Report Card Day

Last weekend both our boys had their dreaded report card day at school. Ian’s session was especially exciting for us, as it was his first ever Parent Teacher meet. Aiden on the other hand has had this numerous times, and truthfully I don’t get much from his class teachers in public school - which is quite frustrating really. For example if the class teacher teaches a particular subject then he or she can dive in on how Aiden can improve, but that’s about it. Very rarely the class teacher knows much about his performance in other subjects, other than from the grades listed in the result slip. I remember back when I was in Seri Puteri, the subject teachers were on standby (in the school hall) to clarify specific concerns. I wonder why they don’t do that anymore.

So anyway, as expected I didn’t get much from Aiden’s class teacher, other than the usual fact that he lacks focus in class and needs to improve on his Malay (what else is new). His results; Alhamdulillah string of A’s for English and Maths, two more marks to an A for Science, and a B for BM Pemahaman (wowwww). Unfortunately his BM Penulisan dragged him down significantly. Which was frustrating for me cos we had practiced the essay “Aku Sebuah Basikal” a couple of times but in the exam he went and embarked on a completely different essay question instead. *pulls hair in frustration*

Kiasu Mummy was first in line. Ian kept me company while Aiden was still at Friday prayers with his Daddy.

Thankfully I bumped into his Malay teacher, and as expected memang Aiden banyak main in class and due to his lack of focus, selalu tak sempat copy things from the whiteboard nor finish his homework. *stress* I guess I can’t really blame him - if he doesn’t understand the language, memang concentration pun akan ke laut lah. Masuk telinga kanan, keluar telinga kiri. *sigh* So, in a nutshell, more BM practice needed for Aiden! But anyhow, I’m still a proud Mummy. Due to the pregnancy I did not prep his as well as I usually did for his past exams, so I still believe his results are quite commendable given the situation.

Next up, Ian! We teased him mercilessly the day before his report card day, asking whether he behaved in class and whether his teacher was going to say good things about him or not. *chuckles* But I shouldn’t have worried at all, because his class teacher gave him an absolutely glowing report! Hubby and I were both quite shocked! Honestly, we know that Ian is quite the opposite of Aiden; he listens to instructions and is a bit more reserved when in the company of others. He even recognized alphabets before we enrolled him in school. But we certainly didn’t expect such great feedback! Ian’s teacher even expressed that she was impressed with his development and progress especially since he wasn't enrolled in any schools prior to this one. Even his motor skills and social skills are at par with those who have been in school since they were 3 or 4. I guess there really wasn’t much harm done by us deciding to refrain from sending him to school too early; my helper’s ‘homeschool’ was just as effective! *giggles*

Cheeky boy decided that he loves all subject, except for music!

Other than that, we received feedback that Ian loves writing, mixes well with others (walaupun dia lambat sikit warm up and he has a certain chosen clique that he plays with) but barely speaks Malay (sebijik macam Aiden). He participates and even volunteers in class (wowwww). His ustazah said that he shared in class about his solat experience whilst his swimming coach said that his confidence level in the water has improved significantly - now dah boleh blow bubbles from the surface but is still hesitant about putting his head underwater.

Super proud of you my boy!

English memang takde masalah lah, especially writing. Interestingly, he loves numbers too! Just like Aiden. (Confirm anak-anak engineer!)

Full marks for "cooperates with teachers"! Well, this one I've never seen with Aiden, ever!

My only request to his class teacher was for her to coax Ian into trying out the food at school. Yer lah, sampai bila nak makan Oreo, ChocoTeddy or KokoKrunch for breakfast kan! Even she agreed that Ian is such a picky eater! But she shared that once, Ian out of nowhere agreed to try porridge and the teacher got so excited about it! *chuckles* If I were in her shoes, I would have been excited too!!! For the record, Ian still doesn’t eat rice or noodles. He lives on biscuit/cookies, bread, cereal, milk, macaroni cheese and his absolute favorite - roti canai. *smacks head in dismay*

That wraps up the boys’ mid year performance. On the same note, I’m scheduled for my own mid year performance review with my boss next week. Wish me luck!

Happy New Year 2018!

Thought I should pen this down before I start clocking in to the office. Planning to take this entire week off, but preparing myself in case work calls!

Why a week off? Because the dreaded day has finally arrived; despite his many many pleas of "I don't want school", Ian finally headed for his first day at kindergarten.

Excited face, pre-waterworks.

I tried so many psycho tricks, from taking him shopping for new stationery, getting him to help me with labeling his books, to asking him what food he wants to put in each lunch box. I guess it finally worked because yesterday he proclaimed, "I want to go to school!"

I was ecstatic but really, very wary about the proclamation. Put him to bed early hence he didn't have an issue waking up this morning. He got dressed excitedly and ate his cereal breakfast without a fuss. Got into school and walked him into the classroom. Sat him down, told him that we'll be waiting outside, kissed him goodbye and walked out. Thankfully his class had a glass window by the side so I was able to peer inside to see.

As expected, the waterworks started almost immediately. No wailing or anything like that, but just really sad tears rolling down his cheeks. Sampai tersedu sedu, his head jerking with every sedu motion. OMG my heart broke into a million pieces. Tears welled up into my own eyes!! I felt like scooping him into my arms and running out of the door. #ohthedrama

Hubby was no help. He wanted to get breakfast. Keras hati sungguh! (And people say I'm the garang one hmmpphh) After a while, I saw a teacher holding Ian's hand and walking him and his friends to the sink to wash their hands for morning break. Finally I mustered up the strength to pull myself away from the window and allowed Hubby to drag me to breakfast.

