Oh the Things You can Do with Dough!

Play dough has by far been one of my favorite activities to do with my kids. I guess I had always labelled myself as being "artistically challenged" in arts that did not involve words. But with these colorful mounds of dough, the possibilities were endless. So in the process of encouraging the kids to play with it, I have enjoyed hours of creative time myself. And the irony is that I had been introduced to this first when someone had told me never to get her play dough as my house will be a mess! Nothing that cant be dealt with, as long as you don't get it on the carpet of course!

A played with it well until about 5 years, after which it was hidden in fear of the little Av putting it in her mouth. This was one of the last few times she played with it.

We are so glad it is back in our sight from the past few months. Av loves it and though she is still learning ways to enjoy it, there is so much that can be done with it. Before she was at a safe age to play with it, she always played with homemade Roti Dough during her ones. But now we have started to have some fun times together creating things with Molds and Cutters and sometimes creating a story scene like this one.

Oh the things you can do with Dough! I don't think it is easy to run out of ideas for things to do with this amazing stuff, just like how it was probably really difficult for Dr.Seuss to run out of ideas for writing books!

Learning to Read

A has always been a kid who liked to play and who liked to learn while playing. She attended a preschool that encouraged and taught this learn while you play philosophy, but they did teach kids at a comfortable pace, without pushing the kids too much. For the love of reading books, I started seeing signs of her getting impatient when she could not open a book and take it all in, if we were busy to read it to her. So these are some of the things we did, without realizing how much they would help her in being able to read.

How it all started (Phonics) - I don't remember formally teaching her phonics for the consonants. I think somewhere while learning the alphabets, she picked up the sounds of each consonant with the examples that came with each letter in picture books, games, etc. Like B for B-b-b-ball, was probably how she heard it right from the beginning.

For the vowels, I did introduce short vowel sounds to her. I had drawn a chart for her with the letter and the word indicating the sound. And these words she kept as parameters to remember the short vowel sound of each vowel all the time. Oh the fun part, she got to draw pictures of each of these in her chart making it pictorial and fun for her instead of remembering just the sounds.

A - Apple  ;    E - Elephant ;  I - Icecream ; O -Octopus ;  U - Umbrella

The game that changed everything - It was 4 winters ago, when we were snowed in on many days and had ran out of all ideas for fun that we came up with this game. The theme in her preschool for that month was Gingerbread Man and she had taken a liking towards the phrase "Run run as fast as you can, you cant catch me I'm the gingerbread man". So for the game, we wrote this phrase on the white board and took turns to change one thing (either change a letter or remove a letter) and made the other person read it. For example, "Run run as fast as you tan, you cant catch me I'm the gingerbread man". The phrase got so hilarious as we went that she could not have enough of it. We played this game for days, and she learnt so much without even realizing it.

Reading and Spelling Together - It just made more sense to make her spell words as she learnt to read. So this we did simultaneously and it helped a great deal. She did not write much then, and a fun way of doing this was Magnetic letters that were permanently put up on our refrigerator. When I was busy cooking, she would sit at the refrigerator, and we would play a game of Can you Spell? The key to playing was that we were both players, so she thought of words and asked me to spell. And when she used k for c and e for i, I always praised her. And later went on to explain how there is a group of people who decide which is the standard way of spelling each word. And though her spelling is one way you can do it, this group of people had decided on this other way.

The Beginner Book Series that gave the Confidence - When most of her friends would read Bob Series, she would never like to read them. It was a tiresome task to make her read it and after a couple of attempts I just gave up thinking she is just not ready for reading. But she would get picture "story" books and point out at words while I read the story to her. I did not understand why she did not do the same with this famous Beginner series. Until we got a new Level 1 Reading book called Dick and Jane from a series, just for fun. That series changed it all. The book aims on teaching reading but has a story in it, and that was the key with A. Also each book has a story with the same repetitive words, so that by the middle of the book, kids are more familiar with those words. Not sure if it was just her, but this series worked for her though many people swear by the Bob Series.

At the end of this, her confidence about reading had gone up so much that there was no looking back. And this was all not premeditated or formally thought process to teach her reading. It wonderfully happened by chance, that we did a few things that worked best for her. I am not even sure if the same set of things will work for Av, as each kid is different. But since I have been asked by a few people, I thought I will put it all in one place for reference. I am sure I will be referring to the same in the future for Av, but whether it worked or not the second time around, I will be sure to update.

