Tribute by the Dog

WE SENT our Indonesian helper away today. We did not feel especially emotional about it; she had worked for us for 9 months from May till January. But, I noticed that it was the dogs who tried to alert me that something was different: That “she” was gone!

Hally, our golden retriever, barked at me, which was quite unusual (he had not barker at me for years), even though I had already walked them earlier in the night. I thought he was telling me that “she” is not home yet.

(at 4 years 2 months 28 days)

Parenting

TO ME,
Parenting is staying by his side while he’s still asleep, taking away the stitches of his school uniform pants to make them longer.
TO ME,
Parenting is protecting him from any harm and danger and insult, making sure that he is safe physically and emotionally.
TO ME,
Parenting is defending him, allowing him to be nurtured without harsh judgments and ridicules from the others.
TO ME,
Parenting is enrolling him in programs that will help him grow happily and safely and learn the essential principles in life.
TO ME,
Parenting is praying that God will give me strength to do all these things and that he will know God and revere Him in his daily life.
(at 4 years 2 months 18 days)

A New Meal Song

I HAVE begun to sing a new meal song with Little R a month ago, when I realized that he was not serious about “thanking God” for his meals anymore with the “old prayer.” He would recite his snack meal rhyme that I adopted from what they were using at his nursery school H so habitually that I didn’t think that he had quite understood the lyrics and what to thank God for.

So, I made up the following lyrics in the simplest tune (“Are You Sleepy?”):

Thank you Father, thank you Father
For our food, for our food
Thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus
For Your love, for Your love

This song is so easy to remember and sing that my husband learned how to sing it instantly and I would never forget its lyrics myself .

Instantly, after singing it for several times, Little R started to join in in trials and errors, trying to make sense out of it. First, he struggled with when to sing “our” as in “for our food,” and when to sing “your” as in “for your love.” He would mix up the two sometimes.

Then, it is until recently, I noticed that he had “understood” the meaning of this meal song when I heard him singing:

Thank you Father, thank you MOTHER
For our food, for our food
Etc.

O Yes! Little R! Thank you for remembering mommy and thanking me for your food, as you have probably been wondering why just thank “father” and not “mother” as well? That would only be logical to you!

(at 4 years 2 months)

Mommy’s Talk: Gentleman

WHEN YOUR friend (and she is a girl) has gone into a hospital, you buy her a flower, go visit her, and bring it there. You also share with her your favorite book, so that she might not feel too bored in the hospital. That’s what a gentleman does. You are 4 years’ old and you can learn to be a gentleman.

BEFORE THAT MOMMY TALK
Mama: “Little R, Little B is in the hospital, do you wanna visit her?”
Little R: “Yeah.”
Mama: “So, after your Go Game class, I will pick you up, we will buy her a flower.”
Little R: “OK!”
…
AT THE FLOWER STORE
Mama: “Hmmm…. Do you want to buy her a sunflower?”
Little R: “I wanta buy dis” (pointing to a pink African chrysanthemum)
Mama: “O, sure!”
And so, Little R pulled it out of the bucket and brought it to the lady at the cashier and I paid for it.

AT CHILDREN’S WARD
Carrying a dark pink flower, Little R was swarmed by a group of registered nurses at the reception, all wanting to know whom he was visiting, whether the flower was for them, how old he was…

Mama: “Little R, protect your flower, don’t let the nurses snatch it from you, for you bought it for your friend!”

And Little R felt less embarrassed and proceeded onto looking for his friend in the Nemo-wallpaper-invested children’s ward.

Mission Accomplished! His little friend was happy to see him, and the flower, as her mom said, was her first flower received, ever.

(at 4 years 2 months 9 days)

Santa’s List

LITTLE R learned about “Santa’s List” at school this Christmas. In his K2 class, he was asked to draw a couple of things that he had wanted Santa to give him.

Little R was so enthusiastic to show me that “letter” with a “postman car” and a “purple school bus with purple windows” that he drew.

Being his secret Santa Claus, I fulfilled his dream: I’d gotten him a postman van and a yellow school bus (unfortunately, there were no purple school buses), on behalf of our beloved Santa.

He was as thrilled as he did last year when he received a set of five construction vehicles from this very same faithful Santa.

Then, that got him thinking at home, after a round of shopping at Store T,

“Mommy, I want to write a Santa list.”

Mama replied, “OK ….” He wanted to use my stamp markers and I realized that he wanted to make a list that looks just like the one that he made in school. And so he did.

He drew this all by himself. Then, he asked me to write the words at the bottom picture, and then, he asked me to spell the words for him and he wrote the words on the upper picture. (The bottom drawing is a Lightening McQueen RC car and he wanted me to write “Lightening McQueen. It’s snowing in California” on the picture. The upper drawing is Mater. He then wrote the letters as I spelt “mater” and “California” for him upon his request.)

And then, he stuck this “list” up on the wall beside his bed like he did with the first letter that he made in school, I guess, so that “Santa” could see it.

