Still Counting His Blessings

This titbit is from Kiran:

Summy and Kiran were sitting next to each other on the couch. Summy was munching on a snack, and Kiran was working on his laptop. She sneezed a super-duper giant sneeze that sprayed the chewed food in her mouth on Kiran and his computer.

And then she said "Daddy, I blessed all over you."

Super Duper Cool

I think, she got this from her grandparents. Everything is either super-duper big, or super-duper cold, or super-duper yummy for this super-duper girl.

K for konfused

A confession: I've been trying to get Summy to learn to read for the past two years, even though I would never have admitted it. I'm for education with no pressure. I mean, what difference is it going to make in a couple of years whether she reads now or not?

But somehow, I expected her to be an early reader. I bought her leappads, workbooks, beginning reader books and so on.

It reminds me of the time when I was little and tried to teach my cat to sing: Sa re ga ma..... (sadly, this is not a joke. I even thought my cat was learning to sing, slowly but surely.)

Summy takes special pleasure in watching me trying to explain the rules of phonics to her. I'm a terrible teacher, though I didn't know that before.

So she says, "E says A? No, A says A."

I say "A says Ah."

"Oh."

"No, O says Oh."


There are a lot of sounds that I can't explain to her, but C and K are the best.

She says, "K for kat!"

I say, "No, C for cat!"

"K says kh! too."

"But C is for cat."

"Why?"

"......."

"C for ckitchen!"

And so on. She gets C and K wrong (or maybe, right) with a naughty smile everytime. "K for Kake", "C for Ckite", "K for Kandy" (Note to @: You involved in this?).

At this point, I give up. Her teachers will teach her when they teach her, and they'll teach her the right way. No big deal - if she doesn't learn to read in preskool, she will learn it in Ckindergarten.

The Best Ears of our Lives

Sometimes I regret it that Summy is growing up too fast, but that's rare.
I see baby videos of her and want that innocence again, but then there is always something wonderful about the age she's at right at that moment.

I can't get enough of whatever adorable stage she is in at any time. She's young enough to have that cute little voice, and say innocent things and ask innocent questions in it.

She walks around with a cell phone to her ear and whispers"Shh! Don't interrupt. I'm talking to somebody and it's 'portant!"

When I ask her to move over to check my email at the computer, she says, "I'm very very very busy doing 'portant work. You can do the computer later, okay?"

When her Barlin' says she doesn't need three q-tips because she doesn't have three ears, she says, "Yes, I have three ears. In March I will have four ears." (She'll be four years, not four ears old in March, and is being a smart aleck).

I need to get a recorder and record some of the things she says, so I don't forget them thirty minutes later.

Summy Bunch

A few days ago, I stood in the middle of the house and yelled "Banana!" Summy answered, "Yes, Mama." Only when Kiran pointed it out did I realize that that was a little strange.

I call her so many different names that she answers to any name I call her. She instinctively knows when I'm talking about food, when I'm just talking to myself, and when I'm calling her.

I've called her "Banana Bunch", "Sweet Tomato", "Hunny Pie", "Potato Muffin", and lots of other things besides, and she just takes it sweetly.

But some names make her indignant. "Puppy" or "Kitten" offend her, and she says "I'm not a puppy. I'm Sameera!" Who knows why she doesn't mind being a pumpkin potato or a blueberry muffin, but considers Bunny or Kitten a slur?

Yesterday an uncle called her "Sammy". Not Summy (to rhyme with tummy), but Sammy (to rhyme with clammy). She said very seriously, "No, I'm not Sammy. Call me Sameera."

To her, adding "bunch" to anything makes it loving. She even asked me sometimes to call her "Honey Bunch" when she wants to feel reassured. She's called us "Mommy Bunch" and "Daddy Bunch" too.

Which reminds me of when she affectionately told me with a hug "You are my Darlin'." And then "Daddy is my Barlin' because he's a boy."

Another Winter Activity

Little helper cuts up beans

I changed my tune...

There used to be a time when I used to sing grown-up songs when I felt like singing. Happy songs. Sad songs. Fast songs. Sentimental songs.

Yesterday I was singing "C'mon let's crawl - let's crawl - let's crawl" when Kiran walked by.

"Let's crawl???" He said.

"To the ugly bug ball - to the ball - to the ball" I answered.

This is what I sing now - "The Ugly Bug Ball". But this is one of the cute ones. It could be sillier, and know what, it is.

