New Words

Here is video of Calleigh's new favorite word, "Bubble". She says a lot more babble these days but when asked to repeat words, she is doing well with repeating.

There are a bunch of other words that she can repeat when asked.  Here are some that we have been teaching her:

Wow
WooHoo
Bubble
Boo
Ma Ma (We ask her to say Mommy)
Da Da (We ask her to say Daddy)
Ya Ya (Her Nanny's Nickname)
Peep Peep for Bird
Yeh Yeh (Grandpa in Chinese)
Mah Mah (Grandma in Chinese)
May Yee (Cousin Maci's name in Chinese, she can't get the "c" sound yet)
Josha (Cousin Joshua)
O (Auntie Cathy)



Hmmm....Early Education
In Hong Kong, parents are crazy about getting  and early education start for a child. Culturally, it's about giving their child the best options in the future and bragging rights when a child can play the piano at 6 years of age or getting into a school that is highly competitive. I have researched a school that teaches right brain thinking and it's not cheap. Theory states that young children, 5 and under, have a great capacity to learn quickly and read without having to understand phonetics. But does this really matter? Does this really help? What's many don't know is that comprehension does not happen until after 5. So basically, a child can talk but not really understand what they are saying or how to structure sentences.

For me, I decided that Calleigh will learn just fine, but in her own time. I'd rather her gain some street smarts and experience life from her current perspective. Adults need to remember, the stimulation level for a child is off the charts. Everyday they are experiencing and absorbing something new. Lately Calleigh has been having play time with other kids in our building and it's really encouraged her to speak and do things differently. There is a saying, you are who you choose to surround yourself with in your life. So true.

Touchy Feely in Korea

In a recent visit to Korea, people really seemed to be keen on touching and gawking at Calleigh. It was a bit strange because I have not experienced this except with family and friends. Here is a clip at a train station near the South and North Korean border Demilitarized Zone and a tourist is posing for a photo. She notices Calleigh and just grabs her and gets a photo with her. Keep in mind, I am only a few feet away and no permission granted from me. Cute but scary.



Hmm...Kidnapping
People in Asia have always talked about child abductions and using cute children as begging magnets on the street or selling them off. It's a horrible feeling. But when I saw how fast that woman grabbed Calleigh    it made me think how easy it is to lose a child if you are not paying close attention. When watching the video, notice how Calleigh does not scream out for me or say anything at all to alert me.  It's a scary thought. Maybe I've watched too many movies but as a parent, I couldn't bare the thought and would not know what I would do, especially in a foreign country. I could only imagine them saying....oh well....your fault.

Walk the Walk

Flip flops are nice for Calleigh because I believe her feet is not stuffy. Similar to her Dad because when Dad takes off his socks after some walking, they are soaked! Tonight Calleigh wanted to go out but it was near bedtime, but insisted on wearing her flip flops. So she just decided to walk back and forth until she got too tired.

Hmmm....Shoes
Buying the first pair of shoes for your child is supposed to be a serious matter as it does influence the way the arch develops. Not sure if that's totally true, but we did spend $40US for a good pair of SrideRite's for her and Calleigh loves them. A few times I had her wear her shoes without socks, which to me is not a big deal for her. But after noticing how wet her socks get after walking around Hong Kong, I decided to put those socks back on!