Each year, on or about Super Mar10 (Skanda's birthday), I write (on Facebook) a yearly update to Stork about Skanda's progress through his age. I will be blogging as well, from now on. You'll be able to read the previous issues here.
Sunday, March 10, 2024, Stouffville, ON, Canada
Dear Stork,I hope this letter finds you well. It's been a while since we last communicated.
Our little Skanda has turned nine, the magical and highest single-digit number. I'm unsure if the warranty on this mortal coil has expired, or if that happens when the teenage years begin? We seem to have misplaced the paperwork, so any clarification would be appreciated.
The past year has been quite a journey! Skanda's interest in Minecraft has grown manifold, watching YouTubers' play/narrate and occasionally joining himself on his Linux machine. He even takes notes while watching. I've introduced him to more games, such as Mini Metro and Mini Motorways. His fascination with trains remains strong, and he loves his board game "Ticket to Ride". He's eagerly anticipating his upcoming vacation to India, hoping for plenty of train rides.
Skanda remains an avid reader. He completed the entire Harry Potter series and its accompanying books in just 45 days. He was so engrossed that he set a daily alarm for 6am to squeeze in extra reading time (partly because we banned him from reading while eating). Despite being a selective movie watcher, he was keen to watch the entire Harry Potter film series. Now, he's revisiting the series through audiobooks, narrated by Stephen Fry. We gifted him the collection for Christmas, and after some initial reluctance, he couldn't put them down. Forced him to read 10 pages, 10 became 60 and then un-put-downable.
We've also introduced a new allowance (this has now been abandoned based on a mutual understanding) structure this year. Skanda earns/loses poker chips for completing chores. Once he accumulates enough chips, he can exchange them for $20; half goes into his wallet (he hasn't spent a penny) and the other half into his bank account - oh! yes, he has his own bank account. Yes, he has his own bank account now. Praneetha thought it would be good to start him early on savings. Skanda was so excited about this that he shared the news with all his classmates - they went "oooh! aaaah|" about it. :-D
Physically, Skanda is doing well. Apart from one bout of illness caused by some bad butter from a takeout, he's been healthy. I suggested he grow his hair long for the winter, which led to his mama Prashanth joking that Skanda looks like Shah Rukh Khan from Baazigar. Skanda has also started wearing glasses, due to either a manufacturing defect or an acquired issue. When Praneetha took him for his first eye exam, we learned that Skanda had a -1.5 prescription in both eyes. It was heartbreaking to learn that he thought it was normal not to see distant objects clearly. The joy on his face when he wore his glasses for the first time was priceless.
To help develop his personality, we encouraged him to take up drama. He's been attending the Stouffville Academy of Music and Arts and seems to be enjoying it. We also enrolled him in a language class, giving him the choice between Tamil, Telugu, and Mandarin. He chose Tamil.
We took a trip to his birthplace, Ohio, where he fell ill (the bad butter incident above). We visited all the places he had been during his first 27 months, including the Kettering hospital where he was born, our old apartment, his favourite "up and down" road, and Clifton Mill. He recognized the miniature house from "The Very Christmas" movie, as he had been part of the stage play for the same movie at his academy.
We also visited Washington DC to see the museums and monuments, and Luray Caverns (Virginia) for his first cave experience. We celebrated his cousin - Adhiyan's second birthday in North Carolina, where Skanda taught me how to do a back float at the community pool. We visited the beautiful Bruce Peninsula, a national park with crystal clear waters, albeit cold even in June. Praneetha and Skanda also visited his cousin Ishaan in Oregon, a trip I unfortunately missed. Back in Ontario, Skanda even visited a distillery (Dillon's) due to my interest in spirits - and his interest in chemistry :-P.
Skanda attended a major concert by Thaikkudam Bridge this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. His interest in music is growing, although he hesitates to participate in recitals. He also enjoyed learning and playing softball. His team had a great season, winning almost all their games. I hope his interest in sports continues to grow. On that note, he was accepted into Ontario's Gifted Program under his York Region board. He doesn't want to leave his current school to attend the Gifted Program, which we understand and support.
Lastly, we ended up buying another Subaru Outback (Geyser Blue Wilderness) due to my negligent driving on icy roads. I lost control on the 401 when heading back from Ottawa to home, and the car was declared a total loss by the insurance company, with me being at fault. On a brighter note - on the very day of the accident, Skanda was able to video chat with his favourite CBC radio host, Bob McDonald, who hosts "Quirks and Quarks", Skanda's favourite radio show. I even got a photo of Skanda autographed by Bob!
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| With Michael February |
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| With Bob McDonald - Holding an autographed photo of Skanda |
That was quite a lot to include in a letter - I know you're busy with your deliveries, so please write back when you can. Have you formed unions there as well? Are you aware of Uber and the drivers' stand against the gig economy? How are the egg deliveries going in Alabama? ;-)
For his birthday, he has invited about a dozen friends home - for a movie and pizza party. It is going to be fun!
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