silly snapshots...

Look Mommy, I'm a doggie! 

Look Mommy, I'm a Pharoah! 

Ya right, you can pass off as a samsui woman. 

What's a samsui woman? 

pulau ubin - forging friendship

RK thinks Bryan is funny and No. 1 at singing naughty songs - yep, certainly something I'm gonna be enormously proud of. 

Bryan says RK is his best friend in Singapore, while Ryan Krohne (incidentally also an RK!) is his best friend in Germany. OOOOOOOOh.... RK.... I didn't see that coming! It must be some magic these initials carry with them! 

Of course, Bryan also misses his other best budds like Aidan and Jake. 

I found it real hilarious that my son wants to have the same haircut as RK, while Ad hears the same thing from her son... 

Yep, it's the beginning of a new friendship and here's wishing these guys great adventures through thick and thin! 

P/S. I did tell RK not to stick out his tongue. 

first times in Sg...

Chinese Characters

We only realised that we didn't attempt to teach the kids to write their Chinese names as school started this year. 

Daddy panicked and decided he would teach his son how to write the family name on his own. 

Father and son did a pretty good job doodling and at the end of the half hour session, Bryan managed to write his surname. 

1.5 months have passed since the first time Bryan started writing his name in Chinese. 

And finally he can write his full name in Chinese, no longer Yang Bryan. 

A tiny step at a time. Hoping that he'll be ready for P1 by next year. 

yesterday today tomorrow...

I have been wondering what Bryan's been up to in the kindergarten. He comes home to tell me how boring his days are. So boring that he cannot even remember what he's done in class. So boring that he doesn't have to time to play at all. So boring that he's happy doing copywork willingly at home. So boring that he begs to go to the playground, watch TV, not to take a nap everyday. I really have no idea what he does in school. Btw, boring means "not enough play" for Bryan. He has certainly inherited the "play" genes from us, actually ermm more from his dad. 

But there are at least two things I'm extremely happy about: 

1) He's learnt to pray! Yay! Praise be with God. 

2) He's learnt to spell some words and write pretty decent sentences. 

Yay, that's good enough for us. For now. At least. 

this is not kkk...

just a knight wannabe in his homemade costume. 

Last day @ Daddy's office in Frankfurt. Daddy was busy packing, Mommy talking, Kristin sleeping, while Bryan was engrossed in taping up his costume. 

on two types of English...

I was lamenting about how quickly Bryan lost all his American-ness in his speech. Just a week ago, on his first day of school in fact, we were out having lunch at a kopi-tiam nearby. The fishball noodle lady was surprised by how much English both Bryan and Kristin spoke. Actually, the surprise is on us. We're amazed at how much Chinese the rest of the kids in Singapore speak. We're lagging so far behind! Anyway, the lady thought that we weren't Singaporeans - terrible Sg mom here who doesn't speak Chinese with her own kids. Well, I begged the lady for a chance... we'll buck up and learn Chinese, can?! Ok, I'm not bragging to say that my kids speak well... please don't get me wrong. But the fishball noodle lady noticed something different about the kids' English. Yep, definitely not the slang or accent. Just the complete sentences I think.

BUT all these complete sentences were COMPLETELY gone by the end of the week, when Bryan was talking "need lah, wan lah, no lah, yes lah, oso can lah, so farnee lah" to his Daddy. 

Two nights ago, he even told me to "e-Lase" his word. 

Excuse me, what did you just say? 

Oh Mom, I prrrretending to speak Indian! I meant "erase". 

Yesterday, we were out at NTUC for groceries. And there he went again, my flavoulite! 

Huh, what? Sorry, I don't understand what you want. 

Now Mommy, this is what happens. I speak two types of English. I have forgotten what the actual word is now. The only type of English I can remember is the type of English I heard when I was still in your tummy. You don't understand it, Mommy. So when my brain can't remember the real English word, it goes back to the other type of English. 

So it's not Indian anymore? Another type of English.... yes indeed. 

Yep, just admit it. My son speaks Singlish alright in just a week of kindergarten. You can tell that we're settling in well. 

who needs Lego...

when there are clothes pegs! 

Mom, this is a fighter jet! Oooh... look at the canon shooters at the sides! 

Guess being a part-time SAHM in Singapore is opening up new perspectives. Kids are innovative by nature, in whatever culture they are placed in. Even clothes pegs can be toys. Back in Germany, we had no opportunities to play with clothes pegs coz clothes were either tumble dried or left on a drying rack. This is a new laundry culture that the kids welcome. 

Bryan's first day of school...

Tear-free, but lots of stress. Bryan just couldn't wait to get to kindy. He asked every other second while we were in the bus when we were arriving in the kindergarten. Today's an exception, being the first day of school plus school bus ride, I was allowed to ride with them. Yep, being the first few to board the school bus, the usual journey of 10 min was stretched to 45! So we were barely in time at 8.45 am. Immediately he ran off to his classroom. I couldn't keep up with him since I had to drop off Kristin at her classroom in another block. By the time I went to check on him, he came up and told me to leave. "Why are you still here, Mommy? You can go now. See you later!" 

