The Prefect at Home

Dear Sakkti Velan,

Thank you for helping me look after Eshvarhen. You're a real gem when you run off to take the nappy rash cream because Eshvarhen has developed a nappy rash. I think you're begining to love you little brother even though it seems to me that he's learning to pick a fight with you now.

I tickles me to note your concern on whether Eshvahren has slept off in the car, or if he has finished all of his milk.

Appa says you're like a little Prefect at home. I think you're just being bossy, and it's extremely cute.

Hugs,
Amma

Bone Chill

It's just amazing how cold I feel at this stage of my life. I feel cold in the mornings, and I feel cold when I bathe. I feel cold at night when I sleep.Amma's not really convinced, she keeps telling me she'll put me in the fridge if I keep yelling " I'm cold, I'm cold!", and she's always shutting my jaw shut when it clatters.

Cotton & Plastic

Dear Bumi Matha,

I've recently developed a passion for dressing myself up when I go out. I have become very particular about ensuring I wear only jeans when I leave the house, and my favourite shirt would be the blue striped turtle neck. And i always insist on my favourite pair of bron shoes.

Sometimes, i just like to wear the jeans at home to, just for the fun of it.

I have also become very fond of playing with pistols and guns. Everytime I see an object move on the television, I have the urge to grabp the pistol from my toy basket and shoot these things. I find that Sevanthi and Venmathi don't really appreciate the gun game, so I end up playing alone sometimes.

Guess I'll have to wait for Thambi to grow up a bit more so that he can play pistols and guns with me. Sigh** I just wish he'd hurry up and grow up.

Will write soon.

Gold Digger

Dear Small Tiger,


Please stop digging your nose, son, it's not a very appropriate thing to do. And not that macho after all. Your Mina patti is so convinced you're going to enlarge your beautiful nose and make it ugly. Please stop worrying her.


You're not well again, but at least they didn't nab you this time, I guess you're growing older after all.


Just a note that your questions and speech are growing with you, and there are times when I wish you'd stop asking so many questions when we watch Animal Planet together. Also, I wish you'd understand that advertisements are all part of the episode we're viewing on snakes and I did not purposely change the channel.


Your mother's teaching you matching and spot the difference, and she tells me very proudly that you can do them so well. I pretend that it's an easy achievement, but I'm glowing with pride myself too, son.


Alright, Small Tiger. Let's go play some ball.


Hug always,
Big Lion

Kadhal Anukkal....

This song is Amma's ring tone. And I love singing along to it. Heard of it, it's from Enthiran, "Kadhal anukkal, udambil ettanai....neutron, electron, un neela kannil motham ettanai......"

Amma's teaching me some mantras, and I can sing the first paragraph of "Narayan, Narayan, Bhajomane Narayan" bhajan.

Thambi sings too, but his lyrics are the same for all his songs, " ahh....ahh...ahh....ahh.....ahhh...stamping his feet....ahh...ahh....ahh..".

The Bandaged Cameraman

Dear Sakkti Velan,


You're smart enought to ask for the camera now, and you can actually take some shots. We need to work on your focus, though, son, it seems a bit off. Either way, you make me proud, Small Tiger, you know that. Don't fight with you Amma and tell her that, "Sekala, po," I know you don't want to be friends with her because she wouldn't give you the camera, but I think she's just worried that you might drop it.


You're also using our "handphone" quite well, making imaginary calls to me and you Amma and whoever it is that you keep asking, "engge irukke?"


But why the bandage? Are you really having the aches in your legs and hands as you claim, or do you just like the fact that your Amma patiently bandages any part that seems to be "aching"


Well, I guess you're growing up, Small tiger.Stay you.


Love always,
Big Lion

Sweets, Ice cream, butter and cheese

I just love ice-cream and sweets.

SO when Amma's leaves to work, I always ORDER for sweets to be bought back. If I forget to tell her when she leaves, I'll run out to the gate to remind her about buying me the ice cream. If Amma doesn't buy me sweets, she'll buy me ice cream. MMMMmmmmm......yummy

Amma asked to log down that at the moment, my list of likes has increased to eating butter from the tub, eating peanut butter, eating cheese and drinking Vitagen. Mina patti always scolds me for being picky about my food, it seems Thambi eats everything.

That's why he ate the paint on the grill and fell sick for a whole week.

If you ask me, better be picky than sorry. Ahem.

