Love day

I read a quote once that said that while we try to teach our children about life, they teach us so much more. From the day Anokhi entered this world, our life transformed into one big lesson. To date, the most important lesson has been the realization that Anokhi is her own little person. She has her own thoughts and her own budding personality. She needs us now but we know that our goal is to empower her with strong values and morals, and to be just her guide as she paves her own way in this world. There will be bumps and falls, successes and failures, and, sadly, broken hearts, too. But this is a good thing. It’ll teach Anokhi perseverance, understanding, compassion, kindness, strength, and self-confidence. As we prepared to celebrate Valentine’s day, Jigs and I reminisced about days gone by and just how happy Anokhi makes us.

The week of Valentine’s day was an exciting one for our munchkin. There was so much happening at school, and we tried to do lots of fun things at home to prepare for this special day. Now that Anokhi is older, she’s able to enjoy herself so much more on days like this because it’s all starting to make sense to her.

On the weekend preceding Valentine’s day, we spent a lot of time talking about what Valentine’s day means, why it’s special, and some nice things we can do for the people we care about. Anokhi said, “I love mama, daddy, yaya, nana, dada, dadi, and uncle Devesh, too, on Valentine’s day.” I gently explained that we love our friends and family every day of the year and that this day is just to celebrate and acknowledge our love for them. And so I asked Anokhi what she wanted to make for her friends and teachers at school for Valentine’s day and she decided she wanted to make “cards with pink paint, stamps and stickers, too”. That’s exactly what we did. I just supervised and Anokhi did all the work.

Anokhi excitedly worked on all the cards for her friends and her teachers. She autographed each card and stamped and stickered them, too. She worked especially hard on the cards for her teachers, even including a little “photo” of them that she wanted to draw “all by myself”.

On Valentine’s day, Anokhi couldn’t contain her excitement as she got ready to go to school. We talked about how she’d give out her cards, what she’d say to her friends, and how much fun she’d have. To commemorate this day, the teachers had asked the children to wear hearts to school. So, with her heart shirt on, her cards in hand, and a special present for her teachers, off she went.

All set for Valentine's day!

In addition to all the Valentine’s day festivities, Anokhi had a super fun week at school. They had yoga, dance, music, French, and sign language, too. We love that the school provides so many extra-curricular activities in addition to the curriculum they follow in the classroom. It’s great to hear all of Anokhi’s stories about how they “stretched all the way down” in yoga or how Ms. Michelle made them “jump up and down so many times.”

Dance, dance, dance!

They even got to take part in a “build a penguin” workshop during the week. Anokhi was so excited to tell us about how she “put lots of cotton balls in the penguin’s belly” and how the teacher helped her put the penguin together. What a neat experience, munchkin!

After several minutes of contemplation, Anokhi and yaya came up with a name for her penguin. Presenting, as Anokhi likes to call her, “Ms. Snowflake”.  And since the day Anokhi brought Ms. Snowflake home, she’s been really concerned about her, giving her ample hugs and kisses. When we asked her why, she said “because she misses her mama so I’m giving her hugs and kisses”.

Valentine’s week was a fabulous one for Anokhi. We are so grateful to Ms. Christina and Ms. Shantie who take such great care of our munchkin and who are kind enough to take pictures of her at school. The word “busy” does no justice in describing the kind of day they have, so we are especially grateful for all their efforts. It’s so nice to be able to see the fun stuff Anokhi gets to do.

For Jigs and I, there is a whole new meaning to celebrations. No matter what holiday or event we are celebrating, Anokhi makes it so special. For Valentine’s day, the excitement she felt when she was making the cards was contagious. Her eyes were beaming as she talked about giving her cards to her friends and teachers. We love that she never fails to remind us of the beauty in the world and that it’s really the smallest things in life that matter the most. We look forward to listening to all her stories, to listening to her say “mama, I’m awake now. Come get me. My tummy is growling” through the monitor at 6:15 a.m. (even on a Sunday), and to her asking us if we are happy. Anokhi has brought new meaning to the word love, too. She’s taught us that it is possible to love someone more than yourself – that it is possible to sacrifice so much for this little person who is such a beautiful gift from God. Thanks for all your love, munchkin!

Disciplining woes

Anokhi’s figured out that I’m a softy. She knows I’m the go-to person when she does something she isn’t supposed to do – like when she intentionally takes her ketchup and spreads it alllllll over her fingers. She’s also realized that mama will give in easier once the waterworks begin. I admit that I hate to see Anokhi cry, especially when the incessant tears are accompanied by her desperate ”mama! I want mama right now! Mama don’t go! Mama, be happy please!” I suppose every parent has battled these discipline demons at some point when their munchkins hit toddlerhood and I know I am no exception. It’s just that that face gets me each time.

