Unfriendly Neighborhood Ducks

The ducks in our neighborhood are not the friendly kind. That's what I learnt the other day:

I looked out from the living room window one evening and saw two ducks crossing the front yard gate. Evening stroll. I immediately jumped up. So far Suhaana has only seen ducks from afar on the lake. But here they are on the front gate, this was different!

I called out to the little girl and opened the door to show her the ducks on the front gate. I didn't even have a chance to put her slippers on and she was gone!

She ran behind the ducks, who seemed mildly amused but kept a few feet's safe distance. But my little girl was too excited to pay heed to that. She ran behind them and pointed an excited finger at them: "Duck! Duck!".

The ducks were slowly moving to keep a constant few feet's distance with the pesky child. But the little baby was persistent! She ran behind them for a long distance. When they quacked, she even quacked back at them to initiate familiarity. "Quack quack!" she shouted! I ran behind the three of them (two ducks and a little girl) laughing at the cuteness of it all.

Evidently the ducks didn't appreciate the intrusion, and eventually realized they can't shake off the child so they flew away. Poor Suhaana kept calling "Hey Ducks! Ducks!" after them but they were gone. Mumma had to console the baby the ducks have gone to bed, and now it's the baby's turn; and returned home.

Friendly ducks they were not!

Doll House

I went to pick up Suhaana from the home day care where she spends her days these days and like everyday found myself in the middle of a new story. The lady's younger 4 year old daughter has recently acquired a 3 story doll house. It features bathroom and sitting area on the first floor, an elevator to get to the second floor, staircase in case of emergency, bedroom with a bed, mattress, pillows, carpet, a sitting area and balcony on the third floor. Basically, the works!

The 4 year old was aching to show 'Aunty' (me) her doll house. When we got to it, and I was marveling at the sophistication of her doll house, Suhaana was busy appreciating it on her own as well.  For starters, the concept of a doll has not exactly crossed her mind, and she hasn't seen anyone even smaller than her, so the 2 inch wide chair has to fit her somehow. Poor girl kept trying to sit on the chair, then the table (also 2 inch wide), but couldn't fathom why she doesn't fit. Then there were the stairs. She knew the stairs, and these ones are not even barricaded behind gates like the ones at home! She tried to keep her foot on the miniature stairs, but unlike the ones at home (and everywhere else), her single foot now spanned as many as 4 stairs! How could that be?

Finally when it was clear Suhaana cannot climb the doll house stairs, she settled and let the little doll climb the stairs. But then, it looked just too good to be true - stairs or not, she was going in. So she did what she does everyday at home on the couch. She climbed up-  on the second floor of the doll house - she, barely able to sit up in it; we, barely able to keep a straight face as we watched her get into the doll house!! It was hilarious! Finally only when Mumma was leaving the room and the possibility that Mommy might leave her and go home surfaced in her mind, did she grudgingly left the doll house alone and left the room.

I have a feeling - I see doll houses in my future!

State of the House

These days it's normal to find my lunch bag in front of the tv. Kitchen cutlery strewn on the living room floor. Kitchen rags on the sofa. My cellphone lying forgotten on the pantry floor. Suhaana's toys all over the house!

But even more favored are my house slippers. Daily, they are hunted down, talked to, aligned, gingerly worn by tiny toes and taken on a ride (although only one of them is taken) half way around the house.