From Daily Exploration:

After snack and circle time, The Hummingbirds gathered around for shaving cream time… Ms. Ali and Ms. Natalia wrote everyone’s names in the shaving cream. They loved it! Dan was ready to clean up soon after and said “Messy! I need soap!”

Yesterday when I picked up the kids, Dan saw another boy eating a cookie and said to me, “Daddy, I want a cookie just like that.” One of the things that I have noticed about Dan is that he speaks in full sentences. Dao was quite talkative when he was younger, but I don’t recall he used full sentences like Dan. I think he picked up a lot of it from Dao now. Even Khoi has been imitating Dao whenever they hang out together. Khoi is quite fond of Dao. He asks about Dao all the time. Dao could be a fantastic older brother and cousin when he wanted to.

Hôm thứ Bảy vừa qua đang ngồi ăn cơm trưa với bác Trâm và Kỳ thì cu Đán chạy đến hét to, “Muốn cặt. Muốn cặt.” Thì ra là nó muốn cắt jello ra để cho nó ăn. Thằng con trai này nói tiếng Việt mà bỏ dấu không đúng chổ thật nguy hiểm quá.

Nghe nó nói làm tôi nhớ đến một ông thầy người Mỹ dạy về môn typography. Trong một project thiết kế lại thực đơn của một nhà hàng thì tôi chọn menu của tiệm La Cay Chợ Lớn. Khi đưa cho ổng đọc thì chữ “La Cay” nghe cũng đúng nhưng ổng lại sửa “Chợ Lớn” thành “Cho Lồn.” Tôi nhịn cười không nổi nên ổng hỏi ổng nói gì mà tôi lại cười. Tôi trả lời, “You don’t want to know what you just said.” Ổng bảo rằng, “Sure why not? Just tell me.” Tôi đáp rằng, “You said ‘give me pussy.'” Cả lớp lăn ra cười làm ông ta đỏ cả mặt.

Dan: Daddy, what [are] you doing?
Dad: Sleeping.
Dan: I’m sleeping too.
Dad: You’re so cute.
Dan: No, I’m not cute. I’m a baby!

With Dao

Dad: Your pee pee is yellow.
Dao: Because I drink a lot of orange juice.
Dad: What does Dan’s poop smell like? (Changing Dan’s diaper)
Dao: Gym socks.

Last night after giving Dan a bath and trying to put a diaper on him, he pointed to his thing and said, “My tadpole.” I was shocked. I had to ask him again to make sure if I heard him correctly, “Your what?” He replied, “My tadpole.” I do not know where he got that from, but I thought it was quite imaginative.

At bedtime, Dao picked up a Dr. Seuss’s book and said, “Can we read this book. It’s my favorite book called Close Your Eyes When You Read.” When he handed the book to me and the actual title is I Can Read With My Eyes Shut.

Being a parent is such a challenge. I didn’t expect it to be so stressful. I had no idea what I got myself into. I am not a good or a perfect parent. I still don’t have a clue what I am doing, but I am glad and thankful for to be a father.

When Dao turned terrible two, I was being very uptight with him. I didn’t want him to be disobedient. I didn’t want him to embarrass me. I didn’t want him to push me to the edge. I failed all three. There were times I just didn’t know what to do with him. I would let him scratched me, screamed or threw whatever tantrum. I was just being unresponsive. My only solution was that he would grow out of it and I am so glad that he had. He is much more reasonable and he’s no longer jealous of his little brother, expect for when they fought over toys. He’s being a really good brother. Dan picked up his speaking skills from interacting with his other brother.

Now that Dan is in his terrible-two state and he is much tougher than Dao, but he is not like Dao used to be. For my part, I am taking on a more relaxing approach. Because they can now play together, I let them enjoy themselves and just keep an eye on them from a distance. If they break into a fight, I could see who started the trouble. Again I don’t claim to be a good father and I am usually shy away from that compliment. I am just doing the best I can.

Dan: Daddy, you! Get off my face (as I tried to rub Vaseline on his face)
Dan: Daddy, stop before police catch you (as we were driving home)
Dan: Daddy, the fries smell good (in the car).
Dad: When we go home, don’t tell your mom that I gave you fries.
Dao: Why?
Dad: She’ll yell at me.
Dao: Don’t worry. Her voice isn’t that loud.

