Isaac in school with his favourite friend!

Pictures as of 14th May 2010... Yeah, my mum's birthday! Which was why I managed to catch the kids at the playground coz I went to pick Isaac early that day - we wanted to leave early so that we'd reach my sis' place earlier... special day, so must make special effort, right? :p
Recently, like only last week, I think. I managed to finally ask my mum how come my birthday is 2 days earlier than hers. I mean, like how come, since I came out via ceasarean (I was sitting upright in her tummy - you upside down fools! ;p) - how come she didn't arrange for me to be born on her birthday?

Apparently, there were no more timeslots for the surgery on the 14th of May! The nearest date was 12th May... and so 12th May it was. I'd wanted to have a May baby myself. But hubbs and I didn't make it (ooops, literally!;p ) in time for a May baby. We had two January babies instead! Hahaha well, perhaps the next one then...
So anyway, this post is about my August baby - Isaac. I love to take pictures of Isaac in school. See him "in action" hahaha and he always is in action. very active in school, the teachers tell me. Above, he's climbing the ladder with Kevin behind him.
Isaac's grown quite a lot since he started childcare in March this year. I know so from how he fits in his school uniform. When we first bought it, it was more than a tad oversized. But we figured he'd grow into it since he would likely spend a good 3 years in it. But recently, I was pointing out to hubbs that they weren't as oversized as they used to be.
Hmmm then again, perhaps those aren't his clothes?! :p I had bought clothing labels to be ironed on to his clothes but kept forgetting to put them on. Then one day when I got Isaac to pee before we went home, I saw he was wearing another person's pants - it wasn't even his classmate's coz I didn't recognise the name. (Goodness! Have you been getting into other people's pants, Isaac?!) FAINT. Anyway, that put an end to my procrastination - quickly ironed on those labels :p
Teacher Foong Ling tells me that most of the teachers in school really like Isaac. Which I kinda/sorta noticed - coz every morning when we go to school, he'd be greeted by all the teachers by name - even though they don't teach him. They'd go like "Hi Isaac!" or "Good morning, Isaac Tan!" and the Vice Principal in school even calls Isaac by his full name hahaha...
Apparently, he has this way of charming his way into all the teacher's hearts... with his smiles and cheeky ways. Like...

One time I was 'complaining' to T Foong Ling about how Isaac always whines and whines... and she said that he doesn't do so in school. I was like !?!? then how come he does so at home? She says he knows that it "doesn't work" on the teachers - so he tries another way... Isaac'd smile at the teacher, and grin and smile and work his charm till the teacher gives in to whatever he wants (or compromise at least - I can imagine!).
T Foong Ling also told me that she noticed one thing unique about Isaac is that he plays very well with the girls in class. The other boys usually play amongst the boys only, but Isaac plays with both the boys and the girls. The girls would even say "Come, Isaac." and they wanna hold his hand. So, everyday, Isaac can have his choice of whose hand he wants to hold that day :)

But at home, when I ask him whose hand he has held that day in school, Isaac tends to name me one of the boys. Qiuyi, or Marcel, or Arash. Hmmm... so young already know how to keep from me that he's holding hands with girls?! :p
Isaac loves to play with all his friends. He mentions most of the kids in class, when I talk to him about school, at home. So when I first asked Isaac who his favourite friend was, I really had no idea whether he had one, or who it was going to be. And his reply was "Dinesha". I was thinking to myself - huh? who is Dinesha? Must be a new classmate - saw quite a few new indian girls in school lately.
It was quite awhile later, after much effort in trying to find out who is Dinesha, when T FL told me "Huh? There's no Dinesha - Alycia, issit? Isaac is best friends with Alycia." hahahhahaahaa silly Isaac. Apparently, it was Alycia he was referring to!

I still remember T FL's exact words, she said "Ah yes, Alycia is Isaac's new best friend." And my reply was "Oh really? Who was his previous best friend?" and T FL stunned a split second, then shrugged and said "Nobody. He was... looking." Not sure why, but this conversation left a deep impression on me. hahaha...
So anyway, this was only shortly after Isaac started childcare, like less than a month - when he already found a 'best friend'. Furthermore, we started childcare on the March holiday week - and Alycia was away for the whole week (family went on holiday) and the week after (sick!). So Isaac and Alycia actually became firm friends very quickly indeed.
"How come huh?" I asked T FL, I was curious as to why Alycia, and not the others. And she replied that perhaps it was coz Alycia and Isaac are the two in class whose speech is most developed. The rest of the kids couldn't really speak as much as these two could yet. As a result, Isaac and Alycia enjoyed talking to each other quite a bit. During snack time and lunch, the pair of them would be chattering non-stop to one another.
It also appears, that everyday Isaac would make a fuss during class time, usually coz that day he wasn't assigned to a seat beside Alycia and so he's trying to get to sit beside Alycia. One day, one of the teachers (can't recall if it was T FL or Laoshi) told me that Isaac fought with Xinrui one day. And when I asked why - it was coz he was trying to sit in Xinrui's seat - which was beside Alycia.

Another day, the teacher said, "Oh Isaac today didn't fight over seats with anyone - coz Alycia didn't come school today." hahahaha sigh, my Isaac, my Isaac.
But Alycia's really very sweet, isn't she? Pretty little one (my Isaac got taste :p). In the mornings, when we get to the centre, Alycia is usually already there. Some mornings, Isaac would be quite cranky and start whining or crying, refusing to let me go. And Alycia would always come over, place her hand on Isaac's shoulder, and try to comfort him. So sweet, yah.

I even think Alycia and Isaac look kinda alike, don't you think? Like, they look like... "the same pattern" kind. They even speak kinda similar sort of. hahaha...

pix taken as of 14th May 2010
Isaac @ 2 years 9 months plus
The kids all turn 3 years in 2010

Oh! I forgot to say. Alycia is officially Isaac's favourite friend. When I ask this question, he replies "Alycia!" at least 80% of the time. The rest of the time, he mentions another classmate at random, and usually launches into saying almost all his classmates names - naming them ALL as his favourite friends. It's really great hearing that he likes all his friends :) one of the best things about sending him to childcare has been this :)

Just recently, when I asked him who was his Favourite Friend, he replied: "Marcel! ... and Alycia! and Qiuyi and Macy and Xinrui and Jiaying and Arash and Kevin and Teacher Lina and Teacher Foong Ling!!!"

P.S. Jean, Alycia's birthday same as yours - 28th June!!! :)