Little man has his future plans all laid in already, it seems.
It began when we were snuggling in bed last night, and he decided he wanted the stuffed stingray I had bought for myself long before I even met Daddy. When I tried to point out that it was originally my stingray, he corrected me:
"You played with it when you were little, now it's my stingray."
Okay, I decided to follow up on that reasoning: "So that means when you grow up and have your own Pao-pao, you're going to give it to him to play with?"
"No! I'm not getting married!" he declared.
"So you're staying here with Mommy and Daddy?" I asked. Yup, he confirmed. I pressed further: "Are you going to take care of Mommy and Daddy?" (hey, not a bad deal. Built in nursing home care!)
His answer? "No. You're not going to be OLD when I'm grown up!" I laughed inwardly. If only he knew!
So then I decided to see how helpful he would be, staying under our roof all his life. "Are you going to help out with chores?" Yup, he again confirmed. Which ones? I pressed.
"I can... do the dishes without help. I can fold clothes. And I can wash the bathroom". (Hmmm... still sounded like an inequitable deal, shouldn't he be pitching in more, after all?)
So I gave some more suggestions: how about WASHING the laundry (not just folding it)? No. Vacuuming? No. Oh, but sweeping is okay, he pointed out. He'll sweep the bathroom floor. LOL
We'll have to wait a few more years and see how this all turns out! I'm keeping this blog post as a reminder of what he promised ;-) Don't think I'm not gonna use this against him! :-D
Lunchtime timesavers
On Monday, Daddy taught the lower and middle schoolers at Todd's school, giving them a basic introduction to computers, even bringing computer parts for them to look at. Since his stay encompassed the lunch period, he brought his lunch and ate with Todd. This enabled me to prepare a nice hot lunch of rice, meat and veggies for Todd instead of his usual sandwich, since Daddy would be there to eat with him and feed him, or at least supervise him to make sure he ate everything. Then Daddy took him home and Mommy took over, cleaning up, changing him out of his uniform, and taking him to after-school care.
This worked so well for a number of reasons:
1. Todd gets a nutritious lunch from the get-go, rather than having to eat a sandwich at school and follow it with regular food at home.
2. It saves time, as he's more likely to eat the regular food quickly when he's hungry at lunch, rather than being full after a sandwich.
3. Again, it saves time at home because all he has to do is eat his fruit and clean up, no time spent on eating his actual lunch. As a result, nobody feels rushed any longer. Mommy's not harried and Todd's not pushed around. In fact, one day last week we were able to go out onto the balcony and blow bubbles while Todd ate his apple, because we actually had time to!
So we decided to continue doing this, having one of accompany Todd with hot food during lunch, while the other goes home later and takes over the cleaning up and driving him to after-school care.
That's when we discovered yet another benefit:
4. Reduced lunch hours for both of us! Instead of both parents having to take 1.5 hours (the shortest we've been able to cut it to is 1 hr and 20 min, and then only if Todd's cooperative all around), each parent only has to take 1 hour, albeit not simultaneously. For example: Daddy leaves before noon to have lunch with little man, while Mommy goes home at 12:30 to prepare fruit and lay out clothes. Then, Daddy's home by 12:45 (immediately leaving and getting back to work by 1pm), giving Mommy time to leisurely dress the boy, take him to after-school care, and be back at work by 1:30pm. In other words, only 1 hour for lunch for each of us.
Not bad, eh! The nice thing about this is that we can continue doing this even when Todd is in the later grades, and not dismissed till 2-3pm. Great peace of mind in knowing our son is well-fed during the day :-) One less thing to worry about!
This worked so well for a number of reasons:
1. Todd gets a nutritious lunch from the get-go, rather than having to eat a sandwich at school and follow it with regular food at home.
2. It saves time, as he's more likely to eat the regular food quickly when he's hungry at lunch, rather than being full after a sandwich.
3. Again, it saves time at home because all he has to do is eat his fruit and clean up, no time spent on eating his actual lunch. As a result, nobody feels rushed any longer. Mommy's not harried and Todd's not pushed around. In fact, one day last week we were able to go out onto the balcony and blow bubbles while Todd ate his apple, because we actually had time to!
So we decided to continue doing this, having one of accompany Todd with hot food during lunch, while the other goes home later and takes over the cleaning up and driving him to after-school care.
That's when we discovered yet another benefit:
4. Reduced lunch hours for both of us! Instead of both parents having to take 1.5 hours (the shortest we've been able to cut it to is 1 hr and 20 min, and then only if Todd's cooperative all around), each parent only has to take 1 hour, albeit not simultaneously. For example: Daddy leaves before noon to have lunch with little man, while Mommy goes home at 12:30 to prepare fruit and lay out clothes. Then, Daddy's home by 12:45 (immediately leaving and getting back to work by 1pm), giving Mommy time to leisurely dress the boy, take him to after-school care, and be back at work by 1:30pm. In other words, only 1 hour for lunch for each of us.
