extra-curricular activities & playgroup

Recently, Jerry and Aaron attended various activities to better spend their time outside of home and/or school. Their behavior tells us that they have totally different personalities, like, totally.

Jerry and Aaron had both been to Kindermusik, respectively, when they were under 1 year-old. Jerry had continued until he became too heavy for us to hoist and swing so, he attended Gymboree for his muscles to do some work. At two years old, he went to playschool on a daily basis which displaced the need for playgroup.

Aaron had to stop going last spring due to widespread influenza among young kids. Later, we were too busy with moving house and settling in to resume his playgroup. Besides, we always reasoned that he had all the company he needed in his older brother and Cousin Jasper who lived down the street.

Baby Jasper has since moved away much farther away than down the street and Jerry is not at home long enough during the day to keep Aaron sufficiently entertained. There are at least two times in the day that Aaron would get his shoes and try to leave the apartment, with or without adult company. Desperate to let him vent off all that energy, I tried the playgroup recently opened on the podium floor of our building. That was a really structured and "teaching" playgroup that perhaps kids of Jerry's age and older would have liked. Although their alleged target group is from 18 months onwards, Aaron could not stay on his behind long enough to take in all the info being offered (i.e. the weather, the letters in his name, identifying colors and sticking letters of his name on paper outlines...). Worst of all, the "teacher" did not know the words to the songs she was singing to the kids!

I wanted to keep playgroup close to home so that there is less hassle. The failed trial class downstairs has forced Aaron to go farther away. This week, Aaron gave Gymboree a try. Since he hasn't yet developed the ability to stay still and listen to instructions (only very rarely does he choose to do so), it seemed reasonable that he would really enjoy a large space with lots of climbing apparatus (he climbs up and slides down all by himself on the slides, something which Jerry only managed to comfortably do at past age 2.5 years). Once inside, Aaron could not stop! Running, climbing on anything remotely climbable, sliding down slides and non-slides and touching everything that he passed, and shouting "baaalll" whenever he saw one. In contrast, Jerry would always be very cautious before every move, whereas, Aaron did not have a care in the world. Kelvin and I honestly think that Aaron can be a pro-something or another (preferably, pro-footballer (not American)).

Jerry tried a music class today that is run by Kindermusik. He was shy when he first met the teacher, but was ecstatic from the moment he entered the room and did not care that I would pop out during his one hour lesson. He is fascinated with musical instruments and was genuinely interested in the orchestral music that he listened to. His conclusion after that lesson was that he wants to buy a violin, not for taking lessons with, but just to own.... I think Jerry is more musically inclined as well as more of a "performance arts" type. He likes to sing and I think he has good pitch (thank goodness he got that from me!). Did I mention before that he is taking ballet lessons by his own choosing and actually enjoys himself? He has expressed interest in other activities too, such as badminton, after Kelvin offered to teach him. However, his interest quickly waned after he failed to hit the shuttlecock and he began to dance with the racquet instead. Also he wants to learn kung fu, after watching Kung Fu Panda...but I'll have to find one that is suitable for him and perhaps let him start this summer.

It is exciting to see how they will hone their interests into successful careers: one will be a pro-artiste and the other, a pro-athlete. HaHa! I crack myself up with this wishful thinking!

All things bright & beautiful?

Jerry's latest line of philosophical questioning is: Did God create the bad animals that kill/eat other animals/insects, i.e. the big bad wolf/the lion/the owl? Did the devil create them? (Here, of course, the answer is that God created everything, even the devil.) Why did God create those bad animals? They are so naughty, I want to kick their butt! (My translation of what he says in Chinese.)

I honestly have difficulty keeping up.

Family Vacation

This Christmas, we took our first ever "family trip" to Fuzhou, China to visit LH's grandparents and extended family. The plane ride was only an hour in length, but to us...it was pretty rough...nothing horrendous, but really tiring. We didn't manage to take many pics, cos it was a really busy trip...not with anything major, but just little things, like chasing after Aaron, checking on Aaron, feeding Aaron, washing up Aaron etc etc. Jerry, on the other hand was obviously much more easy to handle. Even as a young baby, Jerry was very easy on the 20 hour plus journey to Dallas (and on the plane back, even when he had diarrhea, not a peep, bless his heart).



Little Aaron is totally different and we feel like we want to back out of our plans to visit Dallas next summer....



On a lighter note, it was all in all a very good trip for LH's family to see the two boys. 2nd time seeing Jerry and 1st meeting with Aaron. Tai-Gung is over 90 and Tai-Po is close to 90, so visiting them means a lot to all of us. Their home is up on the 6th floor, without lifts, which means a climb up 6 flights of stairs every day. It's not too bad for me, cos I didn't hv to carry anyone, but for Kelvin and sometimes his brother or his aunts & uncles, that was a lot of work to carry Aaron, cos that boy is HEAVY. Jerry felt left out sometimes, so he asked to be carried (luckily, not up the stairs). His grand-aunts and grand-uncles did not mind and even said that he was light! haha.

Jerry is patiently waiting in the hotel lobby.

We spent a lot of our time, eating...
Using the computer...
Cleaning up...

Apparently, this chair was used by LH and his brother when they lived with their maternal grandparents over 30 years ago!


Aaron had a lot of fun with this cane...kept using it to hit the pomeloMy three boys!