Sunday, June 29, 2008

Family friends

I love our time with family friends and especially enjoy the company of some of our wonderful friends whom we have been hanging out with a lot lately. They have young kids like ours and it is great to see the boys mingling with theirs while we adults chat and have a laugh. Like our lunch at Brussels Sprouts today. 4 families of 9 adults and 9 kids of German, Japanese, American, British and Singaporean descent. Lovely mix of culture! 

And yesterday, we took the boys to Go Go Bambini for a birthday party and they totally crashed out after the 2 hour play and party food there. In the evening, we had hawker food dinner by the pool with our Japanese neighbours and enjoyed a bottle of yummy red together before calling it a night at 930pm. 

So it is a good weekend with lots of company, good laugh and yummy food. And minimal stress. 

Monday, June 23, 2008

Grannies





The grannies came for 6 weeks and left 2 weeks ago. It is so obvious this time that the kids really appreciated and loved the company of their grannies who stayed with us for about 4.5 weeks.

Grandpa taught Chipsy how to fly an helicopter using a remote control and the little baby could master it so superbly (his chopper stays near the ceiling for a few minutes at a time!). Buzz Light year played Lego with grandpa everyday and got inspired to build even more sophisticated models. Grandma patiently read to the boys and followed them everywhere and played with them whenever they allowed her. When they finally left Singapore, Marcus kept asking me why do they have to return to London and when will they come back. He talks about them every few days and with his vivid memory of how he has spent time in their company, he still describes the things he did with them as if they all happened "this morning". His concept of time is still fuzzy, so when he said something "happens this morning" means they are very recent to him.

Perhaps we really should make some concrete plans to visit London with the kids this year. Jetlag and how cumbersome it would be to travel such long distance with 2 young tots should be secondary compared to the enormous gains of pleasure and experience in store for them.

Independent play

I have always been proud of the fact that Marcus is able to play independently since he was about 8 months. Through our conscious efforts to encourage him, he used to keep himself busy with toys, books, drawings, humming his own tune and just moving from projects to projects of his own while I sit nearby doing my own things.

With Nicholas I got a little worried initially as he seemed to demand more attention and wasn't able to focus for a long span of time. Partly I think the maid was constantly following and playing with him, even when I told her to just keep an eye on him and let him play alone. Now that we are without a maid for almost 2 weeks, I realise to my delight that my baby is able to play independently for an impressive length of time.



I usually take it relaxed and easy in the morning after Marcus and E leave the house and make my plans for the day while sipping my coffee. Nicholas would usually be very happy just playing on his own nearby. And from the moment Marcus returns from school, the boys will play together while I fix lunch and after they are fed, they continue to play together till baby naps. Then it is my special bonding time with Marcus when I try to play with him and chat about his day and whatever little topics he comes up with. Once Nicholas wakes from nap, it is bath time for both if we don't head out. Then I settle down to fix dinner while the boys continue their brotherly bonding.



These days, Nicholas would tell Marcus "share" if he wants to play with the same toys and Marcus has learnt to play more harmoniously than before with his sibling too. He assumes an older brother's role automatically and would warn his baby bro' of the dangers or alert me whenever he thinks Nicholas is doing something that is to be discouraged like trying to climb the sofa.

So far, the routine has been working out fabulously and it is wonderful to see the boys bonding so well in the little pockets of time throughout the day, which didn't seem to be so before when the maid was around to watch them while I cooked. So change is great!

Friday, June 20, 2008

Why and why

Sounds like he is echoing Marcus and I really wonder if Nicholas understands it but he has been asking me "Why?" every few minutes these days. "Why" to everything I said and sometimes he seems to use it to simply punctuate everything he said, or so it seems to me at least.

Just like today, he said, "Where digger? Digger gone. Why?" and "Piggy sad. Why? Piggy drop. Ouch!"

He seems a wee bit young to be asking all the 'why' questions and to understand the explanations but I don't want to undermine his capabilities. So I ended answering all his "why" questions as best as I could. They aren't easy though... like when I was telling him about trees and he asked me "why" when I commented that trees have green leaves, roots and trunk. As I explained the functions of each of these parts, he asked more "why". So I simply have to brace myself for lots of talking and explaining everyday and rejoice in my toddler's inquisitive mind. Talking of which reminds me of some interesting questions that Marcus raised recently.

Why do we need skeletons? Can we see our skeleton? What is this (referring to the philtrum) and why do we need this? Why do we need skin? What can our toes do? Why do big trucks need big wheels and why can't small trucks have big wheels too? Why do double decker buses have 2 wheels in front and 4 wheels at the back?

We love that they are inquisitive but after a day's of Q&A with both boys, sometimes I really felt like I have talked enough and are too beat to utter another word. Just can't imagine how it would be like in another year's time.

Digger


Without any active persuasion or introduction on our part, my boys have very instinctively chosen all the 'boys' toys. They are madly in love with anything that has wheels and are contented playing all day long, everyday for months, with their ever growing collection of almost 100 vehicles of all sorts.

Nicholas is especially infatuated with the digger or excavator as Marcus prefers to call it. The baby looks for his digger the moment he wakes and tonight, even insisted on falling asleep cuddling his Piggy in one arm and digger in the other. The several construction sites around our home must have fueled his interest as he watches intently at the digger hard at work whenever we pass by one. Every few seconds, he would turn to me and exclaim "digger there!" or 'digger stop' or 'digger work'! He cried every time we had to leave even though he had stood there watching the digger doing the same work for the past 30 minutes. He is never bored, unlike me. And when he is home, he imitates for hours with his toy digger as it digs up piles and piles of tiny Lego pieces from Marcus' sets.

