Zerlynde, My Sweetie Pie

I want to write about Zerlynde’s love for her baby brother. Zerlynde is always hugging and kissing her “titi”.(sometimes smothering him so much that he screams in protest) She loves to lie down beside him especially under the baby gym, and they will both happily bat at all the little rattles and items hung thereunder. (our latest acquisition being a tiny Elmo, gift from aunt Kitty) Zerlynde is also a little brownie, helping me to fetch titi’s handkerchiefs and throw his soiled diapers into the bin once in a while. And whenever she sees me bottle feed him water, she rushes over to grab the bottle from me to feed him herself. When Zuwern cries, our sympathetic angel would rush over to his side and asked “Cho mi soo, titi?” (“What’s wrong, little brother?” in teo chew) and then hand him some toys saying “Nah” to console him. Otherwise she will call me and insist I carry her little brother to soothe him. Just a few days ago, when Zuwern cried, I heard her comforting him saying, “Darling baby, don’t cry, darling baby don’t cry”, then pat him on the arms and hum him a lullaby in the tune of “Are You Sleeping”. Lately, she's even starting to push his stroller to and fro to stop him from crying. Her endearments for him besides “Darling baby” are “Handsome Boy”, “Cutie Pie” and “Little Angel”.

Next, I want to remember Zerlynde as an extraordinary compassionate being. Whenever granny or mummy tells her we are in pain and show her our wound (real or otherwise), she would stroke us and say “Sayang, sayang” and stop insisting on our carrying her. Once in a naughty mood, she almost pushed granny off the bed. Granny pretended to fall and she was so terrified, crying out “Sorry, Ah Ma” and immediately gave Ah Ma a hug. Another time, she saw me standing on a chair to put a box in the upper section of the wardrobe. She was so extremely worried that I would fall off and kept insisting that I came down, telling us mummy’ll fall and that she’s scared in mandarin. (“mummy tie tau, pha pha”) Grandpa, the magician who can make things “disappear” at the count of 3, loves to tease her and occasionally threatens to make granny or mummy or titi “disappear”. Zerlynde would get so frightened and said “Pu yao Ah Ma/Mummy/Titi no more, pha pha” (“Don’t granny/mummy/little brother no more, scared” literally) And with regards to her favourite cousin Jonathan who fight with her all the time over this or that toy, she would sometimes feel sorry for him when he started crying and would give way and hand over to him this or that object.

Further, I want to write about the various words she likes to use. She’s fascinated with the word “remember” and goes “Remember, Zerlynde sit on merry go round zebra?”, “Remember, papa bring Zerlynde to slide”, etc. She likes the sound “oo la la” and “gila babi” and often exclaims at the slightest opportunity “Oh dear!” and “Oh my God”. She’s also beginning to say “thank you”, especially when she’s in a good mood. When she poo-poos, she will utter in mandarin “chou tau pan she” (it stinks very much). And when she dirties herself, she sometimes says “disgusting” and wrinkles her nose in imitation of her mum ;) She also admonishes her little brother, saying “No, no” when he pulls her hair, or “No biting” when he bites mummy. When asked what mummy’s nickname is, she says “Strawberry Pie”. She herself is of course“Sweetie Pie” and daddy is “Mango Pie”.

Lastly, no picture of Zerlynde would be complete if mention is not made of her asserting for her independence. Zerlynde wants to do everything by herself these days, bathing, brushing her teeth, combing her hair, dressing up, decorating her bed, and even, saving up for her education ;)