day, she goes, "Mom, you don't have to be so skeptical about it". Ha ha ha, but I will take it. The term withdrawing privileges gets thrown around once too often. Case in point here. And ofcourse daddy's contribution, "There will be consequences for actions." Or, Don't you dare interrupt. Or the very hilarious, "Let's just improvise, mom! No arguments, no disappointments! I could go on but let me end this with, "Weird" - elongate ei and say it with the emphasized American twang. That was really weeeiiiirrrd, mom! Huh!

• Bigger concepts

Not just the words, the concepts are growing too. We have an in-house "recycling" nazi who double checks the trash to ensure waste has been properly segregated. Manya can give you the complete low down on healthy diet and sugar crash - organic food, essential nutrients - everything but whoever said Practice what you preach never ever said it to her, She is also big on insects and bugs - lifecycles of termites, ants, ticks, dragonflies and what not. She throws around terms like metamorphosis and camouflaging to to make sure you know that she knows!

• Americanisms

While reading, Manya often points out  certain words such as fast etc where my British pronunciation (Thanks to the lingering colonial influences where we still bow to the Queen when it comes to matters of the English language) is different from what she hears around here, especially in school. So we often discuss how both are correct but it's best that she follows school. The other day, I was reading out to her B I G, that's big. And the cheeky things goes, "Mom, I think we Americans would just pronounce it as ginormous". 

And then, she was trying to open the bathroom door once when I was inside so I shouted, "I need my pr-i-vacy. She goes, "Do you mean, you need your pr-Y-vacy? I yelled back, "I mean, Leave me alone." Seriously, WTF. 

Other Americanisms...What the heck! And you have to see a four year old go, "Oh man (say it with the A twang), not again!! Or, Are you kidding me? Or, "This is freakin' awesome!" Or, "Mom, give me a break!" Mom, you need to seriously chill. Guys, seriously?! Or, "Oh, those suckers (roll the r please). Again, it's an infinite ever growing list but let me close this one with the most annoying. "Hey, guess what? What? Chicken butt! I had to consult the urban dictionary online for this. *insert infinite eye rolls*

• From Americanisms to American fast food

Before I proceed, I really want to say I don't want any American to take any offence to what's written here. You know it's light hearted. I mean I love all my American pals, I swear I do and you know that. But seriously American fast food doesn't earn you any brownie points. My lovely fruit eating, vegetable loving, daal-chawal (lentils-rice) and roti-sabzi (Indian bread-cooked veggies) kinda girl has become this mac-and-cheese, oreo, pretzel, gold fish, cracker babe. To be fair to her she does strike a balance but hello we were doing just fine without jell-o! 

• Welcome to the Princess phase

What is with little girls and princesses? Nothing but peer pressure? Like seriously? One day before preschool we were all good - all kinds of clothes were acceptable and so were all colors. A quarter into preschool and if something isn't purple, pink or glittery it is 'ugly', 'unbeautiful' (because I told her ugly was a harsh word) or just 'sad'. She has never been fed on a diet of princess stories or fairy tales, but now she gravitates towards them, asks for them, devours them. And let's not talk about the merchandise. I am so sick of it.

Btw, just in case you didn't know, three and four year old girls apparently discuss hair color, nail paints, salon trips (manis and pedis specifically), and even looks that are fashionable and "sporty" (yes, Manya came home the other day saying I wore that ugly nike tennis skirt and shirt to school but everybody said I am looking good, sporty actually.)

Add to that questions on skin and eye color and who can really be a princess. So I told her honestly that skin and color doesn't really matter. It's  mostly titles passed on by birth. Very dismissively she says, and we don't really live in a castle anyways! So that was that!

We also have dangerous conversations about girl colors and boy colors and we have on multiple occasions got into serious discussions on choice and its irrelevance to gender. But how do you argue with a four year old who goes"It's my body and it's my choice. And I will choose happy. And pink is happy. And nobody can tell me what to do with my body or how to be happy. I am smart and intelligent and I want to look pretty."

I back off!

• Star Wars, Super Heroes

So either my daughter has multiple personality disorder or she is just really well rounded. She loves her hair long and her dresses flowy but her favorite story character is the droid from Star Wars - R2D2. She enjoys reading all the Star Wars stories and most super heroes, her favorite being Hulk. And she races cars with her friends too. The challenge we have had is to keep her from watching the related series and the movies because I told her those were not age appropriate. And yes I do hear the constant whine, "But so and so at school already saw it". 

