Izac’s potty training started in June this year. I think after countless times of trying to catch his pee with the bucket and failing, the first time he actually ask to use the potty was on Ivan’s birthday on 28th June (although nothing came out that time).

We decided to go slow on his potty training. There were many accidents when he just didn’t feel like telling us that he needed to go. However, he kind of decided to go cold turkey on this and didn’t want to wear diapers even at nights. So I had to go and buy a bed protector sheet from Mothercare to protect my dear bed (newly bought too just before I delivered). There were also times when his “angin” came and he wanted to wear his diapers because he’s just too lazy to use the potty.

I’m glad to say that the training took more or less 2 months and he has been a potty going kid for 2 - 3 months now. So far there are still accidents on and off, and sometimes like two weeks ago, he refused to tell use when he needed to go during daytime. All in all, it’s great to have two potty going kids in the house. As you can see from the picture above, they sometimes go potty together *hahaha*. And the good thing is, Izac got himself trained up just in time for Jolie’s arrival too! (Help mommy save on diapers mah…)

Dreams

Ivan just woke up and told me that he had a nice dream just now.

He dreamt that he was fighting with three people and he used a soup bowl which spinned and hit all three of them. All three of them were so scared of him. *hehe* It’s so nice to hear that your kid woke up with a nice dream isn’t it? Err… but then, do you think it could be a case of too much Ultraman or Power Rangers??

There was once when he peed in his sleep, and when I asked him why didn’t he go to the potty, he told me that he dreamt he was in the toilet *hahaha*. I think probably that night he slept too late and was so lazy to wake up to visit the potty so he ended up having a dream that he was actually in the toilet…

I used to wonder what my children dream of, and when they actually start having dreams which they can remember. Do your children tell you their dreams??

Talking Back

Izac wakes up after peeing in his sleep (he’s in potty training mode) and asks for Milo. Supini makes a bottle for him and goes downstairs. He drank a little bit and told me that he’s full.

::::::::::: IZAC SAYS :::::::::::

Mommy: “Aiyoh, ask aunty to make and then you don’t finish it. Next time I don’t make for you ah…”
Izac: “Next time me sendiri make for myself…” (and hides his face in the pillow)
Mommy: o.O”

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And you’d think a 2-and-a-half year old boy would not know how to talk back… and he only just started talking after he turned 2! Hmm…

Izac has started talking a lot more after he turned 2 in January. Even though his speech started a few months later than Ivan; kids being kids, once they start, they can’t stop! His speech is getting better daily, and really peppered with lots of Malay. He’s now able to string complete sentences and he WILL NOT stop asking WHY! He’s got more WHYs than Ivan ever did at this age…

::::::::::: IZAC SAYS :::::::::::

His sentences starts with a why and ends with a why…

Izac: (When I tell him something cannot be eaten) “Why ini cannot eat… why?”
Mommy: “Because it’s dirty already.”
Izac: “Why ini dirty didi (already)… why?”
Mommy: “Because someone dropped it on the floor already.”
Izac: “Why sum…one drop on floor didi (already)… why?”
Mommy: =_=” (Sometimes it’s reeaaally never-ending…)

::::::::::: IZAC SAYS :::::::::::

Ivan: (Whining and whining…) “Mummeeee… I’m tired, I want to sleep…”
Mommy: (As usual, stuck in front of my laptop before bedtime) “……”
Ivan: (Still whining, and already got down from the bed and started rolling on the floor) “Mummeee…. I want to sleeeeeep…” (He wants me to lie down next to him)
Mommy: (Still no response) “……”
Izac: (Gets on the bed and pats on the pillow) “Come kor kor, Izac sleep you…”

I guess the little one pity his brother whining and getting no response from mummy, and offered to sleep with him instead…

::::::::::: IZAC SAYS :::::::::::

Other times, this little boy loves to imitate what Ivan says and does. Izac was talking to me one night, I can’t really recall what he was telling me…

Izac: (Telling mummy something)
Mommy: “……”
Izac: (Started playing his recorded message) “Mami, Izac tok…ing to you, Izac not tok…ing the wall…”
Mommy: “Ooo, sorry darling, yeah you’re not talking to the wall…”
Izac: (Continued with this chant even after lights out) “Mami, Izac tok…ing to you, Izac not tok…ing the wall…”
Mommy: (Speechless)

I don’t recall him ever telling me what he told me that night… before the chant started. o.O”

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Yesterday after fetching Ivan home from school, I urge the children to take a nap. Izac took a nap between 3.30pm until 4.30pm and was awaken by Ivan. Ivan, who didn’t sleep all this while, said he wanted to sleep when 6.00pm came around. For me, a naptime before 4.30pm is still considered ok, any later than that and the kids will be “owls” come night time.

