Au revoir

We got ready to the airport. I was concerned that C will start crying in the last moment. However, C was highly elated and was very happy to leave at last to India. C was trying to help Athai to pack. We told her that Athai cannot carry her all the time during the travel and C should not give any trouble to Athai and C should be nice.... etc. We thought C would start crying when we left the house!
At the airport, C got curious with the weighing machine and was in my way while I loaded the suitcases on it. After getting our suitcases tagged we took the suitcases to the scanner and left them with those guys. C looked at the suitcases longingly and will not leave. We had to explain to her that we will collect the suitcase in Madras later.
While sitting outside the security area, we still thought C would start crying any time. When the time came, C starter walking away, with her backpack, and would not even look back! D and myself waiting outside the security thing to see them pass the security. For five minutes we didnt see them at all. I thought they had moved to their gate. Then D noticed that C was sitting on the floor, trying to tie her shoes, which she had to take off for the security. Then she got up and started walking into the airport without batting a lid.

Red Lobster

C is quite fond of red lobster. C does not even know what kind of food they serve, but always shouted "Red Lobster" when we drove by it on our way to church. D wanted to take C to the red lobster. D thought she would feel really bad for the next 5 months, if she didn't.

C was quite well behaved at the restaurant. She waited patiently for 30 mins and posed for this pic. Then at the table, C wanted to have 'popcorn shrimp' and devoured it without leaving any trace. She also almost ate their ginger / butter / bread. Two of them. C also had a go at their "buttery" spread for her shrimp and d had to stop her from finishing that 'unhealthy' buttery thing!

Going to India

I asked C if she would miss me while in India. She thought for a while and said yes. We both knew she didnt mean it!
She started gathering stuff for the trip and sneaked in lots of stuff into the suitcase. Both D and Grandma have to convince her to leave those stuff here.

Pongal Vizha

We had our pongal vizha yesterday. (15th). C had lots of fun playing with Jeya and Jeevan. During one of the performances, J & J and C starter scrawling between the chairs and in between the audience. Thankfully we were all sitting at the back side of the auditorium and I hope we didnt do too much of damage. C also got attached with Kelly so much, and wanter K to carry her all the time.
C had to go to emergency washroom because she was polluting the surrounding air so much. Later when Jeya went to the bathroom, C tried to follow him!
The kids were supposed to have pizza for dinner, but the pizza guy got delayed. When the pizza guy eventually arrived, there was a huge commotion and all the hungry kids wanted to get a piece. Jones waded through the crowd and got a piece each for J & J and C. In the meantime, C was not to be found. While D was searching for C, C came out of the commotion, with a piece of pizza on her plate, victoriously. We didnt know how she went in, manuered the crowd, and came out with her trophy! We didnt even know how she knew they were distributing pizza!!!

Chucky cheese

We had never taken C to the CC. C didn't even know such thing existed and so it was easy not to take her there! Kelly wanted to take everyone to CC to celebrate Jeevan's bday . C was very happy to see all the play things. When I asked her jokingly whether C wanted to go into the tube of maze on ceiling, C agreed. Even before we realize that, C climbed onto it and went into the tubes.

For sometime we didn't know where she was. Later we spotted her playing on the toy car in one corner. We shouted to her. We were not sure whether she could hear us or whether she was afraid. We waved at her vigorously. She looked at us from that height for a moment and then varnished. D started getting worried. I thought may be we could direct her to the 'exit' by sign language. After some time, we saw her again, this time she didn't have her jacket, but was traveling towards the exit. I shouted to her about the jacket and she vanished again. Later, we saw her with the jacket, standing next to the slide, that led to the exit from the maze.

I shouted to her to slide and that I would catch her. She was not convinced. The slide was dark and fully enclosed, and so, C could not see where it ended and was a bit scared.

D got really worried and was nasty with me. She even threatened that she would get into the maze herself, (with her big pregnant stomach, and all) to rescue her baby. The tube was so small for adults. I talked to a employee and asked her what do we do if a baby gets stuck in there. I was hoping there was a attic door or something. But she told me, without laughing,  that we had to get into the tubes ourselves.

By this time, C has started scrawling in the opposite direction to find another path to freedom. She vanished from us again for sometime. Again, I thought, it would be interesting to guide C to safety just by giving oral and sign instructions. So, I started searching for C to locate her.

In the mean time, D explained the situation to another girl kid and asked her to help C (the kid with the brown jacket). this other kid had already done 3 or 4 trips through the maze and so, was well versed with the maze (and she also knew of a kid that would not slide at the end of the tunnel!)

When this akka came and asked C to slide with her, C immediately obliged and came down! D was still angry that I didn't go into the maze myself to save our daughter!

குண்டாயிருவேன்

This happened a long time ago. (may be 6 months?)

Night during supper, I told D that I wanted to limit the amount of rice I eat so that I don't get fat. I didnt know C was listening to our conversation.

When the time came for C to eat dinner, D asked C to come to and eat rice. C, lying on the sofa, said, “Rice vendaam…gundaayiruven!”

These days she likes rice a lot and wants to eat it instead of other stuff like idly, dosai, etc sometimes. C does not mix any kozhambu in her rice tho’. She likes to eat it plain!

சண்டை போடுங்க!

Because of our abundance love for C, we typically call her with different pet names. I say “panni kutti”, “kutti pappa”, and D says “pottu kutti” and Athai says “kutti thangam”, etc.

We have been aware of C’s “jealousy game” in which she would tell me that “நான் அம்மா பிள்ளை” and see if I get irritated. Some other time she would say “Chantel loves amma” and would explore my face for hints of jealously. It was a tacit understanding that I had to tell C either (a) “amma loves appa” or (b) “appa loves amma”. If D was nearby, she could participate in the game by giving similar responses.

Yesterday night, C told me that she was “amma’s pottu kutti”. When C didnt get any response from me, C turned to D and told her: “naan appa’s kutti pappa”. When D didnt respond, C looked at both of us imploringly and then said, “சண்டை போடுங்க!”

Sleeping mode

Duane and Treena visited today. C was very shy to even come down at first. She would pretend to be asleep and would not even face D and T. However, within 5 minutes, C became alright, and started showing Treena her princess set, boots and books. She even made Treena read a story book for her.

As the day progressed, C slowly got into her ‘sleeping mode’. Sleeping mode sounds innocent. But it really isn't. First sign is: She stops listening to us. (since she does this once in a while, we cannot typically catch it). Then she starts crying for nothing and then she picks stuff from her “princess box” and throws / scatters them around. Then she starts saying that she wants to eat this and that, but she really does not want to. So, for instance, she would get a chappathi, bite it, and then leave it on the carpet.

The mode culminates, when she picks up her pillow and some spot and lies down and goes to sleep.