Junior and Nat

nat is now 16mths old and she is starting to display confidence in walking and learning to carry out tasks independently. She helps Sunarti with her chores by pushing the chairs in after someone has left the table. She would throw her dirty clothes into the laundry basket. Keep her toys after use.... and insist on returning the milk bottle to the kitchen after her night feed before she falls asleep.. it's amazing the things she could help with and each day is a new chapter for us.

Nat is also good at manipulation to get the things that she wants. Usually big fat tears would do the trick with her Grandpa and Daddy. Helper simply follows her bidding or tries to distract her with something else either a toy or blueberries or cookies. Grandma believes in disicipline and has on serveral occassions not spared the rod. I am not for physical punishment, but being firm and showing her the rattan when she gets cheeky does help to send the right message across.

Nat is the commander and chief when it comes to dealing with her dog. She simply loves ordering Junior her best friend around.And has no qualms about disciplining him. She would mimick grandma and holds the rattan as she speaks to him, telling him where he can / what he cannot do in her baby gibberish. She sometimes shouts at him to keep quiet and stop barking; raises her voice to tell him off when he is naughty; tells him to follow and return home after the walk. She interacts so well with our pet that he has become hers...And she knows he belongs to her. Hopefully one day she would take on the responsibility of feeding and bathing him! Can't wait for that to happen! Then I can relinquish my role as Junior's sitter... since his 'mummy' ... Rachel.. hardly is home to care for him.

You know.. it's really weird, and perhaps absence does make the hearts fonder.. Junior still recognises Rachel as the mummy in spite of her absence.. There is a huge difference in terms of attitude whenever he sees Rachel versus welcoming us. He'll do the whole 'hula jump' .. up and down.. up and down and his entire body exuberates joy! Telling everyone Rachel is back and he finally could be the star for the day.. and for the moment, steal the limelight away from Natalie.