Anushka turns Seven

Seven Wonders of the World. The Saptarishis. Sapta Swara. Secret Seven.
Do you know any more?

You turn seven today, my sweety pie. I am not sure how much you will recall of the year that went by, when you grow up to be seventeen. Here is a summary for the future:

About you at 7:

 

To eat: Bhindi 7 days a week is your idea of a great menu. You added mild Masale Bhaat to your list of likes, you eat almost all veggies and fruits , but still go easy on spice/ chillies. You are not much into junk but have discovered Fanta! ( still only a party indulgence)

To read: You love reading about  the earth, the environ and animals. You enjoyed Samhita’s Mahabharatha as much as you liked Dr Suess. You read to Aditi when she lets you. You amaze me with your memory. You learnt to recite Miller of the Dee so well and so quickly.

To do:  Kenken, anagrams on miniclip, maths questions, association games, Uno, art/ craft of any kind, skating, cycling, swimming, chess, hoola hoop, badminton, dribbling the ball ( they have all been part of your year). Key board, dancing, singing , traveling (Hampi, Goa, Hyderabad, among others), writing ( progressively lesser) and unfortunately watching TV ( Chota bheem has been dislodged and Amazing Spies are your favorite)

At School:  You enjoy school and fit in well. You have begun folk dance and continue chess. You are not particularly athletic. Your teachers' review of you has been great as a good student and more importantly a concerned classmate. You won the general proficiency award/ Golden Child recognition to prove that.

Socially: Your friend T remains your most cherished one. But you are beginning to make new good friends too as your bday list shows.

Physically: You have lost around 4 - 5 teeth and grown even taller. You got your first pair of specs. And then post a review, few months later, the doc said you did not need glasses.

With family: You are a very loving and lovable accommodating child, a wonderful grandkid and exemplary Akka.

Being Amma, here is my two bit of gyaan-

- Stop bruising yourself so often- be more alert and aware, but don't stop dreaming and questioning

- Be less diplomatic- take a stand, even if it is to disagree with me ( except I have the final word as of now)

- Stay happy always and learn to chill out a bit more. Just so that I know you are seven and not thirty seven.

And you know what? .......ok- let me say it - Love you too much!!

Amma.

Reliving magic

Anush watched Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin's Circus .
The B&W look did not detract from the slapstick.

These are the latest to join the list pioneered by Sound of Music and ET and the songs DD's Ek Chidiya and Que Sera Sera.

The rain a few days back also introduced Singing in the Rain to the girls.

LUV at home

So we own an Ertiga now. It is a mini Innova from the Maruti stable. Practical enough for our needs.

We had the first long drive to Chintamani over the weekend, also had breakfast in Kolar ( Woody's will soon have competition from Adigas).
Seems comfy especially for the kids to stretch out and sleep on the last seat.

First time we have opted for a diesel version. Time will tell.
As for driving comfort- nothing changes for me. ( only because I still do not drive!)

Aditi let me go to the gym today. Do not know if it will translate into freedom from her clinginess and more importantly from the extra kilos.

Anushka's school reopened today and she begins second standard.
Still cant say 'grade' instead of class or standard.
And just in case you want to know-

I would never use luv instead of love though I use u instead of you often.

Coonoor

We had been to Coonor with Navy's side of the family this weekend.

More on the trip later. For now, feast your eyes.

Here is a pic of yours truly years ago.

Aditi shares the stance and Anush the toothless grin and lollipop.

Summer Cool

Got the first batch of small green mangoes for maavadu. The cart was right across our apartment.

Celebrated Navy's star birthday yesterday with home made coconut cookies and gifted him, among other things, the grand finale to the Earth's Children series. I cannot believe I kept off the book for the last 2 months since I wanted it to stay a surprise for him.

Anush went on her maiden solo shopping expedition to the neighbourhood Nilgiris. I could not resist following her, of course, at an appropriate distance. Once she completed the task, i revealed myself and she was not pleased ;-)

Anushka's Puppets of India

Anushka, at age 5, conceptualised and illustrated this work. In the book, Anush undertakes a journey across India with an unusual friend Chinkcha. They meet various types of puppets and generally have fun.

