History!

Tony took the bus to school this morning - the first time he has done this.  His mother and father both went to the bus stop to drop him off.

Tony has a genius for chaos

Whenever I clean after Tony, I am simply amazed at how his toys can be just about anywhere in the apartment. For example,  I find myself asking how it could be that a toy car can be found under the sofa next to a DVD, and how the toy train is on the sofa far, far away from the  tracks that are on the floor.

Does Tony deliberately plan this chaos or is the chaos the result of a young mind with a short attention span?

I should do further investigations and make reports; and take videos of Tony's messes.  I am sure you will find them quite fascinating.

A boy and his toys.

Photos of Tony.

Wuxi Tony on a Carousel in Suzhou, China

Tony at the Suzhou Amusement Park: Notes

• Tony was excited at the prospect of riding a carousel -- first ride.
• He was too short for many of the rides.  So we only did two.
• Waiting to get on the second ride, Tony did not like to stand still in the cattle gates used to get people to queue.  I had to let him over the fence, with the desire to let him run, and with the hope that he would come back to me when the queue could move and enter the ride.  One time I caught him and lifted him over the fence so he would be back with me, but he insisted on being let go.  So, I let him go again.  But it turned out that he needed to pee.  So what he did, after I lifted him over the fence, was to drop his pants and take a pee on the sidewalk to the amusement of all the people waiting in the queue.
• Eventually, we were all able to enter the building, with one big room, in which there was a wide platform with fences to lean against.  The platform was surrounded by eight screens placed on the walls so that they surrounded the platform.  On the screens, video was shown  so that one had the visual sensation of being in the scene -- and the platform tilted and shook so one felt the physical sensation of being n the scene.  I thought it was cool, but Tony was scared.
• Tony was most fascinated by a water fountain that was at the center of the amusement park.  Strong streams of water were shot in high arches above a fifty meter line of canopies and statues.  Upward projecting faucets shot the stream of water from both sides of the line.  It was here that we spent the last half hour of our time at the park.  When Tony saw me stand up, he thought that I wanted to leave so he encouraged me to sit down.
• Tony curled up to sleep on the bus ride home.

Tony at the Suzhou Amusement Park: Photo blog

See it here at TKIC wordpress.

Tony goes to Suzhou.

He came; he saw; he conquered.

Well, not exactly.  But Tony did accompany his father on the school field trip to Suzhou.

More details about this, anon.

Tony to go to Suzhou?

Tony may come with me to Suzhou today (Saturday).  As I make this entry, the decision about whether he will come has yet to be made.  Factors against him going include my having a cold, and the late time that he would get back to Casa K.

You will learn tomorrow (Sunday) if he went.

October 29 Photo Entry

You may notice the scars and swelled lip that Tony got at the Zoo when he tripped on his face running to see a Zebra.

Tony and his latest obsession: his latest train set.

Wuxi Tony Update: Friday, October 29, 2010

• TKIC just had its' 2000th page view at TKIC blogspot!
• Jenny bought Tony another train set on Thursday.  This train set came with a Thomas the Train Engine that pulls one car.  Tony was of course over-obsessing about the train.  He got out of bed, on his own initiative this morning, to look atit.  And as with the other train set, he was constantly demanding his father do some "repair" work, though what work Tony wanted exactly, his father could not determine.
• It is Halloween day at Tony's school, today, and so all the kiddies are wearing costumes -- all it would seem, but Tony who has resisted efforts to have his costume put on.  I think he is upset at having to leave his new train set to go to school.

Tony hurts himself at Zoo

Blame it on the Zebra. 

Tony went on a school trip to the Zoo on Wednesday.

While there, Tony ran to look at the Zebra, but he didn't see the step that was just in front of the cage.  He tripped over the step and fell on his face.  He got scratches on his nose and a very swelled upper lip.  The teachers told Jenny that he didn't cry.

When Tony got off the bus, back at the school, Jenny said she didn't recognize him -- his lip swelled so much.

I didn't hear about it till I arrived home.  I nearly tripped over the fruit basket that the teachers had bought to apologize for what happened.

