The obsession

At below 2 years old, Kate knows what she likes and dislikes. Her preferred foods include durian, biscuits, Milo, milk - though I must say she's (thankfully) quite a good eater. She loves to play masak - "took" (cook) and "tart" (cut), her dolls (wa wa & bears included), bubbles, babies, playground, doctor... She does not like water down her face, changing clothes, lying still (except while drinking milk)... But her favourite thing in the world has got to be Barney.

Yup, the husband and I do not stand a chance against the purple dinosaur. Her love for Barney started innocently enough with my mom buying her a Barney waterbottle, and the FIL getting her the soft toy. But the relationship built extremely quickly and Kate quickly learnt to ask to wear her Barney tees and watch Barney on YouTube. The love was sealed when we brought her to catch the Barney show, where truly my heart burst with love as I watched her immerse herself into Barney-land, thoroughly enjoying herself.

Today, she pretty much identifies the iPhone and Barney as one. When she sights the iPhone, she'll giggle with delight and say "haha see Barney?!" in an obviously rhetoric fashion. And yes, this lady of the i(Phone) generation is capable of operating the phone, getting into YouTube and clicking on her favorite Barney episode. Right now, it's this particular one named "Good day good night." I notice that she'll always route back to watching this particular episode no matter what and I honestly don't know wherein lies the allure. But I've watched the episode with Kate so often that I couldn't help myself but know the entire plot and some songs.

Now I'm proud to say that this connection with Kate's favorite Barney episode has it's benefits. I have, on several occasions, managed to distract her from watching Barney by saying to her that I'll tell her the story of Barney instead. And I've also successfully put her to sleep by telling her the story at bedtime. This has been going on for more than a week now and though I'm bored to death of repeating the same story over and over and over, I do it because it makes Kate happy.

This obsession with Barney is like a pure relationship in Kate's eyes. When we ask her "do you love Papa/Mama (or anyone else) or Barney?" The swift response from Kate is usually Barney. Shocking, I know! But it's also an innocent reflection of the child and what they hold dear in their heart.

Funny, odd but still rather cute. Till I go bonkers reciting the Barney story again...