Of late, Anokhi has started testing her limits. Nothing serious, thank goodness, but we can see that she’s trying to do things she knows she’s not supposed to do (welcome to the 2s, I know!). For example, she’ll be in the middle of having her dinner when she’ll suddenly ask for yogurt. Anokhi knows yogurt is dessert and is served after dinner. But she persists. And she persists. The tears begin, the wailing begins, the “mama, I want yogurt RIGHTTTT NOWWWW!” echoes through our home. Generally, I try to calm Anokhi down and explain to her (most likely my 1050th explanation to her) that yogurt is something we eat after dinner. After that, I give her a few minutes to calm down, distract her with her favorite story (Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Seuss), and on we go with dinner. But as she’s getting older, she’s persisting more. Everything I’ve read tells me to stick to my guns and to give her yogurt only after she finishes her meal. I am working on that. Hasn’t happened yet. I try and try but the tears get to me. So, yogurt she gets.

I want yogurt RIGHTTTTT now!

Needless to say, the great debate I’m having right now is whether every battle is worth fighting as Anokhi slowly transitions from our toddler to our budding preschooler. Should I be picking my battles? Will giving in to her requests (okay, who I am kidding, DEMANDS) for yogurt, for example, lead her to be spoiled? I know that we need to ensure that we are not giving in to all her demands but I’m struggling with where to draw the line. I worry that if I’m always disciplining her about every little thing that comes up, she’ll almost get immune to it, thinking in her head “here goes mama, again”. My struggle is balancing my need to discourage inappropriate behaviour (be it an unsafe behaviour, a tantrum, or an unreasonable request) with Anokhi’s toddler (and very developmentally appropriate) tendency to explore, to experiment, to express herself, to openly show her emotions, to share her frustrations, and to exuberantly state her demands. 

Jigs and I strongly believe that we need to talk everything out with Anokhi. Even though she’s just 2 1/2, we try to reason through everything with her together. After one of her toddler episodes, we talk about why it’s not a good idea to, for example, eat yogurt without finishing her meal (i.e., she’ll get hungry later and breakfast isn’t until the next morning), she seems to get it. So we do lots and lots and lots of talking in our home around appropriate versus inappropriate behaviour, good choices versus bad choices, etc. We want to teach her to be accountable for her actions and to really understand that her actions will have consequences. Sorry, munchkin! Just trying to help you make good choices. 

What makes this whole disciplining thing even more challenging for me is that she has learned to express her feelings to us, which totally astounds and overwhelms us. When the tears are pouring out, she’ll say “you are hurting my heart. I am sad, mama,” and that just melts me. But I suppose this is a good thing. We are, after all, teaching her to share her feelings with others. When someone at school pushes her, for example, she is to say (and I’ve been told she does) “please stop pushing me. I don’t like that!”

Having worked with children for so many years, I know that there is always a reason why they choose the behaviours they do and that they should have an opportunity to explain themselves and to correct their behaviour. In Anokhi’s case, she’s just testing the waters. Perhaps trying to see how much she can get away with. Therefore, we give her an opportunity to understand why her behaviour is not acceptable, what other choice she could make, and how to correct her behaviour.

Amongst all our disciplining woes, however, we try to enjoy each other in the time that we have in between dishes, grocery shopping, and the kazillion and one things that need to be done to sustain us. Anokhi and Jigs continue to enjoy their time together on Saturday and Sunday mornings when I’m out doing my thing. They sing, they read, they eat, they go to the library, they go to the coffee shop, and they just hang out. This past Saturday, I caught a glimpse of their time together and realized how much fun they are having. Anokhi was happily dancing to Old Macdonald Had a Farm as Jigs sang it (http://youtu.be/w8EJZaxMBdk) This has to be one of my favourite videos of her.

Just hanging out.

Anokhi’s also dropped her afternoon nap now so our attempts at “quiet” time continue. It’s not really working as well as I’d thought. She wanders around her bed, jumps up and down, and, well, we continue to try.

Rest time?!?

Anokhi’s also loves spending time with nana. She looks forward to the weekends when she gets to see him. It’s amazing how much she enjoys getting him to trace her feet, read to her, and to just follow her lead. She loves putting “rubber elastics and hairclips” in his hair, too.

For now, we continue our journey of learning. I’m trying to toughen up a bit for the good of Anokhi. It’s not always easy but I know it’s something I’m going to have to learn. This quote puts it all in perspective for me: ”Discipline is a symbol of caring to a child. Discipline is guidance. If there is love, there is no such thing as being too tough with a child. A parent must also not be afraid to hang himself. If you have never been hated by your child, you have never been a parent.” (Bette Davis)

We’re doing our best, munchkin! Know that we love you very much. You’ll get it when you’re a mommy yourself.

No tears, please!

