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April 27, 2012

27.04.2012


Dear Ashu,

Seven has been my favorite number ever since I can remember. I don't know why. I have no special sentiment about it but whenever the topic of favorite number comes up, I realize I have a special place for that number. When you were a baby, seven year olds looked like giants to me. But how can YOU be seven today? You are still so little and so cute! Well, I am a "little" biased, I guess! :) Like every year, you have been so excited about your birthday. Its heart warming to see that for you, its not about the party or the gifts. Just the fact that you are turning one year older! What I would nt give to become zen like you! I would never ever forget the way you stood next to me for more than 15 minutes waiting to see if I can put the skis on by myself after I had the fall. You could have just zoomed past. But no, that's not you. And when I told you to ski ahead and call Appa for help and to stay with Antu until we reached that place, you were gone in a blink. That meant a lot to me, kiddo! More because visualizing Antu in your place, I'm sure I would have had to drag my butt in the snow to catch her from running away in the opposite direction! I owe you big.

Talking about your sister, I apologize from the bottom of my heart for having unleashed her on you.You deserved better. Like your own twin or something! Not this pint sized super brat who's current mission in life is to make your life hell. I can only promise you that it will get better and you ll learn to ignore her!  But you have to agree that she is very cute when she wants to be. Like when she needs your help or when she wants something that you have or when she comes crying to you after getting yelled at by me! As always, you are being a fabulous older sister and looking out for her always. Hope you never stop doing that. Yesterday you lost your third tooth and when I suggested we pretend that tooth fairies are real for Antus sake, you got all excited and winked at me and whispered to me to leave a gift that you both can share! And in the morning when you saw an Amar Chitra Katha book under your pillow, you kept it back there and waited for Antu to wake up and made her open the gift. That was really sweet of you.

Usually one US trip and one India trip happen between your birthdays but this year, there has been an additional India trip as well. Talk about getting pampered. I am sure R's wedding will be fondly remembered by you for many years to come. Just like sis and I still talk about our uncle's (R's dad) wedding. While I was thinking that being in India would make you more outgoing, you completely clammed up and refused to even say hello to all the relatives. Theres no figuring you out. The more I nagged you to talk, the more you went into your shell. I hope someday you will explain all this to me. All said and done, I want you to be yourself. If you want to be that "mysterious woman" when you grow up, so be it. I ll learn to make peace with that. I just hope Antu invites me to the parties she throws! :) You have blossomed in school though. Unfortunately, you will not be continuing in this school for 2nd grade. It breaks my heart to leave this school after five long years but you are every excited about the upcoming change. God knows how you can have no fear for the unknown. But then as a kid, almost everything is new so that's alright, I guess.

You enjoy playing the violin and try to write your own music. You write and illustrate books. You sing and dance. You can almost read Tamil and with a little more practice, can write too. All thanks to your grand mother! You have lots of special friends but not one who is a little extra special to you. You love to draw, paint, cut, color and make things. Once you begged me to let you use the ipad on a non-screen time day so that you can search for "simple crafts" in youtube and make a penguin out of a toilet paper roll! Thank God you don't know to clear history yet! You read a lot. Until recently there was not one book in this house which I had nt read to you. We used to read, listen, laugh, think and discuss together. Now you are reading sitting in one corner and giggling to yourself and I feel so neglected and useless. And I don't know whats happening in that part of your world. From this cool mom who was reading to you hundreds of books, I have become the annoying mom who is asking you not to read while in the car, while eating and sometimes while waiting for the elevator. Seriously? 


I do think I have become more patient with you this year but I also make the mistake of expecting a lot from you. Sometimes, I forget you are a little girl and expect you to act responsibly all the time. Who asked you to be so smart and mature? The other day we were talking about extreme sports and you asked me why people risk lives like that. I told you that its their choice and that anything can happen to anyone at anytime and who is to say driving the car or going by a plane is any less risky? And pat came your reply, "But I NEED to go to school by car, Amma. I NEED to go by plane to US to see Perimma and Perippa. But people don't need to bungee jump or sky dive, right?" *gulp* And I thought I was the lawyer in the family! I wish you were nt so logical all the time and do some silly stuff now and then. I said silly not stupid, OK? :) Love you million, billion, zillion darling! Happy Birthday!



Love,
அம்மா.



33 comments:

Me said...

Happy birthday Ashu!!!

Blogger ate my previous comment..so posting it once more...

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday to Ashu...wow I have literally seen her growing through your blog. Time flies. And she looks beautiful and grown up in the last pic.

God bless her..
-Bhavani

Perimma said...

Happy Birthday to my favourite niece!!

utbtkids said...

Happy birthday dear Ashu.
To this and a hundred more.

geeth said...

Happy birthday Ashu..
She shares the same birth date as my son.. who is seven this year too!

