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October 27, 2007

Update on Ashu at 30 months.

"Amma, this is a cow."
"Yes dear."
"Amma this is cows udder."
"Yes. Right."
"Ashus milk comes from the cows udder. Cow udder gives milk and I drink slurp slurp."
Good job Ashu. Thats right.
(Bending down to look between her legs) "Amma, Where is Ashus udder?"

By now, I have run away from the room and locked myself in the bathroom just about when she started to bend down, expecting the Question. This of course does nt stop her. She pounded on the bathroom door and asked, "Amma do you have an udder? Does Appa have an udder?" Amma is of course busy cursing the illustrator of the book who has to go and draw such protruding udder to a silly cow prompting young kids to ask what it is!

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Watching me rinsing the rice and switching on the pressure cooker, "Amma does rice come from Cow?" There we go again with the Cows!

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I tighten her ear rings once a day and in India I used to tell her that if I did nt, the ear rings will fall off and the lizards will take them away. So the other day she would nt let me tighten her hair band and I told her to let me do it or else the lizard will take it away. So she says, "No Amma the lizards wont take it away" and I ask Why? And she says "There are no lizards in Zurich"! She has got a logic, does nt she?

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Questions like Cant you hear me, Don't you see I'm busy, Are nt you a good girl, Are you going to drink/eat it or not, etc... are answered with a stern NO!

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If I say something like "Open your eyes and see Ashu, the red puzzle is just there", she will widen her eyes more with her fingers and then look and say "No Amma. I cant find it".

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She had an imaginary cat for a while after we returned from India. I knew she was missing her grand parents and all the dogs and cats she befriended there but I did nt know whether to encourage it or not. Sometimes she ll say "Amma, the cat went susu here" or "Amma look the cat is running" and I did nt know whether to go along or not. When I started saying "Yes Ashu, the cat is running", she sort of gave a shocked expression. "Has Mom finally lost her marbles? I was only kidding" kind of a look. Then when my cousin had come, she gave me a perfume bottle which purrs like cat whenever you lift it. So Ashu adopted it as her pet and now has a "real" cat.

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She has to know everything thats going on around the house. Whom did you talk to on the phone, what did they say, why are you shouting at dad, what did he do, Are you angry at him, Are you going to give him time out, What are you cooking, Is it Sambar, what are you cutting, Is it onion, are you going to cry while cutting it, Whats in the microwave, is it for Ashu, Are you going susu or potty, are you finished, Shall I give you some toilet paper,...

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She has to switch on the light on her own when she enters a room and will promptly switch it off when she leaves. Even when I am still in the room reading a book! The kitchen has an extended dining area. I walk between the table and the counter to take and keep stuff. She ll stand near the switch board and switch OFF the dining area light when Im in the kitchen and will switch OFF the kitchen light when Im standing in the dining area. "One light Enough Amma", she ll say loudly! Hd and I have never taught her this. This she must have inherited straight from my DAD!

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She recites about a dozen nursery rhymes with ease. Its a pleasure listening to her. Her current favorite is Mary had a little lamb, Itsy bitsy Spider and Jack & Jill. And to think that she learnt to sing all of them in a span of a month.

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The other day I called my in laws and Ashu was speaking to my FIL and singing rhymes to him and showing off and enquiring about the dogs, cats and cows there. Then my MIL came on the phone but Ashu would nt talk to her. I cajoled her to talk and my MIL talked about the cats and dogs to keep her interest. Though Ashu talked to her a little, she would nt recite rhymes to her. Since they were on speaker phone and while my MIL interrupted her to correct(!) her while she sang the rhymes, Ashu screamed "NO! DON'T SING!". After the call ended, I asked Ashu why she was nt talking to P Paati. She said, "P Paati is BAD BOY. I wont talk to her". I was dumbfounded. When I asked why she said Chumma. Then of course, I had to go on a lecture on how she can never say that about elders and how there are no bad boys anywhere(yeah right!) and she has to like everyone especially family and talk to them. (Am I a hypocrite or what!)

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One day she saw a strand of hair on the floor and asked me if its Ashus. I said yes. So she tried to stick it back on her head. I told her that the hair wont stick again and it will fall off. So she held one hand to her head to hold that hair and was walking around for quite some time. What did I tell you about her logic?