The BIG 3-0 (months, that is)

As of yesterday (Januay 24), Anokhi  is officially 2 ½. She is now 30 months old. Wow. I don’t know why, but 2 ½ seems to be a turning point in a toddler’s life. That’s what I’ve been told and that’s what I’ve observed with our munchkin. Things started to change as the dawn of the big 3-0 approached. She seems to be so much more independent, wanting to do everything for herself. It takes her 20 minutes to change out of her school clothes at the end of the day, but she wants absolutely NO help. Everything these days is “I want to do it. I can do it, mama. I am a big girl now!” Her teachers at school have also noticed this and comment on how independent Anokhi is. In her latest report card, Ms. Christina wrote that “Anokhi has demonstrated good self-help skills like minimal supervision for dressing for outdoor time”. We are so happy that Anokhi is so self-reliant and is able to take care of most of her needs on her own. It makes our life a lot easier (well, sometimes) and I know it’s good for her at school, too.

Since our trip to Hawaii, it seems that Anokhi has outgrown her naps. Her teachers say she naps at school for a bit, but she wants “no sleep” at home. We’re trying some quiet time instead of her usual naps, but I’m still amazed at how quickly she’s dropped her naps. Really, Anokhi? Already?!?

No more naps. Trying a little quiet time.

Anokhi is so much more fun to hang out with now. She’s always been a talker, but she’s REALLY a talker now. She tells us all kinds of things that happen in her day, and she loves to really give us all the minute details. Even our early morning breakfast conversations are fun. Watch as she tells me what happens when you drive with your cellphone in hand (http://youtu.be/TCWBYZCcvLg).

Although we’ve enjoyed these past couple of years immensely, I have to admit that this age that Anokhi’s at now is such a fun age. There are challenges, of course, but it’s so nice to be able to have a real conversation with Anokhi. For example, today, we talked about why we don’t eat chicken nuggets and Anokhi asked if it hurts the animals when people eat them. She’s also so much more expressive now. Her tone of voice, her facial expressions, and her body language all change depending on the situation she’s faced with. I absolutely love the “faces” she’s learned to make.

Anokhi understands so much now and it really has us thinking and re-thinking about everything we say and do around her. She listens to us when we talk and she tries to act the way we act. It’s rather amusing to watch her put lotion on her legs as meticulously as she does, saying “I want to put lotion on like daddy puts lotion on my legs.” So, we worry and watch ourselves around her. Jigs and I are always talking about the way we are raising her, worrying about whether we are doing it right. I know that there is no magical “right” way, but we worry nonetheless.

And gone are those days when we’d just sit on the carpet reading or playing with her toys. Anokhi is a toddler in every sense of the word now with her curiosity at its peak. She likes trying new activities and I love that she likes “helping” us in the kitchen, with the laundry, and anything else we happen to be doing. We baked banana bread yesterday and Anokhi was right there by my side, helping measure the flour, pour the oil, and, best of all, taste the chocolate chips. Our best moments are just hanging out and doing a bit of everything she enjoys most.

Of late, she’s discovered writing and enjoys practicing her letters (http://youtu.be/tRm9XcFqggk). She loves playing hide and seek and will often hide behind the couch (same spot each time) and have us go looking for her. It’s adorable how she always hides in the same spot. Jigs and I make sure we make it a big deal looking for her.

"Look at my name, mama!"

But while we try our best, in the craziness of our day-to-day life, it isn’t always practical to spend the kind of uninterrupted, quality time with Anokhi that we would love to spend. We try our best but our best just doesn’t cut it sometimes. Anokhi has to play on her own as I get dinner ready, do the dishes, or try to get the other mundane stuff done. But we do sneak some special moments together and my goal is to have at least a couple of special moments together each day. If I manage that, I’m happy.

The best part of our day that I most look forward to, though, is our morning and bedtime routine when we pray together. Anokhi has learned to recite the mantras so well and she’s always so excited to say them (http://youtu.be/eh_Gur98f7g) and (http://youtu.be/VK17akTs8M8).

Before we know it, 30 months will turn to 36 and on will go time. It doesn’t stop for anyone. We’re trying to make the best of it. Good days and bad. They are all part of the package. As Anokhi says, “mama, daddy, and Anokhi all together.” A few sane moments spent with our munchkin each day are enough to fuel our fires. Thanks, Anokhi!

Nana drew me a moustache just like he has!

Aloha!

As we bid adieu to 2011, we have so much to be thankful for. God has been very kind to us. We have shared good times with family and friends, we have our health, and, most importantly, we have our little munchkin. What better way to celebrate the year gone by and to ring in another than to go on a holiday.