We 'released ' it on her 6th birthday. She had almost forgotten about it by then!

She is exactly six and a half today - as good a day as any to share this with all of you.

Take Heart

Here are Anush's creations for the Heart Theme at Artsy Craftsy this month

A earbud heart, some pipe cleaner hearts ( courtesy Shankari), a heart collage.

We are not too sold on Valentines Day so have not highlighted this to her.

School Run

Both girls are unwell and therefore it remained a quiet weekend.

Aditi had a great review at school at the PTA- left me wondering why she is so difficult at times at home.

Anushka's results at the Maths Olympiad have been declared. She is national 4th and class 1st.

She has quit Abacus midway since she was not enjoying it. Her love for maths remains intact which we felt was more important.

Dancing to Kolaveri

As I recall, my first school picnic had been to Gannavaram airport and the Krishna river side near Vijayawada.

Anush had a wonderful time at her picnic at the Jade resort in Devanahalli. They seem to have eaten a lot as well as played a lot. She won some prize as well for one of the games.

The sore point-
She found it 'unfair' that her team got Kolaveri Di for the dance session they had! To me Kolaveri is a catchy song though some of the words are not okay for kids, but if they don't get the meaning and only use it while humming the song, then I am fine with it. I was surprised that her entire class ( as per her) did not find this song to be a likable dance number.

As some would say, "Good taste-u di" !

Parenting tale

Being a mom teaches me so many things. I am not always sure what I have learnt but I still feel a bit more grown up/ wiser at the end of it.

I was pretty good at reciting poems in my school days. Both memorising and the drama and pauses that come with it. Anush had a poem to memorise and recite a couple of days back at school.

She memorises pretty quick but the rhythm and intonation seemed too sing song/ nursery rhyme like to me.

I kept pushing her to do better and then after a point she declared that she did not want to recite the poem at all, ever.

I did not debate it and was mortified. I tried and distracted her completely successfully after that.

The next morning I just suggested that she enjoy and feel what she is reciting and have fun with it ( yes, I can be pretty persistent) but then I laid off after that.

***********

Here is an Inetrnational Film Fest at our doorstep....hope i can see some at least.

Anush spontaneously recited the poem as we sat there drinking coffee, once again as Navy woke up, yet again as we waited for her bus and did it with such aplomb !

But yes, it is as important to back off as it is to guide.

These are growing young ladies we are talking about, after all!

My name is Alifa...

I am from Srinagar
I speak Kashmiri
But I am just like...... Anushka!!

Anush at her school fancy dress- she WANTED to be a Kashmiri ( easy kid isn't she?)
She sang and danced to Bhoomro ( Mission Kashmir) and stated some facts on the beautiful state - about saffron, apples and chillies, lakes and mountains and the Santoor.

She also went into the final round of the music competition singing Achutam Kesavam.
Final Verdict not yet out on either but she HAD FUN.

Diwali Streamers

Apart from coluring  a dozen diyas or more, this time Anushka and I worked on a lantern  streamer

And my father had managed to light each one up and it looks really gorgeous at night.
Drop in some evening to see it!!

Challenges and Contests

Anush has learnt to cycle without the safety/ side wheels. All thanks to her Thaathu. And her own persistence. I feel immensely relieved since I never learnt to cycle.

As per her worksheets, Anush did extremely well in Hindi as well this time.
She did miserably at a quiz in school but was not miserable about it. Thank God.

*********

I usually stay away from contests if I even remotely feel the need to win. I participate if I know I am not going to win but I will have fun at it. Absurd? Go figure.

There is a new contest up on Women's Web specifically for parenting bloggers : http://www.womensweb.in/articles/passport-healthy-pregnancy-contest/

Here is another one at Karadi on a different note-http://karadionline.blogspot.com/2011/10/read-review-blog.html

Card for all seasons

Anushka, like a lot of kids her age, makes cards for all occasions and people.

There are many get well soon, welcome home cards that keep happening at home.

