My throat is Sat

I would love for Babs to speak at least 2 languages. I can fluently 4 languages and communicate in 4 others. The advantages for that need not be re-written by me. Since she started school after summer this year, the task is getting more and more difficult for me and G. We try to remind her to talk to us in Hindi but she switches back with no difficulty to English and almost always has to be threatened to translate it for us. There are times when G and I play the silent game where we do not respond to her until she switches language. All this is painful, really.

During New Year's Eve party, Babs and her friend R were screaming their lungs out, dancing, running around, and in general tired. When I sat down to take a break, Babs ran to my lap, relaxed on me and told me in a hoarse voice, "amma, my throat has sat." All of us burst out laughing. She was literally translating, "Mera gala bait gaya," into English.

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While we were in San Francisco for the year end we visited Berkeley a lot. All of us awwed and oohed at the awesome campus that nature had made for the university. Mountains on one side and the bay on the other. Wow! So Babs kept asking what it was, and I told her about the awesome school that Berkeley is...

When we got back to town, I had to get Babs re-updated to school life and I started helping her with spelling and simple addition. While I was folding laundry, she was busy doing her 6 sums, all single digit addition, and it was taking her a lot of time. Suddenly she looked up and asked me, "Amma, which one should I go to? Berkeley or Harvard?"

Me: What? Why would you ask that?

Babs: You tell me that if I study well, I will go to a good school right?

Me: Have you added 1+6 yet?

Ya, I have spoken to her about Harvard, and I threaten her from time to time that if she makes it to a community college then ma, and pa ain't funding her...but I am really hoping that I will not be a parent who is hovering over her child all the time...but who knows...lets see...

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On January 8th, we took Babs to a full length feature (animated) film in a theater. It was a gamble. I was worried that she will talk too much (which she did), and I was worried that I might disturb other patrons (which I did not). I was also worried that I might not enjoy the movie (which I did) and worried that I will never do this again (I am so going to...Beauty and the Beast...here we come!).

The movie was Tintin. I picked up some Quesadilla for her and a lemonade and I made her have her dinner while watching the movie. She had questions from time to time because she did not know who was who and what was what but she whispered most of the time. She was always concerned for Snowy and did not care much for others...

At the end of the movie, she tells me, "I love Tintin."

Ten minutes into the drive home, "Amma tell me about the movie, I did not understand anything."

Two days after the movie, G and Babs were doing Captain Haddock and Red Rackham style sword fight using her thunder sticks! 

I know, she got it...in 5 years she will also memorize all Tintin books like the rest of us! :) Cannot wait to re-read them with her.

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Right now her favorite songs are: Lukka Chupi from RDB,Aadat Se Majboor from Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl. She is always singing one of these songs. I had forced her to learn Yamunai Aatrile but she prefers to sing Lukka Chupi. I am the one singing boy part...and I love to jam with her...although my singing credentials are totally suspect...I love singing with her.

In the last 6 months, she has learnt to color within the lines and also know her alphabets in written form too. She can count a bit and can try and add...though 1+6 to her as E=mc^2 is to me. We are making progress but my hectic work schedule last year completely took me off working with her on anything.

Before I sign off, here is her singing Yamunai Aatrile! Please pardon her pronunciation, though now she has become better at it.

Love,

Your Amma