My Bald-ish Babies

"WOW! Look at that hair!"

Thats what I heard a lot of when Aaron was born and also when Adrian was born. Actually, I still get that with Adrian if people are looking at him from the front. Its a different story from any other angle.

It supposedly didn't happen with me or my brother and none of my friends had babies that went bald but take a look at these two...

Aaron at around 6 months - Bald at the front and top.


And this is Adrian now - Bald at the back.


Bilbo once left a comment saying that if a man is bald in the front, he's a thinker. And if he's bald at the back, he's sexy. (And if he's bald all over, he thinks he's sexy!) I wonder if these bald babies are giving me a hint as to what I can expect from them in the future!

Aaron's First Day of Kindergarten

It seems like only yesterday that I brought the then four month old Aaron back to Ipoh for the first time. He's now nearly four years old and we decided to enroll him in a kindergarten while we are here in Ipoh. He's going to the same one that I went to when I was four years old! He was bouncing off the walls at home and there aren't as many kids activities to go out to here in Ipoh as there is in Brisbane so a few hours of kindy felt like the ideal solution.



Things have changed a lot in thirty years. He's been at school two days and they haven't set foot in the playground yet. I think the swings and slides are there for decoration. They have their morning tea at their desks and stay indoors the whole time from 8am-12noon. Supposedly they will get some time out there but its up to the teacher to decide when. Thankfully he's only four years old. I heard that the five and six year olds already have daily homework.



This is a completely different kindergarten environment than I observed in Brisbane. In fact, its the complete opposite. In Brisbane, four year olds spend all the indoor time with "structured" play and then have breaks to go outside for free play. I thought this was the type of environment that I was enrolling him in here and didn't realize the difference because I registered him while all the students were away on the term break!

It may appear cruel to sit four year olds down for the whole morning, five days a week without outdoor play as part of the day, but, unfortunately, it looks like this has become a a trend (and in face a snowballing necessity) in Malaysia and Asia. I'd like to say that these parents are ruining childhoods but with the way things are now, if the four year olds don't go through this, they'll be "suffering" at the bottom of the class in Grade 1. The competition is C.R.A.Z.Y.

Having said all that, Aaron is really enjoying his time there. He gets plenty of play time at home anyway and he's probably a little too wild for his own good so a little sit-down time in the morning isn't going to hurt.

What are little boys made of?

What are little boys made of?

Frogs and snails
And puppy-dogs' tails,

That's what little boys are made of.

What are little girls made of?

Sugar and spice
And all that's nice,

That's what little girls are made of.

Now I know what this rhyme was talking about. Over the past week, we have had the pleasure of meeting an almost 4 year old girl and an almost 4 year old boy. It was the first time that I really observed other children that are the same age as Aaron.

We met the girl first. She came over to our house when her grandparents came to visit my parents. She was dressed in a pink dress, had a pink handbag and was wearing her "wedding" shoes. When she met Aaron and we told them to go play, the held hands as the walked off. They started with drawing, something Aaron loves. But, he was too excited about having somebody his own age to play with that he kept running off to suggest other games. Like a puppy, he suggested hide and seek, running, legos and all sorts of other games simultaneously. The girl just looked at him and shook her head. She moved on to slow and meticulous coloring after awhile and Aaron could do nothing to convince her to join him in his multiple games. She was so unbelievably calm in comparison to Aaron's off-the-walls antics.

A couple of days later, I went to visit a friend and there was a 4 year old boy visiting her home at the same time. First, the two boys were reluctant to be introduced. Then, they dragged their feet about getting to know each other. But when I mentioned the word dinosaur, the other boy suddenly roared a Jurassic Park caliber roar. And Aaron promptly responded with a roar louder than the boys. And then it was the boy's turn again to out do Aaron's efforts. This went on, and on, and on. They were right in each others faces, no more than 4cms apart. They were quickly friends after that, running around like dinosaurs. After that it was hide and seek. And then more running, roaring and jumping.

It was crazy to watch but somehow, I took pleasure in seeing another testosterone charged little guy running around, playing his heart out with Aaron. I'm not alone dealing with a high energy (but fully normal) little boy. Noise aside, they were very entertaining and the high energy levels were refreshing and even recharged me. (Strange because when I watch Aaron alone, those same energy levels seem to sap me of all my energy.)

