Sophia's words

Yesterday, husband and i took the girls to the market. There is a playgound there and Anjali has been bugging me for a tingaling for her bicycle for nearly three months, I needed to buy paints -  I was low.

After buying the tingaling, husband agreed to watch the girls for a bit while I went to the dollar store to buy paints. I came back after about ten minutes. The girls were exploring the playground and around.

"Sophia talks in full sentences", said husband. "she talks about everything as she plays in them"

This was not news to me. I know that Sophia talks in full sentences. She would say things like

"Shapia do it. Anchali also. Baby shark sad.. wuh wuh. gasha book. shapia eat ice pop " etc

I then realized (it comes to me suddenly sometimes) that Sophia is barely one year and a half. I went back the blog - thats the nice thing about having a blog, that we can go back and see. Around december 2008, I was posting a lot about how Anjali was talking two world like daddy change shirt, anniya mop etc. About how we were so excited and how I reproduced entire conversations of two syllables in typewriting.  I dont reproduce conversations with Sophia (well, not very often), but all the talking she does really makes me marvel.

The other day, Anjali was standing at the kitchen counter helping me make cake and Sophia was carrying garfield in the kitchen.

"Mummy taie", she said

"Why do you want me to carry you?" I asked

"Baby see Anchali mix take", she said.

I was left mouth open. She wanted me to carry her, not because she wanted to see the cake mixing, but because she wanted her baby to see Anjali mixing cake. That is very advanced, i think.

Mrs Arul

We were at the shop a couple of days ago to buy barley. I found a nie recipe with barkey, cheese and sour cream, that I thought husband may like. The shop keeps a lot off junk sweets near the cashier.

Sophia picked up a sweet.

"Mrs ayu, feed me this"

I am sure that Mrs Arul has never met Sophia, much less fed her with junk sweets from the shop, but I was surprised that she picked up on a long ago conversation with Anjali (before Mrs Arul became her teacherl) about how her teacher gives her junk food. Then, ofcourse, Sophia knows that Mrs Arul is Anjali's teacher.

Smart of her to put it together.  

national harmony day

Anjali's school is celebrating National harmony day on Wednesday. I received a note from her teacher asking for her to be dressed in traditional clothes and wear traditional tidbits . So i asked her

"Anjali, you can wear traditional clothes on National harmony day and take some food. What do you want to wear and take?"

"i want to wear pattu pavadai and take mamaliga"

"Anjali, would you like to wear a beautiful Romanian costume?" i was wining it a bit, as the Romanian costume is too short now

"No mummy, I want to wear a pattu pavadai"

"But all the Indian children will wear pattu pavadai. If you wear a Romanian dress, you will look different"

"No mummy."

I let it pass, then said, "Anjali, you know Mamaliga is a Romanian dish. If you want to bring Mamaliga, it is nicer to wear a Romanian dress"

Anjali paused and considered.

"Ok. i have a good idea", she said. "I will wear a pattu pavadai and take pulau"

Introduction to chapter books

After the success of the Shapia do it book, I wanted to make another book for Anjali. Since I have been trying a couple of times to introduce chapter books - I tried the magix treehouse series, but didnt like it too much, and nor did Anjali. So I wrote a book for the girls, adapted from some of the nicer posts in this blog. The girls, especially Anjali, loves it, as it details their adventures, statements and misadventures. Here is the word document of the book.

Like the Shapia do it book, I sewed up A4 paper in hald like a book and bound it with cloth. A red construction paper served as a binder and yellow paper as border. The printed pages were stuck inside and I also added some simple hand illustrations. Anjali knows of the book and she makes me read a bit from it. Since they are about her, she knows, or can predict what comes with a fair accuracy.

I'll take care of you

When mummy came back from office on Thursday, Sophia and Patti were sitting in the garden. As mummy parked her bicycle, Sophia came running up.

"Mummy, Mummy!" She exclaimed.

"Hello Sophia!", Mummy said

"Mummy, mummy! Anchali akka sheed me!" said Sophia

"Anjali Akka fed you?" asked Mummy

"hmm", said Sophia, nodding vigorously.

"What did Anjali akka feed you?"

"paata!" exclaimed Sophia.

"Anjali akka fed you pasta? Did you like it?"

"hmm!" exclaimed Sophia, nodding again.

Later, Anjali, Sophia, mummy and daddy went to the swimming pool. Anjali and Sophia had a lot of fun in the swimming pool. This is what they did in the pool.
1. They played in the wave pool
2. They splashed each other
3. They played in the Jacuzzi
4. They slid down the big slide
5. They put leaves in the water and let it float.

Anjali was getting very good at swimming. She was even able to swim in the jacuzzi using a swimming noodle. Mummy was very proud when Anjali did that.

After swimming, Mummy took Anjali and Sophia to the shower. Anjali did not want to leave the swimming pool.

"Anjali, after we change, you can show Sophia the new playground", mummy said

"Which new playground?"

"That playground which is near your ballet class", said mummy.

So Anjali and Sophia took a shower. During the shower, Anjali asked Sophia

"Sophia, do you want to go to my ballet class playground? Yes?"

"Yes!", said Sophia. It is one of the few times that Sophia says yes.

But the ballet class playground was closed and so they had to come back home. At home, Anjali and Sophia ate some chocolate fudge. THen they talked to bunica and went to bed.

In bed mummy asked Anjali,

"Anjali, Sophia told me that you fed her this afternoon. Did you feed her pasta?"