Real Kids mummies, reunited for breakfast!

Sharp at 10am (school ended early the first day), we picked him up. His first words? "Just now I cried but after that I didn't cry!" Phewwww he must have stopped crying then. Lega! Coaxed him to tell us more about his day at school, and even managed to record it on my phone. Interestingly, he ended his story with "I don't want to go to school." *chuckles* Wish me luck with tomorrow!!! Met up with his teacher who reassured us that he stopped crying, made some friends, and even asked his friends to call him Iskandar! Hahaha that last one was quite a shocker!

Well done baby boy, for your first day of school!

Anyway, enough airtime for Ian. Aiden had his first day of school today too. Tapi anak bujang nie memang tak payah worry. He knows his way around school already. Maklum lah, dah jadi senior sessi petang! But since it's our yearly ritual to send him to school on his first day, Hubby and I made it a point to walk him in, and stayed with him in line until it was his turn to walk to class.

Otai sangat senior nie, sampai tie pun tak nak pakai. *giggles*

Standard 3 already! Time certainly flies.

Gave him a kiss on the cheek before he went to sit with his friends, and he actually wiped it off! Ish ish ish. Ok lah, so mum's kisses are no longer allowed in the school compound. You're growing up too fast, Aiden! This year, his class is all the way at the top most floor (yet again), but he specifically requested for a non-trolley bag. I hope he can cope with the weight of his books. *sigh* Other than that, he looked really happy to be back with familiar faces and friends.

Ended the day with a pizza dinner as a reward for an awesome first day at school for the boys.

Phewww Hubby, we survived the first day of school!

Money

This year, Aiden finally understood the value of money. When he was younger, he used to think that coins were king. The more coins he had, the 'richer' he became. And then as he matured, he understood that paper money was more valuable (OK I confess, I prodded him down that road; often asking him to ask for paper money instead of coins from Hubby). But then he stuck to the same concept - the more paper money the better. Hence if we were paying parking with an RM5 note and received change of three pieces of RM1, he would get excited, saying that we made money! *smacks forehead*

This year, he finally genuinely understood the value of the money printed on the paper. Must be all those mathematics homework using Ringgit and such. And we can confidently give him coins as part of his duit belanja sekolah cos he now knows how to calculate total and receive change.

Super excited that his name came up in the recent Boost Juice name game. He kept telling everyone that his juice was free and that drinks were 'on him' that day! *giggles*

Recently, we went to a shopping mall as he wanted to buy something for Hubby's birthday. Awww so sweet! (His initial plan was to stick two empty tin biscuits on each end of a stick to make a dumbbell!) *chuckles* He carefully estimated the amount of money he had in his tabung ayam (it was about RM20 in total) and then off we went! Unfortunately he got distracted at the toy shop and used the money for himself instead. *giggles* Well at least it's the thought that counts.

Anyway, he made sure that he stuck to his budget. Since I told him I didn't want to carry his coins around, I told him he could use my money first and then he can pay me back later with his coins. He was genuinely worried, "But when I pay you, you'll have to carry a lot of coins around!" Hahaha in all honesty, I wasn't even planning on taking his money. But hey, I'm more than happy to see him taking it so seriously.

So after Aiden chose his toy, I told Ian that he could choose a toy too. After paying for both, we walked back to the car. During our walk, Aiden asked worriedly, "Mummy, do I have to pay for Ian's toy too?" *chuckles* I quickly comforted him and said no, but I was mighty impressed by the fact that he was worried about the fate of his cash!

And just today, we were at another shopping mall and he suddenly remembered his hutang, and said "Oh no Mummy, I forgot to pay you for my toy!" I think I melted into a puddle on the floor. Cair weih! So proud of the fact that he's a man of his words.

Posing with his favourite Chili's pizza. And his first day at Taekwando class.

We love you so much, Aiden. It has been quite a journey for you this year, blossoming into a very smart boy especially in numbers. Hoping that you'll keep up the good work and aspire to always understand the value of money in the future. Now do you believe that money doesn't grows on trees??!! *smiles*

Yes Rice

Last week, Ian finally graduated to rice!

This is a definitely a significant milestone in his life, worthy enough for a blogpost on its own. After months... No scratch that... Years of coaxing and forcing rice down his throat, finally he agreed to have some without a fight. (The rice he had in Disneyland doesn't count because we had a very high leverage in play at that point.)

So he now has at least a meal of rice daily. He started with rice and soup but we're now introducing slight variants such as fried rice and rice with kicap and egg. Baby steps, but we're getting there slowly but surely. Just the other day, we had a full day out and he must have been hungry or something (but egoistic enough not to ask for rice), so he innocently asked, "What about nasi?" *chuckles*

The two boys in Paris, where he had his first rice.

Other than that, a major milestone for him is ... (drum roll please)... He's diaperless!!! For officially a month now. So happy that all those money I used to spend on buying diapers, is going into my handbag fund... NOT!

Also, super proud to record here that he can now sleep on his own effortlessly. No more wails of "But it's scaryyyyy" nor me having to accompany him in the room until he sleeps. It all started because the night before we left for our short holiday in Penang, I threatened the boys that they must all sleep as soon as they hit the bed. If not there would be no holiday the next day. I left them wide awake and they slept on their own. Since that, I haven't had a problem at all. Loving the freedom!!!

Not scared of Captain Jack Sparrow!

