classical conditioning

My mother stays with me from Wed to Sat every week. When Ian comes home from school, he will usually call out "Nai Nai" (grandma in mandarin) cheerfully even before he enters the house. Very often, my mum will "reward" him with a sweet.

Last week, Ian did not behave the same. He came home from school but did not address my mum at all. When my mum asked him for the reasons, he said (showing his palm) "I got sweets already."

Very bad classical conditioning for a child.

Uno

It is almost like a nightly ritual now. Just before bedtime, the kids will demand at least 3 games of Uno. They love the game a lot. Sometimes, if I want them to do something for me (eg. finish their dinner quickly), I can bribe them just by promising to play Uno.

Does Ian know how to play??? You'll be surprised. He actually know how to play. He loves the wild cards and penalty cards (draw 4). He gets very high and happy just having wild cards in his hand.

The only setback is that his hands are too small to hold the cards. So he will lay them in front of him. That means we also get to see his cards and gain advantage. There is no way he can beat us this way.

When we first started playing this game, Ian can't take defeat. He will cry. We have taught him about the spirit of winning and losing. Well, he can handle defeat now. Or maybe he is so used to losing... ha ha

Children's tricks, riddles and rhymes

Ryan is in Primary 2 already. It is inevitable for him to bring home jokes/rhymes/riddles/tricks(good and bad ones) that he learned from his school peers. Unfortunately, Ian also pick up very quickly from him.

Below are some examples of what Ryan has learnt from his friends.

Pizza Hut rhyme
We will, we will, kick your butt, till you fart, all the way to Pizza Hut.

Tricks
Ryan: Dad, is your memory good?
Me: Yes?
Ryan: What is 1+1?
Me: 2
Ryan: What is 2+2?
Me: 4
Ryan: What is 4+4?
Me: 8
Ryan: What is the first question I asked you?
Me: What is 1+1.
Ryan: Wrong! Is your memory good!

Chinese rhyme
chi ku pa! ni de pi gu pao char! wo mo ni de pi gu, ni de pi gu pao char!
(translation: your backside explode, I touch your backside, your backside explode)

Riddle
1. What goes up and never come down?
Age

2. What makes a man go thin?
Mangosteen

Ian has learnt all of the above.

Ryan's idol

I know Ryan idolises me a lot a lot. He wants to grow up to be like me. In his little mind, I am the best and greatest. To test how much he idolises me, I had this conversation with the kids in the car one day.

Me: Who do you think run faster, the rabbit or tortoise?
Kids: Rabbit!
Me: What about horse and car?
Kids: Car!
Me: Ok, between daddy and car?
Ian: Car!
Ryan: No lah! Daddy lah!

He claimed that's because I have lots of sprinting medals in my study room. Of course I love the thought that he idolises me but this is a bit too much, isn't it?. ha ha....

Our Valentine's Day

Just for the record, Ian has not cried for 2 days in childcare. Keep it up boy!

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Yesterday was Valentine's day and we had made plans to have ice cream at "Daily Scoop" - Sunset way. When I reached home from work, the boys were already eager to go. However, mommy said Ryan has to get his homework done before we leave. She set a target of 8.45pm.

So there I was having some free time watching my TV... and reading storybook to Ian... and reading the papers... while Ai Peng was in the room coaching Ryan to finish his work. At regular intervals, Ian will knock on the door and ask "Finish already"?!. I am sure this must have agitated Ai Peng.

At one stage, Ai Peng stepped out of the room and Ian went inside. I think he was trying to hurry his beloved brother to finish his work quickly. Ai Peng chased him out of the room and Ian started crying, making the situation worse. He got a smack on his bottom from mommy.

By the time we left home, it's already 9pm i think. Daily Scoop was closed by the time we reached there. Fortunately they allowed to us to take away. So each of us bought some ice cream and ate them in the car.

That's our Valentine's day special.

Crying Ian

Ian is crying in childcare again!

Ian has been attending childcare for more than a year and he has adapted very well. In fact, he was the merit student for 2005. Behaving well and well liked by the teachers.

In Dec 2005, I had to go to Mumbai for a week and Ai Peng had to send him to childcare instead. That week, Ian started crying daily when his mother leave him to go to work. He was so "manja. Maybe he was not used to the new morning routine.

