Boys and Superheroes

PF : See you later alligator!
DN : Nooooo... I'm not alligator. I am... BEN 10!

*slap forehead*

Hmm, I see a few of you out there slapping your foreheads too. What is it with boys and superheroes? I think they all just want an excuse to wear their underwear on the outside.

DN is in love with Ben 10. Now, he is "Der Nen Ben 10!" (don't forget the exclamation mark), PF is "Papa Ben 10!", I am "Mummy Ben 10!" and DS is "Mei Mei Ben 10!"

DN : Mummy Ben 10?
Me : Yes, Der Nen Ben 10?
DN : Mummy Ben 10, can I have a gummy please?
Me : Okay Der Nen Ben 10.
DN : Thank you Mummy Ben 10! Where is Papa Ben 10?
Me : Oh, he's in the toilet putting on his cape and pulling underwear up over his lycra tights.

Yes, sometimes we really do speak like that.

DN has also started making superhero names for himself. It's really easy. You can do it too. Just add "-man" at the end of a noun, any noun. Think "spider-man", "super-man", "bat-man" and "aqua-man". So, depending on what DN happens to be doing at the time, he could be "water-man", "biscuit-man" and even "cooking-man".

The other day, the Rolling Stones t-shirt I ordered for DN arrived in the mail. PF and I taught him the rock pose and how to stick his tongue out. Hilarious!

We also told him that that's a Rolling Stones t-shirt. When he wore it again few days later, he launched into his rocker pose, complete with his tongue sticking out and proudly told his Uncle Josh, "Look! I am Rolling Pin Man!"

ROFL!

Lowlights of Chinese New Year 2010

On CNY day 3, after half a day of feasting.

Me : (changing DN out of his t-shirt) Wow DN! Your stomach is so big and round!
DN : Hahahahaha!
Me : (rubbing his belly) Ooooh!
DN : Just like yours Mummy! Hahahahaha!
Me : -___- *collapse*

To add insult to injury (and to really drive me over the edge), we were at West Coast Park on Sunday and a woman came up to me and gave me this.

I was standing in the shade with a sleeping DS and my BFF and I was the only one who got this! Are you trying to tell me something, lady?!?!!

What's wrong with you people?

I bet that's what DN is thinking whenever strangers ask him if they can take his baby sister home with them. Why do people do that?

"Can I bring your Mei Mei home?"
"Mei Mei go home with me can or not?"
"Let me bring your Mei Mei home today. I'll bring her back tomorrow okay?"

If we strip those requests down to their bare bones, it's kidnapping eh! Read : not legal! And people get really high on hearing DN say, "No, that's MY mei mei!". I guess he passed their "are you a loyal brother?" test. So far, he hasn't failed that test yet because he lurvvves his sister. But if this goes on much longer, I'm not sure he'll pass the "are you polite to strangers?" test.

Are you one of those who like to ask little children for permission to take their sibling away? If you aren't, then ok! If you are then, erm... hmm... hem... haw...

*awkward silence*

*sound of crickets*

Okay then!

The other day, we were in a store and the same thing happened.

Salesgirl : Wah! Can I bring your baby home?
DN : No.
Salesgirl (won't let up) : Please? Please? She's very cute.
DN : No!
Salesgirl (still at it) : But why? Why cannot?
DN : That's my mei mei!
Salesgirl (almost high) : Just one day lah! Let me bring your baby home okay?
DN : No. You go hospital to get one!

LOL!

Lion-pee-dee

There's something therapeutic, and calming, about fixing a jigsaw puzzle together as a family. But after about two minutes, I realise that DN is more of a hindrance than a help.

Me : DN... you are a liability!
DN : No! I am not lion-pee-dee. I am Ong Der Nen!
Me : -__-"

The Chair Series (4 months old)

DS is 4 months old today and that only means ONE thing... my maternity leave is over! I know this sounds really cliche, but gosh, time does fly doesn't it?

