I think it was my brother’s handy work finding some fibre as pretend smoke..

To document their growth…

To make an album, or two, or three…

To be able to look back and remember when they were so tiny, so innocent, so adorable…

For they grow so fast…

This one costs $12.99. Maybe I should have bought it? Opening and closing the door switches the cargo inside! It’s on sale ‘cos it’s a Christmas toy

You are inquisitive:
You see things and you tell me you see them. Every single thing.

And then you go Right Daddee? Right?

You are like Mummee- independent, and OCD:
You wanna try things yourself, and you wanna do it your way. That is why if whatever you are attempting is being done wrong, we will never get out of there.

You are also sly:
You still pee in your pants; likely from being too lazy to stop whatever fun activity you are doing at the moment to go pee. And when you are caught, you change the subject hoping that your trouble with the adults will go away. Of course it won’t, and so you run away. Literally.

But above all, all these traits are better than you being the opposite of them!

Happy Birthday buddy!

On Saturday when Caitlin and I were done and leaving for the day, I had made sure again that she knew where to queue upon reaching the school on Monday, and where to wait for only a set list of people to follow home.*

This morning, I had thought to myself that I should at least walk her into the assembly area again, just for both(?) our peace of mind. Gladly the rain had stopped, and that I had decided to drop off Caleb first before heading to the school, with plenty of time to spare.

On a personal level I had wanted to gauge the time taken for everything for Caitlin to be in school on time. Chinese schools, at least in my time, are quite unforgiving when it comes to punctuality; and rightly so. The last thing I want is to be the cause for their lateness- not setting a good example and at the same time being cause of their likely punishment.

We got to the school area around 8:30am, with classes scheduled to start at 9am. After finding a spot to park (eager parents around too!) we finally reached the gate at 8:35am. I asked if Caitlin was okay to walk in alone from here; half hoping that she would still “need” me to come along. OKAY I’M A SOFTIE. She didn’t give me a straight answer, but kept on walking. Part of me was thinking perhaps she didn’t “need” me, either cos she truly was okay, or that she was already embarrassed by her dad at 6! She did after all quite suddenly ask for the routine before-school hug before even reaching the gates.

So I tailed her in towards the assembly area after all, just to be sure, with the usual never-boring side-to-side ponytail swing. At a 90 degree bend, she saw me, smiled, and waited for me to catch up.

I tried to deflect, asking if she knew where to go. She did. Made some small talk along the way. Upon reaching the assembly area, there was already a small crowd. I stood back letting her ahead to join the class-line. I gestured Can I go now?, she gestured back Wait.

Okay, she needs me

Soon, her boy-friend shows up, and they were clowning around already whilst still remaining in line. Then the school bell rings; quite a loud one too by the way- made Caitlin and I slightly-cringe; and the same teacher appeared on stage and greeted the kids, already starting to inculcate the usual manners of lao-shi-zao-an.

The teacher then says to the parents that from tomorrow onwards, “It would appreciated if the parents do not come into the assembly area (or the school at all, for that matter) and just to let the kids queue themselves”; at which time, to my surprise, Caitlin waves goodbye to me.

I nodded, smiled, and waved as I walked away, making sure she at least sees my hand above the heads- that she knows I was indeed leaving.

But as you know, I still hadn’t I just wanted to watch her some more, for whatever reason you want!

Soon though, the respective class teachers came to bring the lines of kids to their classrooms, and off went the ponytail in tow.

Queue before class, and parents!

I think she is well and truly settling in.

* This is after all, the first of such street-smartness that kids ought to know/learn about. In this world where it is no longer safe to be outside, either cos of baddies or simply cos there are just a lot more cars on the road now. I used to cycle around our neighbourhood, unaccompanied, without much worries from anyone.

And as with tradition with her school, the annual concert is also the graduation ceremony for the Pre-3 level; one that is for those turning 6, those who then move on to start Primary or Standard 1 next year.

*GULP*. But we’ll come to that at a later date; she starts Standard 1 in January 2011.

The concert went well. Caitlin’s class had 2 performances- one to kick off the concert, another towards the end. The kick-off was akin to cheerleading, where they did a series of tumbles and mini-pyramids. Yup, even I was impressed with the little bodies supporting other bodies. Mind you they probably chose her to be a “pillar” cos of her slight chubbiness.. more stability?

It was at this performance that during one of the tumbles, Caitlin’s shoe came off! This is a new pair, you know them white ones you wear to school. The school insisted upon it, which in hindsight wasn’t an unfair “demand” considering all these kids ought to already have a pair soon for Standard 1 next year. But more importantly, I guess, was that they all looked very neat on stage in full uniform(ity).

On the shoe coming off, todate (some 2 weeks after already, after I have also already made DVD copies to watch) we still talk about that episode.

We had praised her for her rather quick thinking in spite of possibly experiencing stage-fright at the time. As evidenced while watching the DVD afterwards, she had commented that after putting the shoe back on and getting back in line, she had thought to adjust the shoe’s straps, as well as that of the other shoe. She didn’t panic when it came off, completed her tumble, slipped it back on, got off the mat and into line, and then only adjusted her shoes. There were other performers who froze on stage, by just being on stage.

But the “highlight” of this incident is that somewhere along the way, our efforts to get her to not be so ashamed of mistakes and to laugh it off, has paid off- at least for this incident. Instead of mulling over this mishap and “don’t laugh at me!”, she laughed at herself

“Look look LOOK!” she would tell whomever may be watching the first time, or even the 50th time, “See my shoe come off?? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! So funny right?”