"Yes mummy.", Said Anjali. "Sophia is my sister and I will feed her and take care of her"

"When mummy goes to America, will you feed her also and take care of her?" asked mummy

"Yes mummy." said Anjali. She then turned to Sophia. "Sophia, when mummy goes to America, I will take care of you and patti will take care of me. ok?" she said. "When mummy goes to America, you will not see mummy anymore."

"No, Anjali", mummy said. "I will be back in a week"

"In a week?" asked Anjali. "A week is a long time mummy?"

"Its a bit long, yes", explained mummy. "But I will talk to you on the webcam"

"Like Bunica?" asked Anjali

"Exactly like Bunica" I said.

Anjali thought that it was very funny that I should speak to her like bunica on the webcam.  So she said to Sophia "Sophia, you can talk to mummy on the computer like bunica when mummy is in America. She will come back in one week! In the meantime I will take care of you. Ok?"

"Bua bua Now!" said Sophia

Princess Anjali

Anjali simply refused to wake up this morning. Both girls had not slept till late laast night. The lights were off, but they simply couldnt sleep. Sophia was up all night and this morning had a running nose.

"Anjali, so you want to be a princess this morning?"

That woke her up. she came into the bath with me

"How do princesses take a bath mummy?", she asked

"Well, they wash their arms and legs and their thoppais and ears and face", i said

"Then they wash their hair?" Anjali asked.

I considered. "Yes".

Anjali washes her hair three times a day, under various pretexts.

So she washed her hair and wore princess uniforms and princess socks and princess underwear. She ate princess noodles (Princesses eat by themselves, but we were running late, so they let the queens feed them)

We went to catch the elevator. Anjali pressed the button.

"What did you call Anjali?"

"the lift." she said

"no. its a carriage to take us downstairs"

The school bus was yet another carriage and when i put her on it I said

"Look out for the horses"

and she nodded gravely

Anjali's poem

(With actions)
I have ten fingers
I can make them do things
I can make them go up
I can make them go down
I can make them crawl
I can make them walk
I can make them hug mummy
I can make them hug Sophia
I can make them love myself!

"Mummy, I love myself. Do you love yourself?"

"Yes I do. Anjali, you say a lot of nice poetry. Adi, Anjali will be a poet when she grows up, like Shelley and Keats"

"No, mummy, I want to be a mummy when i grow up"

"You can be two things you know, a mummy and a poet"

"huh?"

"Yes, Mummy is a mummy and a toy maker and a researcher. daddy is a daddy and an engineer and a runner"

"Ok. In that case, i want to be a mummy and a.... a tortoise. "

Anchali akka

At the playground there were lots of children. Sapna wanted to carry and cuddle Sophia, but Sophia didnt want to. She kept wanting Anjali to help her, carry her and take her on pony rides. And she kept calling Anjali "Anjali akka".

Anjali is also very proud of being called "Akka". Thats my baby sister, she tells all the children in the playground - the new children whom she doesnt know. 

When Sophia walks, Anjali ggoes up to her and asks, very nicely

"Sophia, you want to hold akkuchi's hand?"

"Anjali, why do you say Akkuchi?", I asked her. I remember that Chandru periyappa used to call Akila "Akkuchi" when we were both young, but to the best of my knowledge no one used the word Akkuchi in front of Anjali.

"Because I love my baby sister, and if you love your baby sister, you must say Akkuchi", said Anjali.

That reply doesnt quite satisfy my curiosity, but i suppose it will have to do, since no better reply can be gotten.

The chinmaya Shloka book

padmini aunty had compiled a shloka book and cd that she passed for the kids. For a long time, it was sitting untouched, and one day patti and I decided to play it. the children didnt really pay much attention.

On Sunday morning, I found the book on the table and was singing aloud some of the songs in it. Sophia was toddling around playing. She came up to me, looked at the back of my book. Then she want away. A minute later, she was back.

She had gone to the cd case, looked inside and found the cd with the same cover as the book.

"Well done Sophia", i said.

Even husband was impressed.

thoppai babies

Anjali was telling us about her babies and asking me to take care of them when she went to office.

"Shapia!" said Sophia

"What about you?" I asked

"Baby thapai"

"You have babies in your thoppai?"

"hmm" (vigourous nod)

"How many babies do you have?"

"On"

"Mummy, I have two babies"

"You have two babies?"

"Shapia two babies!"

"You have two babies also?"

(More vigorous nods)

"What are your babies' names?"

"Anchaali"

"Your babies' name is Anjali?"

(More nods)

"My babies are called Sandy and Planty"

"Shandy planty Shapia"

"Your babies are also called Sandy and planty?"

(Many many vigorous nods)

A sewing activity

I have been reading the montessori book for writing and there was a lot of emphasis there on threading and sewing as fine motor activities. I lost the pink plastic needle somewhere so I needed a nice cloth for embroidery. I looked into teh discarded clothes bag and found one of Sophia's old tops - the market sold these tops at 3 for 5 dollars. The fabric has got some really small holes. I cut up the fabric and traced Anjali's hand on it. I also gave her some yarn to go at it.As the needle was lost, I just glued the edge of the yarn to make it more straight. To make sure she has a frame, I staples the cloth onto a cut out cereal box hoop. (i should put a picture to make this clearer)

Sophia, ofcourse, is too young for threading, but I punched holes on a side of a postcard and put yarn all around it incase she wants her own sewing piece. More seing updates in time to come.

God in my heart

Anjali was making towers with her wooden blocks on Sunday morning. At some stage, the blocks collapsed and landed on her.

