I WANT...............................!
How time flies. Maija is two and a bit year old with an attitude.

These days the words 'I want' are ringing on our ears! Here comes the 'terrible two' age. Everything, if not anything comes in 100 miles speed. She loves her books. Luckily we live close to a public library! Plus she have books for her birthdays and recently, Christmas presents. She is a big fans of kid's Boogie Beebies dance programme on telly. She loves to jig about in front of television and showing us her latest moves!

Last September, she started pre-school once a week at the Whitehill centre in Chesham. On the first day of her school, she cried when i left. By contrast on the third week, she went toodle along with her classmates. I chased her for 'bye sweetie-have a good day-be good-i love you-kiss!'. I left broken hearted and proud at the same time. I realised though she still my baby, she is a big girl now and she was able to adjust in no time.

The beginning of January 2007 she started twice a week, totally loved it. She continues going to her toddler's group twice a week which runs by the Emmanuel Church and St. Mary's Church. Both are church of england in Chesham. Maija started her toddler's group when she was one and a wee bit years old.

We are also quite lucky that my youngest sister, Debby, is staying with us like another set of helping hand. She have oodles of experience dealing with tots herself in her 7 plus years in pre-school. Currently doing a degree at the Montessori Training college in London. My other sister, Maya, is also a pre-school teacher. Apart from teaching pre-school age, she is also teaches baby language classes in her spare time in Surabaya where she currently live with her husband. I am a true believer in baby sign language having taught Maija myself.

Nathan too, is joining the tot's group fairly soon. In less than 2 month he will be turning to a 1 year old. He is a happy-smiley-fast crawler-cruising between furniture-chewing books-little chap. As a result he fell from sofa and kitchen to dining room stairs a number of times. He have 4 teeth right now, 2 up and 2 down. He loves his milk, sleeps, bath time and still eats for England! He is rather big and tall for a 10 month plus old baby. He wears 18-24 months old clothing right now. Thus certainly not came from the Palapa family genes! He is still our gorgeous chubby cheek baby boy!
He loves to bounce all the toy balls around the house. Surprisingly, he is rather good at it too.
It always tickles us when meal times he gave this 'mam-mam' sound.



The difference we noted between our two children, apart from eyes and skin toned. From the minute they were born Maija was a quite baby. When she cried, she have half bar cry voice. Nathan on the other hand, already shown that he have a big lung the moment he was born. At Nathan age, Maija was quite friendly to new faces who want to hold her. Whilst Nathan will cry his lung out-'do not touch me-never seen you-i want my mum/dad' attitude. He is on the 'mama-dada-up-up' talking stage right now. He also understand 'fish, ball, mamam(food), meemee(drink) and bobo(sleep)'. Unlike Maija he refused dummy/pacifier/doudou ever since he was a newborn. Nathan is adore Maija and vice versa but he is also taking no-nonsense from his big sister either.

Last year, few weeks before Christmas we introduced 'Santa Claus' (along with the conditions as one would) to Maija. That through the chimney in he come. He'll bring lots of presents only if she is a good girl so no more hitting nor throwing toys. Also she have to be a good sister and share her toys with Nathan. If she does not, Santa will come back and take away the toys back. Well, thanks to Santa, the hitting, throwing toys and 'NO NATHAN, THIS IS MINE!' can now be easily tamed. We still have to deal with the 'I want' thing for now. Time for a cuppa.