A Quick One

Things are better this week. Chloe is better, happily playing, giggling alongside her brother, eating, feeding, like her usual cheeky self. Her appetite is back. Tonight she gobbled down a small bowl of rice with tofu, a little bowl of lamb neck soup boiled with carrots, celery and sweet corn, plus some bananas for her dessert!

Thank you to all families and friends that have been thinking about Chloe!

JD is also doing well. He is crazy about LEGO these days, he builds them day and night, not allowing me to pack his bricks away, and I have to display everything he builds in the playroom, he brings them to sleep with him every night, brings them all out again in the morning. As I said, he amuses me sometimes.

And he is crazy about Buzz Lightyear too! Just last night he told me "I love everything about Buzz Lightyear!" And when I asked him to name one thing he likes about Buzz, he turned around and said to me "Hang on cowboy!" and "I have a laser and I will use it!".....I rolled on the floor and laughed.....

Here's just another clip of him trying to pull his basket of Lego bricks over with a homemade crane by using a skipping rope, a recycled paper roll...another activity that he quite often do at home...



He's been learning more Mandarin lately and he tends to pick up by listening in when I am doing the Mandarin flash cards with Chloe. I think he learns better that way rather than me forcing him to sit down!

Hubby is well, busy being month end, well you know, every accountant's life revolves around month end closing, forecasting for the next month, budgeting and so forth... And he is also busy with Lego, sourcing ebay for Lego and trying to bid for a 9 kilo bag of Lego bricks for $20.... I think JD can build a whole city with all that bricks!

I am well too. But very busy. A project close to my heart is moving forward and I have been staying up late the last few weeks trying to move it along.

So busy busy busy.

Red Dot Baby

She had a fever on Monday, and I gave her some infant paracetamol to bring down the fever as recommended by the nurse. She seems better on Tuesday but was still grumpy. Yesterday she was happier. But today, she is not happy at all.

She cries everytime I leave her side. She wants to be held constantly. She is quieter. She lost interest in her food.

Initially we thought it was teething.

But when I noticed red spots and rashes over her belly and back, I knew it was something else. The alarm bells in my head started ringing and I quickly drove her to the doctor.

Poor Chloe has Roseola Infantum. It is a common mild viral illness in babies and young children. And my heart was pacing when I thought it was measles.

Poor girl. That's why she has been so miserable and the doctor said the rashes normally appears after the fever has subsided.

And I was trying all ways to make her happier. Including letting her typed away on my keyboard. But that didn't last long. Poor baby, as her brother said!

Well, that lasted for 10 secs, and she started crying and sucked her 2 little fingers for self-comfort. In a way, she is really sweet. She knows she is unwell, can't tell me exactly what she is feeling, so she keeps sucking her fingers all day to comfort herself. Kasihan!

Chloe - 10 months old

My little baby girl is 10 months old and I can't believe how much she has grown.

At 10 months old, Chloe likes to tell the world that:-

• She has 4 teeth. 2 on the top and two at the bottom. She doesn't enjoy the process of teething, and so she gets grumpy, teary and she goes off her food and milk feed. But she likes the coldness of yoghurt on her gum and that helps to soothe the pain


• However, when she is not teething, she loves to chew on steamed cauliflower, green beans, carrots, broccoli, toast, water crackers, rice, roast chicken, pasta and she likes to feed herself! No spoon feeding is allowed with her because you will end up losing the battle


• She is cruising along the furnitures, using the sofa, my legs, the daddy's legs, her brother's legs and much to his brother's annoyance as her support


• She enjoys music. She bounces up and down on her bottom, waving her arms, clapping to all types of music


• She cries when daddy goes off to work in the morning :( and her daddy feels terrible everytime she cries


• She loves peek-a-boo and especially when mommy makes a fool of herself by hiding under the blanket


• Her favourite game is when mommy and brother pretends to sneeze with a big "Ahhhhhhhhh-chooooooo"

10 wonderful months of joy Chloe has brought into our family. What a blessing she has been to us all.

Outdoor Fun

I borrowed this Hexa Gym together with a ladder and slide from the toy library the other day. It's one of the best outdoor toys I have borrowed so far. It was heavy to lift into the back of the 4WD the other day, and a nice passerby came to give me a hand. I really like the idea of toy library. An annual membership of $50 entitles me to borrow lots of different toys including this one which would have easily cost me $150 to buy! And the kids get to play with different toys every 3 weeks or weekly if I wish to!

The kids have had so much fun climbing, crawling through the equipment. JD had a lightbulb idea of converting the slide into yet another racing track. So he spent most of his time racing his matchbox cars down the slide while Miss C would quite happily crawl in and out of the gym, climbing the stairs and learning to come down bottom rather than head first.

And because they were having so much fun out in the garden, and more so with the glorious autumn weather, we have been building blocks out in the garden, eating our tea breaks and lunches there, reading, stories time and etc etc. I even took the opportunity to wash the glass doors and windows while the kids were happily playing on the mat. As my kitchen overlooks the back garden, I could also prepare the meals quickly and easily while also keeping an eye on them.

Let just say they have been very well occupied this week :) And they are playing together very happily.

