Toddler Talk (Round 2)

Daddy and Mummy loves hearing Erik talk. It just amazes and scares us at how much Erik knows! Whenever Erik talks to us, Mummy would do her best to stop and listen patiently to whatever our little boy would want to say. No interruptions. She'll wait for him to finish his thoughts, sometimes it makes a lot of sense and sometimes it doesn't and Mummy will ask for Erik to repeat and/or show Mummy. We love having full on conversations with Erik!

Knock! Knock!
Grandma Katy closes her bedroom door to change as we are all getting ready for our evening routine of "Family Swim Meet" at the local aquatic center.

Erik knocks on the door and shouts with glee (in English) "Knock! Knock! Anybody home?"

Grandma teases "No, nobody home."

Erik replies "Yesbody home!"

Daddy and Mummy spilled into giggles and laughters seeing how Erik understood the concept of "Yes" and "No" and applied it to how he knew it best. So "Yes, Yesbody home" absolutely makes sense!

In The Dark
Erik's new nightly bedtime routine consists of Story Time with Daddy. It really is one of the best cuddling 1:1 time between Erik & Daddy. Erik loves to lay close to Daddy's side as he rests his toddler head in Daddy's arms while Daddy read some fun and delightful stories (sometimes in strange voices as well). Daddy also let's Erik "read" to him as well since there are some stories that Erik already memorized by heart! So cute and adorable.

However, an activity Erik loves to do is also "Hide & Seek" but he just loves hiding underneath our comforter and affectionately calls it his "tent" with Daddy. When he hides in there, Erik will asks "where's mummy?" and Mummy will uncover the "tent" to find 2 of her favorite people.

Last evening Mummy decided to do something different while Erik & Daddy hides under their favorite spot. She shuts of the bedroom light.

Daddy asks: "Uh-Oh! Is it dark?!"

Erik confirms yet wondering a bit: "It's dark, Daddy!"

Mummy turns on the light.

Erik shouts matter of factly: "I can see better now."

Mummy turns OFF the light.

Erik says in the dark: "I can NOT see better now."

Mummy & Daddy just ended up laughing because we loved seeing how Erik's brain is working, how he is figuring out the language and putting it together.

Chinese Influence
Alrighty, as many of you know, we are trying very hard to teach Erik 2 languages at the same time. That would be Cantonese and English. As Erik continues to grow and learn, he is often combining and substituting Cantonese words with English phrases and vice versa. Very common, even Mummy and Daddy would do the same as adults. When Erik does that, we repeat what he says in Cantonese and in English so he can distinguish how the 2 languages are said but no correction, just affirmation of Erik's communication to us.

However, the Cantonese influence is becoming apparent in Erik though.

Erik walks over to Grandma Katy's night lamp and says "Open Light" (turns on the lamp) as in 開輕

"Close Light" (turns off the lamp)

This is typical thinking in Cantonese and translating directly into English. Even Mummy has made that same verbal connection growing up and was often corrected by her teachers. But it's a big milestone because it means that Erik is very comfortable with both languages and is thinking in Cantonese and in English!! It's just AWESOME! Daddy & Mummy still chuckled a bit though.