Sun babes

Dear Bumi Matha,


Amma weighed me again yesterday, and I'm 13.5kg. I don't know what my height now is, but Amma told me that I have grown so much taller.

We went to the beach again yesterday, and Eshvarhen really enjoyed the water. He even ate some sand, just for fun. I was a little afraid, but with some help from Appa, I was soon playing in the water again, catching the little crabs as they tried to swim away quickly in the shallow retreating tide.

Now, Thambi and I have got a sunburn, and Amma says we don't look like her children =).

Hehehehe.......bub bye!

Baby wipes, bags, football

Dear Bumi Matha,


I like playing with baby wipes. I lfind endless joy just to fold them evenly into half and then into quarters. And sometimes I use these wipes to clean my bike or my BMW. Amma says the wipes are very expensive, but she gives me one piece each time I ask her for it, anyway.....*shrugs*

I won against Appa in the football match again last night. I scored 8 goals. The game’s very straight forward- I just have to kick the ball into the goal post which Appa is protecting. Appa says I have a good aim, and a strong leg. He’s asking me to practice with my left leg now.

Appa bought me my first school bag yesterday. It’s got a big tiger on top of it. I shall use it when I go to the zoo to watch the animals. For now, I’m carrying my stuffed dog in it.

Yawn….okay…got to go…tleepy…need to tleep. Good night.

Annai and me

Dearest Annai,

I just love to see you in the morning, all so sleepy and completely unable to open your eyes when Amma keeps asking you to drink your milk. I hope to grow up to be you one day.*wink*
I like it when we play hide-and-seek....and Amma asks me, "Ehsvarhen, engge Annai?"...then I will go crawling to where you have hidden yourself, cock my head sideways and smile.

Please don’t fight with me to sit on Amma’s lap. And if you sit on Appa’s lap, you know I’m going to come and sit there too. Wish you and Appa would let me play the football games you both play. Amma’s always got me stuck next to her on the couch when you both play.

I can say “Appa”…it’s my favourite word. Could you say Appa when you were eleven months old? Think you could. Heard it was your first word too…….. * high five*

I think the pottu game Amma plays with me is really cool. I could spend a really long time concentrated on the game, just so I can take the pottu off my leg and put in in my mouth. As I do that, I look quickly at Amma to see if she's going to stop me from doing it, and yeap, she does. She takes the pottu away and sticks it back on leg again, and I spent time again trying to get it out.


I love you, even though you push me down or poke me in the back all the time. * sigh* . I guess that's how you show me that you love me too.

Hugs always,
Eshvarhen

Cry Baby

Eshvarhen, please don’t cry as if Amma is going to leave you. She’s just going to get your milk. She’s going to think I pushed you or something. Then who’s going to get the scolding?

Even if I did push you or pull you, you should not cry. I’m just “playing”. Be a sport.

Love,
Annai

What colour?

Dearest baby Sakkti Velan,


You always ask me, “What colour?” “What colour, Amma”….you say, pointing to everything. And if I ever ask you back the same question, you tell me its “green” colour. Always green colour.


But I’m happy to report that recently, the selection of your colours have improved to “yellow”, an occasional “orange” and now “red”.


No worries, son…you just go right ahead and ask me. I’ll tell you “what colour”


Love,
Amma

On my 3rd birthday....

Dear Bumi Matha,

Dear Bumi Matha,

Today I turned 3. I had an animal themed cake, and I sang my own birthday song. Amirthinee helped to blow out my three candles. I’m 96cm and 12.5kg. Maybe a little underweight, but cheeky and handsome all the same. Oh, did I mention I have a new cousin? Amirthinee’s sister, Akseeya, joined the clan on the 4th of June.

I can speak well now. I understand everything you say to me in English and Tamil, and if I don’t know something, I can tell you that too. Amma’s teaching me how to say “satu, dua, tiga, empat” and I’m leaning to write “A” and “B”. But to tell you the truth, I prefer to just play with my belt or the watch Tata gave me for my birthday. But I love to read books. Especially if they have pictures of animals in them. Tata gave me a book about dinosaurs and Nithi Mama gave me a book about dogs.

And oh, did I tell you about my BMW?!!!!!!!! My very first red 5 series, remote control or pedal, battery operated…..and it’s just so funky. Thambi get’s to ride in it with me too. Thanks to Appa.

