Bicycle

Papa took the stabiliser wheels off my bike last week. I finally got it when Papa helped me push off on my bike when we went to the park again today. I was able to ride for more than a hundred yards without help, and it was so much fun feeling the wind in my hair.

The park was in a bit of a mess because they were doing some building work. Although I fell down a few times and I wobbled a bit at first, I managed to stay upright towards the end. I was even able to turn to avoid an tree.

Papa was so impressed he said he would buy me a new bike soon.

Teething troubles

I'm back to school today, after my Easter Holidays in Beijing.

I woke up with a wobbly front tooth. It's kind of bothersome. Papa says that I am getting a new tooth, and it is waiting come up, but that it usually happens to kids when they are 6 years old. When I got to school, Tyler told me he also had a wobbly tooth.

I kept touching the tooth, and it fell off this afternoon during Baby Gym. Mummy put it in a tissue for me. I washed it and cleaned it when I got home. I want to keep the tooth forever, so I won't put it under my pillow for the tooth fairy.

I'm living with Mummy and Papa and Duncan now. Tonight, Papa and I went back to Grandma's house. Grandma, Sai Gugu, Gugu Big, and the jiejies had all missed me, and Gugus got all emotional. They made a great fuss over me, and I was so happy to see everybody again. I showed them all my tooth, and the gap in my mouth. Gugu said that the tooth fairy will still know to give me $100 :-)

Potty trained

I still keep asking SGG and the grown-ups, “where’s Grandpa?”. Grandma says it is because I miss Grandpa. I still think Grandpa is in hospital but SGG tells me that Grandpa has gone away. She also told me that Grandpa is in my heart and if I love him, Grandpa will be with me always. I automatically piped up, “I yove him, I yove Grandpa” which for some strange reason made SGG cry.

Today, I told SGG I wanted to do a big doodah in the potty. I tried for what seemed ages and SGG said I could go play and try again later, but I told her, “No, I will do it” and I did. SGG was very proud of me :-).

"Big School" starts

Today was the first day of the new school year, and my first day at a new nursery school. I was made to put on a brilliant white uniform, and Papa and Grandma took me to meet my new teachers Ms Stella, Ms Hong, and my classmates. It was a bit overwhelming because the class size is much bigger than before, and some classmates turned up with a whole army of anxious relatives. Papa joined me in class, but Grandma replaced him when he had to leave for work. I didn't like my uniform very much at the start, but I had dress rehearsals two days beforehand.

Thanks to Gugu's superb organisation, things have gone so smoothly the last two months: the helpers were delegated with making sure I left for "little school" at the designated hour. Papa rode with me every day. We called out all the different things I saw en route. Now I've got used to going into class alone, it won't be too much of a shock when school starts in earnest next week.

Papa has been making sure I still get to bed at the same time; Gugu Big still likes to make sure I don't oversleep in the afternoons. I'm a big boy, so stopped using my bottle for my milk; I am now made to pick up things which I have thrown; I still prefer to use my fingers when eating, so it has not yet stopped mealtimes being like feeding time at the zoo ;-)

I am now 32 pounds in weight, 94cm tall. I now enjoy constructing ever more complex sentences. I surprised the grownups one day when I said "Someday, Booboo go work with Gugu Big and Papa"

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.

My brother Duncan

The big news last week is that I have a little brother, who was born in Paris Wednesday last week at 8 in the morning. Papa says he is much heavier than me at birth, he weighed in at almost 4kg (8lb 12oz) ! Papa named him 'Duncan' because I like the sound so much. Since then, I sometimes refer to myself as "gege", or big brother in Chinese.

My weight has been stable at 30 lbs, but at 92.5cm, I continue to grown taller. I still enjoy my lie-ins in the morning before getting up for breakfast - I am allowed to wake up slowly and get to practise vocalisation and singing. It's getting warm, so Grandpa couldn't resist giving me another haircut. I will soon be able to go swimming outdoors.

Gugu says I am developing purist tendencies: I don't like mixing up my building blocks of different colours; when given a bowl of vegetables, I like to separate the peas from the corn. I like comparing things and remarking when they are the same. Green locomotive Percy has never been a favourite since Santa gave it to me for Christmas, but when Gugu bought Duck, the two locomotives are both getting some attention because they are the same colour.

