Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Kids are Fun, Kids are Grown Ups

I am always fascinated what the one year old, two year old or three year old can do. There is a difference between me and my younger sister and my younger brother, five and ten years, respectively. So I have some memories of some funny moments, and some not so funny. I remember that very first word I thought my sister was a parrot. I don't know what I was thinking then, but she loved it - may be that is why she is into breeding birds now. She also loved going into the barrel full of potatoes and water, and take a bath - and that was quite a scenario. Because my older sister and myself had to take care of both of my younger sister and brother, we used to do crazy stuff when playing. We had to entertain ourselves because we had one or two occasions when we received toys, and we only had one TV channel. Going back to the story, we used to build these snow walls between neighbor kids and then play war. Well few times the curiosity of my younger sister earned her few bruises in the head from snow balls, at least we did not need any ice for compressions. The best was also racing streets with my sister in the stroller. Accidents always happened, but lucky no injuries. Lucky there were no cars, but there were light posts to which we always happened to run into. We lost our sister few times upon the impact, no injuries as she always safely landed on the grass. She was only one and a half years old, and I was about seven years old.

Then five years later my brother was born, and so more kids on the street. My brother loved horses, and he had huge collection of them by the age of four years old. So what did he do? Well there was this kid across street who just started to walk at one, and somehow he by himself always made to our backyard. Well my brother then two, soon as he saw him, he always wanted to ride him. It looked funny, but we always had to separate them just in case the one year old's mother showed up. I think the idea came from horse collection.

And now thirty years later, do I have the same experiences with kids in family, and I do find that kids are talking much more and much more like adults. The latest, my cousin's three year old daughter was really entertaining us this holiday season. We had dinner together, and the little girl decided to be at the head of the table. She would converse with all of us, and her vocabulary was just amazing. The best line of the year was when mother offered her a cup of tea, with puzzled face she responded - 'How can you give your own child a hot tea' - very clever for the three year old.

24 comments:

  1. Anna,

    This post brought a lot of memories!
    "How can you give your own child a hot tea" LOL LOL that kid is amazing! You are right: kids, nowadays, talk more and they vocabulary is amazing (even before they go to school). There is this theory saying that kids are more enlightened now, because our era is changing; and they come to make this a better world :D. It is a nice one, isn't it? However there are some kids that I just feel like smacking *nodding*: they seem to be the devil itself!

    Anyway, I played a lot when I was a kid: I rode bikes, I did skate-board; I punched boys, I skipped rope, I played hide and seek, voleyball, I swimmed, I went to the beach...etc...happy days :D!
    My brother played with me cause he is only 2 years younger; but it was more on a competitive level: my mom used to out us to debate. We would pretend that we were laywers, she was the judge and we defended cases LOL *nodding*...this developped my verbal skills lol. We used to run, my brother always won; we used to play monopoly, my brother always cheated; we played Trivial pursuit, I always won; we used to play a game called "boti-bota" (I don't think there is a translation for this one, but it was like this: there is a toy that on one end there is a ring that you put in your ankle, at the end of it there is either a plastic boot [it was our case], a lemon, etc. then you had to spin the the boot with one leg - it is something between hula-hoop and skipping the rope), I always won; we sang, I always won...we did math exercises, my brother always won lol....

    I only have nice memories :)!

    I have a 4 years old niece and let me tell you, the girl can talk and complain! My God...*nodding*! I started talking when I was 9 months, but these kids of today kill me LOL...

    Great post, Anna :D! Btw: I loved the image: beautiful girl (I hope it is a girl)!

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Max, thank you for your comment. Yes that girl was funny, but I think I would only want to have her for couple of hours and for entertainment only. You are right kids are enlightened now, and probably they would be before too if all parents were so interactive as yours. I think today more and more parents interact with their kids, and we can also blame on the availability of all kinds of intelligent toys. I remember I used to get one or two toys per year, and now I see kids, they are getting toys left and right. Plus lot of toys are now interactive, so I guess kids brain is developing differently than before.

    Wow looks like you had so much fun with your brother, and I can see you are fighter too, lol. Your mom sounds like fun, the lawyer game sounded so interesting. And most of all you talking at age of 9 months, so when did you start writing, lol, must have been around that time too.

    I think all memories are nice, even if we lost or won, or fell, or got hit - it is all part of growing up.

    Yes I forgot that aspect from the children, yes they can complain too. Must be fun watching your four year old niece complain, lol, I wonder what kind of problems and issues she is going through, lol.

    Max, yes it is a girl. It is in fact my niece. I am not very big in posting images of kids on internet yet, plus they are not mine. However, if the face does not really show, then I think should be okay.