Do you want to build a Snowman?

This song  had become the song of our house for the past few weeks. The kids had mastered the lyrics, the emotions and the actions. We recorded and re-recorded the performances. Finally nothing came between them and the snowman today. Even if it was one built in a great hurry because of the freezing temperatures and badly needs to get in shape!

Pink

We recently purchased an all pink play kitchen for the girls, and to accept "pink" as an appropriate color for them, I have come a long way. When A was along the way and we went shopping is when I first realized the existing gender stereotype right from the color of the clothes. Pink has never been a favorite color and having everything related to the baby in pink, the thought just nauseated me. And seeing so much of it made me determined to avoid it. I tried to stay away from it, trying to find clothes in all hues, picking neutral colors in all the baby gears. Dressing her her up in both dresses and pants and t-shirts. Then came the preschool years and she stepped out from our clutches and saw the world. There was always a face made when we went shopping when I pointed at something blue, an argument on days when I had chosen pants and a shirt as her outfit, the want of the most frilly skirts and pretty bows. I resisted, as long as I could, until I realized that is what makes her happy. This is not a gender stereotype thing, it is just what makes her happy.  And when I let her have her way(to a certain extent) she relaxed, wore a dress and cycled (thank god for cycling shorts!) and looked like the happiest kid on Earth. As she is growing up now she is looking at other colors with love and realizing the value of comfort over looking good, though she would pick the latter any day.

Then came Av, by then I was like softened butter ready to melt! And melted did I! One of her first few words were "Titty Titty" (Pretty Pretty) so I hand made all pink and pretty decorations for her first birthday. And Voila! that is when I discovered an all new side to me, my right side of the brain existed (though scientists have now debunked the right/left brain theory)! Must have been the influence of all that pink! :)

So now we are at peace (most of the times), they are too frilly and girly for me, and love the pretty stuff that relatives and friends buy them as gifts. They know that I am the Plain Jane. To the extent that when we went shoe shopping to a store, Av saw a high heeled red shoe and told me, that is not yours that is -- Aunty's, loud and clear for everybody in the store to hear! But we manage to co-exist!

But I am sure a lot of people agree to the gender stereotype that I am talking about, if not they would not have made this ad.

Love of Classics

I always had a love for Classic Books and have always described to A about how she has this whole Genre of books to read when she grows up.

When we were browsing the Juvenile Fiction section in the library we found these books. The Classic Starts series. They are an abridged version of the Classics written for young readers.

We checked out Alice in Wonderland, Black Beauty and Little Women. They have many more favorite titles like Sherlock Holmes, Oliver Twist , Gulliver Travels, Tom Sawyer and many many more. (About 46 of them)

A read Little Women today and was totally enthralled by it. The love of Classics has thus been passed on.

Encounter with a Seven Year Old

Favorite color – Purple

Favorite restaurant – Vapiano (I love the penne pasta with Pesto Sauce)

Favorite book – The Boxcar Children Series

Favorite playtime game – Tag

Favorite card game – Five Little Monkeys

Favorite Line – Thingamajigs and Ooh La La

Favorite Game with mom – Cooking

Favorite Game with Dad - Building things with Lego

When I become a big girl – I want to be a teacher

Favorite Fruit – Watermelon

Favorite Vegetable – Potato

Favorite Thing to do – Play Family with Av

Favorite Song – Let it Go (Frozen)

Favorite Movie – Mary Poppins

Favorite Pet – Dog

Scared of – Dark and Heights

Favorite TV show – Sofia the First

Favorite Activity in School – Recess

 

Favorite Hobby - Reading

 

Favorite Sport - Swimming

 

Favorite Big People’s TV Channel – Food Network

 

My ambition - To be the President

 

Related Earlier Post, Encounter with a Three year old.

 

 

 

 

 

Story times at the Public Library

The story time sessions have become so much a part of our household. They are held at the public libraries almost throughout the country by librarians specializing in children's books. The first time I found out about them was when A was around 2 years. We have not stopped ever since. Though A is now outgrown these story times, she attends other programs for her age like the children's book club.

 I started taking Av to baby sessions ever since she was around 14 months. The classes are really musical sessions starting for infants from birth. It is quite amazing what it did to Av, as she was too young for preschool, but needed an opportunity to interact with kids her age.

