One Fine Sunday Up a Hill...

On on! Up and away!

Dear Dyanna,

The third hash to qualify for member of the Junior Hash House Harriers Brunei chapter was done. At the next hash, you're member!

This time you had four adults who went into the jungle with you, mommy, Ucu, Auntie Wina and her boyfriend who took all the pictures. Location, near Nini Boy's house.

We saw lovely pitcher plants in the beginning of the beginning of the trail, and just before we entered the jungle you said out "Cat! Meow... meow... meow...." we didn't see a cat, but you did.

It was Ucu's first time hashing, once in a while mommy asked how she's doing, and she'd reply with, "I'm trying to conserve my breath by not speaking unnecessarily." For someone who was trying to conserve her breath, she sure got a long reply.

Where as Dyanna was strapped on mommy's back all the way. You weren't interested in getting down. So there was mommy, carrying an almost 14kg on my back, going up and down and up and down the many hills that were in the jungle.

After crossing many streams and changing terrains, we were in a quiet part of the forest, tall trees canopy up above and a bed of old grown leaves on the ground, and the ground was sloping upwards as we headed up, you started meowing again, like as if you're calling out to a cat. We didn't see anything, or couldn't see anything. Was it the same cat you saw?

We managed to finish in under an hour, not bad as there was no toddler route this time around, there was only medium and long run, and we did the medium.

We saw Auntie Adeline who was four and a half months pregnant, but we didn't stay long, we left and headed home.

Love,
Mommy

Potty Time!

Wonderwoman's potty when she was a baby...

Dear Dyanna,

Potty training has begun, mommy just hadn't really been that consistent with it, and daddy gets nervous if you're running around without a diaper. You broke the potty time dvd daddy bought for you and we haven't even watched it fully. On days when it's just you and me, mommy would leave you naked as it has been hot lately, and it'll be easier to put you straight onto the potty when it looks like you're about to go. Most of the time you'll go all quiet and next thing mommy knew, there's a puddle on the floor, and sometimes you're not even that far from the potty. Good thing we have the traditional lampin squares handy to wipe up with.

Your potty had been in view for a very long time, until one day, you started playing with it, and that was when mommy figured it is time to introduce to you what it's all about.

You would sit on the potty, and then get up and say 'All done', and you and mommy would look into the potty and nothing is in it. You'd look at me and say, 'Nada!' and go off playing again.

Sometimes mommy managed to catch you just as you're about to start peeing and plop you straight onto the potty and you'll finish up there. Sometimes mommy misses the moment completely and there's a big puddle on the floor. Sometimes, we get successful elimination all in the potty, and when that happens mommy cheered with joy and try to get you all excited about it.

Auntie Nadia told mommy when she was potty training her boys, she got 5 potties in the house, and there was the pressure to potty train. I guess maybe because we don't have that pressure which is probably why mommy is quite laid back about this. And I doubt we're going to get more than the one potty that was given to us, unless we get the wonderwoman potty, that looks cool. Maybe when mommy is able to take leave, have lots of lampin ready for messes, and leave you diaperless, probably we can get more success.

Love,
Mommy

The Tango Gala Night

Dear Dyanna,

Daddy texted mommy one day asking if I'm up to go to a place that night for Auntie Jac's tango thing, so mommy said sure and next thing mommy knew, I had to find out the details.

Later that evening, after dressing you up in a black dress, we went. We got there early, there was Auntie Elaine taking care of the door, and on the floor were two pairs of tango dancers doing their moves, the ladies took advantage that no one was around yet to practice their footwork with the male dance instructors.

Mommy and daddy don't dance ballroom for your info. We were there to support Auntie Jac who will be doing a performance.

Whilst waiting for the crowd to thicken, you took turns with mommy and daddy to dance on the floor. You loved to run around in circles while holding our hands and we'd jump, skip and hop, and you would say 'dance mommy/daddy, dance!'

