Come back here!

Tony doesn't like to be in bed by himself.  He used to scream whenever his parents left the bed.  Now, he can say "come back here!".

Tony starts 2011 in fighting mood.

Tony awoke on the morning of January 1, and wanted to wrestle with his Dad.

 

He then sang some songs like "If you're happy and you know it....".

Tony says Happy New Year!

He also said "No Happy New Year!" as well.

Tony wins an award.

Read all about it here.

A stinky Tony K

If my Tony K grows up to be like the silly and Liberal sportscaster Tony Kornheiser, I am going to have to disown him.

Tony Curtis

Another great Tony.

Wuxi Tony Update #517: Trying to show construction

How was Tony's 2010?

Amazing.  His father thinks it was the best year he has ever spent with the kid.  Tony had a year full of historical firsts .like learning to pee by himself and starting to talk in Chinese and English sentences.

Tony and Jenny win World Musical Chairs Championship

Tony takes one of his Thomas the Tank engine books to school.

The process of getting Tony off to school went fairly well Wednesday morning.  Tony was up at a good time and there was no rush to get him out the door.  He did protest somewhat, but since there was no racing against the clock, his protestations were taken in stride.

 

Tony has wanted to take his toys with him to school.  This won't do because his classmates would surely steal them.  His parents don't think his classmates will steal his picture books.

 

It is good to see Tony has an attachment to books.

 

 

Tony, his father Andis, and a Latvian flag.

Tony the outlaw student.

Tony was the most misbehaving child at his class kindergarten show this evening.

 

Jenny was not too happy with him.

 

I, however, say good on him.  If you can't conform, be an outlaw and true to yourself.

Tony says "yes!" twice, making history for the tenth day in a row.

Tony is the history-making phase of his childhood.  Just now, he said "yes!" when he was asked if he wanted to look at water.  Till now, his favorite word has been "no!".  Otherwise, he has stayed silent which has been taken as a form of assent.

Pull them off; he puts them back on.

Dad took drastic action when trying to get Tony to wake up this morning and go to school.  Dad pulled the sheets off Tony.  Tony arose briefly, wailed, and then put the sheets over himself again. 

Tony back to school after three days off. Bonsai?!?

• Of course, Tony wailed when he had to go to school this morning (Monday).
• Tuesday evening, I will go to Tony's school to see a show, he may play a minor part in.
• While the other students can make the "V" sign, Tony can make the "l" sign, but thankfully not with the middle finger.
• On Sunday evening, Tony took hard running charges at his father, saying something like "bonsai!" when he approached.
• Tony could have bought all the books he wanted at Xinhua Book Store, but he only wanted one volume from the many Thomas the Tank Engine books available.

Lordy, Lordy! I forgot to mention that someone turned forty!

I forgot to mention that my son Tony turned forty -- forty months old that is.  December 23 was Tony's big day.

Wuxi Tony plays with his new train set

Yeah!

Merry Christmas from TKIC Blogspot.

TKIC blogspot, the blog which prides itself on being the best blog about an expat child on the Internet, wishes it rare, but culturally-aware readers, the finest Christmas ever.

Here is the Tony Boy not wanting to get up to go to school on the morning of Thursday, December 23.

Toy Tractor Tony

Tony found the toy tractor at a Value Village Thrift Store in Winnipeg, Canada. It is good to see that he plays with it, especially after his parents had to haul all the way to China.

Wuxi Tony Update #252: Christmas Day in a Public Square.

Here is Tony on Christmas Day, 2008.

Bliggy, Blaggy, Bluggy Tony!

• TKIC watches the Teletubbies while playing with his toys.  Dad had thought that Tony was over that stupid show!
• Tony picks up his father's reading glasses case, which had been left on the dinner table.  Tony puts the case to his ears and begins to talk.  Dad, who sits and reads, at first thinks his son has someone's mobile phone.  But Dad looks up to see Tony holding his reading glass case.  Dad demands the case back and tries to catch Tony who happily dodges Dad's grasping hands.
• Tony puts his die cast metal train engines sofa.  He then pushes the toys off and they fall on the floor.  Why?

Getting Tony up is hard....

First, he was comatose when it was suggested to him that he had to get up.  So, he was like a log.

 

But when movement could be coaxed from him, he became violent -- kicking and wailing like a Banshee.

 

Eventually, he was calm and his mother was able to take him to his school van pickup stop.

Christmas 2009: Wuxi Tony Update #493: Tony and a Video Screen.

Tony turns off the television.

Jenny told Tony, who was watching t.v., that it was time for his evening washing followed by bedtime.  Tony wailed in protest as is his habit, but he walked to the bathroom.