Some of the most ridiculous songs (I mean no offense - they're fine for Summy to sing, but very odd if I'm found singing them when I'm alone) I found myself singing:

"We are string beans, green and fine,
Green and fine, green and fine.
We are green beans, green and fine.
Growing on a leafy vine."

or this one:

"Today is Monday - today is Monday
All day long - all day long
Yesterday was Sunday - tomorrow is Tuesday
Oh what fun - oh what fun"

(What fun, indeed)

But the silliest (and cheesiest) one ever was a jingle that I particularly disliked, heard years and years ago, and couldn't get out of my head. I heard it way before Summy was born. I accidentally sang a line of it one day, and Summy loved and wanted me to sing it again and again and again. Here it is:

"Alouette - tasty Alouette
Alouette - ready-to-serve cheese
If you have a party night
Choose the cheese that must delight
Party Night
Must Delight
Tum-tum-tum-tum
Alouette - tasty Alouette
Alouette - ready-to-serve cheese"

The Challenger

Last night, as Summy prepared to brush her teeth, she threw me what she apparently thought was a challenge. She said she wanted to use the grown-up toothpaste.

Possibly, she envisioned me saying "No", her insisting, me putting my foot down, and her defying me.

But I said "Okay."

Now that I think back about it, she seemed let down ("How is this fun if I'm allowed to do it?"). She prodded me.

"But you said it was too karam (spicy) for me."

"It's a little stronger than your kid toothpaste, but you can use it if you want. Only a little tiny bit. Mama has to put it on your toothbrush though."

Here was a chance to challenge again. She took it.

"No! I want to do it!"

My answer was very unsatisfying: "Okay."

She looked dully at the adult toothpaste. It had lost all its charm. "Where is the sport in life?", she must have been thinking.

"Here, I don't want it.", she said, and put the toothpaste back on the counter.

Who knows how many other times she'd been picking little tiffs with me on purpose, and I fell for it?

Score: 1 for Mama. 253 for Summy.

Then and Now

Sick Day

Some of my best memories of childhood are of getting pampered on sick days.


Here is Summy on a sick day two weeks ago - watching Blue's Clues and chilling out in her igloo. She even got me to join her in the tent later!

(Yes, Mommyof2, it's the same tent.)

Dora Vs. Dora

Summy put on her new Dora slippers on our way home from the store today. The Dora slippers were having a conversation in voices that resembled Summy's.

Left Slipper (I presume): Oh, look, you have the same hair as me!

Right Slipper: Yeah, and the same eyes too!

LS: And the same pink shirt!

RS: And the same skirt!

LS: We match!

RS: We are both Doras!

~Silence~

LS: How bout you can be Boots!

RS: No, you be Boots!

LS: No, you!

RS: No, you!

I now have a new idea for a pair of slippers that has Dora on the one foot and Boots on the other one. Or how about Tom on one foot and Jerry on the other? The feet would have so much fun chasing around the house.

Finding Nemo

Yesterday all three of us watched this movie again together. All of us love it. Summy asked me for explanations, especially when the whale swallowed Nemo's dad and Dory (who are trying to find Nemo) in order to take them to Sydney, where Nemo was (and if you haven't seen this movie, you're all at sea here).

I always wanted to see Australia, so after the movie was done I asked Summy rhetorically, "Would you like to go to Sydney?"

She thought about this before saying yes. That was not expected because usually she is eager to see new places. Then we found the reason for her hesitation when she added,

"But not in a whale."

Playtime - Toys optional

It was not any of the toys she received for Christmas that kept Summy occupied for a whole hour the other day. It was stale mini-muffins from the fridge.

It was her baby doll's birthday. The mini-muffin was the cake. We put her last year's birthday candle on it, lit it, blew it out, made a wish. Sang Happy Birthday (dear baby).

Then she helped "baby" cut the cake, got out her tea set, and served Kiran and me (and the rest of the doll family) cake and "juice" (water, which spilled on the floor, causing her to spend ten minutes wiping up her spill, the table, the chairs, and the doll, just in case).

Then, she put some magazine cutouts in a little box, wrapped it up with old magazine pages, put a bow on it and made baby a present. Then the baby got to open the present.

After it was all done, we got another stale muffin and started all over again. The next day, we had a party again.

