Keira @ 42 months and Kerri @ 23 months old

Photo credit: Jolynn & Chris

Though the winter break is 2 weeks but I thought it felt pretty long. Keira has been missing school. She keep asking when are we going to school.

As she turns 4 years old this year, she is to attend Chinese classes. This wed was her first lesson. I thought she will freak out after I dropped her off but I guess the teacher has a way with her. And after the first class, she told me she's liking Chinese class! So proud of her.

Then just yesterday, she suddenly declared to me that she's ready for dancing class. She is not afraid anymore. I just need to wait outside the classroom with Kerri for her. In her own words, she said: I will not cry and I am ready, mummy. I said I will call up school to see if they can give you a trial lesson and since then she's been bugging me whether I have called up or not.

My friend and another mum have been checking out the music class out of base and I foresee our new year is going to be a busy one with Kerri starting school too next Tuesday.

Little Kerri is turning 2 this month. Very very soon. We have got a Skip Hop bag for her as birthday present. It's a giraffe and Keira had helped me to pick it. I'm sure she's going to love it.

We are planning nothing but a simple dinner in town with a couple and bake a simple cake with rose frosting on it.

Back to Kerri. We are loving conversations at home with the little one lately very much. The stuff she say is so unexpected.

Yesterday, I wanted to take her spoon and fed her because she's eating really very slow. She replied with a 'No way'.

And the other day, I wanted to carry her up the stairs for a bath because she's blocking the entry and Keira needs to use the bathroom, she pointed to me and Keira and said 'stay there!' This got Keira fuming away.

She's becoming like a parrot and a broken record sometimes too. She will keep asking 'what you doing' repeatedly even though you have answered her.

She help me with the safety gate each night when I'm bringing up the bottles and will remind me to 'be careful!'

And then come to speeches, it's only until recently that I noticed Keira has stopped conversing with us in mandarin. Even though we speak to her in Chinese, her replies will always be in English. I tried testing her to express herself in Chinese a few times. She will pause and asked me how to say in Chinese.

It's not helping that Kerri is picking whatever Keira is saying or doing. The only Chinese words that Kerri is most fluent are '不要'. Right now, we are making a habit to speak fluent mandarin at home now.

Seriously hoping it's not too late.