Not bad, eh! The nice thing about this is that we can continue doing this even when Todd is in the later grades, and not dismissed till 2-3pm. Great peace of mind in knowing our son is well-fed during the day :-) One less thing to worry about!
The Adventures of Soapy Wee-wee Boy
Several weeks ago, while I was showering Todd and he observed himself covered in soapy suds, he declared: "I'm Soapy Wee-wee Boy!!"
Which I found amusing, but not significant enough to blog. Well, that changed last night. I was again showering him when he decided:
"I'm going to squeeze my wee-wee."
I had barely opened my mouth to explain why this wasn't a good idea, and that it might hurt, when he grabbed his wee-wee, squeezed it hard, and then exclaimed: "OWWWWWWW!!!!"
You would think it would stop there, but no. Remember, this is the same kid who likes bashing his head into things like stuffed animals and people's hands.
So what do you suppose he did? That's right... he grabbed it and squeezed it AGAIN. And again he cried out "OWWWWWW!!!!"
Sigh... this is why my Facebook status currently reads "Helly's little boy is speshul"!
Which I found amusing, but not significant enough to blog. Well, that changed last night. I was again showering him when he decided:
"I'm going to squeeze my wee-wee."
I had barely opened my mouth to explain why this wasn't a good idea, and that it might hurt, when he grabbed his wee-wee, squeezed it hard, and then exclaimed: "OWWWWWWW!!!!"
You would think it would stop there, but no. Remember, this is the same kid who likes bashing his head into things like stuffed animals and people's hands.
So what do you suppose he did? That's right... he grabbed it and squeezed it AGAIN. And again he cried out "OWWWWWW!!!!"
Sigh... this is why my Facebook status currently reads "Helly's little boy is speshul"!
Logical deduction
Tonight while I was snuggling with Todd in bed, Daddy came in the door to get to the bathroom. As he slowly opened it, I looked at Todd and asked: "Who's that coming in?"
Todd, however, had no patience for such baby-like questions, and in his most grownup way, explained a simple principle of logical deduction:
"It's Daddy. You should know that. You and me are in here, and Daddy's the only one outside!"
Todd, however, had no patience for such baby-like questions, and in his most grownup way, explained a simple principle of logical deduction:
"It's Daddy. You should know that. You and me are in here, and Daddy's the only one outside!"
Turtles don't wear clothes, after all
Apparently I've been proven wrong. You see, during our 2-week winter "vacation", I dressed Pistachio in one of Todd's school polo shirts, to help keep him clean. But when Todd arrived back in SB tonight, I had to take it off so Todd could actually use it during the week.
When I finally undressed the turtle in front of Todd, I made him protest "Awww, now I'm naked!"
To which Todd pointed out: "Now you are like Geronimo!" (who has long since gone au naturel)
When Pistachio persisted in expressing his dislike for being naked, Todd, exasperated, said: "But you're supposed to be! Turtles aren't supposed to be not-naked!"
:-D
(and anyway, I personally maintain that turtles by their very nature aren't naked-- they have shells, right?)
When I finally undressed the turtle in front of Todd, I made him protest "Awww, now I'm naked!"
To which Todd pointed out: "Now you are like Geronimo!" (who has long since gone au naturel)
When Pistachio persisted in expressing his dislike for being naked, Todd, exasperated, said: "But you're supposed to be! Turtles aren't supposed to be not-naked!"
:-D
(and anyway, I personally maintain that turtles by their very nature aren't naked-- they have shells, right?)
Merry Christmas 2008
Another fun Christmas with Daddy's family. Todd got some of the items from his wish list, regular-sized legos and his very own digital camera, in addition to the usual loot. Because it was raining outside, we all sat around the dining table indoors, and it was actually quite nice! Usually when we sit outdoors we're divided between 2 patio tables, but this time we ALL got to gather around one single table, so it seemed more cozy.
Not a lot of good pictures to put up :-( I just offloaded them from the camera and discovered that they all had Todd either looking away (concentrating on unwrapping a gift) or looking at someone else. If anyone else took better photos, please send them! :-)
When we arrived back at Oma and Opa's house, he was eager to teach them how to play Snakes 'n' Ladders and checkers while they ate dinner.
And of course, what post would be complete without a Toddism?
On the way to Aunt Debbie and Uncle Ron's house, Todd declared that he would not speak to anyone (in fact, he was loath enough to say that to us). The reason? "If I speak English, I will forget my Chinese!"
Not a lot of good pictures to put up :-( I just offloaded them from the camera and discovered that they all had Todd either looking away (concentrating on unwrapping a gift) or looking at someone else. If anyone else took better photos, please send them! :-)
When we arrived back at Oma and Opa's house, he was eager to teach them how to play Snakes 'n' Ladders and checkers while they ate dinner.
And of course, what post would be complete without a Toddism?
On the way to Aunt Debbie and Uncle Ron's house, Todd declared that he would not speak to anyone (in fact, he was loath enough to say that to us). The reason? "If I speak English, I will forget my Chinese!"
