Pain & Gain of A Toddler's Mom

Migration

2009-11-06T16:10:00.002+08:00

Dear friends and family who have been visiting this blog. As of Nov 2009, I will be using FaceBook-Notes instead of blogger to ramble about our lives.

However, there will be a new blog:" My Teacher-My Mommy". This is a blog whereby I will like to share the experiences and knowledge I've gathered from being a parent. By the grace of God, I am very blessed to have the privilege of a home ministry to raise my firstborn as a (almost) full time mother.

The blog will feature materials/equipment we use at home, books we read, activities we do, and hiccups we encoutered. Also, there will be learning materials for purchase. I've pledged 10% of the sales of materials towards our adopted charity: Children Cancer Foundation.

Visit: http://myteacher-mymommy.blogspot.com/

Have a blessed parenting journey :-)

A Gift From My Daughter

2009-10-25T20:38:00.005+08:00

I came home one evening and my daughter put a string of beads around my neck and said the necklace was for me *touched. There were 34 beads altogether and my grandma told me that she was sitting quietly in one corner stringing the beads on her own. For the entire evening, I wasn't allowed to remove the gift from my neck :-)

Oh yes, the pictures were taken by Megan too.

Bunnies 2 + 2

2009-10-22T01:09:00.004+08:00

Barbara, they don't get along. Let's give them a few more days, but I hope you have another family who could take the bunnies in. I am ok with fostering them till you find someone to collect the pair - they are larger in size than my pair of 2yos and all over them :-(

Busy Toddler

2009-10-20T01:12:00.004+08:00

I thought I was busy having to take care of one child. But look at Megan with her 2 babies ! She is a very good mommy to two of her fave dolls (she has four). She would pretend to feed them, clean them, send them to school (in her coupe) sling one of them while pushing the other in her doll stroller. Sometimes she pretends she is the grandma, and I have to be their mommy :-)

Practical Skills: Preparing Food

2009-10-18T12:05:00.003+08:00

I showed Megan how to handle a knife (I gave her a knife from a set of children's cutlery). I told her that scissors and knives will cut through things, including her fingers if she isn't careful. I let her feel the sharp ends to reiterate my point. The ground rule was that she must be at a table when she is working with a pair of scissors or a knife and chopping board.

Drawing Printing Painting

2009-10-16T20:00:00.002+08:00

Water Activities Consolidated (Basic/Intermediate)

2009-10-15T20:18:00.002+08:00

Montessori Preschool Practical Life – More than Pouring Water

To have a vision of the cosmic plan, in which every form of life depends on directed movements which have effects beyond their conscious aim, is to understand the child’s work and be able to guide it better. - Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

To the untrained eye, the Montessori Preschool/Kindergarten (ages 3 to 6) Practical Life activities appear to be, well, child’s play. On closer examination, however, the Practical Life activities present themselves as a highly logical, sequential chain of activities that indirectly lead the child to grander things.

Take the simple task of pouring water, for example. At first glance, it comes across as ‘no big deal’. After all, the child is only pouring water. Take a closer look. Did you realize that the activities for pouring liquids come after the Montessori child has learned to transfer and pour solids? Why? There is a greater chance for error when pouring liquids. Transferring and pouring solids offers an opportunity to practice those skills first with something that is easier to clean up.

Look again. Why are there so many pouring activities on the shelf? The Montessori Practical Life activities are graduated and isolated in difficulty. When transferring water from one container to another, we begin with the largest motor skill to isolate. In this case, we begin by transferring water from one bowl to another using a sponge. The child concentrates on using whole arm and hand movements. Once that is mastered, the child moves on to pouring from one pitcher to another, one pitcher to one glass, one pitcher to three glasses. Each activity introduces a new level of difficulty.

So why all the emphasis on pouring? I thought if you knew how to pour water without spilling it, you were finished? The Practical Life activities are indirectly preparing the Montessori child for something larger. There is, so to speak, a behind-the-scenes theme happening simultaneously. First, the child is preparing for more complex works that require more steps. This builds concentration. Second, the child is now able to pour herself something to drink when she is thirsty. This builds independence. Third, the child is able to serve others something to drink without spilling. This builds coordination. Fourth, the child has learned to evaluate how much water is in the pitcher and estimate how much should be poured into each glass so that they are equal. This is developing a mathematical mind. And last, but certainly not least, the Montessori child has developed small muscle control by moving from a whole hand to a pincer-grip movement. This is an indirect preparation for holding a pencil and writing.

On the surface, pouring water is simply that, pouring water. However, dive a little deeper and you’ll find it is much more.

Source:http://montessoritraining.blogspot.com/2009/10/montessori-preschool-practical-life.html

Putting On Socks

2009-10-08T17:16:00.005+08:00

Megan likes to do many things for herself these days. Putting on socks is one of the skills she has been practising lately. She is getting rather good at dressing and undressing herself. In the mornings, she will remove her night diaper on her own (and trash it) and take off her own trousers to get rather for her shower. The only task which remains unchecked is removing her t-shirt.

And she was so pleased with herself that she started making snow angels on the floor :-)

Other Water Activities (wringing)

2009-10-08T15:09:00.002+08:00

Megan spilled some water and mop up with her kitchen towel (her play kitchen is probably better equipped than my real kitchen). She has recently learn how to wring a wet cloth and kept wringing her wet rag, mop it up, wring it again, mop it up again... I had to make her stop it by asking her to wring her rag at her sink (so that there will be no more wet table to mop up).

Baby No More

2009-10-04T07:44:00.005+08:00

You know your lil one is really no longer a baby when:

You don't seem to need diapers or wet wipes
You don't need the safety gate (or in our case, Megan has figured out how to open the gate)
You don't need to undress your child
You don't need to feed her
You can use a booster seat and 2-point harness
You can trust her to feed the pets
You can (almost) trust her to give herself a bath
You are ordered to sit only on a particular chair
You are being entertained by song & dance (instead of you singing/dancing to a baby)
You are asked "Why?"

Sponging Water

2009-09-30T21:56:00.003+08:00

I bought a brand new sponge some time back for this activity but never found time to do it. It's been really HOT lately and so we took the sponge to the pool for sponging water to containers. This activity makes children use those tiny muscles in the fingers and experience other forms of water transfer (besides pouring and scooping).

