2 more nights to go!!!

ONLY 2 more nights to go!
And 1 more day to go!!!

En is just as excited. He told me just now he likes Papa, i ask him who he likes more, he says he likes Papa more.. Sigh. Our little friend is a staunch Papa's man. That is the Zhen-1 Xin-1 Hua-4.
(pardon the english phonics, i dunno why my language script does not work anymore on this laptop - which is breaking apart anyway).

Although it is only 2 nites, did not have a gd phone conversation with hubby just now..
got a bit quarrelsome over some ba-kwa business..

Well.. but like en will say, only 2 nites, only 2 nites, ONLY 2 nites
*and WAVING the fingers in your face*

A long weekend... of activities, thoughts and longings

Back dated Xmas Entry..

This year, without Papa, we spent a quiet but joyful Xmas at home.

We ended up having Xmas lunch as my dad worked a full day on the Eve and I also had Xmas Eve invite at Ah Kim's place (where I tasted the most Heavenly Chocolate Peanut Brownie from Cicada's along with other of Ah Kim's fantastic cooking) , so end up had to do Xmas lunch with our own families instead.

Did not have as luxurious a spread as I imagined in my mind, but not too bad I thought.

We ordered a turkey, opened one of our numerous bottles of Rose that we bought from Perth earlier this year (and before I can enjoy it I am pregnant and off liquor, how can?!!!) and FIL did his magic cooking!

The kids loved the turkey, with Xuan throwing a tantrum when we told him that the Turkey was finished (was so worried he would overeat, as he had his usual healthy kiddy lunch before joining us for the adult feast, part II). He loitered by the kitchen while we were clearing up and hiding the remains of the turkey, and when we tried to force him from the kitchen, he let out a loud wail and ran from the kitchen to his usual (What I call) "sobbing place" in front of the bookshelf in the play room and cried and cried. Took a while to pacify him..





























Then we opened all the presents, although the present that i most wanted to have was not under the Xmas tree leh.. Mummy outdid herself this year, she bought me birds' nest.. woohoo.. well I been having birds' nest for like months already lah, but still her stock is high quality one mah, and it is a gift that requires her effort to prepare for me too. She is v thoughtful, as it is also a gift that Bao X can enjoy!!

Yiyi and boyfriend got the kids musical instruments (drum and guitar) for the boys to form a Superband, and the 2 little boys were indeed v happy, playing and interchaging their instruments. Xuan was most happy to dance to the tunes from the guitar - this little boy really seem to have a love for dancing..








It is a quiet but satisfying affair.. esp. since i am not up to the big parties anyway. Too taxing.
















Botanic gardens Again..

Brought the boys to the Botanic Gardens again today, as yeye was around to drive the short distance. Boy it is a bit tiring but we brought along the straw mat to sit down for a while besides the usual feeding of the fishes and tortoises.

Xuan accidentally dropped one of his new engines into the pond while feeding the fishes and playing with the train along the edge, and he was really really upset. Cried for a good while before he.. forgot about it (hopefully..)?

The weather is simply beautiful today, lots of sunlight and I managed to grab some really nice pics.. to be uploaded.. SMS-ed papa that when he is back next week, we will spend the next weekend picnic -ing at Botanic Gardens with the boys. It is not as crowded as usual, lots of car park lots, since I figured the expats who usually patronise the place have gone home for the long year end break.

When we passed by a cafe on the way to the car park, En kept wanting to eat there.. an option to be explored in the coming weekends. I remember the times when Papa, Momo and I always hang out at the same cafe in the weekend mornings, reading newspapers and walking Momo. How time flies!!
Of thoughts..

The numerous rounds of social activities around the festives inevitably got me thinking.. and hubby and I had a conversation last night about what he loved about me since we are so different. Hubby loves socialising and being with friends. He is genuine to all people and always extends a helping hand to those who need it. These are qualities i appreciate and admire in him .. maybe because they are so lacking in me? He is the Me Nice guy who is nice to everyone.

