Malaysia - Penang

Here is Luca with what he called the 'parate'.  He may have meant parrot, he may have meant pirate, we're not sure, but in both cases he was right, so maybe that's what he meant.

In the gardens at Rasa Sayang.  Leafy!

Taking a refreshing cocktail in the lobby of the Traders Hotel.

ALL YOU CAN EAT DURIAN.  MANY DIFFERENT KINDS.

Annick begins a holiday of stuffing her face.

Perfect little holiday lady.

5...4...3...2...1... blast off!

No need to fear, the Incredibles are here.

Happy 80th birthday 2 koo!  The reason we finally booked the holiday in the first place, so thank you!

Annick is all about making the sexy eyes, just like Luca at the same age.

Ah kong teaches Annick another important eye skill - the eye roll.  She is still working on this one.

Coconut time.

Give Annick a bucket, a spade and a goodly supply of water and she is pretty much ready for anything.

Somehow characteristic of their entire personalities.

Petite princesse.

Penang Butterfly Farm!  Just like when mama and Ah Koo were little.

Luca discovers the touch-sensitive joy that is the mimosa plant.

Luca learns how to take photos.

Bee Kuan and Bee Ching Ee learn that touchphone technology is nectar to babies.

A final day in the pool before we leave for Taiping.

June 2013 - Malaysia

Check out the eyebrow action!

Holy moley what a month.

Annick:
- sprouted all sorts of teeth, mostly molars
- standing on her own, particularly when she doesn't realise she's doing it
- could probably walk if she wanted to, but doesn't want to
- trying SO HARD to talk - she picks up random words then repeats them over and over - the other day the word was 'money' because a pirate on the Polly Woodside had given Luca a handful of gold coins. So Annick wanders around now going "money! money! money money money!" It's not a good look on the tram.
- does the sexy eyes, just like Luca!
- feeds herself competently but is not fussed about neatness
- claps, dances, loves music

Luca:
- can have a coherent telephone conversation, albeit peppered with "ok, bye bye, see you later!"
- lovely manners, 'tat oo sir', 'more rice peese'
- is horrifically cheeky when tired and hungry
- is very good at helping mama with all kinds of things around the house
- occasionally puts Annick in time out - "no little Pai Pai!  Stay here!  Two minutes!"

- for some reason we don't know calls Annick "little Pai Pai"
- travels like a champion!

Of course, this month we went to Malaysia.  Here are some photos from days 1 & 2:

We have two little plane spotters on ours hands.

Mmm, inflight cuisine!  The universal code for 'children's menu' - checken nuggets and mac and cheese.  EVEN ON SINGAPORE AIRLINES.

Mr Jetsetter.  He wouldn't let anyone else wheel along the carry on luggage.

Finally, in Malaysia!  A hotel buffet breakfast to celebrate, Annick is pleased.

Lazing on the banana lounges, under the coconut palms, looking over the beach.

Having a massage on the banana lounges, under the coconut palms, looking over the beach.

Toddler pool for the win!  Although Luca went down the waterslide one time, probably the last ever.

We head out looking for durian and strike it lucky straight away - pointy!

Annick tasted it, made a face, spat it out, thought about it for two minutes, asked for more.

Luca offers a monkey spectator a banana.  As we found out, it is ALL LIES that all monkeys like bananas.

We taught Luca how to say 'good morning' in Malay, which is 'selamat pagi'.  We also showed him this awesome hotel buggy!  Something got mixed up in his brain and by the end of the evening he was asking us for rides in the 'selamat bagi', and so selamat bagi is what we shall call it always.

We finish up our first full day in Malaysia with a cheese rickshaw ride through the night market!  Yay!

Luca music

Luca's most requested songs at the moment are:

"Luca's song!"
"Which song is that?"
"I live on the second floor!"



'Mokita'



"Hallelujah"



The whole family favourite is this one.  Luca said, "what is this song?  I like this song!"

May 2013 - Annick 13 months, Luca 3 years

A pretty typical photo of the two little monkeys for May 2013.  Luca being cheeky and Annick looking like she's up to something.

Annick:
- can say: yeah, no, mama, papa (but not TO papa), car, caca, woof, Jemima ("mima")
- has had a good stab at: douche, bobo, star, jeans
- can stand up on her own but generally only when she doesn't realise she's doing it
- won't have a bar of this 'walk to mama!' business
- can feed herself with a spoon!
- babbles to herself like an alien out of Mars Attacks

Luca:
- all talking, all singing!
- OBSESSED with airplanes and is very excited to soon be going on one - likes to run around with his arms out, 'taking off'.  Or sitting on chairs, telling you he is on an airplane, and trying to get you to join him.
- Favourite books: Dig, Dig, Digging (can recite this one off by heart.  So can mama); There are too many elephants in this house, Cheeky Monkey, Maisy Dresses Up

The two little monkeys are still pushing (Luca), biting (Annick) and hitting (both) each other, but slowly things are improving and they play together peacefully on occasion.  They push vehicles around the apartment together, Luca zooming around and Annick trying valiantly to keep up, although he gallantly waits for her at intervals.  Luca has commandeered the big dump truck, but has given both the medium sized and little dump trucks to Annick so she has two.  He has also taken to inviting Annick to 'play together in the kitchen Annick!', so things are on the up!

We just need to stop him trying to ride her like a horsey, shouting, "gallop gallop gallop!"

Vroom vroom vroom around the apartment!

We went to see the digger in the lot next door clear all the rubble into a big skip.  It was FASCINATING.  For Luca.

When we got home, Luca spent the rest of the afternoon re-enacting it all with a duplo bulldozer, lots of blocks and a plastic take away container.

We went to the museum!  Here is Annick in the children's garden, sitting on a painting, holding a hoop and pointing at something that wasn't actually very interesting.

Luca only really goes to the museum for the GIANT LEGO.  Which is fair enough.

Annick checks out the round cushions while Luca investigates ancient Mesopotamian society.

Mirrors!

Wombat!

At home we've been getting musical!

Almost 50% of all photos of Annick look like this - I should probably just give her the camera and be done with it.

Annick 'helping' with the nappies, much as Luca used to 'help' (i.e. NOT AT ALL)

Walking around by pushing a chair!  Like learning to ice skate!

About the discover the artistic joys of a steamed up window.

Still into hats.

Papa and Luca discover that the 3+ age recommendation on the puzzle from Nonno is almost certainly optimistic.

Check out Annick's spoon skills!  She just decided that she'd start feeding herself thank you very much on June 8.

And because Annick was having her photo taken eating with a spoon, Luca had to have one too.  This is his 'photo' face, for when you ask him to smile for the camera.