Tony didn't go to school today.  Jenny said he said that he had mouth pain.  Jenny may take him to the hospital.  I think Tony will be fine after a few days -- I want him to come with me on my school field trip to a Suzhou Halloween theme park.

1000 Visits!

TKIC blogspot just had its' one thousandth visit.  Modest number for sure, but I thank the rare and exalted readers who come to see how Wuxi's best expat baby is doing.

Thank you!!!!

The Latest Video of Tony

Watch it here.

Tony and Andis board the bus

On the buses in Wuxi, you will find seats facing the aisles.  These seats are usually at the front of the bus near the driver.  The other seats on the bus will usually face the front (I have seen some buses that have seats facing the back).

Tuesday I boarded a bus with Tony after having picked him up from school.  There were no pairs of seats available.  My choices were a seat facing the aisle and a seat facing the front. I choose the seat facing the front.  As I sat down, I tried to put Tony on my lap, but he didn't want this.  He took the seat that was facing the aisle.

My first reaction was to ensure he was safe.  I looked at him and thought he was a secure and very confident little boy.  Looking as his eyes, I noticed he had a higher level or awareness of his surroundings.  I was impressed with his scanning of his surroundings,  his rolling of his eyes, and his independently brave inclination.

Tony goes to the Zoo today.

Tony goes to the Zoo today.

 

Will he see green alligators, and long necked geese?  Some humpty-backed camels and chimpanzees?  Some  apes, ants, and elephants?  And what about a unicorn?  Or a pink and white panda?

 

Well....  As sure as you are born, he ain't going to see unicorns, dragons, and seven-humped yumps.  Hopefully, he will see lots of monkeys.

 

He was saying "bu yao Zoo!" this morning, but I think he understand not what he said.

 

Tony will go to the Zoo with his classmates.  A school field trip to the new Wuxi Zoo has been organized -- 60 rmb a student.

Tuesday Tony

This exclusive photo of Tony Kaulins was taken on the morning of October 26, 2010. Tony sits by the entrance of his family's apartment. He waits to get dressed to go to school.

October 26 is a Tuesday, so Tony's father Andis took Tony to school.

Andis and Tony went to school by taxi. As they went to the apartment complex entrance, a Taxi magically appeared for them.

The driver was friendly and understood Tony's father who did not speak Chinese so well, but was able to point the driver to the school.

When the taxi arrived at school, they said good bye to the driver who was very friendly.

When Tony arrived at the classroom, the teacher was happy to see him and gave him a hug.

Tony knees Father in the eye.

Tony jumped on the bed, after he had dragged his father from the computer. 

 

He seems to like wrestling with Daddy before he goes to bed. 

 

Sometimes, Tony goes a little far when wrestling, like last evening where he jumped on his father so that his knees struck his old man just above the eye. 

Notes about Tony

Tony in the evening:

• He knows how to say "change the DVD!".
• For twenty minutes, he lies on the floor playing with his train set.

 Tony on Sunday Evening at bed time:

• Tony plays with a CD case.
• Tony likes to crawl under my raised knees as I lie on the bed.
• Tony likes to sleep in a position perpendicular to that of his parents.

Tony on Monday Morning:

• He seemed to want to go to school.  He was up before his mother whose duty it was to take him.

Tony and the Train Set

He pushes the train, instead of watching it go like the tracks as he had been.

Is Tony a Red-Stater?

Tony wears his Red USA sweat top which his mother, not an Americaphile (like Andis), bought for him.

Will Tony be a Republican or a Democrat? He will be Canadian.

Wuxi Tony watches the Wizard of Oz

Can you see Dorothy and the Good Witch on the t.v.?

Tony is 38! Photos.

The photos below were taken on Saturday evening, Ocotober 23, 2010.

The 23rd of each month is a celebration of another month of Tony's life. He was born on August 23, 2007 -- 38 months ago.

Tony has a cough, again.

I am feeling not so hot.  I think I got whatever Tony had.  I feel stuffed up and lethargic.

Tony does have a deep cough, again.  He will have a ten second fit of it.  I am not not coughing yet.

Bad Boy!