Bears are not snowmen
One of Todd's current favorite toys to snuggle with at night is the white birthday bear that Grandpa gave to him on his 2nd birthday. It is large and the color of pristine snow, and so when we settled down to read books before bed last night and I pulled out a book featuring snowmen, I instantly remarked to the bear: "You look like a snowman!", pointing to the pictures of snowmen.
The bear, through Todd, took great offense to this, and insisted that he wasn't a snowman. In fact, he went on to prove *why* he wasn't:
"I don't have 3 balls!"
(I'm sure you can imagine what he was actually talking about, but it was insanely funny nevertheless :-D)
The bear, through Todd, took great offense to this, and insisted that he wasn't a snowman. In fact, he went on to prove *why* he wasn't:
"I don't have 3 balls!"
(I'm sure you can imagine what he was actually talking about, but it was insanely funny nevertheless :-D)
Don't forget!
I was singing "Frosty the Snowman" in the car on the way home today and when I got to the part about "2 eyes made out of coal", Todd wanted to know what coal was. I explained it to him, and tried to give him a visual description of charcoal used in barbecues. Of course, he wanted to actually see it, so I told him that after dinner I'd find pictures on the computer and show him.
Knowing, however, that I was likely to forget after the hustle and bustle of our evening routine, I asked him to remind me in case I forgot.
His reply? "You should keep it in your brain!"
Knowing, however, that I was likely to forget after the hustle and bustle of our evening routine, I asked him to remind me in case I forgot.
His reply? "You should keep it in your brain!"
Reading and 'rithmetic
(Whew! Been remiss in blogging here, haven't I! Just played another round of catchup and posted 9 new entries-- including this one-- happy reading!)
Todd had been becoming more and more curious about words and reading. The elements of phonics are starting to sink in and he's applying them more and more. For the time being, I have given up the approach of teaching him to read using sound-out phonics, and instead am focusing on sight words. Kids have good memories, and it's easier for him to recognize words by sight rather than sounding them out letter-by-letter. In fact, now that he's learning sight words, he's starting to apply the phonics to them!
Often he will do one of two things:
1. See a word somewhere (on a sign, in a newspaper ad, on electronic equipment, etc...), spell it out for me, and ask me what it says.
2. Ask me how to spell a certain word he already knows. Stuff like numbers, body parts, and anything else he's recently heard/talked about.
Here's some examples of how he's applying phonics concepts to words he's learning about:
The other day I was washing his hands at school and he looked at the soap dispenser, which had the name and logo of the soap supplier on it. He wanted to know what "S-U-P-P-L-Y" spelled. I told him. He mulled it over, and then added a new twist:
"You know what word it is if you use a 'T' instead of an 'S'? Tupply!"
Then there was the time when we were talking about planets. He went quiet for a few moments, and then declared: "You know what rhymes with 'planet'? Hanet!"
In the world of arithmetic, he no longer needs beads to count sums less than 10. He can use his fingers! He has become manual dexterous enough to do both addition and subtraction using his hands.
One last tidbit: a few weeks ago he spelled out the letters to his full name: first, middle, last. He wanted to know how many letters it was. I suggested he try counting them. As I was driving, I didn't get to observe what he was doing, but it went quiet in the back seat for a while as I heard whispers while he figured it out. A few minutes later, he proudly announced: "Fifteen!" I was amazed. Not sure if it was a lucky fluke or if he really managed to count them all out, but 15 it is! :-)
Todd had been becoming more and more curious about words and reading. The elements of phonics are starting to sink in and he's applying them more and more. For the time being, I have given up the approach of teaching him to read using sound-out phonics, and instead am focusing on sight words. Kids have good memories, and it's easier for him to recognize words by sight rather than sounding them out letter-by-letter. In fact, now that he's learning sight words, he's starting to apply the phonics to them!
Often he will do one of two things:
1. See a word somewhere (on a sign, in a newspaper ad, on electronic equipment, etc...), spell it out for me, and ask me what it says.
2. Ask me how to spell a certain word he already knows. Stuff like numbers, body parts, and anything else he's recently heard/talked about.
Here's some examples of how he's applying phonics concepts to words he's learning about:
The other day I was washing his hands at school and he looked at the soap dispenser, which had the name and logo of the soap supplier on it. He wanted to know what "S-U-P-P-L-Y" spelled. I told him. He mulled it over, and then added a new twist:
"You know what word it is if you use a 'T' instead of an 'S'? Tupply!"
Then there was the time when we were talking about planets. He went quiet for a few moments, and then declared: "You know what rhymes with 'planet'? Hanet!"
In the world of arithmetic, he no longer needs beads to count sums less than 10. He can use his fingers! He has become manual dexterous enough to do both addition and subtraction using his hands.