"I didnt get hurt mummy", said Anjali. "Even though the blocks fell on me, i didnt get hurt"

"Thats good"

"Jesus is in the blocks' heart", she continued. "Thats why I didnt get hurt"

She brings God into almost every other conersation. We have gotten a book on Ganesha out of the library and Sophia is very fond of the story. its the idea of Ganesha, together with the fact that there are elephants in the book, that makes it appealing to her. She takes the book out very often and says "anai toie, gasha toie" and when we are reading, she would go "Gasha charanam ganesha!"

When we were reading the story i read "Parvati thought that Shiva was the most wonderful person.

"mummy, Krishna is also the most wonderful person"

"Shiva had seen the world", I read on

"Krishna will also see the world when he grows bigger"

Some overdue pictures

Sunny and Alfred were over for dinner last weekend - a reunion eight years after graduation. Here are some pictures. Alfred took more, but we'll have to wait for those

Sophia showing her favorite activity to Christopher
I never knew that pista shells were so popular, Anjali draws on them sometimes.

Little baby stella.

A conversation on scolding

Once in a while, I have conversations with the children that I never want to forget. On Friday evening, we were getting ready to go to the playground. Anjali was waiting at the door

"Mummy, why you are always scolding me?"

"I dont always scold you Anjali."

"No mummy, you always scold me."

"Do I?"

"Yes"

"Can you tell me when I scolded you?"

"you scold me when i push Sophia"

"Anjali, Pushing Sophia will hurt her. it is wrong. So I scold you. When children do wrong things, the parent can scold them"

"No mummy. When children do wrong things, the parents should not scold them"

"What should they do then?"

"They should hug them"

It took me a while to digest this.

"Ok. Next time you do wrong thing, I will hug you and then you dont do the wrong thing anymore ok?"

"Ok!"

"But sometimes, mummy may forget to hug you and scold you, because i am so used to it. If I scold you, will you tell me to not scold you and to hug you instead?"

"Ok!"

So over the weekend, everytime Anjali did something naughty, i asked her to give me a hug. if that bit of naughtiness involved Sophia, she would give me a hug and blithely say "Sorry, Sophia!"

Only once I scolded her. Last night, she was helping me make a chocolate cake and was standing on her blue chair. I warned her to not climb on the kitchen counter, as there was a slow cooker full of hot beans and a kettle that i had set with boiling water. She tried to scramble again on the table, as she wanted to sit on the table and watch the cake process. I raised my voice.

"ANJALI!"

She stopped a beat before bursting to tears. I was not bothered so much by the bursting to tears, i know I can handle it well enough. I was bothered more by the pause. It was as if she was waiting for the hug that never came. Husband was in the kitchen and hugged her instead, but I am still a little overcome with the guilt

Imitation

"Mummy, here - Chocolate cake for you", said Anjali, holding her hand out

We were at the playground and Anjali was doing one of her favorite activities - chocolate cake making. This was a rather interesting affair, which involves taking sand from near the tree, shaping it to a cake and putting candles on it for someone's happy birthday. The candles were flowers.

"Mummy, its your happy birthday today"

"thake", said Sophia. "tuni sella tuala!"

Anjali went around the tree, getting more chololate to put on her cake. Sophia took chocolate from Anjali's cake and began to make her own cake. (Sophia couldnt reach the earth on the other side as there was a barrier over which Anjali could reach but she couldn't.) Anjali got more earth and put mounds of earth on the little platform. At some point she reached the mound that was Sophia's cake. She took it to add to her own mound. At that point, Sophia had gone around the tree to search for more earth. Anjali had left her nest and Sophia took her chocolate. They went like that - Anjali taking Sophia's earth and Sophia taking Anjali's for over ten minutes before they met at a station. There they had a nice little fight. One of the two had begun a chocolate cake on a piece of paper, which the other tried to snatch. The chocolate cake fell to the ground and the girls were left holding either end of the paper.

"Mummy, see! Sophia is snatching my chocolate cake!"

"Go make more chocolate cake!", I said, trying to be diplomatic.

Anjali went off to make more cake, and the process of making and taking continued for a while more. but it was a lot shorter, as both girls were aware that the other was taking their cake. Another fight begun.

"Mummy! Anchaali. take thake" (take cake), "wuh wuh, shapia thake do it!"

Then they ran off to play in the swing and all was sunshine again. 

New tantrum technique

I have been reading Montessori read and write and got inspired from that.

When Sophia throws a tantrum, I call her a teapot and sing "Sophia is a tea pot, short and stout", with actions to match. That quietens her down.

When Anjali throws her tantrums, it is a bit harder. Mostly, I call her names, like suggested in the book. However, the problem is that she is too smart. She usually throws a tantrum because she wants something, and even if I distract her for a while, she will get back to it.

Anjali's babies

When Anjali has her babies, all the people will come to visit her babies. They are called Sandy and Planty. I told Anjali that she has to give them names with meanings - Sophia, afterall, means Wisdom and Anjali means Offering. Anjali says that Sandy and Planty have very nice meanings. I cant think of anything other than that you can put planty in sandy.

She keeps going on and on about the babies - how she will sleep with them, about how she will not go to office until they are three years old ("Sigh!") and when she goes to office after that, mummy, or daddy or patti or Anu will take care of them. Exactly how Anu came into the picture, i dont know.