My baby is all grown up..

As you can see, them shoes are indeed rather big! But they grow so fast….

And as you can also see, her previous post’s injury is now all gone.

So we were on our way to a supermarket. I was running the shopping list verbally with her, play-testing if she can recall all the items we needed.

“Why don’t we make a shopping list?”

“Good idea, but I am driving….”

“I’ll do it.”

Hmm? She is going to school- yes, but I didn’t think she would be able to spell the items.

She proceeded to get the small notepad I keep in the car, and a pen. “What do we need to get again?”

“Some milk- two cartons, actually; yoghurt, those veggies Mummee needed for tonight’s dinner; oh and if we can find it, a case for Mummee’s phone…”

“Milk….. yoghurt……”, scribble scribble scribble. “Ok done.”

Can you see it?

She had scribbled out the yoghurt once it was in the shopping trolley, but you can just about make it out by the shape of the tubs that she had earlier coloured in

And, the phone that goes into a pouch!

I had just hooked up the PS2 this morning, after promising Caitlin I would this weekend; since her uncle had given her the Bee Movie game. She’s been bugging me to hook it up for a while now.

Now, you know that iDevices are much newer technology than the PS2, and even then the PS3, given the more advanced console the controls are still the same.

After I hooked up the PS2, Caleb had a go.

He couldn’t get it to work- he was physically tilting the controller left and right to get Barry Benson to move around.

Why? Because he’s so used to the iPhone’s accelerometer to steer!

Okay you had to be there!

I have owned an iPhone since the 3G model (and don’t get me started on how I lost that one); using the 3GS now.

Caitlin has always been “using” it for the simple games I have downloaded; where I had learned quickly that it was better to delete the arcade-ish games and install educational ones. I gotta say, whether Hot Mummee believes me or not, that that math game has indeed helped Caitlin to an extent. The user-interface, the touch screen and the cheers from getting the right answer, do indeed make her wanna think hard, count properly, and “win” the game.

So she is quite well versed with getting around and finding what she wants.

Recently on my trip to LA, I had bought the iPad for my brothers. (Okay the real story is that I bought it for myself, and was supposed to get another 2 when HM told me off. So I stopped after buying the second one!)

Caitlin had no trouble using that too.

This is not a plug for Apple; though if they were to give me a free iPad I would gladly reword this post My point is that they take to technology so easily.

Caleb is now fighting over his sister for time with my iPhone too these days. Other than (trying, for his age) playing games he is actually very well versed with the finger side-swiping whilst looking at the photos. He likes to review the photos as well as watch the videos.

I am reminded of how I was always the go-to kid when my dad had trouble with the VCR, back in the early 80′s. I also self-taught how to hook up 2 VCR’s and started making copies of borrowed tapes…

In the genes, you say?

They said I have a good swing, only it lacked the whip of the wrist, that my swing is too rounded and even. Otherwise, I do “feel” it too that the swing is not-bad

I think I can now justifiable use that on Caleb.

Earlier this year, probably not long after his 2nd birthday, we were already kicking a miniature basketball around inside the house. Caitlin, by comparison, sometimes still misses kicking the stationary ball, let alone decide which direction the ball will roll!

Caleb has always been able to center the ball, in terms of placing it squarely infront of him, and then actually kicking it straight to me. Not a bad feat for a kid his age; even my older brother (who is quite athletic himself during his day!) says so.

This morning, while waiting for lunch to be ready, we were again kicking the ball around in the living room. I decided instead of the usual to-and-froing, that I’d mark him soccer style.

Ball steals left and right, getting him to dodge in the same directions half a second later only to find the ball missing, and chasing after Daddee who is dribbling the ball away. Mind you for a 2.5 year old this is all new tricks for him to see and observe. At least it was all giggles and not cries of having the ball marked and stolen from him.

A short 10 minutes or so later old-man Daddee already had to sit down. But what does he find Caleb doing?

He is actually dribbling soccer-style behind the ball! The kid’s actually picked it up from just 10 minutes before!

Granted the living room isn’t very big, but he’s managed consistently to maintain just behind the ball, toe-tapping it 2-3 times as he ran after it before reaching the end of the living room, reposition, and start again the opposite direction!

Maybe I should expose him to golf next, and let him turn pro! Nothing wrong with soccer, just that as a professional career golf is a lot longer! This Daddee can be his manager and go on tour with him!

Oh, and yes- those are still his water-proof training pants!

This was from Caitlin’s doctor’s set

You feed the 2 year old a mouthful. And he keeps it there. No movement, no chewing, no swallowing. It’s J U S T T H E R E in his mouth. Take away his entertainment (which is usually a DVD of Bee Movie or Ice Age or some such) and he’d start bawling, mouth agape, effectively showing you the contents or objects in discussion here.

What the hell do we do?? He won’t chew, or (I think more accurately) forgets to chew. Threaten to take away the uneaten portions and he objects verbally and very audibly. Put it back, 5 seconds later, it’s back to forget-to-chew. He’s probably already no longer hungry, else he’d be chowing down the food. But he still has to finish up the food cos, well, it’s prepared, and he just has to finish it!

But wait a second: I think I used to to it to my mum way after 2 years old, else I wouldn’t be able to recall it. Does that mean that Caleb will be doing this for more years to come??