The job of a toddler

Hi Mummy,

I am doing a fantastic job as a toddler says Kate .. this is what we do:-

1. say NO to everything that you ask us to do especially if we do not want to do it (i.e., have our meals at the table, drink water, sleep, take our bath, keep our toys, and the list goes on)

2. asked to be carried at the most importune time (i.e., when you are cooking, just sat down to rest and have a cup of tea, when your back hurts, when you are pushing my empty pram because I refused to sit in it

3. turn off your laptop when you are still using it

4. take my DVDs out of the casing and swirl them around the floor

5. tearing pages off some of my books and DVD covers

6. jumping on the couch when you asked me not to repeatedly

7. pulling things out of cupboards and drawers when you forget to childlock them

8. basically just testing your boundaries lah

Its normal Mummy. All toddlers do these, this is how we learn. Don’t worry, you are doing a fine job of not letting me win most of the time : P Hang in there .. this stage should pass soon I guess .. but my activeness is here to stay … so you just need to go and exercise and be fit to chase me around .. LOL

Slurp!!!

Slurp slurp … turn turn turn .. slurop slurp .. turn turn turn

Kate slurps her soup .. and then says “turn, turn, turn” as she spins her bowl 3 times … hmmz … maybe that makes the soup taste better or dinnertime more interesting .. LOL

So caring

It brings a smile to your face when you see your daughter being so caring towards a younger child. Kate put her hand on a 14 month old baby girl and walked slowly alongside her as the child practices walking. She had such a caring look on her face .. ooh .. so proud of you Kate!

It was Phoebe’s first day at childcare today and Kate gave her lots of cuddles throughout the day. The carer said she looked after Phoebe very well. Thank you Lord for blessing us with Kate – for her purity of heart and for her heart for people – just like Yours. Please keep her close to You and watch over her every second of everyday.

No jumping on uneven surfaces

Thank you Lord for designing chidlren to be as hardy as they are. If adults were to fall as often as they did, we would be wrecked with injuries.

Did I mention that I have a very active little girl? She loves jumping and hopping and when we are not watching her for a second, she starts jumping on the couch. Thank God she has not learnt to jump off couches and tables and chairs but she is jumping on the couch. Unfortunately, she jumped too close to the edge yesterday and had a fall. Ouch! Need more cushions to lay in front of the couch .. haha.

Proud moment for us as parents

What a proud moment when someone besides ourselves tell us that Kate’s language skills has improved a lot in a couple of days. Picked her up from childcare and her carer told me that observation – please allow me to say it again “Kate’s language skills have improved a lot in just a couple of days”. Aww .. thanks for letting me bask and boast …. hehe

The carer said that she used to hear Kate speak using single words and over the last couple of days, she heard her speaking in sentences. Today for example, she said “Thank you Alona”; “I want that please”. Well done Kate!

Gave Kate some pear and instead of going to the hall she was still standing next to me and pointing to the bowl containing the pears. I thought she wanted me to take a piece for myself. So I did and guess what, she was still there. Then, she said, “For Daddy”. Aww .. good girl. Daddy was upstairs so she took the piece of pear, climb all the way upstairs and gave it to her daddy. He was sooooo happy … haha

Fill me up with words

Kate has been “talking” (sounds like an actual conversation except that you do not understand what she is saying). She’s got all the intonations right though, commas,  fullstops, question marks (with lifted eyebrows) and exclamation marks at the appropriate places within the sentences.

When she is searching for the word, she goes “Um um” … aiyoh so cute .. bui ta han .. haha

Its not easy to video her nowadays because the moment she sees us with a camera she stops whatever she is doing and wants to take the camera. Will do our best to capture these moments .. hee

Kate @ Childcare

We had a pleasant surprise gift from the childcare centre. In Kate’s cubby hole was a scrap book containing some of her drawings and craft work from 2009. What a proud moment when we brought that home .. our daughter’s creations .. whee

Not too long ago, the carer informed us that Kate bit some kids out of frusration when they would not let her have the toy. She got bitten today .. yikes … She was playing alongside a child and both of them started a tug-o-war with a toy. The other child started pulling Kate’s hair and somehow managed to reach over and bit Kate under her chin .. ouch .. hmmz .. I wonder if it was the child she bit .. forgot to ask carer .. haha

She was fine after they dabbed it with a cold face washer and some cuddles. Hmmz .. one day we are teaching her to be nice and not bite .. then the next time the carer is telling her she should fight back … hmmz .. no wonder children are confused … oh well, they will eventually learn that different situations call for different reactions!

Mummy, I am still in the car

Gave Kate a “honey joy” for her little car trip to the childcare centre. She was happy I was happy.

I turned on the ignition and was on my merry way listening to the radio while driving towards the childcare centre.

I must have been thinking of something plus Kate was really quiet in the back, that I completely missed the turn into her childcare centre and was well on the route to work before I sensed that something was not quite right. I looked in the mirror and I saw Kate smiling at me .. oh no … I was bringing her to work with me … LOL

Oh my … silly ol me … no, I did not bring her to work. Did a u-turn and sent her to childcare .. hee

yes yes laugh at me .. these things do happen you know

Thumbs Up

Yeah, Good is finally thumbs up instead of index finger up .. hee

Yeye and Nainai called last night and Kate “chatted” with them for several minutes. Most of it consisted hello, yeye and nainai (at the top of her voice). Several yahs and nodding of head and then just blabbering .. haha

Praise the Lord, Kate is finally sleeping through the night in her cot. She still protests when I leave the room but cries for less than a minute.

Have to wake up very early so Little Princess has extra time to potter around before getting ready to leave the house. Can’t leave 30mins to get ready and out the house .. oh no .. it will be met with cries, tantrums, kicking, screaming … it is so true what they say about getting your kids dressed … haha

Techie

How times have changed … it is no longer the parent but the child that picks out a DVD, lets you know she wants to watch it, opens the cover, takes the CD out and puts it into the DVD player .. and then mummy can turn it on .. won’t be long before she learns which buttons to push .. hmmz .. I might hold off teaching her that .. haha

17th December 09 – Part 2

Just remembered some of the things Kate have been doing recently

1,2,3,4,6 oR 5,6,7

Last evening, Kate started counting her fingers. She would hold up her fingers and go “1, is 2, is 3,4, 6″. We tried to get her to say 1 to 5 and away she would go 1 to 6 (minus the 5). Interestingly though, she would say “5 to 7. Cute right? Then she did this super cute “1,2,3″ with corresponding finger action and in an incredibly cute voice. Caught both Ken and I by surprise .. hee

The Letter “i”

Is it a coincidence that she picked out the Alphabet “i” from the fridge (Leapfrog educational toy) or did she really recognise it? Whatever it was, we were amazed and so very proud : )

Its mine ….. Kate’s … Kate does this .. Kate does that

Everything is Kate’s and everything is mine Kate says. Kate pick up. Kate eat. Kate sleep. Kate wear …..