A summary of January

4 Jan 
P pretends to be some ferocious animal and chases after Christian. Ch says "u cannot eat me up! cos mama will cry...cos there's no Christian!" P said my tears are precious to our son.

6 Jan
calista's double eyelid on her right eye finally appeared. still smiles warily at strangers and reserves her biggest grins for us.

16 Jan
- Calista starts flipping over frequently n consistently, over her right side.

- Ch held Calista's hand, and feeds himself with his other hand. I go "Awww" but mum tells me he's aggressive to the baby when I'm not around. I'm puzzled cos he's seldom like that in front of me, and I wonder if i've been repressing his dark emotions. P says it's natural for sons to want to please their mothers.. and that's why those children who've done well in the PSLE this year all seem to have mothers who quit their jobs to stay home and coach them.

- Calista cries when P picks her up at night, as if to say 'who are you, you are the useless man..' Stops immediately when I carry her.. smiling as if to say "Ah..the one with the milk is here"

- Calista holds milk bottle with one hand and feeds herself.

17 Jan
- Ch declares early in the morning - "mamaaa..I've got a bump on my head...*pouts* I cannot go to school..."

- 1st quarrel between siblings - Christian pushed her toy away from her and refused to let her play. My mum says Ca protested angrily in the baby version of the Donald Duck "Yakyakayakakkwakwa!"

18 Jan 
I prepped Ch and told him he would need to wear the Chinese New Year costume for the party in school He says "I dont like parties. I like to stay home n eat eat eat n play play play n eat n play."
My mum commented drily: "what a lazy boy..."

His fears surfaced slowly..."Then I must wear the Chinese New Year clothes n sleep?"
I realised he was worried about little things like this and told him he could take them off before his nap in school..it was just for the party in the morning. He then asked "then how i take it off?" I explained that the buttons were large, and he'd have no problems removing the top.

On the day itself, he pinched the red/yellow silk top he was wearing and asked "My friends will wear this?"

As we took the lift down to the car, a little girl asked her father softly "Is it Chinese New Year already? No..? Then why he wear Chinese New Year clothes?"

Ch hid behind my mum's legs.. self-conscious.