Black n White

I was just having some fun with the camera. And really like this shot of Chloe.

It was a coolish autumn afternoon, and she was just happily listening to the birds while playing around in the cubby house.

Happy Mother's Day

With Mother's Day just around the corner, I celebrate...

- That I have been a mom for almost 4 years
- That I have a mom that has been mothering for 40 years
- That I never knew I could love a child that much
- That I am capable of so much love
- That being a mom requires me to be so humble, patient while keeping my sanity

And....

- I redefine the whole new meaning of "multi-tasking" again
- I can actually survive on so little sleep some days
- I could actually wipe away the memory of labour pain
- All I listen to in the car is The Wiggles
- That having children bring out the best and worst in me at times
- Most importantly, I learn about loving unconditionally

But never did I realise...

- I could still be wiping those little bottoms and noses for many years to come
- That I will always have eyes at the back of my head
- That I will always be listening out for noises when I sleep at night
- That I will be feeding their hungry mouths for many many years to come
- That those damn little clothes, underwear, singlets are a pain to hang out and fold
- That I will be chauffeuring them from one spot to another day in day out for a very long time
- That it is absolutely normal if I go to work with some breakfast cereals still stuck in my hair

Also, realising the lesson that

- Having children can test and strengthened a marriage

And the hard truth that...

- That in the cold winter night of minus 3 deg c, I will still be the one waking up to a crying baby
- That I need to repeat myself 300 times before anything gets into their ears

Ah, motherhood. Hard as it may be at times.

Truth is, I love It because it is both a humbling and rewarding experience.

So, JD and I got together today to make some chocolate cupcakes for his primary caregiver, Andrea at daycare. Apart from me and hubby, Andrea has been the next person that has loved, cared our kids, not forgetting feeding them, wiping their bottoms, rocking them, while we left them in her care. She is like another mommy to our kids when we are away at work.

And to all the mommies out there, have a wonderful Mother's Day this Sunday!

Mother's Day AFternoon Tea

I got an invitation from JD's Kindy to attend a special Mother's Day afternoon tea.

I got there at 1.30pm, walking into his classroom with all the little chairs lining up and children waiting eagerly for their mommies to arrive. Upon seeing me, JD ushered me to sit down in the front row and to take the RED chair - right in the middle.

After teacher Amanda introduced herself, she led the kindy kids in songs. Together they sang Baa Baa Black Sheep, I'm a Little Teapot with few versions for I'm a Little Robot, I'm a Little Toothpaste and Open Shut Them with actions.

I felt so proud sitting there watching JD and his kindy mates singing. I felt so proud to be a mother, and more so, for being JD's mom. My little boy is growing up, listening attentively, singing, dancing, giggling, laughing as his teacher guided them through the songs.

After the songs performance, one by one, teacher Amanda called out their names and each child walked up to their moms. And when it was JD's turn, he presented me with a special card and little pouch of bath salt before saying "Happy Mommy's Day, I love You". He even took the time to explain how I should use the bath salt, that the bath salt is pink in colour - and that it is only for girls and not for boys :)

I felt so touched by his gesture, and I was very close to tears seeing how much he has grown and that I feel so rewarded by just being his mom.

Oh JD, you are growing up so fast, but you are doing so well. I am so happy to be your mom.

But here is one of JD getting stuck into those party food, hee!

I really enjoyed the experience of watching JD at his kindy today, seeing how he played with other children of his age, the way they socialized, talking to one another, how they helped one another during packing up time...I feel like I am starting to see some early efforts bearing its fruits already.

Liss Miss C (Cranky)

We have had some glorious weather this week.

We spent a bit of time outside, but Miss C has been rather cranky the whole day, most probably due to her battle with the new teeth. Poor gal, she is drooling, having runny nose, red cheeks, the whole works with teething. She gets upset the moment I am out of her sight, and only wanted to be held, cuddled tight. She didn't even sleep well the whole day. Oh, it's tough being a baby. She could only talk to me by crying pitifully.

The only place she would sit happily was on her brother's old push car. She calms down when she sits there, listening to the birds, feel the breeze until such time she gets bored and demanded to be pushed, yikes!

But she tried hard. She still managed a smile when I was taking her pictures, played and chuckled when me and JD played with her, until such time the teeth started to bother her again.

My arms were getting tired by late afternoon, so I put her on the bike, while I laid down on the grass for some rest. At the same time making sure I am not crushed by my son body slamming onto me. " JD, stop jumping onto me!!!!" you will hear me shouting from the backyard, hahaha!

Ouch, my ribs, JD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But my ribs were really hurting from the Monday night Pilates session. It was just abs work for that night, so I am feeling a little sore today.

Dance with Me

Sometimes, I find JD very funny and cute.

I brought him and Chloe out for some ice cream tonight at Gelare. While walking towards the ice-cream shop, JD suddenly stopped to admire a red necklace and a red pair of heels displayed at a boutique's window.

I stopped and checked it out too.

As I stood there admiring the necklace, JD turned around and said to me...

"Awww mommy, look, they are all soooo beautiful!"
"Maybe we can get them?"
"Oh", I said, "for whom?"
JD said "For you mommy!"

