Kayla: After 2 years old...

My talkative girl whose language skills have developed leaps and bounds after turning 2 years old, have become so much fun to chat with! She can imitate to us what interesting words her cousins have said, she can reiterate what we have said to her. Her mandarin has also improved greatly and can speak complete sentences in Mandarin. Well, she even know how to switch between English and Mandarin when she speaks to the maid vs us! haha.

Amazingly I came to know that she actually has quite good memory of past happenings! One fine day she suddenly brought up Klaske and what she did - something that happened about 2 months back! Haha!

Happenings after 2 years old!:

• Visit to Singapore Art Museum

• Visit Walter the Rabbit @ Marina Bay
  

• Wanting to do more activities by herself (e.g. taking off shoes, socks, switching on/off the TV)
  

• Activity time @ playground

• New games! 

         - Matching a pair
                            - Memory game

          - Able to identify a few alphabets such as A, M, Q, S, T and numbers such as 1, 5, 6, 0

         - Grasp the concept of difference in size, e.g Papa bigger

         - Engage in empathizing role-play (she being the doc after having a jab to us, will     hug & comfort us when we "cry")

        - Express her emotions in words (I m unhappy, it's fun! etc)

• Talk about "dollars" and "cents'!
• Funny self-conversations:
  

         Kayla: "Papa says - What do you want?"
         Kayla: "Mama says - Stop it!"
         Kayla: " Yeye says - zo man ye?"
         Kayla: "Nai nai says - mei nu" (i.e. pretty girl)
         Kayla: "Ah ma says - you mei you?"

         (Hahahaha....)

• Her own created (funny) way of saying Good-byes!:

         1. "Bye Little Tomato!" & her reply is "Bye Bye Little Carrot!"

         2. "Bye Little Yakult!" & her reply is "Bye Bye little Yogurt!"

         3. "Bye Bye car!" & her reply is "Bye bye motorbike!"

         4. "Bye little Dora!" & her reply is "Bye bye Monkey!" 

         5. "Bye little Kai Lan!" & her reply is "Bye bye Ye Ye!"

• More Toddler tantrums (as she wants to exert more independence and individualism)

      - Refused to do what we wanted her to do yet she doesn't wish to do, by
      (1) ignoring us,
      (2) put up a big struggle when we try to carry her
      (3) Cry and run away!

     - Talking back in a tone similar to ours when we scold her

• New enrichment classes!

1. Kinderdance: Kindertots

- Initially she seemed a bit keen on learning new dance steps from Kindertots, but gradually I realised that during the 30 min class, she is only focused on the first 10-15 mins then she got distracted and tired. She also didn't follow the dance steps earnestly. Luckily this is a trial class that I have signed up for her, mainly for her exposure purpose. So I didn't continue her with the dance class after that.
 
     2.  Leapschool House: Whiz Creators
- In comparison, Kayla adjusted to Leapschool House class faster and better! She likes the dancing and singing, and towards the end of the 8 lessons, she started to participate more and even joined in the dancing and shaking! As a clumsy inactive girl, she was finding a bit difficult to climb up and down as easily as the other toddlers. She started to like the gym play session more and more, and got more confident during all the climbing and active play. Thumbs up for the improvement! She also got exposed to art and craft sessions whereby she can learn to use the scissors, the glue, the paint brush. Kayla also enjoyed both the English and Chinese storytelling sessions. I think this Leapschool House class is really beneficial to her learning development.

• Live shows!

1. Elmo Green Thumb

     2.  Mickey Mouse Live Show
- She enjoyed both the shows more or less, but just tend to get tired toward the later half of the shows. In comparison she knows more characters from the Mickey Mouse live show than the Elmo Green Thumb live show, so can relate better to the latter.

Facebook & Friends

From Wikipedia:

• Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc.^[1] As of July 2011, Facebook has more than 750 million active users.^[6][7] Users may create a personal profile, add other users as friends, and exchange messages, including automatic notifications when they update their profile.

• Friend(ship) is a form of interpersonal relationship generally considered to be closer than association, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and associations.

  Value that is found in friendships is often the result of a friend demonstrating the following on a consistent basis:

• The tendency to desire what is best for the other
• Sympathy and empathy
• Honesty, perhaps in situations where it may be difficult for others to speak the truth, especially in terms of pointing out the perceived faults of one's counterpart
• Mutual understanding and compassion
• Trust in one another (able to express feelings - including in relation to the other's actions - without the fear of being judged); able to go to each other for emotional support
• Positive reciprocity - a relationship is based on equal give and take between the two parties.