While I love my babies so dearly, I must admit that there is a limit to how much I can pretend to love diggers, trucks, loaders, machinery etc.. So I delegate happily to E when it comes to Lego playing, which I really dislike and reading up on all the heavy machinery and vehicles etc.. Just like the recent 3 books the boys borrowed at the library on submarines, giant loaders and garbage trucks. {yawn}

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Magic

How can we not love the innocence in children? 

Marcus placed a few balls of "fishballs" which he rolled from playdoh under a set of newspapers and pressed really hard with his palm. Lifted the newspapers and the playdoh was missing!

He thinks he can do magic and excitedly and proudly exclaim "Mummy, see, I can do magic!"

Monsters

Mummy, the machinery crushed the baby monster's face! It is now flattened in the middle and lost its nose (referring to the lump of playdoh that is now stuck in the sundae maker). The daddy monster has gone to buy lunch and when he comes back, he won't be able to find the baby and he will be sad. The daddy is a tyrannosaurus. The mommy monster is at home mopping the floor and she can do this (performing a yoga pose).

This was what Marcus just told me a few minutes ago as he played with playdoh. He has been making up stories about monsters in various parts of the house recently and how they are coming after him so he can't go to bed alone. He is very insistent at times of why he needs to come out to the living room to play as there is a monster under his bed. 

(As I type this post, he stopped playing his playdoh and sat next to me to read. Funnily, he commented "yeah mummy, there is a monster under my bed! See!!")

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

1-2-3

Little baby can recognise the numeral 1 to 5 now and would announce excitedly whenever he sees any of these numbers. 

Whenever he hears someone counts 1, 2, 3 etc.. he would pause at whatever he is doing and listen intently before repeating to himself. Sometimes as he plays with his toys, we can hear him chant 1-2-3-4-5-6 to himself. 

If I say 1 to him, he would follow quickly with 2 and after my 3, he would shout 4 and so on. Now he soaks up everything he sees and hears like a sponge and seems to have an amazing memory of whatever he has just learnt. What an exciting phase! 

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Dad


Whenever I watched the 3 boys play together, I think of all the perks and hardships of being a father. 

Parenthood is a tough job and being a modern dad means he has a tougher role than his ancestors. After a  hard day at work, dad comes home to take on a different role. To do it as well as E takes a lot of efforts and love. 

From the moment he steps into the house from work, he has to answer all the questions Marcus has, appreciate the attention that both boys want to shower on him and concurrently demand from him. Both want to be sitting on his lap at the same time. Both want him to be their playmate. Basically they both want a piece of him till they fall asleep. 

They don't understand that they need to give dad some space, some freedom and some time. They follow dad everywhere he goes, even into the loo. 

So I know it can't be easy sweetheart, but you are doing great. It sure takes a lot of patience and love on your part to be an understanding and loving dad to the boys. They are after all still of tender age and they just want some of daddy's time because you mean the world to them. 

One day, I will tell them stories of what a wonderful dad you are to them and how lucky they are to have you as their daddy. I am sure they would know it themselves though, from the bottom of their hearts. And one day they will be old enough to tell you themselves - Happy Father's Day, daddy!  For a start, Marcus has already made you a 'I Love You, Dad' hat which he is reminding you to wear. :)

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

In class observation

E and I took turns to stay in class to observe M for the first time since he started school a year ago. I have been doing ad hoc observation outside his class once in a while but this is the first time we actually sat inside. Of course with our presence, we understand that M's and the teachers' behaviour may be influenced to some extent but I must admit that I am still very impressed with the whole Montessori setting and way of learning. The co-operation between kids, the independence and intense concentration evident in some kids while they work on their own, the freedom to work more or less on some materials that the kids fancy, the individualised learning path, the way kids are respected and talked to etc.. 

The 15 min I was in class, I observed the teacher guided M on a Maths worksheet. I have been wondering how they 'guide' him on addition. So now I know...  :)


Saturday, June 7, 2008

Busy Buzz and Cheeky Chic

Marcus spends his days busy like a bee. From the moment he wakes, he gets on with his own little projects of creating Lego vehicles, buildings and machines and every now and then, he takes a breather and starts drawing and colouring. He is contented enough to stay in the whole day doing just these and once in a while, he asks to watch a bit of TV or to go swimming. He gets persuaded sometimes to read with me and when he does, we can do over an hour of reading with plenty of questions from him. I love his inquisitive mind and adore the way he creates with his hands.

Seems like Chic has caught on the love of Lego too and is now working frequently with his older brother to create with the Quatro set. Sometimes he would pass Marcus a piece with some "instructions" on where to stack it. At times he builds his own model with the tiny pieces from Marcus' age 5 to 12 set.






Drawings



Grandpa drew the 3 characters in Toy Story and Marcus wrote their names with our help spelling Jessie, Woody and space ranger.

I love his drawings of trucks and how he always makes them so colourful. Now he comes up with drawings of all sorts of trucks and vehicles like tow truck, dump truck and tanker and would sometimes gives them hilarious names like "gar-ber-mama truck"!





Even little Nicholas is now doing his daily scribbling. He seems to have no problem holding his pencil with the right grip. :)


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