Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival and Other New Developments

Dear Aidan,

First of all, congratulations on your first poo in the toilet bowl!

It has been months of coaxing and encouragement (with a bit of firmness thrown in, in the last 2 months).  You can be pretty strong-willed at times and I know it was tough for you to accept that your bottom will NOT fall into the toilet bowl along with your poo. Nevertheless, you decided for yourself that you'd try and look - you did it!

Meanwhile, this month has been about helping you understand that manners are important and therefore must be consistent. You can't just say "Good morning" when you feel like it you know. Or "Thank you."
Or "Please". After a few weeks of reminders, however, you're getting better. Although you do try to cheat.

We've noticed also that you're a very curious little fellow and like to get your hands into everything. Especially when we're in a rush to get somewhere. No wonder they warned us about the "Dilly-Dally" years. So on top of the challenge of putting some manners into you, we're also teaching you to: (1) Listen to instructions (2) Accept disappointment when you can't get what you want.

It must be a tough life being a preschooler though, with so many can'ts and don'ts. But you know, we do give you a lot or room to do stuff, be silly, be a kid. Like jump on puddles. Roll your cars on disabled ramps or other such slopes. Mix chili sauce with soup. You just need to understand that there are no negotiations for some things.

Like being rude.

Like deliberately going against what we ask you to do or not do - especially when it comes to your safety.

Like chucking your t-shirt into the toilet bowl.

Here's hoping, that with time and growth and - yes, me nagging - you'll get the difference someday!

Sparkling fun!

We celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival with Lana and her parents this time round. Aunty Glenda invited us to her aunt's house which had a large playground just outside across the street.

Many relatives came by so there were a few kids to play with. Aunty Erica brought many sparklers so you had your first taste of sparklers thanks to her. In fact, you loved them so much that your lantern got left at the side of the climbing station for most of the night.

Luckily, we'd already done our lantern walkabout with Papa at the condominium a few nights back.

Lovely old-fashioned glass-paper lanterns

Big handles for easy access

Loving Papa's hair there

No painting session is complete without getting your hands dirty!

Your weird but beautiful fish. 

You're getting really good at drawing and colouring. I must say that we've come a long way from the days when you refused to let Mama guide your hand, as you were insistent that you knew how to do it. For a long time, it seemed like you knew how to do everything. Even shoot a ball into the basket. Of course, it was all down to interpretation, wasn't it? Your "car" was just multiple swirls those days. But it was a car to you. And your fish was two long lines that didn't meet. Ha ha ha.

I'm preparing to defeat mean people, Mama!

We also think you're a natural performer as you'd get into performance mode easily and put on character voices. You love doing poses, too. And you like jumping on stages and platforms to dance or jump around.

Your sense of humour is also becoming keener as you'd laugh at scenes in your animated movies that you never used to laugh at. Well, there's also the occasional diaper-or-pants-on-the-head trick that you pull off.

We're thinking of enrolling you into a drama or music class but we also don't want to bog you down with activities unless you ask for them. With your imagination though, it'd be a waste not to encourage and nurture it, that's for sure. I mean, you even made a large 'pizza' with water and imaginary flour, cheese and milk the other day.

Now, I like THIS sorta hat, Mama

One large pizza coming up!

Your love for animated movies is growing and I'm sure I'll have to put a cap on it soon.

Right now, you have a collection that includes 'Iron Giant', 'Dinosaurs', 'Toy Story', 'Cars', 'Ratatouille', 'Beauty and the Beast', 'How to Train a Dragon', 'Kung Fu Panda', 'Puss in Boots', 'Fox and the Hound', 'Lilo and Stitch' and 'Lion King'.

I love how your sense of empathy and compassion is growing too. I'm always proud when you help others or give Papa and  kisses when we bump ourselves and go 'Ouch'.

It's important not to just think about yourself, honey. Because lots of people are less fortunate than we are. And many kids just don't have what you have. So if you have something you like - and not just something you have to spare or don't like anymore - it's good to offer it to someone.

My favourite movies of all time!

To help you in your general discomfort with water (well, you like playing with water and splashing about in the pool but you're very particular about water getting into your nose or in your eyes although you're getting better at coping with it), Mama got you a book entitled 'The Deep End'. It's about a little girl who's learning to face her fear of water by taking swimming lessons.

It's a really cute book because she and her toddler class imagine that the bigger kids actually swim into the sinkhole at the deep end, through a passage way underneath the streets where people live, before coming out on the other end into the sea.

We're not expecting you to be an Olympic champion but hopefully, you'll learn to be open about swimming lessons.

It's just water!

Old Friends, Nice Getaway

Dear Aidan,

Some time in August, we returned for our occasional visit to Poh-Poh's in KL. And while there, we did a new thing: We spent a few days at Grandma's and Grandpa's as well.

Mama has always been awkward about the idea of staying there because I'm so used to being in my home. I also don't like having to say No or disagree with old people and back in my home, my mum (Poh-Poh) understands me enough that we're both at peace around each other (apart from the occasional nagging from her - something you'll agree I do when you're a little older).  But this time, I told myself that Papa needed to be with his parents too as they too are getting on in age.

During our stay, you fell in love with one of Grandma's big bolsters. You name him Biggie and wanted to bring him everywhere, even the coffee shops.

Two happy bunnies with their Ribena

Decorating dessert with Aunty Anne's help

We managed to pay a visit to Aunty Anne and Jaden in between. And you really had a blast. First there was a yummy lunch of fried rice (made by Jaden's Amuma) and chicken drummettes in BBQ sauce. Then there was Ribena! And then! There was even cake! A lovely light Victoria sponge cake which Aunty Anne let you boys take turns icing and decorating with cream and strawberries. In between all the feasting, of course, was Jaden graciously sharing his toys and playing with you.

It was a really fun afternoon.



When we returned to Singapore, we took you to Sentosa Island for a short weekend break. Papa and  knew that we were soon going to leave for our own holiday to Bali and we wanted to make it up to you in advance.


You enjoyed playing on the beach, showering Papa's hair with mud and building little castles. What got you super excited, though, was the Skyride combined with The Luge, a toboggan-like ride down the slopes after ascending the hill on the open-air swing-on-a-pulley (essentially that's what the Skyride was to me!).

In fact, you loved it so much, we came back to Beach Road Station after dinner for a 3rd ride, just before they stopped the rides for the night.

Getting the shampoo in 

The Luge - The Ultimate Holiday Favourite

Just Papa and me...

You're beginning to settle from your pre-August phase of tantrums and whininess - well, you're still playing rough and throwing/kicking your toys sometimes despite many repetitive reminders, and for those, trips to the Corner are still taking place.

The Teachers at school have mentioned also that you're starting to be more protective of who you share your toys with when you used to be more generous. I know you like sharing with the bigger kids because, maybe, you trust them with your stuff more, but it's good to show the younger ones what sharing's all about.

Another thing I've noticed: You've begun to want back every single toy you offer to your friends (like Theo for example), just seconds after you've lent them away. What's not right is, you'd tell them they can play with something else and when they do and have fun doing it, you'd rush to take that back too, insisting that you now want to play with it.

When you're well-behaved though, you're really good! So when the chain of your first bike (Tornado) came undone for the final time, we didn't hesitate to get you a new 'Big-Boy' bicycle.  Well, it was also a gift to celebrate the half-way mark of your 3rd year on Planet Earth.

Meanwhile, here are more books that you're enjoying. (By the way, I love how you would suddenly realise I'm using story-time to help you recognise alphabets and their sounds because you'd turn around while sitting on my lap and ask, "Are you trying to make me learn, Mama?")

Fun classics from Mama's time