You are 7, going on 17!

Dear Baby Girl,

...this is what i feel every year but it needs to be said out loud...you are growing up way too fast! PERIOD. you are 7 years old, 7 YEARS OLD! When i buy clothes online, i have to look at the "older girls" category for you now - you, an older girl?? I am in denial...

...actually, sometimes i do feel like that already....especially with all the sass, attitude and instant retorts to everything i say. Where in the world did you learn to reply like that? Appa and I are often perplexed with all the defiance and attitude....however( thankfully!) when i am angry or cross with you, you come over with a glass of water, make me lie down and massage my legs! ...and very calmly speak to me "Amma, i think you are very tired...take some rest". 

I love it when sometimes, you always save a treat or something special for Appa and gingerly offer it to him when he is back from work. sigh, my little baby is all grown up. 

There are times when i am overwhelmed and worried about something or my folks ( i am human and of course, i have my moments), and she comes over and gives me a big hug and reassures me. These are lovely moments that make me feel very blessed and happy that you are so loving and kind. 

I fervently hope and pray this remains and extends to everyone around you. you are a beautiful little girl, inside and out - stay that way, my baby girl.

A huge deal for us, we went on a solo trip to Korea, just you and i, without Appa with T chithi and Vaishnavi. You were really well-behaved (mostly!), we had a lot of fun and it was our first trip to a place even Appa has not been to! Score!! I am sure we will do a lot of fun trips together soon...

you got your first "star of the week" at school and you nonchalantly handed it to me as you got down from the bus, on your way back home from school.

i was pleasantly surprised to see you get this and a little bit shocked! ....my naughty girl so well-behaved at school? this is the beginning of many more such wins, my darling! :0)

You are the perfect example of "where there's a will, there's a way" and boy, are you strong-willed? Appa and I were simply amazed how you mastered skating absolutely on your own! You are such a pro, all thanks to your constant practicing at home, starting from brushing your teeth in skates to virtually until you sleep in skates! you relentlessly pursue something until you are really good at it, its an amazing quality and something you should develop as you grow and apply it to all positive things in life. You have also begun to cycle independently this year with no training wheels.

The "tooth fairy" visited you so many times this year and you lost at least 6 teeth all around the same time. Gopal thatha makes fun of you that your mouth is like a "postbox" now, a big hole right in front.

As a family, we are very lucky and blessed to be able to travel often and we should really count our blessings. We chilled out in Bali last summer and you literally lived on the beach and pools, a very relaxing holiday, another destination ticked off our bucket list.

We had a epic holiday in December to New Zealand. Appa and I have always wanted to go there as we fell in love with the place after watching "The Lord of the Rings"...and it was all that we ever thought it would be....we were thrilled to see you appreciate the natural beauty, your love for animals, fearless, adventurous spirit ...as we traveled. you related the incident about how you visited a real farm and fed baby goats with a bottle to almost everyone we met! ;-)

We had a mini-break and went to Macau and managed to go to India ( spent some quality time with both sets of grandparents, meet some of our friends, etc.) twice this year! You are such a lucky girl who has traveled to so many countries already! Well, we both would love for you to be able to travel the world, enrich your mind, body and soul....that's what travel does to you. I personally think it also teaches you to appreciate and respect different cultures, cuisines and people. 

We have seen a marked improvement in your tamizh and hopefully, you will speak your mother tongue fluently. I could see you making an effort to converse in tamizh with Thatha and Patti and was pleasantly surprised to hear you converse when noone is paying attention to you. I have realized that the key is to just let you be, you will eventually catch up, but we will never stop trying! After all, you understand everything we speak, be it in tamizh, hindi, english or even telugu! cheppoddu! 

It is important to speak your mother-tongue, be proud of your roots and where you are from...no matter where you are, you must embrace your language, your culture....gives you a sense of identity. trust me, you will understand as you grow up and learn different things or meet different people.

Darling, we love you with all our hearts and will love you no matter what. Continue to enrich the lives of everyone around you, also stay happy, have fun, be spontaneous and wild but always remember that it is more important to be kind and loving to everyone and to yourself! 

We love you to the moon, and back! 

Lots of love and blessings,
Amma & Appa