In my opinion.....

In the car when ammA was listening to radio (NPR) about the elections

pAdukA - I know Mitt Romney

ammA - huh? How? eppadi theriyum? (How do you know?)

pAdukA - Ms. Sue sonna (Ms. Sue (pAdukA's teacher) told me)

pAdukA- Ms. Sue sonna Mr Obama President ippo (Ms. Sue said that Mr Obama is President now)

ammA - good job pattu

pAdukA - Election na enna ma? (What is election, ammA?)

ammA explains as much as she can to pAdukA about election.

ammA (wanting to  meddle with pAdukA) - nee yaara choose pannuva pAdukA? Obama va Romney ya? (Whom will you choose pAduka? Obama or Romney?)

pAdukA - no one..

ammA -  yen (why?)

pAdukA - ennakku rende perayum theriyAdhu. naan pesinadhey illai (I do not know both of them. I have not spoken to them)

pAdukA - appA choose pannuvaala ma ? (Will appA choose?)

ammA - yes ma

pAdukA - appA Obama/Romney theriyuma? avAloda oda pesinAlA ketkanum. appo dhaan choose panna mudiyum (I have to ask appA if he  knows them and has spoken to them. Only then can he choose one of them)

ammA - ! (lesson learnt)

appA  and pAdukA discussing about Lord Krishna

appA - paaru pAdukA krishna evaluavu neelam-a irukka (See how blue Lord Krishna is?)

pAdukA listening carefully to all that appA was saying

pAdukA (smiling) - appA, blue va iruppala? ellam pretend dhaane (appA, can someone be blue? All of this is pretend right?)

appA - ! (changing subject:)

(Pictures) November-2012

more pictures here

(Pictures) Sept-Oct-2012

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My timeline :)

I have come a long way as a performer :)  From being shy and running away to standing right in front improvising to the songs :) Looking at these videos, my ammA is getting all nostalgic and  cannot believe that her little girl is growing so fast ! So to help I throw a tantrum to make her feel that I am still a little girl but she gets frustrated and asks me to behave like a big girl! I really don't know what to do..

Here is how I have progressed -

Stage 1 - "I did not know that people will watch when we sing :) Running to safety "

Stage 2 - "Follow the teachers, stay in place, sing and dance." 

Stage 3 - "Stand in front, dance, sing, enjoy and improvise to get attention. :)"

So many ammA-s

I am so confused by the concept of people aging, babies being born and so on. My ammA is even more confused. Here is why I think so

While driving to a shop -

Me - ammA, appA thoppai lerndhu pAppA varumA? (will a baby come out of appA's tummy?)

ammA - no, pAppA appA thoppai lerndhu varAdhu? (no, baby will not come out of appA's tummy?)

Me - yen? (why?)

ammA - appA girl ilai (appA is not a girl)

Me - appo yen thoppai lerndhu varummA (so, will a baby come out of my thoppai?)

ammA - nee big girl-a Anapparam (after you become a big girl)

Me - big girl kalyanam apparam-a? (after I am a married big girl?)

ammA - yes correct

Me - appo yen thoppai lerndhu pAppA, madhura thoppai lerndhu pAppa, madhurA, nAn ellarum serndhu vilaiyAdalAm la? (baby from my tummy, baby from madhurA's tummy, madhurA and I can all play together, right?)

ammA (not answering) - hmmm..??

Me - ilai ammA, appo naraiya ammA vA iruppA. (then there will be so many ammA-s)

ammA - nAn dhAn onnoda madhurA oda ammA evalavu vayasu AnAlum (I am your and madhurA's ammA however old you might be)

Me - yen thoppai lerndhu pAppA vandhA, nAn ammA dhAne, madhurA thoppai lerndhu pAppA vandhA madhurA ammA dhAne? (If a baby comes out of my tummy, I am a ammA and madhurA will be a ammA when a baby comes out of her thoppai)

ammA - (not answering)

Me - appo neraiya ammA dhaane iruppA? (then there will be so many ammA-s?)

ammA - AmAm! (yes) pAdukA, vera edhAvadhu kelu. (ask about something else)

Me - (hmmm... she is as confused as I am. So let me ask something she knows about;) ammA kadaila ennaku edAvadhu vAngithA (ammA please buy something for me in the shop)

(Pictures)July-August-2012

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No smoking

pAdukA gets back from her first day at her summer camp.

pAdukA - ammA, you cannot smoke near me.Go away... smoke away from me!
ammA - uh?
pAdukA - My teacher has told me to tell mommy and daddy to smoke in a corner and not near me.
ammA - enna? (What?)
ammA - smoking na enna theriyumA? (Do you know what smoking is?)
pAdukA gesturing breathing says - idhu dhaan (This is it)
ammA - That's breathing.
ammA thinking to herself  - I thought I had a long time but I have to get ready in a hurry to answer many things starting with smoking!