I Lost My Cool

Yup, I lost it. I hit Adri. Real hard.

Of late, Adri has begun to hit everyone and anyone. Okie, not exactly anyone. She doesn't hit strangers but family members, including the cats and the dog.

Monday 090309.
We picked Adri home from my sis'. Now that my little nephew has arrived and my mum is over at my sis', doubling up as her confinement nanny, Adri goes over to my sis' place instead.
Adri whined and demanded to sit in the front passenger seat. Yup, you guessed it, i gave in to her wails. The moment she came over and sat on my lap, she swung her hard skull backwards deliberately and hit me with it. Boy, i swear i tasted blood that very instant. That hurt! My gums were bleeding! =(
While i groused, Adri was perfectly fine, she didn't seem at all apologetic for hurting her Mum. Why did Adri hit me? God knows! Perhaps she wanted me to know that i had kept her waiting (and crying) for too long?

The moment she reached home, Adri started whacking the pets with her bare hands. Of course, i, or rather, WE stopped her. However, my charismatic daughter refused to heed our advices and carried on whacking the pets. Thank God the cats (who can get very aggressive) decided to be kind to our little terror and didn't scratch. I dare not imagine! They ran away instead. Honestly, i don't think they were fearful of little Adri. They were loving her and understood that she was still a little babe. I HAVE SEEN THEM ATTACK (others), you know?

Whack! Mummy gave little Adri a soft hit on her hand.
To my dismal, that didn't work.
Adri then went on to hit Pepper. This time round, she threw toys at him!
Whack, came yet another hit, a harder one on her hand.
Adri stared at her hand and walked away.
Just when i thought the interventation worked, Adri returned with her little broom stick and started whacking Pepper!

*Faint!*

I grabbed my little terror and a struggle ensued. I had wanted to remove her broom stick but she had refused to have her hands freed from it. In the midst of the struggle, Adri decided to kick me with all her might.

Whack, a slap landed on her thigh.
Adri stopped kicking. Stunned she was, but not deterred.

Little Adri reached forth for her mop stick and hit Help right on her head (Pepper had run away, just like the cats did!)
I really lost my cool. I whacked Adri real hard on her hand for she was being purposefully stubborn, refusing to change from her wrongful means. The very moment i released that hit, i regretted my very action for i had disciplined when i was furious. I had always held on to the belief that one should never discipline when we are angry, for our anger can easily mar our judgement and we can easily lose control and end up being too hard on our little ones.

I had expected Adri to cry at the strength of the hit but my little one didn't even shed a tear. She wasn't even close to tears!
I gave up. I simply scolded her and refused to talk to her. I didn't know how else i should approach her!


Is my little one thick-skinned or what? She's alike her mummy. She has a high threshold for pain. =O

Oh, Adri didn't look for me that night too. She looked for Help and Daddy instead. Quite a character, isn't she? =/
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Who's Who?

This is how Adri addresses the people around her:-

Mummy = Maa'mee
Daddy = Daa'dee
Yati (Help) = Yaa'dee (sounds like "Daddy" many a times and this upsets Daddy quite a fair bit)

Po Po = Por Por
Gong Gong = Gonng Gong
Grandma = Len' Ma
GrandPa = Ye Ye
Any other old uncle = Ye Ye

Mummy's eldest Sis = Yee Yee
Mummy's 3rd sis = Yee Yee
Mummy's 3rd sis' husband = Unnn'cle
Daddy's sis = Guuu' Gu

Pixie = Xi
Genie = Xi
Pepper = Pepper
Any other dog = Pepper (she used to be able to say "doggie")

male adults = Unnn'cle
female adults = 'Tee (instead of aunty)
Older Girls = Zhe Zhe
Older Boys = Gooor' gor
Babies = Beeei' bi

For some reason, she places emphasis on the first syllable. Does yours do that? =)
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CNY 2009

Some pics of lil' Adri during CNY 2009...
She's simply cute in the cheongsums!

Noticed she has two cheongsums?

Don't try asking the obsessed Mummy why...

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We didn't manage to get Adri to "bai nian" to us last year cos' we were in a mad rush.