So back to that rhyme, boys and girls are definitely completely different. I might occasionally be envious of the calm and prettiness that someone with a daughter might enjoy but after seeing another little boy, I have come to appreciate little boys a little more. Even if they're made of frogs, snails and puppy dog tails.

When You Mean the World to Someone (with no strings attached)

Aaron is still at the stage of saying many weird and wonderful things. I wish I had thought of keeping a little diary of all the little conversations we've had. Thankfully I have this blog to keep track of some of the things that have happened in his life.

Previously, I had a big laugh when he insisted that he was either never going to get married or he was going to marry me. He said that this was because he always wanted to live with me. Over the months, after I explained that he could still live with me (if he wanted) even if he was married, he has started saying that he will marry a Nyonya woman. Why? Because Nyonya food is delicious and she might be able to cook it for our family. So, it sounds like he still wants to live with me. (I'd better start teaching this boy that in a marriage all jobs are shared!) We've been getting such laughs out of his future marriage.

Yesterday, we had an extremely touching conversation. I think he has brought the subject up before but not as intensely. Out of the blue, he says "I don't want you to die". I started off telling him that everybody has to die. That didn't satisfy him and after many rounds of insisting that its what happens to everybody, he then says that he wants to die on the same day as me. Even if I am old and he is grown when I die.

The conversation goes on and on and I try to bring God into it which was a mistake because he worked himself up to tears saying "I don't want God to call you. I'm going to ask him not to." The tears were welling in his eyes and I could see that he really could not grasp the concept but I just couldn't stop the conversation in a satisfying way. I took the easy way out and we went to the park.

Aaron's chatting is extremely tiring and he's very noisy at the moment but still so adorable sometimes. I wish that he will stay this sweet and innocent forever. When I really am old, feeble and about to die, he might have a change of heart and start wishing that I will stop being such a pain in the neck to him.

p.s. Guess what? Big day coming up tomorrow. Its going to be Adrian's first plane trip. Look out for my next post from Ipoh, Malaysia. I can't believe its a full years since my last time there. Where did my year go???

Tree Planting

Today, Aaron and I did our tiny little bit for the environment. We planted two trees.



It was a lovely day and coincidentally, the event today comes at a time when Aaron is beginning to be aware of how we damage our environment and how we need to be responsible in order preserve it for future generations.

We borrowed a book about endangered animals recently and that sparked his awareness of how hunting practices and also encroachment into natural habitats are causing many animals to become extinct. The book was about a little boy that ended up making cards to sell in order to raise money to protect animals.

So of course, Aaron thought that it was the only way he could help and he had to help. That started us talking about how we can help by being more conscious in our everyday lives. Not just for animals but all aspects of the environment.

I'll be honest. I have neglected to raise these issues with Aaron previously. It just never occurred to me to talk about these things but his interest and eagerness to 'do the right thing' has now motivated me to raise him to be more environmentally conscious. Of course, its going to have to start with me.

Its not hard and I do believe that teaching children to care about our environment should be as natural as teaching them to identify various construction machinery or learning about the various professions. Things are still a little simplistic now but in time, I'm sure he will grow up to have the type of mentality that will nurture and preserve our environment for future generations.

Bursting With Pride

I've been a good daughter, good student and even a good employee. There have been many times in my life when I've been told I did a good job. I've passed difficult exams and many of my projects at work received awards. Yet, I don't think I've ever had the feeling of bursting with pride.

I did on Monday. I nearly burst! Really. I felt an actual expansion in my chest cavity. And, it was over the simplest of things and nothing really to do with me.

As we lined up to pay for Aaron's swimming lessons, he needed to pee. Couldn't wait a second longer. The line to pay was long and it was nearly our turn so, for the first time, I asked him to go by himself. And he did. He ran round the corner, into the restrooms and came out a few minutes later with a huge grin.

Each week, I get him a drink before the lesson starts. The kiosk is right on the opposite side of the pool from where we usually sit. I had the baby in the carrier and didn't want to lug it all the way the other side and risk waking the baby. Once again, Aaron, with his $1 coin in hand, walked all the way there, opened the fridge door, grabbed his juice of choice, took it to the counter to pay and came running back with another big grin. I had a big grin too as I watched the whole thing. It was his very first solo purchase.

