July 11, 2015.
Yui anak, you’re quite expressive with your affection; huge on smiles and warm, tight hugs. Being the receptiveness of those expressions is enough to put Mom and Dad in Cloud 9.
But today, you said it back for the very first time. You told Mommy, “I love you”.
A big lump was on my throat. Thank you, dear. We love you much too.
She drew a snowman.
Added in two eye dots and dot nose, dot mouth.
Added in one BIG eye, cyclops style, almost covering the dot nose.
Added whiskers, saying “meow” whilst drawing the whiskers.
Then she added feet and with laughter in her voice said “snowman is walking”.
Such imagination, my child. Keep it up, Anak!
Monday morning.
We were walking to daycare when we came across a dead bird by the side of the road.
My heart was really gripped with the plight of the bird; I pointed it out to Yui.
Mommy: Look Yui, the bird is dead. Kawaiso bird ne (poor bird).
Yui: Sad. Bird dead.
And indeed, she hung her head for a minute or so while walking.
Monday evening.
I was racking my memory, making sure if we did not, by happenstance, touch the bird’s peripheris at all; wanted to make sure we didn’t come into contact of any possible pathogen.
Tuesday evening.
While in bed, before sleep.
Yui: Sad.
Mommy: Why are you sad, Anak? Do you miss Daddy? Mommy miss Daddy too. But don’t worry, he’ll be back soon.
Yui nodded her head and said “Mmm” in answer to my second question. To answer my first question, she said:
Yui: Sad, bird dead.
And she closed her eyes tightly, me holding her, whilst she drifted off to sleep.
It’s been two days yet it lingered with her.
Hubs and our toddler went out for a walk in Hubs’ childhood neighbourhood. They came back showing me videos and photos of their walk, showing how passionate Yui became (or more like how she went amok) when she saw a statue of a horse.
Apart from the stories though, they brought home a priceless treasure too. With Yui in Hubs’ arms, she handed me this teeny weeny bouquet of wild flowers which she and her Dad picked up and which Dad bundled to make a bouquet.
Priceless.
Thank you A and Anak. But above all, I thank God for sending you both to me.
We follow a limited screen-time at home for our daughter. Even at that, we’ve been having a hard time keeping our daughter sit still on the sofa whilst watching her videos. She wants to have her face just a couple of inches away from the monitor. We’ve thought of many ways how to keep her face away from the monitor including drawing scary faces and taping it on the monitor’s edge which proved effective for a couple or so days. And then we’re back to square one again.
Last week, Hubs remembered that Yui gets scared of Daruma-san. So he thought of putting the charm atop the monitor. Like magic, it worked and Yui really did keep away from the monitor.
Until one evening. I was in the kitchen cooking when she ran to me, calling “Mommy, Mommy!”, her voice urgent. When I looked up, she was running to me holding the Daruma in her right hand, her right arm stretched as far away from her face as she could, her face also angled away from the Daruma, her eyes on a squint watching out for the Daruma yet at the same time (probably) checking it that it didn’t creep up her arm.
Instantly, I was barraged with a number of emotions. Of course there was the small chagrin of seeing our scare-tactic failing again. But the most prevalent of all the emotion was pride and wonderment. That this little lady faced her fears just so she can be where she wanted to be. That this little lady overcame her fear and handled her fear bravely, this fear that hindered her from fully enjoying what she wanted to do. And yes, there’s that Mommy joy, rejoicing with the fact that my little child is fully confident that Mommy is always there to support her.
First day at Year 2(つぼみ組). Yet more exciting things to come for you, Anak! From Monday, your class have started with the Moving Up transition; lockers and bins were already placed in your new room. And you yourself has been making a milestone since Monday! When we were about to leave the house and Mommy was preparing your baby car, you resolutely said, “it’s ok, it’s ok. Yui walk”. And that’s how it has been for two days now, morning and night. We leave your baby car at home, you’ve walked to/from daycare, rode the bus and had fun pushing the stop button (Mommy hopes this’ll help somehow with your self-esteem; that even though you’re still tiny, just with a small push, you can make all those switches light up and make the bus stop. Mommy can only hope!). And during the long walks (I do think they were very looong for you!), you held on to Mommy’s hand (well, there were a few struggles when you let go of Mom’s hand and made a sprint which made Mommy’s stress level soar to high heights because vehicles were passing by) and Mommy needn’t carry you at all. You did a very good job! Continue to do the great job you’re doing Anak! Daddy and Mommy loves you.
