Observations From The Small Side

November 19, 2005

Po: Mommy, your pictures are very nice.
Mommy: Thank you baby.
Po: Daddy’s pictures are all ugly.
Daddy: That’s just rude.

Po: Red ants bite and black ants don’t bite. Why don’t black ants bite?
Daddy: Black ants don’t have teeth and mandibles to bite.
Po: Black ants broke their teeth so they don’t have to brush their teeth and they became friendly to us.

Bird Cage

November 16, 2005

Po: I like the two cages at the zoo park so that the birds don’t fly away. Daddy, will you take me there again?
Daddy: Yes, when we go the zoo again I’ll take you there.
Po: Will mommy come?
Daddy: I don’t know. She might not.
Po: Why won’t she come?
Daddy: Because she doesn’t like zoos.
Po: Why doesn’t she like zoos?
Daddy: Because she doesn’t like seeing animals and birds all caged up.
Po: But why?
Daddy: Because the animals and birds can’t go wherever they want. Just like Powie is free to go wherever he wants, the animals also want that.
Po: Just like Powie wants to go to the Ferris wheel the birds also want to go wherever they want.
Daddy: Yes.
[jabbering continues]
Po: Will you get me a cage so I can keep a bird?

Enjoy The Pain

September 26, 2005

Po: You have to enjoy the pain.
Daddy: What?!
Po: You have to enjoy the pain. My yoga teacher says that.
Daddy: He does? Do you like doing that?
Po: I enjoy my owies. It makes me strong.
Daddy: It does? You know so much. I learn so much from you.
Po: Do you know everything he taught me?
Daddy: No, I have lots more to learn.

Don't Be Dead

September 25, 2005

[The Scene: Powie has just finished showering.]
Daddy: C’mon, Powie, wipe yourself.
Po: No, you do it.
Daddy: Powie, you have to learn how to wipe yourself. Daddy can’t wipe you forever. Do you see Dadu wiping Daddy?
Po: I’ll learn when I become big.
Daddy: But you’re already big enough to wipe yourself.
Po: I’ll wipe myself when I’m 51.
Daddy: I’m not going to wipe you until you’re 51! I’ll be dead by then.
Po: No, don’t, I’ll be very sad.
Daddy: I know, I’ll be sad too.
Po: But you can’t be sad, you’ll be dead!
Daddy: You’ve got a point there.
(…several silent seconds pass…)
Po: Daddy, I don’t want you to be dead.
Daddy: Ok, I’ll try not to be.

I Need Spectacles

September 24, 2005

Po: I need specs, give me your specs.
Dadu: You don’t need specs.
Po: I do, I do!
Dadu: How many fingers can you see? (holding up 2)
Po: 2!
Dadu: You don’t need specs then.
Po: Why?
Dadu: If you did you would have said something else.
Po: 6!
Dadu: Too late!

Kit Kat

September 16, 2005

Po: Did you know I saw a kitty cat?
Daddy: Where?
Po: On the way to your office.
Daddy: Then what happened?
Po: The kitty cat came in to our car and I played with it.
Daddy: That’s nice. What color was the kitty cat?
Po: Chartreuse.
Daddy: Wow, a chartreuse kitty cat.
Po: The kitty cat plays in my toy room and then puts the toys back.
Daddy: Then it’s a good little kitty cat, isn’t it.
Po: Yes. It’s a big kitty cat, not a little one. We have to give the kitty cat a name. Can you think of a name?
Daddy: Why don’t you tell me?
Po: No, you.
Daddy: Ok, um… (Po turns and looks at me) I’m thinking… How about Kit kat?
Po: Kit kat is a chocolate. The kitty cat is not a chocolate, it’s real.
Daddy: Ok, how about Angus?
Po: Angus is a bad name. Ok, his name is Kit kat. Can you write his name on a label and stick it on the wall in the toy room so he’ll know his name?
Daddy: Ok.
Po: (now already walking into school, returns and says) I want to tell you one more thing about my kitty cat.
Daddy: What is it?
Po: My kitty cat can swim.

A Wish In The Heart

September 15, 2005

Po: Did you and Nemo [Mimo] get stuck in the sand?
Daddy: Yes.
Po: Like we got stuck in the sand in Chennai?
Daddy: Yes.
Po: Why didn’t you take me with you?
Daddy: That was a long time ago. You weren’t even born yet.
Po: Where was I?
Daddy: I didn’t even know the mommy then.
Po: I was in mommy’s heart?
Daddy: Yes, you were in mommy’s heart and my heart.
Po: And then I was in mommy tummy?
Daddy: Yes, but part of you is made from daddy and part from mommy. After I met mommy I put part of you from my heart into mommy tummy and mommy put part of you from mommy heart into mommy tummy and then you were born.
Po: How did you put me into mommy’s tummy?
Daddy: Er, how do I put this? Daddy loved the mommy very much and mommy loved the daddy very much and they got really close and… um…
Po: Was there a pipe from the heart to the tummy?
Daddy: Yes, indeed, there were pipes involved.
Po: And I went through the pipes? Did you see me go into mommy tummy?
Daddy: No, you were reeally small.
Po: Will you write to mommy on your computer and tell her that I want a banana yellow car?