• Tony has been a disturbance in class.  He doesn't pay attention to the teacher, and the other students are distracted by him.
• Tony likes to play with water.  He often takes basins and fills them to the brim and beyond with H2O.
• Tony peed the bed this morning -- our fault because we forgot to put a diaper on him.

Waking Tony Up

It is a art to wake up Tony in a no-fuss and humane way.  And I don't claim to have perfected the art, but I feel I have been effective the last couple days.  What I have done is that I gently prod him, singing him gentle songs, tickling him,  and getting him into a mischievous instead of bothered mood -- this morning, I had him smiling as he pushed me around so that when his mother came to dress him, he was ready to go.

Sitting with Tony in the morning before he has to go school.

Tony and his father sat in the living room about 730 a.m.  Tony showed his father a simple counting book full of colorful pictures of things arranged in groups up to ten.  Andis asked Tony what everything was in the book.  Tony gave made correct answers like lollipop, pink, and balls.

Jenny has arranged for a bus to come pick up Tony every morning and take him to school.  She says that taking him by scooter is no fun anymore because of the coolness of riding so early on a Wuxi fall morning.

The Latvian-Canadian Chinese Family Kaulins ride a scooter through Hui S...

Tony at a canal side

Tony at the Hui Shan Big Bridge, again after school.

Tony don't sit still.

• We took Tony to a restaurant on Tuesday evening.  He wouldn't sit still.  He annoyed his father by wanting to go out of the restaurant.
• Tony may one day break our bed because of all his jumping and stomping thereon.
• Tony got a new toy: a Hot Wheels '77Chevy Van.  It appears that his train set obsession has waned.
• Tony likes to crumple the pages of his Dr. Seuss book.
• Tony can say colours.
• Tony can't pay attention in Chinese class -- the teacher reports.  This worries his mother but his father says give him a year and he will be okay.  Tony is too young yet for this sort of thing.

Train Obsession? What will Tony be?

• Is Tony still obsessed by the train set? I will find out in a hour or so when I pick up him from school and take him home.
• Will Tony be a writer, a priest, a mechanic, a politician, a lawyer, a plumber, or, heaven forbid, a government worker? Really this question is not so important in itself. As long as whatever he does suits his abilities and dreams. What I do want him to be, is good like a gentleman or saint.

More thoughts on Tony's Monday Morning Behavior

Kids grow and they become their own little entities, so I don't know why I should be so surprised by the independent behavior Tony exhibited when I dropped him off at his school this morning.  I must have this idea that Tony is still the crying amorphous mass that I first laid on eyes over three years ago.  Maybe I having a hard time changing my notion of him as a helpless little child who can't do anything without adult direction.  I must also be having a hard time getting rid of the image of Tony not wanting to go to school the first time I took him over a year ago.  It could also well be that I want him never grow up because I know he will want to be as independent of me as possible.

But the independence and initiative of Tony, that I saw this morning, was stunning to me and I can't help but want to blog about it.  He was hankering to enter a world that is very independent of his home, and his father and mother -- only three years ago, he was a baby that needed constant care. 

 I can't get over how fast children develop.   To me, it is just a revelation.  My childhood seemed a hundred years long.

Taking Tony to School

Jenny, Tony's mother, woke up Monday morning and said she had a cold.  So she asked Andis to take Tony to school.  Andis asked if there was enough "juice" in the electric bike.  Jenny said there "should be".

 

Meanwhile, Tony was still asleep.  Jenny dressed him in his bright yellow school uniform while Tony kept his eyes shut tight.  Dressed to go to school, Tony laid on the bed.  Andis picked him up and gave him a hug.  Tony put his arms around Andis and laid his head on Andis's shoulder.  Singing a silly song to him, Andis was able to get the boy to open his eyes and smile.

 

Andis then stood Tony on the floor.  Jenny called him into the bathroom.  Hands and face washed, Tony went to the chair, besides the apartment entrance, to have his bright yellow and navy blue shoes put on -- the shoes matched his bright yellow school uniform.  Andis thought that he should have taken a photo.

 

Andis then carried Tony to where the electric bike was parked.  Tony was still sleepy and had his head on his father's shoulders.