Jigs, Anokhi, and I were super excited. We were all set to spend 10 days in the Bay area, exploring San Diego and spending some time in Palm Springs. But I should have known better. As you’ll discover, Anokhi, daddy is the king of surprises. He always has something up his sleeve. After we landed in San Diego and started our holiday, Jigs surprised us and told us we’d be going to Hawaii, too! Anokhi had no clue what or where Hawaii was since we’d been talking to her about the zoo and SeaWorld in San Diego, and the gondola she’d get to ride in Palm Springs.

 We ended up spending 3 days in San Diego and 7 days in a place called the Waikoloa Beach Resort on the Big Island in Hawaii. An amazing time was had by all. I am going to try to write all the special moments from our trip, Anokhi. I know you may not remember them all, but I hope this blog and the photos and videos in them will help you revisit these moments.

As is inevitable with my luck, there are always hiccups along the way before things smoothen out. This time was no different. The night before we were supposed to leave for our trip, Anokhi had a low grade fever. We weren’t sure what was causing the fever since she didn’t have any other symptoms. But I was nervous because one of Anokhi’s classmates had chicken pox, and, although Anokhi is vaccinated, we were told that vaccinated children still have a 5% chance of contracting the virus.

The next morning, she still had a low grade temperature but ate well, was playing, and was excited about the plane ride. We decided to go ahead with the trip, reassuring ourselves that we would quickly return if her condition worsened at all. Thankfully, Anokhi was fine. We are still not sure why she got the fever but are so thankful her fever passed in transit.

The first part of our journey began in Orange County. The morning we got to Orange County, we spent time exploring the area and just hanging out. Anokhi was having a blast looking around and posing for photos. She’s become quite the explorer these days, taking off on her own to look at things that are new and exciting to her. She also loves posing for photos (depending on her mood and what she’s doing, of course), which makes my life so much easier.

Next, we spent a couple of days in San Diego. We went to the beach, explored the zoo, and watched shows at SeaWorld. At the San Diego zoo, Anokhi was mesmerized by the pandas, the dancing polar bears, the marakeets, the humongous lions, and the yelping flamingos, too. The zoo is huge and there is so much to see and do there.

At SeaWorld, she was in awe as she watched the dancing dolphins and jumping whales. The look on her face was priceless as she cheered on these precious animals. Shamu, the cutest killer whale you’ll ever see, even made a special appearance for a photo-op with Jigs and Anokhi. 

And she loved watching the sharks swim by her in the shark aquarium and the penguins flapping around as the zookeeper tried to feed them.

After our stay in San Diego, which zipped by, we headed to the Big Island. Anokhi loved the airplane ride, but needed entertainment from us. Fortunately, we were armed with Dora books, crayons, pens, and, eye shadow (which she calls “colors”) to keep her occupied. Finally, we made it to Hawaii and headed to our resort.

The resort we stayed at was beautiful, the weather was perfect, and, most importantly, there were loads of things for Anokhi to do and see – everything from smelling the many varieties of flowers they had on the resort to building her very own sandcastle on the beautiful beach to walking back and forth a hundred times to clean the sand off her tiny hands (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0_oWZLvtfM). As much as she loved playing with the sand, she didn’t quite enjoy the feeling of the sand running through her fingers. But this is quite an improvement from our trip to Jamaica last year, when she wouldn’t even stand on the sand (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6Zg6H4FB54).

We spent hours on the beach playing with the sand, walking the shore, watching boats go by, watching the little fishes swim by, and just enjoying the sunshine. Anokhi even did her very own version of the Hokey Pokey in the ocean (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZGw0TeRqNE). Soon enough, Anokhi found a new love for tracing her name in the sand. Funny enough, though, she didn’t need to stop after each stroke to clean her hands.

We also had lots of fun in the pool. Anokhi got to practice her jumping, her kicking, and get reacquainted with the water. The resort had a special pool for children than had sand and pebbles at the bottom of it. We spent most of our time in this pool collecting different shaped pebbles and rocks and counting them.

We also spent time outside of the resort, exploring the equisitely beautiful and pristine island. We went on a scenic drive, we explord the macademia nut orchards, and we visited some of the most beautiful waterfalls in Hawaii.

On our scenic drive, we were just awestruck by the beauty of the island. Anokhi loved watching the ocean go by as we drove and was amazed by the many hills, mountains, and valleys we saw along the way. There were cows, sheep, and horses peacefully grazing under the beautiful blue, cloudless sky, and the roads took us through some of the most breathtaking sights. We were just stunned by the beauty of the place. Lucky are those people who have homes facing the ocean the lush green valleys that we drove by.

At the end of our scenic drive, we reached our lookout point – a sight we’ll never forget. The peace and quiet, the fresh air, and the beautiful rays of sunshine dancing in the water. Anokhi was taken aback by the height we were at and the look on her face as she looked down was priceless. We told her just how beautiful our world is.