I go to the park more and more because it's warmer and because Gugu says I need to run around outside more, and learn to kick a ball. I still have lots of fun around the house: I am mastering my jigsaw puzzles, and enjoy wearing big peoples' shoes. The grown-ups now get angry more often because I'm doing things they thought I grew out of long ago: throwing things, standing up in my chair, emptying cups of water on the floor or carpet. I occasionally throw tantrums too! Thankfully I didn't invent the "terrible twos";-)

School's out

School's out for Easter, so I've been wearing Grandma and the Gugus out at home. If I'm good, which I usually am ;-), my social calendar is rather full. I am also invited when Grandma meets her friends for lunch (and I get spoilt with presents), I go swimming with Papa every week, I get taken to the playground, I often go for rides in the car with Grandpa. Recently, I have enjoyed two play-dates chez Max, organised by Big [Gugu], so I am putting my taught manners to good use. I am learning to share, and to give presents.

Although I am still a little Charles de Gaulle sometimes, I can also say "yes" enthusiastically - usually when it comes to food:-). I have been bought a potty, but usually 'do a Charlie' to it. Still, I have a few more months before I move up to a class for bigger kids. I now routinely string two or more words together; I can pick out any one of 5 different types of balls. I hum made-up tunes to myself. I like to chime in to "She Loves You", "April Showers" or "End of the World".

I was sooo pleased when [little] Gugu put my name up on my bedroom door this week. She bought all the wooden letters separately from a shop in London. Although I cannot read yet, it will help me recognise my name when I learn to spell. Papa joked that he could spell "Dorothée" with the same letters.

New words

My language development is progressing, new words are coming thick and fast. As I am now officially 2 years old, so I learned to say 'two' and 'deux'. Papa says I'm not a baby anymore, but I still mostly refer to myself as Baby, or Booboo [Bear], as Papa likes to call me.

Weeks ago, I said my first two-syllable words "turtle" and "hello". Now I can use two words together, which I usually use to indicate possessions or to ask for something. A current favourite word is "non", which I now use routinely and emphatically like a little Charles de Gaulle. I also learned to say 'Gordon'. Gugu was so impressed she rushed out to get him for my collection :-) I now like to run Gordon under bridges, or even better to attach my magnetic trains to metallic objects.

Since last week, I get given fresh cow's milk to drink now instead of formula; Little Gugu reports that I am another centimetre taller, at 90cm. She has it marked on a wall-chart :-)).

The weather's been a lot better again, so I've been going out more often to the park to play. Gugu took me swimming today instead of Papa, but she says I should feel more comortable with her next time.

Guest of honour

Back at school again on Friday, two very tall policemen visited my school as part of this term’s “People who help us” theme. I had my photo taken with Mr Policeman, and also with me sitting on his motobike :-)

Finally, I was guest of honour last night at the special dinner Grandpa’s friends had organised to celebrate his birthday. Again I impressed with all my party tricks. I’m so exhausted it is a miracle that I’ve had time to grow 2cms and put on 2lbs – I’m now 89cm tall and 30lbs.

Black eye

Since my last entry, I sustained a black eye and learned to say my name. I have once again had the most exciting and eventful week starting on Tuesday when Papa celebrated his birthday. Gugu had taught me to say “app-e-bird-e” to Papa, who was very thrilled.

Today, I skipped school to attend my Uncle Des' wedding (by the English reckoning, he's not really my Uncle but my first cousin once removed). I was a bit shy at first, but soon confidently started to perform all my party tricks including speaking in English, Français, Cantonese and Putonghua to keep the grown-ups amused while they were queuing to have their pictures taken with the bride and groom. I love Auntie Kinnie, who gave me an hat - she's beautiful and always comes to play with me.

House is back to normal

The house is back to normal: the furniture is back in its usual place; Papa comes home most nights now; Va left hospital only after being there a few days. The doctors took some black bits out so Va would feel better, but he's still on a liquid diet.

Today was the last day of term. Papa took me to school, where we had a Christmas party. We all took along some snacks to share, and I grubbed up well (as usual). A big fat guy with a white beard and a red suit gatecrashed. We were all slightly bewildered, but I was the first one to get a present from him :-).
I then spent most of the afternoon wearing Papa out around the house. I also waddled around in Va's slippers like they were a pair of skates.

I'm still a man of few words, but "Dub-a-dub-a-dub" has been a favourite phrase for the last two weeks, while "ehn, ehn" has fallen off the top slot. Of course it means "Stop it, Stop it!", from when the grown-ups see me throwing things ;-).

