Little Miracles

buy this buy that

May 9, 2009 in Ethan, Funny Moments, Growing Up | 4 comments

Scrap Credits
Daydreamin’ kit (papers, elements & alphas) from Megan Turnidge
Word Art (I Treasure You) from Dirty Feet Designs aka Heather Benson

Lately Ethan added the word “buy” to his ever-expanding vocabulary. Actually I don’t even remember when it had started, but he understands the concept of buying stuff now.

Ethan: Mommy, I wanna watch vi-dee-lio (video)!
Mommy: Which video do you wanna watch?
Ethan: Ummm…ummm…Madagascar!
Mommy, But we don’t have the Madagascar DVD darlin’…you wanna watch something else?
Ethan: BUY Madagascar!!
Mommy: Ok, we’ll see if it’s on sale this weekend, okay?
Ethan: Okay Mom!

Mommy: Alright Ethan, go get your jacket and wear your shoes and socks!
Ethan: I wanna wear purple socks!
Mommy: You don’t have any purple socks, my dear…how about your green ones?
Ethan: BUY purple socks!

There’s Ethan’s very simple solution to get anything he wants! 🙂

And then just the other day…

Ethan: Mommmeeee….I wanna drink milk!
Mommy: Okay Mommy’ll get some for you. Which milk do you want? (I’d expected him to choose between chocolate milk, his Pediasure or soy milk)
Ethan: I want green milk!
Mommy: Green milk??!! There’s no such thing as green milk, Ethan!
Ethan: Errmmm…BUY green milk!

It will take some time before he realizes not everything can be bought!

He’s not shy at all!

May 6, 2009 in Ethan, Funny Moments | 4 comments

Scrap Credits
QP from Galiscrap
Elegant word art (proud of you) from Bethany

Ethan is becoming more and more sociable now. If he was a shy little boy previously, fearful of strangers and people he meets, there is absolutely no indication of that shy trait at all now. He is gaining confidence every single day and his friendliness is so very contagious.

Someday I know I will look back at these short conversations he has and laugh about it. I know I already am… 😛

In the elevator when someone else enters it with us

Ethan (to the other person): Hi!

While out and about

Ethan (to everyone he sees): Hi! (while waving his arm)

and…

Ethan: Bye!

At the grocery store

Ethan: Hi!
(Fish seller doesn’t respond because he doesn’t hear Ethan)
Ethan (louder, and waving his hand): Hi!
Fish seller: Oh hi! I didn’t hear you!
Ethan (proudly to me): I said Hi!
Me: Yeah, I know you said hi, darlin’.

At the supermarket checkout

Ethan (to lady behind us): Hi!
Lady: Hi sweetie!
Ethan: What you doin’?
Lady: I”m shopping. What you doin’?
Ethan: Go to mite house (He says “mite” when he means “my”)

(So now he’s inviting people to our house???!!!)

At the playground

Ethan (to everyone): Hi!
Man in the park: Hi!
Ethan: Look at Riverdance! (and does the tapdancing stunt)
Ethan: Go to mite house! (smiles happily)

The things Ethan says to Hannah

May 4, 2009 in Ethan, Funny Moments, Growing Up, Hannah | 6 comments

Scrap Credits
NSD 2009 freebie template from Jen Caputo
Without End – partie 1 kit from Scrapmalin
Rough & Tumble Add On paper tear from Flergs
Worn Alpha from Bethany

“Hi Hannah!” It’s very endearing to see Ethan going up to Hannah when he wakes up or when he comes back from daycare and greet her that way. Sometimes he will add in, “How are you, Hannah?” or “I love you Hannah” or “What you doin’, Hannah?”
“Hannah, wake up!”
When Hannah starts to cry when we are out in the car, Ethan will respond with, “Oh Hannah, don’t cry…we’re moving!” You see, Hannah, just like her brother when he was small, loves it when the car is moving, and as soon as we stop at traffic lights or an intersection, she will start to cry. Sometimes we would reassure Hannah by telling her that we are moving soon and tell her not to cry, so I suppose Ethan, in his own amazing intuitive ways, caught on.
“Sit down, Hannah!” , while pointing to the couch.
“Eat, Hannah!”, offering Hannah his milk or yogurt.
When Hannah starts crying and wants to be fed or carried, Ethan will go up to her and say, “Oh, it’s okay Hannah, … don’t cry!” When we ask Ethan to give Hannah a kiss, sometimes he will touch his forehead to her head.
“Here, Hannah…pull it!”, offering the musical mobile toy to Hannah, and then “Touch it!” while he holds Hannah’s hand to the toy. Just the other day, Ethan took his yellow Numbers book and put Hannah’s hand in such a way as to hold the book.

