Holidays with a 1 1/2 year old

..Or possibly a non-holiday.

Jellybean went on a holiday-conference trip with us recently and good-golly is she a chase?! 

The lovely bunch in Holiday Inn gave us a great upgrade. So good - that Jellybean decided it would be her new home and she lurved staying in there, sitting on the sofa and closing the doors on us.

Exhibit A: Oooh slippers!!!Why don't I get these at home?! ...Note the holiday tummy she got from eating everything too!

Exhibit B: Now you see me now you dont...

Exhibit C: Look at the view mummy...

Exhibit D: Ooh space mummy, space!! Mind you, this was our second hotel stay which she hearted.

On occasions when she liked being out...we spent alot of times on cars. Car rides. Alot. Her photos were all in cars and the hotel. Very exciting. 

...Or..she would be doing her exploring and we'd need to hunt her down.

...And for 2 weeks- we chased her. A great diet scheme I tell you.

Dear Jellybean- May 2012

Hi baby,

You're such a toddler now that you're walking everywhere. You do things that make me question how I should react as a parent.

Somewhere along the line, you must of noticed grandma, grandpa, mimi, baba and other guests left their kitchen slippers along this area. So one evening, you decided your shoe belonged there too- and sure enough, you brought each one along and placed it with the others. I found it funny and quite honestly, stunned by your ability to 'group' things. However, they were your dirty shoes that belonged outside.

Do I tell you dirty shoes belong outside? Or acknowledge you did something 'wow' in my mind? I chose to acknowledge it was your shoe... and left it.

Then one morning, you decided the Grecian off-the-shoulder was a good look for you. It was a cold autumn morning but I commend you on your braveness to pass comfort for fashion.

Mind you, you have also mastered taking off your pants and find it entertaining. I'm not commenting on that. At all. Daddy will deal with you.

Mummy's also given you a new fashion sense- here you are donning your 'spring onion' hair style. The very one grandma gave me when I was a kid. Its forever trendy I tell you. Really.

Ok, I'm just having second thoughts about cutting your hair again- so this is the transition stage.

You love being outdoors- and the weather has been perfect for you to be out in the garden everyday and at parks on the weekend. Here you are, telling daddy you MUST go on that slide. The one you probably went down four hundred and fifty seven times. Nearly.

Ahhh...and your beloved bittergourd. You've learnt this is 'Ku ah' - as you are yet to pronounce 'Ku Guah' properly in chinese. Every afternoon, you will chant 'ku ah ku ah ku ah' in the garden, pick the bittergourd with grandma or mimi and walk around with it like it's gold.

Problem is, you like baby ones. Probably cos they fit your tiny hand that bit better. But baby, they aren't ripe yet.

Oh..you also love putting on your giraffe- it looks like you're going on a school excursion and makes me laugh. But I let you get away with it cos it's great for photos.

You really make our lives so much brighter.

xoxo

Of Late

I bribe my kid. Serious. It's bad, I know, but I do it.

You see, Jellybean has started to walk- sometimes by herself, sometimes falling all over the place and sometimes wanting us to walk with her. When we take her out, she chooses the later. So if you've ever been stalled by kid traffic- I apologise profusely as my bub does it too.

So sometimes, just to make a sit a little while before she leads us somewhere else, we buy her a food or drink. Her favourite is juice. Watermelon juice. Smoothies. Boost. Babycinos- where she only eats the froth.

Come weekends when we want a small coffee break, we have our drink and she has hers. Bad habit- cos one day, it's gonna bite me back. I know it. She will whinge for some sort of food and throw a tantrum to make me buy it. I can see it already.

But meanwhile, just to give us that 5 minutes of non-chasing time. We bribe.

Dear Jellybean- October 2011

Hey bub,

The last few weeks have felt like months!

Just before you turned exactly nine months, you got your first two beamers- yes, your two front lower teeth.

You were restless, whingy and in constant need of company.

Then, just two weeks ago, you fell sick for the very first time. You had a virus which has turned nasty- into a chest infection. Boo. So, you haven't been quite you.

You are restless, whingy and in constant need of company.

In summary, you've been a whingy, grumpy baby for the last month or so. Not nice. With the slight glimpse of better health, you do sneak in your cheekiness...your smile. And your smile melts our hearts. It lets you get away with things and makes your parents forget your two-hour crying sessions and all things alike.

If you get better now, we will buy you a new toy.

Just kidding. We aren't suppose to bribe you like that.

...Do get better.

xoxo