吵！

这一个月，靖恺还挺吵闹的。要睡的时候号啕大哭，看不见人的时候也哭。抱着哄他睡觉，却总想把手往嘴里送。除了哭，最近还会在你怀里挣扎乱踢。如果把他放回床上，又会把手放进嘴巴里。难道真的要给奶嘴？几乎每次哄他睡觉都在跟他比赛谁喊得比较大声。等到他终于听到你的声音后，才静下来，呻吟着睡去。尝试给他吃粥，萝卜等食物。但他不象靖恒那么爱吃，进展挺慢的。对于这点，只好一步一小步来啦。
靖恒呢，简单的一个“嗯”，已经‘骗’不了他 - 让他以为你在听他说话。有时，他会一直重复到他看到你注意他为止。他也真多话，我都没精神去想更新鲜一点的答复。他现在很少讲华语了。虽然，我常常都是用华语跟他交谈，他还是以英语回复。最受不了的是有什么不顺心的事，如球收不好，或是玩具车因为倾斜的地板滑下来，还是找不到玩具/手巾，会突然啼闹起来，直到你去帮他。而且，不知是不是因为我们太希望他独立一点而比较少插手帮他做事，他常说的一句话就是 "I can't" （我不行），还有另一句： “I want ... (something) now" （我现在就要。。。（什么什么））。
那有什么是值的赞扬的呢？靖恒已经比较独立了，可以一个人玩玩具玩一阵子。虽然仍老爱嚷我们读故事书给他听，但有时也会自己看故事书（的图案）。衣服也会自己脱，大部分也可以自己穿。他这个人话这么多，总能自圆其说，或讲故事，有他醒着时家里决不会寂静。当然，也会顶嘴啦。叫他做什么，或是不要做什么，他如果不同意，就会'but,but,but...'的一堆理由出来。当然，最喜欢还是‘敲锣打鼓’，大展歌喉。

The classic pose:


非理勿听：


曾经，我在厨房忙着，靖恒会这样陪靖恺（现在已经不见他这样了，没有新鲜感了吧）：


自得其乐：


与弟弟共乐：


杯盘狼藉：


睡姿百态：


‘今晚想吃。。。’
1. 肉‘菜粄'：


2. moussaka (it's party time - again - for Ethan) :


倒。。。


再到博物馆：


最早开的花出来了：


‘哥哥怎么睡了？’


Ethan's artwork:

(It's an aeroplane. It is big and strong, it carries aeroplanes that can't work. It's for people, but when there are aeroplanes in it, people can't go on the big one, they must go on the small one.)


'The tower and the castle':


三个男生：


2月28日，靖恒跟建明去看演出：


Insidiously, the two boys are demanding greater attention. No longer is Jethro easily soothed and no longer is Ethan naively deceived. Jethro cries when he wants to sleep, and when he can't see anyone about him, not even for one moment. Most of the time, getting him to sleep involves the crier and the carrier trying to outcry each other. When he seems to finally hear your cries, he settles into a prolonged, but softer whine, then sleep. Have started giving him solids two weeks ago and we are still trudging along, he is not yet taking a full meal yet.

Ethan, the older one, will make sure you are fully attending to his talk and questions by repeating them for as many times as required to get the response that satisfies him. When you explain that you are engaged in something else, he will stop for a second, then resume. In his most irritating moments, he would break into a whine from a seemingly good humming mood, when things do not go the way he intended. Such are the usual exchanges between him and me (as you can see I am not a sweet mother):
E: Eh....(in a wailing tone)
M: What was that? How can I know what you need when you just whine? Can't you speak?

E: I want (something) now!
M: Can you wait? I am busy.
E: I can't wait!
M: Cannot wait? Then do it yourself.
E: But I can't... (wailing)

E:I can't ... (do something, like taking of his clothes, wearing clothes, socks, keep toys etc.)! (wailing)
M: (silence) or
M: You can, you did it before.
E: No, I can't!
Sometimes in my better mood, I will try to give him verbal instructions.

M: (Ask him to do something, such as) What a mess, can you keep your pictures?
E: But, but, but, I am (doing something, such as) looking at them (and proceeds to trying to look at the drawings and playing the guitar he was holding at the same time).

M: It's time to brush your teeth and take a shower.
E: But I still want to play!

M: Stop jumping on the bed!
E: (ignores)

On more pleasant things, he can play by himself for longer periods now, and although still craving for our attention (and I will grant that it is only right he should be doing that), he can also settle down to his own imaginary play, story telling, reading books or music performance (which generally consists of him banging something loudly and singing at the top of his voice). And he definitely can wear his t-shirt and socks now, if he wants to.

Jianming was so flummoxed by his endless 'whys' that he went to google about it. So we were told when children ask 'why', they don't mean 'why' (really!). It is just their way of getting you to talk to them about things. So, contrary to our logical thinking, we need not reply with 'because...' when they ask 'why', but we can talk a lot of myriad stuff about the topic and they will feel happier. Which assures me a little to know children all over ask a frustrating number of 'why's, but doesn't make my job easier now that I need not (and in fact, should not) always answer it in the straightforward sense.