Sewing Machine (for Megan)

2009-09-30T02:19:00.003+08:00

Megan takes her all her play very seriously. She has seen my grandma and aunties sewed using the old-fashion manual sewing machine at my grandma's house.

Here, she is 'sewing' with her battery-operated (with lights !) pedal sewing machine. It is quite a clever toy as there is a clear acrylic box covering the needle bit. The only flaw is that the wire connecting the machine to its step pedal is too short for it to be placed on the floor as a workable foot pedal. Megan eventually improvised and used her hand instead of her foot.

Oops!

2009-09-27T05:27:00.004+08:00

To cut the story short, we went swimming, as always. But just once, I'd forgotten to bring a change for Megan. So we went home in a 'towel dress' (thank goodness I drove that day).

Coupon Butterfly

2009-09-19T17:16:00.001+08:00

I was driving and Megan played with parking coupons to amuse herself. She used to enjoy poking through the circles. Now that she is older, she is more imaginative. She took 2 used coupons, interlaced them and said "妈妈，你看，butterfly".

My Forgotten Promise

2009-09-16T20:32:00.004+08:00

I told Megan we would be catching some plays at the theatre some weeks back. We picked up the pamphlet for Boy Cry Wolf by ACT 3, and another flyer for a Korean tale about a froggy prince. long ago. She didn't seem very excited about it but we took the flyers and brought them home. She kept them around the house and yesterday, she took out the flyer and asked me when are we watching Boy Cry Wolf (the last show was 12 Sep).

GULP.

So I am booking tickets for SWIMMY, FREDERICK & INCH BY INCH.

NOW.

Art in-lieu of Ballet

2009-09-03T19:52:00.002+08:00

I arranged to meet a friend who had flown 20hrs back to SIN for lunch so we didn't go for dance class today. When I got home, we did some painting & printing instead. Megan likes star and heart shapes and she made up songs as she did her artwork "This is my heart shape, this is my star shape, this is my yellow star, this is my yellow heart..."

Her first complete sentence in English came about as a result of her dance class whereby the teacher will get the kids to recite "This is my right toe, this is my left toe" as they did their routines.

Megan's Friends

2009-09-02T15:38:00.001+08:00

September has kicked off well. I am enjoying a week of meeting up with friends and I thought about my daughter's social life. It is definitely more colourful than mine if I may dare say. So I thought I will write about the lil ones and do some reflection on the growing up she has gone through with some of her friends.

We finally met up with Joey and Ryan when they came back from Kolkata this time round. Ryan & Megan got along so fine during their first meeting, one would think they had been friends for the longest time. Ryan will be 3yo in Nov and he is very affectionate and sociable. It was so much fun having seeing the 2 kids enjoy themselves - we will sure miss Joey and Ryan when they return to India :-(

This is Zachary Ong (aka 旺旺） who is 5mths Megan's junior . He is Megan's most frequently visited friend. The friendship started off a little shaky (or should I say bitey?)

A few months down the road and many delicious meals cooked by 旺妈 (aka Irene), we see the friendship blosoms into something more conventionally acceptable ...

Megan met Baby Reika when EJ invited us over for a swim. Reika is absolutely adorable and very 'portable'. Mommy Kyoko could carrier baby in her carrier and finish her meal ! Megan is always asking when are we going to see Reika. I still can't quite figure out how she could remember Reika so well but I suspect its because she saw the mommy nursing her once.

These are some of the girls at my grandma's estate that will come around and play with Megan from time to time. She loves the pair of twins (Trenyc & Trista are seated right of photo). This is taken outside the hair salon run by the twins' grandparents at the neighbourhood. The girls' kakak is very kind to Megan too :-)

A New Apron & Cookie Time

2009-08-30T03:04:00.006+08:00

I have been trying to drop Megan at my Aunty's place at AMK on Saturdays. It worked well last week and I thought we should keep it going :) So today, we went and Megan had requested to bake cookies cos when we were there last week, 臭臭-姨 wasn't ready for baking.

On our way to AMK, Megan decided to do a checklist and asked me:

"有没有带我的衣服" (did you pack my clothing)
"有没有带臭臭被" (did you pack my smelly-blankie)
"有没有带M&Ms" (did you bring the M&Ms)

It is as if Megan knows me very well, I forgotten one of the above - the M&Ms. She comforted me and said its alright, she will go with 姨 to buy M&Ms from the shops.

I reminded Megan that I have packed her knickers and she must tell someone she needs to pee when she needs to go (we are almost diaper free!). She gave me a really serious look and told me "这个 lao-goh 家没有 potty 的“ (there is no potty in this grandaunty's house)

And yes, the apron she has on is lovingly hand-made by my very own 姑姑！

What I Feed My Child (when I do)

2009-08-30T02:37:00.001+08:00

Most of the people who know me well enough knows about my cooking masterplan. It is not that I hate cooking per se, but to cook for a toddler (only for her to reject the nourishing meal you whipped up) is really not all that exciting. But I have plans and boy, did I cook for all the Thursdays in August !

First, it was out to get the condiments and staples (we didn't have any at home, unless instant noodles can be considered a staple in a household). Then to spruce up the food, I went DIASO and got the cute barang-barang. After which, I had to look for my stashed away rice cooker, pots, pans etc.

Now that August is coming to an end. I am secretly happy - cos the plan was to cook for August only. But I do think I am getting better. My rice is no longer soggy, thanks to tips from Irene (even Megan complained that I cooked 'porridge' when it was meant to be steamed rice).

Perhaps I should persevere and continue cooking every Thursday ... perhaps.

Belated National Day Wishes

2009-08-30T02:09:00.001+08:00

The park rangers (or what shall we call those people who man the counter at the park?) gave Megan a selection of paper hearts for her to pick a colour and pen her wishes for Singapore's 44th birthday. I told them she is erm, too young at 2 to answer the quizz or write anything legible for that matter. They said its ok and gave her the worksheet and the heart and crayons. She had fun scribbbling on the worksheet, pretending she had 'homework' to do. Then the nice 姐姐 showed her where to pin up her wishes for Singapore. I think it will be another 2 more years before she can understand National Day. We shall wait and see :)

Jacob Ballas Fountains-16 Aug 09

2009-08-30T01:41:00.002+08:00

I witnessed Megan's bargaining/negotiation skills for the first time. It was a very hot Sunday afternoon so I didn't join her at the fountains. Came along 2 children, probably 2yo and 5yo. The older kid had 2 watering cans with her. A smaller toy, and a real one which is much more handy.

