Books that Victoria reads... or more like...

... these are some of the story books that I read to Victoria. We used to read nursery rhymes together, but later "upgraded" to simple and ever popular stories like, Little Red Riding Hood (and initially she was afraid of the big bad wolf. She was 2.5yrs old then), Goldilocks & The Three Bears (she loves this, because there are "bear bears" in the story) and The Three Little Pigs. She would ask me to read the same stories every night and everytime before she goes to sleep, until I get soooo bored with the stories. But amazingly, she can memorize the stories, and I found this out when she read some parts to me, her Popo and Mama.

Victoria would turn over the book to the back cover, and ask me to buy the complete series, which of course I oblige, to encourage her. So, we got these titles as well, in different publishers:

1. Chicken Licken
2. The Little Red Hen
3. The Sly Fox and The Little Red Hen
4. Jack & The Bean Stalk (frankly, this is a bad story... teaches little kids that stealing is ok)
5. The Gingerbread Man
6. The Elves and The Shoemaker
7. The Enormous Turnip
8. The Three Billy Goats Gruff
9. The Magic Porridge Pot
10. The Hare and The Tortoise
11. The Elephant's Nose
12. Bambi
13. The Emperor's New Clothes
14. Sleeping Beauty

and many more!


At one time, she was crazy over these stories, and wanted me to read sooo many until I can't keep awake, so I had to set her a limit... that we read only 2 every night. Which is fine by her, only thing is sometimes she counts 4 or 5 books and say it's 2 books, or she would spend 5 minutes negotiating with me. Once, we went to MPH and bought her 6 books which she wanted, and she was totally escalated!!

Now she's a MPH Kidz Club member, but that doesn't give any discount for Mummy's kinda books. Over the weekend, I went to MPH Warehouse Sale, and got some really bargain books for her, and William... and myself and hubby too! MPH should really have more of these warehouse sales. :)

I hope her interest in books takes off to higher levels. Some stories that she has are too difficult for her, but she insist that I read them. I say no lar, but she says, "Mummy you read for me, because I'm a big girl now. If not, how am I going to learn?" Wow. Good one. How can I say no?

However, after a few pages, she says "Stop, it's too difficult... let's read this one instead." Phew.

Well, enjoy this Vic, coz later on, you'll be reading boring KBSR text books, and what nots... and Mummy will have to read (and learn) along.

Emotional

Victoria was emotional this morning, because Daddy is going outstation for 2 days. She saw Daddy packed last night, and this morning, she wanted Daddy to walk her into class, instead of Mummy.

And this...

... is one picture we don't see often, but I thought I'd like to remember his cries just as well as his smiles.

Can you get enough of me? Mummy can't

Here are a compilation of some of his fashionable days...

This baju from my Uncle Julian and Auntie Winnie from the States.

See my backside?

I am 6 months old today!

William turns 6 months today. We look forward to this day as it marks his half way journey to being 1 yr old. He is very playful, and simply adores his sister. Here are some statistics for the record:

Weight: 8.2kg checked 2 weeks ago. Estimated 8.5kg now
Height: 68cm
Habits: Still very much a midnight snacker, chews on his toes
Dislikes: Drinking water
Sleep routine: Wakes between 7-730am on school days (beats me how he knows), baths at 9am, naps at 930am-11am, naps at 130pm-2pm, naps at 330pm-630pm, retires at 930pm (depending).
Loves: Bathing time, a good body wipe when sweaty, and back rub when sleepy or uncomfortable, playing "jiak jiak" (peekaboo), hearing us call names, cicak cicak song, seeing Victoria play balloon, warm milk if bottled and a good chit chat.
Words: Able to say "mmmaaaa" and has his talkative days.
Prefers: Young girls, preferably with long hair. ; )

See me cheeky smile...

Your boss will scold you!!

Victoria has her little imaginations now and then. When we use the computer, she also wants to, and we tell her that we are "working." Well, that's half the truth, because when Daddy uses the computer, it's normally for work, but when Mummy uses the computer, that's a different story ; )

She has learnt how to:
1. Select her games (there are around 5 games altogether)
2. Open Windows Word - select font size and font colour
3. Open Excel worksheet
4. Enlarge and minimize screen
5. Exit programme
6. Turn off the computer

She has, on many occassions when she does her "work" which is really "typing" on Windows Word or Excel, open some other folders and accidentally deleter files (so we gotta watch her) and also my MSN chat, and send color backgrounds to my friends! But all's not too bad, because I was wondering how to view my picture on my MSN chat, and somehow she "accidentally" did it for me. Thanks, dear.