He still hates school so I'm scratching my head on this still. By hook or by crook I'm enrolling him into school, but how I get him to stay there is going to be a challenge. I'm already anticipating a challenging first month - he's already freaking out whenever we attempt to leave him for activities independently. Last month he bawled at the IKEA kids play area, forcing us to pull him out. We went to a trampoline park recently and tears started pouring down his cheeks because he thought we were leaving him there. He wailed, "What about you???", as if I was going to dump him and flee the scene! It took him a good ten minutes of crying (while jumping, mind you) until he was convinced that I wasn't going anywhere. *sigh* Wish me luck.

I've started to introduce him to writing alphabets and numbers. Surprisingly he has mastered the grasp of the pencil all on his own. Since he didn't grow up watching Elmo singing ABCs like Aiden (his childhood was watching Aiden watch Minecraft), he still can't sing his ABCs and 123s. Which is quite funny since he recognizes them both very well - a remarkable difference if compared to Aiden at the same age.

Attempting some homework.

Although he was previously bilingual, he is now starting to turn into the next Aiden. Refuses to talk in Malay. *pulls hair in despair* Excellent English vocabulary. He says the darnest things too! He's also picked up my favourite phrase "Hello???", which I usually use on them whenever they are not listening to me. So now whenever I'm concentrating on a TV show and not listening to his happy chatters, he would come up to me and say, "Hello!!!" *chuckles* Serves me right! I've told him that he needs to mind his manners and say, "Excuse me, Mummy", but it's going to take awhile to drum that into his head.

Similar to Aiden at his age, he hates water dripping onto his face. Hates water slides. Hates any water play, period. He absolutely despised the Splash Zone in Golden Sands, preferring to play quietly with his toys in the kiddy pool. Time to enroll him for swimming class!

I guess that's it! Just a few months shy from turning 4, and then he's going to be enrolled into 5 year old reception just the month after. Ah, time flies, Ian! But always have and always will be, my baby.

Freedom!

Just last week, Facebook 'On This Day' brought back memories of Aiden's maiden sleep on his own bed. I remember how happy I was about this particular milestone, especially since I could escape from his wandering hands at night!

Aiden had this habit of putting his hands underneath my body during the night. It's his way of getting warm, without getting into the blanket! Fast forward to today, Ian inherited Aiden's habit, but in a weirder twist - he enjoys putting his hands on my bare skin hence bawah ketiak lah, atas perut lah. Man... I was so happy when I managed to chuck them both onto the mattress on the floor.

Well, time for me to announce another significant milestone for the year. *drum roll please...*

I managed to convince them to sleep in their own room!!!! *cue chicken dance here* I am still so deliriously happy over my new found freedom! Hubby and I can talk *ehem ehem* all night in private! No more talking in hushed voices and lying rock still so that the kids fall asleep. Time for number 3??? Heh, no no... Let me enjoy my newfound freedom while it lasts.

Anyway, their Star Wars room is nearly complete. (Which is why they agreed to sleep in their room in the first place.) Sharing some photos of their new crib:

Hunted mercilessly for this matching bedsheet and comforter set. So glad I made the effort - I love how it matches the BB8 pillow!

The side dresser, peppered with everything Star Wars. The Death Star LED light comes in the Millennium Falcon version too - scroll below for photo.

Adorable BB8. Reused the kids' birthday banner as a wall deco.

Can you believe that the grey study desk used to be mine? I studied for my UPSR, PMR, SPM and even my degree, on that desk. Still in perfectly good condition, ready for Aiden and Ian to use. Also - a mini desk by the side for Ian.

So the first night they slept in their room, we decided to camp on the floor outside their door. (Kiasu parents!) Just in case, you know - someone cries, or needs to pee, or even sleepwalks! Oh sakitnya belakang when I woke up the next morning. Ah the things we do for our kids. But it was an uneventful night, apart from the fact that I forgot to turn down their aircon. Hubby said their windows were fogged up with condensation that morning. Ian sampai demam! *my bad*

So the ritual is now hugs and kisses, choose a favourite colour for their own Star Wars bedside light, tuck them into their blankets (Ian usually kicks them off) and then choruses of "Good night, sweet dreams, don't let the bed bugs bite!" And then we close the door. Sometime I put my ear to the door to eavesdrop on their conversations. But so far it has been peace and quiet. Perhaps the chit chat will happen when they are both older?

They've been at it for a week now. So let's hope this last. Cos I've had my taste of freedom and I'm not about to let it go anytime soon! *giggles*

Wish me luck!

No Rice!!!

(No, this post is soooo not about me. I am such a rice person, as is Aiden. In contrary, this post is about Ian!)

Can you believe that Ian has never had rice, ever.. in his life! He hates rice... We've had pretty viscous struggles with rice, but he still wins every time. (Imagine me holding him down and forcing him a spoonful of rice!) Even if I hide the rice, he would manage to 'filter' it in his mouth and spit it out. In the end, I gave up. Also, typical second child syndrome, I wasn't too particularly worried about his lack of interest in food. (Kalau Aiden dulu, when he went through the same phase, I brought him to the pediatrician and bought toddler recipe books just to entice him to eat!) 

So for the longest time, Ian survived on fries, Oreos/Chipsmore, roti canai and milk! He was constantly asking for milk. He didn't gain weight and was able to fit into his 2 year old clothes. However, since we came back from Ipoh (and all those hours I spent feeding him at the hotel breakfast buffet!!), I noticed that Ian is starting to gain weight! His cheeks are chubbier and his thighs are fun to squeeze! Macam chicken drumsticks! *giggles*

A photo of Ian in his "solat baju"... posing at the Ipoh hotel parking. Check out the cheeks!

