Together

It's been eight months since I've been working yet, my girl wouldn't leave me to go to school on the days when she doesn't have to go to school.

Initially when it just started, I thought she needs time to settle down. But now I know, all that she wants is me.

It's my company that she longs for, the bike ride from home till our bus stops where we depart. She likes it.

She wishes to see me picking her from the bus when she is back from school, which I have not been able to do even once till now.

She missed me for her 'Show and Tell' program. She misses our 'reading together' times which seldom occurs these days.

I regret for having to go to school to teach other kids when I am not finding time to teach my own child.

Waiting for the next four months to pass by so that my girl wouldn't miss those beautiful moments which we share together.

I do not mind missing my job.

Stances

The new house is scary for her.
All things lying scattered and the house giving a bare look isn't too familiar to her.
She follows me whereever I go, be it kitchen or bath room.

She has come in terms with the fact that mother too goes to school now and she has also expressed her dislike towards that as she misses her being around.
But that has not stopped her from enjoying the activities at the day care; she does like her dance, music and gymnastic classes at the daycare.

She has forgotten all the learning that happened last few months.
Thanks to her carefree life with grandparents.
Of course, she has learned a few other things like talking too much (which she already did) and putting forth all her demands and expecting them to be met.
Blackmailing her parents is the best of all! She warns us to behave properly with her as she would go to her Ammamma's house acted otherwise.

Right now, waiting for her school to reopen and see the hurry in which we both have to RUN to catch our buses.

Away from parents

It's been exactly two weeks since she has been away from us.
She had waited the moment to go with her grand-parents to her favourite place where she would be as free as a bird.
She was even prepared that her mama won't be accompanying her in this journey.
But, the very next day she realised that she was missing her mother and cried inconsolably over the phone.
Guilt surrounded me as I heard her trembling voice; mind had already started making arrangements as how to and when to get her back.
But S asked that we wait, she would defintely need some time to get settled.
So we did.
The next few days, she missed her mother only in the evenings.
After a week she got the company of 'friends' and now she hardly has any time to talk to us.
She seems to be 'busy' (as she uttered these words when asked to talk to us) with her peers all the time.

Now, that all my guilt has flown away I am only concerned about the days when she will be back in Hyd., playing with her usual toys, working with her books and confining herself to the four walls inside the house.

Little foodie

She is choosy about her food when we go out but when at home she knows exactly what she wants. A small change in taste, she will refuse to touch the food. She is learning to share her eatables now, with us of course. She offered her tic-tac to our divine God today:) She relishes on the little ghee-sugar combination that's offered as naivedya everyday. As far as mother and daughter as a duo is concerned we enjoy our pasta dish together. We also shared a bar of chocolate today sitting on the terrace as though we didn't want anybody else watching us!

Fun with crayons

Here are a few samples of Anvitha's drawing (both at school and at home)...

Last one month has been very difficult with her.
Parenting looked like a Herculean job!

Every step we (S and I) took to bring down her irritability provoked her to show more frustration and tantrum.
It was very clear then that she was tired of the monotony of this life and more so she was missing her grandparents.

Now somehow we realise that it's just a transition period as she is growing up.
It looks a lot like Teen Age period where the teenager thinks and acts like a grown up yet she/he's got to learn a lot. And when these things are explained they become irritated even more.

'A' needs a lot of appreciation almost all the time and she is fully aware when she is doing something wrong.
She needs her mummy's attention at all times. When given strict instructions not disturb amma, she will make sure that she will repeat the same statement 10 times when I am working thus ending up disturbing me:)

Cutting and pasting papers is her new favourite past time (thanks to her teachers and Mister Maker of CBeebies). Of course, her love for water and sand continue to be present.
Her TV watching has been reduced to half hour a day (looking at the addiction she was beginning to have with the box) with 'no violence and no cartoons' tags attached.

Scared

Keeping her not-so-sure steps on the suspension bridge!

First Stage Performance

She made all our speculations wrong. We parents assumed that their daughter is dancing for the tunes of 'Senorita' as she remembered all the steps flawlessly.

After few days we had a doubt as she said its a Japanese dance that she's been dancing for. With confusion and excitement we waited for the final day.

Dressed in a pink and peach Japanese robe(as it looked so), straws pinned up on the hair and a hand fan; she finally turned up on the stage. She looked very tiny amidst other peers and she became almost invisible while turning and concentrating on her steps and song.

She perfectly tuned her body to the harp music that played in the background. By the time her teacher realised that she was not visible and pushed her front the music stopped and everyone applauded:)

She finds immense comfort in holding my arms while sleeping.

Though, she takes a lot of topsy- turvy turns before she rediscovers her particular point of consolation each time.

Finally, when she does find solace either on my cheeks or elbows and presses her warm palms against them to go into her dreamy world, I too sleep like a baby.

Mehendi

This is how she got ready for my cousin's wedding!

Growing up to be Intelligent

She is the one who reminds her father to switch off the lights before leaving the room.

She perfectly placed an apple infront of the fire to heat it. The reason: her mother had explained her not to eat it soon after taking it out from the refrigerator and to wait till it's almost back to room temperature.

She scolded me for throwing away her cut nails as she thought that the nails would get hurt and start crying if done so.