I'm not claiming to be a good mother at all but I think only a mother (or father) could burst with pride at such simple things. These 'firsts' were as incredible to me as his first steps and first words. I was so incredibly proud that I could feel all the emotions literally swelling inside me. Even I thought it was a little crazy to feel so proud of such everyday things.

Well, I suppose its always better to be proud of somebody else rather than oneself. (Is it "one's self" or "oneself?)

Its All About The Dinosaurs

Thomas, Thomas, Thomas. Gordon, Gordon, Gordon. Percy, Percy, Percy.

Thats all we heard about for nearly two years in our house. Finally, sometime over the past three months, the T-Rex has finally knocked Thomas & Friends off Aaron's radar. And now, its T-Rex, Triceratops or Some-other-saurus all day long.

He has two dinosaur shirts that he alternates wearing almost every day. We listen to one of the two Dinosaur Club CDs he has all day long. Story time and drawing time are also dominated by dinosaurs. Kids! They have such passion!

It has been very interesting for me as well. The world of the dinosaurs from 200 million years ago is mind boggling. They were huge, majestic, ferocious, gentle and elegant all at the same time. Today's animals are that way too but none are as big as a house or as long as ten buses!

I got him the BBC series "Walking With Dinosaurs" and we both enjoyed it. Aaron is still unable to complete watching any kids movies or cartoons because they always get too 'exciting' for him but he watched every bit of those documentaries.

Its amazing that the scientists are able to deduce dinosaur behavior from studying fossils. How did they figure out that some dinosaurs worked as a community to protect their young? Or that some dinosaur species suffered a lot of stress when the lead female was killed?

Well, its all going to be part of the reading I'll need to do to keep answering all the questions that Aaron has for me. I'll start on that right after I go learn all their names and the spelling. I'll be the first to admit that he's better than me at identifying the various dinosaurs.

Let me leave you today with one of his many dinosaur drawings...

First Day Of "School"

Yes, that day has arrived for Aaron. Sort of.

I've always wanted to keep Aaron home with me until he needed to start primary school but we needed to make some adjustments. I understand that he's only three and a half and many kids at that age still prefer the company of their moms but I've come to realize that he is perhaps a little too attached.

Over here, the prep year (year before Grade 1) starts for children who are 5 or years old depending on when their birthdays are. That would be full days, five days a week. For Aaron, this would start in 2012. So, my plan was to start him in some sort of kindergarten next year and go for a couple of days a week to get used to being away a full day.

But, after attending his swimming and gymnastics classes with him these few weeks (and also a few trial lessons on other things), I feel that he really sticks to me just a little too much. I don't mind it but I am a little worried that he would only grow more attached instead of growing more independent. After all, life in Palembang meant that he and I were alone in the house, just the two of us, every day for almost every day of his life so far. He has almost never been apart from Richard or me. And the only other person he has spent time with is my mother.

So, all that leads us to today. We've decided to try sending him to two hours of child care a week. We're calling it "school" because he has read a lot of stories about school and always seemed so excited to go. Today is just a trial day and the drama started from home, before he even got in the car. I hope that after today he'll realize that we do come back to get him. Maybe it will take more than one go. I swear, it was easier convincing him that he needed to have a needle than to leave the house today.

What happened to my week?

I didn't even realise it but its been a week since my last post! And its not as if I've been very busy or overly sleep deprived. In fact, we just sit around all day long and our nights are fairly decent too.

Babies definitely know how to take up time. If they aren't being fussy, they're either being cute or peaceful. I find myself staring at Adrian as he sleeps. And when he's awake, I'm still staring and wondering what he will look like as he grows.

Occasionally, I get very guilty as I stare because this thought enters my head : "Now there's a face only a mother can love." He just looks so strange when he gets fussy and screws up his face. I know not to compare but I can't help thinking back and trying to remember what Aaron was like at this age. Thankfully, Aaron was the world's fussiest baby when he was a newborn and I have only the vaguest recollection of what he was like.

As for Aaron, he continues to be incredibly mature about the latest center of attention in our household. He is sometimes the protector and occasionally also Adrian's "advocate" when he's crying. Aaron will say "I think you better feed him." or "Poor little guy. He's wet."

