Signs that lil D is growing up

Since I’ve been asked many times why I use lil D, I thought I’d clarify: it’s because she’s my Little Daughter, just like DH is Dear Husband.

And nowwwwwww (sound of drum rolls), the top ten signs that lil D is growing up:

1. She touches nearly 3 feet in height

2. She has attained mastery of the word “Don’t”. It’s what the little lion trainer uses to keep us at whip’s end: Don’t read (snatching the newspaper), Don’t see (switching off the TV), Don’t sleep (catching us by our hair and slapping our cheeks), Don’t talk (covering our mouths with a little hand).

3. She has attained mastery of the word “My” also. She combines Don’t and My very effectively – “This is My Book, Don’t touch, ok?”

4. Every speck of dirt, visible or invisible, is dutifully brought to my attention. “Mamma, full dirty! Chee!”

5. She identifies Shah Rukh Khan anywhere with a gleeful “Oye Bubbly!”. By the same token, any cricket match or the Tata Indicom is greeted with a huge laugh (perhaps deservingly?) and “Ganguly Uncle!”

6. She’s already become an ardent Harry Potter fan. Her favourite scenes are the train at Platform 9 and ¾, and the sorting hat.

7. She’s developed the knack of asking for exactly what I’ve not cooked. The day I’ve made carrots, she asks for tomato soup; if tomato soup, then radish; if radish, then beetroot…Sigh! You get the point.

8. She makes sure we practice what we preach. She follows me around: “Mamma, wash your hands, wash your mouth, ok?” after my meal.

9. She’s now competition for the remote. Any change of channel results in a wail, with “Papa/Mamma, I want to see…!”

And the top sign is….

10. She’s become a true junkie. Her dream menu is probably have chips for breakfast, chocolate for lunch and Maggi for dinner!