Though this is getting really popular and crowded at our library, I occasionally meet somebody who has not heard about it. Just wanted to share what we have really loved and benefitted from. Perhaps another reason why it has really worked for us is the fact that the library is less than a mile away.  Another big incentive is to pick more books after each class.  Overall it has been a wonderful experience for us at our library, cannot tell you if the kids have enjoyed it more or the mom.

Scrambled States of America

A happened to get home the book “Scrambled States of America” by Laurie Keller from her school library one day. She could not stop talking about the book and its humor. When I read the book with her I realized it is a brilliant book written for kids her age. It talks about the 50 states, is witty and humorous, has lovely illustrations with colorful maps, and best of all it has a funny story. I am all for learning things in a fun way, and this book according to me is one of the best way to introduce the map of the 50 states of the United States of America.

The book begins with a bored state of Kansas deciding with its neighbor Nebraska about how fun it would be to switch places with another state and see something new. All the states are invited to a potluck party (thus introduced to the kids) and later switch places. Later the states miss their home a lot and all return to their original places. There is witty humor throughout the book that remains in the minds of kids.

When A first got this book, she probably knew how to recognize a handful of states, this book aroused her interest and she has learnt to mark most of the states. The best part is there is not a sense of the task feeling boring or laborious. Collecting a state quarter with each state you learn can make it more fun.

Milestone Day

This is going to be a personal milestone day. A is going to be attending her first book club today at the local library. I have been more excited than her and its a big day for me. Yes I am that mushy kind of mom who records every small moment with teary eyes. It will be one of those moments today when I drop her off at the door. But inside I will be doing a happy dance for sure!
And the icing on the cake? A announced that she wants to be a writer when she grows up! I know, I know they change the answer to that at the drop of  a hat, but for now I will take that, and happily too!

I have been asked by a lot of people about how we went about learning to read, and I have composed those emails many a times. I thought it would be good to record it here for my own reference in a few years for little Av. Will soon write about that. And by the way we have a little story teller in her already. Today my nap time story was "One day....Kikka (Krishna) wanted butter. Kikka eat butter and went to sleep. Cried mamma mamma, wa-wa-wa".

My Favorite Things

I found a story/poem that I had written and would tell A when she was around 2. She was in that avid learner stage where at the end of the day her mind would race with all the adventures of the day. This was an effort to make her relax. Want to keep the memories of it alive by recording it here. Will also be something new and fresh to share with Av.

As mommy kisses me goodnight
And turns off the light,
I hug my bunny
With my eyes shut tight.

And then I think of my favorite things,
And the colors in my mind spread their wings.

I think of the blue sky,
Way up high.
Like the birds,
I want to fly, fly, fly.

I think of the green grass
With the cool dewdrops.
Like the grasshoppers,
I want to hop, hop, hop.

I think of the red flowers
With their sweet nectar.
Like the butterflies,
I want to flitter and flutter.

I think of the yellow sun
With its rays warm and fine.
Like the sunshine,
I want to shine, shine, shine!

I hug my bunny with
My eyes shut tight.
As I think of my favorite things,
The colors in my mind turn into sweet dreams.

My little big girl

Dearest A,

My little big girl!!!  How do I begin telling you all that I feel when I look at you now! When did you grow up so fast!  The feeling is simply bittersweet, and in the true sense of the word.  There is as much bitterness to it as there is sweetness.

On one hand I am angry with time for having gone by so fast.  I just feel you were a preschooler yesterday completely in love with your pretend world, looking behind your shoulder every now and then to make sure I am right there.  I still remember how you would speak sentences perfectly very early on and a random word would still remind us of your cute toddler talk. I especially waited eagerly to hear to see if you still said ‘life’ for knife.  And then suddenly overnight you stood there tall with those newly acquired knowledge in your eyes, much like an overgrown sapling after the monsoons.  It was the reading wasn’t it? That was what changed you from the preschooler to the big kid. It is not so much about being able to sound the letters or say the words or read a book. It was more about one of the biggest doors to the world being opened. You felt free and independent; your little eyes could read what they wanted.  I no longer could skip words that I did not want you pondering about from books; I could not hide billboards that gave too much information for that little mind; I could no longer keep you in that protected world I had created for you. And then big kid school happened, and you got to skip kindergarten and again because you could read so well! It was quite something for this Mimi of yours to see you transform from the preschooler to the first grader. It is one big bundle of emotions that I pack with you every day in your backpack with the lunch and homework. And there is one thing I say to myself every day when I wave to you when you are off to school, ‘Let go’.