***

And when he wants Mommy’s or Daddy’s attention on him, when either one of us is carrying Hannah, he will say “Put Hannah cot!” He puts a lot of emphasis on the “T” after the “Put” so much so that it sounds like he said, “Put THE Hannah cot!”

Oh, by the way, Ethan pronounces Hannah as “HA-NA”, and not “Hen-NA” like us. It’s just so adorable the way he says it! And I bet those things he says to her right now are all just the tip of the iceberg with many many more to come as they both grow up!

Saturday at Gilroy Gardens

April 29, 2009 in Entertainment, Ethan, Hannah, Parenting, Vacation | 5 comments

Daddy and Mommy took Hannah and me to Gilroy Gardens last Saturday. I asked Mommy to dress me up in my pair of cool blue jeans and happily got into the car. Hannah took a nap in the car on the way there, and usually I would too, but I was too excited to sleep as I was looking forward to riding on the “mare-go-wown” (merry-go-round). I had been to Gilroy Gardens a few months ago, but didn’t dare go on the rides myself, but I am a big boy now and I was all ready to have FUN! There were also many more pretty flowers now since it is springtime.

Daddy and Mommy got us the Lotsa Card season tickets, which means we would be able to go to Gilroy Gardens an unlimited number of times this year! Yippeee!

I spotted the mare-go-wown as soon as we walked into the entrance, and pulled Mommy towards it. There was nobody in queue and I was the first one on the little merry-go-round, so I got to choose the horse I wanted to ride on! 🙂

Further down the road, we saw an even bigger merry-go-round, and I just HAD to get on that too! Even Mommy got to sit on one of the horses!

Next up, it was rides galore! I think Mommy enjoyed herself too because she could not ride on most of the rides last time as she was pregnant with Hannah. This time, Mommy got to enjoy some of them with me! I only wished Hannah was old enough to join me…

When we were riding in these gigantic strawberries, I saw a really exciting ride in the shape of a giant banana that was rocking up and down! I asked Mommy and Daddy if I could ride on it, but they said I wasn’t tall enough yet. I must start doing some stretching exercises!

I did get to ride on little golden fishies (can you spot me?), on a fire engine and in a racing car!

…and then Daddy went on a balloon ride with me too!! Too bad only my hoodie can be seen…see?

Mommy couldn’t ride in the balloons because she was carrying little Hannah who had fallen asleep in the sling.

Must have been quite comfortable for Hannah, cuz she slept for a long time in there…not that I wanted to be in the sling anyway! I had so much fun running around because there were so many things to do!

Sometimes Daddy had to catch me and stop me from running, but I just could not help it! We had rides in the choo-choo train, of course, but when I tried to get on the roller coaster, I was not allowed to do so because I was not tall enough. 🙁

We then decided to take a break to have a treat.

Hawaiian Shaved Ice definitely sounded good, and just look at all the colorful juices that would go into it!

I heard Mommy and Daddy say it was a very expensive bowl of ice with syrup, but it sure looked good!

Initially I made a face because it was ICE all the way. C-O-L-D!!!! But soon, Daddy, Mommy and I finished the whole cup! Yummy!

The one thing we MUST do the next time we come again to Gilroy Gardens is to ride in the paddle boats that were shaped like swans! There was a long queue for the boats so Mommy decided to take me on the giant artichokes instead.

And before we left, Daddy took me for a final choo-choo train ride.

…with breathtaking scenery…

Oh, we are SO coming back here again soon!

Mr Manners

April 25, 2009 in Ethan, Funny Moments, Growing Up | 4 comments

Scrap Credits
Spring Blossoms QP from Bon Scrapatit Designs
Elegant word art (little moments) from Bethany
Without End – partie 1 (papier 04) from Scrapmalin

Ethan is getting very good at being polite now. He says Please and Thank You at the right times. When he does something wrong, he will look very sad, apologize and say, “Sorry Mommy” or “Sorry Daddy“.

He even says Good night and Good morning! … although these depend on his mood.

I remember a funny incident when he asked me for some chocolate. We would tell him that he can have just ONE Hershey’s Nugget on condition that he has finished his dinner.

Ethan (opening the fridge): Mommy, I want chocolate.
Me: Okay, since you have finished your dinner today, Mommy will give you one piece of chocolate.
Ethan (smiling happily): Chocolate!
Me: Here you go…what must you say, Ethan? (I was expecting him to say “Please”)
Ethan (without skipping a heartbeat): CHOCOLATE!
Me: No… you must say, PLEASE..
Ethan: Please Mommy…
Me: Okay, here you go…now what must you say?
Ethan: Thank you Mommy!