One last tidbit: a few weeks ago he spelled out the letters to his full name: first, middle, last. He wanted to know how many letters it was. I suggested he try counting them. As I was driving, I didn't get to observe what he was doing, but it went quiet in the back seat for a while as I heard whispers while he figured it out. A few minutes later, he proudly announced: "Fifteen!" I was amazed. Not sure if it was a lucky fluke or if he really managed to count them all out, but 15 it is! :-)
That's not what he said!
Ah, the time to pit one parent against another has come. When Todd arrived home from school today, he explained that he wanted jelly-only sandwiches (instead of the PBJ he regularly gets at lunchtime). I explained that he HAD to have peanut butter as it was a good source of protein. But then I went on to further explain that on weekends, when it was snack time, I'd be happy to make him jelly-only sandwiches then.
He immediately pounced on my last statement and pointed out: "Your answer is not the same as Daddy's!"
I was quick to clarify that when Daddy and I were both talking about lunch, our answer was the same: you *must* have PB.
But wow, talk about keen to observe any differences in one parent's explanation vs. another! Time for Daddy and I to band together and make sure we get our stories straight... and airtight! That kid finds loopholes faster than dirt finds him!
He immediately pounced on my last statement and pointed out: "Your answer is not the same as Daddy's!"
I was quick to clarify that when Daddy and I were both talking about lunch, our answer was the same: you *must* have PB.
But wow, talk about keen to observe any differences in one parent's explanation vs. another! Time for Daddy and I to band together and make sure we get our stories straight... and airtight! That kid finds loopholes faster than dirt finds him!
Todd takes up Karate
Last summer, we'd tried enrolling Todd in Tae Kwon Do at a place near my parents' house. It didn't work out too well, probably because (a) he was still too young-- just turned 3! and (b) the instructors were rather loud and intimidating. Good for discipline for older kids, not so good for toddlers who don't quite understand yet.
Anyway, this past summer, after turning 4, he expressed interest in returning to Tae Kwon Do. Of course, by then school was ready to start so he had to come back to SB. Recently, however, we found several karate classes in/around SB. Unfortunately most of them had the kiddie group classes during times when Daddy and I would still be at work. Or else they were far away (well, far away by SB standards). That is, until I found one place that not only had group classes starting at 5pm, but was located in the building right NEXT to Todd's after-school care center!
I took Todd to his first, introductory class last Monday, and he did remarkably well. He followed instructions, listened to the teacher, and even volunteered at the end when the teacher sought someone to come up to the front and help him with a demonstration.
This past Monday marked Todd's second lesson, and this time Daddy joined in to watch. We were surprised at how well Todd adapted. When the teacher called each kid up individually to line up, he remembered to stand ramrod straight in front of him and address him with "Yes, sir!" When corrected during the moves, he remembered and followed instructions with minimal distraction. It was quite heartening to see! And hopefully the discipline will be good for him.
Saturday will be his first private lesson. I think the combination of the individual attention during a private lesson plus the social atmosphere in the group lesson will be good for him. Here's hoping to more successful classes in the future! :-)
Anyway, this past summer, after turning 4, he expressed interest in returning to Tae Kwon Do. Of course, by then school was ready to start so he had to come back to SB. Recently, however, we found several karate classes in/around SB. Unfortunately most of them had the kiddie group classes during times when Daddy and I would still be at work. Or else they were far away (well, far away by SB standards). That is, until I found one place that not only had group classes starting at 5pm, but was located in the building right NEXT to Todd's after-school care center!
I took Todd to his first, introductory class last Monday, and he did remarkably well. He followed instructions, listened to the teacher, and even volunteered at the end when the teacher sought someone to come up to the front and help him with a demonstration.
This past Monday marked Todd's second lesson, and this time Daddy joined in to watch. We were surprised at how well Todd adapted. When the teacher called each kid up individually to line up, he remembered to stand ramrod straight in front of him and address him with "Yes, sir!" When corrected during the moves, he remembered and followed instructions with minimal distraction. It was quite heartening to see! And hopefully the discipline will be good for him.
Saturday will be his first private lesson. I think the combination of the individual attention during a private lesson plus the social atmosphere in the group lesson will be good for him. Here's hoping to more successful classes in the future! :-)
Deep bedtime conversations
As mentioned in an earlier post, our bedtime routine is pretty standard, and pretty established. Often Todd and I will engage in a little conversation while snuggling, before we drift off to sleep. If he's in a good mood, it's a perfect time to get him to open up with more details about what he did at school that day. Or we'll just talk about random things.
Tonight the conversation started before finished his prayers. As he was about to launch into the Lord's Prayer, he paused and asked quizzically: "Why is the Lord's Prayer so long?"
I seized the opportunity to go through it line by line and explain in kiddie terms what it meant. That in turn led to questions about what heaven must be like.
I gave him my best guess, explaining that it was a place where people could live peacefully and lovingly and not hurt each other by lying or stealing or cheating. Upon my mention that I believe animals are in heaven too, Todd objected:
"If animals are there, they'll go RAWR at you!"
