Today is one of those "Soap Opera days". The mother had been overworked, tired out and suffering from bad gastric pain. She took her medication and endured the pain. She restored the house to a livable condition, prepared lunch and ride her 3 seater market bike to fetch her 4 years old twins home from school. Feeling a little faint with the pain and the hot sun, she managed to get to school and ferried them home. She thought she couldn't make it home but she did. It's the Mom power.
"Finally home", she thought, but home is where trouble starts. One twin knocked his head on the gate while playing with the other twin and burst into tears. The other twin was demanding his butterfly (Farfelle) pasta lunch. She tried to comfort the crying twin but he was beyond consolation. She had to bring lunch to the table before the other twin bawl. She went to the kitchen, open the pot to find a pot of burnt pasta. She had forgotten to turned off the gas! The hungry twins came to the kitchen, one still sobbing and the other filled with excitement to eat his "butterflies". She had to break the news to them. "Sorry boys, we can't have the pasta, it got burnt." World's number one stereo crying system gave its best. The stress that she is feeling is creating more gastric juice and the gastric pain became unbearable. You know one of those scenes in soap opera, the mother fell to the ground and started crying with the kids. She was close to tears too, the pain, the crying and the burnt food.
But she never liked soap operas. She thought of an advertising pitch. Camera panned from burnt pasta, crying twins, then to the ever smiling mother (NOT!). She gave the "mother know best" look and calmly (NOT!!) went to the computer, opened up McDelivery webpage and ordered 2 Happy Meals. The meals were delivered in a swift and we see 2 happy children eating. The scene where she crawled (literally) to the bed waiting for her knight to come home to save her from the washing of the burnt pot and the crying children will be cut.
Papa knight cancelled his meeting and rushed home from work, together with McDelivery and Happy Meal, they saved the day. Boys were kept happy the whole day with the Hot Wheels toy car that comes with the Happy Meal.
I'm just so glad the day is coming to an end and I'm feeling slightly better with Papa knight taking care of the boys and me. Being a mother is the toughest job I've ever known. Here's wishing all the super moms out there an early Happy Mothers Day!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Master of Translation
We have a "Master of Translation" in the house.
This is the ultimate.. I didn't realize they were making such a direct translation until they explained because they didn't believe me that Jellyfish is 水母. lol...
家庭 (family)
=
帝企鹅 (emperor penguins)
=
JELLYFISH
=
果冻鱼!!
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Are you my real mother?
I was reading the fairytale, Hansel and Gretel to the boys and they threw questions at me on why the evil stepmother abandoned her children. Her actions were totally appalling to them. I tried to explain to them what a stepmother is. They were listening intently and suddenly, with a worried look, Y turned to me and asked, "are you my real mother?" I can't help laughing at that. Of course I assured him I am his birth mother and I loved them so much that I would never leave them in a forest.
Anyway, here's the proof my little darlings, I carried that giant watermelon with swollen feet and big nose for 37 weeks. I went in the operating room to be cut open while wide awake to deliver you. There's no doubt that I'm definitely your real mother.
Anyway, here's the proof my little darlings, I carried that giant watermelon with swollen feet and big nose for 37 weeks. I went in the operating room to be cut open while wide awake to deliver you. There's no doubt that I'm definitely your real mother.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
How I got my preschooler to count to 100.
The best thing that my boys benefited from their bad sleeping habits or from their battle against sleep is to be able to count up to 100.
When they were 3, Y would keep running out of his bed announcing "Mummy, I can't sleep!" To avoid the tears and battle during bedtime, we came up with the "Count to 100" strategy. He would sit on the rocker chair with me and I would rock him as we count to 100. He has to go back to his bed after we count to 100 and may not come out again. He kept to the agreement sometimes, he fell asleep when we haven't even reached 50 sometimes or he would run out several times to count on some days. It started with me counting only, then with him counting after me, then progress to him counting with some help from me when he got stuck. After 2 months, he mastered his counting to 100. Counting to 100 was no longer challenging to him and the strategy didn't work anymore. I wanted to introduce skip counting but I'm happy that he came up with counting backwards himself. K, being a better sleeper who also count lesser is getting quite upset that his brother can count from 100-1 while he can only do 1-100.
Learning can take place in the most unconventional way. I would note in Y's growing journal that he mastered counting because he was the worst sleeper in the family.
