SARAY'S MONTH OF FIRSTS....
First full written word.........
I offered 10 NTD (about 50 cents Australian) if Saray could learn to write her name. Half a day later she came running in and said "I can do it. I can write me name". Sure sure sure (I thought). Well, yes she can. I can prove it. It's now written on her curtains, on her comforter and decorating every spare piece of paper around the house......
First dinner table argument (May 15, Saray home almost 4 months).....
Vitha made a smart comment about his sister's ability to eat around her carrots without actually touching them. Saray (normally intent on eating and not very verbal at the table) slammed down her spoon and yelled "Ai ya Vitha. You NO be my mother. OKAY? Every time you talking to me like this. I DON'T LIKE IT".
(It was so unexpected that Vitha and I ruined the whole effect by laughing.)
There's no flies on this kid.
First fight at school (May 8)....
I arrived home from work to find a sad-faced child sitting by the front door. Supported in her lap by an elaborate nest of tissues was a [very swollen] index finger. Saray and another little girl had a scrap over a bicycle and Saray got bitten (although she triumphantly recalled that the teacher ruled in HER favour and the other girl got time out). After a re-creation of the incident and the inevitable tears at the unpleasantness of it all, Saray was incredibly pleased that she couldn't hold her toothbrush, hair brush, face flannel or fork. She loves playing baby. Being being spoonfed is right up her alley!
First answering machine experience (May 15).....
Someone called while I was at work and the answering machine kicked in. Vitha found Saray standing by the answering machine berating me for not talking back to her. He called me in fits of laughter, then put her on the phone where she proceeded to berate me some more. "Muk, you go like this BEEP and you hanged up and you no listening to me but I TALKING to you". She was most peeved and firmly believed that I was inside the machine playing a trick on her.
First Face Mask (May 16).....
Saray hasn't quite figured out that face masks (necessary because of SARS here in Taiwan) are not actually a fashion accessory. She's been agitating for one and finally got her first one today. I now have too children walking around the house wearing their masks on their foreheads, chins, around their chests like training bras and everywhere except across their mouths.
I think they'll need some "mask training" before we go outside the house!
Year 6 standardised testing looms large in the minds of all 6th grade kids in the British School system....they start Mon 19 May.
Vitha has completed his math review and is now working through science. He's going to try his best and not worry too much. After all the results won't come out until after we have left Taiwan!
First Kissing games....
Not sure he'll appreciate me publicising this one but Vitha attended his first mixed-sex sleepover birthday party recently. He was disgusted to find that kissing games were part of the fun and retreated to the safety of the tent containing the younger kids.
Or so he tells me!
Beach bums...
We spent 3 days at Kenting - a beach area in the south of Taiwan - in mid May. Vitha was fascinated to meet an American Taiwanese biologist who manages to combine beach life with academic research by studying coastal birds of prey. Seems science CAN be fun, especially if you do your research early in the morning and then become a volunteer life-guard in the afternoons.