Under all of Aaron's cuteness, we sometimes see him feeling as if he has lost his mom. He has been asking to be carried a lot more and has also indicated that while he understands I have to spend a lot of time feeding or doing other things for the baby BUT would like me to look after him again. I do of course, but what he probably means is that 100% attention.

Its time for me to go check out the news and all your blogs. I have absolutely no idea whats been going on in the world or in the worlds of my blogging friends. Its been really nice being in the new family cocoon.

First Contact

What a Sunday! Our house has been full of laughter, crying, sharing and snatching. A cousin that I haven't met up with in over ten years came to visit. He has a son that is three weeks younger than Aaron and a two year old girl.

So, today was the first day that Aaron has met a cousin. At the moment, Aaron only has one first cousin and these two second cousins. And unfortunately, it doesn't look like there will be any additions soon. He really has no idea about what it means to have relatives and with the Chinese way of addressing various aunts, uncles and cousins, today was quite a confusing introduction. None of the kids worried about that though. They hit it off right away and started playing really well.

Today was also Aaron's first time playing with another kid his age. In the past, they have all been several months older or younger than him but the little boy and him today are almost exactly the same age. It was mostly peaceful play but as they both got more and more worn out, Aaron especially, started to forget about sharing. That was to be expected.

Here are a couple of photos from when the two of them were busy 'cleaning' our glass doors.

Did he mean "Stop Nagging"?

As I've mentioned here before, Aaron is at that age of saying lots of funny (and embarrasing) things. He seems to have his ears pricked up all the time, picks up on all our conversations and then saves them for repeating at a later and more inappropriate time. As his vocabulary grows, he has also been coming up with some interesting original conversation too.

I always listen eagerly when he has something to say because they are often funny observations. Tonight was no different, and even though I know its not going to be so amusing in the future, it was still entertaining tonight.

After dinner, Aaron went to his desk to do some drawing. I called out to him that he'll have to stop in a few minutes, go brush his teeth and get ready for bed. Immediately, he came back with "Why do you tell me things I already know?". I told him that I was just reminding him and he went on to say that I keep telling him things that he already knows, too many times.

Its true, I repeat myself. But thats just because he usually doesn't move immediately. I never said the words "Stop nagging" to my parents but I can't help thinking that if Aaron know of the word "nag", he'd probably have used it tonight.

I have my first New Year's resolution ready for the start of 2010 - Only say things once!

Wanting More Face

I think most people these days would be familiar with terms like 'loss of face' and 'not giving enough face'. I'm not even going to attempt explaining what 'face' means but you can browse through this Wikipedia attempt at various definitions.

Anyway, I remember being chided quite often by my mother when I was a child for wanting too much 'face'. And now, I hear myself thinking the word with Aaron. The closest English idiom that I can think of to describe the situation is to "give an inch and he will take a mile". Something like that...

Even though it can be hard work when there is no back up around, Aaron is extremely well behaved and easy to handle when he's in a one on one situation. If I'm at home alone with him for the day, he's entirely co-operative, willing to entertain himself and we get everything done. If its just the two of us when we go out shopping, he just holds my hand and walks obediently wherever we need to go.

Recently, Richard joined us. And a couple of days ago, my aunt from Holland also arrived for the Christmas holidays. And Aaron has been wanting more and more face everyday.

Its fun to have so many people in the house but at the same time, he's playing all of them. And its tiring for me to try to keep him disciplined. I'm relieved to see that he still has some respect for me and doesn't try to con me into things but it has been increasingly harder to get him to do the normal stuff like go to bed, brush his teeth, pick up his toys and even eat. And when we go out, if one person doesn't follow his insistent arm pulling into some book/toy shop or other, he'll just grab the next arm available. And at the end of the day, I'm always the bad guy that has to try to get the face wanting kid back in line.

Christmas time, its not only diets go out the window, routines, discipline and good behavior seem to take a beating too.

Pondering Santa and Christmas Presents

As you all know, I only have one son, for now, and he's the center of my world. We've always been very careful about how many and how frequently we give him something new. But Christmas time is the time to let loose right? It should be but...

For his first Christmas, we didn't really get him anything. He was only four months old and wouldn't have known the difference.

