Oh What do I write about Medha, my firstborn, when I’m still trying to figure her out myself?!?! There have been times when I have felt like asking her, “Who ARE you?” Seriously! She’s so unlike me, that I find it hard to believe she came from me! Medha is a riddle I’m trying to solve, and boy I can tell you I’m enjoying the challenge, even though it is quite frustrating at times!

Can’t believe she is 8 already. She’s come so far from being a scrawny and colicky baby who used to drive me to tears with her constant crying. She’s in 3rd grade now. She’s taking Taekwondo lessons and practices her kicks and other moves on us. She’s a total foodie. She won’t tell you, but I know she’s fond of her brother. She simply loves babies, especially Neel.

Medha loves watching TV. She can watch it all day long if we let her! Like Kevin who says “I’m 10 years old. TV is my life.” in Home Alone, TV is her life too, which can make this mama go crazy! Animated movies, chick-flicks, cooking shows (especially baking) and travel shows are her favorites.

She pesters me to buy something for her whenever we go out shopping. She won’t ask for clothes or books, nah nah, it’s the make-up stuff and candies! Medha loves make up and draping herself with scarves, adorning her head with a tiara and walking around the house like a princess. Oh! And her little brother, who kinda worships her, is ready to take on the role of a prince or servant or whatever suits her highness’ fancy!

These days she’s into making a lot of money. Our budding entrepreneur goes around serving lemonade that she herself prepares or giving massages or facials to whoever is willing to pay her a buck or two, preferably in US Dollars!

Medha is more of an outdoor person than indoors. She loves the jungles and safaris. Oh she doesn’t mind going to the neighborhood shop even. She just loves to be out and about.

And when she comes to me as I type this and I tell her I’m writing about her monkey business, she tells me, “You always talk about my monkey business. You never see my good side.”, that hits me hard. Am I really? This girl doesn’t have to punch me to make me stagger. So small yet such big words!

She can be sassy when she says “Why are YOU so happy about Papa coming home early? Don’t you see him everyday? I’m happy, but not like,’Yayyy! Papa’s coming!’ kinda happy!”

A Firecracker, this one!

You know, sometimes I share my thoughts and feelings with her and she comprehends them (mostly) and gives her own inputs. I feel she’s emotionally capable of handling big conversations. She’s empathetic, she feels for others’ pain and responds with compassion. When someone was being mean with her she asked him how it felt if someone did the same to him. Wouldn’t it hurt him too?

I think of her as a Wildflower sometime – exotic but rugged, beautiful yet adaptable, someone my Grandma, who wanted so much for us to be ever-smiling and pleasing towards everyone, would have simply adored, had she been alive.

I used to think she would struggle to cope with her studies, what with her monkey mind and her lack of interest in some of the subjects, but with steady, everyday, bit-by-bit learning and relearning, she’s not just scraping through but a straight A student now. Her award for proficiency says so! But what truly made me happy was when she won an award for having a “Golden Heart”! Yeah! That’s my girl!

-Manasa.

My littlest isn’t too little anymore! He turned 5 a few days ago and tells me 5 years has been fun so far! He is tall; he’s skinny; he has the biggest, most teeth- and gum-baring smile of all. But don’t be fooled by his stick-like appearance! Thanks to the taekwondo lessons he’s been going to, he has the guts, the strength to take on his big sis, who also goes to the same class, in fights.

He didn’t cry one bit when he got his shots, which surprised the doc. He said most 5 year olds throw up a ruckus when they are being vaccinated.

But… But… He’s a chicken in some other ways, mind you. He still sleeps with us or his grandparents instead of in his own bed!

His curiosity, the questions he comes up with about the world and beyond, the ways in which his little brain works and the amazing connections it makes between thoughts and ideas, continue to surprise us.

Being the youngest, it’s a wonder that he loves babies so much! It was cute to watch him dote on his little brother, Neel. He would sing lullabies to soothe him and act silly to get him to eat. It was equally a delight to watch the adoration in Neel’s eyes for his ‘big’ brother.

He follows his sister around like a little lamb. And everywhere that Medha goes, the lamb is sure to go!

Madhav knows I’m a crybaby, so anytime a sad scene plays on TV, he’s all eyes on me, ready to console. He can’t bear to see his sister in tears too. He will do anything to make her feel better even though he would have tortured and made her cry in the first place!

His favorite pastime is to make cards for his little cousins. He drops them in our post box and waits for the postman to pick it up and deliver them. And wonders why they don’t write him back!

It feels like only a few days back he began talking, but now he’s quite fluent in Kannada, getting better at English and knows a smattering of Telugu too, although he still babbles. He even gets selected for speeches at school! What?!?

He has God on his speed dial whom he calls upon whenever in need, especially when he’s playing and is determined to win. The sweet thing is he prays for everyone.

Madhav at 5 loves to write, like, All. The. Time and becomes restless when he’s unable to. I wonder who he gets that from! 🙂

-Manasa