When they were 3, Y would keep running out of his bed announcing "Mummy, I can't sleep!" To avoid the tears and battle during bedtime, we came up with the "Count to 100" strategy. He would sit on the rocker chair with me and I would rock him as we count to 100. He has to go back to his bed after we count to 100 and may not come out again. He kept to the agreement sometimes, he fell asleep when we haven't even reached 50 sometimes or he would run out several times to count on some days. It started with me counting only, then with him counting after me, then progress to him counting with some help from me when he got stuck. After 2 months, he mastered his counting to 100. Counting to 100 was no longer challenging to him and the strategy didn't work anymore. I wanted to introduce skip counting but I'm happy that he came up with counting backwards himself. K, being a better sleeper who also count lesser is getting quite upset that his brother can count from 100-1 while he can only do 1-100.
Learning can take place in the most unconventional way. I would note in Y's growing journal that he mastered counting because he was the worst sleeper in the family.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Aversion towards Babies
My boys are suffering from a condition I call, "Baby Aversion". We invited a classmate who had a baby brother over one day. They looked in horror when the baby brother stuffed their favorite police car into his mouth, knocked down their Lego blocks tower and dropped their toys on the floor. At the playground, they screamed when wandering toddlers took their bike for a ride conveniently while they were climbing at the bars.
I can't really blame them for that, considering they almost lost one patch of hair when a friendly toddler came over for a chat coupled with hair pulling when we were at Sentosa once. They got beaten and pinched several times at the playground, also from friendly babies.
It was hard to get them to understand that the babies were not being mean or obnoxious. On the contrary, they were just overly enthusiastic to make friends with them. They wanted to touch them but do not know how to control their strength. The boys have forgotten they were babies once too and they were like this too. They couldn't believe me when I told them they have done the same too. They have declared "We hate babies! NO babies in the house!" until ....
Y: Can we invite S&W(their classmates) to our house to play?
Me: Yes we can. We will invite the whole family and that includes the baby sister.
Y&K: BABY??!!!
Me: Yes.
Y: Why they have baby?
K: Can the baby don't come?
Me: No, we have to invite everyone. The baby is not going to stay home alone.
Y: But I just want S&W to come.
Me: That's not going to happen. If you invite the brother, we have to invite the sister.
K: Never mind. Maybe the baby won't come. I think the baby like to stay home... I think... Maybe... maybe the baby won't come.
Me: No, the baby WILL come.
K continues chanting... no... the baby won't come, the baby doesn't like to come...
After a few incidents at the playground where they were nasty to young babies, screaming when they get close to them.
Me: I don't like your behavior towards the babies just now.
K: I don't like babies, they spoil my toys and they hit me.
Me: What happens if we have a baby in our family? Are you going to be nasty to the baby too?
K: Then I will share my toys with the baby. But only baby toys ok? Is it a baby girl or baby boy? I want boy.
Me: ????
That reply took me by surprise, so maybe they don't hate babies that much after all. I'm just looking forward to see their reaction when their friend's baby sister come over. They mix around with older cousins who give in to them. I hope they can learn to be tolerant towards younger children just like their older cousins.
I can't really blame them for that, considering they almost lost one patch of hair when a friendly toddler came over for a chat coupled with hair pulling when we were at Sentosa once. They got beaten and pinched several times at the playground, also from friendly babies.
It was hard to get them to understand that the babies were not being mean or obnoxious. On the contrary, they were just overly enthusiastic to make friends with them. They wanted to touch them but do not know how to control their strength. The boys have forgotten they were babies once too and they were like this too. They couldn't believe me when I told them they have done the same too. They have declared "We hate babies! NO babies in the house!" until ....
Y: Can we invite S&W(their classmates) to our house to play?
Me: Yes we can. We will invite the whole family and that includes the baby sister.
Y&K: BABY??!!!
Me: Yes.
Y: Why they have baby?
K: Can the baby don't come?
Me: No, we have to invite everyone. The baby is not going to stay home alone.
Y: But I just want S&W to come.
Me: That's not going to happen. If you invite the brother, we have to invite the sister.
K: Never mind. Maybe the baby won't come. I think the baby like to stay home... I think... Maybe... maybe the baby won't come.
Me: No, the baby WILL come.
K continues chanting... no... the baby won't come, the baby doesn't like to come...
After a few incidents at the playground where they were nasty to young babies, screaming when they get close to them.
Me: I don't like your behavior towards the babies just now.
K: I don't like babies, they spoil my toys and they hit me.
Me: What happens if we have a baby in our family? Are you going to be nasty to the baby too?
K: Then I will share my toys with the baby. But only baby toys ok? Is it a baby girl or baby boy? I want boy.
Me: ????
