Virtually devoted

I really needed a jump start today; because the week has started and yet I feel like I am not ready to roll. The events of last week seem to taken a physical toll on me too. My caffeine shot doesn’t seem to be doing its job, so I looked desperately for something.

All of a sudden it came right to me in the form of a song. Well no, the song wasn’t in my head but came from my toddler. What is a better ‘pick-me-upper’ than the thoughts of a 4 yr old?

The song went like this “Khuh …khuh tomato, khuh… khuh leaf”.

This song made perfect sense to me right away. Let me explain why-

For the longest time I and my little one have been desperately trying to learn the alphabet phonetically. (I know most of u moms are shaking your heads because you know where this is headed)

This verbal tussle often leaves her exasperated because she still is trying to figure out how to connect the sound to the letter. I know in my head that it needs just an instant for the logic to set in, and yet to my dismay I often end up correcting her like I had to this morning with her “ khuh khuh tomato”( K for tomato). As I was doing just that, it took me back to one of the sweetest memories that cheered me up in no time.

A while back, when she first started showing signs of readiness, we decided to get refrigerator magnets to make the learning process more fun and enjoyable. We got her a bag of 72 magnets which had numbers and letters. Since she was following me everywhere, I realised that this bag of magnets was just what we needed. I figured it to be a fair exchange as I did not have to trip over her if she played in one corner with these and the added bonus of enjoying every bit of her 2 feet and some inches being close to me as I handled most of my work.

I even pictured msyelf brimming with pride at her discoveries, as I paid for the bag of magnets at the counter. She was so ecstatic, when we got home and opened the bag. The two were inseperable! She would patiently arrange all the 72 magnets onto the fridge door and then put them all back into her bag all the while singing her version- “aa, bhub, shee, Mun(1) thoo (2), tee(3)……elevnteen, photeeen” for hours on end.

She was just 2 then. I melted everytime at her rendition of ‘the song’ for a month or so and then decided to chime in, jumping at the opportuniy to teach without being a teacher.

When she said “Aaa” I would say
“Aa, Aa, Apple…bhuh bhuh book” so on and so forth.

After a few weeks of dirty looks and pleas from her to let her continue solo, I decided to back off and tone down the enthusiasm.
Then one evening in particular, I heard her saying

“A A..Appoh (Apple), Bhuh bhuh..Book.’ all by herself!

I was thrilled beyond words, went up to her and sat with her and said “Yes Baby thats it!
A for apple, B for book, C for cat…!”

She rummaged thru the bag and ploughed out the letter ‘H’, I said

“That’s H. H.. for Hat, H for Horsie”.

She then held up ‘T’ and now grinning with pride I went on
“ T for Teapot, T for Turtle, T fot Tummy… baby..See how that works?”

She then pulled C out from the bag again and this time said it with me

“C for Cat” and stuck it on the fridge.

[Yessss!! She gets it….I distinctly remember drifting away to a galley of an audience applauding and my little one thanking me and her father on stage..]
( Sigh) i know..i know… drama drama drama.

Anyways, after my applause and squeezes, she ran to her dad hugged him and came back to continue because, oh boy!, was the 2 yr old on a roll!

I waited breathlessly for her next one -
She yanked out ‘L’ and loudly proclaimed

“L for EL…UH..PHANT”

and stuck it on the fridge with her tiny little fingers and a sigh of accomplishment! She turned around to me for a reaction-

I was on the floor now laughing and had tears at the same time.

After collecting myself, I tried to correct her, but she wouldn’t have it. She would jump back at me saying

“NO EEEE….. L for Elephant!.”

Now how can one argue with that? Case Closed!

My jitter bug has come a long way since, and entertains us with her wit and wisdom like an average 4 yr old. She still enjoys her version of almost everything. I am in no hurry for her to grow up, so until she starts saying the pledge or the alphabet seamlessly,

“ Kuh khuh…. tomato” it is.

- I love u, my little scholar

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