You were the first to eat dinner from the buffet spread that was out, thai food... Mommy thought it's weird to have thai food with tango... you mostly ate the leafy vegetables, a couple of oatmeal prawns, and the lemongrass chicken.

While mommy ate, you were playing with daddy at the interesting wall divider the place had. You met some people we knew, and you went dancing while everybody was eating so you had the floor all to yourself. And then you wanted to dance with mommy and you'd tug my hand and said, 'dance, dance'. But before we could get to the floor, the announcer said, 'The floor is open' and all of the sudden everybody at the table stood up and with their partners all did their tango. You just stood and watched. Amazed? Surprised? Shocked? Either way, you didn't want to move.

We saw couples twirled, stepped, swayed. I'm not sure whether to the beat of the music, because I couldn't get the rhythm they were moving to. And everybody was too busy looking down at their feet! It was an interesting and strange sight.

Mommy asked if you'd like to dance but there was no response. So mommy picked you up and we danced to our own moves amongst the tango goers. After a fashion, you started to signal for milk. While you nursed as we sat back at our table, your eyes were looking sleepy and we decided better to head home now even though Auntie Jac hadn't made her debut yet.

After a long goodbye, Auntie Jac will be gone for a month, we went back home, changing into your jammies and night diaper in the car on the drive home.

Hope you had an interesting time. When you are older, mommy will enroll you into a kids hip hop class!

Love,
Mommy

When M'sian Cousins Came Visiting

Dyanna, Fatimah and Lutfi

Dear Dyanna,

Few months ago we had the pleasure to have relatives over from the Malaysian Peninsula staying with Atok and Nenek. For a few days you got live in playmates in the form of your second cousins, Lutfi, who was 2 and Fatimah, who was 4. The three of you played with anything you were able to lay your hands on. 

Mommy brought over a pop up tent and tunnel that I had bought earlier and figured you would play with it more if you could see others playing with it. It was a pop up elephant and a caterpillar tunnel, a day after mommy set it up, you followed Fatimah and Lutfi in and out and around the elephant and caterpillar. One funny incident was you followed Lutfi and crawled into the tunnel, and half way through you tried to stand up, you kept on saying 'sorry' when you realised you couldn't stand up, and you panicked and started crying. Mommy pulled you out and after a quick comfort nurse you were back playing again.

Lutfi and Fatimah's mommy and daddy came over to our house because they want to come visit, and while they were over, their mommy saw your diapers and she asked about them, and mommy explained how your cloth diapers works and why we're using them. Lutfi and Fatimah's mommy looked very excited with the prospect of using CDs, while that was happening, Lutfi and Fatimah was happily playing with your toys at home. Where was Dyanna? You were at Nenek napping during that time...

On the day they were leaving, mommy packed the elephant and caterpillar and gave it to them to bring back, as a memory of the time when the three of you played together, because we don't know when the next time we'll get to see them again. I hope when we do, all of us would just pick up from where we left off...

Love,

Mommy

Christmas 2011

Just opened up a christmas present from Auntie Jac by the Christmas tree...

Baby Eating...

 Dear Dyanna,

Mommy found some pictures of you eating.

On the left a picture of you eating spaghetti from your bento box. The newspaper on the table was so that it'll be easier to clean up the mess after you're done.

This is a common occurence.

The mess and the newspaper as placemat.

But it doesn't matter, you eat by yourself.

One of the amazing thing at that time was the fact that you like to eat celery. Raw.

This picture showed you eating a whole celery stick. Mommy was in the kitchen cutting up some vegetables and you asked for celery, I took out a stick with the intention to cut it up into smaller finger sized ones. I only managed to cut off the ends of the large stick when you decided you wanted the whole thing. Whole.

Mommy is proud you like to eat your vegetables.

Love,
Mommy

Happy Chinese New Year!

Elmo says, Gong Xi Fa Chai is as easy as A B C!

May the force be prosperous with you always...

Dear Dyanna,

While you were napping one afternoon after house visitings all morning, mommy raided your toy box and did a little installation and a photo shoot as this is the year of the dragon...

Love,
Mommy