Same time last year, DS was just a bunch of cells and DN + PF had just joined me in the UK.

Nine months ago, we'd just returned to SG and were stuffing our faces (okay, MY face) with local food.

Six months ago, DS was still growing in my belly and DN had just started school.

Three months ago, DS was one month old and I was finally liberated from confinement.

And look at us now. 2009 is over and before you know it, DS will be one and DN will be four!

So what is little DS up to now? At four months, she's still not rolling over. Well, not "professionally" anyway, haha. She does make those turns to her side, but it's "not pro" because her entire upper torso is close to flipping over but her (Beyonce) butt is still firmly on the mattress. This is really all my fault because I keep forgetting to give her her daily dose of tummy time. :p She doesn't abhor it as much as her brother did, so I really have no excuse for skiving. It's just that I've recently discovered the joys of virtual farming (on Facebook) so the minute she sleeps, I'm plowing land and harvesting pumpkins!

At four months, she's finally sleeping through the night. And this is not "baby" sleeping through the night either. We're talking "real adult" sleeping through the night. I usually give her her last feed around 830-9pm and she sleeps until about 730-8am the next day. Oh. Em. Gee. YESSSSS! *pump fist* Want to know the other wonderful thing about this baby? She can sleep on her own! By this I mean, I don't have to rock her or pat her before putting her down in her cot. After burping her and holding her upright for a couple of minutes, I then put her down, kiss her cheek and say goodnight. She'll then lie there contemplating life for a while before falling asleep. *pump fist even more* Either my sleep training worked or it's payback time for what DN did to me. But, who cares?!

At four months, she's drooling big time. I took the bibs out about 2 weeks ago because by noon, our little missy always has a wet chest. (In another context, that would sound really skanky!) Could she be teething? I don't really know because prying babies' mouths open is not really my thing. But I don't think so because she's generally in a good mood all the time and she's sleeping well at night. DN however, might be, that whiny cranky tot!

At four months, she has started to bring things to her mouth for a good chomp. Usually, it's her thumb. -__-" I am now seriously thinking if I should introduce the pacifier because you can throw away the pacifier but you can't throw away the thumb. Looks like I am destined to fight battles with thumbs and pacifiers. *sigh* But that said, I think subconsciously I'm hesitating because I think she looks really cute sucking her thumb! But then I remember how my mother tried weaning me off my thumb (there was chilli and lots of threatening involved) and it doesn't look that cute anymore.

At four months, she's still talking a lot. Oooh, this is love. DN was never a chatty baby. In fact, I don't remember him gurgling or babbling AT ALL as a baby. We were always purring and cooing at him but, no dice. This one however, is SO fun to talk to. She usually coos, but when she's excited, she squeals! I actually have tons of videos of her cooing. I just haven't uploaded them here because they are videos that only a mother will love. Just a baby making unintelligible sounds. Horribly boring if it's not your child!

At four months, she's starting to bald. It's not as bad as her brother when he was four months, but she's starting to drop hair at the back of her head. Right now, there is a ring of scalp round the back because of all the rubbing she's doing on her pillow! Honestly, I don't know why I just spent $40 on baby hair clips. -__-

I really love DS the baby. She's such a darling. I love snuggling and sniffing her. I love brushing her soft cheek and squeezing her. I love patting her Tintin hair (more about that soon) and thinking of all the pigtails I can tie in two years' time. I love seeing her do her leg lifts and when she head-bangs because of her slightly wobbly head. I lovelovelove her!

I wish I could have DS the baby forever, but it's okay that I can't because otherwise, I won't have DS the toddler, DS the primary schooler, DS the teenager or DS the working adult who will bring her mother out for high teas in fancy hotels!

Thrilled to be 3!

I can't believe it, my little boy is THREE! Remember this photo?

DN was about 9 months old when we took that. And look at him now! Goodness, where did all that time go?

