Monday, January 12, 2009

Conversations with Anjali

Husband was helping Anjali with her potty business last night. As they were washing up, an infinistimally tiny drop of water gets on her pants.
 
"Iram!"
 
Husband looks around and cant find anything. "Where is the iram?"
 
Anjali points to infinistimally small patch on her pants
 
"Kutti iram!"
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Anjali has a new mole, on the fore arm. Its tiny compared to the one on her thighs. But still its surprising that we didnt notice it before. Maybe moles come up later in life.
 
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Anjali wanted me to carry her on the way to a party on Saturday. I picked her up. then we had the standard conversation that we have for Anjali to opt to go to husband.
 
"Anjali, who is mummy carrying?"
 
"Anniya!"
 
"Ok. Who else is mummy carrying?"
 
"No No. Anniya!"
 
"Anjali, is mummy carrying Sophia?"
 
"No No!"
 
"Then who is carrying Sophia?"
 
"Daddy!"
 
Much later that night...
 
"Anjali, where is mummy's hospital bag?"
 
Anjali obiligingly goes and takes the bag from the shelf.
 
"Where will mummy go with the bag?"
 
"dotor!"
 
"What will the doctor do?"
 
"Ooshi!"
 
"No baby. the doctor will not do Ooshi! Doctor will tell Sophia, Sophia Sophia, Out!"
 
"No No! Thoppai!"
 
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Now, i attribute this 180 degree change to two things. Both of which I should have anticipated, given how much Anjali understands of the world around her.
 
The first thing was a new batch of baby clothes, tiny ones in multiple colors which Shree's mom got from India for Sophia. They were very cute tops, in simple cotton, and we were exclaiming oer them on Saturday, and telling Anjali that tehse clothes were for Sophia. Anjali is personally not interested in clothes, but I think somehow the arrival of the clothes made Sophia seem all the more like a real person. This is strange, because we did have other clothes of Sophia on the shelf and I have already explained to Anjali that some of her smaller clothes will be given to Sophia and have put them aside and everything. And Anjali has personally agreed to give her big pooh doll to Sophia (though she does not want to give her stroller - she does not use it- but we have not pushed it.. afterall Sophia will probably be baby worn a lot.)
 
The next thing I think pivoted this is conversations between friends who talk to us about how we will have to take care of the baby and has Anjali began to mix well with the maid, or are we planning to let the maid handle Sophia? We are not planning to do either. but Anjali overheard a conversation with a friend where she mentioned that we should teach the maid to handle the baby and give milk to her and everything, as it will be easier for the maid to handle Sophia than Anjali. But thats a no no in the house and now we need to teach Anjali that no one is going to give her or Sophia over.
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As a consequence, late yesterday night Anjali was playing with me in the bedroom. Anjali is very fond of Sophia. She plays over me as usual, I have been meaing to get the sisterly bonding video taken, but havent gotten round to it, and tried to kick me a couple of times.
 
"Anjali, dont kick mummy in the thoppai, you can kick mummy's leg if you want."
 
Anjali crawls to me.
 
"Rub" and rubs the thoppai.
 
"Kiss"
 
"Ok. Very good"
 
"So Hia!!!" she says, poking the thoppai affectionately.
 
"Thats right. Sophia is going to come out soon."
 
"No No! Thoppai!"
 
"No baby, Sophia will come out, and then Anjali can play with her."
 
"No No!"
 
"THen who will play with Sophia?"
 
"Pom Pom!"
 
"Who will teach Sophia how to bottom jump?"
 
"Pom Pom!"
 
"Who will give boobaa to Sophia?"
 
"Daddy!"
 
So I made her sit down and told her a story of two sisters - Anjali and Sophia and how they love eachh other very much. By the end of the story, Anjali was teaching Sophia everything from how to eat, to how to play to how to swim. And this morning, as usual, Anjali woke up, drank her milk, and poked the thoppai affectionately saying "Sophia, Mummy, Sophia, mummy"
 
Its uphill work, but I have a feeling that we'll make it.
 
 

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