Swimming gala

Today was the Jockey Club swimming gala in Shatin. Coach Lok advised Papa to enter me for 3 events in my age group.

We got there early for lunch, but I was so tired that I fell asleep on the way there. Papa let me doze in the car. I was still tired when Papa woke me, and told him I didn't feel like swimming.

I felt much better after getting changed; I took first prize in the 25m breast stroke event, and third prize in the 25m kick event. I took second place in the 25m freestyle. Papa said I would have won the gold medal if I had not stopped because my goggles were leaking water. Overall, I was the Champion for the age-group, and I got a cup in addition to my three medals.

Close shave

Grandpa and Grandma went to Bangkok for a few days' holiday. "Big" and Sai Gugu looked after me and took me to Penfold Park a couple of times, and we lunched at Shatin Jockey Club afterwards. It was fun to ride my big tricycle at the park.

As I was behaving very well, SGG thought it would be a good idea to cut my hair herself while the rest of the family was out. Unfortunately it was too much of a close shave and SGG was most upset. I told her “never mind” but she took me to see Uncle Frederic so he could tidy me up. “Uncle Frederic is a nice man” ;-)

Sai Gugu's birthday

I have making lots of different faces recently and SGG caught me testing these out in front of the mirror. She thinks I’m cheeky. Soccatots finished at the start of the month. Gemma isn’t sure whether there’ll be more sessions next term, I do hope so.

I was so excited about SGG’s birthday that I sang Happy Birthday to SGG for many days running up to her birthday, and then for another week afterwards. SGG organised a play date with Marvin on the 8th because school finished early. We went to Happy Valley Jockey Club with Grandma and Marvin’s grandma, Chan Popo. I introduced Marvin to my friend Coney, pictured right.

November

I had a very busy month starting with a play date with Marvin and his family, Megan, Auntie Esther and Uncle Calvin at Happy Valley Jockey Club. The weather was very good so we played outside and ate pizza and fruit.

Sai Gugu took me to the park with a little girl called, Danelle. We played separately and Danelle gave me a little digger as a parting gift. Gugu Big signed me up for Soccatots on Saturday mornings at the USRC. I like Gemma, my coach but it still takes me about 30 minutes to warm to the group before I am able to join in with the fun and games.

Despite the introduction of the “Star Reward” scheme in September, I’m still very naughty so SGG is trying out a punishment scheme where my toys are taken away and put "under lock & key" when I do something naughty or unsociable, such as throwing my food and spitting. My toys are returned when I’ve been good. Let’s see how I get on.

I’m talking quite a lot now and in addition to English, I’ve started saying words and phrases in Cantonese and Putonghua. Although I’ve been singing songs in Putonghua since I started school in September, speaking it at home is new.

Uncle Thomas Schieber, SGG’s good friend was in HK for a day and came to meet me. I liked Uncle Thomas so I was on my best behaviour ;-)

Speed demon

Wow! I have been so busy! Grandma and Grandpa were away on holiday for most of the month so Sai Gugu was in charge of looking after me, Papa and Big. The weather has started to cool so we were able to get out and about more. We went to Beas River Country Club with Auntie Susan, twins Austin & Mason and my big tricycle. It was my first time cycling outdoors - Sai Gugu said I broke the speed limit ;-)

Summer holidays

Luckily its been dry the last two Sundays in a row - Papa and Gugu took me to the country club to see horses. Last week, I was fascinated to see one taking a shower. I nearly touched one, but got scared when I got up close :-( This week, we watched people riding them and jumping over gates. It has been so hot to be outside that droplets rain off my face :-0

Although most children have started summer holidays, I now go to school 4 days a week instead of 3; Wednesday is my new day off. I love school : One very wet day in June, I was very upset when I arrived at school to find that classes have been cancelled due to the rainstorm warning. Since Mrs Griffin left, my class has been taken over by Miss Rachel, who I know from last year. I go to class alone for two of the four days. My classes start two hours earlier than before, so I now commute in the morning rush hour. Gugu took me in on the first two days to make sure I started off smoothly.

Winking has become my latest party trick; Every day, I speak some new words. The adults sometimes still wonder where I learned the words. Grandma says my pronunciation is improving by leaps and bounds; Papa was impressed with my first five-syllable word - "organisation".

Although I don't sit in my high-chair for meals any more, Gugu realised it was a stretch for me to sit on the big chair, and much food ended on the floor. To make it easier, the Gugus went and bought me a booster seat. The adults are resigned to the fact that I still get mucky paws and food still ends up on the floor.

Goodbye Mrs. Griffin

It's still rainy season. I go to the outdoors playground at the Jockey Club if its dry, and playroom if it's rainy. I like the ball pit in the playroom, where I am surrounded by spheres and can collapse face up and face down without fear of hurting myself. I can say "ball pit", but it sounds a bit like "puppet" right now. Papa is so pleased with further progress this week: he says I can now speak in grammatically correct phrases. I started collecting things recently, and I ask grown-ups to help me capture horses, pylons and "crankies" with this new-found linguistic skill.

Mrs Griffin teaches us songs in school. I often like to hum 'She'll be coming round the mountain, and can now sing 'Twinkle Twinkle'. Mrs Griffin is leaving for home [Ireland] in a few days, so Big and I baked cookies for her leaving party tomorrow; Papa got some photos of me, and we made a card for her. Neither Mrs Griffin nor the folks at home like me throwing things. In order to get me out of unwanted habits, Gugu started putting me in the "Naughty Chair". I have had to go to it several times this week :-( She got the idea of from 'Supernanny'.

I am allowed to sit in a big chair most mealtimes and feed myself. I make a mess: Papa says it's normal; Grandma cringes. Since I read 'Maisy Goes Camping', my sleeping bag has become a prop these days. I no longer wear it at night. If I get put to bed in one, it's usually off before I fall asleep.

Papa is speaking more to me in Mandarin. Also my ability to express myself in both English and Cantonese is also improving, and my verbal comprehension is progressing well in all 3 languages. I have no difficulty in pronouncing new words taught to me every day. I already know all my fruits, for example, mango, papaya, pomelo, strawberries, avocado, pomme, and joining these with words like 'more', 'another', 'get', 'only', 'help', 'milk', 'cheese', I can give precise instructions at tea and meal times. Grandma introduced me to clear beef and vegetable broth - it was an instant hit!

Yesterday was Grandma's birthday. I gave her a card and a present, and wished her "Happy Birthday" out loud. I wished her "Happy Birthday" again and again throughout the day. Grandma was chuffed to bits.

Country excursion

Today, we went for a very long ride to the countryside where I've not been before. We had lunch and then Papa took me to the pool there, and I swum around a bit [movie]. I had so much fun when Papa took me down a water slide [movie] that I wouldn't let him stop :-O I had so much fun on the water slide today that I made Papa promise to take me back next week for some more.

I'm didn't have my afternoon nap. So, although it's Hallowe'en, I'm too tired to go trick-or-treating tonight. I'm off to bed early......