It's that time of year when I put on my proud-mama hat and wax lyrical about DN and his amazing abilities and talents. Come on, indulge in me a little. I will only do this once a year... per child! Heh. ;)

1. Pronunciation

I really should take more videos of DN speaking. I remember stumbling upon an old old old cassette tape recording of myself reading when I was little and it was just precious! DN will never speak this way ever again, so I really should record it.

He says...

"meep" instead of "meat"...
"stot" instead of "spot"...
"shimish" instead of "finish"...
"beebee" instead of "baby"...
"reek" instead of "read"...

I love it!

2. Quirks

He is quite anal retentive. I like! How do we know he's anal about things? Well...

Halfway through dinner yesterday, DN asked for more "meep". On the menu yesterday were chicken and pork. I put more pork on his plate, next to the chicken, because he'd finished all of it. Suddenly, there was an outburst from DN.

DN : Nooooo...! Cannot!
Me : ???
DN : Cannot touch! *point*point*point*WAIL*

And he pointed at the pork that was touching the chicken!

Another thing he's anal about? His socks. He absolutely HATES it when his socks are not pulled all the way up. Like ALL THE WAY UP. There cannot be any slack in the sock AT ALL. And both socks have to be the SAME HEIGHT up his legs. Slack socks drive him absolutely livid and his eyes literally pop out if he spots a height difference in both socks. He'll wail, start pulling crazily at both socks and complain to us about his socks. As this happens on an almost-daily basis, it's gotten to the point where we've started buying ankle socks so he cannot complain. Either that or he'll have to start wearing tights. -_-

3. Dressing

Question: Why do kids only want to wear just ONE outfit? For like FOREVER?

Answer: Because they know exactly how much you've blown on all those trousers, t-shirts, shirts, socks and shoes so when they go out in public, they will look loved and well taken care of, and they just want family and friends to think the exact opposite by wearing only one outfit everywhere. Crap, what am I saying? They just want to make life difficult for you!

DN only ever wants to wear his one and only pair of jeans and his Mickey Mouse t-shirt. Sometimes he'll relent and wear this other pair of trousers he has, but nothing shorter. On days when we manage to get him to wear shorts, there's usually much cajoling, negotiating, deceiving and bribing going on.

4. Likes, Dislikes

DN likes Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, all sorts of vehicles, tofu, sushi, animal biscuits, soya milk, kissing his sister, disturbing his sister, his excavator pajamas, his teddy, riding his tricycle, going to the park, swimming, telling us when he farts, spotting cement mixers on the road and being independent and doing everything himself.

And he dislikes brushing his teeth, bathing, carrying his own school bag, walking when we go shopping, using his fork and spoon when eating, creepy crawlies like ants and spiders, fried rice, gravy on his white rice, skin on his apples or pears, puzzles, sandwiches and when any one of us takes up HIS space on the shoe rack.

One thing that I'm really glad he likes is reading. Or technically, US reading to him. Reading is something we started the day he could sit up comfortably and I'm so glad he has always enjoyed listening to stories. Every night MUST end with at least 3 stories. His current favourite book is a treasury of Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, Postman Pat and Thomas The Tank Engine stories. I've been trying to get him to tell the story back to us, but no dice. He'll just go, "No! You reek (read)!"

5. 3 years and counting

Overall, this past year has been quite a ride. He spent 2+ months with me in the UK and got to see, and play with snow. He went to Paris Disneyland and met Mickey in person/mouse. He started school when he was 2 years and 8 months old, and also started on music classes and swimming classes (both of which we've pulled him out of because he keeps falling sick). He had his speech explosion (when he was 2 years and 2 months old) and he became a big brother. :D

The terrible two's weren't as terrible as I thought they would be. In fact, they weren't terrible at all! DN has been very agreeable and reasonable this year (mostly). I really think they meant terrible THREE's actually. :p

Bilingual Bunny and Monolingual Mummy

I'm so sorry my posts have been so sporadic and unpredictable. I'm just so uninspired, AND uninspiring myself. Ugh. Add the fact that I'm ballooning at such an embarrassing rate (people think I'm going to give birth next month, ack) and have started to waddle like a duck (but it's just SO comfortable!) and you get a very disgruntled, grumpy and pregnant duck-woman. I'm SO not embracing my pregnant body! :p

Anyhows, DN has been saying the darnest things these past few days, I just MUST share them. You know how people always tell you, "Yeah, sure you will enjoy it when they first start to talk, but soon you just want them to shut up!"

