I so love the way the girls talk these days, so don’t mind me doing post after post of their conversations.

We were meeting my extended family for dinner. On our way, Daddy turned into a petrol station to fill up, and right there is a KFC. Zara asked, “Why are you stopping? I want to go to the restaurant now.”
Knowing she couldn’t wait to meet her cousins, Daddy teased Zara, “I think we’ll just have KFC for dinner today.”
Zara replied, “If you eat KFC, you are not having proper dinner, you are just eating FAT.” o.O”
(on other days she would have happily accepted the offer)

On our way home from school, Zara as usual asked, “What are we having for lunch?” I told her we’re having spagetti and cheese which is her favourite. She replied happily, “Yummy! Now my eyes will lit up like stars.”

One day, when we were talking about big houses and cars and why we don’t have them.
She told me, “We are not rich, you know why? You are not working enough. Got holiday, you want to do your own things or go holiday and you don’t work. And you don’t work long enough.” o.O”
(Of course I later told her we don’t work long hours because we want to spend time with both of them, and if she preferred us to live in big house and drive big cars but then never get to see us around except during bed time. She replied, “It’s ok we’re not very rich, because I want you to spend time with me.”)

Zara attempting to tickle Zaria’s neck, but it was a bit like strangling her, and Zaria was getting upset.
Me told her stenrly, “Stop bullying your meimei.”
Zara replied, “This is not bullying, this is irritating. OK?” o.O

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I was helping Zara with homework (and I must admit I’m very impatient). When I paused to ask Zara what she was writing (which was 九 or 9), she would count from the start of the page in Chinese (each page 1 number), but missed a few pages, so when it got to 9, she would say a number smaller than 9. This happened a few times, so I got really annoyed, and started holding her finger and point to the numbers while she counted. I exerted a little more force on her finger when we pointed a number, so she started crying. She calmed down after I apologised and finished her homework.

When we got to the living room, Jelly said this conversation took place between Zaria and her.
“Aunty, why jiejie crying?”
“Because jiejie don’t know how to count.”
“I know how to count you know. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10”

I smiled and asked Zaria, “So next time when mummy help you with homework, willl you make mummy upset?”
She replied, “Noooo, I will make mummy happy. Becossssss, I know how to count!”

Girls current favourite ‘adult’ show is Mama Mia. They have been singing the songs from the movie frequently but every time when I took the camera out, they’ll all go quiet.

Yesterday, Zaria found her ‘microphone’ (an ear probe from her doctor set), and she said, “Like the auntie’s hairdryer.” (referring to the character Tanya using the hairdryer as a microphone in Mama Mia). After that, she sang Dancing Queen on and on.

Here is her singing at 2yrs 2.5months. (She said, “You can sing.” instead of “You can dance.” at the beginning)

After she has gone to sleep, I replayed the video from the camera in the room with the volume turned on, suddently, she lifted her head from her sleep and said, “That’s me.” and then laid back down and slept.

Both Daddy and I went o.O”.

Zaria is asking a lot of Why nowadays. Her sentences most of the time starts with Why. She also likes to add, “You know.” in her speech; e.g. “Jiejie also want you know.”. Another favourite phrases she likes to use is “or not?” e.g. “Can or not?” and “You know or not?” .

Here are some of her recent chatters:

She was getting ready for school (by Jelly), and I was still lying on the bed.
She asked Jelly, “Why mummy so lazy?” o.O

She came back from school with a party pack, and asked me, “Why mummy got monster?” I didn’t get it until she showed me the Mamee noodle pack in her party pack.

She cried when her teacher helped carry her to the car. I asked her later when we got home, “You don’t like teacher Doreen?
Zaria replied, “I like wut.” (The ‘wut’ is another word she likes to use)
I asked again, “Then why you cried when she carried you today?”
She replied, “Becaussssssssssse (as though thinking of the right answer), only mummy can carry me”

Zaria was with me, when I was flipping the newspaper. I showed her a Bridal House advertisement.
Me : See.. uncle and auntie getting married
Zaria : Why they get married?
Me : Because they love each other, so they get married. Mummy love you too you know?
Zaria : You getting married with me?
Me : Mummy not boy, cannot get married with you.
Zaria : Daddy married me? o.O”

This chili padi (Malay : Birds-eye chili, i.e. small but ‘potent’) is growing up to be her sister’s equal.