Lonely In Mommy Tummy

August 29, 2005

Po (out of the blue): It was dark and scary in mommy tummy.
Daddy: It was?
Po: Yes.
Daddy: What did you do?
Po: Nothing, there was nothing to do, I was bored.
Daddy: You were?
Po: Yes. It was lonely.
Daddy: But mommy was there with you.
Po: But I was inside mommy tummy, not outside.
Daddy: Do you remember coming out of mommy tummy?
Po: No.

Po insisted that I write down that he slept on color beds after he was born as he later remembered.

Delhi

August 24, 2005

Po: Daddy can you come to pick me up from school today?
Daddy: Not today, baby.
Po: But mommy’s going to Bombay today so you have to pick me up.
Daddy: Mommy’s going at night so she’ll be able to pick you up today. Daddy will pick you up on Thursday. And Powie, Daddy’s going to Delhi on Friday early morning so Nibha mashi will dress you and send you to school and Dadu will pick you up. Daddy will come back at night and squish the Powie.
Po: Will you come back before I eat dinner?
Daddy: No, I’ll come back after you finish dinner.
Po: How do you know?
Daddy: Well, I know the time the flight lands.
Po: Are you going to fly over Delhi?
Daddy: Yes, I’ll have to fly over Delhi to land there.
Po: I like the name Delhi. I want to change my name to Delhi.
Daddy: You want to change your name to Po-Delhi?
Po: Nooooo! I want to change my name from Arya to Delhi. Can you tell mommy?
Daddy: (takes out his computer to write this down before he forgets)
Po: Are you going to write it on the computer?
Daddy: Yes Po.
Po: And is mommy going to read it on her computer?
Daddy: Yes Po.
Po: (peering at the screen as daddy is typing) Where have you written Delhi? Have you written Delhi? Why aren’t you writing Delhi? When are you going to write Delhi? It’s not “Po!” It’s pee-wee. How do you spell pee-wee?

I Like Chicks

August 23, 2005

Po: I like chicks. Chicks are my favorite. Are they your favorite?
Daddy: (thinking he said chips) No.
Po: But chicks are good. I like chicks. Do you like chicks?
Daddy: Oh, chicks, yes, I like chicks.
Po: Chicks are cute. I like cute chicks. Do you like cute chicks?
Daddy: I like cute chicks.
Po: What other kind of chicks are there? Do you like yucky chicks?
Daddy: I like cute chicks.
Po: Do you like dirty chicks?
Daddy: I like dirty chicks.
Po: Dirty chicks are not good.
Daddy: Why, baby?
Po: Because they don’t listen to their mommies. They play in the mud and get dirty.

Fascination With Mommy Tummy

August 17, 2005

Eshaan: There were a million gazillion two hundred and seventy five Eshaans in Eshaan’s house. Po: There were hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of Aryas in mommy tummy.

Magic Words

August 17, 2005

Po: There are four magic words.
Eshaan: Please is a magic word.
Po: Thank you is a magic word.
Eshaan: Sorry is a magic word.
Po: Excuse me is a magic word.
Eshaan: Aditya is a magic word. It means please.
Arya: Arya is a magic word. It means thank you.
Eshaan: Eshaan is a magic word. It means please.

Smoking Car Joke

August 17, 2005

Po: Daddy, what does a smoking car eat?
Daddy: What is a smoking car?
Po: A smoking car is one that makes smoke.
Daddy: All cars make smoke and all cars use fuel.
Po: No daddy! I’m making a joke, like I Spy.
Daddy: Oh, sorry. Ok, tell me, what does a smoking car eat?
Po: Food. Did you get it?
Daddy: No I didn’t get it.

Terracotta Warriors

August 9, 2005

We were passing by the graveyard next to Whisper Valley this morning when Powie asked “What are all those?” The urge to tell him like it is overpowered the urge to shield him from disturbing things. I told him they were gravestones and dead people are buried underneath. After several seconds of silence he asked “Is it like the Terracotta warriors?” Apparently our trip to China in June and July earlier that year left an impression.

Ramnath Podar Chowk

May 29, 2005

We were in Bombay this weekend driving around town just for fun. We were passing by Oval Maidan when I read aloud a sign that said “Ramnath Podar Chowk.” A second later, the parrot that he is, Po felt compelled to repeat it, but he also threw in a spoonerism for good measure and said “Ramnath Chodar Poke.” It's not so funny when you read it, but it had us in fits hearing it from him in the moment.

Poem for Arya's first birthday party invitation

Poem for Arya's first birthday party invitation, composed March 2002

Arya now walks wobbly but bold
And not to eat houseplants he's been told
He's throwing a party
We hope you come hale and hearty
To see him turn one year old

Oh no, you say
Not another one, no way
But do not frown
There'll be a clown
To entertain the kids and you that day