Quick update on my 2 "G"s

I was so busy with work and my life in general that I simply couldn't find time to update my blog. If there is time to spare, I would only wish to melt in my bed. Life with my two young boys isn't easy. First is Gareth. Yup, he is turning 1 year old tomorrow! Time flies doesn't it? He's now a lot more aggressive and responsive. When I carry Greg, Gareth will get upset and will want me to carry him. When I carry the two boys (each in one arm), they will try to push the other one off! Oh my gosh! Gareth usually would look for Greg. He is easily excitable by his brother and when Greg is engaged in a game, Gareth is always keen to join him. Gareth could now walk with hands held. He is also able to follow instructions pretty well (e.g., asking him to keep the toys or passing an object to someone etc) and he could even point to the right picture when he was asked the location of the object in a set of picture cards. As he couldn't speak full sentences yet, Gareth gestures to indicate his wants. For instance, if he wants his diaper change, he will point and look at his diaper. If he wants the TV on, he will point to the TV and go "Er...er!". When he sees us eat and he also wants to eat, he will crawl to you and say "MumMum".



Greg, on the other hand, is growing to love his little brother. However, at times he isn't keen to pass his clothes on to Gareth. Look at the picture above. That set of blue traditional costume was worn by Greg when he was a year old. He insisted that he could still wear it and refuse to pass it on to Gareth. Greg tried squeezing himself into that costume and I thought he looked like "Huang Fei Hung"! Haha. He's always quite comical and making me laugh.

Yup! Gareth is turning one tomorrow. We are holding a mini family party for him. Seems like Greg is more excited than Gareth about the party. Hopefully I could do an update on his party this time. =)

Down, Down, Down

I am so tired

Or is my mind badly wired?

Desperately struggling to keep afloat

On a constant lookout for a boat.

How alone I sometimes feel

Akin to climbing a steep, high hill

I know I do not possess any high expectation

Because I know it does not always get me to my destination.

I do not want to talk

Not necessarily will it get me out of the fog

Sometimes it is not about finding someone to confide

I now only wish for a hole where I can temporarily hide.

On the outside a book with thick, strong cover

Inside me, only pages of thin paper

Day in day out I slog like mad

An egg I am, I just hope one day I do not crack.

Am I overprotective?

Greg has been refusing school for the past few days because his favourite teacher (T Roze) took a short vacation to Malacca to celebrate Hari Raya. He got really upset at night just before bedtime, begging me not to bring him to school the next day. I tried probing further and he claimed that some of his school teachers would request him to eat vegetables. Well, Greg has been refusing vegetables no matter how the teachers and I tried (e.g., making his dish look interesting etc). I was so tired of trying that I decided to give him and myself a break. Interestingly, he may eat up those vegetables served if no one nags at him. Apparently, some of his teachers tried encouraging him to consume vegetables by focusing on the benefits of eating vegetables. As Teacher Roze knows him too well, she has not been forcing any veges down his throat. Neither has she been "nagging" (that's what greg called it) about it. He disliked people keep talking about the issue, and because he is a socially desirable boy, he may force himself do something he does not want to do, just to make the other person happy. You see, somehow his behaviour makes his other teachers think that their "verbosity" works and it maintains their behaviour, whereas Greg at the other end, feels upset about having to do something he doesn't want. This boy isn't assertive enough and very often, he gets upset with someone without the person knowing that he is upset with him/ her.

Well, anyway, Greg got really upset on Sunday night. He knew T Roze would not be in school on Monday. He cried and refused to sleep. I had a chat with him after tugging Gareth to bed. He said one of his teachers wants him eat vegetable. I did explain to Greg that there's nothing that the teachers could do if he really refuses to eat vegetables. He said he didn't like them talk and nag about it in class. Anyway, in the end, he was agreeable to go to bed when I promised that I would inform that teacher not to mention anything about eating vegetables in class. The next morning, as usual, he got very upset when he arrived at school. I didn't want to stay long in the premise because the longer I stay, the more he would whine and cry. Hence, I just left the message (about that teacher)with the teacher whom I handed Greg over to, and walked off quickly.

Interestingly, when I picked Greg up that evening, I had this very strong feeling that that teacher would come and clarify things with me. Probably because I somehow know the character of this teacher. True enough it happened. I was glad that she did confront me about Greg's complaint. What really hit me wasn't her clarification. She reminded me of my past. I still remember sharing with my parents about a particular teacher when I was very young. The things I shared were very true, but my parents were generally very protective of I I believe. I didn't expect that they would go straight to the principal about the issue. What happened was that the information was cascaded down to the teacher I spoke to my parents about. Unfortunately that teacher came up to me and threatened me. I got quite frightened. I felt extremely upset. I was angry that my parents told everything to the principal. I was merely sharing with them my day at school. Never did I expect them to act on my complaints. I knew I was not wrong about that teacher but I certainly didn't like that look in her eyes when she confronted me. Well, somehow I was wondering if I did wrong here, in Greg's case. I did as what I have promised him, to reassure him. And in the hope that he could sleep for that night. But on the other hand, I did not wish that he would experience what I used to go through. Perhaps I was too quick to act on his words. I was not trying to single that teacher out. I was trying to reduce his anxiety but I could appear as an over-protective parent. If not done well, I believe I could even hamper his ability to stand up for himself. Anyway, just some thoughts that went through my head. And if you ask me now, I think my parents did that, thinking that it was the best for I. It's just that they would not expect the teacher came looking for I..