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday Ashu (:

This post is beautiful! (:

-Shraddha

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday Ashu (:

This post is beautiful! (:

-Shraddha

Blogeswari said...

Happy birthday Ashu! You are very lucky to have a mother like Boo ! Hope to meet you some day

~nm said...

Happy birthday to Ashu.

Its such a beautiful post you have written Boo. Simply beautiful.

Ardra said...

love, hugs, kisses, wishes and prayers for Ashu.

i was utterly,butterly moved to read about the tooth fairy episode...

warm rgds
ardra

Gurgaonflowerplaza said...

Lovely…
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Anonymous said...

Hi Boo,

Such a lovely post. I always wonder whether i can be a mother like you for my children ( i am expecting my first child by the way).... You are GREAT. It is you the reason for Ashu to be smart, matured and lovely. :-)

Following your blog for more than 2 years, now Ashu and Antu have become very close to my heart....

Keep the good work going....

Cheers.....

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday, sweetie! Have a wonderful day. Such a lovely post Boo!

Mags

--Sunrise-- said...

:-) :-)

Seven is a special number for me too. Ashu reminds me so much of me when I was her age! :-) I moved to England when I was seven years old so maybe that's why I remember being seven so clearly.

My younger sister was always the more mischievous one too, I really think this has something to do with younger siblings!!

Her simple logic and deep questions astound me, like others have said, I have seen her grow through this blog and she is growing into a beautiful girl. While it seems like she is acting so grown up, the innocence of being that young age will never come back... I'm sure when she touchwood looks back on these blog posts she herself will realise how young and carefree her childhood was, it's a precious thing, is childhood. (But then again, I speak as a bitter old hag who is dying of university and exams and stress!! Does she really want to be one year older?!)

Happy birthday to Ashu! :-) Hope she has wonderful memories for her special seventh. :-) Is she moving schools?

Shyamala said...

Happy Birthday to Ashu...wonderful post :)

LG said...

Happy Birthday to the little one.

R's Mom said...

Happy birthday Ashu...hope the years coming are filled with more books, fun with little sisters, violin recitals and super fun ski-ing :)

@Boo: I started reading you when Ashu was about 4...its 3 years already :)

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Ashu...and many more happy returns of the day. Wonderful post Boo...we want them to grow up and still want them to be babies. We are a strange breed I say...
Usha

Anonymous said...

Dear Boo,

Happy Birthday Ashu...

last picture she looks so beautiful ..dhrushti suthi podanam.tell patti please

Its such a delight to watch her grow to such beautiful, intelligent girl..

GOD bless her

Sujatha Ramesh

Priya Mohan said...

Happy Birthday Ashu!.. Lovely post Boo.. I hit upon your blog recently and have never grown tired of reading your lovely posts on your kids..ok..off to read some more now!. Keep them coming..

ashok said...

Best Wishes to Ashu...so wonderful to see her grow...and what a lovely post!

Anonymous said...

Many more happy returns to Ashu! The way you describe Ashu and Antu reminds me of Anjana & Aparna. So much character similarities.:)

-San

Anonymous said...

Loved every line of this post.

Happy B'day Ashu.

mim said...

happy birthday to ashu...!
i too have seen her grow up...
from your bangalore days, i think

Anonymous said...

beautiful girl happy birthday. I should have remembered this day being a reader since first such letter.

This post has brought so much pleasant memories of the past, I would not have so eloquently recollected, thanks for helping journey through past, my girls are grOwn up, makes me happy and sad at the same time

Love to Ashu and Antu
Chandra

Artnavy said...

Lovely Boo and all the best to Ashu!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday to the little big girl!
-Reva

Uma said...

Happy Birthday Ashu!

Boo, your post moved me to tears - I could actually visualize Ashu standing next to you in the snow with the caring look on her face. You're right, there are only a few children who would care and be patient and wait for the WHOLE 15 minutes of their busy life!! It's a blessing that Ashu is one such, and cares so much for her li'l sister inspite of their differences and their attitude.

Your post is wonderful! For being this shy, when she grows up, I only hope Ashu'll forgive you when she reads that Amma made some of it public :)

Uma said...

It's funny, when someone asks me to pick a number from any range, I always pick 7. I see that some of you say that it's your fav number too. I'm curious if there's any special logic to this?

noon said...

Dear Ashu - wish you a very very happy birthday! Your friend here who you have not met - he is going to be seven in August. Having a kid of the same age and having read about you I think ever since your mom started writing about you - not sure - but for a long long time - you turning seven feels so special to me. You have such a sweet temperament! Wish you the very very best always!
Lots of love
Noon

mnamma said...

Belated birthday wishes to Ashu!
Wishing her many many many more!

B o o said...

Thank you everyone for the warm wishes!

Anonymous said...

belated Happy Bday Ashu!!
Long time reader of your moms blog and a great admirer..

-Jyothy

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