Recently something happened on Facebook, and prompted me to think about what is it about "Facebook" and what is it about "Friends" to me?

I like to, through updates on Facebook (a very easily accessible tool in my life now), write about anything about my life, my thoughts, my feelings - whether good or bad, happy or sad, etc... anything if and when I want to.Well, that is real life isn't it? Life has many different facades, not all the time rosy. Anyway I am such a person that I like to express them out, cuz of my character. I don't like to keep inside me, cuz if I do, I will keep dwelling over it and it makes me feel crazy!

Well, a friend texted me and briefly asked me I am alright now, few days after the post on the Facebook. Then the friend, I believe its out of good intention, told me that some things are better not to be said in public. Inside me I feel like saying its NOYB! I do not sense the Sympathy and Empathy from you, even as a fellow mother yourself. Yes, probably you are more rational, less emotional in character, and very fortunately that you do not face such hostile issues from your child, and you may not have been rejected by your own child, or even if you did, you would have been so level-headed that you wouldn't mind it with a kid! Oh yah, maybe you also think I am an immature adult who do not know how to handle my own feelings well, and who actually mind it with a kiddo! But these are my feelings! I care so much because I put in a lot of efforts on my child and I feel terribly disheartened whenever my child rejects me, pushes me away in favor of her father. I am someone who is in need of recognition and acceptance. And Yes, I may not be good in managing my feelings, but trust me, I have kept more inside me over the years. I have learnt not to share so much of my real feelings over the years. But there are times when I am really emotional and down, I need an outlet to release my feelings.

After this incident, I wonder... what is considered a Friend? One who tells the truth they have of you despite knowing that may hurt? Or who should at least empathize even if they don't sympathize? Maybe that is why it is defined in such a way that "there is a range of degrees of intimacy in friendship..." Friends who understand you better, who support you yet not afraid to tell you the truth after they have shown their support and understanding for you, are of a closer relationship. Those who only briefly tried to show their concern, then turn around to give a quick harsh judgement and opinion of their own, OUCH! That hurts. That I afraid I have to stay away...because you never once tried to understand me...

Well, I have learnt my lesson since I have been judged and commented on, no matter how much I want to relay my feelings/thoughts into words on Facebook, I better think twice! No I better think thrice! I have to turn to my blog to vent all the unspoken thoughts and feelings...& of cuz to count on real Friends whom I can trust to confide to...even if they judge, they have empathized...
^[update]

Kayla's 2nd birthday Party + Zoo Outing

24 July 2011, Sunday: Organised a mini birthday party for Kayla with close family members to celebrate her 2nd birthday at our house.

Chosen "Winnie the Pooh & Friends" theme for her this year cuz its my favourite! haha... She likes them too lah.

The invitation cards and Party Favors

Party Deco and Cake from Pine Gardens

When we put up the party decorations on the night before, Kayla went "wow" and was excited about her birthday party. On that actual morning, she also remembered and said words like "birthday party", "happy birthday", "presents"!

Thankful it was a small and private gathering, Kayla had fun playing with her cousins and interacted with the close family members whom she is familiar with.

We had lotsa fun taking lotsa PHOTOS! Including Pooh's theme Polaroids (but Kayla got a bit irritated at the end cuz she had been called by us many times! No choice since she was the star of the day!)

"Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday to KAYLA!" sings the gang!

The lil' Yammies taking a group picture...

Her Presents from family and friends!

Handmade Cards from myself and my brother

Opening her Presents!

26 July 2011, Tuesday: We took a day's leave on Kayla's birthday to bring her out to the ZOO! She had only went once to the Zoo when she was younger, so I think she may not have remembered that trip. Now she knows more animals, so hopefully she will have a beneficial trip ! Also heard from friends that there is this Water Play area in the Zoo which kids really love playing there, and want to bring Kayla there to play too!

Hello Zoo!

Upon entering a few steps into the entrance, the lazy girl already asked to be carried and don't wish to walk. I tried to distract her attention and started introducing the animals to her so that she won't keep pestering us to carry her!

Gazing at the zebras..

Next stop is the Water Play area!

Initially she was hesitant when she stepped on the wet spongy floor, but started to let her guard down once she started playing with the water!

Splash! Splash! Splash!

Mama is also having fun with Kayla!
Kayla loves playing on the slide and asks for more!

After a bath & KFC lunch, let's continue the journey...


We shall revisit the Zoo soon! Bye Bye Zoo!

Hope Kayla had an enjoyable day out with us at the Zoo for her birthday!
Happy 2 years old, my dear girl!