Sunday, June 23, 2013

DORIS IS GROWING

It has been over a year since my last entry and a lot has happened. The main piece of news is that we have a settlement visa for Mon - yeeeeeheeeeey. After much deliberation, sweating, research and manoeuvring the UK Border Agency decided to grant us the visa.  Next step is a life back in the UK.

I was back in the UK for a month over Christmas and saw the state of our house. After having 2 tenants (1 with 2 kids), damage and theft of numerous items the state of the house wasn't bad. All mainly cosmetic. We are due in the UK 10th August 2013 and there will be a lot of work to do but I know we can bring the house back up to how it was in 2008 - the year I left.

As for Doris she is now 2 years and 10 months old (on the 14th July 2013) and is really a great joy.

HEALTH: She has suffered from a few bugs and viruses over the past few months and three times needed a stay in hospital with an IV drip - not nice.
She was in hospital with tonsillitis, having her adenoids removed and a nasty intestinal virus. Maybe this is the result of her being in school where kids her age will pick up all sorts of bugs. Maybe it's all a result of the heat, unhealthy food and water of Thailand and all the nasty mosquitoes and other flying things that seem to carry copious diseases. Maybe it is just bad luck.
Her weight/height ratio is normal which is a comfort

EDUCATION: Doris has been attending a very nice and caring nursery school since May 2012 and it is brilliant how much she is learning.
Her main language is Thai which she practices with Mon all the time. Also her English is good. I'm sure this is normal but she never gets the 2 languages mixed up, Thai with Mum and English with me - no problems.
She is learning drawing and writing at school and can already write most of the 44 words in the Thai alphabet and some words in the English alphabet. She knows both alphabets well and also counts numbers up to 50 in both languages.
School is teaching her great social skills, motor skills and manners which will be good preparation for proper school.

PLAYING: Doris is full of energy, fun and has a joy of life and all its experiences. She is full of questions and wants to see, try and experience everything. I know this is normal but it's a healthy and comforting thing to see her with a thirst for knowledge and intrigue about life.
She loves riding her bike around the streets, doing jigsaws, playing with her panda, reading books etc etc. She is a great fan of Winnie the Pooh and will watch a DVD of Winnie plus all the other characters over and over. Dora and Diego (for those who know about kids entertainment) are another favourite DVD. An all round normal little girl.

PERSONALITY: She has a little stubborn streak which will be exacerbated by her age (terrible 2's etc). When she doesn't want to do anything or it's all going wrong she puts on a stubborn little look, a little rouge will envelop her face and her body language is all about a "I'm not budging," stance.
She is getting to understand that it's not all about her and is gradually learning to share, compromise and negotiate - all good skills.
She loves looking at herself in the mirror. The other day in a clothes shop she picked up some T shirts and were holding them in front of her while staring in the shop mirror and doing all the moves to show off the garments. Turning her head this way and that, moving her hips etc.  She caused a few laughs with myself, Mon and other shoppers.
Doris has her own 2 year old and sometime quirky logic. When asked to enter the bedroom at home which was empty and only had a table lamp on she said, "No, something in there might bite my bum." Another time I was ill and she said to Mon, "If Daddy dies you and me can live together." Both good logic.

There are some new photos of Doris in the next blog

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