Whats happening at Chinni

It has been quite some time since I wrote 'But am growing Mommy'. Ok, Chinni is going to school, hopefully enjoying it. Otherwise she was down the entire last week thanks to the heavy rainfall. Hopefully she will recover soon.

1) Her first quarter report card was provided by last month and I am totally upset with that. Not with her, but with the
school. She is in the A School, Chettinad groups. I dont know about the syllabus but the grade cards are the same last and this year. So how come she had achieved 90% of 'Above Expectations' and 'Meets expectation' in the final quarter of last year has become 'needs improvement'? Can children forget things that easily?? Can knowledge level decrease at all? When I questioned the teacher, they give lame excuses. And the constant response that I would get from them is 'yeah she may be knowing it, but she is not responding/exhibiting it when we ask' grrr... she is a kid, excuse me!

2) As I said I really dont know what is going on in the school. At least they were publishing the previous month's syllabus
over the net and that is also stopped. Chinni, bless her! will never open her mouth about what she did in school. For the
past 2 years you ask what did she learn that day, it will always be 'Rolly-polly' and 'ABCD's. One another addition for this
year is that she did story telling. 'ok, what story did you hear?' 'Hare and tortoise'! for Months together??? am sure even
irrespective of the hare slept or not, by this time the tortoise also would have marched to the finish line. Is Chinni that
capable of telling what had happened or really that is what is taught in the school? God knows!

3) When you say all these to the management, they would promise that you can make an appointment with the school and meet the teacher. OK, when you try doing so, they would tell you the teacher shall be met at PTA which will happen on first saturday of every month. OK, you promptly go the PTA to learn that there will be a big line of parents and by the time you attend your session there will be a request 'please there are several others waiting, finish faster'!!!!

4) OK, the post is going on with whinings of the school rather than what is happening at Chinni!! Coming back, let me give out few funny facts happened over at home -

5) Yesterday as we were talking before retiring to bed, my husband was teasing her. 'ne kalyanam pannindu ennama pannuva?'
(what will you do after marriage?)
Chinni - 'unga veettukku varuven' (I will visit your home)
'vandhu?' (then?)
'ne enakku coffee tea ellam tharuva (You will offer me coffee or tea)
'apram' (then)
'kudichittu poven' (will drink and go)
LOL!!

6) Chinni always wakes up late in the morning. How sooner she sleeps at night, she cannot open her eyes until it is 9 or 10
in the morning. So the morning sessions are always difficult. All pleadings, cryings, etc. will happen and that is the practicals period for me to test my anger management!!!! So ended up singing a song for Chinni to tease her. Based on the famous 'Madu meikkum kanne' by the great singer Aruna Sairam.

'Madu meikkum Chinni
ne poga venam schoolku
pink color panni tharen, brown color madu tharen, black color aadu tharen
schoolkellam poga venam'
(Oh shephard dearie, the one who rears the cattles, dont go to school. I will give you pink colored pig, brown
colored cows and black colored goats, dont go to school)
She immediately shot back -
'pink color panni venam, brown color madu venam
snacks vecha bag kodu, schoolkku nan poitu varen
madu meikka venam
nan school dhan poven'
(i dont want the pink colored pigs, nor the brown colored cows. give me the bag that contains snacks, let me go to school.
i dont want to rear the cattles but will go to school)
i dropped whatever was in my hand and hugged her close.

7) all of a sudden she told us yesterday that she will become an astronaut and go to moon!! we felt very happy. so I googled
astronaut's image and showed her. Her reaction after that -'oh... astronatus wear helmets and pants. will they be doing
skating? is that why you have put me in skating class?'

8) I have started taking her to a small library near by. She loves to go there and fetch books for children and will ask me
to read it out the very next moment we go back home. she quickly runs into the kids section and start grabbing books!

9) Chinni in temples - she loves to see the little krishnar utsavar vigraham. (I am also a great admirer of that particular
vigraham!). She loves watching the dasavatharam statues in the wall and will try to remember their names. She will go to
Garudar sannidhi and will start talking to him. The pujari was very happy when he over heard that she was praying that her
mom and dad should be fine and informed me! When the theertham (holy water) is offered, she would take the frock and hold her palm on it and take the water. When the chadari is offered, she would stand as if she is one of the Alwars!! she will recite
slogams ONLY if she wants to. She will demand kalkandu from the pujari

10) I left Chinni at my mom's place one day. Chinni is next to cat when it comes to drinking milk. She is very fond of Milk.
Anytime anywhere she would love to sip milk. So when she said she was hungry my mom told her 'iru, perumal paal irukku,
tharen' (She gave the milk that was offered to God and told Chinni that she would give god's milk). Chinni happily finished
it and said 'ok, ippo manusha paal tha' (you gave me god's milk, now give me human's milk). My mom was all happy that she
immediately called me at my office to share this.

More to come...

 

thank you sudha, thank you Ice