So instead of letting him sleep, I took out the box of chalks which I bought from Ikea recently and told them that they could draw on the cement floor outside (these are the times I’m thankful for our unrenovated porch area). Of course the kids were excited… can get dirty and not be scolded *hehehe*. At the same time, I was able to let Ivan do some drawing which he loves to do nowadays. Below are some examples of his “monsters”…

Izac on the other hand, just had fun getting dirty… he didn’t do much drawing, probably coz mommy was busy snapping pictures and not helping him with it (next time, I promise!). After some attempts at scribbling or rolling the chalk around, the little one took off his slippers and started walking around barefooted. I kept reminding him NOT to go inside the house and to let Supini carry him straight into the toilet for a bath. As usual, no one heeds advise and I get chalky footprints on the kids’ day mattress o.O”.

It was a short but fun activity, something to do in the evenings when the sun is not scorching. It also kept the kids (Ivan, in this case) from sleeping before dinner time. So I guess, this was a win-win situation *winks*.

Stamp. Stamp. Stamp.

We (Jazzmint and myself) have been planning for a potato and leaf stamping session for the kids for a long time now. Since we never seem to get around to actually doing it, I decided to just get the potatoes and do one session with my kids at home last Sunday. The potatoes are relatively cheap… 4 large US potatoes for RM2.99 *LOL*. They were huge and cutting them in half fits the little hands just nice. It’s a waste as I didn’t manage to get a picture of the designs I cut on them… the kids were all rearing to go.

Full concentration from the boys…

Izac was stamping with all his might *hehehe*.

I didn’t go out and get leaves for the stamping as it was evening already, and supplies were limited (art paper and paint running low). I did patterns on the first few sides of potatoes without problem but find that designs were quite limited. I was cracking my brain trying to remember what other designs there were when I was at school.

The outcome:

Ivan’s stamping art, unaided by the adults:

Izac’s stamping (and painting) art, aided by Supini while mommy was busy cutting for patterns:

It was a short but fun activity. Next time I know what is needed (like newspaper for the poor table) and will be more prepared. Now I just need to brainstorm for more patterns to carve on those potatoes (not easy to dig holes in ‘em thingys, mind you)!

Last Saturday was a parent and teacher meet up at Ivan’s school. Before that, all parents were invited to attend a talk by Madam Ruth Liew entitled “Positive Discipline with Young Children”. I attended the talk which was from 8.30am to 9.30am, followed by meeting with the class teacher from 9.30 am onwards.

The talk was great, the gist of it was what kind of relationship do you want with your kids… one which you had with your own parents (which mainly included corporal punishment) or one which is based mostly in being friends with your kids. Times have changed, most kids nowadays are not that receptive to the cane, though of course most of them will be afraid of it… but the cane could bring the kid to LIE to escape punishment, which is what most parents do no want, to end up with a lying child.

Talk aside, I met with Ivan’s teacher. She gave me the whole collection of his semester 1 work which includes drawing and coloring (I’m quite satisfied with this school, as I have had my doubts when I first enrolled him here). Teacher told me that Ivan might be lacking in confidence, as almost all the time when they do coloring, he will be waiting for the teacher to approach him and ask him why he’s not doing when all his other classmates are already coloring. He would then reply by saying he don’t know how to do. He basically needs or wants the teacher to hold his hands and start the coloring before gaining enough confidence to do it on his own. Teacher say that it could be he couldn’t make up his mind on how to start or he’s seeking for attention.

His grip for the pencil also needs improvement so teacher has told me to buy some plastecin or play dough for him. I will be doing more coloring with him at home, about 10 minutes and not more than 20 minutes as advised by his teacher. I have seen him coloring at home, it’s quite sloppy and he give up easily after a while.

Other than that, with regards to him saying that someone beat him in class, it seems that he plays with his friends just as rough. When he plays with other people, he do not play softly, and when someone pushes him back, he doesn’t like it… this boy always want to win only *kekeke*.

I can see tremendous improvement in his Cantonese and acceptance for the Chinese language after attending this school. Previously before starting school he has such an aversion to speaking the language. Now, he speaks Cantonese at his own free will (Mandarin I still don’t hear that often, other than in the songs he sings)… and teacher say he is willing to sit with non-English speaking classmates… yippee!

Finally, teacher say that overall he’s doing well, and a very smart boy. He is able to convey messages from his teacher to us well, so one time when he was asked to bring empty cans to school for an art project, he was the only kid who remembered after the 1 week break… none of the other kids brought cans to class.

Well, I’m one proud mommy… I love you, Ivan! I just hope you enjoy your kindergarten years!

Term one ends this week for Ivan. I guess school breaks also means no traffic jam when I go to work *yippee!*.

It has been an up and down experience for this 1st timer (referring to the boy as well as the mother here) *keke*. Ivan loves school so far as I can tell, but there were two weeks during March that he refused to go to school. I was really at wits end as to what happened to make him dislike school or even how to make him return to school. After 2 weeks of tantrums, he seems to return to normal. I did ask the teacher about it as Ivan say he’s got no friends there and he was beaten, but I was assured by the teacher that he wasn’t beaten, just some fighting over toys with another boy. We also suspected that he wanted to sit with one particular friend and the teacher rotates the seats every few weeks.