He still hates rice guts, but at least he is now open to a more elaborate choice of food. Here is what he's into nowadays, other than his staple fries, roti canai, cookies and milk: 

French toast

Pancakes with maple syrup

Pappa Rich's thick toast with susu

Cereal with milk

Cream crackers cicah Milo

Macaroni and cheese

Keropok and papadom 

Any type of cakes

Macaron shells

Karipap, albeit only the sides 

Roti canai and roti tisu

Still picky, tapi boleh laaaaa. Don't know when he'll start eating rice, but I hope it's soon!

What are we going to do with that hair???

Since I'm already sharing about Ian's milestone meal antics, let me share a few snippets about Ian that made us laugh:

Me: Ian, where is your school?
Ian: Ekbebek (at the back)

Me: Do you want to go to school?
Ian: Yes... Kids!
Me: Real Kids?
Ian: Yes! I want to bring talet (tablet)...
Me: No... you can't bring your tablet! But you can bring your lunch box and water bottle.
Ian: Ok!

(While listening to the radio in the car)
Ian: Mummy, I want my song!
Me: *confused* What's your song?
Ian: Noh noh noh!
Me: Oooooo...(Maroon 5 - Don't Wanna Know)
Aiden: Oh, my favourite song is "Once I was seven years old..."
Me: Oooooo...(Lukas Graham - 7 Years)

Pelat words:
Delu = blue
Fivi = TV

That's all for now. Thanks for reading!

Ian is Finally 3!

Finally 3!

Ian turned 3 yesterday! (Well I turned a year closer to mid-thirties too, but let's pretend I'm still 28!)

Where do I even start with his milestone review??? I mean, Ian has grown leaps and bounds from when he was 2. (I miss that little 2 year old baby!) His vocabulary has grown and he has lost a lot of his pelat dialect. For instance, it used to be "Where yoying?", but now it's clearly "Where are we going?" He used to call himself "Ian Inina" but now he protests whenever we call him that. It's "Ian Iskandar"! And just yesterday he corrected himself - "Where's Poyon card, eh Po-ke-mon card?" *giggles*

Ian's quite the chatterbox too. Unlike Aiden, he is bilingual, but with a preference for English. (He can even use the word -lah correctly!) He has an improved diction and an amazing grasp of basic grammar. It is significantly easier to understand his wants, as he is able to form longer sentences (three words or more) to make himself understood. If he really likes something, he can even say "Ian like this one" or "Ian nak bawak (balik)" (I want to bring this home.) He can also ask for help: "Mummy, help... tablet" (Mummy, help me turn on the tablet).

Here are some of his pelat dialect, most commonly used when he was 2.5 years old, that are just too cute to forget: Hetetote (helicopter), Achum (thank you), Momest (Thomas or Transformers), Fawer (flower), Wegow (Lego), Jombi (Zombie), Oyeo (Oreo), Nano (Piano). He can also do basic Malay words: Chakit (sakit), Tumpah, Hujan, Aju (baju), Asik (nasi).

He also knows his Ps and Qs. He will automatically say thank you whenever the situation deems it. If something happens (say he bumps himself into something) and we ask, "Are you ok?", he'll answer quite politely, "I'm pine (fine)". If I am the one grumbling over something, he'll ask cautiously, "What appen Mummy?" (What happened, Mummy?) He also has an incredible eye and ear for details.

Apart from verbal skills, his physical skills have expanded significantly too. Ian is definitely more adventurous than Aiden. He confidently climbs slides and jumps into kiddy swimming pools. He can take his own cup and get a cup of water from the water dispenser. He can also take his own UHT milk from the fridge! This conversation happened as I'm typing this post:

Ian: Nak milk...
Mummy: Go ahead.
Ian: (In the) fridge?
Mummy: Yes...
Ian: *opens the fridge* Takde lah... Milk is gone.
Mummy: Where is the milk?
Ian: (It's) not in the fridge!

But the one thing that hasn't grown in Ian, is his appetite. He doesn't eat any rice or noodles at all. He lives on roti canai, bread and cheese (rarely), cereal with milk, cookies (Oreo being his favourite), fries, desserts (chocolates, cake and such), and of course, susu. He loves things that are crunchy, hence he enjoys the pleated sides of a karipap, keropok, and potato chips.

As I mentioned briefly in a previous blogpost, he stopped going to school. Despite just turning 3 yesterday, he will have to join the four year olds in just a month's time. Hubby and I are still on the fence about registering him to kindy, especially since he's so adamant about not going to school. He doesn't even want to look at his school uniform, nor even walk past his school. That, and also because he's justttttttt turned 3 and I cannot imagine him socializing with the four year olds. But then again, if given a choice I wouldn't want to go to school either. Hmmm... perhaps I'll compromise by registering him mid-year?

Despite not going to school, he can correctly identify all upper case alphabets, basic numbers 1-10 and colours. This is a significant leap from where Aiden was at the same age. (Aiden was still struggling with alphabets when he was 5.) He naturally knows which shoe goes to the left or right, despite none of us teaching him the basics. Ian recognizes my type of car and Hubby's type of car on the road, and can correctly identify them even on billboards. Ian also loves identifying petrol stations (dah mak bapak orang minyak kannnnn). Whenever he sees a Shell petrol station, he'll call out, "Mummy's office!" And soon after that he himself had an office (Petronas), Daddy had one (Petron), Babang had one (BP) and Achik (my SIL) had one (Caltex). Future Petronas engineer coming up? InsyaAllah, Amin....