 

From the bathroom, Jenny asked Andis to turn off the television.  Andis found that the television and DVD player has already been turned off.  He asked Jenny if she had perhaps already turned off the t.v.  She said she didn't.  So, Tony, while not happy about his fate, did the adult thing of performing a duty under protest.

 

Good boy!

Wuxi Tony Update: December 19, 2010.

Tony throws up!

His parents got Tony off to kindergarten this morning, but not before he vomited the milk he had drunk.

 

The vomit messed up all the sheets and quilts.

Tony at Wuxi, China HyLite School Christmas Party

TKIC at the HyLite Christmas Party

AKIC didn't get to show off TKIC.  TKIC shied away from the crowds of students, choosing to play with children his own age.  Adults who tried to get his attention were ignored.

Thanks Connie!

AKIC and TKIC thank Connie for the gift of a train set for Tony.

Merry Christmas to you and your family, Connie!

Tony to go to HyLite Christmas Party this evening.

Tony is going to his Dad's School's Christmas party Saturday night.  Expect to see photos and videos very soon.

Yesterday, Jenny said Tony was very good on the bus.  He boarded and pointed to the one empty seat before he ran to occupy it.

Tony reading in bed.

Great Tony's

• Here is the first installment of the Great Tony's series.
• Tony is at school today.  With the weather being so cold, he is even more adamant in his desire to not get up in the morning to go to school.
• It was Dad's turn to take Tony to the school van pickup.  Tony wanted to be held so he could rest his head on his father's shoulders.
• Tony said "No mei mei" which in Chinese means no little sister.  I don't think he understands the question.

Wuxi Kaulins Family Update: December 14, 2010

I love you Mummy!

I got Tony to say this yesterday.

 

Later, he snuggled in bed beside me.

Tony on Tuesday Night

Tony is a miserable one.

Three days of rain and cold in Wuxi and Tony has become increasingly more miserable when he gets up in the morning.  And his Dad can't blame him.

 

To his young mind and to the old, dazed one of his father, it seems so cruel to have to go to a cold, damp school so early in the morning.  Especially when the bed is so warm and comfy.

Tony Kaulins looks at Kenneth Clark's Civilisation

Tony's Dad is currently reading the companion volume -- that be a book -- for the monumental television series Civilisation. The particular volume, Dad is reading, contains many photographs of famous paintings, architecture, and sculpture. Dad has been reading the volume in bed next to a Tony who has been looking at his own picture book full of pictures of vehicles: transportation and recreational and construction...

Tony has occasionally looked at the pictures in the Civilisation book, and he seems to be transfixed by some of the work of arts. There was a photo of a painting by Rubens of Jesus with sinners that Tony looked at for fifteen seconds before deciding to point right at the Jesus figure. As well, Tony has seemed to find the old architecture fascinating.

Monday Tony

• Dad took Tony to the School Van pickup Monday Morning.  Tony was in a quiet and shy mood unlike the Friday where he was upset because Dad didn't take him to the "little river".
• Dad stood quietly besides his father for five minutes before the van did come.
• The street sweepers and security guards were happy to see them.  Dad could make out them saying how good-looking Tony was.  Only thing was Tony was quiet and shy, and did seem to not want tot talk to them -- he almost seemed to have a sneer about it.  Be that as it may, the excitement the Chinese workers, of low status, showed for Tony seemed such a remarkable thing to Tony's Dad.  The Chinese love of children is a genuine thing, and "good on them" as the expression goes.  In a more class-conscious society like Canada, many of these workers would sneer at other's children.  In fact, Dad thinks there is a real animosity towards having children about Westerners.
• Tony Kaulins is kind like Sean Lennon.  Sean had a Western father and Asian mother.  The Western father withdraw from public (pub) life to be a good father to him.
• A "thank you" Tony said to Dad after his Dad had brought a piss pot to him seemed particularly genuine.

The things that Tony, Wuxi's #1 Expat child, was doing on Saturday night

• He was watching Foghorn Leghorn cartoons on DVD.
• He sat on the lap of his father who was playing on the computer.  Together, they watched old film taken of the Titanic before its' fateful voyage.  Tony then fell asleep in his Dad's arms.
• Tony then had a brief nap in bed.
• Tony then played in bed for a few hours before he finally slept for the rest of the night.  His father meanwhile read in bed.  His father had to go to the living room to find toys for Tony who requested them.
• One time when Daddy Andis got up to go to the living room, Tony grabbed him by the neck so he could ride Daddy to the living room and assist in the toy-finding mission.

Tony gets up at 1030 Saturday Morning.

I wonder what time a three-year old Napoleon was getting up at on a Saturday.

 

Tony got up today at 1030.

 

He did go to bed at one in the morning, and he wasn't happy when he was forced to do so.

 

I wonder what time a three-year old Winston Churchill went to bed on a Friday night.