On the other hand I am brimming with pride seeing your achievements and happy beyond words that I instilled in you the love to read. Maybe I don’t say it to you often enough, but you don’t stop amazing me! It has been a year of changes for you and you have adapted to every new situation beautifully though you have mostly heard from me about how you are not doing that small little thing properly.  You have been a great big sister, a great mommy’s helper, a great mommy’s anger management  guide ( I am still working on getting an A+ in this one, though I am very happy I have now achieved an A in it with your help!), mommy-daddy’s argument referee, a great cheer up card maker. You have been more than what I wanted in a daughter, so far my little girl. J (I had to say that didn’t I) Of course everything comes in a package, the maturity in you sometimes kicks in so much that we get a sneak peek of your teenage years!

You my little girl are out in the world now.  I know you are more than capable of handling what lies ahead of you, but take it slow. There is a lot more to this world than what appears. Like you thought those little things hanging from your bag’s zipper fell off on consecutive days, there is no need to know that there is more to it than what you thought. It is best to face the world with enthusiasm and confidence and learn from your experiences and mistakes than going out there with fear.  We have shown you the way and given you the map; you have to choose the right paths and build the right opportunities.  Make it one exciting journey that you will be proud of!  And remember you are never too old to look behind your shoulder, and when you do, I will always be there.

Love-Mimi

Bliss

It has been so long since I have written anything other than To-do lists that I feel so tongue tied or finger tied should I should say! For some inspiration I have been reading a few of my previous posts and it almost feels like another person, another life. How time flies and situations change.

This one especially caught my attention, as it was written when A was around 9 months. I was amazed how I had made a note of every small thing she did then and how much time I spent observing and exclaiming about it. And here I am 5 years later with my little Av who is a few weeks shy of 9 months, kind of wondering oh really are babies supposed to do all that around this age!

And what with being a full time mom this time around, I had expected to note down every small thing she does. It is funny how being a parent the second time is so different from the first time experience. How some things just seem like second nature, how little effort goes into the day to day things with the baby. And the one on one time you get with the baby is so less. I wonder how such an obvious thing had never occurred to me before, this is why the second borns or last borns have the personalities that they have.

My sweet little Av, yes that is the first adjective I can think of when I refer to her...Sweet. She is a people charmer with her smile and enchanting eyes. She loves being around people, can cruise through the day with hardly any naps and still keep her smiles intact (how can I take a nap and miss to see what A is doing), thinks baby food is the yuckiest thing man ever invented (give me what A is eating), does not care much for baby toys (dont bother to buy me any toys, I will play with what A has in her hands right now), thinks her sister is the world and wants to be like her right away.

And the most amazing thing about being a mom of two, is to watch the bond build between two people you care about the most. I think over the last 15 months or so that is what I have been enjoying and cherishing the most. Ever since we told A about the new baby in mimi's tummy I have watched her excitement and joy grow each day. From praying hard for a baby sister to coming up with a beautiful name for her, to drawing pictures for her on my tummy, to making small gifts for her. And the moment when she finally met her the look in her eyes that said, was all that you have been telling me really true, do I really have a baby sister now.
It is wonderful to see that love growing more each day. To think that I could give my little girl A this thing that I always wished for is such a satisfying feeling. And equally precious is to see a baby feel so much for her big sister in her tiny little heart. Seeing the awe for her hero in her little eyes is heart warming.

As much as I have been enjoying all this the past few months, my inner soul has been craving for some much needed writing. So hopefully I am back to stay this time around. But as of now now my day is made with an early morning hour of writing with the sounds of birds chirping and a mug of strong hot coffee with the kids still in bed. Ahhhh Bliss!

And then there were two!

My big kid A and my new bundle of joy Av.  And that is where I have been.

A song

When I was dropping A to school today when it was raining this is what I hear her sing inspired by the song "The wheels on the bus"

The wheels on the car go round and round...
all through the town.

The wipers on the car go swish swish swish...
all through the town.

The children in the car go I want to jump in a puddle...
all through the town.

The mommies in the car go Please not now....
all through the town.