Ian loves his big brother, Aiden. Although he will never admit it (if you ask him, "Ian love Babang?" He'll answer "No!") but they are actually the best of buddies with a somewhat symbiotic relationship. Aiden needs Ian to accompany him to the toilet (Aiden is such a scaredy cat) while Ian needs Aiden to be beside him to sleep at night.

The loving siblings. See the spontaneous hug Aiden gave Ian during Ian's birthday party (stay tuned for that blogpost)...

Ian is and always have been, an easy toddler. He rarely cries or whines, and even if he does, it is easy to distract him or coax him to stop. Ian is a very giving person too. He's not shy to give hugs and kisses, even to people he has never met before. When asked, he will typically give a kiss on both cheeks, forehead and even a smack on your lips! He has no qualms about sharing his food with just about anyone who asks (except for his Babang... sibling rivalry). Talking about sibling rivalry, Ian is still very strong minded. He doesn't mind squabbling with Aiden until he gets his way. He is very quick with his hands too - I've seen him give his big brother quite a few quick smacks.

Occasionally, he will demand to wear a certain particular shirt or pants. (Aiden never went through this phase, he's typically content with whatever we put on him.) Ian also insists on having everything his brother has (also, everything his brother wants). Kesian Aiden, he still has to mengalah every time. I find myself having to buy two of everything; Happy Meals, toys, books... even food! Ian is still very much a Lego fan; he can sit independently for quite a bit, constructing different types of contraptions with his Duplo. And just two months ago, he finally understood the concept of smiling at the camera! I hope we catch more photos of him smiling - as you can see from my blog header, he usually gives out a sullen face.

Other random things... he's slowly transitioning out of the need for afternoon naps. Not shy to admit that he's tired and sleepy, "I'm tired... nak sleep". Loves going "opping" (shopping) and doesn't regard going to Jaya Grocer as a proper shopping trip to the mall. Still not potty trained. *aaaccckkk* Insists on getting some powder on his face whenever he observes me put on make up. Sang "Happy birthday" on repeat throughout the entire month of November (for obvious reasons). Blows out candles with pursed lips (too funny)! Loves Play Doh (which I've since banned from our home).

Well, that's all I can pour out in this already very lengthy post. I hope Ian will one day look back and read these milestone review posts, and see how much joy he brought to our lives. Happy 3rd birthday Ian Iskandar. We all love you sooooo much!

OCD?

Hubby sent me these pictures just over two hours ago. Notice something?

Notice that he has placed the cards into a perfect semi circle... and that all of the cards are facing towards him?

Yes, Ian has this extreme fixation with organizing things. Be it grouping balls into the same colour, lining up his trains in a longgggg neat straight line, or even stacking his Lego in a specific way (that God forbid, no one accidentally crashes into as he will then be hell bent on getting it stacked in the exact same way). Is this OCD?

I once read that kids with traits of obsessive compulsion may have a learning problem in the future. But then I read this article at BabyCenter which placed me at ease right away. I guess these are pros and cons of having internet at your finger tips - Mr Google tends to always give you the worse prognosis!

 It's just cognitive advance. Phewww!

I miss my curly hair baby!

Ian's Updates Post Europe

Whoa... Time really flies. Today is the 29th of Feb which also makes Ian exactly 27 months old! Although technically he is considered to be three this year, he turned two just three months ago so it isn't really fair to compare his development to a three year old.

Ian is very chatty. He can really chatter some serious gibberish nowadays. I find it so cute that he really makes an effort to 'talk' to us. Of course, he has picked up some words along the way.

A development that we missed while we were in Europe was him saying "Waitttttt!!!" while holding his palm out in protest, whenever anyone attempts to walk out the door. Due to this, his Datuk always 'cair' and ends up bringing him along in the car to whenever he needed to go. Other than that, my maid also reported that if he is watching TV alone in the living hall and he decides he wants to look for her, he would walk around the house saying "Heyooo? Heyooo?"

However on Jan 5th, just two weeks after we arrived back in sunny ol' Malaysia, he said "Tatak!!!" (Kakak) for the first time. Since then, instead of saying "Heyooo" when looking for the maid, he would say "Tatak!! Tatak!!"

Other than that, his vocab has also increased significantly. He now knows various parts of the body (eyes, nose, hair, hand, ears). However, sometimes he would interchange 'mouth' with 'eat'. He also recognizes basic colours (red, green, blue, pink, yellow, black etc). Here are his other common words:

Abiiii = habis
Tatuh = jatuh
Bot = robot
Bibi = TV
Shu = susu
Tar = car
Bawer = flower
Yuuu = thank you/love you
Atum = welcome (you're welcome)
Main = mine (also used to indicate that he wants someone to play wit him, aka main)

In terms of physical development, he finally figured out how to jump at the end of December. I got a video of him finally being in mid-air... it was quite exhilarating for me to see that he finally 'got it'. I am soooo looking forward to bringing him to Jumpstreet to test out his jumping skills. He can also run quite confidently. Loves to play tag with his brother. Even though he doesn't know how to say it in words, he would do a 'garang' face and growl at his brother.... and automatically Aiden would understand that that's the cue for him to start running and for Ian to start chasing.

Still in the spirit of monkey see, monkey do, Ian wants to do everything his brother does. Everyday, he would request to dress up like Aiden and follow Aiden to school. He would tap on his chest (to indicate that he wants to change into school uniform) and feet (for socks and shoes). Similarly, he would open his mouth and point into his mouth to show that he wants to eat or drink whatever Aiden is holding/drinking/munching. He would even repeat whatever Aiden says, trying as best as he can to replicate the words exactly. Aiden loves to make Ian repeat his favourite line in The Good Dinosaur, "Aa Aa Aa Arlow!" and we would always love hysterically at Ian's version of it! ("Ayy yow")

Ian biggest asset to date, is his unruly curls. It is usually the first thing that people notice about him! Even though his hair looks short (but huge sideways *giggles*), if you pull a single curl down, it actually goes over shoulder length! And the biggest advocate against cutting those adorable curls, is none other than our beloved maid. My maid loves Ian like his own son, and for that I am truly blessed, and thankful.

