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.