I will be a recluse and a hermit if I have a choice.. not that I do not enjoy socialising.. I do, but I kinda am a bit more "discerning" or selective with who I hang out and socialise with.. I can count who those ppl are with like a few fingers .. I do enjoy hearing stories of people and their experiences but more often than not, I prefer to hang out with ppl who know me as I am for which I do not need to exert too much of myself to socialise with. In summary, I am kinda the bitchy and the meanie gal who is not too much fun to be around.

So when hubby and I first got together, there were lots of opportunities for conflicts. And our differing views of level of socialities caused quite a strain around festive period. Over the years, I accomodated and he accepted (I hope).

However, I still maintain that I do not need to be "nice" or be popular amongst everyone. Why bother? To me, i can like a lot of people, and enjoy their company on and off (thanks to my talkative nature if the chemistry is right, or when the ambience is right), but it does not mean these ppl automatically become part of my life. It is my life, so i get to choose who gets to be in it right?!

I have a close narrow perception of my life. I do not want a lot of ppl in it. Maybe I also do not need a lot of ppl in it. and i especially do not need the fly by night kinda ppl in it.. you know, people who drifts in and outta your life at various points.. and make u feel disappointed with their drifting..
But hubby is the opposite of me. His life cannot be complete without friends, and its a very many friends.

So we have a discussion last night on the real meaning of genuinity and hypocrisy when it comes to socialising. No one is right or wrong, we are just different. VERY different. but we co-exist, and accommodate where we can. But it makes me wonder what he loves about me if we share such different views in life, about people and about how we socialise (which is a large part of being human right?!)

And his answer is always the same. And which, till now, i don't completely understand how it is possible, that he just loves me. Like hello, there must be reasons for loving someone right? Loving without reasons seems strange and implausible!! In any case, this is probably a question i need to carry to my grave, but I sure hope I am more enlightened about how this is possible when I am like...older???

Of Long-ings..

It is only a few more days before hubby is back, I can count the days using 1 hand now!
And I am excited.. It has been a long time since i last "saw" husband.. i can't believe I survived the months, days, nights, hours, minutes and seconds without him!! It is a long-ing which seems forever..

And i wonder how much time we have before baby arrives and we are caught up in the post-natal madness again.. and I do not want to think about his imminent leaving..

I sure hope we have time to "catch up" good and proper before baby arrives.. sigh. Hopefully spend some quality time doing the usual couple stuff like late night supper, movies and all..

And of course I cant wait to see what Papa got me for Christmas!! In this respect, I am forever like a little girl.. always more bubbling excited over the "thought" of opening the gift than the gift if you know what I mean.. and my wish list has been a bit long this year.. so Let's see..

All these distractions made working on 29 and 30 Dec seem like a huge chore.. Can't even properly focus on my report that is due on 29 Dec already.. sigh.

I am counting.. and counting. soon. I more night down once i sleep through tonight..
yes, tat's how precise it is! :)

A quiet and peaceful Xmas Eve...

The kids are asleep..
I am ready for bed but feeling wide awake.. with a tummy full of ham, turkey, yummy cake and all - thanks to Ah Kim's fabulous cooking and hospitality...
Listening to classical music and blogging..

With the snowy bear that arrived this evening to keep me company on this "silent" night..

Everything is peaceful, and I am glad that the torrential rain that has been going on for this whole day has stopped..

The after smell of rain is calming and nostalgic..
exactly like autumn...

Anxious Xuan?

This morning I drop the kids off at school for their Xmas party, and while I was chatting with teacher on Xuan's adjustment, I saw Xuan loitering behind, fingering with the buttons on his tee, as if he was feeling as bit anxious, looking at teacher and I as we conversed, as if knowing that teacher and I are discussing about him.

That is a lovely image in my mind.. this little boy looking insecure for the first time..
Teacher mentioned that he was doing fine, some days better than others but overall no issue with the concept of coming to school..

He really loves going to school. And since he started with the 3 hourly session,he has been talking alot more, much of which are still gibberish, but more single words are emerging, so that is progress I think..

Conneisseur En?

My mum related this highly interesing account for me earlier.
He said that En was watching the Little Nonya trailer on getting viewers to visit its webpage - the one which had Jeanette Aw, Joanne Peh and Qi Yi Wu.