Tony likes to be with bigger boys.

I was asking Jenny if Tony talked to his children his own age, for he certainly talks to us.  Jenny told me Tony does not like to be with children his own age.  He follows the older kids but they will have nothing to do with him.

So it would seem he doesn't talk to kids his own age.

Tony was really miserable this morning (Friday).  He normally protests getting up, but once he is on the way to school, he calms down.  He didn't this morning.  He hoped against hope that I would take him to the "little river" so he could throw rocks.  But when I took him in the direction of the School Van Pickup, he rocked and kicked and cried in my arms.

Tony tries on another hat.

Wuxi Tony wear a blue hat

Up Early.

Tony was up early this morning.  Dad and Mom, for once, didn't have to rush to get him ready for kindergarten van pick-up.  Tony even had time to play with his train set before he had to go.

Granpa!

Tony calls his grandfather "granpa".

 

He is so smart.

Wuxi Tony plays with Wuxi Andis's Face

Tony the Jester

Tony eats a chicken nugget from KFC.

Tony and Andis look at a traffic mirror

No get up! Sleep in!

That is what Tony said just now where it is about eight in the morning on a school day.

 

• Sometimes, threatening to throw toys in the garbage can sometimes result in a positive behavior change from Tony.
• When Tony arrives back from school, I have to sign for him.  The van operators have to have proof that Tony was picked up.
• Tony asked me for money.  He likes to play with coins. 
• BU YAO! AH BU YAO!  WAH!  BU YAO!
• Tony says "xiuxi" (rest) when told it is bath time.

Bliggy Blaggy Bloggins: The TKIC Edition

Notes about Tony, Wuxi's #1 Expat Baby:

 

• Tony undressed himself for bed last nigh -- a confirmed first.  He had not wanted to go to bed, but he went along with the idea when he got the idea to take his train and track to bed with him.  So while, Dad was washing his feet, Tony undressed into his pajamas and played with his train set in the bedroom.  After seeing what Tony had done, Dad asked Mother if she had undressed Tony.  When she replied that she hadn't, Dad told Mother to go to the bedroom to see what Tony had done.  She was pleasantly surprised.
• Tony laughs at Donald Duck's mishaps with a very flexible and very long saw.
• Tony can take off the lid of his drink cup, pour liquid into the cup, and replace the lid.  When Andis mentioned this to Jenny, his was not impressed with Andis -- Tony has been doing this for months, she exclaimed.
• Tony is no innocent.  He has sadistic urges.  He, with a defiant smile, likes to bite and scratch his father.
• Tony says "No Bruce Lee!  Donald Duck!"
• A lot of time spent, by Andis and Jenny, wondering what Tony wants.  They give him something, and he immediately whines because it is not exactly what he wants.  But his parents don't know exactly what is displeasing him.

Wuxi, China Kung Fu Fighting

Train Track

Tony screamed for twenty minutes at bedtime last night. He wanted to continue playing on the above set of train track all the night long.

Good Boy!

I will say that to compliment Tony, or to indicate to him that he has done something right.

 

Now, he will say that to me.

 

Case in point:  just tonight, Tony was begging me to do something with his train set.  I had set the tracks up in their normal configuration,  but Tony kept pulling pieces of track away.  He would then say some unintelligible and point at the track.  For the longest time, I couldn't figure what it was he wanted.  So, I decided to set up the tracks in a different shape or, you could say, configuration.  What had once been a rectangular kind of shaped configuration (with curved ends) became perfectly circular -- Tony was pleased by this, and said "good boy!" to me.

Daddy! Where are you?

I played with Hide and Seek with Tony on Saturday Night.  I was hiding; Tony was seeking.  He is not ready yet to be hiding.  

As it was, I did such a good job of hiding that he was forced to say aloud : "Daddy!  Where are you?"

Happy Birthday Uncle Ron!

December 4 Tony

Jenny and Tony

Sometimes when I arrive home in the evening from work, Jenny and Tony are already in bed.

Four years ago, Tony's parents had their Wedding Party.

Tony and Balls

When Dad got home from work on Wednesday evening, Tony was playing with a table tennis ball.  He was taking a stick and using it to whack the ball around the room.  He then found some bigger balls in his toy chest and decided to throw them at Dad.

Tony's Frustration

Tony likes to play with his train engines and tracks.  But he screams in frustration when the train goes off the tracks, even though he should know that it is his actions that are causing the mishaps.  He is not satisfied with letting the track lie flat on a surface -- he tries to raise part of the track and thus create hazardous precipices that are impossible for a train to ride around without falling off.

Gratitude

Dad gave Tony some stones to throw into a canal, for which Tony said "Thank you Daddy!"

It was the first time that Tony had ever uttered those three words.