It is the eve of the 36th birthday. Sam wishes me. And so does Vi.
I tell him, "Look! I've sprouted more grey hair this year than ever before!".
Vi looks up, visibly tensed!
"Mamma, are you getting old?"...
"Well... Yes! It's my birthday, you know!"
"But you have grey hair! You're not going to die, naa?"
I am stumped for a nano-second. Did I hear "DIE" or "DYE"? Her eyes are brimming over now! I regain my composure and promptly respond, "Oh no.. not at all! I am *DEFINITELY* not going to die!"
She relaxes and smiles. "But you know, Mamma, you are not washing your hair properly... That's why they are becoming grey. It's all those bad Keetanoos ( Thank you, toothpaste/toilet cleaner- dish-soap/detergent/ hand sanitiser advertisements! If they make white stuff black/dark, surely they are also responsible for black hair turning grey). Tomorrow morning it's your birthday, naa. You wash properly. You should try using the vacuum cleaner on your hair, like how we use it on the curtains, and the sofa to remove ALLLLLL the keetanoos!"
I cannot resist chuckling. That makes her even happier. She makes me bow my head and begins to scrutinize my hair.
"They are looking nice! Silvery! You know when they become all silver, and your eye-brows also become silver, you will look like Santa Claus!" It has to be my expanding waistline, that gives her such ideas!!!
"And I'll be Jack Frost, and Daddu will be the Easter Bunny... we will be Guardians!!! And then one day you can even become Ice-Man and I will become Spiderman, and Daddu will become FireStar!" No, we do not restrict super-hero role-play by gender. :)
And then we watch a spoof "Bal Dhong-ress Karya-karta" video on Storypick.
"I want to see another video!"
"No, it's late! Get into bed."
I tuck her in with her menagerie of stuffed toys. Sam is snoring within 5 minutes. Vi talks to herself and fidgets for a while with Patch and Mookun (I have to post about these 2 stuffed dogs soon!) before drifting into sleep.
And I sit down to type this post. It is 2:00am now. The new year has begun with many silver linings :)
I tell him, "Look! I've sprouted more grey hair this year than ever before!".
Vi looks up, visibly tensed!
"Mamma, are you getting old?"...
"Well... Yes! It's my birthday, you know!"
"But you have grey hair! You're not going to die, naa?"
I am stumped for a nano-second. Did I hear "DIE" or "DYE"? Her eyes are brimming over now! I regain my composure and promptly respond, "Oh no.. not at all! I am *DEFINITELY* not going to die!"
She relaxes and smiles. "But you know, Mamma, you are not washing your hair properly... That's why they are becoming grey. It's all those bad Keetanoos ( Thank you, toothpaste/toilet cleaner- dish-soap/detergent/ hand sanitiser advertisements! If they make white stuff black/dark, surely they are also responsible for black hair turning grey). Tomorrow morning it's your birthday, naa. You wash properly. You should try using the vacuum cleaner on your hair, like how we use it on the curtains, and the sofa to remove ALLLLLL the keetanoos!"
I cannot resist chuckling. That makes her even happier. She makes me bow my head and begins to scrutinize my hair.
"They are looking nice! Silvery! You know when they become all silver, and your eye-brows also become silver, you will look like Santa Claus!" It has to be my expanding waistline, that gives her such ideas!!!
"And I'll be Jack Frost, and Daddu will be the Easter Bunny... we will be Guardians!!! And then one day you can even become Ice-Man and I will become Spiderman, and Daddu will become FireStar!" No, we do not restrict super-hero role-play by gender. :)
And then we watch a spoof "Bal Dhong-ress Karya-karta" video on Storypick.
"I want to see another video!"
"No, it's late! Get into bed."
I tuck her in with her menagerie of stuffed toys. Sam is snoring within 5 minutes. Vi talks to herself and fidgets for a while with Patch and Mookun (I have to post about these 2 stuffed dogs soon!) before drifting into sleep.
And I sit down to type this post. It is 2:00am now. The new year has begun with many silver linings :)
Has has...yep I remember being worried that my parents would die n leave me alone too.
ReplyDeleteI know! My dad tells me, even I used to wish that my mom would never age. :)
DeleteI think it's that phase when the kids discover the morbid side of death. Until then it's simply a matter of "Gone to heaven to be with God". :)
* "Haa haa'....stupid autocorrect has no sense of humor.
ReplyDelete:D
Deletehahahaha... and the life goes on ..
ReplyDeleteI knowwwww! :D
DeletePriceless nuggets of moments and gems of gyaan from the kids, that prevent us from running around like robots on the routine!
I love Vi. This is a lovely post. Happy birthday again!
ReplyDeleteVery well written Malu..Liked your post. I face same thing with my 6 year old. Every now & then she asks me if I'm going to die when she grows up.. I keep thinking where does this come from. Now that I'm reading your post, it makes me feel that it is a phase or a part of growing up or some event that triggered such feelings in them.
ReplyDeleteHi! Thanks a ton! But... umm... I am still trying to figure out your identity :)
DeleteI'll be turning 30 this year ;P but glad my H will be too young to notice that m growing old :)
ReplyDeleteThe little geniuses can ask the toughest questions! Pull your socks up, Mommy! :D
DeleteEven I remember asking my mom... Will ajoba die? Then you? Then dad? Then what will I do? Till today I use to think I'm the only one to ask this... Husshhhh... Thanks for writing this... This is normal... ;-)
ReplyDelete:)
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