What A Thing To Say!

Greg has come up with several 'funny' phrases all of the sudden and I wondered where he has learnt them from. For instance, there was once Gareth was cranky and making a lot of noise when we were having dinner outside. Greg, who was sitting beside Gareth, turned to Gareth without hesitation and said, "Don't make so much noise. You want to eat my motion is it?". I was so shocked to hear that and I told Greg that it was a very rude thing to say to his brother. There was once Greg got upset that Gareth snatched his toy. Despite the fact that I scolded Gareth and gave Greg's toy back to him, Greg said to him, "You are a very very naughty baby. I want to throw you high up into the sky and I do not want to see you anymore!" Gareth simply looked at him innocently and continued his googoogaga-ing, so Greg remained angry, with his little arms crossed. I really wondered where he has learnt those phrases from. School perhaps. From his friends I suppose.

There are times Greg is aggressive towards Gareth during play (e.g., hit Gareth with balls, push him etc) so I will try to ensure that an adult is around whenever the two of them are together. Of course there were also times Greg acted like Gareth's loving brother. When in a good mood, you may see Greg hugging/ kissing Gareth. I really wonder how they will behave towards each other when they grow up. Hopefully they have a good brotherly bond between them and that they will remain close forever.

Cousin's Wedding Dinner

It was my cousin's wedding yesterday. It was nice of him to have invited my whole family to his dinner at Bliss Garden, located at Expo Hall2. Told him that I needed 3 adult chairs and 2 high chairs because I had to bring my maid and two boys along. Well, he was kind enough to say "No problem!". Yesterday evening was a mad rush for me. I had to prepare the 2 young boys and Greg was dillydallying. I kept hurrying him and I left with less than 10 minutes to prepare myself. I put on my gown and was applying make-up in my room when Greg came in and asked.
GREG: Mummy, why you said hurry hurry and now you are doing painting?
I simply ignored him and he went..
GREG: Mummy, I am talking to you. Why are you painting your face? Be quick. We are late.
ME: I am not painting. I am putting on make-up. Mummy has to put on make-up because it's uncle's wedding.
GREG: Uncle??
I ignored him again, refusing to entertain his questions any more. I was really hardpressed for time. I applied my foundation, powder,concealer, blusher, mascara, and finally I put on my lipstick. As the dinner is a night event, I felt that I had to put on the makeup thicker. This time when I applied my lipstick,
GREG: Oh no! Oh dear! What happens to your lips now?

Well, Greg really made me wonder if my makeup skills are damn bad. Perhaps it's just that he has rarely seen me in thick makeup. Anyway, I packed toys in his bag, hoping that I could distract him and make him sit still during dinner.

However, when we arrived there, I realized that the table I was allocated to was shockingly packed. Rina and I were only given 4 adult seats (Rina needs 2 adult seats and 1 high chair for Regine). We were thinking how to squeeze in one more adult chair and 3 high chairs. Greg and Gareth then started to get a little cranky, and I thought I really stuck out like a sorethumb. The table was really too small (even for 10 adults!) so I doubt we could squeeze in more chairs. I looked around the ballroom.. pretty jam packed and I didn't want the host to look bad (because I wonder if there were not enough tables and seats in the ballroom. Anyway, they were quite busy... understandly because it's my cousin's big day). So in the end, I decided to leave and Hubby supported my decision. At least my sister and her family can settle down on that table comfortably. Kekeke.. she can represent all of us mah! Anyway, I do hope that together with my angpow, deep down in my heart I sincerely wish my cousin and his wife a happy married life is enough. We left and my family had dinner at east coast instead! It turned out to be quite an enjoyable outing still, as the kids stopped complaining and were cranky no more. It is indeed not easy bringing kids out for such an occasion but one thing I missed doing was to go round and chat with my other cousins and relatives. It seems ages since I last saw them.

10-month Old Gareth

Gareth is now 10 months old! People said he has grown fast, but I see him daily so I do not get that same feeling. Well, at least I get to notice the small milestones he has achieved gradually. Gareth is a lot more responsive and very playful now. His eye-hand coordination has improved and he seems to know a few more things in the environment by pointing at the objects you name. When he sees a bus, he will point at it and exclaimed "BAR! BAR!".. I simply repeat after him by saying "BUS! BUS!". Hopefully he will add in a "S" behind the word one day. He has been trying to pronounce words (e.g., jiejie - referring to maid, gorgor - referring to greg, dada - referring to kengyong, mama - referring to me, yeye - referring to his grandfather, bye - when going away, bubbles - when playing bubbles). However, he will point to most objects and say "BALL! BALL!". At first I thought he did not know the name of the object, I had to correct him all the time. Later I realized that he knew the name of the object but it's just that he could not pronounce it. He could point to the object when asked, but when you asked him what the object is, he went "BALL...BALL". Well, undeniably, his favourite object is BALL. He loves balls, balloons, bubbles, wheels... anything that is round... and he simply loves BABY BOP! I don't know why, but each time she appears, he would clap his hands and give a charming smile, as if Baby Bop is his idol.