My mum said that En told her that "She (Jeanette Aw) looked like mummy, so pretty."
:O

then my mum teased him and asked him about Joanne Peh when she appeared, whether she look like mummy, he said "No, not pretty"

Fwah.. he very discerning hor for his age. Still can say who is pretty..
Is that the Scorpio charm or what... Ho Ho Ho..
I think kids are so adorable when they are young and start to speak, they talk about the most amusing things lor! All these little anecdotes I must write down, and perhaps one day I can publish a little book of laughs!

MERRY XMAS TO ALL!! May Peace and Joy be With all!!

Xuan is 2!!

It is been some time since I last blog.
Been busy as En was down with stomach flu after his flu and cough, Xuan started school and I was watching groups for like 2 weeks..

And also stressed with Xmas shopping and baby's imminent arrival.
Lots of stuff Happening!

Xuan's Birthday

And today, we did a mini celebration for Xuan for his 2 year old Birthday!

















Papa joined the cake and candle blowing via Skype.
We kept it amongst our family, and invited nanny's family along as well. Well, they are like En's extended family anyway.

Xuan's gifts were mostly Thomas and Thomas and thomas ... since everyone knows his fond love for the engines.





I got him a small Thomas the train cake and he was sqealingly excited when he saw the cake. And he seems to know it was his birthday, calmly standing near the cake with his expanded collection of Thomas and gang engines.





En was a sweet boy, highly excited for his brother.. and we prep him not to fight with Xuan for the exciting toys Xuan received. Here you see hime posing sweetly for pictures while Xuan does not really care a hoot about him, with all his focus on the cake..

While Xuan did not really know how to sing the birthday song, he managed a (happy birthday) "to you" well enuf, and also already know how to blow the candles. Very adorable.

We got him a Thomas the train laptop and he was excitedly dancing to the tunes. Nanny's family got him a complicated Thomas railset, with many engines that run on the track. My sis came with a big box of another Thomas assembled toys.

Thankfully the grandparents did not emerge with anything further thomases that we need to fix or assemble.. but Xuan is immensely happy. Yeye cooked us all a yummy dinner which impressed nanny a lot.

Well, another milestone for baby Xuan, and hope this little boy learns to control his anger better. the other day in his tantrum, he actually pulled down the entire Xmas tree. Luckily he was not hurt, but that was how angry he was and his urge to vent his anger.. and it all started because he was snatching toys from En En.

Xuan at School..
Sigh.. and while his transition to school is very smooth, well, the teachers seem to be having a bit of problem getting used to him..

I sensed something was wrong when the teacher asked me on the 3rd day whether he was capable of understanding and which language we speak to him in. I said he understand both English ad Chinese, stronger in his English probably, but whether he obeys or follows what was communicated is another thing.

And sure enough, by the 5th day of school.. we have the first mini feedback.
Teacher feedback to Ye Ye that when Xuan wants something, he cannot be persuaded or distracted. He would single mindedly want it. In this case, namely the toys in school.

It is not hard for me to imagine what happened actually. sigh.
Well.. as I do not know if his anger/ tantrum is a "out of normal" problem, or if it falls into any behavioral problem, it is a bit hard for me to look for books to tackle it. Meanwhile, we will continue disciplining him with a firm hand, and monitor the situation. And perhaps to look for a way to get thru to him and teach him alternative ways of venting anger, such as drawing or something.

He is a really lovable boy since most of the times he is happily dancing, playing with his engines and eating, sleeping talking gibberish. the once in a while tantrum is his only major drawback.. and for that, i guess it takes time to manage and for him to learn as well, since our little boy just turned 2 right? :)

All back.. & Xuan's First 3 Days in School

First of all, BIG thanks to all advise, help, words of concerns, text messages ... the full works. Have not necessarily been responding as I have been busy all round, work, home, kids.. so forgive me, but I am really very appreciative of the help and support! :)

Xuan in the end did not have HFMD, but he did have a major outbreak of eczema that made his whole back look hideous. He had all the dots.. and so Doc had recommended to quarantine him for a week, much like HFMD.

So En went to Nanny's place for a week, and when I was thinking it was finally over, he came back with cold and cough which continued the medical saga.

In any case, the kids are quite good now, with mild sniffs and all, and I am glad it is the weekend.