Oooh, I don't!

I lurvelurvelurve talking to DN and I lurvelurvelurve hearing all the funny things he says. You'll all be proud to know that he's turning out to be quite the bilingual bunny and is putting his monolingual mommy to utter shame. DN speaks to PF and I in English and to his paternal grandparents and PF's sister exclusively in Mandarin. My baby can code-switch! Hee hee hee! Just the other day, he was conversing with his aunt in the car and I overheard him saying this, "改天我要去爸爸的 office." I almost mounted the kerb. 改天??? Alamak, I only know 今天 and 明天 and I still get my 后天 and 前天 mixed up!

So a few days later, I decided to show him one up and told him, "DN! 小心!" I can't remember what he was doing - climbing up a chair? Drinking from my Bodum glass (ack!)? Anyway, the little bugger laughed at me! He actually said, "小心! 小心! Hahahahaha...!" I don't believe it. The cheek!

So yeah, monolingual mommy is feeling very embarrassed... and yet proud at the same time. It's a funny feeling. *sigh*

The Cheek!

I had this conversation with DN last night. He was fixing his race car together and talking to me.

DN : Put sick in!
Me : Huh? Sick? Sick?
DN : (pointing at the car's engine) Put sick in!
Me : Stick? Do you mean stick?
DN : (shakes head) Put sick in!
Me : Skip? What skip?
DN : (shakes head) Sick! Sick!
Me : Take your pacifier out DN, I can't hear what you're saying.
DN : (takes pacifier out... but still sounds like he's asking me to vomit in his car) Put sick in!
Me : Stick? What do you mean? Put the stick here??? What are you saying???
DN : Sick! Sick! Put sick in!
Me : I don't know what you're talking about! Sick? Sick???
DN : Ahhh, never mind!

The cheek!

ps : I still have no clue what he was trying to tell me.

Kids Really Do Say The Darnest Things

I just love having little conversations with DN now. Of course, there are times when our conversations make me go "???" because DN is off on another planet visiting the aliens.

Me: "DN, did you like your breakfast today?"
DN: "I have red car!"
Me: "Yes. But what about breakfast? Did you like the peanut butter sandwich?"
DN: "Ooooh, monster behind!"
Me: "?????"

But of course, there are conversations like these too, which just make me think, "You are so cute I want to chew on your chubby little arm! Grrrrr!" Okay, sorry, that sounds a wee bit disturbing and praying-mantis like.

Me: (walking down the stairs, DN behind)
DN: "Be careful Mummy!"
Me: "Alright DN, you be careful too."
DN: "Ya!"

PF: (tickling DN on the bed)
DN: "Hahahaha!"
PF: (still tickling)
DN: "Stop Papa! It's my body!"

Okay, so technically, these aren't really "conversations" and we don't talk about double helixes and the global recession, but they're just so funny! Just the other day, he made the darnest observation. We were walking out of his bedroom when he suddenly pointed at his baby monitor and said, "Koala!"

Here's our monitor...

and here's a koala.


Come on, admit it, they do look alike right!

3 powf!

There are some market-auntie genes lying dormant in DN I'm sure. We were walking around town the other day and DN kept pestering us to buy something. After a while, PF got so annoyed he told DN, "Here! (passing him some invisible money) Take this money and go buy what you want."

