A ToothyTale

Day before yesterday, when I went to pick up Asmaani at her daycare, she came runing forward jubilantly and said, "Mum, I have a wobbly tooth!" Already? I wondered and a sudden emotion overtook me. After all, losing milk teeth is definitely a landmark in the growing up process! I bent over to see that her tiny little lower incisor was indeed wobbling to and fro. And she was demonstrating it by pushing her tongue against it. And she kept on rambling something about a tooth fairy who would soon come and take the tooth away and leave her a gift behind. (Never heard of that sort of thing as a child. I remember losing my first tooth to a tomato and burying it in the park later on.)

By the time we reached home, it had sort of turned in to a game for her. She kept on swinging the poor old fellow furiously with all her tongue's might so much so that it finally gave up and popped out! "Mumma! Mumma!" I heard victorious shouts from the living room. "My tooth is out! The tooth fairy is going to visit me! Yes!!!" After we had washed the blood off the teeny-tiny incisor, with amazing curiosity and awe, she inspected the little fellow from every angle possible. I think she was kind of over-awed to see in hand something which was a part of her just a few moments ago.

That night she was all excited as though it was Xmas. She carefully wrapped the tooth in a tissue (after heavy argument with Alam and me as to whether the thumb-sized tooth fairy will be able to unwrap the kitchen tissue or should we use a toilet tissue instead.) She then placed it under the pillow and then lay thinking with the tooth at one end and her head on the other end. It was, she explained, so that it becomes easy for the tooth fairy to find access under her pillow. Then she got up once again and told Alam to keep the window a bit open (how much bit was once again heavily argued) so that the tooth fairy can fly in with ease.

Alam realised that excited as she was it was best to tuck her in our bed along with the tooth. As she dozed off sleepily she mumbled that the tooth fairy is going to leave her some colour papers or probably a penny. After she slept off, Alam meticulously pulled out the tooth wrapped in the tissue and put a pound with a note from the tooth fairy saying 'use this money to buy your coloured papers'.

She was jubilant the next day morning to find a shiny pound and most importantly a COLOURFUL LETTER from the tooth fairy. She smiled sleepily a one-less-tooth smile, the tip of her tongue sticking out from the little gap amongst the lower set of her teeth, and she said, "Mum, my other tooth is wobbly too!"

Asmaani

Asmaani

I live by her morning, noon and night.
By her thousand smiles and her laughter lines.
Her eyes like diamonds twinkle bright.
Her lips like rubies babble delight.
Her tears like pearls, I treasure the most.
Rare as they are, like an occasional toast!
Her caress will heal a thousand woes,
Her gaze will lighten your deepest throes.
She’s five months old and happiness untold.
My prized possession, she’s 24-carat gold!

7th March, 2002

Asmaani's trips to Sundervan and the zoo are definitely paying off. She can now distinguish between a cougar, a lion, a tiger and a cheetah. If u ask her she actually points out. She calls out 'shake' on seeing a snake pic, 'buibui' on seeing a bulbul and 'cokage' on seeing a cockroach. She watches national geographic and discovery with much more interest than cartoon network.
She misses people. Especially three of them- Abba, dede and kakhee. Believe it or not but even now she misses kakhee especially around seven o'clock! How can the timing be so fixed in her mind I am amazed.
She has a great memory. Like today while she was doing galigali to ( her gali gali is now pretty delicate), out of the blue I asked her "gali nu ghar kyan che?" She instantly pointed out at her neck. Then I casually asked her "biju galli nu ghar kyan che? At this she pointed out under her arm! I had never taught her this. It is something mama or bhabhi must be playing with her. But the best part is she remembers all that u played with her and said to her. Likewise the other when I was cooking she comes to me and demands for 'shaas". I was completely taken aback.
Oh yah, I completely forgot to tell Mama, everyday after bath, Mana stands in front of the mandir and says Baaaphaa and bends as low as she can. It's another thing that after that she bullies the gods too. Today as I was doing pooja, she started saying "shaantaa.." When I started narrating the prayer she joined her hands in unison!

By the way Asmaani has taken to a couple of new things. The world cup's sparing no one, not even little Asmaani. She is now learning to 'baat and bo' with the plastic bat that Abba's got 4 her. She swings the bat with finesse (I think all the 'jhau' traning helped!) but when it comes to bowling the ball fails to fall with the same excitement as the "Po!" she screams.
The second attraction is the blocks that Neeti bhabhi had sent on her b'day. She can stack the blocks and is currently an architect in the making. I frankly feel she's got colour sense. She stacks alternate colours or mainly makes structures out of two colours. It's fun to see her doing all that thoughtfully. The best part is it keeps her busy for at least 15 minutes!