To Cameron Highlands & the Lost World of Tambun

Dear Small Tiger,

I know you love animals, son, because you’re forever watching Animal Planet on television. You make me proud when you list all the animal names you know, I know you’re definitely mine…..=)
But why did you cry today when the birds sat on your hand? All they wanted to do was eat the grains off you hands. Anyway, I’m glad you tried, and I know the next time you come, you’ll be bigger and braver.

You swim like a fish in the pool at home, but I don’t understand why you freak out when you come to a public pool. Is it the people there who scare you, son? Anyway, again, I’m sure you’ll grow out of it. So we’ll come again, don’t you worry.

I won't even ask if you enjoyed the carousel, I know you did.

Good night, son. We’ll definitely make more trips to see more animals.

Hugs always,
Big Lion

Appa, Me and Thambi

I rode a pony

Dear Thambi,

On the 1st of May in the year 2010, I rode a pony. And I did not even need to hold Appa’s hand. It’s quite cool once you get the hand of it, the pony just bounces you left and ride so you also bounce left, right, left, right, left, right…….hmmm

And then I fed the monkeys, it ate right out of my hands. I hope they don’t get sick on the Twisties…….

You can ride the pony and feed the monkeys when you grow bigger. you're too small now.

You know I love you,
Annai

Shankerii's Hair Shaving Ceremony

Oh my goodness...the barber just shaved ALL Shankarii's hair off. Just like how he shaved Eshvarhen's hair off not long ago. And Shankerii slept right through it.

Now poor Shankarii is BALD!.....*sigh* sorry, there was nothing I could do to save you, Shankarii. We'll just have to wait for nature to take its course and your hair grows back naturally.

With love to Rita Attai

Amma was sick on the 9th of April. I was supposed to sing her a Happy Birthday song, but I did not get a chance to. After Amma was diagnosed with chicken pox, Eshvarhen and I went to stay in Rita Attai's house.

Rita Attai is Appa's elder sister, and I think Eshvarhen and I are quite blessed to have an aunt like her. I used to be her pet, until Jettendra came along. I know she still loves me the same, but I have to occasionally remind her that I need to be carried more often. All I have to do is sit on Jettendra a while and I will have her total attention for the next one hour.

Attai never really scolds me, but when she does, I just ignore her. Like there was one incident when she scolded me because I tried to beat Jettendra.....so when she came home, I pointedly told her that I was watching cartoon, and that she will have to take the keys by herself to open the door and come in. That little episode didn't go too well for me. Patti really gave me a scolding.

I can open the doors now, althought Amma has warned me many times not too. You see, I'm 97 cm now, and that means I'm pretty tall, right? The doctor told Amma that I'm underweight, because I only weight 12kg. She keeps telling me she wonders where all the food that I eat goes too.......the food goes into the mouth, Amma. That's where all food go to.

Rita Attai also tells me that I talk too much. Whatever.....

Obviously when people spank me (for being naughty, I guess), I need to know why....so am I in the wrong when I ask Patti or Appa why they spank me when they do? Does that count as talking back?

I also don't like it when people shout at me......so I ask them that too. The thing is, when I ask, "Why are you shouting at me?" , everyone just laughs at me.....does my serious question appear to them as funny? I guess you should know that I don't like it when Eshvarhen screams ( Amma said it's called "cooing" ) at me..... I just have to yelp like a dog at him, and he starts crying. And...**sigh*** I get a scolding. Gosh, what an unfair situation!

I did ask Patti where Amma was, but Patti said that Amma was sick. I did not see Amma for two whole weeks, but I guess since my beautiful Rita Attai was there, it helped me miss my Amma a bit less.

Shankerii

Dear Bumi Matha,

I got a new cousin today. We went to see her ta the hospital, and she was REALLY tiny. She was wrapped up in a balnket, and she was turning her head from side to side. I stood on the chair and looked at her, and then I looked at my Nithi Mama.

Amma said that that the baby was Mama's baby. Amma doesn't know it, but I am Mama's baby.

When it was time to go home, I thought we were going to take the baby home with us. I creid a little bit because I wanted the baby to come home with me. But she stayed in the hospital while we went home to Puchong.

In three days, we would all know the baby as Shankarii.......welcome to the clan,Shankarii......Ehsvarhen and I will teach you all the tricks, you just grow up first.

Poiyitthu Vaa Maa....Pattharamna Poiyitthu Vaa....

"Poiyitthu Vaa Maa....Pattharamna Poiyitthu Vaa...."

And this is what I told Amma this morning when she told me she was going to work.

