Me: How was school today?
Ayub: Today… the school was open.
Sulaiman: Yah. The school not closed. The school open.
Me: Yup.
Sulaiman: Today is Saturday.
Me: Actually today is Monday.
Sulaiman: Oh-man.
Me: What’s wrong with Monday?
Ayub: The school is open on Monday.
Me: Sulaiman do you have a girlfriend?
Sulaiman : Yes
Me: Really?! What’s your girlfriend’s name?
Sulaiman: Jia Yee.
Me: Awww… Ayub do you have a girlfriend?
Ayub: Yes
Me: What’s your girlfriend’s name?
Ayub: Mama.
Me: Ayub, what’s one plus one?
Ayub: One plus one is one one is eleven.
Me: Hmm… good try but not quite. Here’s one (I lift one finger)… then I plus one (I lift another finger)… So what do I have?
Ayub: Fingers!
Me: Yes… I do have fingers… but how many?
Ayub: (singing happily and counting his fingers) One little two little three little fingers! Four little five little six… (all the way to ten) Ten fingers Mama! Ayub have ten fingers!
Me: Yup. That’s true.
Sulaiman: Sulaiman have one hundred fingers ten minutes!
Me: Sulaiman, what’s one plus one?
Sulaiman: Sulaiman is three years old.
In an effort to get the boys to share, I always emphasize that everything has “one for Ayub, one for Sulaiman.” So even when sharing a chocolate bar, I can hear the kids say “one for Ayub (and Ayub will take a piece), one for Sulaiman (then Ayub will give Sulaiman a piece).
“One for Ayub, one for Sulaiman.”
While the boys were racing their toy cars…
Ayub: I won!
Sulaiman: I won too!
Ayub: No, you can’t won too. Only Ayub can won.
Sulaiman: No, Sulaiman won.
Ayub: Ayub won!
Sulaiman: Won for Ayub, won for Sulaiman. Mama says have to shaaare!
Ayub: No… But… How?
Sulaiman: Won for Ayub, won for Sulaiman. Sulaiman won too.
Ayub is completely focused on his Hot Wheels racing track. Sulaiman picks up his own track and starts wielding it like a weapon.
Sulaiman: Haiyah! Haiyah! I’m a ninja!
Ayub: No.
Sulaiman: Haiyah! Haiyah! Ninjaaaaaaaa!
Ayub: No.
Mr Ninja: Come, let’s go out and eat.
Sulaiman: We go out and eat?
Mr Ninja: Yup. Wear your long pants.
Sulaiman: Ok!
Ayub: I don’t want.
(Sulaiman changes out of his shorts into his long pants)
Sulaiman: Oh-my-word! Look at Sulaiman. I’m so cute!
Ayub: No.