On another day, we went to the macadamia nut orchards and got to sample these yummy nuts. There was also macadamia nut ice cream and cheesecake to be had, but Anokhi would have none of it. Which child doesn’t like ice cream on a hot day, you wonder? That would be our Anokhi. She opted for the honey roasted macadamia nuts instead.

We also went to visit the Akaka falls, which is among the most beautiful waterfalls in Hawaii. Anokhi loved riding on daddy’s back. The view from waaaaaay up there has to be good. The trek to the falls was a bit treacherous, but we took many breaks and had loads of fun making our way up there.

Finally, we just spent time enjoying each other’s company and, for once, not stressing about what had to be done. We watched local performers and Anokhi danced along (http://youtu.be/Yfa0-8C-r4U), we toured the market place, and we went on walks.

On this trip, as was the case when we visited Jamaica last year, Anokhi was inseparable from Jigs. She wanted Jigs to play with her, Jigs to take her to the pool, and she wanted Jigs to do just about everything for her and with her. Needless to say, she was more than happy to pose for pictures with her daddy.

On our way trip back home, Anokhi said she “wanted to go back to the hotel room.” We hope she had a good time. Both Jigs and I believe what St. Augustine said so many years ago - ”The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” Our hope is that we can help our munchkin cover as many pages of this book as  possible. Our ultimate wish for Anokhi, though, is that when we return from our vacations, she’ll have gained something enduring from all our travels and that she will have been made better in some way – happier, healthier, worldlier.

Hope you had fun, munchkin! We loved spending time with you and watching your smiles and giggles of excitement. Now, onwards to do what we have to do until our next holiday together.

Here’s hoping for a happy, healthy, fun 2012 for all.

Our little performer that, well, will try again next year

What a crazy last few weeks it has been. Anokhi was hit with this intense cold that just drained us all. She had a hacking cough, high fever, runny nose, and, worst of all, absolutely no appetite. She completely rejected soups and broths, and even junk food had no appeal to her – not even her favorite cheetos, which she only gets to eat sparingly. We got polite “no thank yous” no matter what we offered. Anokhi wanted nothing to do with food. Thankfully, we were able to get some fluid in her, but that was no easy feat, either. All she wanted was cold milk and a random sip of pediasure here and there. Not fun times, that’s for sure. Thankfully, she got over her cold and our household is pretty much back to normal. Phew! It’s nice to fall asleep without having to hear our munchkin coughing her lungs out in the middle of the night or struggling to breathe with her tiny nose all plugged up.

Not feeling well.

After she got over her cold and returned to school, Anokhi excitedly shared the songs she was “going to sing for everyone at the concert at school”. She told us about how she was going to be singing “I’m a Little Snowman”, “Must be Santa”, and “Jingle Bells”. Actually, all she’s talked about these past few weeks is the concert and that she is going to be singing with her friends. Watching her this happy about it really intensified our own excitement and we waited anxiously for the day of the concert.

As excited as we were, however, I couldn’t imagine how the teachers would get these tiny 2-year-olds to sit away from their mommies and daddies, let alone sing for them. I wasn’t sure how Anokhi would do, but Jigs and I were thrilled that she was as happy as she was.

When we got to her class, we were thrilled to see that she was chosen to do a little song with her friend, Demiana. Although Demiana is over a year older than Anokhi, the two are always playing together and Anokhi is always referring to her affectionately at home, sometimes even pretending to play with her.

 

As we waited for the concert to begin, Anokhi and her friends were patiently sitting in their little chairs, ready to put on their show and they couldn’t wait to get started. Unfortunately, some of the parents were a little late and the teachers were waiting for them to arrive. In that time, some of the children got tired and restless, and, as is the story with toddlers, a tear from one little person led to tears from the others. It was like a domino effect. But I was so very proud of Anokhi. She just sat in her chair and was doing her absolute best to ignore the tears and to resist her own urge to run up to us.

Lily was even kind enough to help Anokhi fix her headband. An absolutely adorable sight.

Unfortunately, though, when Anokhi saw all her friends running up to their respective mommies and daddies, she couldn’t help herself and ran right to us. But I must admit that for the entire time that Anokhi was sitting on that chair by herself, my heart was fluttering. When did she get big enough to be able to sit all by herself and not want to come to me? It’s so good to see her this independent and confident, but so very hard to see her grow up.

Finally, the teachers decided it was time for the children to begin performing. The room was packed with parents, grandparents, sisters, and brothers. Everyone was so excited. But while most of the children were fine initially when there were only a few people in the room, most of them had lost their composure by this time and there were sniffles, intense wails, and, tears all around. There wasn’t much singing going on, but we all were so proud of the teachers and the children. The fact that they sat the way they did and tried to sing was a remarkable achievement. I have to remind myself that I still count Anokhi’s age in months. She’s going to be 29 months. That’s not even 2 and a half.  Yikes. I still get pangs of anxiety when I am to speak in front of an audience. How must have these guys felt? They are so brave and so strong.