Xuan started his first day of school the past tuesday. I went with him and it was a really different experience. Our little friend was happily wandering around the classroom or engrossed in play or tasks, so much so that he does not notice me most of the time.

And it helped that the theme for these 2 weeks in school is cooking, and he had a lot of fun making moulds out of buttered bread sprinkled with colourful candy rice or chocolate flaks.. lots of fun doing it and eating as well.

Predictably, he loves the snack time, and happily finished his own snack and had 2 more waffer biscuits for good measure. He was the last kid at the table, again, predictably.

Instead, En was the one who was crying for me to stay with him and be near him all the while. He also went around telling all the teachers and his friends that Xuan is his brother, introducing him all around, that is very sweet and cute.

While the little one did not even seem to need me around. So i decided to let him go to school on his own subsequently.

And true enuf, Xuan was eager to head off to school the next day, and my mum said he went in alone by himself to the classroom. He already knew where the classroom was upon alighting from the car. While En was still bidding goodbye to grandpa and my mum, Xuan was already somewhere in the classroom.

And on Day 3 of school, he actually cried when he was fetched to come home. And by the 3rd day, he alreay knew the routine of sitting on the little stools outside the classroom to remove his shoes, I am really impressed at his adapatability - all the while i tot he can be a bit clueles about what is hapening and I was worried he would be lost and clueless in school. but no, he surprised me much.. i think the little boy really loves school. He likes looking at other kids, and was happy to wander around the classroom exploring or playing with the toys. I am quite confident he will have fun with the montessori tools once actual term starts next year and I hope he has time to pick up sufficient skills of independence before we head off to china.

And the feedback on the 3rd day was he was trying to feed soup to himself and refused help from the auntie, even though more than half the time, he was spilling the soup on himself and the floor.

I am relieved he is so easily settled into school. That means he may be the stablising force next year when both of them go to the new school in China, and he can be there to reassure the older brother....

He has....

He stays at home..
He plays alone..
His lone companion is his Kor- kor..
.... who is healthy and happy at Nanny's resort..

He does not have many "live" playmates...

SO WHERE &HOW DID XUAN XUAN GET HFMD?!!!!!!
Why the little dots on the top of his hand?!!!!

Of newborn babies and prep for Bao X

Welcome to Baby Le Xuan

My cousin delivered her daughter yesterday! I am full of envy when I saw the baby pics on Facebook, so chubby and cute and impossibly SWEET!!! Congrats to Nancy and family with the addition of a really beautiful looking baby! And I don’t say that for all babies k, so it is a BIG compliment... (most babies need time to blossom anyway..but all babies smell so wonderful, I miss that smell… haha!)

I love my boys, and I think parenting boys may be easier, less of worries at some life stage perhaps, but I will dearly love a daughter.

However, during bouts of sour grape times like this, I will recall how En (and I am sure Xuan will be like that too) is impossibly sweet and sensitive now, and remind myself that not only baby gals are capable of that and I am contented.

Yesterday, suddenly in the middle of his Scrabble after my dinner, En went to the kitchen and told my helper he needed the step up ladder.. turned out he was trying to reach the basket of fruits on the table to help choose an apple for me. He never forgets this routine, something that I don’t even expect from him, but he seems to have observed that I have a fruit after dinner, and one day after I allowed him to choose an apple for me, he has taken it upon himself to do it for me since. Unfailingly.

And I am touched. I wonder if I have ever been so sweet to my mum when I was young, must remember to ask my mum!

Second Hand Goodies

I am addicted to online shopping. I have purchased lots of things online during the past weeks from fellow mummies/ sprees in a motherhood forum, all in very good condition and with significant discounts:

• New Boys pants and tops for CNY
• Lightly used Bjorn Baby carrier (anticipating that China will not be very pram friendly) – it looks almost new and I am happy as I got a fantastic discount
• Lightly used Ameda dual pump
• Brand new valves and bellows for Ameda pump for hygiene reasons
• Almost new Avent manual pump – you can tell I am serious abt breastfeeding given that I do not need to return to stressful work! And mainly cuz I anticipate I can’t lug the dual pump around in China if I am out – dun ask me why I don’t latch cuz I find that in general, it is hard to latch boys who are more impatient.. so I practice pumping to feed
• Brand new nursing bras
• Desitin Creamy and First Teeth toothpaste
• More baby clothes as present for friends
• Tickets to great seats “The very hungry caterpillar and other stories
  

I am happy with my great finds, and all done in the comfort of my bed! No jostling, no long queues, no hassle!

