Every month I look online at what to expect from Doris's behaviour and at nearly 18 months she is bang on target. Currently she has a food fad where one day she will eat veg and fruit and other healthy stuff. The next day brings a complete refusal of these foods. Apparently all very normal, which is a comfort.
She is learning fast and we are at a stage where we have to watch what we say and do as she copies everything. Her vocabulary is being added to daily and sometimes it is a complete surprise the words she repeats. The other day she looked at a picture of a bird and said "Vulture," accurate but where did she get that from. She uses more Thai words than English as she spends more time with Mon, her mum, so that is natural. I'm sure she will start to wonder why things have 2 names, Thai and English. I know this will cause many moments of confusion and hilarity in the future.
Doris's motor skills are on the up and up. She nearly walks up and down stairs without help, can put a very simple jigsaw together and open a screw top. She draws on one of those magnetic boards that swipe clean all sorts of squiggles and explains they are ginkos, mice, birds etc. Doris can put coins into a piggy bank - I hope she will carry this habit into adult life.
Doris loves watching DVDs of the Telly Tubbies and Barney.
Telly Tubbies is a phenomenon that passed me by 15 years ago but I'm now well up to speed with the personalities of Dipsy, La La, Tinkey Winkey and Po all the way to the colour of their uniforms. They show film of kids performing normal everyday activities but for some reason they show every film twice in the same episode. I wonder why.
Barney is a big pink and green T.Rex character, which the Americans have inflicted on the rest of the world. If you haven't seen it there is usually 4 kids having adventures and doing song and dance routines with Barney and his mates Baby Bop and BJ. The thing I have a problem with is not that a child befriends a pink and green dinosaur. It seems normal for kids to have imaginary friends and even the adult James Stewart had a big white rabbit called Harvey at the end of his bed - for those of you old enough to remember. My problem is that at frequent intervals Barney and the kids break out into song and perform a perfectly choreographed dance routine. I don't know about you but I've been a kid, been around kids, have worked with kids but I've never seen them break out into a song and dance routine every few minutes. Totally unrealistic.
Doris loves books and her favourite play is to look through books and repeat the stories to herself. Every day we have to read various stories about Frogs, Jack and the Beanstalk, the Gingerbread Man, Goldilocks, Red Riding Hood etc. over and over again. She loves doing the actions and making the sounds. Maybe she will become a storyteller.
Doris loves to dance. Every time music comes on she is jigging around and as time goes by her rhythm and timing are improving. Maybe she will be a dancer or performer.
Doris is very lucky to have Mon as her mum as Mon is fantastic with her, is committed 100% to the upbringing and well being of Doris. They play and laugh together such a lot that I can see in future years they will be chatting nine to the dozen and I will not be able to get a word in edgeways.
Its good to know that Doris is healthy, happy and so far so good on the parenting front. She is a joy and I'm looking forward to many happy years together with her and Mon.
