Qookerly

B: (triumphantly) I have finished! (Waves his empty cereal box)
Me: Good job B!
B: Clap for me.
Me: Haha. Ok. Yay! (Claps and cheers)
B: I eat qookerly.
Me: haha. Yes, u did eat quickly.

Love it when they use new vocab and mispronounce it.

The Shoulder

On the PIE yesterday, we saw an ambulance driving along the shoulder rushing to an accident scene. I was explaining the use of the shoulder to K. 

10 mins later. 

K: Mummy, can you please show me where the elbow is again?

Love from a child's point of view

I was told this was the exchange between B and his teacher (who was v amused) during lunch yesterday.

B: I love you very much.
Tr: Yes, B. I love you too.
B: I love you SO much.
Tr: Yes B. I love you very much too. But you will still need to eat your lunch.

Lol. He has a way with words. A lawyer in the making? 

The Whole White World

Me: when you get upset with one person, u dun need to be angry with the whole wide world, ok?

K (looking out of the window at the dark night sky): It's now the whole black world, right?

Me: Lol. It's the whole wide world, not whole white world!

Whoop whoop!

Walking along Bedok, my son shouted pointing at something/someone: Sexy Lady! Whoop whoop!
Aiyoh. Dunno where to hide my face.

The rainy season

It has been raining everyday. And when we say 'rain', it actually means a downpour. Mostly, it rains in the afternoons and has been a nightmare in terms of laundry.

But the kids enjoy the weather cos it's cool for them when they sleep and we get to look for snails after the rain. They also get to jump in puddles of rainwater. 

We had dinner at the club on Saturday. It had rained so heavily the pool side cafeteria was wet from the rain. The chairs were slightly damp and there were puddles everywhere, much to the delight of the two of them. Clad in gum boots, it was just splish splash splosh all the way till the food arrived.

Yesterday, on our way home in the car, it started drizzling.

K (exclaims loudly): Wah Lao Eh!! Raining already. 


P and I stared at one another, speechless. Ok, time to watch our own exclamations.

Animal letter game

We are trying to get K to be more deliberate in identifying the letters with which animal names start with. We have started playing the animal letter game where K chooses a letter and we all try to name animals beginning with that same letter.

Here was a recent conversation in the car:

K: Let's name animals starting with the letter B
Me: baboon
K: Bat
B: My turn, my turn!
Me: (trying to be helpful) B, say "bear"
B: Dolphin ball!

B says

Love how B is picking up more language each day but there are some hiccups which we absolutely adore and secretly hope he would retain for a little while more. It's simply so cute when he tries so hard to search through his vocabulary to find the words to tell us what he is thinking.

Here are some examples:
1) bantanana (banana)
2) yeth (yes)
3) theh theh (che che)
4) keeping dropping (keeps dropping)
5) want going backwards car (he wants his orange pullback car)
6) fi-gine nee nah nee nah (fire engine)
7) ambuance (ambulance)
8) teehouse (home)
9) sturb (disturb)
10) white? (right?)

K says

K: When mummies get pregnant, how do the babies get into the tummy? Me: Papa will answer that question. LOL. Are we at the birds and the bees already? At 4.5 years old?!

B's language development

How do you say "Banana"?

Somehow he can't say "banana" but he says "bantanana".

Before B went to school, the only Mandarin he knew was his name. And that was after drilling him so that he would know when his teacher was calling him. He was learnt two new phrases.

加油! 加油!

This is what his classmates would say during outdoors to encourage his friends to run.

不要

His favorite phrase these days when he doesn't want to do something.

Kim says

P: We can't eat MacDonalds all the time because it is not healthy. K: Because it's fried, right? P: Yes, that's right! (Very impressed) K: Fried. Like French fried, right? LOL

Ben says

Someone was practising cutting with a pair of scissors. 

B: Watch me, Mummy.

Me: Ok

B: Put down phone.

Me: (Oops) Oh, ok.

B says

I asked my 2 yr old after picking him from school: Would you like some cake?
B: Oh Coth
Me: What did you say?
B: Oh Both
Me: Did you just say, "Of course?"
B: Yup

I love it when I understand him.

B's speech

It's only been a week and a half of school and I no longer understand 90% of what my two year old is saying. It's like 30% of the time I'm going, "What did you say?" and even when he repeats it, I still dun get it. :(

B says

B just hugged the toy I bought him a few days ago and said, "Love ball, mummy. Thank you buying it."

Awww. Makes the staying home and other sacrifices all worth it.

K says

K: When it's your birthday Papa, I will buy you a bicycle, ok?

P: Ok, I know which one I want.

K: Mummy will help me buy.

Me: I don't have the money to buy it. Papa wants one that is very expensive.

K: (Long pause) Then you buy it yourself la, Papa.

LOL

B says

We are teaching him his name. I realized that when he goes to school, he would probably not have a clue what his Mandarin speaking teacher is saying. I am desperately trying to start to teach him some, starting with his name.

And I'm waiting for him to say this on his own accord. For now, he would respond when we say that we love him.

B @ 18 months

I love this series of photos of B. It was at Kranji War Memorial and his first time running down a grassy slope. He was chuckling so hard, his laughter was silent. Even K couldn't stop looking at him while they ran down the slope together.

The initial plan was for B to start school in Jan. But I decided to push that till July. I don't think he is quite ready. I remember K could feed herself somewhat even though it was slow. Messy is a given. But still, she was able to. B plays with his cutlery mostly and throws food. Only last night he was able to eat his meal of macaroni by himself. K was also able to speak more than B can now.

B's molars emerged at 17 months. All four are out now. His top two canines are also peeking out. Bottom ones not yet.