I can now identify belongings : cups, bottles, shoes.... etc. One day, I burst into tears when I saw one of the helpers wearing Grandma's slippers. Grandma told me she had given them up to her, but it didn't make me like it any less :-(

A little cockney thug ;-)

Since my last diary entry, my hair has been cut very short again. I was having a laugh with Gugu and Va in the bathroom when heard this buzzing sound around my head. Next thing I knew, there was hair in the tub behind me and my neck started to itch, I realised that it was too late :...-(

My vocabulary has grown quite a lot. I can identify many objects and say a lot of everyday words now, but always dropping my aitches: I say " 'ead", " 'at", " 'and" and " 'ot", so I sound a bit Cockney. I am very strong, and I like moving my furniture about in the house. My favourite is tipping the tables and chairs over, sometimes while Bear is sitting in the chair in question. With my skinhead cut and behaviour to match, Gugu is now calling me "a little thug".

The house is in a state because we have all had to decamp into half the usual space during renovations, so Papa has been sleeping over at the hotel where he works; I miss Va because he is in hospital for an operation.

School picnic

Today, there was a school trip to the park for a Teddy bear's picnic. There was plenty of food. I brought along a box of teddy bear biscuits to share. While the other children snacked a bit and then played games, I made a bee-line for the grub and stuffed my face first. Grandma says that I'm just like Va when it comes to food. It goes to show: I am still in the top quartile for children my age, having now grown to 87cm, now weighing 12.5kg (28lbs).

My bed has been getting too small for me, which I have demonstrated by climbing out of it a few times already. Grandma decided it was about time I had a bigger bed to sleep in. So, now I have a bed so big that I can even breakdance ;-).

Furniture

Papa says that I'm getting quite assertive for such a little guy. I've taken to saying no (or "ehn, ehn") when I don't agree about something. I now get to choose my TV programmes, my books, what I have for tea, who picks me up. I also throw things even when told not to, and end up in the doghouse sometimes.

Some new furniture arrived for me today, and I was so excited that I couldn't sleep. I created such a din that Grandma had to stay with me in my room for almost two hours until I finally dropped off to sleep that night. Gugu says I'm too young to be an insomniac ;-)

Gugu's visit

Grandma has been extra busy lately. Grace has left and Grandma is training up a new helper; Grandpa got admitted to hospital three weeks ago with tummy problems. So little Gugu flew back from London to see him. The doctors say they can fix him, but he's got to go on a diet before they can do anything. Today, he was allowed out of the fat farm for the day, and I have never seen him looking so slim and fit.

I had a cough which has been getting better, but last week I got ill again and threw up once, so I went to see Dr Bean. She says I probably picked up a tummy bug at school. Luckily it's school holiday this week :-).

Gugu left on Saturday after staying two weeks. During that time, she and grandma took turns to look after me. The two Gugus have been spending quite a lot of time with me, and I have been learning a lot of new things. I still love bottles, so they taught me to say "bottle" and "cup" in Chinese. I also know a lot of animal and fruit names now.

I have grown to 86cm, but my weight has hardly changed. I can now reach over the top of my cot with my foot. I tried to climb over this morning, but fell out and bumped my head. Ouch!

Mummy left for Paris

Mommy left on Tuesday, and I shall miss her. Before she left, Papa decided that we should all go to get some family photographs. I brought along Tiger and my newly acquired tennis ball, so I have one or other in our photos.

Two days before mommy left, the three of us went for a day out to Ocean Park. I saw some sea lions and some real live dolphins. Although it wasn't the first time I've seen real dolphins up close, I now realise they are animals which live in water. I got to ride a bubble lift to go from one end of the resort to the other and I also got to see the world from up on Papa's shoulders for quite a long stretch while walking around :-)

In school, I like it when teacher Miss Sarah shakes our hands when we first greet her - we each get a star-shaped sticker :-) However, I saw that another little boy didn't get one when he refused to shake her hand. Last week, I added 'star' to my vocabulary, this week, I learned the Chinese word for 'clock'. I started to use 'Wow' to express wonderment.

Since I started school, elevenses has become an important ritual. Not to mention I get peckish if there's no school, and miss elevenses. I had Grandma wondering that my body clock had gone wonky when I begged and pleaded for my mid-morning snack. Fortunately Grace got the message before I starved to death ;-).

I started partially immersing my head in the bath for laughs. Mommy was worried that I would choke on bath water. Grandma has decided to use less bubble bath in my tub from now on. I just need a snorkel and some flippers now ;-)

Starting school

This week, I learned to blow a real smoochy-sound kiss; I am becoming more interested in animals, and get excited whenever I see a dog or a cat; I learned to say 'star', I also say 'vroom' when I see cars.

My food intake has fallen slightly of late. I am now a bit taller but weigh a bit less than before. I weigh 12kg, and have grown to 84cm, 2 cm taller than when Dr. Bean measured me a month ago. Since I started wearing Huggies Pull-Ups to bed, there have been no more surprises in the mornings.