• Towards financial wisdom

So we have started having conversations around how we cannot go buy everything we lay our eyes on or "really need" vs. want.. How real privilege works. How we count are blessings and try to be happy with what we have. How we find happiness in giving and sharing and not just taking. How the simple solution to every problem is not just , "Let's look it up/buy it online". How people work to earn money and how money is used. How we cannot just "let's send mommy back to work for money so that we can go on a holiday to a different country every month". How the answer to "Daddy, can you please buy a house for the poor guy at the signal" is no. How "sharing my car snack and giving away all the money in mommy's wallet" is not going to solve world hunger and poverty. How charity is not "giving away mommy's dresses and trousers and coats to those who don't have it." How it's polite and good to be reasonable with birthday and Christmas lists even though we do not know the answer to "Mommy does Santa also have a money problem like us". How it is just not only about money.

Too much for a four year old? I think so too. Now somebody please go tell her to raise issues that are more age appropriate.

•  Am I an Indian? Am I an American?

Manya is starting to ask questions around identity and belongingness. I don't know how this was triggered but she asked me one day if she was an American or an Indian. I explained to her about citizenship, passports and origin in the simplest way I could but I was surprised how much children observe their surroundings, absorb and question.

• A dog or a baby sister

This ofcourse is pure peer pressure. I have been given a choice between giving her a dog or a baby sister. For now, we have settled on that she will grow up and have, and I quote her, "two adorable baby girls just like me". God save her.

• Toilet humor vs. Morbid humor

All my preschooler's jokes fall into only those two categories. If the mind is not in the potty, it is caught up in the other existential extreme. Mommy, I am just going to die, kill so and so. Oh I am just kidding. Ha ha ha. There's nothing funny about either of the two categories. I love you mommy forever, even when you die. Thank you, I say, quite without humorlessly.

• Career choices

Manya at age 2.5 wanted to become an astronaut. At age 3, it was a veterinarian. At age 4, she wants "to be a normal person who is a technical writer who works from home and has two adorable girls just like her." She had me at "normal" :D.

Finally ending this post with a recent conversation that is the perfect summary of the overarching sentiments of this year.

Manya: Mommy can somebody be different from out and something else from inside?

Me (trying to be as vague as possible): Umm I guess yes, but like in what way different?

Manya: Like they look something from outside and are very different on the inside.

Me (Very clueless as to the direction of this conversation): I guess so. There could be such people. But why do you ask? Do you know someone like that?

Manya: Yes, I am like that.

Me (very bewildered): I don't understand...

Manya (In conspiratorial whispers): You know, Even though I look like a sweet little girl on the outside, I actually feel like a panther inside.

Here's to another year of exploring our wild sides!

The fourth year update!

Oh my god, she is 4, and then some more...

- She continues to have an above average vocabulary - one of the first things most people notice about her. She is mostly very pleasant and cheerful (fingers crossed - we are trying to remain positive here.) M has started stringing sounds together to try to read. I plan to sit with her everyday to encourage this. She is not much interested in writing - and nor do I or at school is she pushed towards it. The later the better, in my opinion. She has started coloring within line on her own and makes well composed drawings and paintings.

- She seems to be doing well in school. Being an only child, we often worried about her getting along at school - with kids - but looks like she is doing great. We hear from her teachers that she communicates well, shares and is quick to make friends. We were much relieved with that assessment.

- Manya continues to move up in her Martial Arts and Swimming levels at a rather steady pace - she is not really the most physically coordinated kid but that has not been my goal. She enjoys these activities and they are helping her enhance her motor skills and general body coordination so that is enough for us. I am hoping she continues these.

- She wants to be a veterinarian - needless to say that comes from her love for animals. Her softies are all subject to surgeries, c-sections and what not. She seems really serious. She is also 4, so well!

- We are eating okay - she balances her meals out but has found great love for mac and cheese, gulab jamuns, oreos and marshmallows!

- She finally has all 20 of her baby teeth and takes good care of them - brushing, flossing and rinsing is the routine - on most days without a fuss!


