They celebrated their 4th year birthday last week and as expected the event threw up a few things that I can blog about. The kids have been talking and planning about their birthday since last Nov or so. They have not only bugged parents about their birthday but even their teachers. When Veena went to school last Monday to pick books for next year, the teachers asked her "isn't their birthday tomorrow? every time some kid celebrates birthday in school, these two shout out saying ours is on Apr 2". It is a pity that their birthday falls in the summer vacation. They would have had so much more fun celebrating at school as well.
Since Apr 2 was a working day and given my telecon schedules on weekdays, we decided to celebrate the birthday on Apr 5 (Saturday). They had been wanting to have one complete barbie doll set each as their birthday gift for sometime now. My mother gifted them that. Within minutes, nidhi's barbie doll looked like the most handicapped person in the world - no legs, no arms. She meddled with barbie's hair and made her look even uglier. the accessories in the doll set were scattered. But she kept playing with that barbie and she likes it. Neha's barbie ain't much better. We wished them on Apr 2 and they were puzzled and asked "so will we have the party today? will the cake be there today? will my friends gift me today?"
On Apr 5, they got into party mood only late in the afternoon after I brought home the cake. It was a vanilla flavored cake in the form of a duck pond. By 6:30 their friends in the apartment complex started pouring in. Nidhi was watching the door and as soon as somebody enters the house, she would go towards the person, extend her arms (to receive the gift) and welcome her. She did this with most of the guests. After a while she became even more shameless & effective with her method. Till then she would receive the gift (or snatch is a better word) and go & put in the cupboard. Later, one boy entered the house and she directed him to go put the gift in the cupboard himself. The boy was perplexed. So she held his hand, took him to the cupboard & asked him to put it there. Afterwards she commented to her friend "avanige put alli andre gothe agolla" (if i tell him to put it in the cupboard, he doesn't understand at all)
the kids circled the cake as soon as it was kept on the table. I & Veena had to make sure nobody touches it or falls over it. After blowing off the candle & singing, the kids cut the cake & ate a piece each. me & veena were hoping they would feed us as well but they were relishing the cake and the other kids seemed ready for the cake like hounds. We took the cake inside & served it with other snacks. All the kids left within 2 minutes of receiving the return gifts.
some things that I pondered over, after the party:
# In their last birthday, it was only a couple of months since we had moved to the apartment and hence did not know many people. There were only a couple of kids that we had called. This time, it was about 30 kids. Veena had a couple of friends last year and she knows about 15 or 20 ladies in the complex now. I had only one friend in the complex last year, I have only one friend this year. And he has been my friend for 17 years now. speaks so much about my networking skills! In spite of knowing very little english, neha & nidhi have made friends with kids who speak other languages at home with ease. they even talk quite a bit with an old day who is our neighbour & who knows only oriya & little hindi. why do we grow up? what is our problem?
# after showing so much enthu to receive the gifts & rather shamelessly at that, nidhi spent about only two or three minutes to look at all of them. the only thing that interested her & neha is the small tent house that I bought them. that has been their home inside home for the last 3 days. It now houses them, their favourite dolls, the severely handicapped barbie, their kitchen set... All that they needed & enjoyed that day was the small token of attention they received from their friends and us. For this they waited for months. The gifts aren't a great deal & they don't bother who gifted them what. do we adults look at gifts & gifting this way always? why do we grow up? what is our problem?