Gareth is a pretty strong boy. He would pull himself to stand, and attempt to stand on his own at times. It seems inevitable that he had several knocks on his head during this phase, and has some bumps and blueblack on his head. He is also a very clean baby. He would usually pass motion only into the potty. He gets upset if he has to pass motion into his diapers. So if I do not put him in the potty, he can avoid poo-ing for that day. And oh yes, when he gives his flying kiss after waving goodbye, he would simply put his index finger in his mouth despite the fact that Greg tried showing him the right version. Hahaha, perhaps that's Gareth way of giving his goodbye kiss. Last but not least, Gareth only likes to be carried by KengYong and I at home. Not too sure why he chooses not to be carried by the maid at home if he has other options.

Gareth has indeed reached this very lovable and fun stage. I am looking forward to the day he is able to play well with Greg. However, I do believe that I would have another set of challenge that comes with it. Kekeke..

Funny Facial Expression

Gareth has been making one funny face since he was about 6 months old but I have not been able to video it on time. He would simply screw up his face, especially his nose area, with his eyes squeezed tightly together, and make a loud sniffing sound. It's one of his ways to smile.. kekeke, especially when he is really excited about something. We will always laugh when he does that. Well, I managed to record it when he did once very briefly. See if you can catch a glance of him doing that.

Their New Toy

I have been searching for a nice kid's tent. We go to the beach pretty often, and a tent comes in useful especially when Greg wants to stay away from the sun and Gareth wants to take his little naps. I found some at Takashimaya. They have the ones with Dora/ Thomas the train/ Sesame Street but I do not found them suitable. Those tents are only suitable to be used at home and there are warnings that they cannot be placed under the sun for too long. Also those tents require you to put an additional groundsheet. Well, anyway, I found something interesting at Early Learning Centre. It consists of two tents and a long crawl way. I was so excited about it. So were my two boys when they saw the whole set-up.

Greg took the bigger tent, so Gareth had no choice but to take the smaller one. The two boys kept crawling and playing peek-a-boo... It's good that the equipment could be separated and used individually. well, one not-so-good thing is that I could not quite join in the fun. The long crawling tunnel was so small that I nearly got myself stuck in there! Greg was so excited about his tent that he decided to sleep in his tent for that night. He was so full of ideas, and he thought it was adventurous enough for him to sleep inside the tent. See those things he put in there. Gareth couldn't find the big tent and crawled into the room. He screamed with joy when he found Greg and the tent. He crawled in to take one blanket out but Greg wanted it so the two boys ended up playing tug-a-war. But when it was really time to sleep, Greg decided that he was not brave enough to sleep solo in his tent. He still crawled onto my bed to sleep in between KengYong and I.

Somehow when I see the excitement and the fun the boys have, it's simply priceless.

A Fun Get-Together

Sri was Greg's infant care teacher. She left the infant care centre for Perth to pursue her studies more than a year ago. She emailed me the other day to say that she is returning to Singapore for 2 weeks and I seized the opportunity to meet up with her. Well, Sri was fasting and she requested to meet during her break fast in one of the evenings. I have two very active boys and because I know I will have difficulties sitting down to have a proper chat with her for more than an hour with the two boys around, I got her to come to my house for dinner instead. She readily agreed, and what was amazing was that other ex-infant care teachers joined us for the gathering too. Mabel (Gareth's nanny) and Meifang came along, and that evening was so much fun. Greg has a classmate (Edna) who stays near my place, and her parents could also bring her and her 4 month old brother over that evening. We had so much laughter and I had a good time catching up with all of them. Greg was of course the happiest because his good friend Edna came over to play with him.

I then realized that with my two boys, it is quite impossible for me to meet friends and people up for dinner on a weekday night. But well, the gathering at my place that evening was great... at least to me. I think I should organize more of such gatherings at my house.

It's My Birthday!

Happy Birthday to me

Happy Birthday to me

Happy Birthday to MEeeeee..

Happy Birthday to ME!

My birthday falls on the day after Teachers' Day. Usually Mum made sweet long noodles with eggs for I on this very day. No such luxury now. Anyway, I had no intention to celebrate it at all because KengYong has been pretty busy with his work and his coming examinations. Well, unexpectedly I had quite a good time on my birthday this year. First, Rina gave me a very pleasant surprise when I brought my boys to meet her and Regine for dinner at BottleTree Park on 01 Sept. It was our usual meet-up over a meal and we had quite a sumptuous meal at the Chinese restaurant there. I then brought restless Greg, Gareth and Regine to the playground, and when we returned to the restaurant, to my surprise, Rina bought me a nice cake from Angie. She told me the reason she got me the cake was because the cake was named Nana! Well, as usual, Greg was very excited about the birthday cake and requested to eat Nana's eye and mouth. Frankly speaking, I was pretty touched by Rina's gesture.

On my actual birthday itself, I also received many unexpected birthday greetings. I really did not expect so many of my old pals to recall my birth date. When I fetched Gareth home, Teacher Mabel gave me a surprise pizza treat at her house. Wow!..and in the evening after my dinner at home, Raymond and his family suddenly popped by my house with an Angie cake! Kekeke.. I get to eat 2 Angie cakes this year. Aren't I fortunate? Thanks to those who remember this very day. .. and yes, I know. I am now a year older. Sigh.

Gareth is 9 Months Old!