    BTW I fixed my email address, so if you go to my blogger profile you can email me the code, if still does not work, I will email you directly.

    Thanks a lot for your help. I will respond later to your comment on my photo blog.

    Anna :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anna,

    You are most welcome *bow*!

    "Yes that girl was funny, but I think I would only want to have her for couple of hours and for entertainment only." - LOL LOL I know what you mean LOL...

    That's right, these kids have more toys nowadays *nodding*. I am not even sure if that is good or not *nodding*.
    But yes, interactivity develops the brain more, true...

    LOL yes, my brother and I had a lot of fun. Well, my mom wouldn't let us just sit around, we had to be busy all the time lol.
    LOL I started writing when I was 5. My brother started when he was 4.

    "I think all memories are nice, even if we lost or won, or fell, or got hit - it is all part of growing up." - I utterly agree with you :).

    LOL oh yes, it is a lot of fun watching her complain. Sometimes I want to laugh, but I can't, I have to play the role of angry auntie; but she just goes on complaining, even though she is wrong LOL *nodding*. She will be quite a handful as a woman LOL *nodding*. Her issues are: she dislikes it when we contradict her (imagine a kid disliking an adult contradicting her LOL), she always wants to do things her way, she wants to play with cell-phones...you name it; the missie is a handfull LOL.

    "I am not very big in posting images of kids on internet yet" - I know what you mean...it is a bit dangerous, isn't it?
    "However, if the face does not really show, then I think should be okay." - yes :).

    "BTW I fixed my email address, so if you go to my blogger profile you can email me the code, if still does not work, I will email you directly." - I got it already! I will send you the code :D.

    "Thanks a lot for your help. I will respond later to your comment on my photo blog." - you are welcome :)! Sure, not to worry :)!

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi! I also played wars with my brother and sister when I was just knee high to a grasshopper. To tell you the truth, it wasn't supposed to be a war game, that's just how it ended up.

    Chasing each other around the backyard would eventually turn into throwing objects at each other. Well, one day it got out of hand and I threw something at my sister. She let out a scream as she wiped the blood from her face.

    That's when my parents decided to join our war games. Guess who won? Hmmm...It wasn't me. Banished to the dark corners of my bedroom for the rest of the day, while my sister got stitches in her head.

    She still reminds me of this event everytime I see her. Ladies have such long memories. Why is that so?

    Regards
    Peter

    ReplyDelete
  5. you know, todays kids are really more..... grown up... they act this way, they talk this way. My 4 years old niece brings out such topics and discusses them on such a level that sometimes i forget she is just 4. Thats amazing how time changed the definition of childhood. Kids are not kids anymore. even their games are not just games anymore, they make a lot of sense and sometimes children act much more wiser than their parents.

    And nice memories, loved reading this post!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Every generation seems to speed up faster than the one before. I think the media they are exposed to now has much to do with that, although we, as parents, have to remember it's our responsibility to monitor how much they are exposed to.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Max, nice mom you have, and you starting write at 5 and your brother at 4 is really good. I wanted to write, I remember when I knew the alphabet at age of 5 I used to take all the letters put them into words (but not really words) so it looked like I created story - that is how much I wanted to write then. And don't ask, when I discover wonderful place like library once I started to read, lol. It really shows that you were able to speak and write that soon Max.

    Your niece sounds like fun, and I know what you mean about laughing - we cannot give that away, otherwise they will not listen.

    Max thanks for all your comments for this post, appreciated. Anna :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lena you are absolutely right. However, it is really fun to interact with kids with that age and actually almost like talking to adults - I think we learn too, not what we already know but may be how to be happy. I think it is really good for the adults. Thanks Lena for commenting, Anna :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Jeff B and you too are absolutely right, each of you brings a valid point. It is really important to pay attention to really smart kids, because once they learn that they can do almost anything, the discipline is out the window, and later in life the just cannot find the right path. Good point Jeff, thanks, Anna :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Peter I just wrote you this great response and I lost it all, oh well let me start over again.

    So Peter you were a wild kid, lol. You remind me my older sister. Once I fell into creek in the winter, because she wanted to know what will happen if she sways the bridge some more, it was shallow so no worries, but wet and cold.
    We used to wrestle too, and this is before we knew what wrestling was.

    So parents would join the war, looks like you lost, lol, those dark room corners sound familiar.

    Valid question Peter, I really don't know why ladies tend to remember more. But then I sit with my father and my father in law a lot, and they tell us stories, and they remember lot of things and stories like that too. Hey may be statistically speaking your data comes from more population of women, if I remember you went to school with many women, lol. May be that is why, but then I could be wrong.

    Peter thanks for sharing your stories with us. I always enjoy reading them. Thanks again. Anna :)

    PS so now I will copy to clipboard just in case, before publishing, lol.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anna,

    Thank you, I also think that my mom is nice :D!