I quickly allayed his fear that he might get chased by a ferocious lion up in heaven, and pointed out that up there, there would be no need for animals to hunt one another. Sharks would not attack turtles, lions could sit peacefully with deer.
Todd digested this and then added his own opinion of what else heaven might consist of:
"There will be music in heaven. That's what I think."
I agreed. After all, what better way to express peace and love than through music?
Tonight the conversation started before finished his prayers. As he was about to launch into the Lord's Prayer, he paused and asked quizzically: "Why is the Lord's Prayer so long?"
I seized the opportunity to go through it line by line and explain in kiddie terms what it meant. That in turn led to questions about what heaven must be like.
I gave him my best guess, explaining that it was a place where people could live peacefully and lovingly and not hurt each other by lying or stealing or cheating. Upon my mention that I believe animals are in heaven too, Todd objected:
"If animals are there, they'll go RAWR at you!"
I quickly allayed his fear that he might get chased by a ferocious lion up in heaven, and pointed out that up there, there would be no need for animals to hunt one another. Sharks would not attack turtles, lions could sit peacefully with deer.
Todd digested this and then added his own opinion of what else heaven might consist of:
"There will be music in heaven. That's what I think."
I agreed. After all, what better way to express peace and love than through music?
Thanksgiving 2008
As usual, celebrations at Ron and Debbie's this year. Dinnertime came with the usual semi-reluctance to eat. But then Todd's ears perked up when Grandpa mentioned apple pie. His mouth watered at the sight. Looking at his half-finished plate of turkey, potatoes and spinach, he declared that he was full. The following conversation ensued:
Todd: I'm full! (clearly wanting pie)
Mom: Oh well, if you're full then I guess you're too full to eat pie.
Todd: (mulls it over) I'm hungry!
Mom: Oh good, if you're hungry, then you can eat more dinner.
Todd: I'm... a little bit hungry, a little bit full!
When he did finish his dinner and delved into his pie with gusto, he devoured it so quickly that it wasn't long before he was looking at his last bite on the plate. At which point he looked at me and said: "I'm not full yet. After I eat this bite, I will be full!"
At the end of the night, as we were getting ready to say our goodbyes to the family, Uncle Ron tried joking about with Todd, claiming he had slaved away all day to get Thanksgiving dinner ready.
It was clear, though, that Todd had observed Aunt Debbie bustling about in the kitchen all day while Uncle Ron sat outside, for he was quick to correct Uncle Ron (albeit speaking to Daddy):
"Uncle Ron didn't do anything! Aunt Debbie did everything!"
Todd: I'm full! (clearly wanting pie)
Mom: Oh well, if you're full then I guess you're too full to eat pie.
Todd: (mulls it over) I'm hungry!
Mom: Oh good, if you're hungry, then you can eat more dinner.
Todd: I'm... a little bit hungry, a little bit full!
When he did finish his dinner and delved into his pie with gusto, he devoured it so quickly that it wasn't long before he was looking at his last bite on the plate. At which point he looked at me and said: "I'm not full yet. After I eat this bite, I will be full!"
At the end of the night, as we were getting ready to say our goodbyes to the family, Uncle Ron tried joking about with Todd, claiming he had slaved away all day to get Thanksgiving dinner ready.
It was clear, though, that Todd had observed Aunt Debbie bustling about in the kitchen all day while Uncle Ron sat outside, for he was quick to correct Uncle Ron (albeit speaking to Daddy):
"Uncle Ron didn't do anything! Aunt Debbie did everything!"
School progress report
This afternoon, Allan and I dutifully reported to Todd's school to meet with his teacher and discuss how he has been doing in class. She handed us his report card-- all good marks so far!
She went on to explain that he was starting to come out of his shell a bit. He answers questions in class, and plays nicely with the other kids. One of my chief worries (besides the social aspect) was the fact that he has a short attention span and tends to let his mind wander when he should be paying attention. According to his teacher, he doesn't do that so often at school. He does at times, but not more than is normal for most little kids. For the most part, he listens and follows instructions. That was a big relief to hear.
We were also regaled with an anecdote about a recent day during chapel-- a bit hazy on the background, but apparently the kids were talking about being scared at night-- and Todd raised his hand. When called upon to speak, he piped up with his little bit of advice:
"When I say my prayers at night, I'm not afraid anymore!"
Doubly pleasing to hear because not only is he participating in school, but he sees the value of saying his prayers :-D
She went on to explain that he was starting to come out of his shell a bit. He answers questions in class, and plays nicely with the other kids. One of my chief worries (besides the social aspect) was the fact that he has a short attention span and tends to let his mind wander when he should be paying attention. According to his teacher, he doesn't do that so often at school. He does at times, but not more than is normal for most little kids. For the most part, he listens and follows instructions. That was a big relief to hear.
We were also regaled with an anecdote about a recent day during chapel-- a bit hazy on the background, but apparently the kids were talking about being scared at night-- and Todd raised his hand. When called upon to speak, he piped up with his little bit of advice:
"When I say my prayers at night, I'm not afraid anymore!"
