“Chò A-kun: There is nothing to fear about

Today, we went to Lowe’s for the paint needed for the new place before A and T working on the painting project. Meanwhile, I took care of Taikun, spending the afternoon at a bookstore (with his favorite dog-shaped guitar).  He felt asleep in the car and then I decided to bring him back home (old place) to have a nap.

As everybody was exhausted, after picking A and I up we bought to-go food at McDonalds and had it home. The weather is getting pretty warm (90+ F) and I simply had some broccoli for dinner due to low appetite.

At table, Taikun was playing a power strip. He has been plugging the cord into the power strip to make a ring, and put on the ring on his neck, as if it is a guitar. He has been enjoying this play very much.

All of a sudden, he said “Papa góa ga lí thiaⁿ” (Papa I listen to you) , while attaching the strip part to my chest and putting the plug part to his ears.  This time, he is role-playing a doctor!

While I was amazed at the versatility of the power strip, he comforted me with “bē-kiaⁿ, bē-kiaⁿ (do not be afraid)”,  moving the “stethoscope” around several locations on my chest. Also he assured me, stuttering “bô  bô  bô  bô…..bô  siáⁿ-mih  hó-thang  kiaⁿ e” (No no no no…..There is nothing to fear about).  

I noticed when he switched among languages, especially to Taiwanese, he would stutter before being able to say it completely. I am unsure if this is a necessary path to go through to develop a multilingual child. Well, let’s wait and see if this improves along the time.

He continued, “Li bô-sóng-khòai, goa ga li thiaⁿ” ([If] you do not feel comfortable, I will listen to you [using the stethoscope.])

“Ho -a” (Okay), I responded, then I asked, “A-kun, Li í-āu chò i-seng, hó-bò?” (A-kun, would you want to be a doctor in the future?)

He: “ bô-ài, goa beh chò  A-kun.” (Nope, I want be become A-kun.)

He is growing up—instead of coming up with a no-brainer “Ho!” (Okay!), now it’s getting harder to put our words into his mouth.

Added June 24 2013 (Monday): In the breakfast table, he again diagnosed me—this time with his lego piece—a reel with a pulley. He probed it on my leg and knee, saying “bô-sóng-khòai bo? goa thiaⁿ li” (Do you feel uncomfortable? I listen to you.) He also played it with a fish-shaped ice cube on my lap. When I protested, “peng  peng! Papa bô-sóng-khòai o!” (So cold! Papa doesn’t feel comfortable!) , he still insisted it. The play ended with the ice fish cube falling to the floor—when being picked up it has melt, almost gone. Then he went to daycare.