Megan wanted to play with those and the kid's helper convinced the girl to let her have the smaller watering can. Megan wasn't quite keen in the 'toy' and went to the girl, gave her the smaller watering can and asked for the bigger one. The girl refused. Megan tried to "persuade" her by telling her “很好玩的，这个给你“. That didn't work. So she ran off to the helper, and manja the helper and asked the kakak for help.

I must say I am glad she didn't snatch what she wanted, but I am not so sure if I should be worried about her 'negotiation skills'.

Lunch At Jacob Ballas-16 Aug 09

2009-08-30T01:23:00.001+08:00

Ham & Cheese sandwich cost $6.90 -gulp. But she was hungry after all the running at the fountains and I wasn't prepared for makan. And the sandwich came with crisps! Imagine how happy Megan was to see "keropok"...

Playing With Papa

2009-08-30T01:16:00.001+08:00

They say a picture = 1000 words.

Noah's Animals Have No Umbrellas

2009-08-25T16:07:00.003+08:00

I long forgotten about our Noah's Ark puzzle toy. So while tidying up the cabinets (in an attempt to free up storage space), I found this toy and took it out to play with Megan. I told her the story of Noah's Ark once but it was some time back and she was probably too young to follow. This time round, she seems to be more aware of what it means when it rains, what it means to "protect" and keep the animals "safe".

As we completed our task in bringing the animals onto the ark, Megan asked me a million-dollar question, to which I was so stunned I'd no answers for her "为什么它们没有雨伞" (Why don't the animals have umbrellas?)

I would love suggestions for a suitable answer I could give my toddler :-)

I Want To Be Mama

2009-08-25T11:11:00.002+08:00

Megan knows I am working when I am on my laptop but she has a bag of tricks to make me go away from my computer and be with her. She has quietly observed me and discovered which button to press to off the machine-so when she gets really desperate, she SWITCHES OFF the computer when I take a moment away from it. And she will get scolded for this. Now, she understands that she cannot touch my computer without my permission, or SWITCH IT OFF on my behalf. Instead, she will whine, cajole, and amuse me with all her entics to distract me from the computer :) One of her tricks is "I also want to be mama, let me show you how"

I'll Do It Myself

2009-08-19T18:42:00.004+08:00

We have entered the 'I-Wanna-Do-It-Myself' stage:

Megan puts on her own knickers
Megan puts on her own pull-up pants
Megan changes out of her clothing, and
Megan puts on her own leotard and skirt

Making Dumplings

2009-08-05T14:24:00.004+08:00

It was my grandfather's birthday celebration last Sunday. My aunty was making 云吞 and I thought Megan should help out as well. Basically, my philosophy in parenting this kiddo is to let her try as many real, daily life activities as we could possibly 'tolerate'. Mess is never a concern as my helper is understanding and very tolerant of our activities :P

Playdoh Cake

2009-08-05T00:38:00.005+08:00

Megan made these tiny cakes at my aunty's place. I like to think one day, she will be baking me a real cake for Mother's Day.

Amen !

2009-08-05T00:30:00.005+08:00

Megan has been revisiting a lot of her toys she used to play with and doing very different things with them. I took out her DUPLO bricks some time back and instead of building structures that goes vertically up, its now all very planar and flat - I don't know the reason behind it, but she seems to have it all in her head. First, it was a BEDROOM with beds for her toy animals/figures. Another creation is a cross. The proportions were rather good I think and she told me it was "Amen". I do think it is well made and thank you God for my wonderful daughter :)

Playing Together

2009-07-31T01:12:00.004+08:00

I believe that young children learn the fastest by observing an older child. I saw that in Megan a couple of times when she played with the neighbour's 4yo twins (whose grandpa unfortunately doesn't like to have us over for I-dunno-what-reasons. We have good neighbourly relations with them for over decades really).

This is Megan showing WW how she plays with her beans, and WW keenly looking, mimicking Megan's actions! After WW got a hang of scooping, they played together for a bit, and agreed to my request for them to 'collaborate' . Megan held on to the green bucket while WW scooped beans into it - beautiful isn't it ?!

TV time at Wang-Wang's

2009-07-31T00:58:00.002+08:00

Megan will go to WW's place to watch "Wheels On The Bus" whenever we are there. And dear WW has grown quite used to Megan's presence at his place. The two children can now sit next to each other, with no brawls or any other 'accidents' for quite a considerable amount of time. They have also invented a new "swoop mama" game and get a good kick out of teasing their mommies :)

Art Class

2009-07-28T01:27:00.004+08:00

Lyndon dropped Megan at my class last Friday for the last 30 mins. She was thoroughly enjoying herself although its way past her nap time and I was worried she could be cranky any minute. I was glad that she had fun and was even humming and singing as she painted alongside the other children !

She was in my class for the entire month of June as we had a more favourable timing as it was the school holidays. Perhaps I should consider this as a weekly activity and tweak the timing a little to accommodate Megan. She was so focused on her brushwork that she made a hole on the paper (too much paint on one spot).

Dinner with Grandparents

2009-07-24T10:46:00.004+08:00

We have not seen her grandparents for ages (and I mean moons). So after receiving a text message from my MIL, I thought we should meet up for dinner. My inlaws came to fetch us on Thursday evening and we went to VIVO for dinner. We had promised her we will eat at MARCHE (the yeye asked her where she wanted to eat, and she told him MARCHE, and he agreed).

But when we got there, the Q was snaking out of the restaurant and I think my inlaws' tummies couldn't wait. So we had to go to SUSHI TEI instead. That upsetted her greatly cos we had agreed on MARCHE (and they asked for her opinion before we stepped out of the house - big mistake, they didn't know my daughter CAN REMEMBER and does have a very strong mind of her own).

After lots of whinning, threats of tears, and coaxing from the clueless grandparents and a tired mom, we did go to SUSHI TEI for our dinner, and FINISHED our food. Dinner was pleasant enough but Megan remembered I said we could go MARCHE after we FINISHED our food at SUSHI TEI. So she asked. My inlaws were too tired for dessert and my hubby looked like he would kill someone if we didn't make our way home soon. We compromised and went into TOYS'R US.