When she does her typing, she is very serious. She will tell us "not to disturb me or my boss will scold me" or she will say, "don't talk to me i am working!!" Sometimes we tease her, and she tells us that her office is "veerrryy far away, and have to sit aeroplane to go there."

This morning, Hubby was on leave and sent her to school. Naturally, he was in his home clothes instead of working clothes. On the way, she asked him, "Oh dear! Daddy you forgot to change your clothes. Your boss will scold you!"

Because she sounded so serious, Hubby played along.

When I fetched her after school, then only I told her that Daddy's not working today.

Hehe.

Fever and painting

The little princess had mild fever on Wednesday evening and didn't have appetite for her dinner at all. The next morning her fever still persisted and I decided to let her rest at home. She took her paracetamol at 6am and the fever didn't come back.

During the day, we did some painting to occupy her time. She had a good rest and thank God the fever didn't not return at all.

I coloured this myself

Victoria coloured this tiger herself, and I only helped her with a few of the black stripes.

Lunch

Today lunch was good. Victoria sat down throughout the half hour lunch, fed herself and finished all her food. She enjoyed her lunch. She even took my last 3 spoonfuls and told me to add more pork and black fungus (mok yue) in it. Sometimes she treats our lunch time as a competition between who will finish first, and she's proud to proclaim herself as "Number One"!!

After finishing her lunch, she even took in her own plate without being told to. Then she took in Daddy's plate, and mine when both of us finished. Then she took the table cloth and started wiping the table clean, and the chairs, too. This, is of course her favourite "work" coz she sees Kakak do it and like to imitate.

The past few weeks Victoria have shown improvement during her meal times by sitting down and feeding herself. She just changed. I think she wants to be a "jie jie" and big girl now. We told her that all big girls go to big school, and must feed themselves, do things for themselves. That must have hit home. But it could be just her. Victoria is definitely one kind of a child, who has a very strong mind of her own. Those close to her can strongly attest to that!

Or, it could be her improved health from better gut absorption and healing from all the allergenic food she's been taking. She has been taking her probiotics for close to two months now, and I'm sure that helped too.

This is considered a big improvement compared to those "trying times" when I have to get her to sit down and not walk around, and chew her food, then swallow her food.

Hopefully this continues la.

Victoria's FIRST concert Part 2

Here are more pictures taken during Victoria's concert, after her concert during the small makan session.

She saw the sausages and asked me if she can have some, but I had to gently divert her attention to other things she can eat, like err... the jelly that she made and the angku that Popo GongGong brought for her... and the rice cake which somebody brought. She asked about the cakes, and thank God she didn't see her favourite drink, now forbidden, Yakult.

After doing so well, I hate to disappoint her.

This is taken with one of her class teachers, Chai Hoon.

From left: Amanda, Victoria, Katelyn and Sebastian

With GongGong

With Popo and GongGong

William, sleep boy, sleep

Darn. I think it's this pantang I broke. Or, maybe it's a baby's changing habit. Eversince he got his flu, and couldn't sleep well during the day and night, he's been waking up almost every hour or half hour after he falls to sleep. And this has been causing me lotsa disturbed sleep at night.

I can't recall how many times he wakes up, coz I've lost counting. But once, in my frustrated state, I manage to count 5 times, and that was also only coz I have him a bottle of formula during one time.

After reading a friend's blog on the Ferber's method of training a baby to sleep on his own, I'm seriously thinking of trying this on William when he's a little older, and IF he continues this way. Part of me, I think it's because he's so ready for his solids but I'm holding back till he's past 6 months. Maybe if he's "fuller" at night, he'd wake up less.

Pending that, I've already incorporated some small steps like NOT running to him when he wakes (I'd let him play by himself first and also buy myself time to do other things), and when I'm there, I don't connect with him for interaction ie no smile no chat, and just pat him and stroke him on his back. Also, sometimes when opportunity allows, we put him down the bed when he's drowsy and not sleeping yet.

Hopefully he sleeps longer and better still, sleep through when he starts on his cereals. Counting down...

