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..