I am glad to add that Megan isn't the sort who must leave a store with a new toy (I was really worried about it cos she did reveal a 'shoppaholic streak'). I allowed the grandpa to get her one playdoh tool cos I thought it will help her remember him better (we really meet up once every solar eclipse). She was polite and agreeable with the grandma this time round cos she came with a Barney bacpack. Well, bribery some say, but building positive associations & good relationships with grandparents (esp those that you seldom see) are more important than some other things.

Sharing Toys

2009-07-24T10:12:00.004+08:00

I read somewhere that children must be 'trained' to give and share with others . Perhaps a toddler is a little too young to fully grasp the concept of sharing and giving but I thought such actual actions of passing an item you own to someone could be made fun and a good habit to cultivate.

The parenting tip from some parenting magazine wrote that if you give your chil、 more than her allocated share (items/pocket money/treats) and explain to her that she now has more than enough to share it out with another person, she will be more receptive to "sharing" (logic :you are not taking something away from her and leaving her with nothing). I thought that was totally logical. I mean, we won't be donating to any charity if we don't have enough for ourselves right? So why force a child to share her ONLY teddy bear with a friend just to display 'manners' for parents' vanity's sake? Likewise, I don't see why a child should be reprimanded if he/she doesn't want to share his stuff with Megan. I think I end up explaining to parents more often than I have to explain to Megan that it is OK not to share (at least for a 2yo).

I do think this can be refined at a later stage to teach Megan true, selfless sharing and giving but she is 2. We can wait.

For now, I think Megan understands the concept of sharing (BJ has a song "It's good to share, you show you care, it's good to share, you show you care with a friend" - that helps a little in reinforcing the concept).

We were getting ready to meet her friends at IKEA and I was trying to get her excited about going cos she had swimming on her mind instead (but we HAD to go IKEA cos I had a meeting lined up as well). So I told Megan she could bring her "burgers" along to the kitchen playset.

Megan: 我不要，等一下 wang-wang 会抢 (I don't want to, later wang-wang will snatch)
Mama: 。。。
Megan: (suddenly realises she has a brilliant solution and added before I could respond) eh, 有三个 ham & cheese，好，带去 (eh, I have 'three' ham & cheese, ok, I'll bring)

(Megan calls her burger toy ham & cheese sandwich)

Mama: 好！等一下你可以 share (Great! You can share these later)
Megan: 好! 这个给wang-wang

No sure if Megan really knows who is wang-wang (she calls another boy wang-wang too, but I think she does recognise wang-wang cos we meet up quite a bit). She loves to talk about wang-wang snatching things, but she loves to bring her stuff for him as well! Every new toy she has, it will be "eh, Megan 有三个, 可以给 wang-wang" (eh, Megan has 3, can give wang-wang 1). She loves wang-wang, but she loves to whine about him as well. LOL.

Disclaimer: Megan cannot count, she will say "三个,三块,三毛" everything is "THREE" to her if its more than ONE.

Look (and wait) for Mama

2009-07-21T04:44:00.004+08:00

I was reading someone's blog on how she trained her children and I recalled 2 separate incidents which I really should blog for posterity. Not very lucid at almost 5am in the morning, but well, I must write it down now (prepare for a lengthy piece).

Today, we went to Forum with Megan's Monday-playgroup. The 2 other boys fell asleep shortly after lunch and were parked in their strollers, leaving the moms to have their cuppa and 1 free helper to look after Megan. Irene's helper has just started working for her family not too long (probably 2 weeks) and Megan doesn't mind this new ka-kak (she takes very well to new faces, and seems to understand that ka-kak's job is to babysit her while the mommies drink coffee).

Aunty Irene very kindly 'loaned' her helper to Megan and there was an adult to watch her and amuse her while the other adults TALK. Megan doesn't get excited when I meet up with my friends cos what we do is drink and talk, and talk and talk, but the talk doesn't involve her. Nor does she understand or appreciate our conversation topics. But I must give her credit-she has grown from "妈妈，不要讲话“ to tolerating our lengthy chats a little more (now she will 'permit' mama to talk for a good 30min-1hr before she decided that I should turn my attention bac.k to her).

Ok, back to my story: mommies talking, Irene's helper took Megan out of Spinelli's for a walk,. or more accurately, was told to follow my little one who was wandering in and out of the cafe (frequently popping into DKNY). I kept a lookout for them to make sure they are in our sight cos I am not sure of the new helper. Just when I thought I could trust the maid with Megan (got her to help with changing a wet diaper and she 'passed' the test), Megan came running back to us and told me "每每自己回来，ka-kak 没有带我" (or was it "ka-kak 没有回来“） But you get the drift.

I asked Megan "ka-kak 在那里“, she replied "ka-kak去toilet". We (Irene and I) looked out of the cafe for maid, and true enough, no maid in sight. I think Irene was probably more worried than me and stepped out to look for her helper. Maid was just coming out of the ladies when Irene walked out to search for missing maid. I saw from my seat in the cafe, a frantic looking maid, trying to look for my daughter. Strangely, I wasn't mad. Infact, I was quietly pleased that Megan had acquired good spatial intelligence which I had always wanted her to, and could find her way back to the cafe (in a new mall on top of all!) I was also very comforted she understood and knew that I MUST be the point of reference and she must always look for mama and go back to mama.

Learning Points:

Teach your child to know where you will be (in any environment outside home) and train her to constantly look for mama. We play a game of Q&A: I will call out "Megan, where are you" (or in chinese) and Megan has to answer in a shout of "Yeah" or "Em" or "Megan". This has served us well when she refuses to be in the same cubicle as me in the public toilet (she said its too stinky).
Tell yourself not to place 100% trust any other form of help (even your own helper-this 'amendment' has been cleared, as proposed by the DAD, another story on helper and circle of trust in a separate entry) You must be the main point of reference and the main caregiver wherever possible. Remember that they wont feel your anxiety as a parent. Should anything happens, its at most guilt which will hit the assigned helper. Not very helpful right?

When I related this story to my husband, he almost flipped and told me off "How can you trust her with someone'e maid, I told you before right? bla-blah" He totally missed my point of trying to illustrate how capable Megan is at navigating her own way back, albeit the cafe and toilet is a couple of metres apart, approx 2 shop units' lenght.