Piggies on my hair

Victoria is showing more "feminine" side these days. She says she want to leave her hair "so long" until her buttocks. Sometimes she likes to tie 4 or 5 ponytails instead of the usual 1 or 2. Then, the week before her concert, she wanted to tie 4 piggies on her hair, instead of 2, something like Medusa??

Anyway, I caught some pictures.

With a little ezcema on his chin

I took these pictures one night, before William was admitted to hospital. At that time, he had just some flu which caused block nose. So I gave him more Isomil soya milk formula then, which I think caused some ezcema on his chin. My suspicions only. Today, his blood test result on allergy (if any) should be out.

Is he calling me?

When William was 2 months plus or so, we made him laugh by calling up names of each one of us and relatives. It goes like... "can you say / where is ... Mummmyyyyy? Dadddddyyyyy? Jie jie????..."

This went on for a while and then I started to realise that when he cries, he calls, "Mmmmaaa... mmmaaa" and you may think I am perasan or thick-skin to say that I think he is calling for me. There are also times when he babbles out something that sounds like Mummy.

I like to think that he's calling for me, and for some reason, I think he knows that Mummy is me. : ) Hopefully he can say the other words like Daddy and Jie Jie too.

More of Victoria's artwork

Here are more of Victoria's artwork which she did in her kindy.

Victoria's FIRST concert Part 1

Last Thursday, 16th October was much anticipated. We were informed earlier, through the kindy's message book to the parents, and later given a formal invitation.

On the big day, I woke Victoria half an hour earlier than her usual time, but she only got up from bed 15minutes later. However, she was very cooperative when it came to brushing her teeth and going "shishi". However the challenge is not over, because the biggest one is to put her in her pretty white, spaghetti strap dress, which all the little girls are to wear. She's tried it on before, but never without the t-shirt on, so I wonder if she will wear it. As expected, she gently resisted, but Mummy ain't gonna give up. I picked Heh Heh, her favourite doll, and used Heh Heh to convince her to wear. Without delay, Heh Heh wore the dress for her, and all was well. Phew!

But then I realised that the strap was too low, thus making the dress look too loose on her. So I called for the maid, who came up almost immediately, took the needle and thread I gave her, and professionally sewed her strap up, while Victoria stands still just like a model. Then the maid tied Victoria's hair up, with a chosen clip. Victoria wanted to wear her red shoe, and I agreed since she was such a darling. But the maid said she has polished the white shoe, which will match her white dress. (Later, Victoria wore the white shoe)

I dropped her off at her kindy, with the agar agar that she, MaMa and the maid made together the day before. Then I rushed to the hospital to meet Hubby, feed William, and off Hubby and I went back to her kindy for her performance. Mother-in-law and Maid helped looked after William in the hospital. Popo and GongGong went straight to the kindy from Seremban.

Victoria was truly sporting throughout all the dances, even when her partner was shy and stopped dancing. We are so proud of her, and all the pap talk and practice paid off! Of course, secretly I think the main "person" who gave her encouragement was Heh Heh, whom I promised her will be there to see her performance.

This is her vain mummy posing while waiting with overflowing excitement to see the concert.

Victoria did all the actions and danced to the rhythm.




Victoria praying on the far left corner, with her hands clasped together.

All the little angels. From left (age): Eleen (3), Amanda (4), Eliana (3), Katelyn (4), Yuriko (3) and Victoria (3).

Almost all the children in her kindy.

Proud Mummy with Victoria and Heh Heh. Proud Daddy is taking the pic.

Stop pulling my hair

This William ahh... has this very bad habit (if I can call it a habit) of pulling my hair. Ever since he's learnt how to grab things, he's been grabbing a bunch of my hair whenever I carry him, notwithstanding any position, and he wouldn't let go. So it hurts when I try to put him down, and he's still clinging on to my hair.

I've lost a lot of hair, but I can't entirely blame it on him. Could be the hormones, could be the shampoo, could be my diet, but his current interest in my hair sure isn't helping. Tying up my hair makes no difference as he will still have access to my hair.

Anyway, I look on the bright side. When he gets his first tooth, I'd be complaining about him nibbling on my shoulders, arms or worse... God forbid, when he suckles!!

Victoria's artwork

Here are some of Victoria's artwork which she did in kindy over the past few months.

Bumble bee or beatle?

Choo choo train

We did this at home together... she insisted that her lamb must have a blue face. Not surprising.

And baby Moses is blue too...

Thank God... apple is red