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Please tell me all kids do this. Off late, Ashu mutters under her breath repeating whatever it is that I am saying to her. Anything that comes out of my mouth is being repeated in a hush hush voice and practised for future use. Its downright scary, I tell ya. All that information shes storing in that little brain of hers! Oh My God, she can actually have me arrested if she repeats certain things in public!

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In one of the Dora episodes, Dora is seen with a camera and taking pictures of animals. So Ashu tells me, "Amma, Dora has a camera. She is taking photos like you"! Whoa! You know how much that means to me, Kiddo? Comparing me to the THE Dora? I'm honored!

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These days, when she wants to go No 1, she goes to the bathroom, switches on the light, puts her potty seat on top of the pot, pulls the step stool closer, climbs on it, takes off her pants, sits and does her job, gets up, wears her pant, gets down from the stool, flushes the toilet, moves the stool near the sink, climbs on, opens the tap, controls it so that water flow is slow, washes her hands, squeezes soap, rinses, closes the tap, gets down, dries her hands with a towel, moves the step stool back under the sink, switches off the bathroom light and comes out. All the while I'm hiding behind the door and watching her with a proud smile and all teary eyed! My baby girl does nt need me anymore when she wants to pee. Ah! The travails of motherhood!

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39 comments:

Anonymous said...

Boo, you're hilarious & so is Ashu. I think your blog is my favourite mommy-blog.

Daisy said...

hi Boo,
I think I have commented once before- anyways,, that is sooooooooooo cute.. I read all the mommy blogs and you guys make my bio clock louder than ever!

Anonymous said...

These are some awesome pictures. And Ashu is one smart cookie and her mom is a great writer! Wish I could fly there just this minute and give Ashu a big hug@

Terri the terrific said...

You should frame that picture of Ashu and the puppy. She looks so cute with her tight curls falling on her face. And I'm so glad to see she isn't afraid of dogs.

noon said...

Too cute - what a lovely post! And she looks sooooooo cute with that dog! Udder - oh my god - udderly funny! You go girl! Do ask her this in front of grandma and grandpa!
And she is talking a lot** at 30m I think! Incredible!
And totally potty trained - am so J! Don't even have plans of starting the process yet - and KB is 26m now!

By Deepa and Supriya said...

:) the udder thingy reminded me of the time when Li'l A looked down and grandly declared "I am a cow mommy"!!
Enjoy your daughter..they do grow up fast.

Sunita Venkatachalam said...

I'm falling off the bed laughing, how do you manage to make it sound so hilarious? I love love reading Ashu updates, she sounds so grown up in this one ! Was in splits reading about the hair :)

B o o said...

Wow Broom! I am so happy to hear that! Thank you.

LOL! Dont fall into the cutesy trap. Dont say I did nt warn ya! ;)

Yaada - I ll give her one extra hug a day until you come, deal?

Terri - It made me so happy as well. First she met the kittens and loved them. Then when she saw the puppies, she was a little weary! And I was like "I have given birth to a CAT person?!!!" and the next day she adopted one of the stray puppies and would nt let go! I was never more proud of her! ;)

Noon - You never know when Sonny boy will be ready to quit diapers. Ashu was nt ready either when she was 26m but one fine day, it was bye bye diapers! So watch out for the signs!

Orchie - LOL! Thats hilarious! Theres never a dull moment once they start talking, is it? ;)

Poppins - She has grown up leaps and bounds in the past 1 month. And most of the time, it IS hilarious - the things she does! ;)

Anonymous said...

You are hilarious Boo, the way you narrate it.. LOL!
Ashu looks adorable in the last 2 pics, gosh those curly hair..

Manchus said...

That was way cute!!!! I loved her pics with Cats and the dog. Wait till she grows up to ask you questions on Birds and Bees :) I will wait for that post as I am just 1 year behind you in Mommyhood.

Sukhaloka said...

Wow, she's really growing up fast, isn't she! :O
Such a cute image, of Ashu going pee-pee all by herself, and you peeping from behind the bathroom door :). Ashu looks so very lovely and grown-up in the pic with the dogs - glad to see she isn't afraid of them. :)
Big hugs to you two!

By the way - saw the article about you guys in The Telegraph. Link is on mah blog, here

Premalatha said...

Boo, that is a high standard for me to reach. I am under huge pressure now.

//I had to go on a lecture on how she can never say that about elders //

This I disagree, which I am sure is not a surprise to you. Anyway, you know I am all *theory* still. Let us wait and see how it goes when it becomes *real*.