She likes to say, “Aiyo.” like an old lady, when we ask her to do things she doesn’t want to.
She likes to answer us “Ohh.” thoughtfully, when we explain something to her.

She pronounces the blending sound starting with S, i.e. SM, SN, SP, SW without the S sound. I.e. Small sounds like “Mall”; Sweet sounds like “Weet”; “Plash” (splash); “Wim” (swim); “Neck” (snake) etc.

She can say her name perfectly now, emphasising the 3 syllables “Zah-Ree-Ah”.

She doesn’t want anybody to help her adjust the hairband, to her, this is the right way to wear it

Nowadays, when she sees something she likes, regardless if it belongs to her, she’ll say protectively, “It’s mine!” when anybody tries to claim it or touch it. At times, even using force by pushing away the approaching owner. *sigh*

Every day when I finish work and declare by shouting, “DING DONG!”, I’ll hear loud cheers from the girls and both will be waiting for me down stairs. Zaria will come forward and ask her daily question, “You finish(ed) work oh-di (already)? Now we go park?”

Zaria and her cheeky smile

More things she says:

When we take off our clothes to go for our shower, she’ll always comment, “Why you so shamey (shameful)? You want to take bath?”

Once she fought with Zara (it’s becoming so comon, I won’t loose sleep over it), I told her, “Don’t fight with jiejie, she’s your best friend you know?”
She replied, “Jiejie not my best friend, Goofy is my best friend.” (thanks to Disneyland).

She asks me frequently, “Mummy (you) love me?” When I say I do, she’ll go on and say, “I love you, mummy.” sweeeeeet….

Once at the play ground, I was standing on a path which happens to be crawling with red ants, Zaria pulled me aside and said, “Mummy, don’t go there ya. Got lots lots (of) ants there. Come here.”

On Feb 1st, she had high fever middle of the night just out of the sudden, and I had to sponge her, she woke up, groggily smiled and said, “So ticklish. Hee hee.. “ o.O”

In a restaurant, she wanted to lie on my lap, but I was siting so close to the table. She knocked her head while lying down, and she shouted, “Ouch!! Give me some space!” o.O”

One evening, Zara did some drawing making used of Zaria’s pencil.
Zaria : “Give me back. It’s mine!”
Zara : “Let jiejie use, jiejie borrow from you.”
Zaria : “You dee-den (didn’t) borrow, you take only!” o.O”

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Her own version of face painting, done by herself using markers

This girl at 25months, is totally off diaper (except night time to prevent accidents, but most of the time the diaper is dry and re-used for 3~4 nights before I toss it away).

She walks up and down the stairs on her own.

She drags the stepping stool to the sink to wash her hands, pushes the (covered) rubbish bin to her chest of drawers (as a stepping stool) to reach for her things up on the cupboard.

She plays her own DVD : gets her own preferred program from the DVD folder, turns on the switches of the DVD player and TV; puts in the disc, and hits play on her own.
When she’s done, she’ll reverse all the above (hits stop, takes out disc, turns off the switches, puts the disc back into the folder).

She knows how to put on her shoes (those with velcro or crocs) and removes them.

And her latest achievement, pulling down her own pants, climbing up the toilet bowl (both girls never used potty and went straight from diaper to adult toilet bowl) herself to pee and poo on her own, telling us only when she’s done. The first time she did that, I didn’t believe her, as she’s too short to pull herself up the seat. But she showed me how she did it, quite a feat for such a small girl.

We have been preparing Zaria for the big day, asking her over and over again if she wanted to go to school, and she always replied “Yes.” And then we did count down telling both the girls, in X more days, they’ll be going to a new school, in Y more days, it’ll be school day etc.