 

Everything loaded on the bike, Andis turned the "ignition" key and immediately saw that there wasn't too much "juice" in the bike.  The bike was not accelerating very well and it showed no inclination to do its' top speed.  Andis muttered as "range anxiety" took over his thoughts - he imagined having to push the bike home while cursing Jenny via mobile phone.  He also wished that Jenny would buy a new battery for the bike.

 

But they did get to school.  Tony, despite standing on the bike, was able to snooze by leaning his head against the dash of the bike.

 

On arrival, Andis saw Tony behave in a new aspect.  Andis looked up from having locked the bike's rear wheel and couldn't see Tony.  Scanning the surroundings, Andis finally saw Tony lined up at the entrance to the school with the other kids to have his hands sprayed with some disinfectant.  Once he had his hands sprayed, Tony made his way to the classroom without needing his father's direction.  Tony actually seemed keen on going to school, his father noticed, as he saw that Tony was running to the classroom.   Andis was pleased to see Tony take the stairs without having to be carried.  At the classroom, Tony ran in to join his classmates.  Andis had to ask him for a hug and kiss before they parted.

 

 

A Little Boy's Obsession: Toy Train

Let's change the DVD!

Tony doesn't like it one bit when I suggest that we change the DVD currently being played. He will cry, stomp, say "no, no!", and wave his hands at shoulder-level in a limp-wristed manner.

Saturday Night Closeup

Photos of Tony and the Train Set

Tony and the Train Set

When I arrived home last night, I saw that Tony was crying because Jenny had just scolded him. I gave the tearful Tony a greeting hug and I then determined that he was crying because he had angered Jenny by his continual asking her to connect the train cars of the train set that she had bought him earlier in the day.

Jenny told me that she had regrets about buying Tony the train set.

All evening, Tony played with the set which was a simple plastic thing with six links of track and a four-car train. He laid down, on the ground, besides the train and kept watching it go round and round the tracks. (I made it more interesting for him by placing boxed and other toys by and over the track to create e tunnel effect).

When it was time to go to bed, Tony didn't want to sleep, and had one of his harshest temper tantrums ever. He stomped and continually cried "train, train!". He even pushed and pulled at his parents during what must have been a thirty minute tantrum that ended only with his going to sleep.

This morning, he got out of bed early and promptly, not showing the lethargy of a school morning, and ran into the living room to look at the train set.

Apparently, he wouldn't eat at supper -- so attached had he become to the train.

Mellow Tony?

He was and wasn't mellow last night.  I saw a less rambunctious Tony when I arrived home from work last night.  Instead of jumping on the bed and jumping over his parents' feet, he laid on the bed listening to the Jam on my mobile phone (he loves their songs "Going Underground" and "Art School"). 

 

I thought this was great.

 

But he then coughed and I saw he was sweating, and I realized that he was a little sick.  Every child in his class was coughing Jenny told me.

 

So, be careful what you wish for (a less rambunctious child) because you might just get it (a child who is sick).

Waking Up Tony

Waking up Tony in the morning is a long process.  I don't like to make him wake up all of a suddenly, so I start by giving him some milk which he never refuses no matter how dead to the world he is.  After, he has finished his milk I start singing to him in a pleasant and not-so-loud tone.  I mix the singing up with some silly sounds.  When I get Tony smiling, I leave it up to Jenny to get him out of bed and on his way to school.

Here is a song I do sing for him:

Young Boy Tony!

That young boy Tony!

He don't like getting up!

He just wants to sleep all day!

The lyrics are sung to the tune of Old Man River.

Tony's strange manner of playing a game at bedtime

Tony was playing a game of some sorts that had his parents wandering.  What he did was this:  at bedtime, he and his parents were lying in bed -- Tony stood up and made his parents put their feet together so that the feet were about 18 inches above bed.  Tony would then try to jump over his parents' feet.  If his parents didn't put their feet together in manner to his liking, he got really angry and would grab onto the feet and put them together himself.

Why he did this, we have no idea.

Wake up Tony!

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October 12 Update: Oklahoma!!