Ivan the ang-moh boy also finally learned to love Mandarin after refusing to speak Chinese when he was younger. He comes home and sings Mandarin rhymes which is so darn cute (no bias here, I assure you) *LOL*. Sometimes he comes home with tales which I can only guess whether it’s made up or real, like telling me that his friend pushed him twice today and he fell down (they like to exaggerate).

During his earlier days at school he came home telling me there’s a “selfish boy” in his class which made me wonder, who taught him this word. He assured me that his teacher called the boy that. This day we finally learnt that his classmate’s name is Sarvish, and not “selfish boy”. The things this little bugger tells me about school sometimes just tickles me to no end.

However, we can see he’s grown more independent and outgoing. His Mandarin is improving and I’m also learning the language as he is learning (banana mah, what to do) *hahaha*. He conveys messages from his teacher to us well, but of course I still need to double check (kids will be kids) and they have a book which the teacher inserts notices and such into it.

I hope he’s looking forward to the next semester as I am. It will be his 1st birthday celebration in school.

Sometimes I wonder where Ivan learns the things he does and says. There’s bound to be something new with him daily! He loves to talk. If you let him, he will try talking your ears off. Additionally, he is very assertive. If you do not pay attention or answer his questions, you can be sure he’ll talk louder and louder.

::::::::::: IVAN SAYS :::::::::::

Ivan: “Whose computer is that?”
Mommy: “Mommy’s wann.”

Ivan: “Why is it like that wann?”
Mommy: “…”

Ivan: “Why?”
Mommy: “…”

Ivan: “Why?”
Mommy: (Busy reading from the feedreader) “…”

Ivan: “I said why!”

Now if after informing me that he “said why” and there’s still no answer from me, he’ll keep coming with “I said why” until he get something out of me. My long-winded son!

::::::::::: IVAN SAYS :::::::::::

Ivan: (Jumping on the bed before bedtime, diving from mommy’s bed to kids’ bed)

Mommy: “Ivan, don’t jump, later kena sailo how? Later sailo head crack how? Die la…”

Ivan: (Keeps quiet, seems to be thinking) “…… and then mommy poot another baby la!”

Mommy: (Shocked that he can come up with that) “Eh! Where can, like that no more Izac also.”

Ivan: (Thinks again) “Nelmind (nevermind) la, poot another boy la!”
Mommy: *Hahahaha* “Wah! You ah! Teruk la“

I recently told him about him being in my tummy and how he was a little baby just like Izac. I was rather surprised that he remembers and uses it when answering my “whys”.

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As the title suggests, I have a very mat salleh son in my household. Ivan is an English speaking kid. Sometimes I regret not speaking to him enough in our mother tongue ie. Cantonese and Hokkien. Even my mum who’s Hokkien never speaks to him in Hokkien, she also speaks to her children only in English. The only person who’s teaching Ivan something other than English is his Papa, who ONLY speaks to him in Cantonese. But that too does not help much, as Ivan is stuck with me most times.

These days, I try to speak to them in Chinese whenever I remember, but with my lousy memory, it kinda seems to be a lose-lose situation *heh!*. So knowing myself, I got my SILs to help. I told them to speak to Ivan in Cantonese and try to get him to repeat after them.

::::::::::: IVAN SAYS :::::::::::

At KTZ having red bean dessert…

SIL#1: Ivan, say hoong tau…
Mommy: Ivan, quick, say hoong tau…

Ivan: ……
Mommy : Ivan, say hoong tau laaa.

Ivan: Mommy, you want this? *showing his fist*
Mommy: *puzzled* What is that?

Ivan: Mommy, you want chop? *still showing his fist in my face*
Mommy: *stunned but amused, wondering if he is pissed because we’re forcing him to say hoong tau* Whaaaaat?!

Ivan: Mommy, you want CHOP?? *bashed my left arm with his little fist*
SIL#1 & Mommy: *laughs*
Mommy: Ivan. You cannot hoong (Cantonese slang: challenge) mommy ok??

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I just hope that he’ll pick up at least some our many Cantonese and Hokkien conversations (and not only those used for swearing, mind you! *haha*). The funny thing is this: he knows we’re speaking Chinese and selectively refuses to repeat. Hrmmm…

One… too… thee… four… fiiiiive… seven… eight… nine… tennnnnn!!!

I’ve been away for too long and getting to be too lazy. Most of the time I am too busy with catching up with work, other times I’m just plain tired and a wee bit lazy. Need to start blogging again, what best to blog about but Ivan’s counting achievement.

Yesterday, I took out a box of crayon and a piece of A4 paper for him to doodle on. Out of the blue, while I was writing out the numbers from 1 to 10 on the paper, he started counting with me. After I repeated the whole 10 numbers a few times with different colored crayon, he counted to 10! He was able to count fairly well, missing out on number 6 mostly. Other than numbers, he loves to say A, B and C out of the blue sometimes… it really makes me wonder what goes on in his tiny little head!