So, although there wasn’t much singing, Jigs and I loved watching Anokhi sit with her friends and her teachers, and have a good time with them. Kudos to the teachers for all their hard work. It’s unreal how much they teach these little guys and how much they care about them. Anokhi loves her teachers. Her world revolves aroud Ms. Shantie and Ms. Christina.

Anokhi with Ms. Shantie.

Can’t wait to hear you sing next year, munchkin! For now, we can’t get enough of your “I’m a little snowman” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZO2SCVd-cg) and “Must be Santa” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IccU0J89nzQ).

You make us SO happy!

From the moment we held Anokhi in our arms over 2 years ago(!!!), we were madly, deeply in love – a kind of love very difficult to describe in words. Although there were many moments during her first year when I thought I’d lose my mind (like when she woke up 15 minutes after she fell asleep, or when she refused to stay asleep for more than a couple of hours at a time, or when she refused to eat after I spent hours planning and making her meals I thought she’d enjoy, or even when she refused to take her antibiotics making that ear infection linger on and on and on), all these moments pale in comparison to how happy she’s made us. Anokhi has given us the kind of happiness we never thought we could get in this lifetime.

You're getting so big, munchkin!

I suppose the best part about having little people around is that they make their respective mommies and daddies very happy. It’s hard to list everything about Anokhi that makes us happy, but some things I love about her include that she prays before she goes to sleep and thanks God for “giving me a good day”, that she puts herself to sleep but says “mama will get you (still speaks in the third person at times) when you wake up”, that she always thinks of everyone (if one person in the room gets a hug, everyone gets a hug), that she always worries about children who are crying, asking “why is she crying? Is she sad? Tell her not to cry. Her mommy will be right back!”, and that although she hasn’t met my mom, she still includes nani in just about everything she says  (“we are going to nana, nani’s house”). I also love that she’s not afraid to try new things. Watch as she does a backflip on the swings (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONVRdRQPDrs), a sideways bearwalk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOHnPbRckaY), and a tummy roll on the bars (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I0iZkBZ9uc) in her gymnastics class. She’s totally won Ms. Andrea over.

Although I’m still a novice at this whole parenting thing, what I have managed to learn these past couple of years is how to trade in what’s important to me for all that is really important for this little person that is God’s greatest gift to us. And the best part is that in all these trade ups, we’re the ones who have totally benefitted. We’ve gotten endless giggles, smiles, hugs, cuddles, and insurmountable joy.

What I really want Anokhi to know when she’s older is that I need her more than she could ever need me. I need her hugs, I need her reassuring smile, I need her peck on my cheek, I need her to ask for me, to need me, and to always have that smile on her face. I crave her “I want mama to feed me” or “I want mama to read to me” more than anything else. As she gets older, I realize that she’ll need me less and less. I want that. I want her to be strong, brave, confident, smart, and independent so that she can take care of herself in every way possible. But my heart doesn’t always agree. For now, Jigs and I will do our best to make sure she’s happy. As Oscar Wilde put it so eloquently, “the best way to make children good is to make them happy.”

Always be happy, munchkin! We love your smile.

ABCs and 123s!

Anokhi has learned lots and lots these past few months. It almost seems like she’s learning a new word, number, or concept every minute of the day. Her teachers at school are amazing. They spend so much time teaching and reinforcing concepts, and the kiddies are soaking it all up. Their brains really are like sponges at this age, taking in anything and everything we give them. Last week, as we were driving home, Anokhi was telling me about her day and said some words in French. I asked her what she’d learned at school, and she shared that Madame Lynne had come in to teach them French. Our munchkin seems to quite enjoy French, and excitedly shared what she’d learned (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d0I1sWDAWg). She even picked up a board book in French when she visited the library with Jigs.

Anokhi’s learning has really accelerated since she started Preschool. Now that she’s the youngest in her class, she has so many role models and she’s gone from speaking in basic sentences to using several sentences at once to explain her thinking. Most recently, she’s learned to tell us what she’d like us to do (e.g., ”sit over there please, mama. I want yaya to read to me now.”). She makes us laugh with some of the things she says. This morning, as she sat on the edge of the tub waiting for me to start the shower for her, she said “I better sit carefully or I’ll slip and straight to the doctor I’ll go!” This past week, the kiddies learned about body parts and senses. Anokhi excitedly shared that the heart doesn’t “move” blood around the body but that it “pumps blood around the body,” and that the brain “helps you think.”

Our curious monkey!