Then again, on hindsight, a couple of metres could have been something like 20m+ ? And husband probably did have a valid concern as Megan is only 2yo and most toddlers her age would still be strapped in their strollers instead of roaming around in the malls by themselves. Which I won't want to forbid so long as we keep her in our line of vision. I kinda want her to know that she could likely get lost if she isn't gonna check on us from time to time and let her develop a better spatial understanding of her environment. Perhaps one day she will really get lost (or should I say I lose sight of her) and then perhaps thats another lesson learnt? Cruel you think ? I dunno really, but that brings me to part 2 of this entry.

Megan gets all excited when we leave the house, esp when she knows we are heading somewhere (instead of the usual daily trip to my grandma's place). I have taught her to put on her shoes and get her bag (should she feel like bringing one) before we leave the house. I have also taught her that we need to wait at the lift lobby for the lift to come, and you need to press the button to call for the lift. She can reach for the lift buttons and I get her to "help mama" to call for the lift. I forgotten to add that she MUST NOT ENTER the lift without me or the father.

Here goes: All 3 of us were going out, I think we promised her the playground at the next block and it was probably a Sunday as the dad was free. Lyndon was trying to get all the bags and lock up while I stepped out of the house with Megan (which is the routine: mama takes care of M, papa locks up and take our bags). Then I suddenly remembered I forgotten something (which I cant recall to save my life what was so important then). So I went back into the house to grab what I wanted and Lyndon was still trying to fiddle with his bags and waiting for me to get out so that he could lock up. All this while, we left Megan at the lift landing, waiting for us. Which none of us thought was UNSAFE. Till ...

I stepped out, called for Megan, and saw that she was entering a lift, ALL ON HER OWN ! By the time I ran to the lift, the doors SHUT and next few seconds/minutes were filled with the most heart-wrenching cries you could imagine "妈妈!!!!!" And I could hear it as the lift was descending. My head was empty- I could only think "ok, please god, no one call for lift on other floors, else I wont know which storey she may end up should the doors open". Then it was "run mama, run" And I ran as fast as my legs could carry me to level 1, hearing her cries as I ran down each floor. I was thinking that at least I could hold her in my arms when the doors opened at level 1, revealing a frightened child.

If Lyndon ever reads this blog, I will like to give him a BIG hug and say "Thanks You Daddy!" for THINKING. Instead of running down to level 1 like a stupid me, he stayed on our floor and called for the lift (and at least one of us was thinking enough to stay put for Megan should the doors open at our floor and she can't see either parents. I really thought he would have ran down as fast as I did with me). So you guessed it, when I was at level 1, no lift, no Megan, the lift has gone back up. So I went up again (I took the other lift though, no way I was gonna beat the lift at climbing 9 storeys). Daddy was carrying Megan, all tears, totally terrified and upset. I took over and apologised profusely and hugged her really tight. I was almost in tears you know, but I knew I had to be strong cos I had to explain all this to her after she calmed down (so no time for mommy-tears or fears).

I told her we would be going off to the playground now and everything is alright cos papa and mama are both with her. She stopped shortly (it didn't take too long for her to calm down, thank god!). Then while we were waiting for the lift, we told her that she could press for the lift as always, but she MUST NOT enter the lift without either of us. And to make our point really CLEAR, we modified it to "你要等妈妈才可以进去 OK?" (you must wait for mama before you enter the lift ok?) And we practised a little. I stepped into the lift first, then we told her she could go in.

For some days after this one episode of lift-scare, I realised that she would wait at the landing but will not press the lift button. It took Megan a while before she would call for the lifts again. But she has learnt well since then. Now, she will shout for me if the lift is here and I am still fiddling with the door and our bags and tell me "妈妈快点,电梯要走了,快点 !" She gets a little upset if I cannot get ready in time for the lift she has called for, but I explained to her that it will come again if we call for it once more. It took several practices, and she is now ok with missing the lift she has called for.

Learning Points:

I am getting a little tired to really pen something readable. But what I am trying to say is TEACH lifeskills. I am recalling a mom I met recently who asked about what I teach my toddler. I say all sorts of practical skills (she is a glen doman, shichida mommy). She asked me what's Montessori when I told her my activities are 'Montessori-inspired', and shared a story about a friend of hers who had enrolled the child in an expensive montessori school, only to pull the child out after scolding the teacher/school for teaching her kid how to sweep the floor. I teach Megan how to sweep, mop, throw trash into bins, cut paper, water our plants, change the rabbits' litter, feed them, serve people drinks. And call for lifts :)

Folding Comes Naturally

2009-07-19T06:21:00.004+08:00

We were at our almost-weekly visits to my aunt's place and Megan decided that she wants some cloth to play with (I gave her fabric swatches to play with at home to introduce textiles and textures). Grand-aunty showed Megan where she kept her pillowcases and cushion covers and she took out a whole lot of these and started to fold. I was very pleased with her efforts on the tasks she has assigned herself.

After she had enough of folding practice, she took a pillowcase and it became a BIG duffle bag for her to keep more pillowcases. She slung it over her shoulder and lug it around the house, trying to coax everyone to sit down for a haircut, pretending other pillowcases were the hairdresser's cover.

Colours !

2009-07-02T05:52:00.006+08:00

Yippee ! The $2.50 for clothes pegs was worth every cent ! While I was busy in the kitchen again, I told Megan to go play on her own. When I stepped out, I saw that she was 'playing' with her colour pegs and the plastic bowls. She realised I have added more bowls to her utensil rack.

Megan seemed to be trying to match the colours of the pegs to the bowls. She had pegged 2 blue clothes peg onto the blue bowl (with 1 mismatch red peg) and pegged one of each colour onto the bowls (except yellow). I was really amazed and quickly look for another yellow bowl in the kitchen after I realised that the yellow pegs were untouched (probably cos she cannot find a 'matching' bowl?) .

Back to the kitchen and yeeks, no yellow bowl but thank goodness there was a yellow cup. So I gave her the cup and asked her where are the pegs of the same colour. She showed me one peg to check with me and I said: " 对了! 这是黄色 ! " (That's right, its yellow)

She gave me a big smile :)

So Megan matched all of the pegs (I did have to help by assuring her the "reddish-orange" bowl is the same colour-tone as her bright crimson pegs) . I prompted her to do some 'tonging' and wanted to see if she could really do colour matching. All the pompoms went into the correct bowls but she was really concerned that the bowl couldn't take all of the big green ones.