His second Christmas was spent on holidays in Kuala Lumpur and we went a little crazy then. Although, I must admit that many of my well thought out presents didn't seem to have as great an impact on him as I had imagined.

Last year, his third Christmas, we were in Cairns and he had presents from the whole family. There were a few books and one Thomas the Tank Engine. Nothing too extravagant.

This year, he's found out that Santa also delivers presents (no, Santa didn't visit him for the past three years) and that receiving presents is something of a right at Christmas time. I don't have a problem with that, its part of what makes Christmas fun for kids (and the rest of us).

The part I feel a little hypocritical about is saying "You'd better be good or Santa won't bring you anything." I don't like bribing him that way and rarely use lines like that....until now. I have no idea why I started. Maybe its because of that Christmas song, or maybe its because people he meets always ask if he's been good.

In any case, Santa will finally be visiting Aaron this year. The problem I have is deciding if Santa should be the extravagant gift giver or should I. I've got him an amazing (and humongous) Lego set. Its a combination of smaller individual packs and my parents and I were planning on spliting them up and each person would give him one. The rationale behind it is so that he wouldn't learn to expect huge presents for Christmas and that the exchange of gifts is a modest one instead. The other thing I have for him is a Dinosaur Encyclopedia, something I already know he'll love. The plan was for Santa to give the book and the rest of us to give the small lego packs.

Unfortunately, the inquisitive little guy stumbled upon the poorly concealed (huge) Lego box and tore it open yesterday. We have that fire under control and he doesn't realise it was for him or that he would ever get to play with it. BUT, he now knows it comes as a big box so I might as well give it to him as a single present. So, its back to a little guy getting a really big present. I'll just be explaining that its from all of us. I also need to make some time to help him prepare his presents for the family to show that there is a trade of gifts.

So this has then led me to think about Santa's role. I thought that maybe we could make Santa a little boring and have him give presents that are useful, rather than "whatever you ask for". Take the Lego for example, I want him to know that it was his family that gave it to him and not some bearded stranger. Same with the Dinosaur Encyclopedia.

Santa is a good excuse for getting a few more presents out there but I don't think I'd like to maintain that sort of expectation of having Santa give the gifts that a child asks for. For Aaron, the present that Santa is definitely giving is a piggy bank. I decided that one a long time ago. Aaron's also growing out of his clothes so maybe a pair of shorts and shirt to demonstrate that Santa can see that he needs it. But wouldn't I then be robbing him of the whole Santa fantasy? I guess what I'm looking for is some sort of balance to have the Santa fantasy without it becoming the carrot for being good.

And as for the presents we get him, I partly think that its too big but I'm telling myself that its balanced out by us not usually getting him stuff during normal times.

He's still only three and maybe I'm thinking too much into things and spoiling the fun for him but I think I need to remind myself that each year builds on itself and he'll not be three forever. So, I'd better build a decent foundation.

He's Feeling Christmassy

The house that we are in now is the same house that we have lived in since my family moved here in 1988. Yet, this year is the first year that there is a Christmas tree in it. I remember that we did put up a tree in Malaysia each year but when we moved here, we didnt' move the tree.

I love the Christmas season and all the giving and good cheer that it comes with. My parents never saw the need for us to have a tree by the time we moved here and really, I don't think its all that important either. Its just something nice to have. However, Aaron has been so enamoured with all the Christmas trees and other decorations in the malls that I thought it would be nice to get one for our house too. So, we now have a tree with lights, a bit of tinsel and a few ornaments. Its not a super fancy tree but you should see how excited Aaron gets about it, especially when I turn the lights on.

The next thing I need to do is start playing all my Christmas carols CDs. Thats my favourite part of this season.

We'll definitely be doing some Christmas shopping but I'm trying my best to teach Aaron that it is the season of giving instead of receiving. I know he'll automatically get excited about receiving presents but at least he should know that the joy comes from giving too.

The strange thing about Aaron, for now, is that he isn't all that interested in Santa Claus. He knows about the bearded old man and how he leaves his home in the North Pole once a year to distribute presents but somehow, he's not all that excited about him yet. And, I'm not encouraging. I won't shatter the idea of Santa Claus but I'm not going to play it up either because its probably something that will happen naturally anyway. What won't happen as naturally is remembering that Christmas is about the birth of Christ, so I am talking about that a bit. I've also noticed that two malls near us have the nativity scene displayed too.