Gareth has turned 9 months old on 29 Aug! Oh gosh! He is indeed growing fast. He has been crawling and now he is trying to hold onto something and pull himself up to stand. Speech wise, he babbles heaps but his favourite word seems to be "ball". He can point to common objects, and well, when he is asked to give a flying kiss after waving goodbye, he will simply put his index finger in his mouth. As he is more responsive more, he plays with Greg more... which means they fight and have disagreements more. Gareth loves to snatch Greg's toys, and he gets upset at times when Greg does not want to share his toys with him. Sigh. It is indeed not easy bringing up two kids. Sometimes I really wonder how Mum coped with four. I am sure her stress level is at least doubled mine. Often I do see Mum's behaviour in me. The way I scold my boys, and the way I manage them. I guess Mum did have a great influence on I.

A Sad Orphan

Somehow an orphan is an orphan
With both parents now in heaven
How nice if I have them to turn to
Feeling lost and sometimes clueless like a fool.

Unlike everyone, I know I am different
Within a year, I lost both, not just one parent
It is difficult to understand what I have gone through
Till this very day, over my loss I still feel blue.

Now I have to do everything on my own
I could no longer talk to you by simply picking up my phone
Often I wonder where you are
I know you have gone to a place very very far.

Poem To Share

Coping is often hard

Our mind may not shut

Things do not just happen

Eventually there is something we will learn.

Light after darkness, home after wandering

Gain after loss, happiness after suffering

Stay strong I know you will

It is ok for now you fail.

Pick yourself up each time you fall

This way you may learn more

For life is not a bed of roses

One door may open for you when the other closes.

It's End July Already?

I realise that time passes very quickly. I hardly have time to myself. Other than work, my time is spent on the two boys. By the time they sleep at night, I am dead tired. KengYong has been busy. As usual. With his work and studies. Another month has passed, and Gareth is now 8 months old!

Gareth is a cutie. He babbles a lot, and lately, he has said words like "milk, there". He has also crawled after balls and exclaimed, "ball! ball". His nanny shared that he said "bye bye" to Roy (my nephew who goes to the same nanny) a couple of days ago. The most adorable part of him is that he can screw up his face and give you his sweetest smile (with his eyes tightly closed and flash his toothless grin) when he sees you smile to him and he wants to play with you. Greg plays better with him now. Gareth tries to do what Greg does. For instance, he got really excited when he saw Greg crawl below my bed to get the ball out, and he attempted to do the same. Unfortunately, Gareth did not know how to keep his head low when he reached the sideboard, and *OUCH* his forehead hit the sideboard and he went wailing away.

Greg as usual, is always solving problems for people. He must have wondered why adults are so dumb when the solutions are so obvious. Kekeke. Usually, I have to pick the two boys up after work. One evening, it rained very heavily after I picked Greg up. Gareth's nanny was unable to bring him down because she is also looking after another baby. As I am unable to manage two boys on my own because of the heavy downpour, I decided to wait in the car with Greg till the rain stopped. I had only one small umbrella then.

Greg: Mummy, why can't we go pick Gareth now?

Me: The rain is so heavy. I think we wait for the rain to get smaller first.

Greg: Mummy, we have an umbrella. Umbrella can protect us from the rain.

Me: Yes I know but Mummy only has one small umbrella.

Greg: It's ok Mummy. I think the umbrella can protect us.

Me: The floor is very wet and slippery. If Mummy carries Didi and holds the umbrella, Mummy has no hand to hold you. I don't want you to fall.

Greg: Mummy, I can hold the umbrella and you will have one hand to hold me.

Me: If you hold the umbrella, how about Didi and I? We will get wet.

Greg: I hold the umbrella. You and Didi come below my umbrella LOH! All of us will not be wet this way!(Giving me the look as if I ha

Well... Greg is always my hero isn't he? Kekeke..

Gareth At 7 Months

Gareth started waving goodbye and clapping his hands vigorously when he was 6 months 1 week old. When he was 6.5 months, his first word was "Ma Ma". It's a pity Mum isn't around. Otherwise she would be so delighted to be the first person Gareth calls. Greg used to call Papa first before Mama. Some people say that if the baby says Papa first, then it's likely that he/ she would be closer to the father than mother when he/ she grows up. Hmm... not too sure if there's any truth to such logic or not.

Right now, Gareth has also begun making attempts to crawl. He tends to go backwards or if not make a huge lurge forward. Unlike Greg, Gareth has been having bad constipation. I have tried so hard to increase his vegetables, water and fruits intake, but somehow he would only clear his bowels at best every two days. He can get so badly constipated that his faeces are often "stuck". Sigh.. hence I have decided to really go very slow on his solids intake.

I would be starting work in July. It's definitely something that I have been looking forward to but at the same time, I am somewhat worried. I guess it's the similar kind of anxiety any student experiences before their school reopens after a long vacation. Kekeke... I hope all goes well...and ahem, July marks the end of my "taitai" lifestyle liau.

To My Dearest Daddy

Dear Pa

You left me so unexpectedly

My world crumbled down instantly.

I lost you on a day so near Fathers' Day

A confidante you had always been to me, come what may.

I had never known myself as someone so fortunate

Until you suddenly vanished from our planet.

How I cherish those times we were together

I can only now hold them as memories in my mind forever.

How I miss those mornings you pampered me with good food

I am sorry for the times I was rude.

Thanks Pa, for seeing me through my Masters

As a Father, you had certainly been the greatest.

Happy Fathers' Day.. I really miss you so. How nice if I can see, or hear, or touch you one more time..

Love

Na..

Why Chinese Shouldn't Have Christian Names?