We have five pingpong balls and she asked me where they should go. I assume she asked cos she realised they are white and there are no white bowls on the table. I told her she could put them in any bowl she likes, and she chose the blue one. Megan HAD to make sure all five are laid out side by side in the bowl - then she said "Hey, 圆圈 !" (Hey, its a circle)

Then, she went to her playhouse and showed me more yellow pompoms! She had hidden some in her teaparty sugar bowl! LOL ! She tried to stuff all of it into her yellow cup and I had to tell her its ok, they will fit.

Maybe Megan is worried about her privacy, she absolutely hates it when I try to take pictures of her activities (so I usually have to be really quick, or sneak behind her to shoot. Its amazing what she does at home when I am "busy in the kitchen".

Puzzle Corner

2009-06-30T19:34:00.004+08:00

Shapes tray which she played with when she was 18mth, and now revisiting it ocassionally. 9-pc, 16-pc puzzles (with Barney no less, and we got Dora and a 60-pc Mickey 2 days back). And Montessori cylinders (a beautiful gift from a high school friend for Megan's 2nd).

Homeschool Setup.v1

2009-06-30T18:32:00.006+08:00

A very basic setup whereby I organised her toys into stackable trays (previously used for storing my grandparents' medication, but their prescription grew, so these are no longer useful to them). I also included some of her plastic cups, plates, bowls and cooking utensils in the topmost rack. See the black tongs ? I used it for my spaghetti but now its her favourite tool.

Then we included more items which were more targeted to her learning/development

Homeschooling isn't neccessary costly. Cost of the above items:

Pompoms (small) $2.00
Pompoms (big) $2.00
White tray (3-sections) $2.00
Transparent tray (4-sections), $2.00
Orange ikea bowl (from our kitchen)
Plastic clothes pegs $2.50 (should have used our existing ones, but I couldn't resist the beautiful colours - so my excuse is we will use them to learn about colours later on)

Toys 'recycled' for Homeschool

2009-06-30T17:45:00.006+08:00

I was very inspired by many montessori mommies out there who have made their homes so conducive and inviting for their children to do independent learning. I started with whatever toys we already have, sorted them out, and 'displayed' them on our dinning bench (the humongous dinning table removed to another spot and is now my working desk instead). The idea was for all the toys to be within her reach and she could pack away her toys when she is done with her play.

These are some of our earlier toys (purchsed without intention of homeschool)

A tea party set with tray (trays are vital in our setup now)

Velcro'ed vegetables for cutting, with play pretend knife and chopping board

Wooden basket (very solid and so well made I could take it to the market too)

After my effort to sort out her toys, I realised how I could have been a more penny-wise mom and shop more prudently. But well, I did score with some of her toys. And now, I am certainly not gonna be easily lured by those mega toy stores (as easily I should add - sales are sometimes hard to resist).

What Have We Done ?

2009-06-27T20:23:00.011+08:00

A quick update on our progress at 'Homeschool-Depot'

*** Megan loves her 'tonging' activities ***

*** Megan went from' tonging' to 'pegging' ***

*** Megan completed her 9-pc, then 16-pc puzzle ***

*** Megan tried 1-to-1 correspondence ***

Play-doh (backlogging)

2009-06-16T05:16:00.006+08:00

I really have a pathetic memory after childbirth, and it does not seem to have improved for the past 2 years. I took these really cute pictures of Megan's play-doh sessions and wanted to blog about how much fun we both had with cutting out tortoises and giving them eyes. It was one of those many play-doh sessions but I was armed with my camera this time (albeit my simple mobile phone cam). I make it a point not to use my mobile or text when I am doing things with Megan. She does not like it a lot when I am not focused in my task as well.

So we treated ourselves to some fresh 'white doh' on a Sunday some months back. And I gave her a new shape cutter to play with (she has been given too many play-doh stuff and I ration what she gets to play with). I was glad that she could tell it was a 'wu-gui' (tortoise) and remembered she had seen them at her Uncle Justin's place. I mindlessly made some little spheres and asked her to try putting the eyes on for the tortoise - and she did ! I was very excited about it and I think she felt accomplished giving her tortoise eyes (she gave the tortoise TWO eyes altho it was a shape of the animal's profile). I then made some strips and asked her to give it a tail (wanted to see if she could recall tortoises having tails, and if she knew where tails should go). And BINGO ! We have tortoises with eyes and tails!

After cutting out many tortoises, she got a little tired and asked me to shape her some letters "G-A-P" are her fave letters (not that she can really recognise them, she simply likes to read these 3 letters out loud). She used to be able to recognise "B-E-G" when she was younger and I was at one point, very keen in getting her to recognise the alphabet cos I was told by PEOPLE "she needs to learn lah, don't just play with her all day". This "don't just play all day" deserves another entry, so I shall not get myself started here.

Then we had to line up cookies she cut- she was quite taken by the concept of lining up for a period.

I should have taken a picture of myself too - I was immensely satisfied with this activity.

More Dance Pictures

2009-06-13T19:02:00.003+08:00

Megan's First Dance Class

2009-06-12T15:58:00.007+08:00

I took her to try out dance classes at a studio near our place. They only take in toddlers from 2-half onwards, but they agreed to let Megan try at 2yo. She was the youngest child in class. I put on a pink skirt for her as we were not kitted for ballet and we borrowed shoes from the studio. It was a mini struggle to get her to put her shoes on. I was told the snug fit was a strange feeling for toddlers.

Miss Jeanette (dance teacher) had a class of 6 that day, but 2 girls were throwing temper tantrums, wailing and reluctant to join in the class most of the time. Megan was mostly good, but she did have difficulty following the instructions as the class was conducted in English (we are on our 'speak mandarin' efforts at home).

I wanted to step in and guide her along cos I knew that she didn't quite understand all that was said in class, but I was rather surprised when she didn't want me in the studio at all! She insisted that I should stay by the door and REMAIN there... LOL

Miss Jeanette got the class marching, skipping, jumping, clapping and wriggling. When the class was over, all the children had to line up to do a little curtsy before they were dismissed. The kids were give 2 smiley face stickers each when they accomplished this last task. Megan didn't want to line up, and she wanted the ENTIRE sheet of smiley faces (we have the same stickers at home and she was allowed to use as much as she wants for her art). Miss Jeanette was firm and put her back in line and made sure she didn't get hold of the entire sheet and gave only 2 smileys. I was feeling a tiny weeny squirmish about Megan being 'disciplined', but I knew that she needed that from another adult.

