Camouflage

My young man, (turning 4 years next Thursday), climbed up on his bed, pulled his blanket over and told me
"I have tucked myself in and will sleep Mommy"
I was trying to put Arnav to bed (the boys share a room) and long before Arnav went to sleep, Manav had dozed off.  And my heart sank. I stole a long unhurried look at sleeping Manav with his blanket half covering him, little fisted palms jutting out, tiny feet with zigzag nails (story follows) and those eyelashes, now appearing longer, overflowing onto the remnants of his pudgy cheeks. Miracles happen, when you expect them least.

Ok, now the story of the zigzag nails. This afternoon Manav and Arnav were pretending to be some bird ( I cannot even pronounce the name and have no stamina to google to get the spelling) and Manav got his nail cutter out and attempted to cut his nails. I had to write "attempted" as he got zigzag cuts on his nails. Here's to all the safety features that they put into baby clippers. He explained to me

"I had to cut my talons as they were hurting my baby <the bird's name> when I was hugging him" Arnav was the baby bird.

This morning at the breakfast table, Manav chose to fill up his soccer camp application form. (He picks up random papers from his school front desk).

Wrote his name and roll number (though the roll number wasn't asked for, he is used to writing them together). The address he got around putting "6301". He filled "Joonr" where it was asked "Camp name" (He meant "Junior"). Then proceeded to check the box "No" where it was asked if your kid has any allergies. For the physicians name he wrote "Gootrslh" (He should have attempted to write his first name -Chad instead of the complicated last name - Guetersloh). All the while he was using his phonics to his aid and spelling things out. On top right hand corner he filled $1 for the "fees" and 4 for "family members". He wrote the phone number on the back of the form as he ran out of space.

Arnav remarked

"Good job Manav"

Friday's lunch conversation was very informative. Manav started

"The birds camouflage. So no one can kill them"

I immediately caught the word "camouflage" hearing it the first time from him.

"What is camouflage Manav?"

"It is to protect." Manav explained

"It is to blend with the surroundings so that predators cannot spot you. Just like the white polar bear on white snow" I just couldn't wait to show off.

"If you see the sharp claws on the white it is a polar bear, if you cannot see the claws then it is snow. See you can tell" Manav gave me his intelligent lopsided smile.

"Have you seen the lizard? It can change its color to green, if its on a green tree and then no one can see them and that is camouflage" I tried again

"Yes. Just like the gray elephant sits on a gray rock", "And the black clock on a black wall", "And the red bird on a red tree", "And a white bird on a snowy tree"

His imagination was running amok so I had to

"Manav, finish your food. No talking with food in mouth"

and think of means to "camouflage" myself.

Friday afternoon Manav chanced upon his dress shirt and wanted to dress like office going Papa. He asked for his matching black trousers and said

"No, the one without the letters" when I fished out a short-cut pair of slacks

He completed the ensemble with black shoes and socks. Please do not get any ideas about Caunteya's sense of dressing based on these. Manav just happens to have a very strong "matching" concept. Blame it on the pairing, sorting, matching, patterns etc that he does in school. Then came the laptop and as soon as he was done he said

"Arnav do you want me to drop you to school?"

"No, don't worry about it. It doesn't matter" Arnav waved him away.

Arnav's laptop is hanging open and doing a good job in concealing his shorts.

Right after this they had to go for their afternoon nap and Manav refused to get rid of any piece of his get-up except for the shoes (which are not allowed on bed ever). Finally he had to strip to his underwear to fall asleep . What else can you expect on a Texas spring afternoon?

They woke up from their nap and Manav was inconsolable. This happens, they get more cranky after a nap. On some earlier occasions Manav had said

"I have just woken up. So I will be like this for sometime" But this time he just kept crying.

"What happened Manav?" I asked him

"I am not being 4. I have been 3 years for a long time"

"What will happen when you are 4?"

"I will cut a creamy cake." He said

"Ok, see here is the calendar. Next Thursday you will be 4 years old." I said

He became immersed in the calendar singing his months-in-a-year and days-in-a-week song ( he sang the Sunday-Monday-Tuesday in the tune of "Kaisi paheli hai zindagani" and asked me to identify the tune). Minor disaster averted but major one awaits as I have deprioritised (read cancelled) his birthday party for house hunting.

I foolishly feel Manav has talent. I feel he understands music and tune better than me, he hits cool cricket shots, mimics his father in tennis, can do wonders if I put him in a chess class and the list goes on. Guess all parents are awed by the miracle that happened to them. This tiny living being that they created is incomparable and the best. And in a way they are right.