Of Dreams and Reality

(Pict Courtesy: www.secncs.com)

Every morning as Nantu wakes up.. the first thing he talks about is whether or not he had a dream the previous night. Today he was a bit put off that he had no dreams!! A couple of days back he had a dream, he said "I was playing near the river and my shoes went away in the water. Gaja and Kija started playing with my feet and they wouldn't stop. So I started screaming!!" I am really amused that he knows the difference between dreams and reality!!

This is the same boy who insists we return back to Cedar City though. He left behind the trailer to his toy truck in a hotel there when we were visiting Utah. He keeps asking me when we can go back and get it. I have tried explaining to him that even if we do go, he wont find the truck. He is annoyed with the housekeeping there.. "They are really bad people" he says "Why do they want my trailer?"!! Now I have given him an ultimatum.. the next time he raises a fuss about this, he will lose his truck too (That should even out things don't you think?)

Last night, Nantu and I had an argument.. I don't remember what it was about, but I told him I would no longer do anything for him. The following conversation ensued...
Nantu: Daddy you have to brush my teeth everyday!
Daddy: Sure
Nantu: You also have to bathe me and help me go potty
Daddy: mm
Nantu: You need to teach me counting 123
Daddy: mm
Nantu: You have to make lunch and dinner and put my lunch in a box
Dad: What else
Nantu: You have to drop me and pick me up from school
Dad: Mm
Nantu: And you have to talk to Miss A (his teacher)
And then to me.. "You don't have to do anything for me Amma, Daddy will!!"
Oh my I have such a matlabi/ karyavadi son!! (roughly translated means self interested)

And it works the other way too...
Daddy: Nantu will you stay with me when Mommy goes to India?
Nantu: No I want to go too
Daddy: But who will take care of me
Nantu: You are a big boy. You can take care of yourself!
Daddy: Will you miss me?
Nantu: Yes. but I can see you
Daddy: Really how?
Nantu: On the web cam!!

hmm.. But he still wont let yesterday's argument with Mommy go. I was narrating the above two incidents to my SIL when she asked him in all her naiveté' ...
Athai: Nantu you don't want mommy to do anything for you?
Nantu: Yes my Dad will do everything for me
Athai: But you want your mom to bring you to India?
Nantu: The airplane will bring me, not mommy!!

However I need to be thankful that when I claimed I will stay behind in the US he did insist that he wants me to go with him too!! Phew.. let me go pacify my Cheeky Monkey and climb up to favored status again!!