Though there are some toys that Summy enjoys, most games don't involve big toys. Some things that keep her occupied for a long long time:

1. Cleaning. A wet rag with which to wipe the fridge, the floor, anything. Then a dry rag to dry everything up.
2. Scissors. The thing most used by Summy in the last two years is her little blue pair of scissors. Just have to watch and make sure she doesn't cut up Time before we've read it.
3. Dishes. It can be her play dishes or real ones that are unbreakable - but she puts her stepstool at the sink and washes the dishes over and over until they sparkle.
4. Washing. In the tub, Summy likes to wash her clothes in a bucket sometimes (the way we did in India). Next Summer I can imagine her washing doll clothes outside and hanging them up.
5. Pretend People. Usually with little finger sized dolls, but as I mentioned before, these are not necessary. The people can be anything from pens to real fingers. These people take baths and put out fires and save each other and eat pizza and go on forever.

If you're reading this and have a tot, what entertains yours the most on a cold winter day?

Tears

The previous post reminded me - When Summy's eyes water, she says "My eyes are melting." I find that cute, but apt in a way. When her eyes fill with tears, they sure melt my heart.

Water Scarcity

The other night she stubbed her toe against something, but not hard. Out of habit, she started to cry. After about a minute of loud wails and dry eyes, she stopped crying and said in a normal cheerful voice:

"Mama, are my tears all gone?"

I guess she can usually bring out tears on demand, so when she couldn't, she was surprised. Now I'm onto you, Summy :)

Parenting Advice from the Expert

Yesterday, I was trying to get Summy to take a bath, and she was stalling ("No, But I don't want to take a bath right now.").

"You said you'd take a bath after you played with the computer. Take a bath and I'll play downstairs with you. If you don't, I can't play with you because you'll be stinky. So come on."

She watched me with an amused smile through this speech, and after I was done she said:

"You have to say 'It's not a choice.', Mama". (!!!!!!!)

I said, "Okay, It's not a choice, Summy. You have to take a bath", and then Kiran and Summy and I all laughed.

I've never said this to her before, she must have heard it in school.

Advice straight from the horse's mouth - and it worked too. She did listen that time.

She has her cake, I eat it too

The other day as Summy and I were picking out jammies for her, I saw the cutest blue pair with duckies on it. But when I showed it to Summy, she said, "Mommy, those are baby jammies."

I see.

And then she showed me her pick - Disney princess nightgown. I said, "But Summy, that looks too grown-up."

And this is where we are now. I'm trying to hang on to her babyhood, and she's ready to drive a car ("Mommy, next year can I drive the car?").

So who won?

She got the princess nightie, and twirled and danced in it for a long time before she slept. She got her wish.

When she fell asleep, she snuggled up to me just like when she was a baby. I got my wish too.

Love at first sight

With a doll! And I'm not talking about Summy.

It was more than twenty years ago (Groan! An oldie's story!). I saw this doll in a store that I wanted for my eighth birthday. The night before my birthday, I was running a fever and it was raining, but my father took me to the store in a rickshaw and bought it for me. The condition: I wasn't to open it till my actual birthday.

That night I slept with the doll box next to me. I even remember staring at the ties around its legs and wanting so much to open up the box. When I opened it, it was named Neelima/Jane and turned into a "she" instead of "it". She was a chubby little girl with a gentle smily face.

Years later, when I was in college, my mother quietly discarded her from storage (I think rats had gotten to Neelima/Jane, and even before that, her hair and face were in a pretty bad state with all the love and baths and makeup I'd given her), I found I was still attached to her. I couldn't sleep for a week, with the image of the doll in the trash.

I never saw a doll like that again. The dolls in the stores these days (groan! "these days"? Another sign of an oldie) are so out of proportion and ghastly. The few toddler dolls that really look like little girls are a little pouty.

Yesterday I found the doll that was just right - with a happy face, the right proportions, and wearing shoes and socks that can be taken off (yes, that's a bombshell feature). Moreover, it has a couple of changes of dresses and shoes and little clippies for her hair. I just know Summy is going to love the doll when she sees it (on Christmas day, since it's so close).

I can't wait to play with her doll.

Er, I mean I can't wait for Summy to play with her doll.

A compliment (?)

One day Summy was watching me going about doing things, and said (very appreciatively) - "Mama, you are getting really big and heavy." What I say to her when I carry her came right back at me!

Then, that night, she cuddled up to us and said, "My, what a big nose you have!" (Her daddy also received the same praise).

Why, thank you, Summy!

Tropical Girl

On the class survey report of each child's "Favorite Taste" posted on Summy's classroom door today, among the "popsicle"s, "lollipop"s, "chocolate chip cookie"s and other stuff, "mango" stood out prominently. Guess who liked mango best? But that was one of Summy's more mainstream favorites.

Her strangest favorite is (gag) - tofu served in an icecream cone.