Another note for Sakkti Velan

Dear Sakkti Velan,

Hello,son, Amma hasn't been writing to you in a while, but I guess today is as good a day to write....

Well, you're 2 years and 8 months old, and you sing all the time, baby! You sing along with the tv, you sing along with the radio and you sing along when I sing Eshvarhen his lullabies. If I never come around to telling you, baby, please know that I AM JUST SO PROUD OF YOU! You've got the music in you, alright=). Please NEVER forget that you could sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star completely with such clarity at this age that leaves me speecless....

Anyway, you're very busy these days with your play dough and your "house" games. You like to build a house for yourself with the cushions and bolsters, and you can keep yourself occupied that way for a really long time.

When you're not playing with the dough or playing house, you're watching TV. Your craze at this moment is the Donald Duck cartoon home and the Superman cartoon at Ammama's house. You can even tell me how the DVD player works.

Oh, did I mention you love crocodiles. It's probably because Appa watches the documentary channel with you ( I also suspect it's genetical). You also keep asking us to show you the zebra, which actually means you want to go to the zoo.

You understand all conversations in Tamil and English, to a point that Appa and I speak in Malay if we don't want you to understand the conversation.

You're crazy about your brother-- I know you don't like it when he takes your toys, but you look for him whenever he's missing.

You've also got a temper.......and we're doing all we can to check it now so it does not get out of hand.

Alright, baby, I think I've jotted down enough for now. Keep singing, baby.

Hugs Always,
Amma

A cushion called Eshvarhen

Hello Bumi Matha,

Amma caught me sitting on Eshvarhen today. I was just trying out to see if Thambi could stand my weight. He didn't cry, so I figured he must be okay......

Oh, did I mention that Amma was FURIOUS when she walked back into the hall and caught me sitting on Ehsvarhen?

I got a REALLY big scolding for that little stint....=)

From Annai to Eshvarhen

Thambi,

You have to understand that eating your toys is no way of showing any affection towards them.....it's unhealthy...plus, in case nobody has pointed it out to you yet, you have no teeth....so no point in stuffing something in your mouth when you can't even chew it, right?

Anyway, for your information, MY toys are MINE. And right now, I can see that you're trying your hardest to grab my Play Dough. I wish to reinstate that it's a bad idea....it's MINE!

Thank you.

You know I love you,
Annai

Adjusting to Eshvarhen

Dear Sakkti Velan,

Your Amma thought it may be a good idea for me to be part of this blog, and so I shall be....

When you grow up, I need you to remember how you slowly grew to adapt to Eshvarhen being at home with us.

Initially, when Amma and I brought Eshvarhen home, you were very insecure. Amma and I had discussed repeatedly on how we should treat you when your little brother comes along, but there’s never an ideal way to deal with someone your age.

At two years and two months, you probably did not understand that no matter how many brother’s and sisters you will eventually get, you will always be my firstborn, and hence dear to me always. I suppose the fact that Rita Attai ALSO had a newborn in her house made things difficult for you, because you were the baby in TWO houses before Eshvarhen and Jeethendra were born, and your “babyship” got uprooted both at once.

For the first few days after Eshvarhen came back from the hospital, you would get out of bed in the morning and stand in front of Eshvarhen’s cot and ask me to turn Eshvarhen’s head so that he will look at you. You kept saying, “ Appa, baby paarku, baby na paarku”…I guess that meant you wanted the baby to see you. I obliged each time you asked so that you would be happy.

You refused to allow Eshvarhen to be put in your rocker, and you would wail and throw a tantrum each time. After Mina Patti and your Amma ignored you a couple of your tantrums, you settled down and allowed Eshvarhen to be out in the rocker.

You also insisted that we put Eshvarhen on your lap, which we did, and you would kiss Eshvarhen on his head, gently. But when I carry Eshvarhen you would press yourself on him until it hurt him, just a way for you to show your insecurity.

Your Amma sent you to stay with Ammama for a couple of days, but that did not help to reduce the insecurity. When you came home, you feared seeing Ammama in our house because you thought that you were going to get sent there again.

After the first two months, you begin to tell me that your thambi’s name is Eshvarhen, and you would ask me each time we took you out if Eshvarhen was coming along.

Anyway, Small Tiger, I know you’ll be just fine, and that you’ll always be a loving brother to Ehsvarhen. You have become the leader of the Devendren troop! Such a big responsibility on such small shoulders.

Always the Big Lion,
Appa