Doubly pleasing to hear because not only is he participating in school, but he sees the value of saying his prayers :-D
Snuggle time
The everyday routine is pretty standard. Bedtime is mostly Mommy's domain: brushing teeth, reading stories, saying prayers, and snuggling until Todd falls asleep (most of the time, Mommy zonks out, too!)
Tonight, however, Todd decided he wanted something different. He is currently in the midst of wishing to do everything with the parent of the same gender. A boy has to sit next to him in the car, a boy has to shower him, a boy has to... etc...
So it came as no surprise that at bedtime today, Todd declared: "I never get to snuggle with Daddy after stories and prayer!"
Since Daddy gets to snuggle with him in the morning, I pointed out that nighttime was my turn: "But what about me? Then I'll never get to snuggle with you!"
Todd's solution?
"You can snuggle with DADDY at night (after I go to sleep)!"
Tonight, however, Todd decided he wanted something different. He is currently in the midst of wishing to do everything with the parent of the same gender. A boy has to sit next to him in the car, a boy has to shower him, a boy has to... etc...
So it came as no surprise that at bedtime today, Todd declared: "I never get to snuggle with Daddy after stories and prayer!"
Since Daddy gets to snuggle with him in the morning, I pointed out that nighttime was my turn: "But what about me? Then I'll never get to snuggle with you!"
Todd's solution?
"You can snuggle with DADDY at night (after I go to sleep)!"
Let's make a deal
Todd proves that he isn't as gullible as you might think:
Daddy and Todd were having fun and got into a pseudo-discussions about languages, mostly about Todd picking up his Chinese again when he returns to Oma and Opa's house for winter break, Daddy's wish to learn more languages, and Todd's curiosity about German.
So Daddy tried to strike his son a deal:
"You teach me Chinese and I'll teach you German."
Todd wasn't about to be fooled, however:
"But... you don't speak German!!"
Daddy and Todd were having fun and got into a pseudo-discussions about languages, mostly about Todd picking up his Chinese again when he returns to Oma and Opa's house for winter break, Daddy's wish to learn more languages, and Todd's curiosity about German.
So Daddy tried to strike his son a deal:
"You teach me Chinese and I'll teach you German."
Todd wasn't about to be fooled, however:
"But... you don't speak German!!"
Halloween
Last year Todd dressed as a pumpkin. This year it was Mommy's turn to dress like a pumpkin, but she added some geekish flair by dressing as Pumpkin Pi(e).
Since I'd just come back from Indonesia with new clothing in tow, and since some of my relatives gave me traditional Chinese garb, I decided the perfect costume for Todd would be as a "little Chinese boy"-- complete with the hat and fake pigtail! It went well with Daddy's Asian-themed costume of a Hawaiian shirt and long sarong.
We went to a Halloween party at our apartment complex's clubhouse, enjoyed pizza and candy, and then returned home to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. Only a few kids came by, though :-(
Since I'd just come back from Indonesia with new clothing in tow, and since some of my relatives gave me traditional Chinese garb, I decided the perfect costume for Todd would be as a "little Chinese boy"-- complete with the hat and fake pigtail! It went well with Daddy's Asian-themed costume of a Hawaiian shirt and long sarong.
We went to a Halloween party at our apartment complex's clubhouse, enjoyed pizza and candy, and then returned home to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. Only a few kids came by, though :-(
Birthday party
Today was Todd's first time attending a birthday party-- one of the kids in his class was celebrating. The day before, he and I stopped at Border's to shop for a gift, and found the perfect blend of educational material with fun stuff-- a "Space IQ" set consisting of a fact-filled, colorful book to read, a space game and glow-in-the-dark space-themed stickers. We also picked up a glass chess set that was on sale, so he and Daddy can play chess more often :-)
It had been a loooong morning for the poor kid, as we spent nearly 2 hours at the Orthodox church service (the church his school is affiliated with-- we wanted to see what it was like, it was a new experience for all of us!) and then another hour at our (regular) church friends' house, having brunch to raise funds for their trip to the orphanage in South Africa. And boy did he waste no time letting loose a lot of steam! He spent a large part of the time jumping around in the bouncy castle, shrieking with delight and having a grand time. Two hours flew by all too quickly, and the little man left, satisfied and caked with dirt.
Boys will be boys!
We'll have to see what we can do for his next birthday, esp now that we have a rec room and playground at our disposal, through our apartment complex.
It had been a loooong morning for the poor kid, as we spent nearly 2 hours at the Orthodox church service (the church his school is affiliated with-- we wanted to see what it was like, it was a new experience for all of us!) and then another hour at our (regular) church friends' house, having brunch to raise funds for their trip to the orphanage in South Africa. And boy did he waste no time letting loose a lot of steam! He spent a large part of the time jumping around in the bouncy castle, shrieking with delight and having a grand time. Two hours flew by all too quickly, and the little man left, satisfied and caked with dirt.
Boys will be boys!