The daddies in the car go Please let them go....
all through the town.

Just a silly made up song tells you so much of what they think of you!!! (Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr)

Small mind, Big thoughts

A: Why do dads not get babies in their tummy?

Me: It was meant to be this way. God decided that is how it will be that moms carry babies and not dads.

A: But why did God decide this way. Why not dads have baby in their tummys?

Me: Hmmmmmmn....(thinking frantically for some convincing answer)...I...am not sure..maybe...

A: I know....I know. Because dads cannot take a break from work for the baby but moms can take a break!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Situation: We had been counting coins from the piggy bank.

A: We have so much money!!!

That evening after B returns from work

A: Appa you dont have to go to office tomorrow.

B: Why is that. Tomorrow is not a holiday.

A: No appa you dont have to go to work anymore. You can play with me all day like mimi.

B: No A, I cannot do that but I can play with you on weekends.

A: No appa, we now have a lot of money. Mimi and I counted a lot of money today. You dont have to go to work any more!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A: I wish I had golden hair like Barbie

Me: Why is that. Dont you like the black hair we have because of where we are from.

A: Do we have black hair because we are from India?

Me: Yes our skin and hair is usually from where we are.

A: Who has golden hair?

Me: Some of the people from America do.

A: But I was born in America, why dont I have golden hair?!

Me: (Corrected my explanation to be more specific about origins and inhabitants)

It is not easy to be me

Fate had me to be born in America to parents born and brought up in India. What does that mean to a little girl like me, well a lot!

Life is not as simple for me as it is for my American friends born to American parents. They have fun and follow traditions during the holidays here. We celebrate some of the American holidays too, but I find my parents lost thinking what to really do. And it is not only these that we are celebrating. We have the Indian festivals too that my parents are so excited about. And both put together there are so many that I sometimes find it hard to remember what comes when. And when I excitedly go tell my friends about Diwali or Navaratri they look so lost.

When I went to India it was a lot of fun, but it was a lot hard too. Initially everybody was shocked at how little I spoke in any other language than English, but towards the end of my three months vacation they wondered why I did not have an American accent like their relative's kids. My parents insisted I speak in our language there as much as possible, but the kids in the playground replied back in English. I was made to recite Slokas while my friends there were free to sing any English song they wanted. It was all very confusing to me.

And then there are these friendly comments from everybody. My diet gets filled with sweets and butter when family in India think I am not chubby enough. Then I am soon spooning a lot of fruits and vegetables after a friendly American asks my parents if they have checked my BMI lately. There is so much obesity in America you see!

And then there are expectations set by others like me, I have to have the right amount of geekiness in me from my Indian genes and the right amount of groomed skills and social etiquette from my American environment. What will our friends think if I dont read at four and add complex numbers being of Indian origin? What will my uncle's neighbor's cousin think if I am not going to ballet classes?

So with all these expectations set, its not a surprise when I get looks when I say something that is not expected. Like when I listen to the song My name is Madhavi from Karadi Tales, I sing my name is A, I am from America and I speak English, I look up to see my parents exchanging a look. Or when I hear a song of Raffi, All I really need.........so that I can grow up strong and take the place where I belong, I say I belong in India, that is where my family is and I am going to move there, and I again see my parents exchange a look. I get laughed at when I call Salami as Ras-malai as for some reason I think they sound similar.

It is true that everything to me comes in two folds, the pains and gains. At just the sheer beginning of my life I am experiencing lifestyles from two different corners of the world. From the folktales of India to the humor of Dr. Seuss, from the pumpkin pies of Halloween to Pongal, from the lehengas to the leggings, from M S Subbulakshmi to Raffi, from Ballet to Bhangra, there has been plenty of variety. And with all this variety I have had a terrific start to my quest of knowledge and information.

After thrusting all these complications into my life they even have a name for me, ABCD (American Born Confused Desi). Sometimes I think it stands for American Born Controlled Desi.

All I know is that I just want to grow up like me, without the controversies and the expectations. And other times I wonder if that is what will form me. But whatever it is I wish I grow up to be an American Born Confident Desi.

---Perceived thoughts of a little girl at the door of four.