Something funny to share with you.. on why Chinese people shouldn't have Christian names..

Faye Chen (Mandarin) - Dust
Carl Cheng (Hokkien) - Buttock
Lucy Leow (Hokkien) - You are dead
Jane Tan (Mandarin) - Fry eggs
Henry Mah (Mandarin) - Hate your mum
Corrine Tai (Hokkien) - Poor Fella
Paul Chan (Mandarin) - Bankrupt
Nelson Tan (Mandarin) - Bird lays eggs
Lynn Tan (Mandarin) - Zero
Walter Mah (Mandarin) - My mum
Leslie Tong (Mandarin) - Rubbish bin
Connie Mah (Cantonese) - Call your mum
Danny See (Hokkien) - Squeeze you to death
Rosie Teng (Hokkien) - Screws and nails
Pete Tsai (Hokkien) - Nose droppings
Charles Sun (Hokkien) - Stale

The list really tickled me. Hope it will brighten up your day just as it did to mine. =)

Blackout!

It rained suddenly last night at 10+pm, when I was watching Mr. Bean vcd with Greg and Gareth was asleep in the room with KengYong. We saw lightning and heard a loud thunder roar, and our television went "pop" - off! Greg had a scare and he hopped onto my lap. The whole house was in darkness, and my first thought was "oh! blackout." I looked across our block and saw the households with lights on still, so my next thought was "blackout in my just my entire block". I opened the house door and saw my neighbour's lights still on, my subsequent thought was "I must check my house's switch box". Because Greg was holding onto me like a koala bear, I got KengYong to check on the switch box. He went but we didn't know what happened and thought maybe we would get things checked the next day since it's already quite late at night.

Originally, I only knew the lights and electricity went out but what didn't come across my mind was that our fridge would also not be functioning. I was horrified only this morning when I opened the fridge... boohoo... my expressed breastmilk is in the fridge!! Neither did we sleep well last night, with the windows closed due to the heavy rain. The boys were used to sleeping in aircon room or at least with the fan on. Last night, Gareth woke up at 2am with sweaty hair and refusing to return to sleep till 4+am. Greg also woke up several times to tell me he's afraid of the thunder and lightning. Aiyo. I couldn't use my electric pump to express my milk either because there wasn't any electricity in my house. The worse thing was the Gareth didn't want any milk this morning when I latched him on.My breasts were so engorged and I was also concerned about a drop in my supply.

Called PUB this morning and they said it's not their problem and they advised me to get an electrician instead. Called for an electrician, and he said he would be at my house at 10am. I quickly sent Gareth to nanny with my ebm and then rushed home to wait for the electrician, whereas KengYong drove Greg to childcare. 10am came but the electrician wasn't here. Fortunately, my neighbour is on leave and she said she could help me with this problem. Wow! We finally found the root of the power trip problem, and halellujah! lights and electricity returned! I was so happy. I managed to reach the electrician, and guess what?he wasn't even on his way to my place yet! Anyway, I am glad that my problem has finally been solved and grateful to my helpful neighbour. As the saying goes, "Yuan3 Qing1 Bu4 Ru2 Jing4 Ling2".

Greg's First Movie

Greg has been looking forward to watch his first movie and I thought I shall bring him go watch the KungFu Panda this morning. We were early when we arrived at Plaza Singapura so we went for breakfast at McCafe. Greg ordered a chocolate brownie but didn't want to eat, so ended up I had to finish the two cakes.Next he wanted to try popcorn. I still remember Edwin kept himself busy with the popcorn the first time he went to watch movie, and I thought if the movie didn't turn out to be interesting for Greg, at least the popcorn could keep him company. Kekeke.

Greg needs a ticket if his height is above 90cm. Well, his height is still hovering around there, I didn't get him a ticket, and also he insisted that he would sit on my lap during the show. Greg was very excited about the show at the beginning, and as usual he would ask lots of questions about the content of the movie. About an hour passed, he started to get tired and he asked, "Mummy, I think I want to switch off this big TV already. I am so tired. The show is so long..". Kekeke... well, he was patient enough to sit still till the movie ended. After that, we went to the food court for lunch, and he lamented again, "Mummy, the movie not nice..next time we don't go for such long movie ok?"kekeke... however, I do enjoy the show somewhat. Afterall, I have not watched a movie for a few years already! =)

Fish Tank

Got my maid to wash my fishtank the first time, and I was horrified to see them all dead the next day. However, to my surprise, there were plenty of baby fishes swimming around. I didn't know my fishes were pregnant. I doubt all three were pregnant but I had absolutely no idea how they died. I thought the mummy fish could have died after giving birth to so many baby fishes (bled to death?). As for the other two adult fishes, I thought perhaps one tried to eat the babies, whereas the other attempted to protect them,hence they had a fight and both died as a result?


There were about 50 baby fishes altogether. My neighbour's son dropped by my house and was excited when he saw the fishes. I gave him about 15 baby fishes, another 10+ fishes to Greg's teacher, 9 to Raymond and I kept the rest. This is the first time I start rearing fish from the infant stage. Kekeke... hope these fishes are hardy enough to continue growing... and yes I may need to change my tank to a bigger one soon. =)

Gareth Goes to Nanny

Gareth has just started going to a nanny this week. Greg seems to be the happiest person.Well, Greg hasn't been very happy about Gareth staying at home with me while he goes to school. There was once he questioned me...
GREG: Mummy, why do I have to go to school?
ME: You go school to learn new things and to play with your friends. You love your teachers and friends right?
GREG (shook his head): No. I don't want to go school. Why Didi doesn't have to go school?
ME: Didi is still a baby..
GREG: But when I was a baby, I go school also you know.. Why Didi can stay at home with you now? Mummy, you are not working now so maybe I stay at home with you and Didi can?
ME: No. Didi is going Teacher Mabel there and Mummy will start work soon..
GREG: Oh...