Language

He signs less now as he tries to say what he is trying to communicate instead.

He can now say:

• Papa
• Mummy
• Mama
• Gong gong
• Ah Foh
• Che che
• Elwee (Elvie)
• Daddy
• George (from Peppa pig)
• Bor (ball)
• bah-yoo (balloon)
• Fwawer (flower)
• twee (tree)
• Shoos (shoes)
• gog (dog)
• cat
• fwy (butterfly)
• Ish (fish)
• Fwog (Frog)
• Ber (bird)
• duck
• Eh-fant (elephant)
• but (rabbit)
• pig
• Or-trich (ostrich)
• pangin (penguin)
• terter (turtle)
• Cow
• bear
• Ane (plane / train)
• bow (bowl)
• pait (plate) - he points to show us he wants us to put his plate with food in front of him
• fan
• light
• poo poo
• fut (fart)
• jinjin (raisin)
• baby
• bubba (bubbles)
• thock (socks)
• thirt (shirt)
• thort (shorts)
• ah-per (apple)
• owanch (orange)
• fwoot (fruit)
• bad bad (bread)
• ball (fish ball)
• joo (juice)
• mek (milk)
• ding (drink)
• toe
• bog (box)
• fwoot (foot)
• wane (rain)
• wet
• wind
• car
• choo choo tain (train)
• cot
• ah-tee (auntie)
• ah-ker (uncle)
• Tyna (Chyna - dog)
• Dop (drop)
• Toe (throw)
• ade (head)
• air (hair)
• at (hat)
• eat
• thit there (sit there)
• back
• knock
• pat
• boak (broke)
• wan (run)
• zum (jump)
• march
• hop
• dan (dance)
• bars (brush)
• knock
• lie down
• O-pun (open)
• toes (close)
• chees (squeeze)
• stop
• pease (please)
• thowee (sorry)
• door (draw)
• sheek (shake)
• keek (kick)
• wutch (watch)
• bye bye
• night night
• ug (hug)
• hi-5
• where
• wound and wound (round and round)
• Om More (some more)
• Ba Bub (bunny wake up)
• Ug Dow (up down)
• coe (cold)
• Bup (burp)
• Didi (dirty)
• pain
• no
• oh no!
• oh dear!

Sweet baby. You are such a cheeky monkey. You have this slide ways glance which amuses me to no end. Am sure it won't be a very friendly gesture when you are older. You certainly know how to defend yourself from your big sis. To get your way, you would tug at her clothes and hair. But you are learning to say "pease" without us reminding you.

But you love your sis and love playing with her. Throughout the day while you are with me, you would say, "Che Che". And I would reply that she is at school. You would then say, "Papa". And I would reply that he is at work. You would then be very pleased with yourself like you managed to get me to say what you wanted to hear. When we go pick your sis up, you would try to run and shout, "Che che!"

You love fruits. And when at your grandparents' place for dinner, when you are done with your meal, you would call out to Elvie for fruits. This never fails to bring a smile to your grandparents.

Just like your sister, you love dancing. When you hear a beat, your little body would start moving, sometimes with hand gestures too. You have learnt some new songs this Christmas. You sing along to Mary's Boy Child and Jungle Bells. When you hear Rudolph, you start to tap on your nose. You think every song should end with a "Hey!"

You got to sit on a swing the other day which you enjoyed very much. You are also able to go down a slide on your own now and you really enjoy it.

Every day with you is such a warm cuddly time. We love cuddling you. More than you do I think. When you sit on our bed to watch TV, you would put your head on our tummys and that just warms our heart. We love you baby. Every milestone of yours, every first, is such a thrill.

B @ 13 months

B, no longer a baby. A toddler you now are.

All of 6 teeth. 4 on top and 2 at the bottom that forms the shape of a V.

You love spotting birds, dogs and cats, all of which you can sign. Tho' you are sometimes confused between bird and cat.

You also can sign fish. Sometimes, you look at a tree or leaves on the floor and sign fish too. The sign for 'where?', 'finish' are all the same. You also try to sign ball by pointing one finger to the other palm.

We think you tried to call Che che once in the car. Sometimes, when I pass you something you want, I'd say "Thank you" on your behalf and you would attempt to say it too.

When you see us washing our hands, you would rub your hands together.

You have started taking baby steps, literally.

You like to sit on the floor, bend over and gently knock your head on the floor. Then you'd look up at me, rub your head and complain of the pain.

You have started feeding yourself with a fork. Blueberries and strawberries. You love fruits. Mangosteens, oranges, blueberries, strawberries (even when slightly sour), apples. When you see a plate of fruits and they aren't already in your mouth, you start to shout for them.

You love K's bed and would always wanna crawl up the slide to go onto her bed. Other times, you would crawl to the top of the slide and then let yourself slide down.

You love playing with balls, big and small; always throwing them and then crawling to pick them up again.

You have learnt where your nose and ears are and can point to them when asked.

You enjoy putting on footwear and would lift up one foot for us to put a sock or shoe on. But you never remember that there are two of them.

You love being in water. You laugh and squeal and chuckle in the pool. You would splash around in your bath tub and kick up such a fuss when I take you out.

You watch us closely and have taken a keen interest in phones. Actual phones, remote controls, spectacle case or even just your arm, you would pretend to talk on the phone like we do.

Can't wait for you to start conversing, tho' I suspect our poor ears would be doubly sore when that happens.

Kim says

After an hour of dinner, with much exasperation,

I said to K: Look at your mouth! It's not moving! Chew. And. Swallow.

K: I cannot look at my mouth.

And I see her looking down, straining to see below her nose.

Growl.