For the last few weeks, Zaria has been crying for the tiniest problem.
I.e. She wanted to flush the toilet, and we did it before her.
She wanted to put on her own shoes but since we were in a hurry, I wore it for her. Etc etc.

So, on her first day of school, I was preparing for the worst with all her recent unnecessary crying bouts. She was the youngest in her class, just turned 2 and joining the 3 year olds. I sent her to her class, bid my good byes, and walked and stood at the door. She wanted me to be with her, but I kept telling her “This is your school, this is not Mummy’s school, so mummy cannot go in, mummy must wait outside.”. She looked at the door (where I stood) a few times, but did not shed a single tear, although all around her, 4 out of 6 of her friends were crying or wailing. Later, I told her I had to go out for breakfast and I’ll be back to pick her up. She hugged and gave me a kiss and went back to her class.

I was at the school the whole time, moving between the girls’ classes. Peeping and making sure she couldn’t see me after I said my goodbyes. She did well, although a little quieter then usual. Her teachers said she was very independant, doing her own things, fetching her own water and snack from her bag when she needed it, and asking for help occassionally.

3 days has passed and she has not cried at all, although she did tell me today, “I don’t want (to) go school, I want (to) go kaikai with mummy.” when we were on our way to school, but she was ok once she went into her class.

♥I’m so proud of her.♥

As for Zara, this is a new school for her against her wishes. One of the reason why I moved her to this school is because she’ll be getting equal lessons in Chinese and English; and the Chinese is taught by a lady who speaks perfect Beijing Chinese. Although she didn’t really kick up a fuss, she kept telling me “I like XXX better.” (XXX == her old school). “I don’t like to learn Chinese.”

However, in class, she does mingle with other children, and answering teachers’ questions when necessary. Hopefully, very soon, she’ll have some really close friends like she did in XXX.

♥I’m so proud of her.♥

This only happens if you work from home full time.

I have a week’s training to conduct in a KL hotel so on last Sunday, I told Zara I wasn’t going to be at home for the week, and will only see her in the night.
Zara : “Mummy I want to go with you.”
Me : “No, you can’t. Mummy is working and you cannot be in the (function) room with mummy.”
Zara : “I can wait for you downstairs.” (recalling the security guard didn’t allow her to go into our office previously)
Me : “Mummy is not going there for a short while, mummy has to be there for the whole day. Anyway, uncle Chintan (my colleague from Sydney whom we met 2 weeks ago) is also going to be there.”
Zara : “Uncle Chintan is just your small boss (which I told her when we met him during his earlier visit), you don’t have to listen to him right?”
Me : “But mummy’s big boss also asked mummy to go to the hotel to work.”
Zara : (knowing she’s not winning) “You know mummy, if you are not at home, I cannot sleep properly.”
o.O”

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As for Zaria, she’s getting quite good with self defence.
When she tried to touch a forbidden object, I told her I’ll ‘flick’ her hand if she tried to.
Zaria : “Don’t shoot.”
Me : “If you are yai-yai (Cantonese : naughty), and you touch it, mummy will shoot you. How will mummy shoot you?”
Zaria : “With arrows!”
o.O”

Once when she let go of my hand and ran to the middle of the road, I picked her up and smack her buttock, telling her what she did was dangerous.
Zaria : “Don’t! Don’t smack my buttocks!”
o.O”

And every time when she gets hold of a toy, and Zara starts reaching for it too, Zaria shouted, “Don’t snatch. Che-che, Don’t snatch!”.

Since Zaira could tell us she wanted (depending on her mood) to poo beginning of this year we slowly introduced her to using the toilet bowl to pee as well.

We started by placing her on the toilet bowl in the morning and before bed time at night, and then slowly got her to use the toilet before her baths too. She then began to inform us she wanted to “she-she” whenever she felt like it.

3 weeks ago, we took off her diaper during the day. And told her repeatedly, “Must tell mummy or aunty when you want to she-she or poo-poo yah?”. In the night, we left her diaper on. Since then, there were 3 incidents where she poo-ed in her panties; 1 incident where she got too busy playing and forgot to inform us so she wet herself. Besides these incidents, she remains dry, even in the night!

