Snapshots of Abby at 27 months

>> We were at her saturday playgroup and abby was standing at the table behind a chair, drawing with crayons. I pulled out a chair on her right and asked her if she wanted to sit (also).
Abby (in deep thought, so rather matter-of-factly): Oh, oh, okie. Thank you mummy!
Then she continued colouring. Meanwhile, I was too impressed with her manners!

>> She can recite numbers rather well, from one to twelve, then fourteen, fifteen, (at this point mummy will always inject thirteen too late), and all the way to twenty. She knows how to list the twenty-plus also - I think. I thought I heard her say twenty-nine today. She can also count - one object with one number. She's learning to read digital time - and she looks forward to 9 o'clock coz it's bedtime, and then she starts resisting going to sleep.
Abby (at 7:30pm): Mummy, 9 o'clock?
Me: Not yet dear. It's seventy-thirty.
Abby (at 8:40om): 9 o'clock?
Me: Still a couple of minutes more. It's eight-forty.
Later at 9pm...
Abby: Mummy, 9 o'clock?
Me: Oh yes! It's 9 o'clock! Time to go to bed!
Abby: DOOWAN!
*speechless*

>> She sticks stickers with utmost precision. It's amazing. We've got a sticker activity book for her, and she's gotta search for stickers and paste them on 'templates' that are in a lighter shade. She does it so well for most that you don't see the lighter shade. It's very well superimposed - with few exceptions. The perfectionistic streak can be quite frustrating for her sometimes, so we're trying to get her not to be so hard on herself.

>> She's very, in fact extremely terrified of thunder. So when it was raining today, she was, as usual, tearing and just lost because of the soft rolling thunder. I was dozing in and out of my nap while feeding Shalom, and Ben was tending to her. When she came over to the bed, I was really at my wits' end. Usually that's when I pray. So I offered to pray with her.
Me (holding her, after suggesting to prayer together): Dear Jesus... I am scared... of thunder... Please protect me... Amen. (Pauses are for her to 'digest' the bite-size prayer.)
And all glory to God! She was significantly calmer after praying! It's amazing when you see your child respond to prayer. Amazing indeed. Even Ben noted she improved significantly after praying. She could even talk and joke amidst the thunder. Usually she'd freeze up and cry "thunder! Ser-kad (scared)!"

>> She likes to switch on lamps. So she gets to switch them on supervised whenever I need them switched on. When she found her 'toy', I told her she couldn't play with it. But knowing her, if she's restrained, she'd do it more - rebellious nature in all of us I think. So I gave her instructions, "Whenever mummy needs the light switched on, you help mummy do it, alright?" "Alright!" I try to make up opportunities for her to swtich it on (or off), and she'd do it excitedly. And she won't abuse the priviledge. She'd even offer to switch on other lamps for me - she'd ask first. And if it is not needed, most of the time she won't switch it on.

>> She likes to hug Shalom, especially while standing up. But I realised I have to 'lift' Shalom when she hugs him, otherwise in no time he'll have a very long neck! She holds him really tightly and I suspect he suffocates a little. Scary! Have to monitor very closely.

>> She can sing quite a number of songs -
Jesus loves me
Twinkle2 little star
Row3 Row your boat
Kinderboppers' Clap your hands & All fall down
Eensy Weensy Spider
ABC
Butterfly
Hokey Pokey
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Once I caught a fish alive
Good Morning
...

Can't remember all... but she's pretty musically inclined. Can hum tunes, sing La-la-la to melodies and can remember songs after hearing it or being taught.

>>She's starting to jump and barely lift her feet off the ground. She's still grounded... hehe. :) But managing to stand on one foot.

>> She learnt to use a pair of scissors yesterday! :)

>> She can pour very well... much better than her mother.

>> She usually puts her toys back after playing with it - one set before taking out another... except when her dad plays with her. Ben & I play differently. I am the super-stick-by-the-rule kind, whiile Ben's the creative one. So all the toys get integrated. They all have a communal meeting while I am amazed. Another thing - we've got this Ikea wooden shapes set - my version of 'play' is take all out and put them back according to the proper placing - super boring. Ben will create stuff and all with it! I try but can't get beyond stacking. I just can 'see' the creative part while Ben is amused by my 'by the book' attitude. We try not to impose on each other; instead we try our best to put our strengths into good use. He gets to play with Abby while I teach Abby to pack up. :) She gets the best of both worlds coz she packs really well (everything must be in order - no mixing) and is creative also. :)

>>Me: Where's Jesus?
Abby: In my heart!