Nandu's Biking

So proud of Nandu for learning to ride her bike w/o training wheels all by herself. Jana and I probably helped her a couple of times each, then one day Jana advised her to practice riding on the lawn so that she won't be worried about falling or hurting herself.  She took the advice and practiced everyday after coming from school around sep of last year, and she got it in just a few weeks. Today, temps went above freezing after 2 weeks and Nandu took her bike out again, and she was so happy that she can still ride without training wheels.

Search

Nandu loves to play with our binoculars. One day I found the binoculars lying around, and asked Nandu if she knew where the binoculars pouch was. She replied, "Yes, Amma. Search all the rooms downstairs and all the rooms upstairs". Oh, how helpful!

Complaint on Ammumma

This was in October of 2009. My Mother visited us for about a month, and most of that time, Nandu stayed home to spend time with her Ammumma. She had a blast, can't say the same about my Mother, having to deal with a cranky little kid. One day, I came home from work, and she had a complaint on Ammumma.
Nandu: Amma, Do you know what Ammumma doos? (I didn't spell it worng, that's how Nandu says for "does" :)
Me: She gives me milk every day!

Oh, what a crime!! :)
We don't give Nandu milk everyday, but my Mother made it a habit of giving her milk everyday, and the little one thought, by complaining to me, she can squeeze herself out of that routine :) Nice try!

Big People Show!

Jana was watching one of his favorite shows, which was definitely not suitable for a 3yr old to watch. Nandu, TV being her most favorite entertainment, sat next to her Daddy and started watching it too. Jana tried to have her do something else, so she wouldn't watch TV (don't know how he ever thought that would work), and of course it didn't. Then, he tried to talk to her and convince her that she should not watch TV. Here's how the conversation went:
Jana: Nandu, you can't watch TV. Why don't you play something?
Nandu: But, why, Daddy?
Jana: because this is big people's TV, and only big people can watch it (Big people in Nandu's language is adults)
Nandu: But, you watch my TV shows, and they are for kids. (So, "talking" failed too J
Jana continued the conversation, still hoping he can convince her, because he did not want to miss his show. (As one can imagine, I was rolling my eyes and shaking my head in the kitchen, while this drama was going on).
By this time, the show was over and the titles were coming.
Jana: Nandu, You have to stop watching the TV, I told you it’s a big people show.
Nandu: (seeing that the titles were coming) but, I already watched it, Daddy!

I love pigs!

The cleaners were here, and as usual I didn't have enough cash to pay them. I wanted to quickly run to the bank, and get cash out of the drive through ATM. I asked Nandu if she wanted to come for the ride, and she was super excited (she is usually excited about going out, but that day she seemed more than usual). She immediately found her shoes, said bye to Ammumma, and was at the door ready to go. I got her into her car seat and we were on our way. She immediately started her back seat chattering, and told me how much she loves banks(even though she has never been to one till then; in fact at that moment I wasn't even sure if she knows what they were, which she later confirmed, as you will see). Then she said something completely out of context (atleast in my mind), "Amma, I love pigs too". I didn't want to ask her too many questions then, as I was focused on getting back home quickly, so just said, "Ok, Sure". We reached the ATM, and I got some cash out, and all through, I was explaining to my curious little daughter, what I was doing. When she realized that we were not getting out, she was very disappointed and said, "but Amma, I love banks. I love pigs. I want to see pigs". Again with the pigs, now I was getting curious too, and asked her, what she was talking about, and where she saw pigs. She said, "Amma, Monkey George (Curious George) has a piggy bank. He has pigs in his bank. I want to see pigs too in the bank". Mystery solved! I didn't know where to begin. :)

Pink Starburst

I was up at 3:30am today, which seems to have become the norm these days, either because of Nandu's sleep talking or because of the million other things coursing through my head. Anyway, that prompted me to write this post to pen down what she said/did this morning. Whenever I wake up, and can't go back to sleep, I just lie down next to her, and watch her sleep. There were several occassions when I saw her giggle, there was one time when she was laughing out loud like she shared a good joke with a friend, she whines several times by saying things like, "I don't want it!" - I am sure she was dreaming that I was trying to feed her. This morning, she was smiling a lot in her sleep, she opened her eyes once, looked at me, smiled again, and then fell back asleep. After some time, she was dreaming about someone's crocs. Finally, she woke up after 6AM, and this is the first thing she asked me, "Amma, can I get candy, because I was such a good sleeper". I couldn't help laughing, and didn't respond. She asks me again, "Amma, yes or no? Can I have candy?" I distracted her somehow by playing our favorite games (hiding under the comforter becasue there is a tiger/shark/lion in the room, and then take the comforter off, and tickle the animal so that it goes away :) Then, we woke up, brushed, had oatmeal for breakfast, and just when I was thinking that I am out of the woods, I heard, "Amma, can I have a pink starburst because I was such a good girl". Understandably, I had to give in at that point ;)

I yelled at Ryan!

Yesterday, Nandu came home from daycare, and she told me that she yelled at Ryan, her classmate at school. I was concerned that she was getting too aggressive, and asked her why she yelled at him. She said she yelled at him because he told her that she doesn't have any brothers. I asked her what she said to him - A little flashback at this point might help: Nandu always asked me where her brother was, infact sometimes with that pitiable expression that melts my heart, she asks, "Where did my brother go?" like she had a brother and I sent him away somewhere. I think the need for a brother came from the fact that she had a lot of friends who had brothers. On those occassions, I used to be desperate to get her a brother even if I have to beg, borrow or steal. Anyway, since none of those options are appropriate by society standards, I would try to tell her that she has a sister, and it is Akka (Mohana). Coming back to the present, I was wondering if she told him that she has a sister, and it is Akka. She told me that she yelled at Ryan,and told him that she has 4 brothers, and they are, Nikhil (her little friend), Samyan and Mahitha (her cousins) and Akka :) I was thrilled that she no longer feels bad about not having a brother, and has made up her own brothers, although two of them are more like sisters.