Today while watching “Han Zi Gong” on a scene where a chicken was slaughtered and its blood dripped onto a vessel, Stephen said “chicken…chicken…blood…”. He said that for quite a number of times and when I repeated after him, he gave me a sustainable eye-contact with a broad smile. It’s really very heart-warming.

Recently, Stephen has been simulating the action of falling down. He did that again this afternoon. I responded with “No, no…it’s painful. Mama is worried.” I deliberately paused after saying “no, no” to see his reaction as he tends to be angry just as what Daniel has observed. However, he looked at me and when I said “mama is worried”, he smiled and did the fall again.

I am thinking of trying to communicate “no” to him in various tones and also in using different transits as we move into doing other things. Hopefully, either he’ll quickly transit over from the very unpleasant situation to something that is more favourable or to at least connect with me on a more personal level such as knowing that “I care for you that’s why you can’t have it”.

My feel is that Stephen’s pretty sensitive to the underlying tone and the mentality that others have him (friends or foes?) when communicating with him. EQ? Perhaps… I find that his response tends to be more positive when I am more “longsuffering” than him, i.e. despite his constant whining I maintain a position of “It’s OK with me”, “I’m not bothered by your XXX behaviour” , “I’ve got patience to wait for you to be ready” ...

Whatever, the bottom-line is to stay above him . Sometimes he can be very trying… but let’s not be overcome by him. He is definitely more aware of others as well as himself. Having said that, for the past three days I was attending to both Stephen and Deborah either for the entire morning or afternoon as Daniel was busy at work. The first two days were horrid… ha ha… I really turned into a monster because here I was busy clearing up, there they were messing up… Thank God the ending isn’t as bad as the start for Stephen was cuddling with me on the sofa as he slept soundly after one whole afternoon of “bond-bond session”. Deborah has come been a great help as she has been understanding and helpful. She is indeed our little fairy angel.

Good days… bad days… they come as a package. Some of us may experience more success at one time or other, but it doesn’t minimise the efforts and love that we who care for Stephen have put in.

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9