    "I remember when I knew the alphabet at age of 5 I used to take all the letters put them into words (but not really words) so it looked like I created story - that is how much I wanted to write then." - ooooh that is so cute :)! Knowing the alphabet at the age of 5 is also very impressive :D!

    Ok, I won't ask lol...but I bet that you went crazy with all them books there, in the library :).
    Thanks, darling :). My father says that I have been talking for too long LOL LOL....

    My niece is amazing :D! And very intelligent too :). True, if we give in to kids they will not respect us.

    "Max thanks for all your comments for this post, appreciated. Anna :) " - you're welcome *bow*! :D

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hey Max, you know when I was born I was 6 kg (over 12 lab) (didn't really stick with me, lol), so the doctor said to my mom, just give her a knapsack and send her to school, and I think I heard him, because I love to learn. I think kids these days know a lot too, my 3 years old niece, can sing the alphabet really good, and starting to recognize the letters. Wow, what are we doing, growing super kids, lol. I still like library, but getting lazy to make a trip, as Internet is already resourceful, and up to date. You said: 'My father says that I have been talking for too long LOL LOL....' - yes lol. Max you are doing great job with your niece. I guess got to run and do some work now. Take care, Anna :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. BTW Max, I just re-read your first comment, 'I punched boys', lol, that made me laugh again. Anna :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hello Anna,

    6kg? Really?! I was so small compared to you (2,95 kg) lol! You must have been such a cute baby girl :)!

    "(didn't really stick with me, lol)" - LOL *nodding*
    I see..were you a brainy in school? I was lol :).

    "I think kids these days know a lot too, my 3 years old niece, can sing the alphabet really good, and starting to recognize the letters." - she is one smart cookie :): congrats!!!

    "Wow, what are we doing, growing super kids, lol." - LOL LOL yes, we are LOL...

    Thanks for your kind words!!! I love the Internet...I am a huge fan!!!

    I need to go now...

    Cheers

    P.S: LOL I am glad you laughed; I did punch them...I was terrible *nodding*! Ciao...

    ReplyDelete
  15. I feel the same! Like you, I'm the eldest in the family and I have 6 and 9 years difference with my brother and sister... all grown up now.

    I don't have kids yet, but when I see some 3-4 years old playing or acting like adults, I just find it so cute and quite amazing. I was at a party a few weeks ago, and this little 4 yo liked me and talked with me all evening. She was so smart I was amazed! I guess I haven't been around young kids in awhile...

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anna, what a lovely post of your childhood memories and siblings. I remember those snow ball fights. Fast and furious. LOL

    Hugs, JJ

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh Max you were small baby, I can see you being cute then too. Lets see if I was cute, I had a post once or more a game where bloggers were trying to ID me on the photo. Here is the link: http://myonlyphoto.blogspot.com/2007/09/this-time-something-different.html, and later follow up post (go to the bottom of the post to get the answer: http://myonlyphoto.blogspot.com/2007/09/this-time-something-different.html. And thanks for punching all the boys, since I wasn't able to do them, lol. Thanks for all your comments, and fun, appreciated - Anna :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Zhu, I guess we both have something in common. It is a big age difference, and the difference that makes you remember a lot about them and see them growing up. I clearly remember my mom being pregnant and the time when they were delivered from the hospital. And things we had to do when the baby arrived - that is be quiet, play time was limited. You are giving us another example of kids being so smart at young age. Thank you so much for sharing your story. BTW Welcome to my blog, and I will check out your blog too. Thanks again.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi JJ thank you so much. So you had snow ball fights too, I can imagine, and don't you feel like having them now, just the amount of snow you had in the past weeks. We unfortunately don't have much of a backyard to do that, lol, but I itch a lot to do that. Fast and furious is right, lol. Thanks JJ again, Anna :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anna,

    You were soooo cute!!! Thanks for the links! However the second one is the same as the first, so I didn't find the correct answer yet!! But it was a fun game :D!
    Didn't you see my baby pic? I posted it last November! If you haven't let me know, and I will send you the link, ok? :)
    LOL you are welcome :)!

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  21. Max thanks, got the link, and you are yourself were really cute baby. Oh just adorable, Anna :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. I like what you are doing with your blog, its a great idea to use our stories to help others learn from what has happened to us. I am doing something similar with my blog, check it out at http://novelog.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi Sandy, welcome to my blog and thank you for commenting. I will be visiting your blog shortly, thank you. Sounds interesting. Anna :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anna,

    You are most welcome, dear *bowing*!

    *blushing*.....

    ReplyDelete

And now lets hear your blobbing, lol!