About how, when her born babies are three years old, she will take them on the ferris wheel or on the pony. Almost every experience of her's she associated with her born babies. I rather think, given the consistency of the born babies, and their qualities, number and names, they are, in some sense, her imaginary friends. 

goblin liason office

I believe that we need to start one soon in our house. Here are (some of) the reasons

1. Following the phone episode, all kinds of things land up in the printer - crayons, books, small toys
2. Tantrums are very big these days in the house. Sophia has learnt that the louder she cries, the more likely, she is, to get what she wants. Where she learns this from, i dont know, we definitely dont encourage her.
3. I get followed immediately after I return home, to the bathroom, of all places. it is very difficult to wash your legs, not to mention doing anything else, if one of your hands is tugged very hard by a half sized goblin who keeps crying and saying "Mummy pulay"
4. "Venda" is another popular word, associated especially with healthy food. There is nothing more annoying than to cut up a piece of avocado, since it was requested so enthusiastically and have it pushed away with a vigourous head shake and "adogado venda", after only two spoonfuls. Even more frustrating is the fact that I have to finish it, and there goes the meticulously watched waistline.

Sound theology

Anjali was doing some serious monkey business while riding on her bike this evening. The inevitable happened

She fell down. It was quite comical, really. One minute she was shaking every part of her body that could be shaken while sitting on the bike, and the next, her bttom is resting on the bike wheel and her leg fell on the floor. Husband and I burst out laughing. Husband and I have long learnt that for mild to semi serious accidents, a laughter is a better medicine, followed by a kiss.

Anjali was shocked for a minute. After the initial shock wore of, she said very seriously

"Jesus caught me"

"Jesus has his hands fll with you Anjali", said daddy. "He has a full time job".

"Mummy, I dont have any oua. i didnt get hurt" said Anjali, "Because Jesus is there"

She is learning something in her school.

Daddy's phone

Last night, Anjali and Sophia went shopping with mummy and daddy. It was a simple trip to the supermarket. Sophia needed new diapers, we were low on fruits, there was no toothpaste left in the bathroom and a lot of other odds and ends were required. Mummy took the bicycle, with Anjali riding on the front seat. Daddy carried Sophia.

We finished shopping. Daddy took Sophia walking back home. He was also carrying two bags. Mummy loaded two shopping bags in the basket of the bicycle and put Anjali in the front seat. She started the bike, and then stopped. Where can she put the handbag? There was no room in the basket, and Anjali was sitting in the front seat. After a minute, she slung it on her shoulders and rested it on her lap.

Anjali and mummy began to cycle. They had barely cycled for three minutes where they came to a slope. Bang, Crash Bang!, the cycle fell down. Anjali fell down too. So did mummy. What had happened?

The strap of the handbag had gotten caught in the bicycle.

Anjali was crying. Some pedestrians helped mummy straighten the bicycle.

"Where are you hurt Anjali?"

"I am hurt nowhere"

Mummy decided to take Anjali's word for it. But how to get home? Clearly, taking the handbag in the lap was not a good idea.

"Anjali, can you hold my handbag for me?"

"Okay!" said Anjali.

Mummy and Anjali began to pedal, with Anjali giving warnings at every slope

"Mummy", she said, "You are not careful in my school, and you are not careful in patti's house also"

Anjali and mummy reached home, closely followed by daddy and Sophia. Mummy washed Anjali and Sophia up while daddy put away the shopping. Mummy, Anjali and Sophia then played treasure hunt. After that, mummy went to the kitchen to bake a cake. The girls cut bananas and ate butter and cheese.

They were washing up when daddy came up with the house phone in his hand.

"Who are you calling", mummy asked

"I am calling my handphone", said daddy. "I cant find it"

"Did you lose it?", mummy asked

"No. I gave it to Sophia while I was unpacking the groceries", daddy said. "She must have put it somewhere."

Daddy called his mobile phone. "It is going into voice mail", he said

So daddy and mummy searched the whole hosue for the mobile phone while Anjali and Sophia were playing in the sink with soap and water. They searched in the toy cupboard, in the kitchen drawers, in the toilets, in the dustbins, inside the box of the little car that the children drive around the house. There was no phone.

"Search in the toyhouse", mummy said. "I found my passport in it two days ago"

But the phone was not in the toy house.

"Sophia", asked daddy, taking her out of the sink "Where have you put Ada's phone?"

Sophia got up, "Ada allo!"

"Yes. Ada Allo. Where have you put it"

"This side!" she exclaimed, holding daddy's hand and taking him to the dining table.

"Where?"

"This side", she exclaimed, pointing under the dining table "tunnel ulla"

But the phone was not there.

"Are you sure you gave the phone to Sophia?", asked mummy. "It has to be somewhere in the house if you did. We have searched all her hidey holes, you know. Maybe you lost it on the way"

"I am sure I gave it to her" said daddy. "I am afraid that she made a telephone call and that it is not switched off."

"Maybe the phone ran out of batteries", said mummy

"I dont think so. It was fully charged this morning", said daddy

"Lets call the telephone company" suggested mummy. "They may be able to tell us whether the phone is in call"

But the telephone company was not able to give that information. All they could do was to deactivate the phone line if the phone had been lost.

Daddy and mummy searched the house for another ten minutes.

"Where did you put the phone Sophia?" daddy asked despairingly

"This side", said Sophia brightly "Ada bedoom"

But it was not there.

"This side" said Sophia brightly "patti yoom"

She took daddy all around the house, indicating all possibvle hidey holes, none off which had the phone.

"Cancel the SIM", said daddy, despairingly.

So the SIM was cancelled and we all went to bed.

Daddy, however, had a brainwave this morning and found the phone.

It was inside the printer. 

 

Shapia do it book

As a tribute to the Shapia do it days - which are so rampant now, but are bound to pass sooner or later (there are, ofcourse, mingled joys and sorrows to this), I made a book for Sophia. She had great fun reading it.