Now, the Please and Thank You come naturally 🙂

Lately, he has also learnt how to say “Excuse me“, but sometimes it sounds like he is saying “Kiss me“!! And yet, sometimes when someone or something is blocking his way, he forgets his manners and says, “MOVE!!!”

… well, sometimes he does remember to say, “PLEASE MOVE!” 🙂

Busy body

April 21, 2009 in Ethan, Funny Moments | 1 comment

Scrap Credits
Elegant word art (child’s uniqueness) from Bethany
Quick page par Soco – Avec le kit Lilou de Moune & Worn Alpha from Soco, scraps et loisirs

Our little Ethan boy is getting to be quite the inquisitive little fella. Besides asking us where did so-and-so go, his favorite query now is to find out what we are all doing.

He’ll go, “Hi Mommy! What you doin’ Mommy?” or “What you doin’ Daddy?”

Oh, I know it should be grammatically corrected to sound, “What ARE you doing?” but he sounds just too cute! And he can go onandon, I tell ya… “What you doin’ Mommy?” , “Mommy, what you doin’ Mom?!!”

Gosh…looks like after the “where” and the “what” phase, we should brace ourselves for the “why” phase next eh?

Alone with the kids

April 20, 2009 in Ethan, Parenting | 2 comments

Last weekend marked our first one alone with the kids. My parents headed for home on Friday morning, and Pete and Ethan sent them off at the airport. The plan was to drop Ethan off at daycare after thar, but when Pete reached the daycare, Ethan started crying loudly and pitifully, asking for Mommy all the while. So Daddy took Ethan home and we all had lunch at home. Ethan had FOUR steamed paus!!! (normally he only takes two)

Then after lunch, we managed to persuade him to go to Aunty Van’s, and he happily went.

Hmmm…we think his initial crying incident at daycare could be due to his insecurity. He must have been afraid Daddy would leave him, after he said goodbye to his Ah Ma and Ah Kong. Well, I believe he certainly misses his Ah Ma and Ah Kong very much, because he keeps asking where they are, and I have no doubt the feeling is mutual…Never mind Ethan Boy, time passes very fast (especially when you’re having fun) and you’ll see Ah Ma and Ah Kong very soon back home in Malaysia!

So what else did we do last weekend? Apart from the usual grocery shopping routine, Daddy, Mommy and Ethan got our haircuts. Ethan can now sit independently on those planks they place on salon chairs, for kids…so proud of him, and he got a nice haircut too!

On Sunday I made Ethan some star-shaped pancakes, which he walloped with aplomb! Then he requested from circle-shaped ones too. LOL!

Looks like the first weekend alone for our little family went rather well. At times, we would expect it to be challenging handling two kids, without the additional two pairs of hands from my parents when they were here, but we’ll manage… 🙂

…..somehow.

She ain’t heavy, she’s my sister

April 17, 2009 in Ethan, Growing Up, Hannah | 9 comments

Maybe he just wants to join in the crowd…
Ethan has been requesting to carry Hannah on his own nowadays. He would make his request with both his arms outstretched.

I’d allow him to carry Hannah with her head on his lap and him sitting on the couch. I feel it is important to let Ethan know that he plays an important role as a big brother. Maybe this makes him FEEL like a big brother.

But one thing’s for sure…they look so adorable together, don’t they?

Piecing it together

April 16, 2009 in Entertainment, Ethan, Milestones | 5 comments

Ethan loves playing with jigsaw puzzles, and solving them, of course! That’s a good thing, right? Jigsaws hone a child’s ability to think, be creative and it’s fun!

A few weeks ago, my Mom got Ethan a 24-piece Little Einsteins jigsaw. He was thrilled when he saw it, and wanted to fix the puzzle immediately. We had to guide him the first few times, so he was able to solve it. Then by and by, he would practise on his own, trying to fit the pieces together. Sometimes he would try a particular piece, turning it in all directions, and when he saw it did not fit, he would try a different piece. He would only ask us for help if he was really stuck.

Ethan would practise solving his jigsaw puzzle almost every day, sometimes several times a day. And each time he completes it, we’d praise him and say, “Wow, you did it!” and applaud his efforts. 🙂

Well, practice indeed makes perfect, for now Ethan can solve the jigsaw puzzle all on his own, in just a very short time! He’s all seriousness when he’s at the puzzle, sometimes saying, “Two more pieces…” and “One more piece..” as he completes it. And then when he does, he’ll go, “I did it!” and flash a jubilant smile!