Back to school blues

Come this Friday, Xuan will be going back to school. She is going to K2. I'm not very excited about it, neither is Xuan for obvious reasons! She has been having so much fun at home that she has completely forgotten about school! I have to prepare her psychologically for school in advance before she whines about it when the time comes. But each time I reminded her, she'd give me that "back to school blues" look.

For me, I haven't get rid of my paranoid self. Back to school spells of many sick episodes for the kids and distressing moments for me. Oh especially stressful during the festive season. I had to keep my fingers and legs crossed so that the kids don't fall sick on CNY. I still remember having to ban Xuan from school when CNY draws near and getting really uptight over her falling sick.

I hope there's fewer sick episodes in 2009. *fingers, toes and eyes crossed; mouth twitched... hahaha* SIOW LIAO!

Here's wishing everyone a great year of happiness, good health and prosperity!

Happy New Year!
May all sentient beings be well and happy.

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Fiasco parenting

No parents would like to admit themselves as failure... I just feel like giving myself a good bashing.

When it comes to grading, I believe parenting also has a few: successful; average - just made the grade; and fiasco parents.

I always grade myself as a fiasco case (until one day if I can see a reversal in the following):

• Other kids sit at the table for their meals; mine run all over the house to be fed.


• Other kids sleep on their own; mine have to be carried and rocked until they sleep.


• Other kids eat all kinds of food; mine refuse all new food.


• Other kids finish their meals within 30 minutes; mine have to be fed for 3 hours.


• Other kids are chubby at their right weight; mine are skinny and severely underweight.

I really envy those successful parents who are able to sit their kids at the dining table for their meals, who do not even dare to turn their heads to catch a glimpse of their favourite TV programme. And those parents whose kids are adverturous to try out any food without having to force feed. As well as parents whose kids are well-fed and growing simultaneously with their age and height. And those parents whose kids automatically climb into their bunk when they are tired and fall soundly asleep until the next morning.

I know all kids are different... but a large part is habitual and it all boils down to how I parent my kids. These bad habits are inculcated since young... and it seems like too late to reverse them now. Sad to say, I gave in to TV temptations when they refused to eat. I let them do anything they like so that they'd be distracted and open their mouth. You must be shaking your head in disapproval by now. That's okay... I only blame myself for being such a failure!

While people triumphed over what they have achieved for the year, I just hate to give myself this kind of "End of Year Bash"! Well, so you can see - my new year resolution for 2009 is obvious...

Recently, a kind mommy blogger shared with me her own stories on how I can reverse the situation with lots of persistence and consistent good parental discipline. I'm grateful to her for all the invaluable advise. Thanks a lot Food4tots :)

I hope it won't be long before I can update her on some positive progress. Wish me luck!

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Season of gifts and giving

"Stories about gifts are always fascinating because they are essentially stories within stories. We become involved not only with the plot but also with what's inside the box. Giving is a symbolic gesture and, by extension, so is the gift. A giver thinks hard about giving a meaningful gift, and the receiver ponders the meaning of the gift she receives." - Robb Report

I'm not a Christian, so is the entire family. But we started the culture of gift-giving on Christmas few years back when my sis-in-laws became Christians. They gave presents to the kids and so to reciprocate, we also buy them gifts... that's how the culture of gift-exchanging got kicked off. Since then, we also buy presents to surprise our own kids every Christmas. As a result, Xuan looks forward to Christmas every year when she'd receive all kinds of lovely presents from family members. On Christmas Eve, I will place my present for Xuan beside her bed after she has slept so that she'd be greeted by the Christmas gift in the morning.

This year, the same practice rules. Xuan was exhilarated when she saw the present beside her on Christmas day. She came to me after opening her present (when I was still half-asleep) to thank me.

Xuan: "Thank you for the present mummy!" (*smile*)
Tin: "You are welcome!" (*smile*)
Xuan: "I'm happy about you." (she looks touched)
Tin: ??? (*puzzled*) "Do you like it?"
Xuan: "Yes, the present is better than anybody else..."

That was very sweet of her. I thought. But I'm quite surprised when she said that... cos' the present I bought was no more than an ordinary dress and a small activity book. So I guess the phrase "I'm happy about you" is the kiddo version of "it's the thought that counts..." *laugh*

I'm glad she's so appreciative :)

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Tom and Jerry

Xuan is currently obessed with Tom and Jerry - the old series of animated theatrical shorts that are centered on a never-ending rivalry between a housecat and a mouse whose chases and battles often involved comic violence.

On one hand, this shows that she has grown and her appetite for TV programs has changed. But I certainly don't approve watching too much of such cartoons, which promote violence and are not educational. Sorry kids, only limit to the most two episodes a day.

The siblings are too capable of all kinds of imitations. It is no wonder I seem to have a Tom and a Jerry tearing the house apart now!