- Emerging personality traits - she is strong headed - while she tries to put her point across well, she is capaple of losing her temper quick - now a days I feel she tries to control her responses and try to sweeten them - I am so glad for that!

I feel it is becoming easier to talk to her, explain to her - her understanding capability is great and that helps us navigate when we are at loggerheads. Phew, hope that lasts...

Swim update!

We started swim lessons this spring, and have been going strong at it. Summer onwards, M has been going twice a week for 30 min classes and this works much better than one class a week schedule we were on.

She crossed Level 1, which is basically introduction to water skills such as kicking, bobbing and floating. Level 2 makes her feel all grown up and she is pumped up for every class.

One interesting observation that I have made is that while she absolutely loves being in the water (has always been), she is very cautious - she will hang on to the side when it's not her turn - unlike other children who will try to escape or play around. She likes getting into the pool only when her teacher is specifically focusing on her - she will not jump in - she gently holds her instructor's hands and steps into the pool. It is hilarious! Her teacher tells her to trust the water but she retorts with, "I trust the teacher. I trust myself. But I don't trust the water.". She can be cute sometimes.

I feel hat this could be because she is not exposed to swimming outside of these classes - Since Vish and I both don't swim, I feel she is not as confident as other kids around water. Or maybe that's the way she is - Either way, I am just happy she is voluntarily learning a life skill. The Olympics can wait :D :P.

The third year milestone!

Manya is three, and here are some highlights:

• She talks, and she talks, and she talks :D. You get the drift. With quite an extensive vocabulary, M manages to impress most people with her conversation skills (not sure where that comes from? umm, think again...:p)

• Manya loves drawing, painting - her weekly art classes help her channel that enthusiasm. Almost every day, you can see her engaged with her crayons, markers and even pencils. I have been particular about encouraging free hand - I don't give her drawing books to draw within lines or trace patterns or connect dots. And am glad with this approach, she draws and paints a lot of abstract - dark stormy nights, spooky voices, sunsets. She draws monster faces, dinosaurs (stegosaurus is her favorite), and all by herself she has started drawing rectangles, circles, ovals and triangles and the letters - A, m, N, Z, b, O, P, Q, q, T, I, U, V, X, and the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 7.  She loves doing little projects like wrapping boxes, making cards, cutting (which she has still not mastered) and gluing stuff etc.

• Eating is a dicey topic still - she loves her standard breakfast of milk, egg, and fruit on most days. Red sauce pasta, spaghetti, peas and rice, tofu, bread butter, yogurt smoothies, blue berries, apples, bananas, strawberries, spinach and yellow daal are her favorites. White lindt chocolate truffles and gold wrapped chocolate coins along with orange ice bars are her favorite junk!

• Manya loves books, and we are a regular feature at the library - she likes all kinds - stories, non fiction - especially if they are about animals, reptiles, sea creatures etc.

• She has eclectic (;)) taste in clothes (we are thankfully still not in the princess phase - and am so not looking forward to it!) and toys - she loves her stuffed toys, dollies, legos, puzzles, fire engine etc all equally.

• She loves the swing, slide, monkey climber at the park. She also mastered cycling her tricycle towards the latter half of this year.

• We are fully potty trained (finger crossed) and are hoping no relapses happen.

• We still have only 16 pearly whites - 4 more baby teeth are eagerly awaited (but show no sign of arrival). That's exactly where we were on her second birthday, by the way!

• Tall and thin seems to be the mantra still - Mommy is just learning to fret less about the thin aspect.

• Emerging personality traits: Cheerful, social, happy to be around people, smart enough to manipulate people and their reactions (;)); can and will use emotions to alter situations in her favor, total drama queen (I love you, M); tantrums are usually because of lack of sleep or hunger or too much boring stuff going around - they don't last long if attended to efficiently; chirpy with almost everyone, displays love and affection openly and very often; can hold her own in an argument/discussion, very very observant and inquisitive.

So, we herald the tiring threes :D.

Wheels on the trike go...

It has been a little more than a year that we got M her trike and even though she had taken an instant liking to it, she had not really been able to pedal on her own all these months. 

