The Obedience Currency

Appa and I just went to the store to buy some stuff to take to India.

I spotted the cookies aisle and started begging for chocolate chip cookies, and was as usual not surprised to hear "No", "Not now", "Paaduka, please, can you stop bugging?". Appa did not want to budge even when some other shoppers seemed to look approvingly at me.

Hmm.. So, I decided to play his game.

I: Appa, naa nicchayaama sonnapadi keppen (I will surely listen to what you say).

Appa: Hmm.. enna sonnapadi keppai? (What will you obey?)

I: nee saapuDu-naa, naa saapuDuven. (If you ask me to eat, I will)

nee moochaa po naa, naa poven... (If you ask me to go potty, I will)

sure-aa nee Angry Birds viLayaaDu naa naa viLayaaDuven (If you ask me to play Angry Birds I will)

nee chocolate chip cookie saapuDunaa saapuDuven (If you ask me to eat chocolate chip cookies, I will)

Appa laughs aloud and gets me a big back of chocolate chip cookies.

Today, the only currency to buy my parents' support is my Obedience.

(Pictures) October 2011

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My Rani Lakshmi Bai avatar

I know it is a little early to experience bullying at this age but I guess kids start early these days. I went to "Pump it Up" (Aug 2011) with ammA, and was climbing up and down the inflated slide and was having a good time. A group of kids came along to play on the slide. I tried to join the group to have fun. Suddenly a little boy who came behind me on the slide started shouting "hey see here, pirate girl". I did not know if he was talking about me or what it meant. I continued to play while this kid continued to call me "pirate girl.. pirate girl, you are slow, you suck.. move move.." Other kids in the group joined to tease me more. ammA called me aside and asked me to go to a different place to play. I did not budge. I slowly understood that the kids were making fun of me. Every time I climbed in front of the boy who started calling me "pirate girl" and slowed him down and shouted "Don't say pirate girl. My name is pAdukA". After a while, ammA forcefully pulled me away from the play area and took me else where to play. ammA was surprised with my behavior and reported this to appA . Surprise... appA was happy that I stood up against the bullies and said "good job".

yay... Rani Lakshmi Bai indeed...

No bones here!

I put to use the things that I learn. That's the whole point of learning right? But my parents find it funny! Aren't bones a part of a person?

Here is what happened -

appA was trying to make me sleep by narrating a story while lying down in bed next to my crib. As usual appA slept promptly lulled by his own story while I was wide awake. appA rolled over into my "princess" crib bed.

pAdukA (crying loudly) - no bones, no bones

appA (waking up) - enna Acchu (what happened?)

pAdukA - appA bones, appa bones (continues to cry)

appA - purilai dee (I don't understand)

pAdukA - bones potta appa nee (you put your bones)

appA - huh? swapnam-a? (did you dream?)

pAdukA - ila.. nee bones potta. nee poda kudAdhu (you put your bones. you should not put them here) nee ennoda princess bed la onnoda bones potta. podAdhey. ennoda bones mattumdhaan (you put your bones on my princess bed. It is only for my bones)

appA - hahaha(laughed for quite some time)... (my daughter has x-ray vision :) poda mAtten nee thoongu (I won't put my bones, please sleep)

Lesson learnt - Speaking as a matter of fact does not help!

(Pictures) August 2011

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(Pictures) June 2011

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my Newton moment

pAdukA - yen ball mela pottA vizhardhu? (Why does the ball come down when I throw it up?)

[ammA (thinking) "wow! Do I have a Newton at home?"]

ammA gets excited about pAdukA's thoughtful question and gives a simple explanation for gravity.

A few days later, when pAdukA is playing and throwing her ball up..

ammA - pAdukA, yen ball kizha vardhu? (Why does the ball come down?)
pAdukA keeps saying "appaDithaan", and tries to convince ammA that it works like this and there is nothing much to it. ammA keeps pushing to see if she remembers any explanation that she got earlier.

pAdukA gets really frustrated and says "melaye irundhA onnAla ball-a edukka mudiyAdhu illaya? adhunAlla dhaan kizha vardhu" (if the ball stays up you cannot get it thats why it comes down)

"ammA, it's fun to be goofy than a genius :)"

Meet Madhura Shri Rangarajan

As a seasoned blogger, it is my responsibility to introduce a new blogger in the family - my sister, Madhura Shri Rangarajan.

Here is her first post:
http://madhurashri.blogspot.com/2011/06/hello-world.html

BIG sister :) yay....

kutti pAppa...! oops... madhurA ....
kutti pAppa was her name when she was in ammA's tummy and now that she is with us, we call her madhurA. (have to get this into my head:)

Here is how I think she came out

6:00 a.m. - ammA jolts me when she leaves bed in a hurry. There is too much noise and I had to be up
6:15 a.m. - ammA and appA leave me with pAtti and say that pAppA (baby) will come out of ammA's tummy soon if I am a good girl and I can see her in the afternoon. I cry for a brief while and then settle down with pAtti. I do not bug her to put cartoons or take me out.
7:30 a.m. - appA called and I let him know that I finished eating breakfast. appA says "good job" and also pAppA will come out soon.
Around 9:45 a.m. - I spoke to ammA and appA after taking a bath. I did not splash water all over which I love doing.
About 11:15 a.m. - Spoke to appA but ammA did not speak over phone (wonder why she was angry with me?)

