Child’s Play - Akshara Rajaram

Laya was here sometime back to visit Akshara. Laya is Akshara’s cousin (Vidhya’s bro’s daughter!) and she is 2 months younger to Akshara. We wanted to take a picture of all the girls, Vidhya, Srividya (Laya’s mom), Laya and Akshara. 4 girls in one perfect photograph, that would have been quite an achievement!
After Vidhya and Srividya settled down to a comfortable pose, we had to get the kids looking in the right direction, into the camera. It was easier said than done. Since i was behind the camera, i needed help in getting the attention of Akshara and also someone else to make laya look towards the camera.
Below is the photographic story of the attempt. I am writing “attempt” here, because it remained an attempt until the end!

First, both the kids decided to look left.

Then, they decided to turn right. Can’t blame the kids. There was something so distracting there, that one of the moms also decided to turn in that direction!

Then, their gaze slowly moved down. Maybe, they were sizing up some guy from top to bottom.

By then, Akshara wanted to get things moving on and gave a menacing stare at Laya as if saying “Cmon, look at the camera”, but without realising that Laya was indeed looking in the right direction.

Laya somehow sensed the stare and not wanting to be left behind, decided to stare back, right when Akshara had finished her stare and started looking at the camera!

Now, both realised that they were fooling around and decided to pose properly. Alas, they missed their target by a few degrees, each in a different direction.

Enough was Enough. Each one was getting frustrated at the inability of the other to concentrate and pose. A face-off was unavoidable at this stage. It reflected in a mean stare at each other.

To prevent things from getting worse, the moms had to intervene and act on a peace-making deal between Laya and Akshara. Finally, as every known fable goes, they became friends, for ever.

written by Rajaram S

written by Rajaram S

Judging by her reactions whenever we take her out of the house, Akshara seems to love the outdoors. So, we have a good enough excuse to give our parents if they complain they we (i and vidhya) roam around a lot rather than spend time indoors with Akshara. It is for her that we go and visit lot of places

Akshara was all smiles to see the yellow flowers in full bloom near Mathikoloni village. This was in fact her first road trip where she spent time outside the car (after her first car-only trip to yermasoyia).

Our next road trip was through the mountain villages of Pafos. It was the best that we had ever seen of Cyprus (yet to write a post on that!). Akshara enjoyed the bright sunny day and she was quite happy to pose with her new hair-clip (which just managed to hang on to the few strands of hair!)

written by Rajaram S

It was carnival time in Cyprus. Since it was Akshara’s first carnival in Cyprus, we wanted Akshara to be part of it rather than just watch it like we used to do every year.
Senthil/Kiruba had got Akshara a white frock when i was in Seattle. We got a butterfly wings set and something to put on her head (which Vidhya said matched the rest of the costume).

Akshara seemed pretty happy in her “angel” costume and she even co-operated a lot for the photo sessions. After the photo sessions at the house, we went over to the downtown area where the kids carnival was going on. Akshara was very interested in all the chaos around her and spent a lot of energy turning from side to side absorbing all the colours around her!

written by Rajaram S

If you know, please do tell me!

Even laying her down on her bed in a direction facing away from the TV doesn’t stop her from watching TV!

written by Rajaram S

written by Rajaram S

written by Rajaram S

Akshara wishes everyone a happy mattu pongal!

written by Rajaram S

It doesn’t bounce, neither is it used outside pubs to scare off people, then why is it called a bouncer?

If it were called a rocker, it would have been more appropriate. Anyway, Akshara likes it whatever we refer to it as. Before she went to India, it was the best bet we had to make her fall asleep.

Nowadays, I am being used as a substitute for the bouncer for achieving the same result. As is common knowledge, energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another. Similarly, when Akshara wants to go to sleep at 3 AM , I have to rock her to sleep. In this process, Akshara grabs the “sleep quotient” from me and descends into a sound sleep, leaving me wide awake!

written by Rajaram S

Something other than a body-suit for a change! Akshara was dressed up in a traditional pavadai chattai (frock and top for non-tamilians!) for the thottil ceremony. I guess that this must have been the change-over dress before/after the actual ceremony. I stand corrected. This was the dress Akshara wore when she was first taken from Vidhya’s house to my house. This pattu pavadai was gifted to Akshara by  Vidhya’s Athai, who had stitched it herself. But the “Ah! girls” holds good, as it seems that lot of preparation went into this exercise along with a photo session…

Update: It’s been 2 months since Akshara got her pattu pavadai. Now it was laya’s (Akshara’s cousin!) turn for a pattu pavadai. Akshara got a chance to try it out too.

written by Rajaram S