Fannie’s litte feet are stronger and faster day by day. Everywhere she had been to was messy but full of happiness. This is why daddy and mommy think it is ok to let the little monster scribble on the floor and pull out all the clothes in the closet. Beyond infancy, little Fannie knows where she can find surprises and how she can make wonders.
Fannie likes every drawer, box, shelf, and hole in the house. They are like magic boxes to her. ” I saw mommy getting something good to eat from this. Let me try to open it. Hoops! wrong way. Ok, here I go. Ouch, my fingers. They hurt. Wawawa..wawa…wa.. hmm… Mommy is not looking…no fun to be crying. Let me see what’s inside. Wow…Looks like something fun. Let me dump them out one by one, let me shake them, let me……. Mommy is not coming. Keep going. Faster! Faster!”
Fannie’s adventures usually involve crying: Fake crying, attention-getting crying, really-hurt crying, and getting-bored crying. These cryings usually end up with mommy or daddy’s rubbing Fannie’s fingers, head, or knees, pulling Fannie away, saying “no” to Fannie, or letting Fannie go. It is pretty typical for children at Fannie’s age to use crying as a strategy to get what they want. It is an age when children are testing their abilities to manipulate things around them, and seeking the balance between dependence and independence. Fannie is the same. Fannie cries if we don’t let her play whatever she wants to; She also cries if she simply feels unright. Fannie gets mad if we want to help her with things; She also gets mad if we don’t help. (hmm… why does this sound like me?)
As a parent, I start to wonder how I can let Fannie enjoy her adventures but keep her content and safe. How can I find the balance between how I want her to be like and she might want to be like? It is a unique question to every parent and may be also a question our parents had been asking themselves through our childhood. No parent can do a perfect job since parenting is too much about value and philosophy. How can I ask Fannie to agree on everything we do for her? What I can really hope for is Fannie can enjoy the autonomy and be happy and confident.
Looking at Fannie’s bright eyes and funny giggles, the enjoyment of being a parent is obvious. Yet, the responsbility is heavy. Twenty years from now, I still want to see my girl with that shinny eyes and smiles on her face. As happy as she is fascinated by the adventures, I feel fulfilled.
October 21st, 2005
Don’t know if it is Seattle’s typical gloomy weather.
One is the dirty kitchen towel
Two are the shopping lists now
Three are the books yelling here
Four are the socks everywhere
Five are the dishes unprepared
Six are the whinning mushy pears
Seven are the dreams in the heaven
Eight are the plans waiting to date
Nine come the ambitions saying good night and
Ten shoot the goals never attempted.
October 13th, 2005
我有七個來自不同家庭背景的學生: 一個中南美混血兒，一個韓國人，二個潮州人，一個中俄混血兒，二個 American Chinese。七個小朋友跟我這個英文不完美，中文還算可以的[老師]湊在一塊兒，南腔北調地學中文。
” Let’s sing the Welcome Song.” ［真正高興地見到你，滿心歡喜地歡迎你。歡迎，歡迎，我們歡迎你。]
[... ㄎㄨㄢ 迎， ㄎㄨㄢ 迎，我們 ㄎㄨㄢ 迎你...。]
奇怪，怎麼矯正就是沒辦法，小朋友們就這麼一路的ㄎㄨㄢ 迎下去了。看到小朋友認真的發音，還是沒辦法精準，實在不忍心再繼續摧殘他們。一直想糾正英文發音的自己，當然可以瞭解不知如何將舌頭擺在適當位置的痛苦。為了讓小朋友在快樂中學習，除了兒歌，摺紙，玩遊戲，課程內容也圍繞小朋友喜歡的主題。說起來應該容易教的課，卻常常因為調皮搗蛋的六個小男生，搞得我這個老師臉上常常多了三條線。
” Today. We are going to learn how to say animals in Mandarin. Tell me your favorite animals and we can all say them in Mandarin.” 看到每個小朋友躍躍欲試的表情，正為選了個好主題高興的我，卻不知自己給自己出了個難題。小朋友們說了幾個動物像是馬、蛇、狗, 我都能快速的帶領他們學會中文發音, 一直到班上的小搗蛋開口。
” Teacher, teacher, I like sponge” 班上同學跟著大笑。
” Sponge? It is not an animal.”
” I just like sponge. ” 這個小朋友顯然是要跟我這個剛來的老師唱反調。
” Sponge is not an animal. It is a plant. ”
” Ha ha. Teacher, you are funny. It is not a plant.”