Not to forget, on the rare occasions that we get angry at Ian, he would wrinkle his nose and wring his hands in (what seems to be) anger, quietly.

A thing that I really noticed about Ian that Aiden didn't have, is the traits of a perfectionist. He loves putting things in a row, and even colour coordinates them. When we were at the JKids ball pit, he took a basket and started filling it with only pink balls. The next round it was blue balls. We would tease him by putting in a different coloured ball or two, and he would immediately remove it out! Similarly, he was doodling with a pink coloured pencil on a page. The next day, he saw the page and requested to continue doodling. I opened the box of colour pencils and handed him a purple colour pencil. He shook his head, took the whole box and rummaged until he found the exact pink colour pencil and continued colouring!

He is also starting to form sentences and questions now. Even though it's usually coupled with a lot of gibberish, but so far we've been able to make up this much:

Weer Daddy? = Where's Daddy?
Ah tat? = What's that? (Aiden's version was Wat tis? = What's this?)
Wat pen? = What happened?
Mummy tar = Mummy's car
Babang, jom naik = Abang, jom naik (let's go up)

That's all for now! I am really looking forward to him forming proper sentences, so that he and Aiden can have a proper conversation. Major love! Happy 28 months old baby!

Aiden's First Real Swim!

Aiden is the epitome of aqua phobia - it used to be a running joke at his kindy that he was one of the few who would go for swim classes but come out of the pool with his hair still dry!

We've tried everything. From coaxing him to even near drowning him (just kidding)! Hubby used to get so exasperated with Aiden's water phobia that he would simply drag Aiden kicking and screaming into the swimming pool.

Recently we saw a slight improvement - he agreed to blow bubbles underwater for short durations. He was also willing to go into the deeper end of the pool, clinging on to us for dear life, of course. However, whenever we tried to enroll him in a swimming class, he would frantically disagree, pleading for us not to force him to swim.

Until just early this month, a friend of his enrolled for swimming classes at our local clubhouse pool. I offered for Aiden to join his friend at the said class, and surprisingly he agreed! I was so surprised! I then sent him for his first trial class and was impressed that he could follow instructions and all. (I think he also wanted to 'show off' to his friend! *chuckles*) I signed him up for classes on the spot that day! We took him out shopping for a new swim suit and new goggles to get him motivated to continue. Since then he has attended two more classes, and here is his progress from just last week:

Amazing right? Yes of course, it was filmed at the kiddy pool and all, but the fact that he dared to put his head and full body, gliding underwater for over three strokes, is just too awesome to believe! He claims that he can do the same at the big pool, I guess I simply have to wait for his next class to get a video of that one. Can't wait!

Well done Aiden! We are sooooo proud of you!

One Day Away From Turning Two!

This is a scheduled post. When you read this post, Hubby and I are probably gazing lovingly into each other's eyes at the top of Eiffel Tower. Notttttt!!! *wishful thinking* Okay we'll probably be doing some PDA but I'll keep it hush hush. *giggles*

So you're probably thinking... "What??? She didn't stay around for Ian's birthday and went for a holiday with her husband without the kids?" Well, in case you forgot, it is also my birthday. Plus our 10th wedding anniversary. Also, the choice of dates wasn't our preference. Unfortunately if we were to leave any later, we would only depart for home a week before Christmas, and you know how crazy ticket prices are as people scramble to get home to their loved ones for the holidays. 

Anyway, it is a day away from Ian's birthday... and I have definitely been procrastinating his milestone reviews. So here goes... Ian at 19 months up until 23 months old!

Ian at 19 Months

Loves to point out animals. Knows how to say "irddddd" while pointing to the birds in the garden. Sometimes he even roars at them as if to shoo them away. In fact he even roars at cats. In the early month, everything moving was called a "bird" but by the end of the month he could actually differentiate between a bird and a cat. Hence 4th word bird and 5th word cat! Also, after the Friso Yes Experiment, I have been quite open about Ian touching cats. So here's Ian hugging a cat:

Check out Ian's confident face, hugging the poor cat!

Knows how to shake his head "No". For instance, if we ask "Susu?" He would then shake his head. Doesn't know how to nod his head yet though! That would be super helpful!

Since Aiden likes to put his colour changer cars in the fridge (for them to change colour), in the spirit of monkey see monkey do, Ian once opened the fridge and placed his toy car in there too! He also loves to play with a set of magnetic hot wheel cars, and he likes to zoom them on the TV panel. Once, he cleverly stuck them to the staircase gate! #suchaboy

Kissing spiderman!

Understand the word duduk (at the dining table) and when we say "Read doa" he would put both palms out and then wipe his palms to his face. Once, the maid handed him a freshly fried nugget. It was slightly warm and he said "ottttt" (hot) and passed it back to the maid. Hence 6th word - hot!

Fights with his brother! Knows how to stand up for his right too! It seems that my second born is very strong minded. He doesn't mind screaming out and pulling his toy away from Aiden. Poor Aiden always have to give in. I feel sorry for Aiden sometimes.

But they are still the best of friends!

