Ashwini’s portrait, taken at home.

  • Ashwini had a nice Christmas holiday break. No daycare for 10 days. This was the longest break since our India trip last year. Her baby brother was born during that week to make things more interesting for us, parents. But, Ashwini enjoyed the time at home. She adores her brother, too. Wants to hold him and is very gentle with him most of the time. Sometimes, she gets very possessive about her things and doesn't want Adit to use them.
  • Going back to daycare after the break wasn't a problem at all. She was happy to see all her friends and teachers. Didn't fuss about me leaving her there. Actually, it was just great to see her interact with Payton on that first day. Both were so happy to see each other. They were grinning from ear to ear and Ashwini was eager to show Adit's photos to her. I wished I had my camera with me to capture that moment.
  • Ashwini's vocal capabilities have reached new peaks. She keeps using more and more new words and making more and more complicated sentences. She has been learning new songs and she likes to sing all the time. Also, she absorbs mannerisms from others and uses them correctly. For example, she said this to me while eating dinner, today: "I am sorry Daddy, but, I can not drink any more milk."
  • Ashwini remembers whole stories, even to single phrases, just from hearing them over and over. Once in a while, I get tired of reading a story word to word from the book and I improvise from the pictures, and Ashwini stops me and says out the correct words and phrases from the book. The first time it happened, I thought it was just luck, but, she does it repeatedly. I have stopped improvising these days.
  • While reading books, I noticed that Ashwini touches her chin with her finger and then turns the page. I don't know where she saw it, but, she must have seen someone wet their finger to turn the pages of a book. She tries to imitate it, but, not knowing what that action was she just touches her chin in stead of putting her finger in her mouth. I am glad she didn't copy what she saw correctly, this one time.
  • Ashwini has been getting more and more stubborn. It is difficult to get her to do anything. She doesn't want to wake up in the morning, then she doesn't want to go to preschool, then she doesn't want to come home from preschool, then doesn't want to eat dinner, then doesn't want to stop playing to go to bed. I probably wrote about this last month too.

    • Another photo of Adit and Ashwini.
    I liked this photo. Ashwini seems so happy holding her baby brother. At the same time, it makes me sick to my stomach as I realise the amount of responsibility that we have taken on for the next so many years.