Khaliteracy

The closest thing to book Khalish is willing to browse: Barney DVD cover.

Yesterday, the boy who rarely showed interest in books, and is always obsessed with reason, logic, and numbers, surprised Kamal and I with his ABC rendition.

No, he is no Toby Rosenberg, who read aloud the posters his stroller passed by at 14-month-old. Kamal and I are simply easy to please, and Khalish is simply pleasing. Thus innumerable documentation on him and him alone. Oh, please excuse the seemingly incurable proud parents syndrome. We might sigh at his tantrum, which he particularly threw when we failed to understand his message, conveyed in Khalish-speak, but later, we would laugh at his ability to choreograph such circus.

Done with his version of the ABC, I requested for an encore, and sang along with him. Whenever I paused, he would continue, with the right alphabet. Hurrah! For his lack of interest in the conventional books, he compensated with an ardent love for the audio toys. Specifically, the LeapFrog Alphabet Pal.

Khalish is indeed inclined to auditory stimulation. With a time limit for television, as Kamal and I prefer to expose him to more outdoor activities, he managed to memorise nursery rhymes and other songs on either Ceria or Playhouse Disney, and further increase his vocabulary. Realising this, Kamal and I shall invest more in printed materials with audio system in order to encourage reading and writing, and more importantly, Khalish's interest in them. At the moment, I am visualising an iPad; how I could read more on early childhood education with the convenience of eBooks.

Play is important, too. Playing, in fact, is an impeccable learning tool.

An Appreciation

Thank you, Khalish, for being here with me, and for awakening the best qualities within me, including the inner child who appreciates the simplest things in life.

My second year as a mommy. Alhamdulillah. I am most grateful for the personal growth conceived from the responsibilities.

On Sunday, as I kissed Khalish the usual morning kisses before proceeding to the daily chores, he tightened his embrace and requested for more affection. He would love to be kissed on both cheeks, the forehead, the nose, the chin, the head, both eyes, and on the lips, innumerable times. No words. Just a shove of the nose, the chin, the head, both eyes, and the lips to my pout. No, he did not know it was Mother's Day. It must be his instinct that it was a somehow special day, thanks to the daddy's thoughtful bouquet, followed by the mommy's display of delight, first thing in the morning. Yes, too bad Kamal and I are too practical for such romanticism to happen every day.

Thus the son's silent request for endless kisses. Such a simple gesture, but it will keep me smiling for my lifetime. Naturally, I thought of my mother. What have I, as a little Aishah, done to make my mother smile for her lifetime? More importantly, have I, as an adult, done anything meaningful lately to keep such smile alive?

I have wished both my mothers, Mak and Mok, Happy Mother's Day. Now, I long to hug and kiss them again. Thank you.

Thank you, Kamal, for the lovely flowers. Thank you, for your love.

Blessing, Disguised

May 6, 2010, Thursday. My MacBook Pro crashed. Literally. It started with my son's request for a nursery rhyme on YouTube, to which I said "sorry Khalish, not now; I have an appointment in an hour." To which he responsed by lifting the laptop, in an effort to pass it to me, and the rest is history. I managed to catch it, only to slip an inch from the floor. Back from our appointments, Kamal pointed to me the black screen. All I could think of was the photos. Similar thought must have crossed Kamal's mind as he swiftly connected the laptop to the television. I swear the whole neighbourhood could hear our sigh of relief when the wallpaper appeared.

The MacBook Pro crashed, but the accident only affected the screen, Alhamdulillah. Now, I am resorting to MacBook Air, courtesy of the company Kamal freelances in. How I hope the screen could be repaired before Herbalife Asia Pacific Extravaganza in Singapore next week.

Khalish, meanwhile, has apologised to me after being told how his impatience has limited his chance to watch Eric Herman's The Elephant Song and the likes on YouTube in the future now that the parents have only one computer. As for me, I was too complacent with the fact that Khalish never touched any of the gadgets at home, no matter how conveniently reachable they were. Until that day. An expensive lesson and yes, Kamal and I believe in a blessing in disguise.

Tagged and Loving It

1
Do you think you are hot?
In today's weather, yes, I am hot. Heh.
(Khai, I share your sentiment about this particular question. Irrelevant.)

2
Upload the current photo on your computer wallpaper:

3
What is the photo all about?

It was March 17, 2009. A weekend. Kamal and I decided to stop by Putrajaya Botanical Garden after attending a family gathering. Khalish enjoyed the long stroll at the park, but he was happiest when the three of us simply sat by the lake. Must be the flowers in our ears and the camera in daddy's hand. Careefree, definitely.

4
When was the last time you had a pizza?

February 20, 2010. A Saturday. Oh, I must really thank iPhoto for the record. My 9498 close chums decided to have a potluck picnic at Putra Perdana Park, Putrajaya, and Ainul brought Domino's Pizza. Covered with endless pepperoni. Heavenly!

5
The last song I listened to?

Kaoma's Lambada, on the way back to Bandar Baru Bangi from Rembau this morning. One of Khalish's favourite songs. He would sing along to "ai yai yai".

6
What are you doing while completing the tag?

My eyes are on Star World, interspersed with Travel and Living.

7
Do you have other names aside from the current one?

Aside from the usual names  of Aishah, Aishah M.A.K., Kaklang, Chechah, and Chech, no, I do not have any.

8
Tag others.

Since Khai tagged five persons, I will tag five, too:

i. Camus

ii. Camus

iii. Camus

iv. Camus

v. Camus

Ha ha!

9
Who is person number i to you?

My best friend, my sparring partner.

10
Say something to person number v.

Write more. Spread positivity like you did to me all this while.

11
Your relationship with person number iii?

Ultimately, my husband.

12
Love note for person number iv.

Singing "You are everything!"

13
Five things about the person who tagged you:

i. A colleague within 1/2005 circle

ii. An entertainer: a singer, a dancer, and yes, he can host, too.

iii. A friendly personality.

iv. A traveller.

v. A chocolate boy. Heh.

The end.

Sunshine Award

KuE, thank you for the sunshine award. I feel good. In the spirit of goodness, I am pleased to further pass the award to, in no particular order:

1. Fique's Mi Blog Es Su Blog

2. Ayue's My Whimsical Life

3. Fiziskandar's Tempus Fugit Amor Manet

4. Tuty's Boncet dan Toncet; With Babies

5. Ainul's Blissful Sweetness

6. Khair's Khair Abdullah

7. K-lynn's My Life, Listed

8. Erra's Stories To Tell

9. Anne's Raggedyanne Rambles

10. Toughcookie's I Shall Not Stop Writing

11. Anonymous' Till Fingers Meet Keyboard Again

12. Camus' Your Feel Good Blog

Friends, when you write about this award, you may follow these rules:

i. Nominate 12 more bloggers.

ii. Put the logo onto your sidebar or within a post.

iii. Link the nominees within your post.

iv. Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their respective blogs.

v. Share the love and link to the person from whom you have received the award.