The past week, every time she needed to use the toilet be it to pee or poo, she informed us, sometimes even going to the toilet first to get herself ready while shouting for help, “I want to she-she” or “My poo-poo coming out already.”

Although she has her diaper on when we go out, she will inform us if she needed to go to the toilet. Unlike Zara, she can actually pee while being carried, so she didn’t have to sit on dirty toilet bowls. Once, she’s fallen asleep after our night out, when I changed her to her pajamas, in her sleep, I asked her if she wanted to she-she, and she nodded her head sleepily. I carried her to the toilet bowl, and she did her pee with eyes closed and her head resting on my shoulder. o.O

Sometimes I ask her, “Mei mei can she-she or poo poo on the floor or not?” She replies, “No… Zah-yah not a dog. Zah-yah she-she/poo-poo toilet boh (bowl) only.” 😛

This is her 22 month’s mile stone! But I’ll still let her wear the diaper in the night and when we go out, just in case.

Note : Anybody interested to buy Drypers Drypants (M) and (L) size from me? I’ll give you a good discount. RM25 for 44pieces M, 36pieces L. There are some which are in loose pieces, but all wrapped up nicely. Drop me a mail. Mamipoko too if you are interested.

Zaria loves talking just like her sister. And when she tries to tell us something and we cannot catch her meaning, she’ll keep trying, trying to correct her pronunciation, trying to use other words until we are able to make out what she says. She always like to see us confirm our understading by repeating what she says. 😛

Some of the things this girl says :

While waiting for Zara for her speech and drama class to be over, Zaria heard a loud bang on the door,
“Hor! Got thunder!”
A few parents seated around were looking at her, then me, “Did she just say thunder?” They didn’t believe such a small girl using the word thunder.

She tried doing a piroute, but looked a bit clumsy in her attempt (and she knew it), so she said, “Checheh do this very well.”

She’s started to tell on Zara. When Zara snatched things from her or hit her, she would come and complain. “Checheh bully her (me)” “Chehcheh beat her. Like this” *acting out how Zara beat her*

Jelly fed her a piece of chicken over dinner, she spat out the chicken and said, “Too big! (I) can only eat small small one, baby one.”

She normally takes her bath after her breakfast, so while naked, she touched her buttocks. I told her, “Eee Yew, don’t touch your bum bum, after your finger smelly.” She had a sniff of her finger and replied, “Nooo… Not smelly. Smell like Koh-song (Croissant, what she had for breakfast that morning).”

At the park, she wanted to go on the swing, but I was busy talking to my neighbour.
“Mummy, don’t talk. Come now.”

When we asked her what TV program she wants to watch.
“I want to watch Baby Ai-tine doc kong.” (Baby Einstein DOT COM. That’s what’s ‘announced’ at the end of each of her Baby Einstein program).

And every day, she wants to cling on to me. Only I can pass her her milk bottle (even though it’s made by Jelly or Daddy), only I can remove her from the car seat. She says, “I don’t like Auntie Jelly, I like mummy only.”

Oh, she’s almost off diaper, not wearing any in the day now (for 1.5 weeks), and not wetting her diaper in the night too. She will inform us when she wants to use the toilet, sometimes even climbing up two flights of stairs to ask me to bring her ‘she-she’ if Jelly is busy cooking. The only problem is, she doesn’t tell when she wants to poop, only tell us after the fact (soiling her panties). Still the same reason, “My bumbum painful.” o.O”

One day, after crushing an ant, she declared triumphantly, “Zah-yah press(ed) (the) ant. (The) Ant die already.”

On another day, she was looking for the grasshopper in the courtyard.
Zaria : “Where (is) gus-hopper?”
Me : “I don’t know. You tell me, where is the grasshopper?”
Zaria : “Die already.”

So I thought she knew what ‘die’ means. Until….
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
One day she was playing with the Badger Sunblock, opening the tube and applying it on her face, so she had patches of white on her face.