Today, she took us by surprise by pedaling all by herself! I was so thrilled - she was too - a new found independence, I think, she feels. She has to lean to steer properly and pedal at the same time - just now the focus is all over the place - also I realized she still does not have the strength to pedal uphill - since almost all roads and streets we take our sloping, she will have to learn to go uphill to do downhill - oh well, all in her own time!

She is quite the cheeky brat thought, as she asked me "how are we celebrating my cycling?'

 Oh, and she also feels that since she "can cycle now, she needs a bike, a skateboard, and a scooter". 

And she also remarked that I should get my own cycle and then we can go on adventures together. 

Like seriously, keep the handle straight lady!

Pierced!

My stand on ear piercing for M had been that I would not get it done till she really wanted it. My reason was simple - why go through the unnecessary pricking and poking, as if babies don't cry enough already. 

I know people say that ears are much more tender in the earlier years (earlier months is more most insist) and all that but c'mon, they don't become thick bricks ever - I remember having my ears pierced when I was 10 years old, and I didn't go through any carnage exactly! I wanted them, was prepared for the pain, and it worked out well - this is exactly how I had it planned out for M - Except that I keep forgetting, no plans work with M!

For the past many months now M had been asking about getting earrings. I had been telling her very matter-of-factly that it would hurt just as it does when she goes for her shots, and some after care would be required, and if she was prepared for that, we could get it done anytime! If I remember correctly, starting at 18 months itself, she had begun the insistence, she'd say,"I want earring - it will hurt a little - just like shots, and then all pretty". All this while, I was dilly dallying - I thought she was too young and should be left carefree really (or rather I shouldn't have an extra thing to care for :p); then was the India trip - I didn't want to do anything drastic on a holiday; then I also thought how much does she really understand and blah blah - finally it all came to a point that it seemed like my excuses were just that - and she "really" wanted earrings. 

So while strolling on the strip mall nearby, I saw Claire's, and very casually remarked to M that this is where we would come if she wanted earrings, and she suddenly jumped up and said, "I want earrings now." I asked her atleast 10 times before entering the store and atleast a 20 after - but she seemed to know what she wanted. And before we knew what was happening, her highness was perched on daddy's lap and earrings shot into her ears. She cried for all but 2 mins, and I had little sympathy to offer - She asked for it, didn't she! 

Anyways, she was happy with all the attention, and her shiny white gold studs, and she got a toy too! Off and on, she has been saying, can I remove it, it is paining a little, does it look pretty - I think she is just getting used to the newness of it - so hopefully nothing that really bothers her.

As for me, I am just left sighing to myself - she is growing a little each day, which is adding upto a lot - she is all but 2 and can convince me to get her ears pierced - something for which I was ready to wait atleast a couple of years more (hell, no way had I thought she'd want earrings before 5 or 6, atleast) - but looks like she has a mind and a plan of her own - we'll have to just tag along!

M at 27 months

I did miss posting updates at the 2 year mark - better late than never, huh?

We are quite comfortably settled in our Terrible Twos, and it is well, terrible, and ofcourse a lot of other things too!

• I cannot not mention that M is a great talker - she copies what we say - most of the times she gives us back, quite literally, in the right context. Her vocabulary is growing at lightening speed - her sentences are well formed, grammatically complete (and often grammatically correct) - and you know most of it, if you read the latest posts - looks like her conversations are going to to overshadow most of our posts on this blog.

• M has 16 teeth - a big achievement, considering she cut her first tooth somewhere after the 14th month. Four more to go for our cub.

• M's taste in food - varieties, textures etc. keeps changing. She doesn't eat much, as has always been the case, but I must give her her due - she doesn't shy away from trying new stuff. At present, her favorites are peas-rice, fruit loops with milk, chickpeas, blueberries, bread-butter, and bananas - and apple juice! She has been offered junk but doesn't seem to care much for it - she once in a while does ask for chips, chocolates, MnMs and the likes, I don't resist and let her have - I have seen she barely has a few bites of anything - so long so good, eh?

• She has finally taken a liking to her tricycle - she tries to pedal but is not able to complete one rotation of the pedal - I have not made any effort to teach her either - that has been parked for the summer (and for daddy, perhaps!). She plays catch with a ball, quite well. Loves hide-n-seek (though refuses to hide - she only want to "seek"). Loves the slides at the park (a big no to the swings). She has recently shown inclination for long walks while she's in the stroller - this after all these months and months of refusing to sit on it! Also, her highness likes the wind in her hair - she runs in the park with the cold breeze swirling her hair, and then she says, so delightfully, "Mommy, see how Manya is running with the wind."