Well, Teacher Mabel has been great with Gareth so far, and Greg upon seeing his brother didn't cry when we left him there, he didn't wail for the whole week when I left him at school! Hope Gareth adjust fine at his nanny there, and as for Greg, I do know he has been comparing almost everything (e.g., treatment we give him and his brother) and when there's any perceived unfairness, he will question us nonstop! Aiyo!

On the first day we went to pick Gareth up from the nanny's place,
GREG: Mummy, are we going Teacher Mabel's house now?
ME: Yup. We have to pick Didi up.
GREG: Why Mummy? Why do we have to pick Didi up? I think it'd be better we pick Gareth up only when he grows bigger at Teacher Mabel's house...
ME:???
I still thought he'd have missed his little brother. Apparently, Greg's readily to give his brother to anyone who wants him.Sigh.I have to be extra careful with my behaviours, actions and speech towards my two boys because Greg's extremely sensitive and he could get jealous very easily. Sigh!

Gareth's Developmental Milestone

Gareth turns 6months old today, weighing 8.2kg and his height is 70cm. Physically he's developing fine. Just like any normal 6month old babies, he could flip from back to tummy and vice versa. When he's lying on his tummy and if he sees a toy in front of him and beyond his reach, he would move his buttocks up (like a worm) and lunge forward to grab the toy! Gareth does seem like a very determined boy.

Language wise, he's into baby talk. However, I notice that he could somewhat understand what I talked about. For instance, I taught him where his toy beetle is in the midst of playing with him. His toy beetle is hung just right above his cot, behind where he's sitting. Then I asked for his toy beetle about half an hour later and he could turn to look at it! Amazing isn't it? This goes to show that babies have very good learning capacity... so never underestimate babies' ability to understand our language! I couldn't upload the video which I played and taught him where beetle was because the file was way too huge. I could only put up the video which I asked for the toy half an hour later. See Below.

Maid is Here!

My replacement maid has finally arrived. Life has been more comfortable for me such that I have to do housework no more. I am also glad that she's quite ok with my boys so far. Hmmm... or perhaps it's still too early to assess her. But well, so far so good! =)

Greg has become a lot more independent since those days we went maidless. Not only could he feed himself independently ( no more spoonfeeding by anyone, he also started bathing on his own (with supervision of course) and keeping toys after he plays them. Ahem, so that was good training for Greg when we didn't have a maid. Lately, I have also noticed that he has become more artistic. For instance, he'd pick up a marker and start drawing on the balloons. No more stick figures for his drawing of man now. They have proper bodies now (See picture below)! Kekeke. I thought he drew himself and Gareth on the balloon pretty well. Well done, Greg!

I have a simple recipe to share. Quite easy to cook, and just dump all the ingredients into the slow cooker. An easy dish to do when I was maidless.
boneless chicken pieces
button mushrooms
carrots
ginger (4 slices)
sugar (1tbsp)
oyster sauce (4tbsp)
light soya sauce (0.5tbsp-optional)
sesame oil (optional)
pepper (to own taste)

Put all into the slow cooker and best if leave on high heat for 4 hours. Or if you are cooking it in the morning and want to have it for dinner at night, you can try leave it on at auto. It's quite a yummy dish and it definitely goes very well with rice. Try it!*Yum Yum*

Mother's Day

Dear Ma,

It's Mothers' Day again
This day brings me lots of memories and pain
Remember our surprises that brought you close to tears?
Losing you had been one of my greatest fears.

Last year this time we sprung you another surprise
I wonder if you know but so loud were our cries
Time simply flies so fast
I still find it hard to let go of the past.

I didn't understand your frustrations when I was little
I didn't know life as a mother without help can be so bitter
Now I know being a mother isn't easy
Thanks for having given me a home so warm and cozy.

I have been feeling so lost since you were gone
For your presence has always been longed
Mum, you had been my greatest hero
I really regret that I had not told you so.

Lots of Love

Na..

Mothers' Day is never the same for me, now that Mum is gone. I feel very sad when I see the Vesak Day decorations in the temple near my home. It brings me many sad memories and rekindles my fear of losing my loved one. When Dad died suddenly, I rushed down to NUH in a cab. When Mum died, I drove down quickly to SGH in the middle of the night. Both require me to travel down the tunnels. I hate the tunnels. I dislike going through it. It took me quite sometime to be able to use those two tunnels without tears. Time flies. One year has passed. Just wanna say to Mum, "I really miss you. I am sorry that I have upsetted you so many times throughout my 34 years with you. "

My Two Boys

Greg told me Gareth is his best friend but he would only share with Gareth the toy he didn't want to play. I have been trying to strengthen the bond between the two boys by sometimes buying Greg things and said it's from Gareth. Greg once asked, "Mummy, Gareth is my best friend. He buys me toys and tic tac. But why Didi has money and I don't?". I went "Oops!".

