Why am I turning 3?

I am so excited about my bowday (read as birthday) tomorrow. I can't wait for the cake to be baked.

madhurA - cake pannitiyA (have you made the cake?)
ammA - nalaikku (tomorrow)

A little later....
madhurA - ippo nalaikku aachu. cake pannitayA (Now it has become tomorrow. Have you baked the cake?)

ammA could not stand my constant pressure about the cake, so she tried to test my persistence towards turning three tomorrow. Here is my on camera interview session.



ammA - Why are you turning 3?
madhurA - (What kind of question is this? I am going to give her an irrelevant answer.)
I went there and then came here. I played with this, ate that, dropped this in the garbage and then played with toys. That's why.
ammA - (Not understanding that I consider her question redundant, she persists)
Is this because of all this you are turning 3. Why should you turn 3 and not stay 2 years old?
madhurA - (Let me humour her.) I played with these toys and became 3.
ammA - So, you turned 3 because you played with toys? So what are you going to do when you are 3 years old?
madhurA - (What a question! Can't understand my mom.) I am going to play with toys.
ammA - You played with toys even when you were 2.
madhurA - (What else do you expect of me.. build a spacecraft?) I played when I was 2 and will play when I turn 3 and then also eat..and become 4 and later 5. (Let me change the subject)
ammA - When are you going to turn 4?
madhurA - (dah!) Of course later after I eat... after I eat thayir saadam (curd rice), I will be 5
ammA - Whose birthday is it tomorrow?
madhurA - (Why do think I am being so fussy? Take a clue ammA!) It is my birthday
ammA - What are you going to do?
madhurA - Cut birthday!
ammA - Are you going to cut birthday? really!?
madhurA - (now she is tiring me) I am going to cut the cake..
ammA - What are you going to do after cutting?
madhurA - Eat !( what else?)
ammA - You alone will eat?
madhurA - I will, Paaduka, you and appA can also eat
ammA - What song should we sing?
madhurA - (Now how much can I educate regarding birthday) Sing "happy birthday to you"
ammA - What did they sing at school today?
madhurA - "happy birthday...."
ammA - Do you like school?
madhurA - (She is getting into uncomfortable area now) yes I like
ammA - What do you do at school?
madhurA - (I have to now list some rhymes phew!) rolly polly... chapatti song (yeah really!)

I am not going to translate this anymore as this questioning gets into embarrassing details of my crying at school. I have my end of the story well documented and will publish the genuine version soon.

As of now "Happy birthday ennakku(to me)" :) ......

Fair bargain!

I was watching little Krishna eagerly and trying her best to understand the story. Often I have to ask my ammA or pAdukA for clarification. In one of the stories, a cow names Bahula and her calf Tara were saved by Krishna...

madhurA - yen Krishna umachi Tara va good girl sonna? (Why did Krishna call Tara a good girl?)

ammA tries to use every opportunity to drive home the importance of obedience :) especially since I am a rebel at home. I tried to challenge her attempt very innocently and subtly.

ammA - Tara ammA sonnadha ketta adhunAla dhaan Krishna ummAci good girl sonna (Since TAra listened to her mother. So Lord Krishna calls her a good girl)

madhurA - Yen (why?)

ammA gives no answer

madhurA - naan good girl-a? (Am I a good girl?)

ammA - nee Tara madhiri ammA sonnadha keta good girl (If you listen to your ammA like Tara, then you are a good girl)

madhurA - nee Bahula madhiri irundhaa naan Tara madhiri iruppen ( If you are like Bahula, I will be like Tara) nee maadu aarayaa ma? (will you become a cow?)

(Pictures) Aug-Dec-2013

loads of sweetness here

Competitive spirit

Being first is important.. very important. What does it mean to be first? Well, it meant nothing much a couple of months back. Paaduka used to be and still is very particular to add the word "first" to every activity she did. So, I assumed that it should be important. Once...

Paaduka - nAn first kulikkanam ammA ( I have to take bath first)

ammA gave me a bath before Paaduka. So, Paaduka was very upset. I felt really sad for her. So I consoled her.

madhurA - Paaduka naan first thulichen ( I took bath first) ippo nee first thuli (now you take bath first)

Now I know about doing things first much better. I need to compete to be first - the lesson Paaduka has taught me. Our parents knew that our competition has reached a new high after they over heard this :-

Paaduka - enna kosu kadichirukku (a mosquito had bitten me)
madhurA - enna thosu thachidhu (a mosquito has bitten me)
Paaduka - enna copy pannadhey (don't copy me)
madhurA - smiles
madhurA - thosu enna first thachidhu (mosquito bit me first)
Paaduka - ilai enna dhan first kadichidu (no it bit me first)
and so the fight went on for the next five minutes before we were both distracted by something else.