I enjoyed the making of this book very much, as it was a different sort - a proper book, as opposed to the ring binding kind that I usually make. Its made of A3 paper sewed up in the middle.

What is happening now

I got two kilos of cheese from a wholesale shop. The girls are at it, eating cheese directly from the box with spoons. Husband offered, multiple times, to give them cheese in a plate/ bowl, but was turned down. multiple times. They seem to be having fun, and the cheese is too firmly secured to the box to fall out, so there...

Love you forever

When I picked up Robert Munsch's love you forever, I thought it too serious and sentimental for the children to read. It was only the fact that it was recommended by good reads and that we like Munsch's other works - like the paper bag princess and stephanie's ponytail, that I decided to pick the book.

I am glad that i did. both the girls like it very much. it is a reflection of love and how it is constant, reciprocative and how it propagates on.

Sophia likes the bit when the two year old baby flushes his mother's watch down the toilet.

"Ai yai yai", she exclaimes, each and every time

Anjali says

"I like when the baby grows big like daddy and he carries his mother in his arms and rocks her back and forth and sings to her".

"Will you carry me like that and rock me?" I ask

"Nope. But I will carry you and rock you when i am big and when my born baby is three years old"

Fair enough

Balloon tennis - courtesy of Swenson

We should move to the ball version soon

Horse riding

Every July, we take a walk at Pasir Ris Park. One activity at Pasir Ris park that Anjali likes is the horse riding.

This year, we wanted Sophia to try it too, but Sophia was still too small and a little afraid of the big animal. Here is the video of Anjali, all smiles, riding her horse

Feeding the cat

On Sunday evening, daddy and Anjali grilled a pack of chicken and ate it. Anjali enjoyed eating the chicken. They tried to induce Sophia to eat some. But Sophia is a vegetarian and she wouldnt have any chicken. After they ate the chicken, daddy wanted to throw the chicken bones and skin into the garbage.

"No daddy", piped up Anjali. "We will not throw the bones. We will keep them"

"What do you want to do with them?" mummy asked.

"I want to give them to a dog"

"Which dog will you give them to?"

"To jackie"

"You may not see jackie for many days", said daddy. "By then, the bones will spoil. Anjali, lets throw them away"

"No!", exclaimed Anjali, clutching onto the bag. "I have a good idea. We will take them downstairs and give them to another dog"

"Alright", said daddy, conceeding. "We'll go for a walk, and you can give them to a cat"

There were plenty of stray cats who would eat some good food, but almost all the dogs in the neighborhood have owners and may not take too kindly to getting bones from strangers - Atleast their owners may not.

"Lets go now", said Anjali.

But first, we had to give Sophia something to eat, since Sophia was a vegetarian and didnt want chicken. While we did that, Anjali wanted to put her bones in a bag. She then wanted to put the bag on the dining table.

"Mummy is already frowning Anjali", said daddy. "She will not like it if you put chicken bones on the dining table". Mummy was a vegetarian, like Sophia. So daddy and Anjali put the bag of bones outdoors near the plants.

Sophia ate watermelons. Sophia likes to eat watermelons. Unfortunately, she also likes to squish the watermelons and have a lot of glee looking at the watermelon juice flowing from her hands to the floor. So, when we had finished eating the watermelon, this is what our floor looked like.



After that Anjali and Sophia had to wash up. Two minutes into the washing up process, Anjali and Sophia were sitting inside the same tiny bathtub, splashing each other.



"Come on", said daddy. "Lets dress up and find some cats to give bones to"

"Ok, said Anjali. She ran outdoors, and by the time mummy realized what was happening, had put on shoes and had taken the bag of bones. There was only one problem.

She was not wearing any clothes.

"Anjali!", said mummy. "You cant go out like this. Come in and put on some clothes"

Anjali came in, swinging the bag wildly. Mummy winced with every swing. Luckily, none of the bones split on the floor.

Finally, everyone was dressed and it was time for the walk.

We took the park connector to the small field behind the swimming pool. On a previous occassion, daddy had seen tens of cats there. He thought that it would be a great place for giving bones. But today, there was only one cat in the field. The field was already full of chewed up bones. Some one had left cat food in a container, along with a cup of water.

Daddy found a sheet of paper and Anjali arranged the bones very artistically on it.

The cat came up, sniffed, took a bite and walked away. It was getting dark

"Lets go Anjali", said daddy

"But I want to see the cat eat all the bones!" said Anjali.

We looked at the cat. She was washing herself.

"The cat is washing herself", said Anjali

"Yes." said mummy. "She is washing herself. Then she will eat. You always wash up before eating, dont you? The cat is just like that"

That satisfied Anjali. She plodded along behind mummy, daddy and Sophia. Along the way, she found some dried grass at the edge of the drains. She picked up the dried grass and piled them on the drain bars.

"I am making a nest for the birds", she said proudly

After she had made nests for several birds, she made one more nest - which was the biggest nest in the world.

"Anjali", said mummy, "the birds cannot put their eggs in that nest. It is too big, and the eggs will get buried"

"Its a nest for ostrich eggs", said daddy

"But there are no ostriches in Singapore", explained mummy

"There are no ostriches in Singapore because the nests are not big enough". Now that Anjali has made such a big nest, the ostriches can come and lay their eggs here

So Anjali made the ostrich nest and fed bones to the cat and then we all came back home to eat pulau and yogurt and apple cake for dinner.