We'll have to see what we can do for his next birthday, esp now that we have a rec room and playground at our disposal, through our apartment complex.
I remembered what you said
A VERY rare thing for Todd to say-- even if the observation came about AFTER I instructed him on what to do. At least he went about it willingly?
I had mentioned for the umpteenth time that he is ALWAYS to wash his hands with soap and water 1) everytime after he uses the toilet and 2) everytime before he eats anything. It seems to be slowly sinking it, but I've yet to see him actively do this without my reminding him. Not a big deal, really, so long as he goes willingly once I actually tell him to wash his hands.
Today, as I was helping him wash his hands, he piped up with "I remembered what you told me (about washing hands). I kept it in brain!"
Good job. Now, the next step: keeping it in your brain and taking the initiative to ACT upon it ;-)
I had mentioned for the umpteenth time that he is ALWAYS to wash his hands with soap and water 1) everytime after he uses the toilet and 2) everytime before he eats anything. It seems to be slowly sinking it, but I've yet to see him actively do this without my reminding him. Not a big deal, really, so long as he goes willingly once I actually tell him to wash his hands.
Today, as I was helping him wash his hands, he piped up with "I remembered what you told me (about washing hands). I kept it in brain!"
Good job. Now, the next step: keeping it in your brain and taking the initiative to ACT upon it ;-)
Smart vs. Lazy
When I picked Todd up at Boys & Girls Club after work, he was busily making a little art project in the arts and crafts room. After getting him washed up and into the car, he explained why he ended up in there instead of, say, the computer room or the day care room playing with toys:
"I wanted to do something smart. I could either be lazy (and play with toys) or be smart, and I wanted to be smart, so I did art!"
Apparently they had phrased his choices (play vs. art) in the form that the former would be being "lazy" while the latter was more fruitful. Nice to see Todd made a good choice :-)
"I wanted to do something smart. I could either be lazy (and play with toys) or be smart, and I wanted to be smart, so I did art!"
Apparently they had phrased his choices (play vs. art) in the form that the former would be being "lazy" while the latter was more fruitful. Nice to see Todd made a good choice :-)
Open House and Paper Todd
Had Open House at Todd's school. Since the kids don't normally attend, Mommy had to stay home with Todd while Daddy attended. Got a good look at what the little man does in school everyday, as well as discussed some ideas for future directions the school hopes to take.
One of the items showcased? A life-size version of Todd, created by him out of paper. The kids had a template to use to trace and cutout, and then drew in their faces and clothes and colored it. Here is a picture of Todd and Paper Todd (apparently he was so good at it that he helped some of the older kids trace and cut theirs out!) Click on the image to view it larger size and see the details of the drawn-in face (toothy grin and all-- how very Todd-appropriate!)
One of the items showcased? A life-size version of Todd, created by him out of paper. The kids had a template to use to trace and cutout, and then drew in their faces and clothes and colored it. Here is a picture of Todd and Paper Todd (apparently he was so good at it that he helped some of the older kids trace and cut theirs out!) Click on the image to view it larger size and see the details of the drawn-in face (toothy grin and all-- how very Todd-appropriate!)
Food substitution?
Little man and I spent the morning shopping so Daddy could sleep in, and when we were done, we stopped by El Pollo Loco to grab some lunch and bring it home. Do you remember the things with the crumbs? Well, this time Todd remembered what they were called, and asked for churros. I included the order of "two churros" in my order, and we went home.
As the three of us settled at the table to eat lunch, Todd showed Daddy the churros, diving them up as so:
"One for me, and one for Mommy."
Daddy asked if he could have a bite of Todd's churro. To our surprise, he rejected Daddy's request! Instead, he offered this bit of food-substituting advice:
"You can make cinnamon toast, and put sugar on it. Then it will taste like a churro!"
As the three of us settled at the table to eat lunch, Todd showed Daddy the churros, diving them up as so:
"One for me, and one for Mommy."
Daddy asked if he could have a bite of Todd's churro. To our surprise, he rejected Daddy's request! Instead, he offered this bit of food-substituting advice:
"You can make cinnamon toast, and put sugar on it. Then it will taste like a churro!"
How to recognize Daddy's hand
Last night, I'd just gotten done uploading Toddy photos onto my Facebook account-- a couple dozen ranging from newborn to current school picture taken last week. How he went from a teeny creature growing in my tummy to this giant ball of energy is beyond me.
Anyway, when Todd came by with Daddy to pick me up from work last night, I had this photo (taken when Todd was about 2-3 days old) on my screen:
Curious to know if he recognized the baby in the photo, I asked him who it was. He pointed to himself. Then we asked him what he was holding in his hand.
"A hand", said Todd.
Whose hand?
Without hesitation, he proclaimed: "Daddy's hand!"
How do you know it's Daddy's hand?
"Because you can see the hair on his arm!"
On another photo-related note, he looked at a picture featuring Mommy and Toddy, and (I'm guessing, since I'm the one who always takes pictures) he wanted to know:
"Who took that picture??"