I think Bryan hasn't cried since the 10 days he spent crying when I placed him in a pre-pre-nursery class at 23 months. Just go, Mom. School's fun. Yep, I think those 10 days are probably valid for the next 10 years of first day of school. :) Therefore, contrary to what most parents think, crying on the first day or first few days of school is common and not a traumatic experience to the children at all. And it will only do more harm than good to the crying children, if the parents choose to linger. Just go, Moms and Dads. School IS fun! Hee... just soothing my guilt for leaving a crying Kristin on Day 1. 

Can you find Bryan? 

sushi chef

Ever since Bryan made a new friend from Korea in his kindergarten this year, he's been into seaweeds and maki's. It wasn't difficult to get him excited about dinner one night when I said we were going to make maki's. He was very ready to help indeed. 

"I can make sushi's, Mom. It's very easy," he boasted. 

Thus came the challenge after having observed me for a few rounds. 

Yes, you're up, Bryan! 

Not too bad for a 5 yo and a first-timer. 

If only Kristin was into eating maki's too... 

bryan the daddy

During the Christmas concert last Friday, Bryan was playing Daddy to three boys and a baby. This was Bryan, the Daddy Pilot with his lovely wife, Daria! 

It's pretty obvious that he'd like to have children too, right? 

Wait till he discovers expired warranty!!! :D

it's too late now, isn't it?

Daddy, if you're reading this, you should know that our son here has the utmost sympathy with you. He told me, "Poor Daddy. He's back in Singapore working. Must be very boring and tiring." 

And me here? How come I never seem tired enough to the kids? I have been doing nothing other than shuttling them around between school and play dates and then fussing about their meal times, bedtime routine and sleep... and then my night duties to do dishes and laundry begin. 

In my very nasty mood and total exhaustion, I asked Bryan and Kristin a rhetorical question: Why didn't I keep a hobby instead? Yep, instead of... What a bad mom I am! 

Bryan was quick to catch my exasperation and replied, "But it's too late now, isn't it? You shouldn't have ordered us from God." 

Yes, certainly my own fault! 

He went on, "And you can't give us back to God now."

"So will you want to have children when you grow up?"

"Ermm, no thanks Ma. I can't. I want to be an astronaut. Astronauts can't have kids. Err... wait, I think I can't make an astronaut. I probably have to wear glasses. So errm... I can be a rocket scientist instead." 

Hey, rocket scientists or astronauts can still procreate. Besides, won't you wanna know what Bryan's kids might think about (not) having kids in the future?

first movies...

Bryan's first movie ever was Ratatouille. He was about 4 years and 3 months old. He sat in the cinema flanked by Mom and Dad. Still, half way through the film, he cried. Daddy quickly swooped him off his seat and brought him out for some fresh air. 5 minutes later, he was back in the theatre again. Except for that little hiccup, Bryan managed to sit through the whole movie. 

Kristin's first movie ever was Madagascar 2. She was about 3 years and 3 months old. A whole year younger than Bryan. I didn't expect her to sit through. But she did! Not once did she scream, nor was she clingy... she sat on her own. Actually, she stood for some time. Swayed between Bryan's and my seat. Then she sat some more, ate popcorns, while her eyes were still fixed on the big screen. And when the music came on, she had no qualms to jump off from her seat and dance! No tears, no fears! Hurrah! Looks like Mommy can go for a movie more often now! With the kids. 

The theatre was almost just ours. Bryan, Kristin and I with Bryan's friend and his friend's mom. There were a couple sitting right at the back. How cool was that? It was private viewing! 

sonja and bryan

  

Bryan enjoys being with Sonja, even though the age difference is 8 years. Bryan speaks really little German, while Sonja is too shy to use her English. 

My son was just being freaking irritating with the "Laterne" song, in preparation of St Martin's Day here. That much of German he knows. 

"Laterne, Laterne

Sonne, Mond und Sterne

Brenne auf mein Licht, brenne auf mein Licht

Nur meine liebe Laterne nicht." 

school photos in fall...

This is what I'll miss when I go back to Sg. 

The preschool here arranges with a professional photographer to come in to take pictures of the kids twice a year, once in autumn and once in spring. It's so great to be able to look back at how our kids have grown over our three years here. Kristin only has three of these shots taken, while Bryan has five different ones. 

Kristin, looking frumpy despite her haircut at the hair-dresser's. Look at her unbuttoned shirt! 

We gave Bryan a nice shirt underneath his blazer and in the end, he wore only his thermal underwear under the blazer! 

He looks almost the same as he did 2 years ago in this post, minus the baby fat and chubby cheeks. 

Kristin is certainly looking chubby. Check out those chunky arms! And I complain she doesn't eat...? Erb... good thing she doesn't eat much! Maybe it's all the Pocky sticks! 

addition...

Nothing about PSLE nor Singapore Math... 

We are way behind those schedules here.

While waiting for Daddy to clear up some work at the office this afternoon, Bryan was gamely entertained by sums! How rare! 

