Multiparenting Cayen & Cayson

Sometimes when I look at Cayen, it's quite easy to know that he's our son because : - he's scared of heat like his Ah Pa - he's impatient like Ah Ma - he's into soups like Ah Pa - he multiple tasks like Ah Ma . Check out the clip for multitasking at his best .. YouTube Video - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

It has been a while since we last gathered , so Huiyi and Max played the lovely hosts and organised a soccer-theme party to reminisce the good old days. The last one we had of this theme was about 12 years ago I think. It was quite a sight as there were more than 20 adults and a dozen of kids (if we include the ones in the tummies). As you look at the spectacle, it's hard to imagine that Singapore has a birth rate issue. Can't wait for the gathering next year when the newborns join us ! YouTube Video Photo credits for the pictures below : zhiyuan  Neighbours in Hall! Feels awkward in Brazil jerseys... Did your father bet all your savings on Germany ... ? - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

This is the first month that I forgot .. But thankfully I managed to take some pictures of Cayen touching Coffee the cat on his 21st month birthday .. Cayen baby, you are growing up too quickly ! YouTube Video - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cayen used to be fine with vegetables until two months ago. Whenever we feed him any vegetables, either on its own or camouflaged with meat and rice, he would skilfully fish out the small piece of vegetable out of his mouth. No amount of persuasion by Ah Po works so he got away with barely eating much vegetable unless it's completely mashed and unrecognisable.  When I lament about this, Ah Pa and Ah Po will say that he is simply taking after me , as I actually don't like veg too much.  A few days ago, I happened to be home when he's having dinner. Again he's up to his antics of pulling out vegetable from his mouth.  Though I really hated it, I made a grand act of devouring a piece of carrot . And then, I made a great exclamation about how vegetable tasted really good and he should eat it too.  He looked a bit tentative. He paused and considered for a few seconds ... Then he pulled a piece of vegetable from his bowl and ate it. I clapped and c...

I am going to try list down all the Hokkien words that Cayen has mastered and in order of sequence as far as possible. Will use hanyu pinyin format or nearest sounding word to describe the sounds  :  1. Mai3 (买）：No (this is his all time favourite word , and what led to his teacher thinking that he only understand Hokkien)  2. Bo2: Don't have (usually pronounced as Mo2 by cayen for some reason ... Usually used when he can't find something or see the moon or fireworks)  3. Ah Bur4: Not yet (usually mimicking us when we say we haven't done this and that)  4. Jiak4: Eat  5. Giak4: Michievious (what he gleefully retorts when he's labelled Giak4)  6. Swa4 : So be it! (this is useful for adults when faced with many Mai3 from Cayen. And usually he will retort swa4 too)  7. Ai3: want (strange how yes always takes much longer than no, in every language)  8. Ai3 jing2 (爱情): love (this is from the sitcom theme song) ...

Last week, Teacher reported that Cayen had knocked his head though there is no obvious bump. Reason: He fell down when he kept climbing onto the chair.  The Issue: He  climbed onto the chair, spread his arms wide (the hands-free titanic look),  and exclaimed "hooray!" And he led all the other babies to do the same.  Event #2: he had arrived school early that morning. So instead of his usual class, the teachers have consolidated whoever had arrived earlier into one holding room.  Cayen went into his usual room and saw no one there. Teacher tried to persuade him to go to the holding room , and tried to hold his hands to guide him there but to no avail. He was insistent on staying in his usual room.  The Issue: the kids from his class in the holding room heard him and they all started standing up and going back to their usual room!  While I think he seem to have undue influence on the babies and one may call it leadership, I th...

While we have hoped to bring him up to be trilingual (English, Mandarin, Hokkien),  One would usually think he's  a hokkien baby.  That's not surprising given that his favourite word is Mai2 (no) and second favorite is Bo2 (don't have). Even the concerned teacher has asked me with concern what language we use at home. I said English, Mandarin and Hokkien. I don't think she buys it.  Today, I was somewhat vindicated.  Teacher told Ah Po that Cayen understands English quite well (duh?!) . While he is sprouting Hokkien usually , he actually understood their English instructions like put his legs down etc.  My own take is that he understands all 3 equally well as we have tested on various occasions. Eat = 吃 = jiak4 , no = 不准 = Mai3 . Only thing is that Hokkien comes the most naturally to him from a pronunciation point of view. He can speak English and Mandarin but those usually are pronounced more softly and in a more refined fashion, but not as accurate as Hok...