We couldn't bear to miss it this year!

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The cinderella decided to do some cleaning up before we set off!

3 missing 1
Waiting for Cousin Aly...

We forgot to take a family pic on Day 1!

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As usual, the multi facades of Adri...

What else can i say?

CUTE! =D

P.S. Half thru' Day 2, she tore her red cheongsum and we changed her into this! =D
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PRETTY!
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No?

I vividly remember trying to teach Adri to shake her head and say "no no" as a means of expressing her dissatisfaction but regardless of my relentless effort, Adri didn't manage to catch that good practice at 12 months of age. Gradually and subconsciously, I became less diligent and gave up trying.

Nature really has her way with things.
I have never really noted when Adri first started to shake her head as an indication of her displeasure and/or her rejection of things offered.
Some time last week, Adri added smiles to us by shaking her head while uttering "no no" whenver she had had enough of or didn't want an offer. At times, she even waved her palm concurrently to reinforce her point! =D

It's yet another level of communication and understanding. Today, we understand Adri perfectly whenever she doesn't want:
- to be carried
- more food/milk
- to brush her teeth
- to sleep
- to be changed
- to sit still (and eat her food)
- a particular toy...

*and the list continues

Is the saying "language is taught, not caught" true?
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I wonder when she will surprise us by nodding her head while muttering "yes yes"... =D

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Water Fun!

01.02.09

Yet another trip to the zoo.

Adri loves the water theme park!

All dressed and ready to set off

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Admiring Mummy's bright pink Crocs.

Truth is, the pair of slippers that i had set off with snapped!

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At the waters with Daddy.

Adri wants to play but is no confident of venturing on her own

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Some close-up shots

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Some lemon tea after the fun!

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Home Sweet Home!

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D.A.D.D.Y

04.02.09

For the very first time, i regretted asking Adri where her Daddy was.

Mart was on reservist and would not be home til 12 midnight. Maid aside, I was home alone with Adri. It was rather habitual of me to ask her "Where's Daddy?" every day. I don't know why.
1) Perhaps i needed a short break from Adri who can get rather clingy at times?
2) Perhaps, I just wanted to test if she understood the word "Daddy".

DO NOT ASSUME that because they have been mouthing certain word(s), they have comprehended the word entirely.
When used in the wrong context, the supposed sweetest word in the word ie "Mummy" may not be that soothing to your ears.

Just a few days back, Adri surprised me by running to the maid after she had uttered "Mummy"! I was within her range of sight! Upset i was of course, but i chose to believe that she hadn't totally understood "Mummy". Perhaps she equated "Mummy" as a caregiver, regardless of primary or seondary? Well, perhaps that's why Mart and I have been "testing" Adri on a regular basis. (typical of a teacher, isn't it?)

Adri had never once disappointed me in the "Daddy Test".
Each time i asked her where her Daddy was, she would pause whatever she was doing (most of the time, whining of some sort), scan the house for Daddy, repeat the word "Daddy" and thereafter look for her daddy.

I was tired, for Adri was a little whiny this evening. Nothing i did pacified her so somehow, i decided to try my magical question.

"Where's Daddy, Adri?" I spouted amidst her whines and cries.
"Mmm? Daddy?" Adri quietened and asked me with a quizzical look.
"Yes, Adri, where is Daddy?" I prompted.

For the rest of the evening, Adri went "Daddy? Daddy!" every few minutes as she searched for her daddy.
Make a guess. How do you think she reacted when she couldn't find her PaPa?

Daddy Mart, for once, the magic (you) didn't work.
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A New Game

03.02.09

*Pant Pant*
"It's really tiring to be doing this," I thought. "Let me try this!"
Instead of having Adri chase me for the xxth time (i lost count) around the house, I wanted to chase Adri. I thought it would be easier to simply engage in a robotic motion of moving instead of having to plan my route.

I stopped, turned and ran towards Adri.
"Mummy catch Adri," i said.

Adri stopped too, she stopped trying to catch me.
She didn't know what i wanted.

No choice, I then continued running (and panting).
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