Whenever Hubby comes home, he would pick up Hubby's shoes off the floor, carry it to the store, open the store door and deposit it inside. So helpful! Ian is also tall enough to open the front door and master bedroom door so we have to latch the upper lock to ensure he doesn't open it and run out!

Other oh-so-random things: Sprouted his first molar. Loves it when we play with his ear. Once he even fell asleep! Whenever he hears an airplane roaring in the sky, he would enthusiastically point it out. In a phase of walking on tiptoes. So weird! And last but not least, knows how to play Flappy Bird on my iPhone! *chuckles*

Ian at 20 Months

When prompted "Daaaa diiii", he would imitate it quite clearly. But when prompted "Maaa miiii", he would laugh hysterically instead. I got quite upset that he managed to say Daddy first before Mummy, but that all flew out the window when on the 10th of August he magically said "Maaaammmm meeehhhhh" (say this with an American accent please!) However, he only says this whenever he is in distress such as when a Lego piece comes apart, or the Elmo song he's watching on YouTube is interrupted by an advert. But still, it is so satisfying to be wanted! Now it's Daddy's turn to be jealous!

Started detesting food. Really hates eating. He literally survived (and still is surviving) on milk nowadays. Turning into quite the picky eater too. He'll still eat nuggets, churros and such, but he has a bad habit of eating a bite, putting it down and taking another one. However, if I'm preparing food in the dry kitchen and it happens to be something he wants to try, he would say "Nak!!" And would promptly sit on the kitchen floor! Like dan dan tuh nak makan type of reaction. Happens especially when I take out chocolates from the fridge! *giggles*

Chocoholic! Enjoying the chocolate fountain at Pullman Bangsar.

You know that whole thing about playing with his ear to get him to sleep? Well it doesn't work all the time anymore! Sometimes, Whenever we try it out he would push our finger away in irritation.

Other oh-so-random things: Found his shrieking voice. A lot of high pitch squeals were heard this month. Two molars on top and one left below. Lower right molar came out at the end of the month too!

At the end of the month, we transitioned Aiden and Ian together on the same bed (a queen mattress on the floor by our bed). However, the past few mornings after that, I discovered either Ian on our bed (he climbed up) or me on his bed (he cried during the night and I climbed down to comfort him). And it seems like dia tak lena tido and is always whimpering in his sleep. *sigh* Any ideas how to solve this?

Doctor Ian and his morning mata sepet face.

Ian at 21 Months

Knows how to show excitement... For instance if I place a plate of food in front of him or open a new toy, or even when watching an action movie (like an explosion or something) he would make a surprised excited sound like "huhhhh!!!" (Gasp!)

Knows how to call for us. He would wave his fingers (just his fingers, not the hand) and if we do not follow he would walk up, pull your hand/shirt/pants and drag you with him. If you give him your hand, he would grasp it hard and pull you towards wherever he wants to go. Usually he wants us to change the TV channel, open the fridge door (for UHT milk) or sometimes just to teman him duduk in front of the TV.

I finally figured out the whole "Nak" business. If he says "nak" and I point to something he doesn't want, he would shake his head (no) or say "No". When I finally point to the thing that he wants, he would say "yeayyy". Hence cheering is code for "Yes"!

This month, Ian figured out how to demand for the phone. Because he now knows how to turn on YouTube, scroll and 'choose' a video to his liking. So now I have to resort to hiding my phone or resort to berebut with him. Tried hiding the YouTube app icon in a folder, but somehow he would figure it out. And the thing is, he doesn't just settle for one video. He would literally YouTube surf, jumping from one video to another sometimes without even waiting for the one he chose to load. Once, he actually used up all of my 2GB data in just one night!!!

*sigh* Mummy needs a new data plan...

Such a picky eater!!! Ohemgeeee... he refuses any rice or Cerelac. Barely eats anything nowadays and practically surviving on milk, fries and Oreos. *shakes head in dismay*

Ian had a slight boo boo on his arm the other day. When I first saw the boo boo, I exclaimed "Ian, what happened???" And since then, every time I ask "What happened?" He would twist his arm to show his boo boo. And he would insist on showing everyone his boo boo too!

Ian at 22 Months

This month, I am more confident in letting him climb the stairs unsupervised. Previously there was always an adult right behind him, getting ready to play catch just in case he falls.

He can finally sleep with his Abang now! All I need to do is lie in the middle of my two boys, wait for them to sleep then jump into my own bed. Well of course there are days when Ian would cry. And he is still as buas as ever, so poor Aiden is now bearing the kicks at the shins and legs on the face kinda moves. However something new to note is he still wants someone to play with his ears to sleep, and he will actually lift your hand to his ears to indicate he wants it; and sometimes he even moves your hand to the other ear if he feels that that ear has had enough! Anddddd he still insists on putting his foot or his hand under my top to sleep. It has become a bad habit! *uuurrrggghhh*

Same sleeping pattern. And the next minute, he's already on the opposite of his Abang.

He is adding more words to his vocabulary this month! He loves imitating our words and can clearly say "Mami" and "Dedd di". Whenever we ask "Where is... *insert person or toy or whatever here*?", he would whip his head around and point to the correct person/thing and enthusiastically say "There!" Sometimes if Hubby is not around and I ask "Where is Daddy?", he'll answer "Werkk" (work). *too cute*

Once I called out to him, "Ian!". Imagine my surprise when he looked up and answered "Whaaaaatttt?" *giggles* Aiden certainly taught him well in that department! He can sort of say his own name as well. It's not very clear but more of an "Eehhh-yeannnn".

Other oh-so-random things: Loves to build towers using Lego Duplo and will request for everyone to look at his creation and give him some applause. Knows which one is our car. Whenever we go out and we walk back to the car, he would enthusiastically point it out.