That was vegetarian, and Sophia had no problems with it

Dragonfruit smiles

Girls night out

Yesterday, when i reached home, I had the idea of taking the girls out. A couple of weeks ago, I had taken the girls out to West mall by myself to buy some things for the Taman negara trip, and then we had stopped for ice cream at udders and we had enjoyed it very much. i wanted to repeat it again.

I told the children that we could go to IMM, buy a new pair of earrings for Sophia and, ofcourse, have icecream. The plan, having been taken up with enthusiasm, we moved to the bedroom to get dressed. That took a little longer than expected as one kid piled up all the pillows on the bed and climbed on them - saying things like "aterfall" "yiver" "climb aterfall" and "yo yo yo boat". This made the other kid sit on a tortoise and explore underground caves where there were sharks and crocodiles

"thief" said one explorer "shish eat"

"I saw a thief eating a fish in the underground river" said the other explorer.

Then they began to jump on the bed

"I'm jumping on the bed, I'm jumping on the bed. Hi ho de derry ho, I'm jumping on the bed", says Anjali

By the time we left the house, it was half past seven. We waited twenty minutes at the busstop, trashed the idea of going to IMM, decided to go to west mall instead, and danced on the pavement. Anjali danced Bharatnatyam

"Shapia?"

"What is Sophia dancing?"

"Shapia balle"

The bus finally arrived and we found ourselves in west mall. We changed the earrings

"itheam itheam"

So we went into swensons for icecream. Anjali wanted cookies and cream. And she placed the order herself.

"I want chocolate chip icecream", she tells the waitress

"Which one?"

Anjali pointed to the picture on the menu and we waited for the icecream.

"Mummy, After I eat icecream, I want a balloon"

"shapia balloon"

The icecream arrived. Anjali ate most of it. Sophia wouldnt touch it at first because it was too cold, and it was almost finished by the time she got around to liking it. Besides, she was getting icecream all over the table.

We got the balloons. Anjali walked around the restaurant hitting all the tables and some people with the balloon.

"pay dollar", said Sophia. So we paid for the icecream and took the bus home. In the busstop, the girls set up a sword fight using balloons

"Mummy, I am the deva and Sophia is the asuia", said Anjali, battering Sophia's balloon with her own.

We got out of the bus, rescued a number of snails on the pavement and returned home, where husband was waiting for us. The girls ate oata and bananas, played the gruffalo game that I had made, played with the magentic tunnels in the fridge (I made a new one with a large plastic bottle that we had in Malaysia), and then off we went to bed.
==========

We were fixing the gruffalo game. Anjali had one piece to go. IIt was number 3 and her dice simply wouldnt let her counter go to number three. She didnt understand why she couldnt get her piece

"Why i cant play my puzzle mama?"

"Because your counter is not at 3"

"ok. i will put my counter at 3. Now give me the pieze to finish my puzzle"

Well. What could I say?

Another I dont want to go to school day

Husband got away early to work this morning. I finished the gruffalo game that I was making for the girls, and then went to wake Anjali up. She was sleeping on the bed, face down, bottom in the air. I aasked her to get up.

"Mummy, I want to take a bath with you!!"

Well, i had woken up at 5.15 in the morning, and had taken a bath around a quarter past six. I was having none of that. So, I used the candle as an incentive

"Anjali, i am going to the altar to light the white candle"

Anjali opened her mouth "I want to light the red candle"

Then she took my arm, wrapped her arms around it, pulled me on the mattress and went back to sleep. It felt rather like cuddling a heavy teddy.

i disengaged and woke her up again, using the white candle. This time she woke up, finished her toiletteries, took her raisin bun and two story books (we had been to the library yesterday and had borrowed about 30 new stories - most of them courtesy of goodreads.com)

"Mummy, i dont want to go to school"

Now, husband going early to work causes a problem as I have to take Sophia with me to the busstop. When Sophia is sleeping, there is the need to carry the sleeping girl with the reluctant preschooler in tow. Anjali knows this weakness and tries to explot it.

She came all the way to the busstation. The bus arrived a little too early. Usually, we have time for a little chat, but this morning there was none. So when the bus came, she burst into tears.

How do I make my girl go to school cheerfully everyday?

"You have to go to school because in school you learn new things"

"I dont want to learn new things"

"I thought you wanted to be like mummy and go to office?"

"Yes"

"Then you must go to school and learn new things. So when you are bigger you can be like mummy and go to office"

"I dont want to go to office when i grow bigger. i want to stay at home. "

A very good reason to go to school

We need to go to school during the week because God works during the week. On Monday he made light, on tuesday ocean, On Wednesday plants etc.

Yes, we read Genesis yesterday and Anjali is fascinated by the fact that god goes to office, just like mummy and daddy and works. So it seemed a handy reason to use to get the early morning blues and greens out of the system before she goes to school.

Ofcourse, Anjali is fascinated by God and how she should love God and everything, so it becomes a simple theology session as well.

Baking bites

The apple cake that we baked last week finished on sunday, so yesterday evening, we made a banana and chocolate chip cake - another Esther Brody recipe. here is what happened.

First Anjali peeled the bananas and put them in a bowl. Sophia took one banana and bit it with the skin on. She ate the banana and spat out the skin. "manana manana", she said, pointing to the bananas in the bowl. So I took another banana to give her while husband supervised Anjali when she used her fingers to mash up the bananas.

Husband measured out flour to pour into another bowl. Anjali poured one cup of flour. Shapia doit poured another cup. The girls then measured out sugar and salt and baking powder.