Then he added, "You can wear them when you go dancing. Daddy will bring you out for dancing and I will sit on the chair to watch you."

And he reached out for my hands, and danced with me in a circle.

It was very cute.

It was such an impromptu moment, and I thought he was the sweetest little man I have ever met.

Oh JD, you made me so happy. BTW, red is his favourite colour.

Please Don't Judge Me

An incident a couple weeks ago prompted me to write this down.

We attended a farewell party for one of hubby's colleague. We were the first one there. Upon entering the house, the host greeted us, we shook hands, introduced ourselves, then proceeded to the party.

JD was excited to be at a new place, excited to see the host's same age daugther, wanting to play with her. She quietly rejected his offer but he went on to explore the backyard overlooking a lovely golf course happily by himself.

5 mins after arriving and before the host could even offer us a drink, he made this judgement.

"I suspected your child has hyperactivity. Did you ever get him diagnosed?"

My husband went quiet. I was shocked at his statement. But I was not prepared for someone to judge my child after 5 minutes of meeting him. .

Rude. Insensitive. Arrogant. Judgemental. Such a host he was.

Without a doubt I responded, "My child has a high level of curiosity in him. He is of high spirit, filled with energy like what a normal 3.5 yo child should be."

With that, I excused myself.

Honestly, I had enough of people judging my child. And JD is my child, my son, my boy and nobody knows him better apart from me. I brought this child into the world, love him, nurture him, guide him, mould him, watch over him every day that has been given to me.

It hurts when people judge. And it hurts even more when once so often people judge him due to his happy, independent, determined spirit.

It also brought back a memory not so long ago when someone asked "How do you cope with a child like JD?" upon seeing him being active, running around in the garden chasing the birds. That question sounded almost stupid to me.

It didn't take me long to figure it out. But again I said "I don't cope because it is not a problem to start with."..."At least I have a child that is confident, sociable and not having to hide behind my legs everytime he meets someone new."

Ouch! I bet I touched their sore points too.

And on one of my recent conversation with a friend, this person was surprise to hear that JD is a child that would...

- shower me and his daddy with hugs, kisses freely

- rub my back when he sensed that I am getting stressed

- ask me if I am okay when he sees I am deep in thought

- lie down in a foetal position with me when I got a sick a few weeks ago

- remind his father to be careful on the road because it was raining

- ring his dad at work to say "I miss u daddy"

- say to his baby sis "It's allright, don't cry, mommy is coming"

- comfort his sister when she knocks herself singing "Hush lil baby"

- say "thank you mommy for the dinner" every night

- watch a cooking show with me and salivating over the food

- reminds me to have a good time when I go out for some ME time

- calls his mama (paternal grandma) if she wants us to bring her dinner

But most of all a very thoughtful boy that would constantly make sure whatever he has, there is always a share for his daddy, mommy and sister. It seems almost impossible to some people that an active child is also capable of a kind heart and loving spirit.

Now, if people has taken the time just to get to know him a bit better, perhaps they would be slower to judge but quicker to embrace his goodness.

And I am so proud of JD being so independent, happy, loving, caring because he is such a secured child. And I am proud of the fact that my husband and I have been able to provide him with such security from the day he was born. And that we love him so abundantly. And because of the love he has received, he has been able to reciprocate it back to us and those around him so freely.

All well again

So JD had the gastro flu. He is fine now and went back to kindy today. But it wasn't so fun when he was sick because as you know, sick kid can sometimes be grumpy, whiny, pesty little fellow, testing your patience and waiting for you to just wave the white flag at them !!!!!

Over the last few days, it was JD - 1 , Mommy - 1.

It was a draw because he was grumpy, and I was just exhausted from the lack of sleep.

I am feeling slightly more human myself. And that's after drinking a small jar of Brand's Chicken Essence. My mom swears by it. It's not the nicest thing to taste, but it works better than coffee, chocolates as a quick pick me up. Trust me, it works, though it tasted foul.

Anyway, back to today. I did my parent roster duty at JD's kindy again. Once a term, his kindy encourage parents to volunteer their time to help out in the classroom, be it cleaning the child's hands after a finger painting session, cutting out the fruits for snacks time, guiding them, talking to them...Most importantly, in instills a great sense of pride in the child's heart that his/her mommy is helping out the teacher!

I enjoyed it just as much as the kids.

I got to see what JD did in class, how he interacts with the others, how he would raise his hand for a chance to talk, how he would share with his teacher about what he ate for lunch, that his sister loves to put toys in her mouth, seeing how focus he is in getting his painting done, that he follows the teacher's instructions...

And my favourite moment was seeing how all the kids worked together in packing up their toys after a play. Little by little, they pick up the toys, put them back in the big box, together they carry the box back into the shed, with little steps.

The only thing was JD can be a pain. While sitting down on the mat at story time, JD saw that his kindy mate F was playing with the doll house. And bossy as he is, raised his hands, confidently saying to his teacher A "Excuse me, teacher A, F is playing with the doll house."

I was thinking to myself, well JD, you wouldn't have noticed that if you were also paying attention at story time. Ha!

But JD is crazy about rules! And that can be a bit too much at times.