Around the house, it has been very quiet: Grandpa and Grandma have both left on holiday. However, the big surprise was that Mommy finally arrived from Paris to see me. Mommy brought me back lots of goodies from France. I now have a tricycle, some new clothes and some French books, so Mommy and Papa can teach me 'fransay'. Mommy's been taking me around town a lot, and we've been to the playground and I like to come down on the slide. The day after Grandma left on holiday, Gugu came back from her vacation. I don't see her much as gugu is sleeping more then Teddy right now.

This month, I started going to school three mornings a week after my morning nap, Mommy takes me. But I didn't go because I had a cough since last week. I've already done some finger-painting before when making birthday cards for Papa and Grandpa, but I still have to learn to enjoy painting. Teacher makes us all wear robes before we paint, but I refused to put one on because it's stiff and dark coloured. The bit I do like is when she gives out rations of biscuits and juice for 'elevenses'. We only get two biscuits each, but because some of the other children don't eat their share, I can sometimes grab an extra one when nobody's looking :-).

"Grasshopper"

This week I resumed swimming after all my spots disappeared; I went to Baby Gym at the Y; I learned to blow a kiss; I walk around on my tip-toes; I have started putting objects down gently instead of throwing them all.

I enjoy eating plums all by myself - first I skin them bit by bit using my teeth, then I eat the flesh; I love my freshly squeezed orange juice every day. Sometimes, I will turn down my food, and sometimes I will demand something to hold instead being spoon-fed, but I always drink my juice and eat my fruit - I prefer chomp on a whole banana than having it cut up for me. Gugu says that I am just beginning to assert my personality.

I learnt the word for "angry" in both English and Chinese: Grandma told me off for messing with my food by wagging her finger at me. When I was naughty again, she asked me to show her what she did when she was angry, so I wagged my finger back at her. Now, I have been practising by adding a little grunt [learned from grandpa] when I wag my finger. I sometimes wag my finger pre-emptively if I have been naughty. It gets me off the hook because the grown-ups roar with laughter at me.

Today, Papa went to have his haircut, and took me with him. The staff at the hairdressers all lavished their attention on me for half an hour until it was my turn. This little sheep did not like the thought of being sheared, and bleated in protest when facing the clippers. I cried and struggled, so Papa and Grandma had to console me and hold my head still. When it was all over, I just knew I had to wag my finger at Mr. Frederick who cut my hair, and also at Papa and Grandma for their part in this ordeal. To add insult to injury, Grandma says that I now look like a shaolin monk, and Gugu is calling me 'Grasshopper'. Fortunately, my hair is now soooo short that I won't need to have it cut again, ever ;-).

Postcard from Berlin

This week, I had another appointment with Dr. Bean, this time to be inoculated against chicken pox. I cried out when she stuck the needle in my bottom. I did not have a temperature this time round. She also recorded that I am 82cm tall, and weigh 12.4kg, which still puts me in the top 10% of children my age. Dr Bean declared I was healthy and normal, but expressed surprise that I still don't say very much. I understand quite a lot, and I choose to respond only when it suits me.

Somebody always follows me around, and I usually get what I want by pointing and making a noise, so there's not much need to express myself verbally right now. I can speak a few words, I learned to say the Chinese word for 'flower' just the other day.

My feet have also grown, and my soft beige and white leather shoes sadly don't fit anymore. I have some new sandals which I've been wearing instead. I feel quite British because I wear socks with the sandals.

Because it's been so hot, Grandma started giving me fruit juice so that I drink more fluids. I sometimes get diluted orange or apple juice; Gugu gave me strawberry juice once. I'm getting better at holding a cup without spilling the contents.

Papa had some time off on Thursday, so he took me to the playground. There were rocking horses, slides and swings in the playground, and I had a go on them all. When papa put me down on the ground, I wouldn't move because I have never stood on this funny green stuff before. It felt a bit springy, and Papa told me it was called 'grass'. Papa first took me to the rockers, where I had a go on the koala bear. Papa then took me down the slide twice, and I shrieked with joy each time on the way down.

I was too scared to get on seats which were hanging. Papa was so sure I would enjoy it that he insisted on putting me in one. He then gave me a push, and I swung backwards and forwards, feeling the wind in my face. He was right - I have never been in a chair that moved like that before, and I loved it. Woooosh!

Today, I received a "Teddy exclusive" postcard from little Gugu from Berlin. Papa says Berlin is in Germany and used to be a divided city. I am the only one in the family to get one :-) They are all dead envious of me.