We (Megan & I) agreed that dance was fun and will attend weekly classes from now on. We got her a pink leotard today and will DIY a little purple (barney-colour) skirt for her dance class this weekend :)

Megan's Aquarium

2009-06-09T06:52:00.003+08:00

Let me show you how it's done ...

Looking At My Fish

2009-06-09T05:59:00.001+08:00

After a night of hard work (mommy of cos), Megan finally got to set up her own aquarium. She was rather thrilled (albeit less excited than I had imagined, esp after the many hours of preparation I had to undertake). I placed the tank in the hall on the low cabinets so that she can stand up on a stool to feed the fishes (with supervision) and yet not get too near to them. But Megan has been good. She does not put her hands in the tank, nor overfeed the fishes (like I'd imagined all children will).

We both had fun. And I think it has been going well for us and the fishes this far - week 2 and the fishes are surviving ! I should post the pictures of Megan setting up the tank as well.

Decluttering Schedule

2009-06-06T02:07:00.000+08:00

A homeschooling SAHM just told me that she spent 2 YEARS to tidy up her home to prepare for her daughters' home-school. Now I feel a little more comforted that my decluttering project seems to take forever. And it has gotten me a little more inspired to set myself a deadline for the apartment to be ready for Megan to use it for her activities (and I really have to deposit her at my grandma's place less often).

Now that I have gotten the HUGE useless dinning table out of the way (at least its tucked right at the back of our so-called hall), I need to pack and reorganise whatever that is left in the 'main hall'. The piano is a pain, I could do with that corner for more shelving options - but then again, its nice to tinker with Megan once in a while. So I guess I have to try and use the piano more often to make its presence worth its every sq. ft.

Then there is the TV-room. I am thinking it can be a library for Megan since there is really no space for her books in our study (there isn't even enough for our own books). So shelves for general storage have to come in, racks for 'books of the week' gotta go up, some posters and a whiteboard may be good too.

Oh gosh, there seems to be a lot to do! I am getting very excited (and frazzled cos I dunno where to start!) Ok, now I shall go to bed and recharge, and dream up a brilliant plan to declutter efficiently, and reorg the apartment for PROJECT 2009 (Homeschool@Depot Rd).

Fishes

2009-06-05T22:49:00.001+08:00

I am tempted to get more fishes as looking at the aquarium is rather therapeutic. We have 2 blackish-silver fishes (breed: unknown to me) in our 2 feet tank, so we could really accommodate more fishes. I think I will let these two "peng-you-yu" and "mei-mei-yu" (my daughter calls them by these names) settle in first. Its been a week and they seem to be doing ok with us. I must really compliment Megan for being a responsible pet owner - she will always remember "bu-ke-yi-chi-dou-dou" (cannot eat too much) when we feed the fishes. I am very proud of her :)

Project Fish (1)

2009-05-29T02:01:00.001+08:00

Buy some hardy tropical fishes -at least 2, we all need friends
Buy aquatic plants - teach the child that plants give out oxygen, and plants are pretty too. Also select hardy varieties such as java fern)
Place the bag of fish in a bucket of water- leave water to de-chlorinate overnight
Place gravel in 2 different bowls (I had some bigger pebbles and some fine gravel, so I will teach Megan about sizes and textures)
Prepare tank (plastic preferred, lighting will make your tank appear prettier & aerate with pump/filter to minimise cleaning)
Get a plastic cup for filling tank with water if you allow your child to pour
Also get ready lots of rags for spills

Tips:

Prepare everything beforehand and do most of the task yourself, leaving some bits for the child to participate and complete (take cue from cooking shows, nothing can be done in 10 mins like those celeb chefs claim-they have the entire tv crew to help chop, julienne, slice their veggies)
Laying out the items will help you create a mental picture of the steps you will need to take to set up the aquarium (toddlers have little patience, esp with new adventures)
Have rags or tea-towels around to help with the inevitable spills (I intend to allow Megan to help with filling up the tank)

Things You Can Do with Kacang

2009-05-29T00:51:00.002+08:00

I think these are groundnuts. Megan is always given different food to play with at my grandma's place (in my home, there is hardly real food as we don't cook). And we encourage her playing with real stuff as long as it is safe and not too much of a mess (then again, with a domestic helper, I am rather tolerant of 'mess' I must add). However cursory it may be, I do get Megan to clean up after she is done with her activities (she has her own broom set).

And so we played with kacang:

Aim a nut at the bucket
Throw them all over the floor (she probably enjoyed this most)
Sweep (my helper was ropped in to share the 'fun')

June's Project

2009-05-29T00:37:00.001+08:00

Today we went to meet Clarence at an aquarium shop at Clementi Ave 2. It is the same shop I used to frequent when I had a fish-hobby years back. My first fish was a gurami named Molly. It had a long life and I can still remember how my grandma nursed it back to health on the several occasions it was ill. After Molly, no guramis appeared as pretty as her and we (grandma & I) kept guppies instead. The guppies did very well in the tank we had and bred happily.

On the way to Clementi, I told Megan we were going to a 'fish shop' and she could hold the bag of fish Clarence bought when he is done with his purchase. She wasn't exactly keen in the fishes at the shop but she was waiting patiently at the shop keeper to give her a bag of fish (he was packing feeder fishes into many small bags). It was only meant to be a visit to the shop to see how fishes as kept and sold, but we ended up buying 2 tetras and 1 aquatic plant (it's a java fern) for Megan. I made sure the shop keeper told her how to care for the fishes. He was very cooperative and told her several times not to overfeed the fishes.

With 2 tetras, some fern, some gravel, a 2-ft tank which I used to place in my office, yours truly is gonna embark on "Project-Fish" for June and teach Megan lots of new things!

First Time at the Beach!

2009-05-27T15:02:00.000+08:00

We had been wanting to take her to the beach to experience the sand and the sea. But both myself and my husband are not the beach-going, sun-tanning sort, so this trip to the beach has been much delayed.

And of cos there is the auspicious hour whereby the father is free and the weather is kind. 24 May 2009 was indeed a very favourable date for an outing to the beach. We had some wind, rather gentle sunshine, and a parent who happens to be free and agreeable to go the beach with a toddler (and plenty of toys).

