Does anyone love Ferrero Rocher as much as I do? Just thinking about them makes me salivate.
So you can probably imagine my reaction when I saw this…
A tower in the Dubai Mall made out of Ferrero Rochers.
OMG
Ferrero Rocher
Month: December 2012
Interpreter
If you know anything about me – you will know how worried I was about V not talking. Understanding everything – but not talking.
Until a few months ago, of course… When he started talking ‘properly’.
He started talking and now we can’t stop him!
I am one proud mama. Not only is my child able to express himself and make his needs known, but his understanding amazes me. Every day.
Of course there are times when I wish I could just point the remote control at him and ‘switch him off’!
He has come such a long way in a relatively short amount of time.
So maybe you’ll understand my dismay when I received his report card last week (yes, another bloody report card)…
Speaks clearly – Just beginning
Can use recognisable words – Sometimes
Carries on simple conversation – Not yet
Hmmm…
Not everything he says is clear, that’s true. But most of his words are recognisable. Aren’t they? And of course he can carry on a simple conversation.
To be honest, I kind of dismissed the report. Obviously his teachers don’t know him as well as I do. (Bloody hell… I’m turning into one of *those* parents faster than I thought!!)
We arrived in Dubai two days ago.
And everytime V says something, one or both of my parents say, ‘What did he say?’ And I have to translate.
My mum is always looking for something to be wrong. Last year she thought he may be autistic. This year she suggested we go to a speech therapist. *eye roll*
What the hell is wrong with people? Can’t they understand him? He’s not speaking another language, for God’s sake.
Am I going to have to interpret everything for everyone for the next two weeks?
Or longer?
Mercato
I thought I’d make an early start today. Go out, do some shopping, etc. So didn’t happen like that!
We decorated the tree in the morning;
with a combination of decorations that we’ve used since we were children,
and new ones 🙂
After napping, V decided he wanted to go to the mall and drive cars (he didn’t have to ask me twice!)! I took him to Mercato.
Vinay had a great time ‘driving’ the bus 🙂
This made me laugh!
Mercato is a very pretty mall, I wish I’d taken some pictures actually (no doubt I’ll be going there again at some point). But the stores are so-so… I went into one and asked the sales guy for a pair of trousers in a UK 14.
He replied, ‘Sorry ma’am, we don’t have big sizes.’
Jesus – since when has a 14 been a big size?! I won’t be going there again.
Wafi City
Day one in Dubai has been quite uneventful…
Because we didn’t get home from the airport until 5.30am, we spent most of the day lazing around. Everyone had an afternoon nap – apart from me. I’m kicking myself for that now – but hey-ho.
I wanted to take V out just for a while in the evening, so he could see stuff. We went to Wafi City for a bit. Here are some pictures…
I loved the big Christmas tree and decor.
V spotted this little play area…
And went straight to the kitchen area.
Meanwhile, Mama spotted THIS!
We walked around for a little while. V wanted this…
But was happy to kiss him goodbye when Mama said, ‘no’.
Look at these Christmas tree decorations I spotted.
We didn’t see much, I know – but it was definitely interesting. And what did V enjoy the most?
That’s right…
The escalators!
Dubai
Finally. Finally we are out of Lagos! I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks…
V and I are in Dubai with my parents.
As our departure date drew nearer, I became more and more nervous about travelling with V (again).
He’s so different each time we fly, I never know what to expect!
This time he had his own seat. I’ve been preparing him for weeks, and we’ve been reading Busy Airport – just so he realised that he *had* to sit in his own seat and wear his seatbelt.
As soon as we arrived at the airport, he started asking to sit on the airplane. We still had three hours until boarding!
He was tired. And I’d given him some cough syrup to make him drowsy.
He sat so well. I was so proud of him.
He watched tv and even used the headphones for short periods of time. He’s NEVER used them before.
V got a bit restless near landing time, but was distracted by the iPad. He started complaining about ear-ache during the descent and I kept making him drink water.
That’s when it happened.
He threw up. Everywhere.
Luckily I’d put the iPad away already!
And then twice more.
Oh well… At least he didn’t throw up throughout the flight!
Christmas
So… V is two. Two and three months.
Old enough to understand a little about Christmas, right? Santa, Christmas trees, lights, gifts, etc.
I hate to admit it – but I haven’t really introduced him to any of those things. If we were staying here for the holidays, I’d have put up the tree and had him help me decorate it. But since we’re leaving next week, I decided there was no point.
I knew he’d do a few Christmas activities in nursery, and I thought I’d just build on that at home.
Not very fair on him, I know…
Anyway, so he’s seen the Christmas lights nearby – and I showed him the tree and presents, etc.
At school they decorated a tree, made snowmen and Santas. And then we talked about it when we came home. But I didn’t make too much of a big deal about it.
So you can imagine my surprise when…
Two days ago we were in the car and Jingle Bells came on on the radio. And he started singing along!
And this is even with the lack of input from home.
I feel so guilty! The first things he’s learnt about Christmas he’s learnt at school!
Girlfriend
Two weeks ago (I can’t believe I forgot to write about this before) I went to pick V up from nursery. I was waiting outside the school, standing next to a lady waiting for her child. V’s teacher was standing in the doorway, calling for the children as their parents arrived.
The mum next to me said to the teacher, ‘I want to see who is Vinay.’ (English is not her first language).
My first thought was, ‘Uh-oh, what’s he done?!’
The teacher pointed at me and said, ‘This is his mum.’
I smiled at her (wishing I’d washed my hair that morning) and she said to me, ‘Your son is in love with my daughter. All I hear at home is ‘Vinay. Vinay. Vinay.”
Eh?
The teacher piped up, ‘Oh yes. There’s a big love story in our class! Lots of hugging and hand-holding!’
Vinay had mentioned this little girl’s name before. Lots of times. But I didn’t think anything of it. I just figured it was one of the names he could pronounce.
He and his new friend came out together. I scooped him up and her mum scooped her up. The two children looked at each other, smiled and hugged.
Since that day, when he’s made a fuss to get ready and go, I just tell him that X is waiting for him. And before I know it, his backpack’s on his back and he’s waiting at the door!
He’ll be talking/babbling away to himself and all of a sudden just start repeating her name over and over again.
He walks in through the school gate in the morning, looks around the playground and says, ‘Where’s X?’
It’s just too cute.
Vinay’s first love 🙂
Another Swimming Lesson
Last Wednesday we had another swimming lesson. I was dreading it.
I decided I wasn’t going to tell Vinay where we were going until we got there!
However he saw my towel before we left home and said, ‘Mama! Leave towel home. Me no swimming.’
I told him that I was going to swim and that he could just watch.
Our lesson that day was at a friend’s place. I knew they had a litter of puppies (a few weeks old) and I knew that Vinay wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to see them.
We got there early (so early my friend wasn’t home yet), saw and played with the puppies and then went downstairs to the garden.
Vinay started playing with some sand toys and would not even look at the swimming pool!
My friend and her daughter were back, changed and in the pool already.
I took one of the little plastic watering cans from the garden and got into the pool and started messing around.
‘Someone’ started watching with interest. And before I knew it – he was changed, arm-bands on and in the pool!!
And he had a blast 😀
He didn’t cling to me too much. And he even went to the coach and did a few kicking exercises.
I was, and am, absolutely thrilled!
Progress! Hooray!
The Diary of a Lagos Mum 