Life can be very hectic with the two boys, especially when I have to manage them on my own. Once I brought them to have dinner at Fish and Company because Greg had cravings for fish and chips. In the midst of the meal, Greg told me he wanted to pass motion! The toilet cubicles at Novena are squeezy and dirty, and I couldn't imagine bringing two boys into one cubicle to pass motion. Luckily I brought a pull-up along, for such emergencies. Poor Greg had to pass motion into the pull up at the restaurant though he didn't like the idea and I had to clean him right on the spot, whilst Gareth is sitting in his high chair.

There was one night when KengYong had to work late and Gareth was extremely cranky. I was trying to nurse him to sleep at about 10+pm when Greg suddenly said, "Oh Mummy! I want to pass motion". Me: "Aiya! Why do you always pass motion at the wrong time?" (I know I shouldn't have said all these but I was indeed pretty flustered and frustrated then.). Greg: "Mummy, you look angry.. are you angry? .. but I have to tell you when I want to pass motion right?". Well, his words did jolt me up and yes, what he said was true. I wasn't angry, really.

There was one morning when Greg refused school. He didn't want KengYong to put on his uniform for him. I had a talk with him and he didn't think it's fair that he has to go to school and Gareth needn't. Anyway, he finally agreed to only go to school if I put his uniform onto Gareth once. Gareth was also happy to wear his GorGor's clothes. We all had a good laugh and Greg was then happy to change into his uniform to go school.

Life with my two boys is indeed challenging, especially on those days I have to manage them alone. Thinking back, it can be fun at times too. =)

Weekend Trip to Sentosa

Greg loves staying in a hotel where he gets to sleep in between KengYong and I. He kept pestering us to bring him for another hotel stay. I thought it'd be nice to have a break and small getaway too. Anyway, KengYong booked a room at Siloso Resort in Sentosa and we spent our weekend there. The hotel room has a queen size bed and a cot. It's slightly better than a chalet but it doesn't match even a three star hotel room. Our room wasn't sound proof and I could hear lots of noises outside even at night. Also, the rooms in this resort aren't any cheaper than any simple hotel room in Singapore. I think I wouldn't return to Siloso resort for a stay next time unless I don't have any other choices.

Well, on Saturday afternoon, Greg and KengYong went for a dip at the resort's pool once after we checked in. I couldn't join them because Gareth wanted to nap. We went to watch Songs of the Sea in the evening and some of the scenes were spectacular. Greg didn't enjoy it because of many unexpected loud scenes with balls of fire and fireworks but I give my thumbs up for the show. Gareth napped through the whole show and only woke up when we were about to leave. I didn't sleep much in the night because Gareth refused to sleep in the cot alone that night.He insisted to squeeze onto the small bed with the three of us! Omigosh!Greg played Luge a couple of times with KengYong during the trip and he didn't seem to get tired of it.

Though it's a two-day-one-night trip to Sentosa, we had to bring two suitcases! I cannot imagine the number of suitcases we have to carry if we embark on a trip longer than this. Well, it's a very tiring weekend for me... I dislike it especially when I saw the huge pile of laundry I have to do after the trip. But well, I guess at least Greg has enjoyed his hotel stay!

A Small Adventure!

I had a shock when I saw a little bird in my kitchen this morning! It stood there motionless for some time, so did I! LOL! At first I thought it's injured or dead, but when I used a "teck goh" (bamboo stick) to touch the bird, it flew around my kitchen. I had a fright! At that point of time, I didn't know what to do because Gareth was crying away (he's sleepy) and I couldn't chase the bird out. Neither could I use insecticide, and if I were to call KengYong, I doubt he'd return home immediately to help me. It flew round the kitchen till I couldn't locate it at all. So in the end, I decided to put Gareth to sleep first. I knew the bird is still somewhere around the kitchen because I could hear it chirping away. After Gareth napped, I armed myself with two "teck gohs" this time and tiptoed into the kitchen. Eventually I found the bird on my stove hood. When it realized that I knew its whereabouts, it slipped down from the hood and finally, with my "er mei strokes with the two teck gohs", the bird made its way out of the kitchen window. I felt so proud that it left my house with no injuries. But sigh, it has poo-ed on some of my utensils! =(

Maidless Me!

I have gone "maidless" for two weeks. I am still alive and kicking but feeling somewhat exhausted. It's indeed not easy to juggle housework with very young kids. I hardly have had any rest, day or night. Hence, there hasn't been much chance for me to do any updates on my blog. What a shame! So many thoughts and emotions I had but I couldn't pen them down right on the spot. Right now I have just finished most of the housework and since Gareth is napping, I thought I should quickly log in to update my blog. Hmmm... I shall start off with Gareth first..

Gareth is now 5 months old. He's now grabbing almost anything that he could get hold of. When he sees a toy he likes and even if Greg is playing with it, he would flip onto his tummy very quickly and snatch it from Greg. There was once I went Kiddy Palace with Gareth in the sling. I wasn't aware that he grabbed a tube of fruit pastilles at the counter when I was making payment for those other things I bought! Another thing about Gareth is that he simply adores and idolizes Greg. Even when Greg treats him badly at times (e.g., throwing soft balls at his face). Gareth would giggle and laugh over small things that Greg does, even when it's not funny.

