“Me is half!”

Today, Zara turns 2 and the half. If you asked her how old she is, sometimes she’ll say, “Twenty” when she wants to be a big girl.  And sometimes she’ll say, “Half”, when she wants to be her age, but not knowing how to say “two and the half”.

11Kg and 89cm. With full set of teeth grown (2nd molar started sprouting early this year).
She gives us much happiness, and sometimes some hair pulling moments when she throws tantrums or ‘bullies’ her meimei. She gives us the tickles at times, and most time we’re just at awe with her.

At this age, she knows how to :
1) put on her shoes, her trousers, and take them off. Knows which shoe should go into which foot.
2) put a disc into the DVD player, turn on the TV, and play a movie/program of her choice.
3) eat on her own with fork and spoon as well as chopsticks (although most of the time she perfers to be fed).
4) stack up building blocks or lego, claiming it to be a house, a room, a rail way track.
5) do simple drawing like puting eyes and a smile or a sad mouth to turn it into face
6) recognise some numbers (8, 7, 1) and alphabet A.
7) finish a 16 piece puzzle effortlessly
8 ) play imaginary games like having a royal tea party,  being a butterfly,  caring for babies or driving a bus on her own.
9) sing almost all nursery rhymes. She’s actually quite good with memorising sounds, so even though she doesn’t know Chinese, she can sing some Chinese kids’ songs too.

Eating with chopsticks; Her creation; Her drawing of happy and sad faces;
Completing her puzzle; Having a royal tea party; Her royal guest, the lamb;
Favourite past time in a restaurant; Being a butterfly; Decorating herselves with stickers.

She’s more independant now, able to be on her own, playing, watching a TV program, doing ‘drawing’ and ‘colouring’.
She allows Daddy or Tuyam to tuck her to sleep occasionally, but mostly it has to be me.
She sometimes go over to neighbour’s house to play on her own, without us accompanying her.
She’s the English teacher at home, correcting the maids’ English. “It’s maam, not mum”. “It’s meh-dee-sen (medicine), not meh-lee-sen.”
She’s assertive and expressive. “No, no, no, you don’t touch the remote control, I want to watch my DVD.” “I want Vitagen 1st not later” “You don’t push me ok, and you don’t scold me!” (e.g. when she tries to give Zaria too tight a hug, and I had to seperate the 2 of them, and raise my voice at her). “No, this baju (Malay : clothes) is not nice. I want to wear my jeans.” “I want to go home, this restaurant is too noisy.”
She loves books, TV, being pretty, being outdoor, playing, animals, home made macaroni and cheese, ice cold non-fizzy drinks, ice creams, cheese, singing, dancing.
She’s afraid of me getting angry with her, loud thunder, cars zooming passed her too quickly, creepy crawlies.
She’s Mummy’s and Daddy’s beloved. Although sometimes she thinks I love Zaria more because I spend a lot time with Zaria (she told Tuyam once, “Mummy sayang (Malay: love) me little bit. Mummy always sayang mei-mei only.”)