Ian at 23 Months

This month he is communicating more. Adding more one-syllable words to his vocab. Such as ball, dog etc. If he wants something and we pass it to him, he says "You" (thank you). Oh so polite! *giggles*

Tons of funny expressions too. Sometimes if he sees something catastrophic on TV, he would say "Oh noooo" (such a drama king). Once his shoe fell off his foot and he exclaimed "Oh man!!!" *chuckles* Loves handling the camera too. Whenever he gets his hand on my phone or my camera, he would immediately put it to his eyes and say "Cheese!!!" Enjoys turning on my camera and taking selfies too!

"Cheese, Ian!"

Knows who everyone is. Whenever we ask where is Kakak, Abang, Mummy, Daddy or even the TV, he is able to point it out correctly. If we ask "Where is Ian?", he would eagerly point to himself. If Hubby is at work and we ask where Daddy is, he would turn his palms out and ask, "Where?" He can also identify basic body parts. When we ask "Where is your nose?", he can do so correctly. He can also correctly identify his eyes and mouth, but sometimes he mixes up hair and hand.

Knows the farewell rituals. When prompted, he would salam, say bye and give two flying kisses. Must always be two. Never one. He also knows how to inform whenever he does number two! We usually call it poopoo but he pronounces it as "baabook". He would come up to either the maid or me and say "Baabook" while pointing to his backside.

Cries whenever we leave the house. If he happens to wake up early and Aiden is leaving for school in the van, he would bawl his eyes out. Poor maid would always have to sorok him upstairs or at the back kitchen if we have to leave the house without him.

Other oh-so-random things: Loves singing. Favourite songs are Frozen's "Let It Go" and Tayo the Bus' "Hey Tayo". Loves dancing to Hi-5 and humming to Pororo too. Still enjoys walking on tiptoes sometimes. More and more teeth sprouting out that I can't keep track anymore!

And that brings us to the end of his 23rd month. One more day to hitting the Terrible Twos! *chuckles* We love you, Ian!

Aiden's Last Kindergarten Concert

And finally, that crazy chaotic weekend which I was dreading, yet excited for... is finally over. Aiden's graduation dinner and my cousin's wedding is now done and dusted, and I can finally put my legs up and rest. Or so I thought! Now I have a gazillion pictures to go through, and just 7 more days left to prepare for my 10th anniversary getaway.

Before I start flooding my blog with pictures of those two major events, I really should do a throwback post for Aiden's concert. Especially since this is Aiden's last year in kindy, hence it is also Aiden's last kindy concert! *cries*

Last kindergarten concert!

The theme for the annual concert was "Share the Love". The school did a great job of keeping the whole concert under wraps. Whenever I asked Aiden what he was going to perform at the concert, he simply kept mum. Finally a day before the concert, we received his costume in his school bag. Imagine my surprise when it was an army vest and pants, but completely bedazzled with sequins!!!

Come the morning of the concert, this kiasu mummy woke up super early and chased everyone out in good time... just so we could be one of the first few to arrive at the hall and get good seats. We were so early, that when we arrived at the concert venue, we managed to get a parking spot right in front of the main entrance. I remember relaxing then, taking the time to apply my eyeshadow and lipstick. As I was applying my gloss, another car arrived, parked beside us and the whole family walked in. Guess what, that family got the front row seats and I had to settle with the second row!!! *hhmmpphh* Lesson learnt, next time wear your make up inside the hall!!! *chuckles*

So proud of Danya, she gave the welcoming speech for the day.

The concert kicked off with Aiden's BFF slash GF slash whatever - Danya, giving the welcoming speech for the day. In contrast to Aiden's quite confusing concert attire, Danya looked absolutely ravishing in a beautiful sari in green.

The cute three year olds. One of them simply refused to dance, or even move!

Such creative teachers. Bamboo sticks as props!

A lion dance too!

Daddies selfie!

Just our luck, halfway through the concert - the three year olds were allowed to go home, and the earlier family I mentioned who managed to grab the front row seats?? Well their child was one of the three year olds hence upon release they left the concert! Ape lagi, melompat la the Real Kids gang, and upgraded ourselves to front row!

Front row seats, babeh!

Next up, were the six year olds. Finally figured out that Aiden was going to perform a Bollywood dance. And you know how Bollywood songs are... they are soooo fast and catchy; definitely not suitable for still photos! Hence, apologies for the shaky pictures. I wish I could tell them to all freeze in time for a photo. So here are his best three photos, from the gazillion I took:

Looking for Mummy and Daddy in the crowd.

Aik, cucuk langit ke?

Bedazzled army soldiers protecting the beautiful ladies in sari.

Next up, more beautiful national costumes. I especially loved the Baba Nyonya outfits; the girls looked absolutely beautiful in their kebayas. Also the boys in the Chinese class wore pendekar outfits; baju Melayu, complete with tanjak and keris.

Even the boys were in Baba costumes.

Excellent formation by our courageous pendekar Melayu.

Last song for the concert.

So proud of you!

Check out Aiden's arms around his two best friends.

Aiden and Danya.

Real Kids gang selfie after the concert.

After the concert, we all decided to head to lunch. Well more like a late lunch. Discovered that the A&W opposite Amcorp Mall was still open so we all decided to go there. I haven't had A&W root beer and waffles for so long! It was certainly a trip down memory lane for me.

Still as good as ever. *drool*

Well done Aiden, for performing so well during the concert. I hope it was a memorable one for you. It was certainly one for us. #proudmummymoment