I can go to

Usually amma takes me with her to her meetings or appa or patti stay behind with me. Last week amma had to go for a meeting that she could not take me. So we had this conversation

Amma: Nidhi, I have to go to a meeting today and appa has to go to office, so will you go with I & R to children's park, or you can play at their house with them.
Me: No, I don't want to, I want to come with you
Amma: But at this meeting lot of people will be talking and you will not have anything to do and I can't spend time with you.
Me: Then appa can stay with me
Amma: Appa is having work at office today. But he can finish his work and come to meet you at Children's park.
Me: No, I do not want to go to Children's park alone (i.e. without appa).
Amma: Okay, lets wait and see what we can do.
[Appa went for his bath, and after a few minutes...]
Me: I can go to Siva mama and Shilpa mami's house
Amma: [with a zapped look on her face that I have made a suggestion that may work] Okay, so if I drop you at their place, will you stay there till I finish the meeting and come to pick you up? Appa or I will not be there.
Me: [excitedly] yes, i will be there, i will play in the pool, play with ben etc etc. [amma is amused that i am planning :)]
Amma: I have to check if they are at home today. So let me call them.
Me: Okay, call them and find out.

So you see these days, I am totally into negotiating and planning things for myself and others. It is super fun!

Resuming after a long silence

I know it has been a very long time since Anita wrote on my behalf. She says that so many changes are happening with me on a daily basis that she is unable to keep track of one thing to write. Oh well, what a challenge I must say. In any case here are some updates from my end since it has been a very long time.

I had a wonderful 2^nd birthday celebration with several relatives and friends. We have a couple of short video clips of those celebrations and I love watching those again and again and again. I get excited about every one else’s birthday. I keep asking amma and appa when their birthday is, when pooh-bear’s birthday is (yes! You see pooh-bear has to have a birthday) and so on. After my birthday we have celebrated amma’s birthday, deepu’s birthday and sandhya’s birthday. Ohhh, I love birthdays – actually I love cutting and eating the cakes J

We also shifted to a new house and I like this place. I want everyone to come to my new house (pudu veedu). Sometimes I do remember my old house and want to go there. Anita Amma tells me that someone else stays there. How is that possible? That was my old house. She said that the next time we go to that part of town we will knock at the door and see who is living there now and ask them if we can go in for a few minutes. I like the terrace here and running all around. A few days back when I went to Subha’s place (my perima) and I asked her if I can sleep on the terrace. She was amazed that I remembered our terrace-sleepover at their place. Anita says I have a very very sharp memory. I do remember a lot of things from very very long back and make connections with what happens now. Amma says she often finds it difficult to figure out what I am referring to, but mostly she figures it out. Satish has a bit of a difficult time and often needs Amma’s help. [you may have noticed that I have started calling many people by their names!]

We have also been traveling a lot and I have made several kitten and cat friends. And how much I love water. The last week at Siddamma’s farm, I did not want to come out of the water sump even after 45 mins! And I went in again for a second round of water play after a break. Hee Hee Hee J Show me water anywhere. I also helped with some farm work there. I also went to a mango farm and loved the mangoes there. In general, I love mangoes.

I have been taking the train a lot these days since we shifted to our new house in Velachery and I totally love the train. I also like the bus, sometimes the auto. Plus going on my appa and amma’s bike/scooter as well. The other day Amma and I had a small fall (I did not get hurt). From then on, I have been reminding amma to go slowly and not too fast.

I talk a lot these days and have also started telling people stories and jokes. The other day Anita and I were going to the train station on her scooter. Suddenly she turned around and told me that she forgot to turn towards the station and was going in another direction. Thankfully she remembered and turned back to go towards the station. But I found this very funny and I told this funny story to everyone – of how amma wanted to go to the station, but forgot to take the road to the station, and instead went somewhere else. [amma station ponum na nenecha, ana marandu poi near poita, approm thirumbi station pona]. All this with a lot of laughter, and giggles. In general I find it funny that amma/appa think they are doing something, but are doing something else, and then remember what they were actually supposed to do! Weird right. How can they be so un-mindful and forgetful J

So let me tell you a story before I leave.

Oru kaka irundathan. Patti dosa vathuntha. Kaka dosa saputhu thagam eduthuthan. Patti pakathalai oru panai irunthuthan. Kaka pane kulle vai uthuthan. Ulle pole, pakalthalai kallu irunthuthan, kallu eduthu dang dang nu adichithan. Panne odanchu thanni vella vanduthu. Kaka, thanni kudichi poiduthu.

[There was a crow. Patti was making dosas. Kaka ate the dosa and felt thirsty. There was a pot of water near patti. The crow put it’s mouth inside, but could not drink water. So it found a stone, hit the pot, and water came out. It drank the water and went away.]

Oh, and I went for a haircut recently and did not cry J And I can identify salons from a distance. The other day I saw one on top of a building and told amma – “ange hair cut pannuva le” [they cut hair there.] just by the look of the shop name board and the shop without looking inside.

I will be back with more stories.