Many of our baby items are hand me downs anyway, not because I stinge on the kids but I find we can find v good bargains and great condition stuff if we look carefully and patiently online And all these stuff are kinda premium stuff that I buy at a fraction of the original price. Way before this, hubby and I scouted for bargains and second hand items from BabyTown which used to sell second hand items but they have stopped that some time back. So I move online instead.

As Bao X is our 3rd, he already has a lot of hand me downs, and as I am pretty sure we are not gonna have another baby, I feel bad spending money on brand new stuff (and now recession right, so must save $$$ right?!). For like 3 yrs now, we wanted to pass on our brand new baby items to our friends but none of them have kids, so I end up keeping them, or passing them to NJ’s cousins or my cousins who are more prolific.

Of course, some items need to be new, like his bed set and bed sheets, mattress protector etc, and I have also bought him some new clothes, PJs and wraps, but a lot of the “hardware” items, I feel the second hand items function pretty well. After all, many baby items are very stage specific and babies outgrow them very fast, so it is really not necessary to buy new ones. E.g. the rocker, bumbo seat, even the sling as they have a limited lifespan. For items that are more essential and used longer, like sterilizer, pram, cot, baby monitor etc, then we invest in new ones to ensure durability.

For Baby En and Xuan, we have already invested in various new hardware items that last us well through the years, e.g. the pram system, the baby monitor, the exersaucer, the cot, the playpens.. and we are still using all these items till today, which will be passed on to Baby X.

Planning for Bao X’s arrival

I bought Gina Ford’s “The contented Baby book” to get acquainted with the initial months of babyhood again and to learn how to prep for baby’s arrival.

I seriously cannot recall what kind of things we prepare etc, and felt a bit insecure. Upon reading the book, it is all coming back to me, the setting up of nursery, the time table for feeds, the breast feeding etc.

And I realize without actually knowing it, when Hubby and I first have En and Xuan, we are, or I am, quite Gina Ford in our own way.

E.g. Many of the items we deemed essential, such as the Baby monitor, the nigh light for feeding etc to us are listed as essential in the book..

I also believe in spending the initial time with baby, without the stress of social obligations, i.e. limit the visits from relatives etc etc, so that we can focus on feeding the baby and knowing the baby. I believe in not being disturbed at the hospital so I can rest and also feed baby regularly.

Waking up the baby to ensure baby drinks on time and hence, not wake up erratically at night was also what we practice instinctively, and it is what GF strongly recommended to have a flexible routine that is catered to baby’s needs as well as ensuring sanity of the parents.

So now that it is all coming back to me, I feel a bit more confident.. And with cousin delivering Le Xuan, I am looking forward to arrival of Bao X! (seriously - the last trimester is very trying lor.. )

But Bao X, don't come too early OK - some weeks into Jan will be the perfect time, no sooner than that ok!

I still need time to sort out the nursery!!!

Of Caterpillar, Fish and Sparrows

Candid Shots.. of the 2 little boys and updates of them..




















The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Some of my friends without kids are appalled at En's Eric Carle books, when they realise that each copy costs like 15 bucks or more, when they saw the price tag on one of En's books during dinner one day.

Well, we do not really understand the appeal of Eric Carle as well, though we feel that the books are always beautifully illustrated. I think that is supposed to spark the imagination in little kids, with the vibrant colours and the creative painting style.

And also, the repetitive lines used in the story help to reinforce the message and kids love to say the lines again and again for each story. At least En never gets tired of repeating "Hey you, want to fight?"

So when we heard that Act 3 is presenting the puppet play, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other stories", I had wanted to get tickets. I thought that En would enjoy it. But when I was going thru the tickets available, all the good seats were taken. And coupled with my erratic schedule, not knowing when I will have to run groups or work late, I gave up.