Mama: “Sweetheart, Santa has already come on Christmas Eve, remember? He only comes once a year at Christmas Eve, and this year’s Christmas Eve has already gone. So, your list will be used for next year.”

Little R: “OK!”

He seemed to understand that and be contented that he would get his list of request next year. That is because he trusted that his “Santa” would not fail to give “good gifts” to “good boys and girls” such as him. And, it’s always better to jot down what you’ve wanted from Santa early, as a “Spot the Dog” book suggested, a library book that he’d been reading all around Christmas.

(at 4 years 1 months)

Old Toys

DEAR LITTLE R:

It’s hard for me to say goodbyes to your toys, but surely when it’s time for us to move into our new home, when it’s time for us to move on as you grow bigger, you no longer play with these old toys and they should inevitably go away to serve other kids.

Saying goodbyes is particularly hard, when you had received these toys at your first birthday party, when these toys had gotten so much good memories of fun and family times together.

Should we give them away? I’m still debating upon now as I am writing this article.

I really don’t want you to grow up so fast. I am the one who is not ready.

Your beloved,
Mother

(at 4 years 1 months 19 days)

Two Special Friends

WE HAVE got two special friends home from Little R’s school picnic yesterday. It was a pleasant surprise that Little R got to get two small goldfish home from the farm.

We were also very thankful to Little V’s mom for sharing their two coupons with us, so that we could get the plastic fish tank to contain our fish at the last minute.

About 7 minutes before the final gathering time at the entrance at 1pm, I asked Little R, “Do you really want to get the little goldfish home?” We noticed that quite a few of his friends had collected fish or turtles with their coupons, but at the back of my head, I thought we don’t have a fish tank at home and we don’t know how to take care of fish, so I didn’t ask him to go to the fish catching activity. But, at the last minute, I wanted him to rethink that question.

Little R: “yes, I want da fish.”

So, I put him on a piggyback ride and ran from the entrance back into the farm, passing his class teacher, passing the pond, passing the rope climbing structure, passing the school principal (without saying hi), passing the picnic area, going to the store where they sold the fish net equipment. Right, while every one was leaving the area, we were going back in. Luckily, we saw the very friendly Little V and his mom. In a quick time, I noticed the plastic tank and asked how much it was (even though I left my wallet and bag with my helper at the entrance).

Little V’s mom was SOOOO nice to let me know that you just needed two coupons for the fish tank (but we had just one coupon left to “catch” the two goldfish) and she was so nice to spare her two coupons to us!!!!

We were so happy that like the other kids we got to carry a case of goldfish home at the end of the day. And I enjoyed looking at them at home.

(at 4 years 30 days)

Bidding Bye

I BID Little R goodbye at the front door and told him that I had to stay at home to work on my paper but he will see me when he’s back.

When he’s on a piggyback ride on Auntie R talking down the stairs, Mama yelled: “Have a good SCHOOOL!”

Little R replied: “Have a good HOME!”

(at 4 years 18 days)

Knowing His Toys

OPENING a new present, Mama asked: “O, whao, it’s a Diesel engine! But, you have a Diesel engine already.”

Little R: “NOOOooo, I dun have dese kind of diesel engine!”

Mama: “O, that’s right!”

And happily he played with his new toy.

It costed him 25 beans to open a new birthday present that he’s just received from Uncle K this morning.

(at 4 years 17 days)

A Particular Present

THE DAY after the birthday party, to add some excitement to a boring after-school hour before dinner and after his completing his homework, I suggested Little R to open one–JUST ONE–of his birthday presents (collected from his birthday party). He got excited about the idea. Peaking into the bags of presents placed at a corner of his room, he pointed to a particular box of present in burgundy checkered wrapping paper.

Little R: “I wanta open this one!”

Mama: “OK, you go wash your hands first.” And, so he did.

After he returned to the room, he pointed at ANOTHER present with Santa Claus wrapping paper.

Mama, thinking that he has changed his mind: “So, you wanna open this?”

Little R: “yes!” and so he did with a rip, rip, and rip.

Mama: “O! Whao! It’s…it’s a memory game!”

Little R looked disappointed.

Little R: “No…mamaaah, I wanta open this one” (pointing at the burgundy checkered box).

I was reluctant to change our promise–that he was to open JUST ONE present–but did not want to make it so hard for him. After all, he might as well have made a real mistake and have pointed to the “wrong” box.

Mama: “Well, OK. Let’s just pretend that we did not open this [memory game] present and put it back in the bag. You may open the red one, but remember, you cannot change your mind again.”

Little R: “Okay!” and immediately, he took the burgundy checkered present out. Before he ripped the wrapping off, I took a picture of it.

Mama: “So, this present is from Little A and Auntie C!”

RIP!!

Little R did pick the right present. It was a purple transformer–his first transformer that he has ever had!!

And he was playing with it the whole night!

(at 4 years 14 days)