So far, its been a lot of fun sharing in Aaron's awe at all things Christmassy. It has always been my favourite time of the year and it has become even more enjoyable now that we have an older Aaron to share it with.

Two Years Ago...

WOW! Take a look at these photos. They were taken two years ago when we first took Aaron to Wynnum. I even had a short post on it here.





His hands and feet were still so chubby. At that time, he wasn't quite walking yet and was mainly just a 'stander'.

And here he is today (try to ignore my stupid shadow):



This time, he was very interested in the park. There was a seaside theme to it and he was Captain Hook. See the hook?



I've been thinking to myself recently that I enjoy Aaron more as a person who can speak but then I look at these old photos and remember how cute and cuddly he was. How could I forget that those times were fun and exciting too? When friends that I don't often meet look at the recent photos of him, there is always the remark about how time flies. I'm glad that I can say time has moved at just the right pace for me. I might have had some extremely slow days in Palembang but I think that has given me the feeling that things are moving at just the right pace. Thats something to be thankful for.

Me, mother of two? Really?

I really should get a move on with the preparation for this baby. We have been making half hearted attempts to get things sorted out every few days but I must admit that I haven't made a list yet. And, I am a list person.

With Aaron, we found out about 3 months into the pregnancy that we would be moving to Palembang. Shortly after that, we also found out that the house we were renting was being sold and that we'd have to move out to somewhere temporary before moving to Palembang. So we had to plan for two moves and a baby. I won't say it was easy but I had all the time in the world then to plan, make lists and actually do stuff.

Once again, this time around sees us with another major move plus the baby on the way. My rough plan was to get the move out of the way (which we have) and then I can focus on preparing for the baby. We'd not only have to prepare ourselves for the baby but we'd have to set things up for Aaron too.

I have all these ideas of planning out Aaron's days with a sort of curriculum for what he needs to learn. Previously, I was the only one with him so I just planned on the fly but now he may have different people engaging him on different days. At least I have been trialling all the potential activities that we can take him out to each week. I want to set up a routine for him so that it will be easier for us all to know what to do with him and also so that he will continue having all the individual attention and learning experiences that he has had so far.

There must be fairness, of course, but I find myself spending more time worrying about how Aaron will adjust to the new baby and less on the new baby adjusting to life outside the womb. I know that we have most of the baby clothes and equipment somewhere, its just a matter of getting them cleaned and put out where they can be used. In my mind, if I can get the nursing thing settled in a week (i.e. pain free feeding sessions), everything else will fall in place and I can still make sure Aaron is happy. And the baby, well, he'll be all cute, cuddly and easy to handle. (LOL! Yes, I'm laughing at myself too.)

I don't know...its just so hard to fathom being a mother of two! I guess I'll just have to experience it. The same thing happened with Aaron....couldn't imagine life until he was right there, screaming his head off in front of me.

I Slept In!

For the first time in years, I had a bit of a sleep in today. Sort of. Actually, Aaron woke me up at around 6am and I started the day as usual. But, after breakfast and after making his bed, we sat down on his bed to listen to the tape of Brothers Grimm Stories. Thats when I fell asleep. I was asleep for over and hour and he let me! Thats the amazing bit - Aaron actually left me alone to sleep while he went off to do something else.

Recently, Aaron has been 'growing up' a lot and my life has become easier. 'Easier' in the sense that I don't have to watch him every second of the day, be physically carrying him or constantly entertaining him. Obviously, this has been happening continuously for months but I never noticed it as much until recently when I've started imagining endless days that merge into nights with the new baby. That cycle of feeding, putting baby to sleep, changing nappies, and then feeding again is looming for me.

I keep trying to think that every baby is different and that things might be easier this time around since I have done it before but, I know it will have its own set of challenges. Aaron is probably going to be a huge factor in the new challenge too.

Its not all doom and gloom though. I'm just trying to set some realistic expectations for myself. The first time around, I thought it was going to be all about cuteness and had no real idea about the hard work. Although, I'm looking forward again to all the cuteness coming our way. The new baby smell, tiny toes, baby skin, gummy smiles...

