Good student

Once, at a friend’s place, Xuanie and I saw a “fighting fish” being quarantined in a small bowl, away from other fish in an aquarium.  Wanting to teach Xuanie something about sharing and not fighting, I said that fish was not nice, because he fought with other fish and refused to share.

This morning, Xuanie pointed to a pack of snacks that I plan to bring back to the US and said, “Papa eat, Mama eat, Xuanie eat. Fen Xiang (share).”

Then he continued to say “Yu qiang (fish snatch), bu hao (no good).” Then he clarified, “Ah Yi house yu (auntie’s house fish)” for fear that I didn’t get his reference to the fighting fish.

I like it that he’s such a good “student” who remembers his lessons.

P.S. – of course, he’s not a goody-two-shoes, don’t  get me wrong. Just as I am typing, he’s stirring in some Nutella with the omelette I prepared for him, and picking up a screw-driver and driving it into his uncle’s arm. Arrrgghhh.

Great Conversations

Xuanie has become a great conversationalist, and it can be really fun to hold conversations with him. One example from our shopping trip to a neighborhood mall/library a couple of hours ago:

I was looking at some special sales from The Body Shop’s promotion stand. Xuanie was as usual, busy “helping” me pick items and placing them in the shopping basket, not realizing we don’t need them and of course, can’t afford to be buying so many things.

Out of the blue, he said, “Mama, hold this for me” and handed me his balloon that he got from MacDonald’s earlier. What comes next is cutely hilarious:

“I’m going shopping/going to buy stuff.” (Wo yao qu mai dong xi.) He then walked away to another side of the stand to pick more items.

Shopping

Xuanie loves to put groceries into the cart/basket whenever I go shopping with him. I get annoyed when he goes out of control, like when he picks up tomatoes one after another and shoots them into my basket as if he’s a basketball player. But it’s so sweet to see him beam with anticipation when he picks his favorites and looks up at me with a nod, as if that’s a guaranteed good-buy.

Sometimes, he would hold on to his pick of the day, often a candy, and hand it personally to the cashier as we check out. Of course, he always wants to have a part with the unloading of the cart onto the conveyor belt at the check-outs.

I wonder if he’s thinking he’s like an adult, and it must be a lot of thrill for him to be taking things from shelves, putting them into the cart and checking them out. I thought about this only this morning, and decided I should not yell at him as much next time his shoppaholic nature emerges again.

Toilet-training

Many have asked me when Xuanie’s going to be toilet trained. Most of his older friends at playgroups we go to are toilet trained by the time they are his age (ha, ha, but with LOTS of accidents, as I have witnessed). I always say I have never seen an adult who’s not toilet trained, so I wouldn’t worry too much about Xuanie. When he’s ready, he’ll be ready. Didn’t he weaned himself from breastmilk with almost overnight success?

Of course, I have to prepare him, like I kept telling him he has to stop having “nai nai” when he turns 2. So, we got him the potty, the baby toilet seat, told him that many of his friends don’t wear diapers anymore and experimented with him not having diapers on. Nothing seemed to click in him.

Until April 15. All of a sudden, he told me he wants to “niao niao” and so I brought him to the bathroom and for the first time, he could “pee on command.” So far, it’s been successful everytime he felt the need, for both “the small” and “the big” (except once when he woke up from a nap).

I hope this is for real. Little Xuanie, at your own time. With much hope, I have happily bought him some McQueen and Spiderman underwear.

Susan Boyle

Got to know about her from the sharing by two best friends on FB. I am no exception. I was moved to tears. Realized also that great friendship is not just about talking to each other all the time. Sharing such moments are precious too. Thanks Angie and Pheebs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-D75CWbSgY&feature=related

Read also:

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/04/susan-boyle-why.html?iid=top25-’Britain’s+Got+Talent’+breakout+Susan+Boyle%3A+Why+we+watch…and+weep

Elephant (2)

Elephant

Xuanie’s favorite animal is probably the elephant.

That’s what he told his teachers at the daycare when they had “Animal Week” and his name was listed under “Elephant” on a big classroom poster entitled “What’s your favorite animal?” I had earlier dismissed that as a random thing, thinking he simply said it or pointed to a picture of an elephant during “Circle Time” at the daycare.

But, I have noticed that he talks about elephants all the time. He loves Barbar and all the elephants in that comic/cartoon series. He loves Dumbo. And, he sees elephants in many things. Whenever I grab something with my arm, he says, “elephant.” Asked if my arms are like elephant’s nose, he always nods and smiles. His arms are elephant’s nose too.

At a hotel in Kuantan (Pahang, West Malaysia) last week, we saw a fountain shaped like a stack of vases, and he insisted it’s an elephant:

 (I have tried in vain to insert a pic here as evidence. Maybe next entry.)

Hokkien Songs

Xuanie recognizes Hokkien (Fujian) when it’s being spoken or sung. Today, while grocery shopping with me, he heard a Hokkien song being played at a CD store in the mall. He immediately said, “Gua Meng Ti” and rushed into the store hoping to hear more. “Gua Meng Ti” is a phrase from a Hokkien song that’s the theme song in a Taiwanese TV series currently playing in Singapore, and my mom has a CD of that song. Xuanie loves listening to Hokkien songs with his grandma.

Not sure what about Hokkien songs attracts him. Maybe it’s the distinctive type of melody that reminds me of Mandarin pop from the early 80s?

West Malaysia Trip

What is this?

At 28 months, Xuanie started asking “What is this” when he sees a new thing that he does not previously know. That’s a milestone in development for me. I’m happy he feels close enough to me to ask, and that he’s interested in the world around him. I hope he’ll always be a little detective!

My Facebook account is simply screwed up, and I can’t post any more pics over there. I guess I will upload some of the pics we took last week in West Malaysia here. (Oops, just realized I did try to upload pics here, but WordPress.com does not seem to agree with my brother’s computer, which is the only one I have to use here in S’pore.)