• M is into a lot of pretend-and-play. I must do a separate post on this. She cooks, cleans, is even a doctor! (I think she needs the right tools now ;)) She also pretends to be characters from her favorite cartoon shows and books. She has quite a huge collection of soft toys and loves playing with them too - she talks to them mostly as I do to her. M also sings a lot of nursery rhymes and introduces a twist every now and then - this too in another post.

• While still on the playing topic, we are looking to upgrade her puzzles - she aces the simple wooden puzzles that require shapes, animals etc to be fit in - she does the shape sorter very well - except the heart shape - which "just does not go in", apparently! The stacking rings are also almost in order, and only yesterday she remarked, "I need more puzzles." :o:O

• Play dough, crayons, sidewalk chalks are the top favorite activities right now - we did some paints too but very messy!

• We have begun potty training with zero luck so far. She loves her Dora pot and stool but refuses to do anything at all. In her words, "it all gets stuck inside." Looks like this is going to be another summer project!

• She continues to be tall for her age and much lower than average for her weight but I have finally stopped fretting - her pediatrician quite encouragingly tells me, "she looks thin, because everybody else is obese!" Oh well, if you put it that way...

• Personality traits right now: mostly outgoing, yet selective when it comes to warming up (with children her age, she refuses to engage in any kind of talk or activity), loves talking, expresses well, quick to love, hug and kiss (I have a post coming up on that for sure), has a bad temper - I mean a really bad one - accompanied with a tantrum and lot of mean spoken stuff (I don't love mommy - I don't want to be with you, I don't want to behave properly - you get the picture!), adamant and stubborn - be it deciding what she wants for her meals or when she wants them, what she want to play, when she wants to nap, sleep, what she wants to watch/read, and so on - she clearly knows what she wants and often does not settle for alternatives easily.

God bless us.

(P.S. One thing that this motherhood has surely changed in me is that I tend to seek God a lot more than in those footloose days :p.)

M at 18 months!

We are well into the path that leads us to the Terrible Twos! Our chipmunk is a volcano of activities and has new tricks and words up her sleeve almost every single day - It is actually getting tough to keep account of all these sweet nothings and terrifying naughtiness!!

Let's see what all I can remember!

• I have to start with M's vocabulary - It is growing by leaps and bounds - she picks up new words all the time - like a little sponge absorbing everything, She has started applying the words in context and can hold a conversation with one word and two-word phrases. I must do a post on the kind of conversations we have. Up next!

• She runs all over the place, climbs over chairs and tables, threatens to dive down and then jumps up and down as onlookers suffer panic attacks. She makes Vish or me lie down on our backs and then mauls us like no tomorrow - gosh - I wonder where all the energy comes from.

• As always our skinny and leggy baby is very conscious of what she eats - greens, fruits being her favorites. Apart from cheese anything remotely fattening does not suit her taste buds! I am done getting worried now - there's only so much one can worry!

• We have started going for walks and to the park very regularly now _ I must do another post on all the fun we have! Our very social diva stops to wave hi at every single person and vehicle. Dogs get a hug too!

• M has started playing independently a lot more. She does various pretend-and-play sessions with her soft toys and doll. Loves the shape sorter activity and her wooden puzzles too. I think she just might be read for more dolls, kitchen sets and the likes! Which reminds me she does have an airplane but needs cars - she has been showing a growing fondness for them!

• Generally a happy and affectionate kid, she has still not gotten over her stranger anxiety - some days she is great - some days there's downright bawling. The latter happens more often when we visit peoples' houses. However, after the first 15 minutes or so, she warms up pretty well.

• Now the tantrums  - Madame does have quite the temper. She walks away in anger if she doesn't like what I am telling her. She sometimes throws herself on the floor crying - though this has reduced quite a bit because she knows that way she is not getting anything that way (fingers crossed now). Most times, she is very persistent with what she wants and does not get distracted easily. Also, since she has the language advantage, it is very difficult for me to pretend as if I don't get what she's saying :D. I mean if someone's screaming "water - play" - anybody would put 2 and 2 together ;)!