Like any typical toddler, Anokhi is a curious little monkey. Her incessant “why?” and ”how come?” keep us on our toes, often leaving us with mere milliseconds to think about our response to her question before she sends another ”why?” our way. It really is amazing to watch this transformation. This past year, Anokhi went from calling herself “Angi” to telling us her full name – Anokhi J. Shah (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C03Bhoq2gf0). She’s even learned the letters in her name (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeHfguNyi0o) and is learning how to write an A all by herself (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iOb4TpEZBw).

But what has us most amazed is Anokhi’s ability to mimic us and her teachers when she reads. She is now starting to pick up familiar books and “read” them by herself. She’ll even ask us to “be quiet” as she’s reading, placing her finger on her lips to really get her point across. She uses what she remembers of the story, the pictures, and other clues on the page to “read” the words. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQP2p3HZrPI). She also loves using her blackboard and whiteboard now, and will draw “happy faces” and letters on the board for us.

As Anokhi continues to develop her vocabulary in English, we are doing our best to speak to her in Gujarati. Although Anokhi understands everything we are saying to her, she often chooses to respond in English. However, we really do need to make a more concerted effort to speak to her in Gujarati regularly.  She knows several rhymes, finger plays, and mantras in Gujarati, but, when speaking, chooses to do so in English. In addition to Gujarati, I am trying to introduce her to Hindi, too. Although we don’t speak Hindi at home, Bollywood movies and music are a big part of our life and I’d love to be able to enjoy this with Anokhi. We are trying to read some of her books in Gujarati but that no longer is an easy task since she prefers to “read” to us.

Pay attention, please!

It’s so much fun watching Anokhi learn and seeing the excitement in her eyes when she discovers that she’s learned something new. Whenever you read this Anokhi, know that we are so proud of you. And, although I’ve read this to you, I know that you are too little to understand it now. But always remember what Dr. Seuss said:

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

Buzzing around

These past few weeks have been most exciting for Anokhi. She went to Springridge farm with her friends to pick out her own pumpkin, she had a very fun Diwali celebration at school and at home, and, most recently, she got to dress up and pretend to be her favorite little bug – a bumblebee. As soon as she saw the costume at the store and we tried it on, she broke out in her rendition of I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee.

But, as is typical of toddlers, although Anokhi was very excited about her costume when we first got it, she wasn’t thrilled about wearing it to school on Halloween. We tried everything from bribing her to pretending to try to wear the costume ourselves, but nothing worked. So, desperate to try to find something Halloween-ish to send her to school in, I decided on an orange tutu (thanks, aunty Mona) that Anokhi has been wanting to wear but just not growing fast enough to fit into and her black Halloween shirt.

Not a happy camper!

In desperate hopes that she’d wear the costume at school, we sent it with her. I was totally and absolutely convinced that Anokhi would NOT wear her costume. She was dead set against it at home. “Don’t want it! Don’t want to wear it!” she screamed, as desperate tears streamed down her face. But, much to our surprise, she did wear it at school. Her teachers (I swear!!) are miracle workers. They get Anokhi to do everything – finish her meals, fall asleep by herself, put on her own jacket. It’s amazing! Thanks to her teachers, Anokhi did end up wearing her costume and had lots of fun at school. She came home all excited about her day. We loved looking at the photos the teachers took. The kiddies all looked absolutely adorable!

Happily in costume at school.

Cutie pies!

Funny enough, when it was time to go trick-or-treating in the evening, Anokhi didn’t want to put her costume on – AGAIN. It was a struggle, but Jigs and Aashita managed to get her to put it on. It took a bit of convincing, dancing, and chasing around to get her to eventually put it on. Anokhi didn’t cover much candy ground that night, though, visiting only two homes. But I was happy. Two boxes of smarties and a kitkat is still better than none. Thanks for the loot, Anokhi!

All set for trick-or-treating. FINALLY!

As part of our Halloween fun, Anokhi got to carve her very first pumpkin – the pumpkin she chose herself from Springridge farm. Her teachers shared that she was adamant about getting that particular pumpkin, even though it was muddy. Her clothes got dirty in the process, but our munchkin was in love with that little pumpkin. Carving the pumpkin was just as much fun, although Anokhi was more interested in the carving part and not so much in gutting the pumpkin. She refused to get her hands dirty so we didn’t manage to get many seeds out. She had lots of fun carving, though.

I am just sorry I missed spending Halloween night with Anokhi since I was teaching an evening course that night. Sorry, Anokhi! Yaya and daddy said you had a great time, although you didn’t want to eat any candy. Mama ate the candy for you. Thanks, munchkin!

Festival of lights – 2011

It seems like only yesterday when I was holding Anokhi’s tiny hand as we lit her first Diwali diya together. She was mesmerized and watched in awe as the tiny flame of the diya flickered in the breeze when we placed it outside our front door. “Mo, mo!” she exclaimed, as she tugged my hand and led me over to light the next diya. Fast forward to today, she now tells us exactly what to do - how each diya should be lit, which of the many diyas to light first, and, of course, where each diya should be placed. Giggles, smiles, and squeals (sometimes of excitement and sometimes a reaction to an imminent disaster – like when she almost stepped on a diya that we had placed on the ground) come naturally to us when our munchkin is around. She makes everything so much more fun (and eventful, too).

