Boxing Day

On Boxing Day we went to the ice slides in the centre of the city.

I slipped on the steps a few times.

But I still had fun sliding down.

And getting back up again.

Photos from our holiday to Finland and Sweden

Our family had a holiday in October. We went to St Petersburg, Finland and Sweden. It's pretty interesting to see different places. I do get a bit confused when we travel though, because I never know if it is permanent or not. (And I have been living in the same place nearly all my life now.)

Running around in front of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg.

Playing on the kids train on the real train to Helsinki.

Soaking up the sunshine in Finland.

I climbed this tower all by myself because it was really safe.

Here I am with mummy at the top.

Look, I climbed up this rock.

Climbing is so much fun, especially with Abigail.

I'm so happy... (for now).

I got to run around on top of the ship to Sweden.

And I got to play in the sea of balls.

Here I am in Sweden.

Another shot in Sweden.

Photos from Grandma and Grandpa's visit

Every time I try to get on the computer to do my blog, my Daddy tells me to stop playing with the computer. He thinks I might break it. So it has taken me a long time to get my blogging done since Grandma and Grandpa came to visit me here in Russia.

Here are some of the best photos with me and them together.

At a picnic with Grandma. She played football with me.

Waiting at the bus stop Grandma took me walking.

Grandma read my puppy book with me

Here's Grandpa with me at the zoo

Shoulder ride with Grandma.

My first horsey ride.

I can't remember where this is.

Feeding the pigeons with Grandpa.

Near the rive.

Playing with Grandpa.

Riding the snow mobile

In Uncle Yura's yard there are lots of things to play with. I really liked riding on the snow mobile.

Daddy liked it too because he thought it was much safer than some of the other things I could play with.

Puppies!

I just love puppies! Uncle Yura has some puppies in his yard, but Mummy and Daddy won't let me touch them, so they don't bite me. Uncle Yura is also a hunter.

He caught a wolf. This is the fur from the wolf. It's sooo soft, I really like touching it.

Later Mummy and I watched an Evenki movie about the wolf and a boy. It has puppies everywhere in it, it's so much fun!

All my adventures

I am learning to drive all sorts of things. Today I learnt to drive the boat.

I went for a ride on Daddy's back down to the river.

I just love playing with water, so I was so happy when we went here to the spring.

Life's better when you can play and do what you want instead of following Mummy and Daddy around.

Bears and a playground

We all went to a festival today. There were people dancing and singing.

Abigail and I played with the baby bears. To me they are all puppies.

Then we go to go to the play ground and go on the big slide.

Driving the car

Today while Abigail was picking blueberries I decided to drive Uncle Yura's car.

Going on a plane

We all went on a plane and went to a different place. It is very different from home. There are so many new things to learn.

My vocabulary is building

I am starting to learn to talk now.  Mummy and Daddy have been getting impatient with me. I often just cry and scream for things when I want them.  But I am learning to say words like "more" and "please". Mummy and Daddy really like it when I do this.

One of my favourite games is to pick up the phone and say hello. I use the home phone, Mummy or Daddy's mobile phone, the ipod, the tv remote, the dictaphone and sometimes even the handle on the window blinds for this game.

When we go outside I am always looking for my favourite animal, the "babbi".  The babbi can either be a birdy or a puppy. When I see them I say the word, but even when I don't see them I say it, because I am looking for them.

Mummy and Daddy like to play a game with me to teach me about the eyes, ears, mouth and nose. Most of the time I just say "no" for any of these. But sometimes I do say "eyes".

Another game I like to play is to point at windows and mirrors and say "indo".  In fact it is a really good way to learn new words, just by pointing at things and using a vowel, Mummy or Daddy will usally tell me what it is.

Here is a list of most of the words that I use. The first spelling is the word that it is supposed to be in advanced English. The second spelling is the phonetic spelling of how I really say it right now.

birdy or puppy    [ bʌˡbi:]  

I have been using this word for a little while now.

puppy   [ pʌpi ]  

I am now starting to learn to devoice my bilabial plosives (from a b to a p).

daddy   [ dædi ]  

Daddy is just so easy to say you know.

mama [ mʌmʌ ]  

I've had mama down pat for ages, I see no need to update it to the more contemporary "mummy".

shoes [ ʃʉs ]  

When big kids and adults say shoes, there is a z sound at the end. Not when I say it, it is a lot shorter and softer.

hello  [ ɛl̪̘ɔ ]  

It is really cute when I say hello. I stick my tongue out a long way and give it a good flap! I don't say the h at the start either.

indo  [ ɪndɔ ]  

Ws and rs are weally hard to say you know.

no(se) [ nɔ ]  

It's much easier to leave some sounds off at the end of words.

eyes [ ʌis ]  

I also don't say the z sound at the end of eyes.

hi  [ hʌi ]  

I do the hi so well, I'm a really outgoing kid. I still have to learn how to say it in Russian though, and privyet is a lot harder.

more [ mɔ ]  Mummy is so proud of me when I use this word to ask for something. And even though my Canadian relatives might think I have it wrong (no r) Daddy says I have already mastered this word.

please [ piz ]  You might think I am asking for peas, but I am just being polite. :)

My first haircut

Mummy thought my hair was getting too long. Daddy didn't mind, he thought my curls were cute. I liked to wrap my finger in my curls. But Mummy said I had to get my hair cut some time and so Daddy said ok.

Mummy put me in my high chair and sat me in front of the mirror. Abigail took lots of pictures of me getting my hair cut. She did a really good job don't you think?

I didn't stop moving the whole time even though the photos don't show that.

My Mummy did a good job and my Daddy says my curls will grow back.