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Running and chasing

Xuan and Kai have been running, chasing and screaming - threatening to tear the house apart. Unbearable noise. My repeated screams and pleas won't help. Extreme madness. I suppose this is the not-so-pleasant side of being a SAHM. Below is a clip taken after they have settled down.

This is madness. Pls mute the speaker.

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Cars' craze

Kai's craze for cars is ultimate! I know boys love cars but not to his extent. Now I have the phobia of bringing him out for shopping. Whenever he sees cars, his jaws drop... "CARS!!!! CARS!!!! CARS!!!!", and started hauling all kinds of automobiles from the shelves and racks... so in the end we have to grab one, pay for it and hurry off before he yell for more cars.

Yesterday, when we brought him out, we try to avoid all the shops that sell cars. But somehow he has the ability to spot cars from afar. Arrggghhh... too late... He started shouting for cars and kept pointing to the direction where the cars were, nudging and shoving us towards the shop! We refused to oblige and he started to bawl until we reach home. *sigh*

Kai's ultimate craze for cars is not totally bad. It has at least brought out a new milestone in him when he uttered the phrase "BUY CAR!!!!" yesterday! As this boy is pretty slow in speech compared to tots of his age, this milestone to put together words into phrase is something I ought to rave about.

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Season's greetings

I couldn't believe I'd come to terms with the crotchets and minims, and the A-B-C-D-E-F-G keys on the piano one day!!! Now I've learned to appreciate the musical notes and self-taught a "Jingle Bell" just in time for Christmas!!! Hee... but hey, shouldn't it be the two piano enthusiastists to be performing this?!??

Watch the funny clips and listen carefully... hahaha
(tune down the volume, can be quite loud)

Xuan helping to tape the clip using my HP. Listen to her ... and did u notice the two funny potties in the background? Haaha..

This version was taken by Xuan as well. And look at how helpful Kai is in disrupting!

Finally, a self-taped clip when no one is around... heee...

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Do lizards lay eggs?

These are the most horrible creatures that have ever scared the hell out of my life! My knees went jerky and my whole body weak when I see one. I even had bad dreams about how my entire house was filled with lizards and I had to stand on a stool, watching the pool of crawling creatures in horrid! I know nothing about them except knowing that they are the most slimy yucky crawly mini reptiles that fell on people's shoulders. And I also never bother to find out about them until recently when Xuan started talking about how she saw two lizards' eggs in a container in her ma-ma house. "Don't bluff me, how can lizards lay eggs???" I exclaimed when she told me about the eggs.

A childhood encounter with lizards made me hates them and remembers them for the rest of my life. One hateful night, I was playing with my siblings when I started gigling and everybody thought I was having too much fun. The giggles turned into cries when I started shaking my clothes and a slimy fat lizard dropped out and scampered off to safety. My whole body was trembling in fear after the incident...

I couldn't agree better with "it is a mystery how the miniaturised dragons often target those who hate them the most". I continue to be haunted by lizards even after I grew up. One bad lizard encounter I had a few years back was when I was driving in a car when I suddenly saw a big one on the windshield. Luckily it was on the outside, but still I watched in horrid fascination as it perched still on the wiper, inches from my face. I couldn't concentrate on driving. Later it vanished from the windshield, but I was scared stiff to get out of the car when I reached my destination. It must have crawled up just above the driver’s door, poised to fall on me! I thought. There was no one to help me. I could only psycho myself. After a few moments of calming thoughts, I quickily hopped out of the car, slammed the door hard and scamper off (just like a lizard, I hate to admit).

Anyway, I googled "Do lizards lay eggs" and found that THEY DO!!! Depends on the breed, some are live bearers and some lay eggs!

But I don't care whether they lay eggs or not, I only want to find the answer so that I don't mislead Xuan in any way.

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Crotchets and minims

These are musical terms I learn from Xuan's piano workbooks. Crotchet is a quarter note or short note or one-beat note, while minim is a half note or long note or two-beat note. These two terms come in handy when I needed to explain certain things to Xuan.

I was driving the car and Xuan was sitting next to me, listening to songs from the car CD player.

Xuan: Mummy how do I switch off the music?

Me: You just "press and hold" the off button.

Xuan: What is "press and hold"?

Me: You press and count "1-2" before letting go.

Xuan: Oh... just like playing the minim note.

Me: Yes, exactly! Just press the button like the minim note - press and count "1-2", and when you want to switch on the CD, you press like a crotchet!

Xuan: Now I know!!!

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Thining hair

My hair didn't thin without reasons. Kai's terror act of pulling my hair with all his might is the real culprit. Hair drop everywhere...

