It Must Be The Terrible Twos

I know we must be in the terrible two stage now (she's not two yet). Yesterday I picked up Miss Haana from her daycare and was coming home, Raj and I decided to meet at a neighborhood snack place. We met up there and the little girl was delighted to see "Papa!!" there. The next 30 minutes were spent spraying mom and dad with water from a "water cup" using a straw. 

Anyhow, we left from there to go back home, I put her back in my car, strapped her in the car seat. And that's when it started. She started crying (very loud, angry crying) yelling "Papa!!". I kept my cool and told her he will come home (after a short detour to groceries). But more crying, tears and "Papaaa!!!!" I could give her a stern, dirty look, but that only makes things worse. I just drove back without a word. That was perhaps the longest 10 minute drive I've ever made. She was crying non-stop. On other occasions, I've actually given up on it, taken over by my concern at her being so upset and crying for so long. This time too I was getting concerned but I stuck to my stance - which was don't respond to bad behavior. Even after we arrived at home, the crying continued. To say I was angry, frustrated and just hopping mad would be an understatement! But I ignored. After sometime she calmed down in the familiar surroundings of home and found her toy friends to entertain herself. Soon she came running to me, "Mumma, Mumma", followed by some more words I now forget. Basically signaling it was make-up time, since I'm my cute-cuddly-baby self yet again. For the first time ever, I was not impressed ( usually I'll be the one excited about whatever she speaks and agreeing with her!). I gave her a look and then continued on with what I was doing. She hung around close to the kitchen, sulking. 

Soon Raj came and mom was all but forgotten (I've made peace with that :) ). I  apprised him of the bad deeds. The little girl was happy to have someone who was still talking to her and answering her questions. And then, Raj said "Can you say I'm sorry Mumma". Little girl came up to me and said "Sorry Mumma"!

"Can you give a hug to mumma?"

Little girl came up to me and hugged me tightly.

"Oww! I love you baby!!! I love you" hugs and several kisses after!!!

Yes, that's how it ended. 

What's the Bucket For?

Last two weeks have been rough. The first week- the week of July 4th, Suhaana's day care lady was out on vacation for the entire week. (I found a new home based montessori for the little girl after her -and my favorite daycare lady moved out of state). 

Raj and I took turns taking some time off from work that week. One of the days when I had a few meetings to attend, the little girl came with me to work, played with my co-workers, made new friends, doodled at meetings, watched Barney on my work computer (that had never known YouTube before), played ball, watched battery operated dinosaurs and monkeys and when she was done, climbed on to her stroller to indicate she was done for the day! 

The week after, just as the weekend was wrapping up, my little baby fell sick. She had some cough, trouble swallowing and  fever. And not to say this wasn't bad already, but the cough made her throat particularly scratchy, which in turn made her particularly likely to throw up. 

The onset of the illness itself was sudden. We had gone with a few friends of ours' and Suhaana's to a children's museum where these kids were having a great time. Suhaana finally ran out of her battery life and decided to recharge with a nap in the stroller. She'd been asleep awhile when suddenly she got up with an itch in her throat. I offered water. Declined. Offered milk. Declined. And then came an enormous fountain of puke! By the time I washed her up and we came back home, the poor baby had fever.

Doctor said its a virus that is affecting the throat. Like tonsillitis. So, treat fever and wait it out. That week Raj and I took turns being at home (he spending more time with her than I). 

Meanwhile the throw up bouts continued. And I've not done that much laundry in a long while. Twice a day all pillow covers, bed sheets, blankets, clothes, towels. We were so tired of it! We were finally began to get wiser when we kept a bucket next to the bed when putting her to sleep, to be used to "catch" the throw-up fountain and save us the trouble and work of another round of laundry. 

So the next night while putting her to bed, Suhaana must have thought it mighty strange when on her slightest hiccup Papa pulled out a bucket from behind the bed and placed it right in front of her with lightening speed. At one moment she was being put to bed, cozy bed sheets tucking her in. In the next second, she's made to sit up, blankets, sheets and pillow thrown away, a bucket staring in front of her! 

I bet, as she was blinking her eyes sleepily she wondered what is the bucket doing here on the bed, and why she's staring into it!!

Careful

There's a special affinity women have with footwear, it's known. But Suhaana loves the footwear that I wear particularly.  The moment I take off the shoes I'm wearing, she immediately goes over by the shoe closet, gingerly puts her tiny feet into each shoe and once she's convinced she's worn them as they should be worn, she starts on the tour of the house with *her* new footwear! 

Yesterday when she was walking around wearing my healed shoes, she was almost  about to loose her balance. I was watching her, and was about to leap forward. But I needn't have: 

As soon as she was about to loose her balance, she said "Oh! Careful", she regained her balance, and was busy moving about.

Unexpected Learning

One thing that little Miss Haana did learn from the recent trip to the wildlife conservatory is how to make a long drawn out squeaking sound while giving a flying kiss. She heard Mommy do it many a times while on our drive-thru tour asking the gazelles, antelopes and deers to come closer and get the feed. Now when Mommy asks for a flying kiss, that's what she gets!
And Mommy is not too happy about it!

Antlers

Today was a day well spent. It was  spent at a nearby (within 2 hours' drive) wildlife conservatory which has a scenic wildlife drive through it. We bought a bag of feed from the admission gate and were on our way to meet gazelles, deers, multiple antelope species, audads, giraffes, zebras, emus and ostriches. The initial mile or so we followed the guidelines and threw the feed away from the car for the antelopes or deers to get them.

Later, we got wiser and bolder. The little girl was sitting either next to me or on my lap (we were driving at 5miles an hour or less) and was handing me the feed for me to hand to the deers, antelopes or gazelles. One antelope with massive antlers almost came inside the car to get the next bite of the feed. I blame it on Miss Haana who couldn't hand me the feed fast enough for the antelope. I was leaning away from the window trying to avoid getting licked in the face by this massive four legged and we were laughing! 

Later I tried not to laugh as I turned around and found that when I was not looking, the little girl was beginning to lick the feed and see how it tastes! If these four legged folks like this, it must taste good- she must've thought. I nipped the feed-tasting efforts in the bud, though.

The cheetahs were in an enclosure by themselves, and we were thrilled to find a couple of them very close to our car. When I say 'we' I mean we excluding  Miss Haana. Because when we were marvelling at the cheetahs, she was not impressed- (what kind of cat doesn't even say meaow). While I was hanging outside the car window (we were not allowed to step outside the car) to get good photo of the wild cat, the little girl was fussing about her Minnie Mouse shoe coming off! 

Some days I don't get kids at all!