That reply took me by surprise, so maybe they don't hate babies that much after all. I'm just looking forward to see their reaction when their friend's baby sister come over. They mix around with older cousins who give in to them. I hope they can learn to be tolerant towards younger children just like their older cousins.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Dec 2012 Vacation in Phuket
We went to Phuket for our Dec vacation with my family. A total of 19 people! It was a great trip with great company, great resort, great weather and great activities. It was simply the GREATEST. BESTEST vacation we ever had.
My sister recommended the Outrigger Laguna Resort. We were considering the villas but after calculating the cost, they were out of our budget. It's a pity but the apartments suites there were amazing as well. We got a 2 bedroom suite just in case the boys do not want to sleep in the baby playpen and my husband and I are the kind of parents who can't share our beds with our children. At age 3, they want to be BIG boys and will not consider anything that's "babyish" but to our surprise, they were happy to jump into the playpen.
We went to Siam Safari on the second day. We took the 4 in 1 tour. You get to take the Water Buffalo Cart, see the Rubber Tree Cutting, have an educational lesson on Rice and lastly, an Elephant Ride. This tour is great for educational purpose and the kids enjoyed it.
On the 3rd day, we ventured into the unknown. My sister signed up for a tour where it takes us Phang Na Bay. We didn’t get a lot of details on the tour and we didn’t expect it to be such an adventure. We went Kayaking and Caving!! Our impression of the Kayak was a big wooden boat that someone will be rowing it but we didn’t know it’s a Canoe. With very young children and older folks in our group, we were a little worried initially but my boys just jumped in the Canoe with some whining beforehand that they WILL NOT get on.
We went to 2 caves, an Oyster Cave and a Bat Cave. The entrance for the Oyster Cave was extremely low and we have to lie down to get in. I was a little worried that my boys may not be able to follow the instruction and get up half way in the cave. Thank god they listened and even told me to lie down when we were getting near the entrance.
Phang Na Bay is very scenic but having been to Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, I wasn’t too impressed but enjoyed the leisurely ride.
It was a tiring tour and the boys got cranky by evening since they went without a nap and started fussing. They were too tired to take their dinner and my husband and I were trying to placate them and was unable to get any food for ourselves. Thankfully we have my family to help us out. We would have gone hungry the whole day if not for them.
Our 4 days vacation passed in a flash and we went home tired but happy. The boys have been asking to go Phuket again since we came back and I kinda sure we’ll definitely be back. Maybe a villa stay the next time.
My sister recommended the Outrigger Laguna Resort. We were considering the villas but after calculating the cost, they were out of our budget. It's a pity but the apartments suites there were amazing as well. We got a 2 bedroom suite just in case the boys do not want to sleep in the baby playpen and my husband and I are the kind of parents who can't share our beds with our children. At age 3, they want to be BIG boys and will not consider anything that's "babyish" but to our surprise, they were happy to jump into the playpen.
We went to Siam Safari on the second day. We took the 4 in 1 tour. You get to take the Water Buffalo Cart, see the Rubber Tree Cutting, have an educational lesson on Rice and lastly, an Elephant Ride. This tour is great for educational purpose and the kids enjoyed it.
On the 3rd day, we ventured into the unknown. My sister signed up for a tour where it takes us Phang Na Bay. We didn’t get a lot of details on the tour and we didn’t expect it to be such an adventure. We went Kayaking and Caving!! Our impression of the Kayak was a big wooden boat that someone will be rowing it but we didn’t know it’s a Canoe. With very young children and older folks in our group, we were a little worried initially but my boys just jumped in the Canoe with some whining beforehand that they WILL NOT get on.
We went to 2 caves, an Oyster Cave and a Bat Cave. The entrance for the Oyster Cave was extremely low and we have to lie down to get in. I was a little worried that my boys may not be able to follow the instruction and get up half way in the cave. Thank god they listened and even told me to lie down when we were getting near the entrance.
Phang Na Bay is very scenic but having been to Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, I wasn’t too impressed but enjoyed the leisurely ride.
It was a tiring tour and the boys got cranky by evening since they went without a nap and started fussing. They were too tired to take their dinner and my husband and I were trying to placate them and was unable to get any food for ourselves. Thankfully we have my family to help us out. We would have gone hungry the whole day if not for them.
Our 4 days vacation passed in a flash and we went home tired but happy. The boys have been asking to go Phuket again since we came back and I kinda sure we’ll definitely be back. Maybe a villa stay the next time.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Hiatus
It's been a 6 months hiatus. I haven't forgotten this blog but there has been many changes that took place in the family. I was adapting to the new routine with my new work. So, I'll be back with more post and thank you to those who dropped by. :)
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