~nm said...

Hahaha..hilarious! I had such a laugh reading about her antics and her talks! It was so much fun! :D

By Deepa and Supriya said...

the travails of motherhood, indeed!!
well done ashu and of course well done boo!

By Deepa and Supriya said...

now u must think i am completely nuts...leaving 2 (err..make that 3)comments for the same post!!
..let's just say I enjoy coming back here :)
cheers!

Terri the terrific said...

CAT person! You're hilarious, boo! I don't know how it happened, but I seem to have a cat person in my house. The four-year-old wants to exchange me for a cat, in keeping with the genteel Disney princess image, me thinks.

And noon, our 52-month old still wears diapers at night and loves to curl up on her mother's lap with a sippy cup. No worries! It will happen when it has to happen.

Maggie said...

She's taking after her mom. What a pair! :-D

Anonymous said...

enjoyed the post, typically your style of putting across things to the readers.kids do say the darnest things and take us by suprise.
the questions on udder by ashu-was funny. my niece pops similar but more embarassing questions.....
if we happen to fart wen she is arnd and she happens to hear us farting, she used to loudly ask " chithi poo poo?, thatha poo poo?
ithu vida embarassinga vera enna irukka mudiyum. maanamey poidum. but its all fun.

Artnavy said...

adorable and growing up fast isnt Ashu??

i love the pic with the dog- her curls look sooo good!!

what is it with MILs wanting to correct rhyme recitations on the phone instead of just indulging...

Collection Of Stars said...

:) That was a great update. So paati is a bad boy is it?

IBH said...

boo.....she is a cutie pie....my god..she is adorable especially in the last pic....

Anonymous said...

Ashu is a brilliant kiddo. Can I say that while Ashu looks super cute with a two ponytails - with her ringlets left loose, she looks like an angel. Please dont tie her hair!!!

mnamma said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mnamma said...

Lovely pictures Boo - Ashu looks wonderful and all grown up :)And ROTFL on the udder! And the hair sticking - My god she is so funny and so are you!

Anitha(Nikki's mom) said...

Boo, I read this post thrice. OMG, you have tremendous sense of humor and Ashu is absolutely adooorable. I am reminded of my niece whenever I read about Ashu. She just turned 2. And Ashu looks awesome in the pictures, especially the last one, she is posing like a model. Smiling thru the post. LOL at udder & hair.

Shobana said...

Uddderly delicious post! And Ashu too, looks very cute and oh my all the things that come out of their little mouths....what can we say? And oh yeah...Ashu is growing up...she going susu on her own....

Squiggles Mom said...

Only another mom can appreciate what it means for you to see Ashu 'pee on her own'! Well done Ashu!!

aMus said...

hey...this is sooo cute...enjoy, they grow up too soon...teh cow's udder was HILARIOUS!!!

Rohini said...

Adorable post. I need to do one of these update-type posts soon -it's been too long...

I am green with envy on the potty training though I have recently had a breakthrough on the potty (and that's all I shall say for the moment, to avoid jinxing it)

Sunita said...

A sweet update!! The pic with the dog is very very cute with the lovely curls :)

Anonymous said...

Hair episode is the hilarious one...very very cute...
Very good sense of humour

Anonymous said...

My twin girls are 30 months each and I can say for sure, Ashu is keen observer and has a sharper intellect than most kids. You are blessed ?:), i think she would pick up any subject/skill with ease and you have a precocious child to work on. Oh What Joy !!

Parul said...

A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E....both Ashu and you....superbly written!! What a kid :)

Fuzzylogic said...

LOL about the hair and the udder story. By the way love,love those curls on her,she looks soo adorable:)

Yashodhara said...

that was hilarious! came by from tharini's blog and absolutely loved this - your daughter is a total darling :-)

carry on mommy-ing, Boo! Will be back for more ;-)

B o o said...

Thanks everyone for the ultra nice comments! You guys sure know the right things to say to a Mom, dont you? ;)

the mad momma said...

oh look at all that i missed. she is such an adorable little girl!! which reminds me how long overdue i am on an update post !!

Unknown said...

Boo, that was lovely. Especially loved the milk comes from cows udder, since the exact same thing happened here too, and brat was looking around for the udders. These kids!!!

Just Like That said...

This is such a hilariously cute post. There's so MUCH progress from her last updates, the independent peeing most of all... Ashu is A-D-O-R-B-L-E!

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