When I came back, our normal routine resumed but his crying did not stop. He has been creating a scene every morning. It has been 3 months already. Teacher Zhao would have to bring him to the window, with tears in his eyes, waving goodbye as i drive off. I did not wind down my window but i imagine I can hear his wailing.

Last week, something changed. Instead of crying, he was just sticky to me each morning. Holding on to me as I put on my shoes to leave. Letting go when I am ready to go and waving goodbye very sadly. At least he wasn't crying. Teacher said he will get over that "mood" within minutes. Well, that's a big improvement.

BUT..... this morning... the wailing came back. Sigh!

Caning

I was out the other night and the boys were naughty at home. Both were playing with the bathroom door when they were bathing. Warnings from Jenny (domestic help) and Ai Peng did not stop them. The door was spoilt.

When I came home, I assessed the damage and decided it was time for some caning. It was already past 11pm i think. Ian was asleep and Ryan was pretending to be sleeping with his entire head under the blanket.

I said in a firm voice for Ryan to remove the blanket but he remained still. Ian woke up from the commotion and helped me remove the blanket over his brother's head. At that moment, Ian was still not sure what was going on.

When I asked them who spoilt the door. Ian put his hand over his brother's mouth, as if to stop him from spilling the beans. (I tried not to laugh)

Caned Ryan 3 times. Once for not listening to his mommy. 2nd time for not listening to Jenny to stop playing with the door. And the 3rd time for spoiing the door.

Caned Ian 6 times. The first 3 for the same reasons as Ryan. Added another 3 for refusing to say sorry. He said that after 6 strokes.

Also deducted $25 from each piggy bank as cost to repair door. Hope this will teach them to be more responsible for their own actions. Don't think Ian feel the pain as much as Ryan because money carries no value to him yet.

Since that night, the cane has been hanging by the bedside.....

Nuts

I know it is not nice to make fun of people's names. Worse, I am making fun of names I gave to my boys. Well, just for some fun, I did this to them.

Me: Ryan, do you know what does R.Y.A.N stand for?
Ryan: No
Me: R You A Nut?
Ryan: No, i am not a nut
Me: Ian, do you Know what does IAN stands for?
Ian: No
Me: It stands for I Am Nuts!

Try this on Ian. Ask him what does IAN stand for and he will proudly say... I AM NUTS!

Sibling jealousy

Several events have revealed the jealous streak in Ryan over his little brother.

On the 4th day of CNY, School has reopened for Ryan. I was not working and Ian's childcare was also closed for an additional day. I had made plans to bring Ian out. Ryan was feeling very lousy having to go to school instead. He kept mumbling "unfair"..... almost with tears in his eyes.

Ai Peng has pre-warned me about this and advised me to "handle with care". I have to tell Ryan that we were only running some boring errands and will be home really soon. He made me promise him that I will not bring Ian to my office or to anywhere that's FUN. Ha ha...

Another incident....

Yesterday, my sister-in-law (Ivy) brought Ian to Sentosa in the afternoon. Unlike the norm, Ryan was home from school at 7pm before Ian did. Ian should be home by 6pm normally. Ryan was of course curious where has his beloved little brother gone to. When I finally brought him home from my in-law's place closed to 8pm, Ai Peng was very quick to say loudly, "Traffic jam???"

"errr..... " was my reply. And the topic quickly changed.

Ryan bought the "traffic jam" story. Cute.

Where to go for a holiday?

I remember this conversation with Ian last year when we were planning our holiday.

Me: Do you want to go on a holiday during Christmas?
Ian: Yes! (excitedly)
Me: Do you want to go Shanghai?
Ian: No!
Me: Australia?
Ian: No!
Me: Korea?
Ian: No!
Me: Then where do you want to go?
Ian: Holiday! (looking puzzled)

I don't think he fully understood the question. We ended up in Korea in the end.

For my 2 boys!

This is a gift for my 2 boys.

Ryan is 8 this year and Ian will be 4 next month. Having this blog to archive their pictures and tidbits events of their childhood days will be a nice present for them when they grow up. Isn't it?

Imagine them reading this when they are teens, when they are 20s or with their own children in the future... hmmm..