I finished eating my lunch without much fuss and was playing memory game, numbers puzzle and cycled around the apartment with pAtti

For some time I did not get a call from appA or ammA but I kept up my good behavior in the hope that pAppA will come out soon. I resisted all urges to draw on the couch, or to cut various pieces of paper and sprinkle them all over.

Around 1:20 p.m. - appA called happily to let me and pAtti know that mAdhurA is here
Around 7:00 p.m. - I met madhurA, my little doll sister. My toy.. :)


All my hard work paid off. What a relief !

Since I was a good girl all day long on June 20th, 2011, madhurA came out soon. I don't know about labor and delivery but I think it is totally over rated than the pain of being a good girl for one full day! Just imagine what I went through to have madhurA with us :)

Anyway, I love my new role as doting and extremely curious BIG sis.

P.S. - I let out some pressure by scribbling all over our dining chair the next day. ahh..back to normal life :)

(Pictures) Hawaii-2011

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(Pictures) March-Apr-May-2011

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more pAdukA- logic...

After wiping and vacuuming the mess that pAdukA made on the carpet

ammA - pAdukA, nee romba paduthara (you are troubling me a lot) amma kku mudhugu valikardhu (my back is aching) ammA later holds her hips in pain

pAdukA (with a lot of sympathy) - ammA, nee koLLu pAtti aattam walking stick vechindA valikAdu. okay ammA.... ( If you use a walking stick like my great grandma, you will not have this pain)

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appA - yaaru Jacob? (who is Jacob?)
pAdukA - avan school la irukkaan (he is at my school)
pAdukA - avanukku shelf ettum (he can reach the shelf)
appA - avan onna vida tall-a? (is he taller than you?)
pAdukA - amaam (yes)
appA - evalavu tall ona vida (how tall is he compared to you?)
pAdukA - enna vida 2 minutes tall, appa (he is 2 minutes taller than me!)

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On the first day of swimming class without parental presence at the swimming pool

ammA - pAdukA, teacher English la pesuvA. (teacher will talk in English)
pAdukA - English na enna (What is English?)
while ammA was trying to figure out how to explain pAdukA quipped
pAdukA - English na "How are you? I am fine" amma

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pAdukA-logic

Now a days people explain the logic behind their decision
when I throw tantrums. Well then, why does my logic bring
laughter rather than serious consideration.

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pAtti - enna venum sApada? dosai or thacchi mammu? (what do you want to eat? Dosai or yogurt rice?)
pAdukA - dosai
pAtti - iru ma nAn ippo vAthu tharen. (Just wait a bit, I will prepare it for you now)
pAdukA - vAthA? nAn dosai dhAn ketten. vAthu tharen sollara pAtti! (vAthu-meaning duck; I asked for dosai. Why are you saying you will give me a duck?)

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pAdukA and ammA are seated in a fully packed plane. pAdukA has been restrained from moving around. Though she has been protesting, she has been staying in her seat playing and doing some activities from her book.

After a while pAdukA removes her seat belt and stands up and jumps on her seat. Just then the air hostess informs that she needs to be seated as the plane was descending.

ammA - pAdukA, sit down.. nee seat la ippo nirkka koodadhu..
pAdukA you cannot stand on the seat now)
pAdukA - naan ivalavu chamathA irundhen illayA? ( I behaved well all this time, right?)
ammA - yes.. good girl-a irundha.. ipppo utkAru (yes you were a good girl. now sit down)
pAdukA - chamathA irundhen illaya.. ippo seat mela nippen ( I was good all this time, so I will stand on the seat now)
ammA - !

Still in birthday celebration mood...

Have started waiting for my 4th birthday already!
I cannot stop singing the birthday song for myself. I celebrated
my birthday at The Little Gym with my friends which includes
Piglet, Pooh bear and Tigger (in the order of preference)
Here are some pictures of the memorable day

Birthday-Feb-20-2011

(Pictures) January 2011

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I speak my mind

I spend most of my time observing things around me and now I have added a good skill to my resume. Expressing my opinion..

Here are a few examples :)

pAdukA is seen asleep in the car at around 6:00 p.m.

ammA - pAdukA is asleep now! inniki rAthri thoonga koothu
adikapordhu (she is going to create problems tonight for sleeping)

pAdukA (after a while) - ammA, pAdukA koothu adikAdhu. kavalai padAdhey,chamatha thoonguven. (ammA, pAdukA will not create trouble. Don't worry, I will sleep)
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pAdukA is down with fever and ear infection and has been prescribed antibiotics. After having the medicine..

pAdukA - Doctor nannA pannirkkA marundhhu, ammA. Pink-a pannirkkA,pAdukA kku pidikum. (Doctor has made the medicine well. She has made it pink and pAdukA likes it)
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pAdukA, pAtti and ammA were going out. pAtti asked thAthA to switch off the stove after a while. On returning home..

pAdukA - thAthA, stove off pannayA? (Did you switch off the stove?)
thAthA (surprised) - pAtti ketkalai. onakku idhu dhaan manasula odindrudhudhA?
(pAtti did not ask. Was this on your mind all the time?)
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