Lighting Anokhi's very first diya - Diwali, 2010.

Anokhi’s Diwali celebrations began at school with a big Diwali luncheon hosted by her teachers. Anokhi went dressed in her best clothes all set to celebrate with her friends. She looked like a little doll, and, for me, the best part was helping her get ready.  I say help because that is all I was doing as I listened to her tell me where she wanted me to put her “hair kip” (and, just one hair clip), the colour of the “bhangris” (bracelets) she wanted to wear, and her constant plea for a “chandlo” (Gujarati word for bindi) on her forehead.

As part of her Diwali celebration at school, Anokhi made a card for each of her friends. We wanted her friends to know the history behind Diwali, so we included a simple description of the holiday in the card. Anokhi ”decorated” all the cards before we sat down to write a little message for her friends in the cards. Anokhi had lots of fun “decorating” and distributing the cards.

Decorating Diwali cards.

Jigs and I are so thrilled that Anokhi’s teachers took the time that they did to teach the children about Diwali. Although there are only a handful of children in the center that actually celebrate Diwali, the teachers worked really hard to introduce the children to the traditions around this holiday and they even asked parents for advice. For the kiddies (as per Anokhi), the best part of the classroom celebrations involved the special crafts they made (a rangoli design and diyas), the books they read about Diwali, and the yummy food they got to eat. Thank you so much, Ms. Christina and Ms. Shantie! You made Anokhi’s Diwali celebrations so special.

Yummy food!

Beautiful diyas and rangoli crafts!

As part of our celebrations at home, we’ve been lighting diyas and doing special Diwali prayers. Anokhi’s been helping us light the diyas, say the prayers, and, she also helped distribute Diwali sweets to our neighbors.

Our celebrations will continue this weekend with nana and yaya. Anokhi can’t seem to get enough of Diwali. And, as we enjoy another festival of lights, Jigs and I are so thankful to have Anokhi in our lives. God really has been so very kind to us.

Anokhi says, ”Happy Diwaaaayi!”

Moving up, moving on

Despite the fact that I’ve been preparing myself (and Anokhi) for her big move to preschool, I was super nervous this morning as I headed to work. Jigs drops Anokhi off, so I was on pins and needles until I heard from him. I wasn’t sure how our munchkin would do. Although I wasn’t nearly as nervous as I was in January when Anokhi started school for the very first time, a smaller number of the same species of butterflies were fluttering around in my tummy again this morning. But Anokhi was fine. She happily waved to Jigs as he left her classroom.

And, with that simple little wave, Anokhi’s preschool days begin.

First day of preschool!

Anokhi’s teachers in the toddler room have been great in helping her transition to the preschool room. They’ve given her plenty of opportunities to spend time in her new room (sometimes, a full day) so that she can get used to her teachers, her friends, the rules, routines, happenings, and, all the new things to do in her new room. When I went to pick her up today, she looked so very happy to be in her new room (phew!) but couldn’t wait to go and say hello to her teachers in the toddler room, Ms. Mary and Ms. Claire. She really does miss them and I know it’ll take her time to get used to the fact that the toddler room is no longer her room  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr2MpTf5hT8).

This past Friday was Anokhi’s last day in the toddler room. To celebrate her graduation to the preschool room, the teachers and all her friends in room 2 had a party in her honor. There was yummy blueberry pie, too. Anokhi had a blast and was thrilled that she got to “hug all my friends and teachers, too, mama!” Words cannot describe how grateful we are to all the wonderful teachers Anokhi has had while she was in the toddler room. Thank you Ms. Emily, Ms. Megan, Ms. Shawnna, Ms. Mary, Ms. Claire, Ms.  Shivani, and Ms. Sharmaine. Anokhi wouldn’t love school as much as she does, talk as much as does, have learned as much as she has, and, be the happy little person she is if it weren’t for all your efforts. Thank you!

Thanks for the memories and for the great farewell party, too.

So, while it may take Anokhi some time to get used to the big world that is preschool, Ms. Christina and Ms. Shantie, her preschool teachers, are making her transition as easy for her as possible. There are so many exciting things they plan for the kiddies. There’s reading, writing, drawing, arts and crafts, music, and, now that Anokhi’s in preschool, she even gets to learn French! It’s hard to believe our munchkin is already as big as she is. We are happy that she’s in such great hands, though. Here’s praying that she has a healthy, happy, fun, memorable, and safe year in preschool. Learn lots and lots, munchkin!

So much to do!