Greg has lost quite a bit of weight. Now weighing about 13.5kg. He has become very choosy with food and refusing foods that he didn't want to eat. At first I thought he had hfmd because of his food refusal and he could go without food for two full days! Anyway, now he's starting to eat again, but would eat those things that he likes. Greg loves Gareth and he helps me with Gareth at times (e.g., talking and playing with Gareth, singing Gareth songs, throwing diapers), but afterall he's a kid and he likes attention too. When we focused too much on Gareth, Greg would do some things to hint to us that he's neglected. For instance, when I was commenting on Gareth's cap (used to be Greg's), Greg snatched it from Gareth and put it on his head despite the fact that it's too small for him (see picture above).

Besides the usual sibling "fights", Greg still very much want to be a big brother. There was once I was about to feed Gareth his cereal,

GREG: Mummy, Gareth wants me to feed him. You can rest first.

ME: Huh? How did you know Gareth wants you to feed him?

GREG: I asked him just now..

ME: But Didi cannot even talk! How did you know he wants you to feed him? Also, you are too young to feed Didi..

GREG: I am a big boy already Mummy. I can feed him! Just now I asked him and he said "mmmm", so I think Didi tells me he wants me feed him.

ME: ???.. well, ok. 1 mouth can?

Greg nodded. I did let him feed Gareth 1 mouth. Greg's happy and Gareth seemed excited to take that one feed from Gareth! =) Gota go. Gareth's awake!

Have To Learn To Keep My Cool!

Suddenly I kinda pity my current maid. I don't know why but I have been snapping at her of late. Of course over things that she did wrong. For instance, I asked her help me play with Gareth for a while this morning, and before she left the room, she knocked Gareth's head against the door! Arrrgh!

I realized that I seemed to be screaming at her the whole day. It's no good for her and myself I guess. I get angry with her easily maybe because I have already planned to send her back. Or maybe because I am still upset over the incidents that happened on the first two days she started work at my place. Otherwise, she does housework robotically fine. I know she isn't an easy maid. Neither is she submissive and timid. So I was wrong in my judgement when I first saw her. Yup! Never judge a book by its cover. She's now pretty careful in her movements at home and if I were to scold her, she would talk back at times still. I guess she may not be suitable in my household, she may do well in other households (e.g., those angmos who allow their maids to do things their way and to talk back).

Yesterday I got maid to play with Greg at Fidgets when I had to breastfeed Gareth. After we left the place,

Greg: Mummy, JieJie never sleep is it?

Mummy: You mean JieJie never sleep last night?

Greg: Ya. I think so. Just now when JieJie play with me at the playground, she says she's tired and she doesn't want to play anymore.

Mummy: JieJie told you she's tired and doesn't want to play?

Greg nodded.

Mummy: JieJie last night slept even earlier than you. And even more than Mummy. Not possible for her to have not enough sleep.

Greg: Ohhh... then why is she so tired?

Mummy: I don't know. Maybe she doesn't like the playground.

Greg: I like the playground you know Mummy. Maybe we come back next time with Daddy and JooYi. Just leave JieJie at home..

So I guess Greg doesn't seem to like Maid at all. However, when KengYong and I were around, she seemed to be better in playing with Greg (e.g., fixing train tracks, building lego etc) now. Maybe she's just pretending. I don't know. Anyway, we are just waiting for more biodata from our agency before we choose our next replacement maid. Hmmm..maybe it's better to go maidless..so frustrating and if this goes on, I think I will age very fast. =(

Fidgets!

One good thing about being a full-time Stay-At-Home-Mum is that I could bring my boys to explore fun places on weekdays when these places aren't that crowded. We went to a newly opened indoor playground at Turf City (#04-05) called Fidgets! It's opened daily at 9am and we arrived there at 9am after parking our car at Carpark B. The place is quite easy to find, and there were only a few angmo taitais with their young children during our 3 hours there.

In their big playground, they have several slides. Two covered ones, one metal one that allows one to slide into the ball pool and another two long slides which resemble those at big splash. Greg had great fun there, but I thought the long slides are pretty dangerous because they are quite steep and the speed is super fast when one slides down. If the kid loses his/ her balance from the sitting position, he/she could get some abrasions. This happened to Greg when he lost his balance once. Greg also almost had a fall when he was "scaling up" some squares fast to get to the top. Luckily I was there to hold onto him, otherwise he may fall right to the bottom where there was only a small cushion mat. Hence, if you are going there with your young kid, please supervise him/ her closely when your kids are climbing up. It'd also be good if he/ she could wear long sleeves and pants to protect his/ her elbows and knees. Parents may like to dress the same way to reduce unnecessary abrasions at the playground.kekeke.

Besides the big playground, they have two smaller playgrounds - one is for infants and the other is for kids below 4 years of age. There was also an area where the children could read books and another small play area where the kids could ride on some vehicles. I have also checked out their cafeteria - nothing fantastic. I ordered a regular cup of hot chocolate that cost me $5.60 (so expensive!) and Greg ate a slice of chocolate cake ($6.90!). Their menu consists of mainly cakes, muffins and beverages.

Overall, my verdict of this place is "ok lah! Can go if not so crowded!" I just thought the place can be quite dangerous especially when there are many bigger kids around. But well, Greg's verdict is "Mummy, I want to come back again!". Besides the climbing and sliding that he loves, I know he likes the ball pool where he could aim and throw the balls into a little hole, and then there's a machine that brings these balls back into the ball pool. Cool isn't it?