Huh, whose hair are these? So many here???!!! I exclaimed each time I found more than 20 strands of hair scattered all over the floor. I'm not kidding, it's really scary. I'm terrified of Kai. I've tried being stern with him, warning him not to pull my hair -- all futile. The more he hear me scream in pain, the harder he'd pull. By the time he stop, there's already a bunch of hair in his fist. It's painful, not from the pulling, but from witnessing my thining hair day after day. I don't want to go bald yet. HELP!!!

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Superstar Virgo

Just came back (yesterday) from the 3D2N cruise to nowhere. Dead tired. It has reaffirmed my philosophy of not bringing kids under four for any trips. No more traveling for the next three years! I'm determined. Xuan has no problem on the cruise but not for Kai. It was nothing but a suffering trip.

Taxi
Kai was quiet. First time in motor vehicle driven by someone other than his mom and dad. Timid. Sat quietly on my lap. Behaved terribly well for the first time.

Boarding
Blur. Almost boarded the boat to Batam. So embarassing. Don't laugh!

Embarkment
Boarded the correct cruise at around 6.30pm. Decided to go for dinner. Lifts packed with people. No difference from MRT peak hours' mess. Squashed. Long queue at restaurant. Frustrated. Got a Q number to return at 7.30pm. Went back to cabin. Tm and I thought we should disembark.
Just a thought. We stayed in the end.

For the rest of the cruise, it was nothing but a "back to cabin" and "go to restaurants" affair. Entirely boring but that's because we don't have energy and mood to try out other things.

Kai wanted to be carried all the time. My arms already ached on the first day. In restaurants, he was extremely restless. Brought along his toy cars but no use. Simply refused to sit still, wanted me to carry him out of the restaurants. Refused to eat anything but drink milk. So Tm and I took turns to eat and carry him around. Our meals were rushed through. While rushing through, we also have to get food for Xuan and keep nagging at her, making sure she moved her mouth and swallowed her food! Sometimes, after we have just taken our seats in the restaurants, Xuan would complain of stomach aches and wanted to go back to cabin to do her business!

Back to cabin. The two jumped on the bed, played with cupboards and the safe box, and ran around the tiny and cramped cabin. We had to follow Kai closely so that he won't bang into walls and edges. Still, we discovered he suffered a few bruises on his legs when we came back from the cruise.

The worst of the cruise was during night time when Kai would suddenly wake up and cry non-stop, closing his eyes tight! Night-terror? We believed he was having some bad dreams. We executed all means to wake him up but failed. At loss... After an hour long of crying, he finally opened his eyes! Then he would start to play until he is tired and sleep. By then, it would be 6am in the morning.

You could not have imagined. It was a torture.
The happiest moment was waiting for disembarkment.
Yeah! We have reached Singapore! Our miseries are over!!!

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He likes to bare himself

Strange habit indeed. Kai has been tugging and pulling off his diapers of late. He likes to parade around the house with his naked bottom. I suppose it is the airy feel and lack of the 'heavy burden' that is making him do that. He certainly knows how to make himself feel comfy.

Each time he does that, I'd call him "脱裤城" (rhymes with 郭富城... Aaron Kwok's fans, no offend please) and he LOVES it! *giggles*

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Growing taller

Kai has grown to a height where he is able to reach things not meant for him. Patronisng my dressing mirror ledge every now and then to seize all kinds of girly stuff like hand lotion, lip moisturiser, tweezers, comb...etc. This means he is also able to reach for things on the dining table including piping hot water and steaming dishes. This is no joke. I've heard of stories of how toddlers pull off boiling kettles from stove and burnt themselves badly. So, this highly active Kai has to be under strict survellience at all times. I'm always exerting my lung power on him whenever he reaches for things on the dining table. It's scary. You bet. I'm not into reasoning with him as yet (although I've attempted at times). Those rational messages are too 'chim' to get into his little head. Yelling is the most efficient, instant solution and the best antidote so far. Usually he'd backed off a few steps whenever I exert my lung power!

Sigh! So you see, his growing big isn't so fun after all.

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Knowledgeable aunties

The other day in the foodcourt, I sat with two aunties (I mean the two women were in their 50s'. I used to define aunties as women in their 30's when I was much younger... pardon me... but now I define aunties as women in their 50s' as I myself is now in the 30s' age group and going to 40 pretty soon, so please let me insist on my definition... haha).

Well, these two aunties were talking about stocks. They were discussing about their investments in U.S. citibank shares, saying it is worth buying blah blah blah... Soon they turned to me and included me in their chit chat. They asked if I read the papers that day. I shook my head. Then they kindly informed me that the Japan has entered into recession... and so is Hong Kong. Then they go on to talk about credit cards, housing loans, etc. etc.

I appeared lost in their ramblings... the aunties nowadays are really knowledgeable! After becoming a stay-at-home mom, my world simply revolves around the two kids and the 'home affairs'... think I need to buck up and keep up with the current affairs now, so that I can be an equally knowledgeable auntie next time :)

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