We took out the chocolate chips. Anjali spooned out the chocolate chips to pour into the bowl. Then we added oil. It needed to be mixed to the right consistency, so I did the mixing at this point.

We set everything aside and then gave an egg to Anjali to crack,  which she did admirably well. There were no shells in the bowl. We mixed in the milk and added the previously mashed bananas. All these got poured into the flour mixture, which Anjali whisked beautifully.

I had set up a blue chair which she could stand on to work on the kitchen counter. She whisked everything up, and then I gave her a scoop to scoop the batter up into the baking dish. She did it so beautifully. At this point, Shapia do it also wanted to scoop batter. I gave her another scoop and husband had to watch over the scoop and the batter to ensure that too much of it doesnt get on the counter. The cake then went into the oven and the mixing pan to the girls, who licked it clean.

I got a bit of the cake for lunch today and its simply divine. Soft and moist, because of the bananas with a hint of chocolate. The girls learn a lot by cooking.

After the cooking was done, Anjali shifted her blue chair to the sink, got out the sponge and washed all the dishes. She asked me to turn the water on small, so as to not waste the fish water.

Shapia do it

We were getting ready to go to the playground. Anjali had gotten her bicycle and the door was open

Me: Sophia, come and put on your shoes

Sophia: No!

Me: Put on your shoes and we'll go to the playground.

Sophia took her shoes and went inside the living room.

Sophia: Shapia do it.

Me: let me put on your shoes

Sophia: Shapia do it

Me: You want to put on your shoes?

Sophia (nodding head and body vigourously): hmm

Me: ok. Anjali, this will take a while, take your bicycle for a couple of rounds in the lift lobby

So Sophia began to put on her shoes. its a task thats entirely too complicated for a one year old, and whenever she half got it right, she was so excited that the pulled the shoe off. i waited for five minutes

Me: Sophia, can I help you?

Sophia: No. Shapia do it

Me:Ok, but we need to go outside.

Sophia carried her shoes outside.

Sophia: Sitdown

Me: Ok. Sit down outside. Can i put on your shoes?

Sophia: No. Shapia do it oushide

So she sat there in front of the door and repeated the process. I waited another five minutes. It was 8.15.

Me: Sophia, can I help you?

Sophia: No. Anchaaali

Me: Anjali must put on your shoes?

Sophia (head and body nodding enthuisiastically again): hmm

Anjali came up in her bicycle. Now, Anjali is very good at putting on her own shoes, but she hasnt got the knack of putting shoes on a wiggling toddler.

Anjali: Ok Sophia, put your leg here. slowly... gently... like a snail...

I went up to help. Sophia snatched her foot away

Sophia: Anchaali do it.

it was another ten minutes before I lost my patience, got the girl, held her leg and put in the shoes

Talking and interpreting

We were at Rajah uncle's memorial on Saturday evening and husband was keeping the children in their garden while I was meditating. A couple of other kids, including lakshmi and Akash had joined in the games and they were trying hard to keep it quiet. The adults outside decided that in order to keep the children busy for about half an hour, they could have dinner. When I was in the room, i distinctly overheard

"Venda, venda"

"What is she saying?" (From one of the other parents who was staying outside)

"What is that Sophia?"

"Venda venda"

"Daddy, she is saying that she doesnt want"

"They know more tamil than me" :(

Later husband says to me "Sophia was eating noodles. She ate half a plate of noodles and gave me all the vegetables saying carrot venda, belew venda"

"What belew?"

"peas"

Painting buttterflies

Yesterday morning, I set up a butterfly painting station for Anjali. The primary idea is simple - put dollops of paint on paper, fold the paper, press and look at the nice patterns when they form.

I added anotehr bit of instruction. There was a wet cloth which she had to use to wipe each brush and spoon after using so as to keep the colors from mixing too much.

The paints were the usual flour, hotwater, foodcoloring mix, and I ha1d prefolded the paper to help her get the lines straight.

But I must admit that I was surprised with the results

Spooning paint on the paper


Wiping the spoon clean


At this point, Anjali's focus and concentration were so admirable, that I decided to switch to video mode



Anjali created tons of beautiful butterflies. Unfortunately flour paint takes long to dry and i had spread her creations on the dining table before going for work. They had gotten folded over the day before they dried and Anjali informed me sadly that most of the butterflies had "teared"

Only one survived the tearing and I put it up on the art wall, promising her that we will do another session soon.

Cloth painting

We did a bit of cloth painting the last time I took off from work. I had an old white duppatta which I had used for baby wearing which is not used anymore.

Here we are just starting up with the poster colors and palatte
Concentrating on the process

The final result.

I think I will let the cloth for a couple more paint sessions before either using or washing

Colors and numbers

too, yet, nine!!"" is the general exhuberent reply if I ask Sophia to count something.

Like Wolf puppies on a Dora book.

or to tell me the time.

Yesterday I gave her her pasta and stick kit to fiddle around with. she played with them for about ten minutes, pushing, poking, pouring, threading. Then with a flourish, she went

"two, yet, nine, chosh"

i looked up. She had counted the pasta and put them in the box, and yes, she had closed the box.

================

If you ask Sophia what color is something, she would say "Orange! purple!"

For a long time, i thought that it was the likes of Anjali, who would, at the age of 1.5, say that everything was blue, or Ananya, who would say that everything was green. However, husband pointed out that this odd pairing of colors can be attributed to our esteemable and favorite house monster whose eyes are orange and who has purple prickles all over his back. 

the Ramayana influence

it all began with that excellent picture book that thattha got when Anjali was less than a year old. It was a beautifully illustrated (i havent been able to find that kind of illustrations and believe me when i say I have looked) version - one illustration per page - rather abridged version of the ramayana. The words were not so poignant - but oh - what lovely pictures!!

