Thirty chicks

Anna turned two yesterday. Well it hardly mattered at all to her. To us, the big three, it was different. So, Ri and me... each of us wanted to celebrate in our own way...

Ri took some chocolate wafers for her pals... Sony was smart enough to get the date ladoos from the world's best bakery, Jayabarathi Bakery in Thalasserry and I took my favourite Lebanese sweets which Amma sent us exclusively from Bahrain. To share with very close pals...

Anna hardly ate any of those stuff. But she liked her new musical toys ... a Barbie doll dressed like Paris Hilton singing in the most hilarious male voice 'meri shaadi karaade'! A green swing and a funny cow with hooplahs! She was also happy about the colourful dresses and the clips to match.

In the past 730 days with us, Anna has gained herself a very comfortable place in Ria's life . She is more than just her sister... I would call her a sponge, absorbing most of the otherwise frequent domestic confrontations. There is a personal level of restraint and control that each of us are bringing into our attitudes, actions and apprehensions just because of this tiny soul orbiting around us.

In every way, Anna has made Ria a better teacher and she is very receptive to what ever Ri says.. Well this little angel has her own moments of revolting and she can be a devil at that, with no reprieve what-so-ever. And yes Anna has her own way of expressing her displeasure too... "Aaara geela gilli gilli"( Sorry no translation available). The phrase is applicable to all instances of discontent... major or minor!

Talking of being a good teacher, it is Ria who taught Anna to say her name in full - Jia Ann Mathew... which Anna is very particular about as she prefers being called "Jia Anna Maathyu" with a quick nod of the head that makes her chin rest on her chest. Ria also taught her to count one, five and ten on her fingers.... When Ria starts one Anna automatically counts two... then there's three and Anna's four ... That's it... Five to ten is further Ria's responsibility!

I was happy for another bit of Ria's teaching skills. Preparing Anna for a normal response on her second birthday, she taught Anna to say TWO flashing out her two index fingers as the Umpire would happily call a six to Sachin's blast into the gallery. Having underwent teacher training myself, I would rate this exercise of Ri as a beautiful piece of sensory learning - coordinating sound, skill and imagery!  A full ten to her for planning that lesson so well and achieving her objective so creatively.

And as we were dressing for the dinner party, I thought it was the end of the demo for the day... Ri then proudly asked Anna to say how old is Amma... oh oh! that's me folks... Its not your guess that matters here, nor the one or two greys that Im concealing with the henna wash for my loooong hair every quarter... neither my Olay total effects that has been doing wonders for my skin...

The age-defying answer was pronounced by my two year old...and I was happy at the chweetest way Anna said it... Thirty Chicks!

Anna deserved a hug. And Ri, deserved two. Its nice to be thirty-chicks and a happy mother of two. Touch-wood!