That did the trick. DN was so pleased, he immediately took the "money", put his hand inside his t-shirt and deposited his "money" there for safe-keeping, in true market-auntie fashion. All he needs now is a handkerchief stuffed under his t-shirt, at his shoulder.

When I asked him how much money he had, he said without hesitation, "Three POWF!!!"

He's been here almost 2 weeks and he's had the currency all figured out! So, he's either a smart biscuit or, we've just been shopping too much, LOL.

He's also recognised the way home. Close to home, we always have to make a right turn and then drive for about 1km before reaching home. About a week ago, DN started saying, "Me goh-ning (going) home!" whenever we got close to that right turn.

I'm going to lay claims on that. Those navigation genes are SO from me!

DN's Report Card #3

This is my mom's report card for the last day DN was with her.

"DN has taught me some mandarin words.

* xi shou = wash your hands
* shui = water
* kai = open
* xie xie = of course I know this

But, DN's greatest achievement was teaching me how to use your camera!!! Just now, I was looking through the photos with him. When I got to the photo with the fish, he kept saying, "Fish move!" and waved his hands. I moved onto the next photo but he kept on saying, "Fish move!" We went back and forth a few times. Finally, he said ,"Me PRESS!" So he did. And it was a video!

(I'd taken a video of some fish swimming when we went to the Botanic Gardens in September.)

He kept laughing when he heard you saying, "No no no."

(We were at the edge of the pond as I was taking the video and DN had actually lifted his foot and was suspending it over the water!)

We laughed a lot when we got to the picture of the Yew Kwai (his exact words) Thief.

(Yew char kway thief. Read previous post)

He had his bath at 8.30pm and was as fragrant as freshly washed laundry. Soon PF came. There was a plate of sliced pears (5 slices) meant for PF. DN put his fingers together and asked for a little. So I gave him half. Then he asked for a 'BIG' one. He got it too. Next he asked for a last one. This time I put my foot down and told him that it was meant for others. In typical DN style, he offered everybody a slice.

One for Cho Cho - "Cho Cho eat"
One for Papa - "Papa eat"
One for me - "Ah Ma eat"

I was thinking, "Such a nice kid. Respecting others so much and being so considerate." Then I realised DN 's craving will only stop if the dish is empty.

He really lit up our weekend and I don't mind him spending more weekends with me."

Awww, thanks Mom! :) Great! Now PF and I can take little weekend holidays!!!!! HAHAHAHA...

Guitar

About two weeks ago, DN started saying "guitar" (of all words!). Not "fish" or "dog" or "monkey", but "guitar". I swear, he picks up the strangest words. Here're some words he can say so far :

car, up, duck, papa, mama, cut, pork (??), bye-bye, zai jian and...

... TAU POK!

He overheard Funny Bee and I talking about her friend's chihuahua, Tau Pok (isn't that the best name ever for a brown and white chihuahua?!), and he started saying "Pau Pok! Pau Pok! Pau Pok!". Wa-hahahaha. We had a good laugh in the car.

Okay, back to guitars. Since DN started saying "guitar", he's been obsessed with them. He makes us show him the pictures of guitars in his books, he points out pictures of guitars in the newspapers and he plays air guitar when we say "guitar". So PF thought it would be nice if he had a guitar of his own. He wanted to get a real-ish type plastic guitar with strings and all, not those fancy-schmancy guitars that play Christmas carols and shoot out fireworks.

PF looked for two whole weeks and couldn't find a simple guitar!

Until we went to Clementi Central. Who needs Toys R Us when you have Sinma Pte Ltd? One up for the neighbourhood store. It was the best $3.90 we've ever spent. ;)

This is him when we gave him the guitar. He couldn't stop smiling and grinning! DN has a little dimple that pops out when he smiles real hard. It made a 30 minute appearance that day. ;)

He was even admiring it in the car.

DN doing an acoustic solo.


Rock on!
Check out the nifty finger work.



I love it! It's only $3.90!

Cut! Cut!