Here are some that I wish to share for Shruti's Arsty Craftsy:

She did these as farewell cards in her Montessori school

She made this one on paintbrush and wanted to print it

She sketched and coloured this herself for Krishnashtami ( inspired by Ghee happy)

She made this for her school for the Ganesh festival

She used blocks we bought outside Bull temple for this

Will post more as I click them.

Akshar Abhyasam

We celebrated Saraswati puja yesterday and Anushka was proud to make her mother sing at some of the golus we visited.

Today is Vijayadasmi. A few years back on this occasion, we had Anush's Akshar Abhyasam. Given that the child is interested in writing and the written word, we plan to use the same attire on Aditi this time for her Akshar abhyasam ! ( not to mention I forgot to reserve any new outfit for today)

Aditi speaks a lot like most kids her age. She likes to pretend read and enjoys painting/ messing about. S will recall how she kept asking her to" Aditi read" (meaning Aditi wants to be read to)

Never seen her " write" so far though she loves to doodle.

As if she understood the significance of the event, my MIL found her "writing" something with her finger, on a paper, soon after her playing about in the rice grains.

As usual Anushka's typical question" Why can't Amma teach her to write? Why should only Appa do it?"

Here is to Aditi enjoying writing in future.

Framed

Here we go- Anush enjoying the attention!

Sport of the day

Anush's first Sports Day and what fun she had.

She was pleased about everything, most of all with the silver medal and certificate in a Balloon race that was held. Despite her filling in the blanks (in a politically correct manner) that it was more important to participate and have FUN.

She had her first taste of a team rooting for her and was thrilled by the way the prefects showered accolades on her.

I relived my childhood when I saw the yoga and the pyramid builders.

The modern act with hoops was very enchanting and some of the kids were just flawless. Inspired, Anush has got one for herself to practise and perfect over the holidays.

Also very thoughtful was the inclusive way in which a boy with very obvious growth disability was an integral part of the event.

********
Aditi has again taken ill. She missed a school picnic I was looking forward for her to go to. Why do my kids always fall ill around birthday time?

A spectacle of sorts

Once upon a time, long long ago, a young girl of ten was mighty excited. She lived in a suburb in Mumbai and was an only child. Her parents had taken her on a local train to Fort area to a large spectacle shop. She loved the train ride and the promise of the superb noodles restaurant and her favourite corn soup. She dismissed the newly launched Maggi noodles which was such a rage among her classmates.

After choosing a specs frame, the girl excitedly displayed her skills with the fork while handling the noodles in the restaurant and when asked by her folks, seemed thrilled at the prospect of wearing specs.

This girl grew up, got married, had girls of her own. By now she was wearing lenses.

One day, her older six year old accompanied her to the lens shop. On a whim, she got her eyes checked as well.
And it turned out that she needed specs.

A good four years before her mom had got them.

The young girl who was now a mother was almost distraught. She went back in time and realised how excited she had been about wearing specs.

She told herself that she was being a bit silly. While her mind said it was alright, her heart was broken. She had wished for the better eye gene from her husband to pass on to the kids.

But the child's excitement made her put on a brave face. But she knew it would get cumbersome, there would surely be unsolicited comments in store.

She tried to prep the kid and then realised it was uncalled for.

For now, the child is revelling in her new and cool accessory.

What is on the menu?

A pen and some one side paper = one afternoon full of FUN for and with Anushka

You can see she likes watching Masterchef, Fabulous cakes, Highway on my plate.
And she has hardly a clue but a LOT of curiosity about non veg.

And no, she did not mean snack- she meant snake. Though she meant Meat and not meet.

Of Vertebrates and Carbohydrates

A mix up of the meanings of the two words in the title led to some fun last night.
And while we were laughing mercilessly, Anush said " Stop freaking me!"
She sheepishly apologised and said that she had heard the word from a classmate at school!!

*******
Post that Anush was quizzing Aditi on what contains vitamins and what is carbohydrates and so on. Aditi was casually answering Yes and No.

Similarly with vertebrates and invertebrates.

By coincidence she got many right.
So Anush was gushing about how Aditi is sooooo clever!!

Oh the innocence of childhood.