• We need to now get some non-toxic paints and crayons to engage her more constructively - she has done enough of sorting potatoes and onions, arranging diapers, unloading dishes, laundry, and "cooking" :). 

Phew - I think that's about it. I just realized I need to write up a couple of posts else I'll lose lot of the small details to memory. Soon. Soon.

The first quarter of the second year...

So, yes I stopped doing the monthly milestone updates at the 12th month but M is growing up so fast that I thought I should do this post to just jot down small changes at 15 months that will otherwise be left to the mercy of memory :).

• M is growing tall at a fast pace but guess what is not increasing - her weight! she fairs down there in the percentile charts! Ya ya, a healthy active baby and all that. Yes, I console myself. Is there a size zero in babies? 

• M may or may not qualify as a poor eater but she is definitely not a picky eater. (Touch wood, knock head). So, bring on the greens, and all the healthy stuff! Extra sweet, extra oily, extra creamy, extra rich - naah, not for my baby - how else will she maintain her size zero (bleh)

• And, by the way, someone's not only walking, but running and dancing too! She moves her bum and taps her feet to music. Runs the minute she's let loose. Her motor skills have been good and she is onto activity centers, stacking rings etc. now. Though, I must mention she gets awfully irritated when she ends up putting the smaller ring before the larger one - she tosses the whole thing to the other end of the room (Note to self: watch out for her temper!)

• She talks non-stop. And thus all my recent posts have only been about that!

• She has one full tooth and two others popping out. A late bloomer but looks like, she is catching up :).

• Some other personality traits we are beginning to discover are: she has a furious temper - and she doesn't express it by crying - she screams and bangs her head or whatever is in her hand. Gosh! Once over the initial stranger anxiety, she is quite a people's person - she even initiates conversations and absolutely loves all the attention she gets!

• We have already had two sickness bouts - a fever and a cold - and I hate those days! I'd rather fall sick instead (and I don't even mean it in the sacrificing Indian mother kind of way) because atleast I'll feel like I have more control and not just move around with a cup of milk and a bowl of soup all day!

• M has also started trying to remove her clothes on her own - she unzips her jackets and leaves them hanging around the sleeves like a freakin' goon, she pulls down her PJs, even attempts to undo her diapers! God save me!

• Weather permitting, we take her out for walks and she thoroughly enjoys her new found independence. She runs towards cars (sigh) and never ever wants to hold my hand (yeah, already - I guess that's how girls are, huh?)

And on that weathery note, signing off with Manya gazing at all the snow outside! 

The first pearly white!

Now, now, we have waited an eternity for M's first tooth to sprout. She has been showing teething symptoms right from 4 months of age, and when at the 14th month mark she was still all gummy, I was beginning to get a little worried, even though the doc had assured us all was well (infact she had remarked, have you ever seen a person without teeth!), and my mom had said I got my first tooth very late too (late teething, apparently, is genetic).

So, her highness's right maxillary central incisor (my physician friends, please give me a pat on the back for this jargon - lesser mortals know it as the top front tooth) is finally out - it is not completely out, but most of it has cut through the gums. I think the left one is coming up next. I believe the lower middle teeth come out first for most babies, but then our tiger has decided to follow an alternate timeline - well, as long as all do come out - who cares, huh?

And now for some emotional crap - I thought I'd be overjoyed to see her first teeth - I was happy but instantly I began to miss her gummy grins - why are babyhoods so fleeting? Another aww moment was when she refused to rub her gums on my jaw line after the tooth cut through. She'd always do that when that biting sensation was strong - and I'd complain but only lovingly. I loved the feel of her gums - I don't know why she has stopped it - she's still chewing everything off but whenever I offer her my jaw line - she nods her head in denial and points to her new tooth. Does she think it will hurt me now? I don't know so I assume she does it out of concern and not for lack of need (:D). I wish she'd still do it. Or the tooth could have just waited for another couple of months! (Why are mums so hard to please - this way or that?)

But, am also looking at the brighter side of this development. We'll now have a brush set, toothpaste in a couple of months, and toothy smiles will make for a whole new set of great pictures too - lots of exciting times ahead, huh?!?!