However, these days i am an addict of online shopping and also reading the various online forum threads, and it so turned out that a fellow mum was letting go of 2 seats last Friday for a good price and the seats were fantastic.

So I bought the tickets from her (and I bought a whole lot of baby prep stuff online as well, but on that next time), and brought en to the play.

He was thoroughly fascinated and really engaged in the play, even though he has never read any of the presented stories. It was a play in which children were allowed to "participate" in the sense that they did not have to be quiet and were free to say and narrate the stories as they unfolded.

So whenever a puppet character came on stage, En will, along with the other kids, exclaimed the name of the object, enthusiastically.

That was not the most surprising, after all, even I, find the entire production of the play really well executed and the puppets very professionally and well made. And I have brought en to a couple of his school plays where I have observed that he tends to be quite well engaged with stage plays (provided they are not scary)..

What surprised me was the following incident during the play..
A girl in front got a tad restless and was standing up midway through the show.
En was frustrated that he can't see some of the actions, (by this time, we have already swopped seats as the adult in front of En's original seat kept moving left and right to tend to the restless girl, so i swopped seats with En so that he will be seated behind the girl who is shorter..)

So when the girl stood up and blocked him again, a frustrated En said the following in a stern, matter of fact voice:
"I cannot see! Sit down!" :-o

The girl sat down after that, but not without her grandma and her turning around to look at the source of the voice. I dunno what to say so I let it be. Did not feel compelled to apologise..
But at the same time wondering about my son.
The usual shy and afraid of strangers En does have a "bite" in him.. hm... another facet which I do not usually see..

Wats happening on weekend?

I have been trying to train my helper not to resort to tele-sit my kids. i.e. there are lot of things that they can do when at home.

And for the past week, En brought home 2 pieces of "shredded" art.. think he really enjoyed doing that and we have proudly pasted that on the "wall of art".

So yesterday, with all the glossy shopping brochures sent to our house, I got the 2 boys to do their own shredded art.. and some peace time for us all as each of them was engrossed in the shredding and pasting.

And these days, they are playing a lot with each other, albeit in a very noisy manner by running around the house and laughing loudly together. I can't figure out what they are playing, but well, it is very nice to see them bond with lots of laughter with each other.

Sometimes, they are also capable of playing together without erupting into fights and tears.
En has also been showing that he is capable of giving in to Xuan or creatively offering options whenever he wants something that Xuan Xuan has.

My problem now is that Xuan does not give in or collaborate. And I am trying hard, even though I know his age and language grasp may be hindering that for now.. Still I do need to try and work around Xuan's really stubborn nature..

Of fish and sparrows

Today, despite the little fatigue, I felt I need to bring the boys out.. so that they are not always cooped at home since Papa left, and I also can do with a bit of more nature and fresh air..

So we all went to the Botanic gardens to feed fishes..

The 2 boys as usual are really enthusiastic.. and En attracted a lot of sparrows to come and eat his bread too.. We all managed to come home before the thunderstorm hits.. So I am feeling very "accomplished". The boys were exhausted from their outing, and Xuan started clamoring for his milk and pacifier at 730 pm. He is one real sleepyhead. And as usual, I love taking pics of them at the gardens.. i believe that is where they should be more often!!

Birthday and Halloween - Back dated

Almost a month has passed, and En is still waking up in the middle of the night, wailing sometimes. The aftermath of Halloween is apparently still "haunting" him.

It was probably one of the most scary night for him. Poor thing.

The Birthday
It started off rather well, with him enjoying himself with his "friends" - Godma, Nanny and family, his cousins, aunt and generally a family affair.

As usual, we never have a proper family shot during such occasion. It has been 3 years, but we never managed to "pose" for a proper family pic. I am immensely frustrated sometimes and I wonder why.


Maybe it is because it is always such a mayhem, with kids excited about the candles and the cake, and can't wait to dig into the cake. Maybe we are also not the "posey" type, a bit shy to pose for pics in front of so many ppl.. and a tad rude for others to wait just for the pic..

Sigh, still some great shots from the various sources, at least we have one proper shot of the cake - En's favourite Bob the builder cake.

En and his happy frens - cousin and brother














The 3 strippy boys in my life - not planned for sure!
