Quest for answers

I am exploring quite a lot now a days and I get into trouble often. Everyone around questions me as to why I did something but I do not have any answers. After trials and experimentation, I have found the right answer when I am questioned for being mischievous. The charm of each answer wears off with time. Here is how I evolved and refined my response mechanism.

Original response

ammA - madhurA, yen jalam kottina (why did you spill water?)
madhurA - silent but looking innocent not knowing why it is such a big deal.

Stage 1

appA - crayon vechi ezhudinaya tharaila? (did you write on the floor with crayon?)
madhurA (nodding) - chumma ezhudinen. poo floweth ezhudinen (I have drawn a flower)
appA - (cools down) paperla dhaan ezhidanum (you should write on paper only)

Stage 2

ammA - yen patram laam eduthu kizha potta? (why did you take the vessels and keep them down?)
madhurA (pretending to be sad) - yen edukka kudAdhaaa? (why shouldn't I take?) naan vilaiyaada kudAdhA (shouldn't I play?)
ammA (calming down) - toys  vechi vilaiyaadu (go play with your toys)

Stage 3

ammA - paint yaaru onna edukka sonna. paaru odambu muzhukka paint! (who asked you to use paint. you have paint all over your body!)
madhurA - pAdukA pannalaamA naan panna kudAdhA ( pAdukA can paint and I can't)
ammA - ! (Am I being unfair to her?)

Stage 4
appA - ennoda phone yen charger lerndhu edutha?(Why did you pull my phone out of the charger?)
madhurA (even though she did it) - nAn pannala pAdutha dhaan edutthA (I did not do it. It was pAdukA)
pAdukA - poi sollara appA (she is lying appA)
madhurA - pAduthA poi sollara nnu sollarA appA (pAdukA is saying I am lying) badh dhirl (bad girl!) fight starts between the two..

I should confess that stage 4 response is quite effective as I redirect the attention to pAdukA. It is an even battlefield when I fight with her and the original question is lost in that. Looks like I found a winner response which is here to stay for a while :)

My fundas

I am growing up indeed ! My retorts and answers stump my parents more often than not.

My parents carry a small bad with snacks and water whenever we step out of the house. They refused to give me biscuits in the car on our way home.

madhurA - bisset thuthiyA? (will you give me some biscuits?)
appA - no kai laam azhukku (no, your hands are very dirty)
madhurA - pees thuthiyA? (please, can you give?)
appA - no sonnen madhurA (I said 'no' madhurA)

10 minutes after reaching home madhurA takes out couple of biscuits from the snack bag.
appA - yen biscuit sApadrA (Why are you eating biscuits now ?)
madhurA showing both her hands
appA - yen sApadara (Why are you eating?)
madhurA - kai azhuthA ilai ipo. (My hands are not dirty now) yen thutha matta? (Why wouldn't you give now?)
appA - rowdy...

In the restaurant we were waiting for food. ammA's food arrives first.

ammA - nAn sApada poren (I am going to  eat)
madhurA - bad ammA
ammA - yenna sonna ? (what did you say?)
madhurA - sharth pannalai na madhurA bad girl (If madhurA does not share she is a bad girl) sharth pannlai na ammA bad ammA (if ammA does not share she is bad ammA)
ammA - ok! nAn share panna poren (I am going to share)

Letter from ammA

Hi, I am sharing this letter from my ammA. She is the biggest toy I own :)

My dearest rowdy,

It has been quite a ride after you came by. You were a little cuddly kutty who has now grown to be a goof ball. I enjoy your goofiness as nothing is serious or worrisome when you are around. But you are also developing this wonderful technique of taunting me. When you learnt "raara venu" song you learnt the words right. Now the creative bug that has bitten you is making you change the words. Singing the words wrong and checking with me for correctness just to see how I react is not what ammA enjoys :( Just for the record I have quote how you have been taunting me. "rajitha sadguna dana sheela" dhaane ma (Is it rajitha sadguna dana sheela ammA?) How many times have I told "no Madhura it is "rajitha sadguna jaya sheela" thinking that it was an honest mistake?

We have been putting a great effort to get you potty trained. I am so happy that you have cooperated and learnt well. You have been using the urgency with which I attend to you when you say ¨moochA¨ (pee pee) as a way of getting attention and taunting me. Like yesterday when you said " jetti moochA¨  (pee pee in underpants) I dropped the job on hand quickly to attend to you. Then sitting on the potty you slyly smile and say ¨jetti moocchA, pant moochA, shirt moochA, hairband moochA" (pee pee in underpants, pants, shirt and hairband) When I check your pants, I see nothing. I should have known when you said pee pee on you hairband :(

Keep your taunts and mischief coming. But dont forget ammA needs your hugs and kisses to keep up with you everyday as you grow. Happy growing pattu!

lots of love,
ammA