As we were heading back to Pennsylvania to visit my mom and the billboard read: “Pennsylvania welcomes you.”

Dad: Dao, we’re in Pennsylvania.
Dao: Yes, Pennsylvania looks like a pencil.
Dad: Huh?
Dao: Pencilvania.
Dad: Oh I get it. (LMAO)

Dan: Donuts! (as we passed Dunkin’ Donuts)
Dad: Not this morning buddy.
Dao: That donut place was not there when I was a baby.
Dad: You’re right. It was built when Dan was a baby.
Dao: Yes. I went to the hospital to see mommy and Dan when he was a baby.
Dad: Do you want another baby brother or sister?
Dao: I want another baby brother.
Dad: You don’t want a baby girl?
Dao: No, I already have a girl?
Dad: Who?
Dao: Mommy!

This morning riding to daycare

Dao: Daddy, today is show and tell.
Dad: Did you bring anything?
Dao: Yes, my train.
Dad: What are you going to tell about your train?
Dao: My train is very very fast.
Dad: Is it reliable?
Dao: No, it’s just a toy train.
Dad: Do you know what reliable mean?
Dao: No.

Last night at bedtime

Dan: Daddy, are you OK?
Dad: Yes.
Dan: Daddy, are you OK?
Dad: Yes.
Dan: Daddy, are you OK?
Dad: Yes. I am OK.
Dan: Daddy, are you tired?
Dad: Yes.
Dan: Daddy, are you tired?
Dad: Yes.
Dan: Daddy, are you tired?
Dad: Yes. I am tired.
Dan: Daddy, are you sleepy?
Dad: Yes. I am very sleepy.
Dan: Daddy, you’re a sleepyhead [Smurf reference].

At dinner last night, I shared with my wife a few things about Duke Ellington I have been reading. I said that he was a spoiled child. Dao asked me, “What does spoiled mean?” My wife replied to him, “What do you think it mean?” He said, “It means when you get a lot of toys.” My wife and I both know that Dao is a bright kid and he’s also very stubborn. The combination makes him a hard-headed child to deal with.

I notice his behavior has changed drastically in the past year. He enjoys going to school and interacting with his friends. At home he plays well with his brother except when Dan plays with the toys that he liked. For instance, when Dan played with a garbage truck he tried to take it away from Dan. If Dan wouldn’t give it up he would start a fight. I stepped in tell him that Dan is playing with it at the moment he needs to wait for a bit. He would start to lose control if he couldn’t get what he wants. When that occurred I sent him to timeout.

Once Dan is done playing he would give it to Dao. Dan usually doesn’t play with a toy for too long. Dao thanked him and then he moved on. As soon as he grabbed a train, Dao wanted that train as well even though we have ton of trains in the house, he had to have the one Dan was playing with and then we go through the same timeout again. This behavior of his is driving me off the wall and I can’t seem to get through to him at the moment.

Như thường lệ sau khi đọc xong hai quyển sách thì tôi tắt hết đèn để thằng Đán ngủ. Hôm qua mệt quá nên tôi thiếp đi. Đến 9:30 giật mình thức dậy thì thấy nó vẫn chưa ngủ. Khi đưa tay ôm nó thì tôi đụng cái tả. Ngạc nhiên là tại sao tả lại rớt ra. Tôi bật đèn đọc sách lên thì thấy nó đã lột hết cả quần lẫn tả và đang nằm vuốt cu. Cái trò này hơi bị mới.

Hôm qua là ngày tổng thống đáng nhớ.

The following report came from one of Dao’s teachers:

Yesterday, we went to the gym and we saw a few bugs and the children were very intrigued about them, so today we asked them.
Miss Rachael: What did you guys see in the gym?
Kassie: We saw a bug
Alex: we saw a stink bug.
Eva: I think I saw 5 stink bugs. There were one had 2 babies and the other had 1 baby.
Miss Rachael: What do you know about bugs?
Dao: if you squish them, they die.

I never taught him that.

Because Dao is eloquent with language, Dan picks up his motor skills from him as well. The other day, Dan dropped a container of cereal while we were riding to the daycare. He said slowly, “I spilled cereal… Dao can you pick them up?” Early today, I was putting on his diaper and joked with him, “Cu đẹp đâu rồi?” (Where is your pretty penis?) He tried to take off his diaper and replied, “Let me show you. Let me show you.”