Llama n' Mama

Staying on the subject of baby animal parallels, another unusual little one is featured in the “Llama llama” Series by Ann Dewdney. There’s “Llama llama misses Mama” and the recent “Llama llama holiday drama” The facial expressions of baby Llama can easily compare to that of your little ones'. Today I read “Llama Llama mad at Mama” in which your heart really goes out to the baby Llama who is shoved around from place to place not being allowed to enjoy his play or fall into sound sleep. Much like what we do to our kids……just when they’ve started on something ….we tell them to clean up…..just when they’re falling asleep in their car seat…..its time to go shopping!! Phew!!….a kid’s life is not easy!!

I also read the first one in the series “Llama Llama Red Pajama” which is the story of every mom after tucking in her little one at night. At every stage of early childhood, your child’s bedtime is a nightmare before sleep!! At each stage…you think this is a bad one only to realize the next stage is probably the worse!! It all begins with sleepless nights during infancy deteriorating to co-sleeping during toddler years and then what I’d like to call sleep deception at the pre-schooler age. It’s been a few months since Abhay sleeps on his own bed in his own room at night……if you think that’s fantastic ….think again. Earlier, I had to just lie down next to him for a few minutes until he falls asleep in our bed…..and that was it. Now I assume he’s asleep…..in fact, he's only pretending to be asleep but all ears to what’s happening outside of his room. So even after all the ‘good night, sleep tight’ and ‘sweet dreams’, it’s not a surprise to find him tip toeing into the living room every 15 minutes or calling out for either one of us with his inane demands or ridiculous questions!!! One of those rare nights where there’s not a sound from his room, we almost can’t believe it…..we peek into his room…..then we see a pair of eyes looking at us with a grin!!

So in “Llama Llama Red Pajama” after reading a bedtime story and being tucked in, the little Llama feels alone and calls for his Mama asking for a drink. Mama is busy first at the kitchen sink and then attending a phone call. Baby Llama getting impatient starts to wail for his mama. Set in rhyming verses, you cant stop laughing when Mama Llama breaks into a limerick while saying “Baby Llama, what a tizzy! Sometimes Mama’s very busy”!! Taking a cue from this book, after being tucked into his bed, my little Llama calls out for his Mama every night saying he’s thirsty!!! When will this drama end O! Rama!!!