Xuan clearly enjoyed the party the most. Most eagerly awaiting for the cake, taking multiple stabs at the cake with his fork. It was really hard to keep him away from the cake as we served the guests first!

Check out his eager expression!



















And his state of intoxication. i do not know who passed him this first drink.



















The Halloween

This is our last Halloween in College Green, with what few of the tenants left. However we are determined to make it memorable for the kids nonetheless. And old tenants also came back to set up make shift scary stations, finishing with a wild water bomb session typical of the estate..

True to the birthday theme, we dressed En up as Bob the builder and Xuan as the adorable pumpkin. We wanted a knight costume for Xuan but the remaning ones at Toy R Us are not very hygenic with some rusted parts.. So pumpkin he is, and a very adprable on at that.

En got really scared with the Tick-or- Treating, and was crying non stop .. Xuan however was cool as a cucumber, and even went up the various wandering spirits and monsters, curiously looking them over. maybe the idea of fear has not seethed itself in his cognition yet, but En was clearly aware of that!

Check out the pics..
Bob and the Pumpkin














The monster mum..



















Our scary guest to dispense the treats!



















The water ammunition for adults and kids Mayhem all around..

Sweetness and Toughness

The rain is mood dampening...

But at home, the 2 kids are sunny as ever, chasing each other screaming around the house.. The 2 boys started to play with each other more now, while that is a good sign, it also meant that we have to put up with a lot more noise and screams. They like to chase each other around the house, not sure who is chasing or running away, but the 2 of them are running about the house quite a lot.

Xuan has been having some bouts of tantrums recently, aggravated probably with his molar teething, but I really think he needs to speak soon. But this little boy really has one strong will, compared to En who will quiet down generally when we put him on the "naughty seat", Xuan has the tenacity to keep screaming and the stubbornness to keep crying and wailing for an hour or so. Even when he is clearly exhausted, or when he probably have forgotten what got him walking in the first place, he will stop for breathe, then continue his banshee act.

Lucky, Mummy is equally stubborn, and I refuse to give in. It is a way of disciplining and he has to learn to quiet down. My greatest nightmare is about managing a wailing kid in the mall, and I think Xuan has that potential if he is not curbed from young.

Most of the times, he is the most easy and amicable and cheerful baby. But in those tantrum times, they are quite explosive. I am still learning how to manage.. he does not really listen during these meltdowns, I wonder if there are any other ways besides letting him scream it out.. Hmm.. Even if I acknowledge his anger and frustration, he does not seem to feel better.. sigh.

Well, I think Xuan currently is developing all his physical skills rather well, I do hope he starts to speak soon, that will perhaps make it easier for him to communicate and express. He recently learnt to drink from a straw, another little milestone for the little boy.

On the other hand, En has been a real sweetie pie these days.
These days, when I go to the toilets, he will want to come along.
When I asked him why, he said “Later you fall down, so I help you ok?”
He still remembers that I fell in the toilet some weeks back, he never fails to amaze me sometimes.

And after dinner everyday, he will choose a fruit for me . The other evening, when we were sharing the apple he picked, he suddenly touched my tummy and asked “Baby like apple too?” I wonder how he will feel about the baby brother when he sees the baby finally

En is also into quiet play when Xuan is asleep (Xuan sleeps 1 hr earlier than him) and 2 of us will do either of the following for about an hour:

• Use the Magnetic shapes to make up the shape of different animals
• Toddler Scrabble where he will sing his phonic songs as he identify the alphabets and learn the spelling of simple words lile CAT/ PIG etc.
• Piece the wooden jigsaw of the alphabet numbers, from A-Z or 1- 10.

I feel bad sometimes that I do not seem to spend as much time developing Xuan, mainly cuz Xuan loves to sleep and eat and hence, his bedtime is much earlier. And also when we try to engage him with books, or other toys such a bricks, cooking set etc, he is always more interested in cars, so we have been indulging him and his Thomas-es, trains, railway lines which leave less room for any “education” play.

Each to his own, I believe, eventually Xuan will catch on, and I do need to figure out how to make his night time reading more regular and engaging for Xuan.