A New, Old Toy

We're still at the stage of introducing all sorts of 'new' things to Aaron just within the confines of the house here. Even something as mundane as the letter box has been amusing to him because we didn't have one in Palembang. The only problem is that he's starting to get bad tempered about never getting any mail. I've asked Richard to send him a letter and hopefully, it will arrive before he does!

Cassette tapes have also been providing all sorts of enjoyment to him. I never bothered to show him one before because I just don't play them these days. However, I came across some of my old favourites from childhood and he seems to enjoy them too. The two at the corner of the photo below are 'A Maiden's Prayer' (a compilation of famous piano pieces) and 'Brothers Grimm Fairy Stories'. He also likes my old 'Grease' soundtrack and a mixed tape of jazz favourites. The sound on both are still pretty good to me.



The little radio/cd/cassette player has a lot of travel miles under its belt!

My father bought it for my brother about 15 years ago. He bought it in Ipoh, Malaysia and brought it over here to Brisbane. We used it here for awhile and for some reason, accumulated several other variations of it. Eventually, there was only my mother in Brisbane and too many for her to use. So my father took this little guy back to Ipoh. When I moved back to Malaysia and was looking for something that could play tapes, I took it with me to Klang. And when I moved to Palembang, we took it there too. Once again, because of that tape player.

I've always had it in the back of my mind to introduce some of my old tapes to Aaron, thats why I keep lugging this bulky mini compo around. So now, you guessed it! We brought it back here to Brisbane and Aaron is finally fiddling around with it.

Its really cute to watch him use it. I always think of it as old and rough technology and don't really take much care in putting tapes in because they seem so sturdy. For Aaron, its something new and 'precious' and he appears to take so much care in putting the tapes in the right way or turning them around.

So, does anybody else out there still play their old mixed tapes?

Aaron's New Pets

When we got to Brisbane, over a month ago now, my brother gave Aaron an Ant Farm Kit. They tried looking around the house for ants but all we had were bull ants and at that time, my brother thought they were too dangerous for Aaron since they bite.

Well, for the past few days, my father and Aaron have been hunting for ants around the neighborhood but in the end, today, they decided that it was going to be a Bull Ant Farm.

Back in July, I did a Photostory Friday post on ants and had an incredibly fascinating time observing them at work. Now, we can observe them even closer and they truly are very captivating.

I feel a bit bad about 'imprisoning' them this way so maybe we can rotate this batch of ants with another batch in a week or so. I wonder how long they'd last anyway....





I've told Aaron that he needs to give them water and food every two to three days. Lets see how responsible he is :)

Does He Go To Pre-School?

Over the past few weeks here in Brisbane, almost everybody that I've met up with has asked if Aaron goes to pre-school. After I tell them "No", they inevitably ask if I plan on sending him somewhere while we're here. And when I tell them "No" again, they usually look at me a little blankly. Sometimes I feel that they are thinking "What the heck is she thinking not educating him??"

This is the same question that I receive all the time in Palembang, Indonesia and Ipoh, Malaysia. People the world over seem obsessed with early education outside of the home. I know that much of this is derived from people trying to make sure that their children are not losing out to other kids that do attend pre-school. Also, I fully understand that stay-at-home-moms might want a few hours to themselves.

I don't know how I ended up being such an old-fashioned mom but I really think that a three year old's place is still at home, especially if his mom is there. School starts when they are five and after that it will be college and then its four or more decades of working life! Four years staying at home and having a less scheduled life is something I definitely want to give Aaron. Plus, I want him to myself for those four years!

There is so much about everyday life to be learnt in the home. Simple things like making the bed, doing laundry, sweeping floors, washing dishes, cooking and all the other 'chores'. At this age, they aren't even chores but things to learn and do. Of course, since I too try to make sure he doesn't lose out to other pre-school going kids, we do lots of school-type learning at home as well. I'm proud to say that he's good at numbers, alphabets and music notes. Of course I want him to have interactions with other kids and the outside world too. This is also definetly something I want for myself so we'll be hunting down weekly activities that where we get to meet some new people. I'm also lucky to have my parents around to help take him to different places.

So far, Aaron doesn't seem to have any problems with the Australian accent and will usually chat with people that try to engage him. He went to the museum this morning and tomorrow, we might check out the Rhyme Time at the State Library.