這下好了，這個同學想要以恥笑老師來獲得大家的注意。至少我也是個老師，怎麼能夠隨隨便便就被八歲的小孩考倒。我以嚴肅的口吻說: ” Sponge is actually a plant grown in the sea. People make it as a sponge that we use everyday. ” 一旁的同學點點頭說: ” Teacher is right. It is a plant.” 看見自討沒趣的小搗蛋安靜下來，頓時覺得自己真像個諄諄教誨的老師。還來不及高興這個教學危機的解除，總是有一堆怪點子的韓國小朋友說: ” Teacher. My favorite animal is Chee-a”
” Wow，how do you know penguin in Mandarin is 企鵝? ”
” penguin? Ha ha. Penguin? I am not saying penguin.”
” I say Chee-a.”
” Chee-a? Arn’t you saying 企鵝?” ” What’s that? How do you spell it?”
” C-h-e-e-t-a-h”
” Can you describe it? ”
” It runs very fast.”
這下糟了，我完全不知道小朋友口中的 Chee-(t)-a是什麼，還說是企鵝，真是糗大了。雖然一直想要猜出這不知道是什麼跑得很快的怪動物來扳回顏面，想起為人師表孔子曾經說[不知為不知]，只好搔搔頭的說 ” Sorry, I really don’t know what this is in Mandarin. I have to check and tell you next time. ”
人說[教學相長], 果真如是。連八歲的小孩都讓我學了一個英文單字 Cheetah, 美洲豹。怎麼猜也猜不到跟豹有關係。Cheetah: A wild cat-like animal with yellowish brown fur and black spots, which can run faster than any other animal. 這個單字是一輩子都不會忘了。對了，下次上課要記得帶English-Chinese字典, 我真是太小看這些八歲的小朋友了。
***Readers , I just realized that sponge is an animal after this article. Please read the comments.
October 8th, 2005
[ 各位觀眾晚安。沉寂以久的 Godzilla在西雅圖郊區出沒，附近居民人人自危。根據目擊者指出，行動酷似 Godzilla的怪獸，不但搗毀中央車站，破壞網路系統，更襲擊住在該社區人氣指數頗高的香菇韜。此怪獸身形小，行動敏捷，甚難追蹤。怪獸專家指出，小怪獸的年齡應該只有15個月。以目前的行徑來看，將來其破壞性應會更強，活動範圍亦會擴大。現在我們就衛星連線，請記者小燕告訴我們現場的狀況。]
[ 好的，現在記者小燕所在的位置是在香菇韜的家中。Godzilla跟香菇韜已經不知去向，留下了被摧毀的電腦系統和烏煙瘴氣的公寓。站在我身旁的這位是香菇韜的太太。一太太，請你告訴我們到底發生了什麼事?]
[ 哎喲，僥倖喔，香菇韜去給抓走了。我剛剛就去買菜回來啊，啊就看到我尫被一隻不知道是什麼東西壓在地板喘不過氣來。我驚得暈過去了。醒來後，我尫和怪獸就沒去囉。]
[ 一太太，那你可不可以講一下那隻怪獸的樣子。]
[ 那隻怪獸看起來小小的，可是很有力氣的樣子ㄋㄟ。喔，對了，他還有發出一些聲音，很像人在講話。可是我都聽不懂ㄋㄟ。哎，真正僥倖喔。香菇韜對我不錯，菜錢從來也沒有少過給我。嗚嗚嗚...。]
[ 各位觀眾，因為香菇韜的消失，現在一太太一家的經濟情況陷入窘境。熱心的民眾可以打本台的捐款專線 (425)888-0808。現在交還給棚內的盧主播。]
[ 各位觀眾，為了維護居民的安全，警方已經加強警戒雷蒙住宅區，希望這隻行動相當迅速的小怪獸能將香菇韜安全的釋放。受過怪獸語言特種訓練的中情局人員，也透過多種電波，希望能夠跟小怪獸進行溝通。另外，怪獸行為分析家也指出，此小怪獸有攻擊在家長時間使用電腦者的傾向，請有此習慣的民眾要相當的小心。]
後記：巧晴自從會走路後，破壞力也日漸升高。如果說她是到處走走，還不如說是倒處踐踏。加上她活動範圍擴大，常常不是把玩具打翻，就是把家裡的東西包括我們的檔案夾 CD及 DVD等全部弄亂，更別說地毯上的米粒及麵包屑了。除了到處破壞，巧晴還會爬坐在爸媽的身上，蹦蹦跳跳地大笑。我們表現出愈痛苦的表情，她就笑得愈大聲。跟她溝通，要她不可子這樣不可以那樣，只會聽到巧晴連珠炮似講了一堆我們不懂的話，似乎是在辯解自己的行為。當爸媽的只能又好氣又好笑地搔搔頭隨她囉。
September 25th, 2005
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