Single digit addition isn't too difficult for him anymore... so I decided to give him a double digit and a single digit to add each time e.g. 13+4 or 17+2 or 15+3 etc... very simple and basic stuff still. 

After a while, my son told me it was again too easy for him! 

Why? 

That's because he's been using a manipulative - a ruler! 

He showed me, "You see Mom, the number 13 here. Then just count forward four times, and you get 17! So easy!" 

Cheater-bug! 

He's lucky that the ruler measures up to 30 cm for this time. 

Ok... I have to admit that I've been given some hope that there might just be a chance for him to catch up with Sg Math... slowly, of course, if he continues to add with a ruler! 

reading "green eggs and ham" again...

Let this be the official day that marks Bryan's independent reading. 

Ever since he turned 5, he's been found sitting in a corner each day... at several intervals of the day with a book. It's usually Tintin or a Berenstain Bear. I have long stopped reading to the kids. Now it's a rare time when Mommy actually reads a book with them, and it's usually when Daddy's not home. Yet, I haven't had plenty opportunities to slack this month either, since there will always be a couple of nights when Alan's not around each week. In fact, I think his successor probably sees more of him over the past couple of months than the kids and I do! 

Anyway, as the story goes... Tonight was yet another one of those Daddy's-out-nights. So guess who did the reading tonight? Me? Lucky me... it was Bryan! Finally and thankfully, Mommy can now skive, officially! 

I told Bryan I was only keen on reading Dr Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham. Then Bryan told me he could do it. In fact, he's done it before in preschool during daycare. Apparently, he's been reading it to another girl. Trying to woo one with poetry already? Not eliminating that possibility there... haha! Even his sister vouched for him! "Yeah, Mommy. He's reading to Miranda!"

So in a whole sitting, he finished the entire book. "Am I not fantastic, Mom? See, I told you I could read it all by myself!"

Yes, I'm mightily proud of him, taking even more pride in his effort to finish all 62 pages at one shot! Ok... I won't call him a lazy bum anymore. 

By the way, I did realise some interesting cues he draws from reading... I mean the non-verbal communications, e.g. When he saw a couple of horizontal lines coming out of the character's mouth in the drawings, he told me, "Oh, he's shouting a bit here." So he raised his volume and pretended he was shouting out loud while reading. Next, he saw some words printed all in upper case. And he told me again, "Oh, there he goes again. Shouting!"

Pretty interesting what he picks up from the non-verbal signs. Guess comic books are brilliant for such things. Yep, more Tintin it will certainly be... I think it's also high time to re-introduce The Electric Company dvds. 

Yep... think most moms are right on this one... just leave the child alone and sooner or later, he'll pick up reading! Ok, more later for our case. Still loads better than "never", I guess. And really... phew! Because we'll be heading back to Singapore (where kids are already reading by 3 or 4 years of age) in a couple of months! Oops... in fact I need to fret about Kristin! Now I've found the new object of my obsession! Here we go again... 

talking about London...

Mommy: What are you going to do in London?

Bryan: Eat Char Siew Pau's. Many Char Siew Pau's! 

Mommy: Whom did we meet the last time when we were in London? 

Bryan: Gan-die and gan-ma! We stayed with them. 

Mommy: Did we meet any kids? 

Bryan, Thought for a while: oh yeah yeah... Sean. I met Sean. 

Mommy: What about Sean's mommy? Do you remember her? 

Bryan: Oh yeah yeah yeah... But I can't remember her name. 

Sorry Aunty Lilian, you're not a kid. Bryan can't remember your name. :p

a hammock is a hammock is a hammock...

How do you pronounce the word "hammock"? 

Alan and I both say, "ham" and "mock", thus "hammock".

But Bryan corrected us, "No! It's hammock!" You know, like how the Americans would pronounce stomach, with an inverted e in IPA. 

Anyway, if you don't believe me, try the link to the Free Online Dictionary. 

Ok.... is this a case of orang utan and hammock now? 

Hope to post a video footage soon. 

After note: 

Just looked up the Cambridge Online Dictionary. 

hammock is pronounced /hæm.ək/.

So Bryan's right.

According to Daddy, Bryan said he heard it on Caillou long time ago and couldn't imagine how we could have doubted him. Alamak, he's such a PBS kid! How would we know? We never grew up with Caillou!

for casting purposes... :)

This cool dude says hello! 

This is another great piece of work from Miss McKenna @ Make Photographie. 

Does anyone know any casting agencies? ;) 

missing germany #6

I joined another of Bryan's field trips again. It was an excursion to a pumpkin patch. 

I don't think I'd have so much to time to join my kids on field trips once I'm back in Singapore. Though I'll only be working part-time, how busy my weekly schedule is still remains to be seen, esp when I need to be back at work for not more than 3 times a week. I'm still hoping for not more than twice a week, fingers crossed on that one. 

Bryan with a huge pumpkin. 

Bryan running down the plum orchard, adjacent to pumpkin patch. The plums were sugar sweet! Nothing is indeed fresher than when it's from the source, directly!