This is one of DN's favourite words I think. He used to get so excited when he saw us cutting up food for him, so I guess it isn't that surprising that this was one of his first few words.

Actually, he still gets excited when we cut food for him. He'll shout "cut! cut!" and mimic the chopping action with (a questionable) fervour.

PF and I were at Mustafa last weekend and I was so tempted to buy DN this kitchen-food set that consisted of some plastic food and utensils. The best thing about it was this piece of corn that you could split into two, perfect for cutting! I knew DN would love it.

Even though it was only $10, we didn't get it because only one piece looked fun (the corn). The rest were just boring, static pieces like a carton of milk (made of cardboard, how wise is that!), a skillet (yawn) and a plate (ho hum). Also, for only $10, the plastic was probably radioactive or something.

Well... God bless the Great Singapore Sale! Woot!

We got this wonderful toy at ELC for 30% off its usual price. You can cut ALL the fruit, not just one measly piece of corn, AND the plastic will not sprout legs and walk away.

Cut, cut and away!

Usual Price $33
Sale Price $23.10

No way would I have paid 33 bucks for plastic fruit. In the wise words of my brother, "Alamak, might as well buy real fruit for him to cut!"

This toy really puts the $10 Mustafa toy to shame. Check out the details! The peach has a pit, the orange has segments, lemon has sacs and the papaya has little seeds. $33 lor!

We got it right with this toy. DN loves it. ;)

But I just saw the Toys R Us catalog. They're selling a similar set for $14.95. ARGH. -_-

Papa!

DN's definitely an early walker and a late talker. Sometimes I wish he would pick up more words so we can move onto actual conversations, but I'm not going to rush him, he'll speak when HE'S ready, not when we're ready. :)

In the morning, DN's voice is kinda raspy and soft so we love asking him to say "mama" over and over and over. DN has been saying "mama" since December, but never "papa". PF has never given up trying though and a typical conversation between him and DN goes like this...

PF : "DN, say papa!"
DN : "..."
PF : "DN, who am I?"
DN : "..."
PF : "DN, what's my name?"
DN : "MAMA!"

Two mornings ago, PF tried again as usual ("DN, say papa!"), and DN did! So, DN's verbal vocabulary has now expanded to include "papa". Oh, PF is SO pleased.

Words DN can say (in order of their appearance, and merit - haha!) :
mum-mum, mama, gu gu, kong kong, up, cut, papa

Jiang Hua Yi Yu!

"Children growing up learning two or more languages simultaneously can do so without difficulty. They learn at an early age about the arbitrary relation between words and their referents." (Reynolds, 1990)

It's true! Compared to the rate at which I pick up Chinese words, I think DN's learning curve is really a learning totem pole. I am humbled. -_-

He spends his days with PF's parents who only speak Chinese and Hokkien so it's no wonder that he understands English and Chinese and a smattering of Hokkien.

In Chinese, he understands when we say...

• Qu chuan xue (Go wear your shoes)
• Qu diu diao (Throw this away)
• Tui qu ku ku gu gu de fang jian (Push it into Aunt's room)
• Er duo / bi zi zai na li? (Where's your nose / ear?)
• Tang tang he shui (Lie down and drink your water)
• ...
  

And he knows what these are...

• Gou (dog)
• Mao (cat)
• Pai shou (clap hands)
• Xiao xiao (smile)
• Deng (light/lamp)
  
• ...
  

And now, we think he knows how to read Chinese too. (haha) Today, he dug into the pile of newspapers, tossed aside all the copies of The Straits Times, found a copy of the Chinese papers and brought them to his grandpa! Together with his reading glasses! LOL.

This he definitely DID NOT get from me because I am the sad monolingual one who told one of my student's parents during Parent's Day that her son was going to retire (tui siu) if he did not buck up and start studying. (I was supposed to say "tui bu" - "lag behind".) I knew something was wrong when Mrs X tried to stifle a snort.

Humph.