I asked her, “Zaria, what happened to your face?”
Zaria replied matter-of-factly, “Die already” o.O”

Zaria is 21 month and 2 weeks old, another 2.5 month to her 2nd birthday! Gosh, so soon already??!!

Seen here crushing crabs. She seems to enjoy crushing tiny creatures like bugs or crabs. *sweat*

Here’s an update on her development.

♥Dexterity♥
~ She’s walking up stairs with no assistance now, and when going down stairs, she can do it on her own by balancing herself using the wall.

~ She’s able to do thumbs up and down to show things/food is good or bad.

~ She loves lifting her leg up and trying to balance herself with one leg, that’s the influence of Kungfu Panda.

She likes to get all dirty, here, she’s lifting her leg, doing the Kungfu Panda’s kick

~ Loves to climb up furniture, still has to ‘tie’ her down on her high chair even today. *sweat*

♥Language♥
She’s talking very well, and able to mimick most sounds, therefore picking new words up very quickly.

~ Like to relate to past incidents with “(Re)Member?”. E.g. “(Re)member, Zah-yah fall down, then knee painful. Mummy put cream?”

♥Vocabulary♥
Extensive vocabulary. She knows the names of most common things, and some uncommon ones. She knows her colours, although sometimes may still get it wrong. She can recite 1 to 10, A to Z (by singing ABC song), although mispronuncing some of the name of the alphabets.

Doesn’t she looks like a fugitive here?

♥Counting♥
Caught her counting her own fingers one day, then we realised she could count! Able to count up to 5 objects (“1, 2, 3, 4, Four books!”), and tell us the quantity of the items. If more than 5, she’ll forget where she stops. (“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Three lady birds!”

She’s able to recognise a few numbers, i.e. 5 (thanks to High-5), 4, 8.

♥Favourite Phrase♥
“I don’t want.” (Because now, everything also I don’t want) o.O”

♥Language Structure♥
~ She’s talking in longer sentences now.
~ Using compound noun, e.g.
“Cheh Cheh drop biscuit, everywhere dirty”
When we want to go out, I normally ask if anybody wants to use the toilet first, I get her shouting, “Nobody!” (probably because she’s eager to get out of the house).
In the car, “Everybody sit down in the car go kaikai.”

♥Emotions and character♥
Suddenly, this month she turned into a cry baby and also very clingy.
Every day she’ll cry at least twice when it’s bath time, unless I bath her. “I don’t want. I don’t want aunty bath. I want mummy bath.” And after crying, she can still say “Zah-yah cry already. See, got tears.” *sweat*

She has no fear of anybody. No amount of scolding, nor placing in the naugthy corner will make her ‘repent’ or learn her lesson. The only person she’s afraid is Nenek (my sis’ MIL). If she ran to the road, I have to ‘threaten’ her, “After car bang you, and you have to go to the hospital.” She’s not affected, until I add, “Then nenek will jaga (Malay : Take care of) you.” That will make her stop, and reply, “Don’t want nenek jaga.” sometimes adding, “Nenek scarry.” Ha.

When we bring her out, we sweat, because she will not sit still nor hold on to our hands. She’ll be running around like a wild horse. Imagine how tiring it is? (I kept telling Daddy we should keep her at home until she’s 3 years old.)

Like a wild horse, she likes open space.

♥Food♥
This month, almost everything is “Not nice”, or not right, “Don’t want, too hot.”. Very hard to please her tastebud.

Luckily, she still loves her milk.

♥Toilet Training♥
Still working on this. She knows when she wants to go, but she may not tell us. So, she still has her diaper on 24hrs.

♥The Things She Likes♥
Must be her books and her selected TV Programs (High-5, Sesame Street, Barney, some Barbie shows).
She is starting to tell us what she likes.
“I like Zah-wa cheh cheh.” “I like Daddy. I like him.” Sometimes when she’s in a loving mood, “Like” is replaced with “Love”
She also likes to say “I like it!” when she’s shown things she like.

We like and love you too Zaria!

(Photos taken 11/10/08 – Daddy brought the girls to Bagan Lalang again without me)