Tony climbs and slides

Tony surprises

Actually, Tony surprises his father a lot.  But that is why Tony's father enjoys being a parent, and supremely regrets that he didn't become a parent sooner in his life.

But it isn't all sunshine and lollipops being a parent.  Getting Tony to wake up in the morning, for instance, is a chore.  Father understands and empathizes with Tony's protestations about having to get up and go to school.  But Father knows it has to be done.

Friday morning, however, Tony could sleep in.  His grandparents were in town, and it was his grandmother's birthday.  Friday, there was to be a birthday lunch for Grandma, and Tony was going to get school off so he could attend.  Tony was, of course, asleep well past the time he would have had to get up to go to school.  Dad knew that getting Tony up would be a little easier this day, but he still suspected that when Tony did have to get up, there would be a struggle.

So it was a great surprise to see Tony run out of the bedroom, in his pajamas and barefeet, without prompting.  What happened was that Mom's mobile, which was in the bedroom, was ringing.  Tony decided to get up and take the phone to Mom who was in the kitchen.  Dad took the phone from him and gave it to Mom.  Tony went back to bed, and Dad thanked him for his surprising thoughtfulness.

Tony walks on November 22, 2011

Tony Kaulins at the People's Square in the Hui Shan -- daytime District of Wuxi, China

Can we do this.... yeah?!?

For the last three days, Tony has been using the above-mentioned grammar pattern.  Anytime he wants to suggest a course of action for us or me, he has been stating the hoped-for action and then adding a "yeah" which is either exclamatory or interrogatory.

I assume he picked up this annoying pattern from school, but from whom?  Are the teachers teaching him this?  Is there some young foreigner, drunk when not teaching, who taught him this?

If I had the time, I would investigate.

After School Tony Kaulins

We are supposed to be going for a bike ride!

First, Dad took this photo. (He forgot to put the camera in video mode)

He then took this video:

Tony Kaulins at the People's Square in the Hui Shan District of Wuxi, China

Sunday evening, Dad took Tony to a square near their apartment. Hui Shan People's Square is a open area of tiles, among which there are pools, pedestals, stairs, and sitting areas.

Tony impressed Dad with his daring as he walked the narrow elevated ledges around the square's central fountain and pool.

Tony is in a Wall-E phase

Tony has been watching the DVD of the Pixar Movie Wall-E over and over and over again.  

The DVD has been in Casa K for over a year.  In that time, Tony had no interest in it.  But then in the last week, it has become the only DVD he will put in the player.

Jenny told me that, one night in the past week, she and Tony sat together and watched the entire movie.

Tony Kaulins plays with the Microsoft Train Simulator

Tony takes a photo

Tony jumps and shots and lies down

Tony got a gun

Spanking him doesn't stop him

Tony was a bad boy Wednesday Night.  In bed, he was playing with the Ipad at midnight.  We took it away and told him to go to sleep, but he protested.  He demanded that we give the Ipad back to him and cried like the big baby he was when he didn't.

Mom took the Ipad out of the bedroom.  Tony was left with me on the bed.  I tried to comfort him all the while trying to get him to smarten up.  It didn't work.  He started kicking at me and tried to scratch my face.  I spanked him.  He cried but went after me again.  And I spanked him again.  And he attacked me again.  

Mom came into the room and told him that she was going to take him out of the apartment.  This scared the heck out of him.  He then asked me for his bottle which I gave him.  He cuddled up to me for a brief moment before he started to roll and kick again...

Wuxi Tony Update: November 2011

Tony is a playground bully?

Tony's mother Jenny told his father Andis that Tony was beating up every other child at the playground Sunday afternoon.  He didn't discriminate when doing so, said Jenny, and so it was quite embarrassing for her.  Tony would push around any other child, regardless of age, size, sex, and ethnic origin, who got in his way.  So he pushed a little girl who tried to sit in his favorite toy car.  He did push bigger boys too, but to be seen picking on the smaller will deduct from a reputation for strength.

I suppose it is a better problem to have a child who is a bully then one who is meek.  But true manliness requires showing strength as well as holding it back as proper morality requires.

Tony and his father

Tony is a bugger at bedtime.

Fight!

Tony is a bugger at bedtime.

Tony should be going to sleep. His father tells him so. But this is what he does instead:

Don't get me wrong. I love my son. But sometimes.....

... he is a little bugger.

Tony on a school field trip

Tony is in the back row, fourth from the left:

Tony is second from the left:

Ditto:

Tony is holding his teacher's hand:

Tony on a school field trip

Wearing Mom's underwear. Bag Search.

Tony did two strange things on Wednesday evening: one witnessed by his mother Jenny and one witnessed by his father Andis.

Jenny said that, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tony walk into the bathroom to pee while wearing something strange on his head. 

Jenny went to investigate. She found that Tony was wearing her underwear on his head.

Andis arrived home from work about eight thirty or so. Tony came to the front door to greet him. Tony then took Andis's backpack. He unzipped some of the pouches on the bag looking to see what was inside. Andis thought that Tony was looking for a toy or batteries for his toys. But Tony found some white board markers Andis had, pulled them out, examined them, and said wow! Tony seem satisfied leaving Dad still wondering what Tony's intentions were.