Now, Anjali knows the story very well. I think Sophia does too. Ater all, when she is playing Ravana in our skits, and tells the story to her dad at the end of the day, there is a certain punch in her action at the name of Ravana and a certain softness at Sita's name. Ofcourse, the romance of the skit has been added upon by the pal pal hai bhari song, which Anjali sings so beautifully. its about the only proper movie song that she knows - although we play some bollywood music to the children of and on.

And who can forget the exhibit that patti and Anjali came with in india involving several old tamil songs woven into the story of the Ramayana.

Now, i am thinking what i can instill into the children using the Ramayana story. It is more than a set of characters, songs and skits. there are undercurrent themes there - heroic acts, faithfullness, the danger of strangers - all of which can be put into today's context.

Lets see how it shapes up

Some of the more unusual activities we did together yesterday afternoon

1. Playing in the sound garden - which most often than not evolves into a reenactment of Ramayana with Anjali under the plants as Sita in Asokavanam, Sophia as Ravana, and myself as Rama. The skit often ends with Ravana drinking booa booa

2. Painting on a big piece of cloth (my old duppatta) with poster colors. We'll probably create a large tapestry in a couple of sittings. painting was done with playdough

3. Reading Dora and playing bowling with kitchen rolls.

4. Eating and planting lychee seeds in the garden (I have serious doubts as to whether they will ever sprout), but Anjali wants lots of lycheee trees from which she can eat lychees everyday.

Of gods and other matters

here are some funny conversations with the three year old

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"Mummy. When i grow up, I want to be god"

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In the playground

"Mummy, come to my house. I will show you"

I go to her "house"

"This is my house. This is where I sleep. but some people died in my house"

"They did?"

"Yes"

"Then their ghosts will come. I am scared"

"No. They are friendly ghosts. you dont have to be scared"

We settle into her house and she turns off the light

"If the lion comes, wake me up. I will shoot it with an arrow"


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In the morning

"Mummy, I dont ever want to make pee pee"

"Ok. But are you sure?"

"Yes. I dont want to make pee pee for my whole life"

"Ok. But what if you need to go urgently"

"Then I will go in the cupboard"

"But the clothes in the cupboard will stink"

"Then i will go in the ceiling"

"How will you reach?"

"I will get a ladder, climb up turn upside down and go. "

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Talk about logical solutions

Overheard

Anjali: I have a good idea. If that good idea doesnt work... I have another good idea

Me: And if that good idea doesnt work?

Anjali: I have another good idea

Me: you are full of good ideas arent you?

Sunday at home

We were supposed to have gone to Pulau ubin yesterday with the IEp outing. However, owing to a mild stomach flu virus that led to Anjali having a couple of dates with stone juice (one particularly memorable incident occurring on Saturday night involving husband's shirt), we decided to keep the girls at home on Sunday and give them time to recuperate.

Keeping the girls at home in the weekend is in itself sucha  rarity, as we are usually going someplace or another and trotting them behind us. This was a fantastic time for me to regroup my home and have meals at the table. The girls did tons of activities. Here are some of the things that kept Sophia busy

1. Colored pasta (penne) with pick up sticks. Sophia put the pasta in the sticks. It was excellent hand eye coordination exercise
2. Markers and paper to draw in
3. Grape skin (husband resprted to this when i was napping in the afternoon) that was, I think - spat out, floated in water - the water went in ziplocs
4. Playing with glue

Here are some of the things Anjali did

1. Hanging clothes. I had an yarn ties up across two chairs, and gave he a bunch of clothes and pegs to hang them
2. Tracing and dot to dots (while Sophia played with markers)
3. Collage (we did a leaf collage) that Sophia spreaded the glue until she kept saying sticky and got away, when Anjali continued to do the collage.
4. Jelly making

I recently discovered activity bags - bags where you put in a small set of playthings to give the child some structure in her day. We have, I'll put pictures up soon, two milk cartons hanging from the wall - one for Anjali and one for Sophia, with the activity kits. Anjali likes doing activities, as she calls them. Sophia also likes activities - though I dont think she knows what it means. Sophia was doing her pasta and pick up sticks activity when Anjali finished something else and snatched away one of the sticks. Sophia came running to me crying.

"what's up?" i asked

"Anchaali", she said, sniffing in her reproachful way

"What did Anjali do?" I asked her

"Anjali, actiyity pull!!" she said

In the evening, we took Anjali biking in the park connector. husband and I took our cycles too, and Sophia had the baby seat in my bike. Sophia didnt like the trip over much - we had to stop often for Anjali to catch up (though she bikes fast, we bike faster), and her feet kept getting stuck between the shopping basket and the baby seat, especially when I turned the bike. We biked through to the expressway bridge - probably a ten minute ride for husband or me, but a much longer one for Anjali, and then let the girls in the playground for half an hour, mostly for Sophia's benefit. Here's a conversation between Anjali and jainee

Anjali: Do you have beads? (Indicating her bead chain that she and I threaded together a couple of days ago and which she insists on wearing, much to thattha's - who does not believe in children wearing cheap beaded and hand made chains - disgust )

jainee: No

Anjali: I can make one for you, you know

We didnt stay much at the playground - it was close to nine and the girls were tired. So we gave them a bath and had dinner. I finally found the best recipe book - Sarah brown's cookbook. It has a fantastic collection of recipes. We had Vischyosse verte with apple. A great cooking experience.