Anyway, when Todd came by with Daddy to pick me up from work last night, I had this photo (taken when Todd was about 2-3 days old) on my screen:
Curious to know if he recognized the baby in the photo, I asked him who it was. He pointed to himself. Then we asked him what he was holding in his hand.
"A hand", said Todd.
Whose hand?
Without hesitation, he proclaimed: "Daddy's hand!"
How do you know it's Daddy's hand?
"Because you can see the hair on his arm!"
On another photo-related note, he looked at a picture featuring Mommy and Toddy, and (I'm guessing, since I'm the one who always takes pictures) he wanted to know:
"Who took that picture??"
Class Photos
Last week everyone at Todd's school took their class pics. Here is our little boy, looking quite grown-up:
Here is his entire class. As you can see, there's only 6 kids total in the kindergarten class. And he is (albeit barely!) the tallest one... while at the same time the youngest, too!
We've ordered prints and shall be mailing them to the family as soon as we receive them. So keep an eye out on your mailboxes in the coming weeks :-D
Here is his entire class. As you can see, there's only 6 kids total in the kindergarten class. And he is (albeit barely!) the tallest one... while at the same time the youngest, too!
We've ordered prints and shall be mailing them to the family as soon as we receive them. So keep an eye out on your mailboxes in the coming weeks :-D
Routines
After a couple weeks, we've finally begun settling into a routine.
At first, when I found out that Todd would be dismissed after lunch, and the school didn't provide after-school care long enough, I was a bit dismayed. It would mean having to drive to school to pick him up and drop him off at an after-school care center somewhere else.
But soon I realized that this minor inconvenience was more than made up for by the fact that Todd would get to eat lunch with us!
When he was in preschool, my chief concern (aside from hygiene and staying dry) was that he wasn't eating/drinking (well) enough. There were many days when I'd pick him up at 5pm only to discover more than half of his lunch still in his bag. No amount of cajoling, threats or bribery worked. Harder still was providing a variety of healthful things to eat-- just about the only thing I could really pack, that would ensure he ate it all, was sandwiches.
But now? I can send him off to school with just a little bit to eat (some fruit for morning snacktime and a small sandwich and juice for lunchtime), and then whisk him home for a proper, nutritious, hot lunch. Top it off with plenty to drink and making sure he gets scrubbed down clean before sending him off for a few hours of after-school care.
Another good thing is that it breaks up the monotony of the day for Todd. Rather than spending 8 hours nonstop at a child care facility, he gets to see his parents in the middle of the day, a nice little change. It's fun for us, too, to eat together as a family. Makes a nice break for Mommy and Daddy, as well!
We can also change him out of his uniform and into regular clothes for Boys and Girls Club. You know how boys like to roughhouse. This is good way to preserve his uniforms :-)
Todd has taken to going poopies at lunchtime, which is great because it ensures that one of us can wipe his little po-po properly, rather than have him attempt to do it himself at school. It's yucky enough to have him walk around with skid-marked undies, but its even worse if he gets some on his hands and doesn't wash it off properly.
So, all in all, this difference in venue for both school and after-school is working out to be a blessing! We're certainly settling into our routine nicely :-)
At first, when I found out that Todd would be dismissed after lunch, and the school didn't provide after-school care long enough, I was a bit dismayed. It would mean having to drive to school to pick him up and drop him off at an after-school care center somewhere else.
But soon I realized that this minor inconvenience was more than made up for by the fact that Todd would get to eat lunch with us!
When he was in preschool, my chief concern (aside from hygiene and staying dry) was that he wasn't eating/drinking (well) enough. There were many days when I'd pick him up at 5pm only to discover more than half of his lunch still in his bag. No amount of cajoling, threats or bribery worked. Harder still was providing a variety of healthful things to eat-- just about the only thing I could really pack, that would ensure he ate it all, was sandwiches.
But now? I can send him off to school with just a little bit to eat (some fruit for morning snacktime and a small sandwich and juice for lunchtime), and then whisk him home for a proper, nutritious, hot lunch. Top it off with plenty to drink and making sure he gets scrubbed down clean before sending him off for a few hours of after-school care.
Another good thing is that it breaks up the monotony of the day for Todd. Rather than spending 8 hours nonstop at a child care facility, he gets to see his parents in the middle of the day, a nice little change. It's fun for us, too, to eat together as a family. Makes a nice break for Mommy and Daddy, as well!
We can also change him out of his uniform and into regular clothes for Boys and Girls Club. You know how boys like to roughhouse. This is good way to preserve his uniforms :-)
Todd has taken to going poopies at lunchtime, which is great because it ensures that one of us can wipe his little po-po properly, rather than have him attempt to do it himself at school. It's yucky enough to have him walk around with skid-marked undies, but its even worse if he gets some on his hands and doesn't wash it off properly.
So, all in all, this difference in venue for both school and after-school is working out to be a blessing! We're certainly settling into our routine nicely :-)