An encounter at the Park

A was playing with a boy of 51/2 at the park today. They seemed to get along well though they were 2 years apart. As I watched them play, I was chatting with the boy's mom and expressing that the kids seem to be playing really well. A girl of 6 overhears our conversation and says I think he is in love. I just laughed out loud and the little boy's mom explained to her that her son is very friendly and there is nothing like that. So the young lady of 6 explains that she knows when it is different, when you are in love it is not the same as being friends! GOSH have things turned so topsy turvy in this world that you have to hear this from a 6 year old!

Well we dismissed the girl as overly talkative and continued looking at the kids play. When it was time to leave, the little boy's mom and I exchanged contact information and told the kids to say bye to each other. The kids hug...oh how sweet we think. The boy asks A how about a kiss!?! I still did not get it. I thought it was an innocent remark like how many of her friends in school would want to do it and the teachers and moms explained about germs. His mom says no and he looked a little disappointed but he says, I think I like you A, I might marry you when I grow up!

Words...in passing

Nothing happens as planned over here,

we are once here and the next minute there.

Playing with the energy of three year olds,

To match yours I have to exert two folds.

I wake up with the hopes of achieving a lot,

But time drifts and all I can hope for is to stay afloat.

But I have not felt lighter, mentally I mean,

You are showing me places for days that I have not seen.

P.S - Okay I had planned to write much more...but not with a book on CD reading children poems right into my ears and A asking questions about the pictures in the book. I think I will retire satisfied today that I wrote all this in less than 10 minutes.

Summer Reading

Back from India with the days and nights at our disposal in their entirety, A & I have been finding fun things to do this summer. One of the fun things we are pursuing is the local library's summer reading challenge. So these are age appropriate programs to make children read books. For A's age group the goal is 50 books between mid-june and mid-august. How fun!!! Well atleast that is what I thought...hopefully she is as excited as she looked.

Anyways the double fun is we missed a month already, so we have a month to read 50 books. So in my desperation I am picking whatever books we are spotting without being picky like I used to be. And I learnt without going with the big names and the Caldecott medal awarded books, you find many a hidden diamonds.

Apart from this we have a big kid's cycle to take for rides. I am yet to get over A riding a 16 inch bicycle. We just got it home yesterday and every time she sits on it, I am all teary eyed hugging her just for the fact that she is all so grown up. She later reminds me that she is able to ride it and then I wake up and compliment her.

And me...Amma (oh btw mimi got lost somewhere around april) is enjoying the new life so far. I am yet to do anything with all the great plans I had for myself....as I am hiding behind a big block. I am even struggling to compose emails. So by just scribbling today about everyday things, hopefully I have let some fresh air get into that little corner inside.

So here is hoping I will be writing here soon again...

Encounter with a Three Year Old

** I found this saved on my computer when I was cleaning up. It was written on Jan 5th and never got to posting it**

Favorite color – Used to be pink and orange, but my parents chose a blue room for me so now it is blue.

Favorite restaurant – Vapiano (I love the penne pasta there with butter and cheese)

Favorite book – If you give a mouse a cookie and Brown Bear Brown Bear what do you see

Favorite playtime game – Being mommy

Favorite card game – Five Little Monkeys

Favorite Line – I am threeeeee years now!

Favorite Game with mom – School game/Memory Cards

Favorite Game with Dad - Building things with Lego

When I become a big girl – I want to be a doctor, a chef, a painter (not the drawing painter, painter who paints the walls) and a farmer.

Favorite Fruit – Pear

Favorite Vegetable – Vendekaayi = Vendakka + Bendekaayi (Okra)

Favorite Thing to do – Dance to bollywood music

Favorite Song – Desi Girl

Favorite Sloka – Mudakaratha Modhakam

Favorite Pet – Dog, I want a dog for a pet but my mommy is scared of dogs L

Scared of – Watching movies in the movie hall, they switch off the lights and put the TV so loud!

Person I can recognize on TV – President Obama

Favorite TV show – Dora the Explorer / Olivia

Favorite Activity in School – Art

Favorite Big People’s TV Channel – Food Network

One word I still cannot say – Knife (I say Life for it) (My parents never correct me, they would love for me to never get it right, because the day I do then there will be no baby talk left in me!)

Some of my ambitions - To go to office when I become Fiiiiive years.

To go to ballet class when I become Fiiiiive years.

** So many answers dont hold good today about 21/2 months later, but I didnt want to change a word for memories sake. Gal you are growing up too fast! **