Then again, not all babies like to read, so well let’s see..

Mummies with kids who are as car obsessed like Xuan, let me know if you have tips on how to engage him more in quiet play/ other toys!

The First Time En Stood Up for Me

I want to note this down today - The day history was made with Obama elected as the President in the US (Woohooo!!) , and the day En stood up for me.

For the First time.

I was reminded of the book 'For One More Day" by Mitch Albom and how I was touched by the protagonist's regrets over the times that he did not stand up for his mum, versus the number of times his mother stood up for him.

And knowingly or not, today, little En En stood up for me.

My mum related this short incident to me, which took place over today's dinner, which so melted my heart.

En apparently has been feeding himself since the new helper Pui Pui came. Today over dinner, as Pui Pui sat down for her dinner and started scooping the green vegtables onto her plate, En said the following to her:
"Do not take so much vegetables. Must keep for mummy. Cuz mummy has baby."

Everyone was taken aback - Nai Nai, Po Po and Pui Pui.

And i am very touched.
By this first time my son "stood up" for me.
It is a little gesture.
But it shows us the depth of his big heart.
Not only for mummy, but for baby brother - something that I am still not sure whether he has strong cognition of yet.

And today I also know that I have a place in his heart.
A space signnificant enough for him to think of my interests and speak up for me.
Especially from this little boy whom I always thought adores Papa more than me.

It is a small gesture.
It is even a rather impolite gesture.
But it made my day.
Making me smile while wanting to weep.
And in such times when I sometimes feel alone, and in need of pampering.

Thank you En En. Not only because you stood up for me, but because with all these little episodes, you have made me enjoy these little precious moments of motherhood.

You have made my experience of motherhood a journey full of little surprises and grand amazements; it is a wonderful journey because you are with me.
For this, I Thank you.

En's First Concert - Another Milestone

25 oct is an eventful day for En.
It started with his concert, which gave him his stage fright, then his birthday party in the afternoon which he kinda enjoyed and ended with a Halloween party which gave him a ghostly fright..

MGS concert Hall
So all in all, he cried quite a bit that day, poor boy.
For now, I just want to share his concert experience.

Some time back, we got an invite from school about the K2 graduation concert.
And that all kids are encouraged to participate.
I thought it will be a learning experience for the kids.

So gamely, we signed En En up.. even though we know he will be a scary cat.
But we thought it will be a fun process.

And it seems fun to him, as he will come home singing the little frog song in Chinese, accompanied with actions and lots of jumping.

Must get that video off my mum's handphone that had him jumping around as a frog.
So all along i thought he was a frog.

And he seemed to enjoyed the rehearsals - very serious stuff, we will get memos on how to dress the kid ofr rehearsals, the time, the things to prep and bring..

Then, on the day of the concert, we realised he was actually a tree!
One crying tree who was valiantly trying to wipe his tears away while still swaying the leaf.
It was hilarious. And both hubby and I thought he did very well.

Knowing En, when the curtains opened, he must had a bad fright seeing all the audience.
But he did not run off the stage, or stone.
He sat there (as the tree was supposed to) and sway his leaf vigorously, while using one hand to wipe his face of tears.
His favourite friend Gwen Gwen was seated next to him on stage as a flower, and she would also mimic his face of wiping off the tears, as if comforting him. It was indeed hilarious!

At the grand finale, he was still crying and we got a good quick video of how it went. Classic.

The concert made me recalled my K2 graduation ceremony at the old Cathay cinema.
And I had to go stage to collect the prize as I was top in class.

Fast forward to now, where the principal started the concert with the K2 graduation and said that the names are in alphbetical order (so not in order of merit) and that the performance is to let the kids enjoy themselves and not meant as a showcase of what the schools can do.

I like that. I grew up trying to be number 1 to stay ahead. At least that is what the worksheets and assignments are all about even when I was in kindergarten.

My sons grow up, trying their best in different situations knowing that their efforts will be appreciated... like in this case!

The Classic - Tale of a Brave Boy!




Xuan Xuan thoroughly enjoyed himself at the concert! When we played the classic video for him, he imitated En wiping his face, and tried to say 'cry, Cry'. That was funny too! We all have a good laugh, even En.