No thanks Mummy!

So a few of you have started asking, why have I stopped blogging!? It really wasn't intentional. You see, shortly after we got an IPad I stopped using the laptop. The blogger app is just not user friendly enough for me and I just got lazy! =P The IPad is super convenient to lug around and the battery lasts for ages!

Kayden is at that very fun stage right now where he yaps away at just nothing and everything in particular. I love it when we have little mini babysations. Earlier today (after a round of negotiations, where I promised a snake gummy if he would have his cold medication), he held the snake to his ear as if it was a phone (yea I know, that's so completely random)

"Ello?"
"MMmm Hmm!"
"Yeaaa...."
"Uh Huh."
"OooooH?"
"OK, Bye!"

Apparently, that is how I sound like on the phone. According to my little man. Further confirmations with Daddy confirmed it.

Uh Huh.

I think the boys in my life are mocking me!

He has a pretty good understanding of everything that we say now. Sometimes even when not spoken to, he replies. (While on the phone to Daddy) Do you think we should have some pies for dinner? "No thanks! Rice!" would be his reply. Of course rice boy. Of course. 

On the positive side, his very adamant NO is very often a "No thanks!" instead.

Kayden don't just eat the chips. Have some of the chicken too please?
No thanks Mummy. Chips. 

Outside Mummy! 
Its cold and windy outside, stay inside please?
No thanks! It's cold. Hat on! Let's go! (he thinks putting on a hat is the answer to beating the cold LOL)


And then after we step back in the house...

Kayden, let's have a hot shower instead of a bath?  
No thanks Mummy! Bath.
And without skipping a beat, turns on the tap in the tub and starts prepping his bath toys to go into the bath!

He tends to go on those floor stomping tantrums lately too. (Yea, I think we are still stuck in the terrible Twos) So by the end of the day, I am just willing for things to move along in a nice and peaceful manner, so I just go with it. These very polite No thanks seem to let him get away with alot of misbehavior to be honest!

From baby to boy

Hello again everyone! It was an unintended break from the blog but it has most definitely taken a backseat as we got on with the ins and outs of life! I'm testing out the blogger app on the iPhone, so I hope this works.

It is the first week of winter here in Melbourne. I'm not much of a winter person and I am missing the warmer autumn days already!

A few shots of our blissful summer and autumn days.

We have done so much over the 2 seasons and there was so much to learn about our little boy. Kayden is now 31 months. A little boy he is now!

We have discovered he is a huge animal lover. He loves all animals of the furry kind. In fact all kinds including those that sometimes live in his toy box. Bear bear and baby bear badly needs a wash but he makes sure that they are under the covers with him at bedtime every night, so I am unsure if I should put them in for a wash!

Over the past couple of months he's learned all his colours of the rainbow ( but he can't say yellow, it comes out 'wow o') and is able to recite from 1 through to ten in both English and Mandarin. We are still not quite there with his alphabets so that is still a work in progress.

He likes helping Mommy cook so I put him on our bench top in front of me and he helps me with simple tasks like sprinkling the cheese for the Lasagna. Complete with silly faces for the camera.

My outdoorsy baby asks to go for a play alot. But we have had some crazy weather recently and sometimes heading out is simply not an option. I am trying not to limit his play so I am constantly on a hunt for activities both outdoors and indoors. If you have suggestions, do share!

I only recently started his growth chart.(previously I just relied on his visits to the nurse to find out how tall he
Is) I measured him the other day and was so surprised to see he has grown 3cm taller in just 2 months.

And there is much more growing to be done! Till the next post, stay well everyone! Hopefully I have a photo of cleaner bear to show everyone too :)

Gong Xi Fa Cai

 

Happy Chinese New Year! May the year of the water dragon bring us all luck, prosperity and good health! This year we are at our new home celebrating chinese new year for the first time here. I havent even finished blogging about Christmas and what do you know, it is already Chinese New Year! A couple of days after Christmas I had the tree put away and a sprinkling of red replaces the decoration in our house for the month of January.

The house has lately also been smelling of baked new year's goods and other treats. I haven't done baking for new year's for the longest time, and this year I am starting again with hubby's request, starting with some pineapple tarts. I even attempted homemade nian gao and braised shiitake mushrooms! We live in a very multicultural street and we have been so lucky to have had all sorts of treats given to us "for chinese new year!". Some interesting items included sweet indian dumplings( I forgot what they were called), deep fried and then soaked in a sweet sugar syrup. Just before we sat down for our reunion dinner, yet another knock on our door opens up to the sight of freshly steamed giant buns with red dates slotted into them, check that out!

We were away last year and the rest of the family here had an almost non existent chinese new year celebration (they had fish and chips for their reunion dinner! And leftovers for the first day haha!). So this year, we had everyone over our place and placed a feast in front of them. It is tradition back in Singapore to have steamboat for reunion dinner at my parents' house, so I do the same at mine. If we can have a steaming hot pot in Singapore's tropical weather, we can most certainly do the same in 34 degree heat in melbourne!

I can certainly no chef, I have never cooked the traditional dishes for the festive occasion before attempting the braised shiitake mushrooms, so hooray for the steamboat because all I had to do was buy the ingredients and away we feast! But the very aspiring and competent chef of my father in law, made a magnificent Lou Hei (a traditional Singaporean chinese new year salad -very apt!). It was so yummy! Third day into the new year we've already done it twice! Kayden got right into the tossing! He had his little spoon instead of chopsticks and was also flicking the salad into the air! He even stood on the table so he can do it higher than everyone else hah! We clinked our glasses and swished the meats into the simmering pot, sweating the night away! But hey it was a great dinner!

As the new year begins, we reflect on how much things and people have changed, Especially how much our little man has grown and really starting to develop his own personality. He now understands almost everything we say and sound his own opinions even when eavesdropping on the adults! A year ago, at new year's he was only still a babbling baby, scooting around on all fours! Now, on the first day of new year, with his hands clasped together, he tells us "Gong Xi Gong Xi!". But, only if you have a red packet in your hand ready to hand it to him! The cheeky little thing! He already knows the value of money! (He knows it gets him strawberries at the supermarket - "Pay! Eat!").

I hope you are all having a great start to the year so far!