• Tony seemed to enjoy the train station two-step scene when I put on my Oklahoma! DVD for him.
• When I park the Electric Bicycle underground for charging, Tony refuses to come down.  He hangs out at the top of the stairwell which is close to a road.  When I park the bike, I lose eye contact with Tony.  It scares me because I worry about Tony wandering into traffic.  Many drivers scoot through the apartment complex without consideration for pedestrians.
• I was playing catch with Tony on Monday evening.  I was throwing it into his arms so he couldn't possibly not catch it.  Still, it is a start.
• At his bedtime, it is really annoying when Tony jumps on the bed like a monkey.

Tony answers the Bell

Tony's father rung a little wind chime bell. Tony saw and heard this, and ran to his father. Tony grabbed the bell. He then put the bell to his ear and said "hello!".

10.10/10 Photos of Tony with his Mother and Father

Tony and the Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz DVD I had bought for Tony had been worn out from frequent plays and by Tony's mishandling of it.

 

I had been looking for another copy of the DVD around Wuxi till I remembered that I had in fact made a copy of the DVD to show to my students.  I found that copy at school and took it home.

 

Tony, as I type this, is watching the film very attentively.  Having seen the movie at least fifty times, and then hot having seen it for six months, Tony is watching the film with wide-eyed attention.

 

I wish I could have taken a video of him dancing along with the Tin Man dancing scene.

Saturday Night Tony

• Saturday Night, Tony jumps, puts a ball in a hole in the wall (that would be used by a flat screen television),  watches the ball come out a lower hole, hops, picks up the ball, and crawls.
• I wish Tony wouldn't call me "Andis".  He can only call me Dad.  I get no respect from him sometimes.
• Tony has used his little red plastic toy hammer on the walls of Casa K leaving an indelible mark.

Tony runs to hug his Dad.

Dad comes home in the evening.

Tony, dressed in his pajamas, runs from the bedroom having heard the door open.  He sees his Dad.  He runs to him.  He opens his arms and gives his Dad a hug.

Wonderful.

Tony goes to school on Saturday.

Did I tell you that Tony goes to school on Saturday because of the fact that the Chinese had national holidays during the week and so those-that-be feel a need to make up for this?  Well if I have, I will say it again:  Tony goes to school on Saturday.

Friday evening, I (I'm Tony's Dad) read from a Dr. Seuss book to Tony -- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.  Tony listened attentively for a while, even resting his head on my shoulders.  He repeated some of the words I said.  But he then got bored and went back to falling on the mattress in the manner of "We all fall down!".

No Problem!

Tony went to school, after having a week off, with no fuss or incident.

Tony on Friday Morning

Tony and fountain 2

Tony and fountain

Back to School

Says Tony's Dad:  The little bastard goes back to school after having a week off.  The darn thing is that Tony will go back to school Friday and then Saturday.  I never went to school on a Saturday.  What's up with that?

Comforting a Crying Tony

Amazing Video: Wuxi Tony eats with a fork

Tony wrestles with Dad

Dad was working the evening and so he got home about ten p.m Wednesday evening.  Tony came to the door and greeted him in a manner of sorts.  Tony then dragged his father to the bed and proceeded to jump all over his father. 

 

They also played the hide beneath the blanket game.

Wuxi Tony plays on Guns in Jiangyin

Tony can follow orders, sometimes.

Tony seems to understand much more than he can say.

 

Last night, Dad saw Tony throw a piece of paper on the floor.  Dad told Tony to put it in the garbage can -- Tony did so.

 

A previous evening, at bath time, Dad was able to get Tony to turn off the t.v. and DVD player.  He also got Tony to turn off the light that was on by the two devices.  For Dad, this was lovely because he didn't have to get up from bed to do it himself -- Tony did it all himself.

Wuxi Tony throws rocks into the Yangtze River

Tony by the Jiangyin Big Bridge

Tony holds onto the railing and stares

He is looking at the Yangtze River.

Wuxi Tony runs along the Yangtze River

Tony and his Mom along the shore of the Yangtze River

Tony and his parents went to Jiangyin on Monday. Jiangyin isn't so far from Wuxi.

Tony didn't care so much for the fact of being where he was. He just wanted to throw some rocks.

I think the photographer wanted to take a shot of the foreign baby.

Tony the prospective toy buyer

Tony and His Mother