I can never quite rely on Lyndon to take pictures of Megan or us (although he did take charge of the video cam from time to time and took some videos of Megan). So its always me and my 5.0MP camera phone who will record those precious kodak moments (and I must add I am really hankering after the Panasonic TS1 after I saw Han's camera).

It took some coaxing before Megan was willing to take off her shoes and allow her feet to touch the sand. After she warmed up to the feel of the warm and wet sand under her feet, she was more willing to explore the beach. Very soon, she was digging and digging and forgotten her initial reluctance to touch sand. Infact, shortly after, she wanted to go into the waters and we all got very wet :) She seems to realise that the bouyancy of the sea is different from that of chlorinated waters of the pool and wanted to float more than she did in the pool. And of cos, she had a taste of the salty water and asked me 'bu-ke-yi-chi?' (cannot be eaten?)

Oh yes, it helped that we saw other children and a dog playing at the beach. Cos that was exactly what I had told her on our way to Sentosa to prep her for the beach outing. I discovered that prepping her with what to expect for each trip/outing (esp new experiences) always ease her into the new actitivities with minimal fussing. It is a lot of effort to paint her a picture of what to expect but she will listen intently and ask simple 'you? mei-you?' (have? don't have?) questions.

My toddler is tough work. But I am enjoying it :)

My Learning Points (Part 1)

2009-05-25T17:49:00.000+08:00

My Learning Points:

Adults must keep their conversation, esp if topic is sensitive away from children. You really don't know how much they understand. Take cue from the bible too - thou shall not gossip !
Speak properly at all times (if possible, do not speak in 2 languages at 1 time- this seems to be the reason my child's speech is delayed)
Ignore bad behaviour. Sometimes, its better to ignore undesirable behaviour. I said "undesirable" not "bad". Ignoring certain irritating acts of misbehaviour from a child can dampen his interest in repeating the act. Giving him too much attention by telling him it's no good, dont you ever do it, mommy doesn't like it, a good boy doesn't do this etc. may encourage the frequency of the particular misbehaviour (they probably get a kick out of seeing a scowl on our faces).
Do not underestimate your child's ability. Just keep remembering he is an individual and don't compare with another kid-I know that can be a tall order as I panicked a little when Megan wasn't ready to talk at 18mth. Get your spouse to remind you, and surround yourself with mature parents who will provide support.
Respect your child (I had been guilty of critising my daughter's habits with family and friends, only to discover that she understood what I said and was embarrassed). Now, I try very hard not to do the diaper-talk if she is around. She seems more grown up lately, and I am learning to respect her as a person too.
Enjoy your child. Remember quality over quantity. If you can spend 10mins reading, playing the dump truck, or rolling out play-doh cookies with your toddler, I bet you its more enriching and fufiling than 1 hour of TV for both parent and child.

Listening Comprehension

2009-05-25T17:18:00.001+08:00

Subject: Listening Comprehension
Grades: Distinction
Remarks: Remember never to use undesirable language (esp. 'walau')

We were aware that Megan could understand us very well way before she could speak. But what is shocking is her level of comprehension and her interest in the adults' conversation. Let me list a few instances:

Scenario 1:
We deposited Megan at my aunty's place on Saturday and after a very successful afternoon of games and nap, they took her to the mall. When my husband and I went to the mall to meet up with them, my aunty began excitedly to narrate an incident which happened just before we arrived at the mall. She was very proud of the fact that Megan knew the danger of being on a higher level and could grasp the concept of heights, fear, transparency all rolled into 1 episode. It goes like this: Megan was on level 2 of the mall and some toys/display on the lower level caught her attention. You know how malls have walkways lined with clear glass panels right? Megan seems to have realised that she was on higher grounds and could fall if she wasn't carefull. So, she inched forward and stretched out her hands till she could touch the glass panel. After she could feel the glass, and concluded that there is a 'barrier' and she is safe, she plastered her face onto the glass and started telling everyone the stuff down there is "cute-cute". Back to the proud grand-aunty- so my aunty narrated this to us, and she listened in as she was eating her yogurt and gave a sheepish grin as I tried to praise her for her realisation of heights & her concern with her own safety. I thought that was a rather complicated story, but she understoond (and eavesdropped on us).

Scenario 2:
The children met up at Mommy-Elaine's place today. Mommy-Irene was sharing with us how her MIL praised her hubby to the skies for his singing talent at a young age (agenda was to compare son and grandson). Again, Megan was playing and listening in. She came to me and asked me if Wang-Wang's papa could sing! She knows Irene is Wang-Wang's mom, and she knew we were talking about someone else. And she found the conversation funny.

Scenario 3:
My husband isn't exactly a friendly driver. Nor is he kind and patient on the road. So if motorists are a little slack at keeping to their lanes, he will not hesistate to comment - and more than not, it is spiced with a "Wa-lau". Megan finds that word very "interesting" and likes the sound of it aLOT. If that word is ever muttered, she will repeat it for as many times as she could. I counter this by ignoring her instead of correcting her language and telling her "wa-lau" is wrong and she can't say it. It works.

Drinking Water Made Fun

2009-05-24T21:05:00.001+08:00

The weather has been unbearably hot to say the least. To coax Megan to drink water more often, I get her to drink out of pretty wine glasses made of plastic (she calls them the 'yum-seng bei'). And to make it fun, I asked the twins next door (at my grandma's place) to join our little water party. It works every time I want her to drink more water than she is willing to.

The Last Party (really)

2009-05-22T17:56:00.001+08:00

Ok, this was really the LAST celebration (and the celebration was also for my cousin's 19th bday, so we really did have a good excuse to celebrate, again) .

Saturday's Party (4)

2009-05-22T17:42:00.001+08:00

On 18-May, we went to my husband's aunty's place for a family gathering to celebrate Megan's 2nd (yes, erm, the 2nd celebration in the same day). To the left of the picture is Megan's uncle (my husband's 12yo cousin). Her youngest uncle to date is actually my uncle's son who is under 1yo !!!

Saturday's Party (3)

2009-05-19T10:07:00.002+08:00

The children had a go at cutting and decorating their own cookies. We gave each child one cookie they made to take home at the end of the day. This cookie dough was provided by mei-mei and it was very delicious - much better than the sugar cookie recipe I first tried.

You see Megan wearing her tired-homey tee cos she dirtied her red top and I had to change her out of it (and realised we didn't bring home much clothing from ahma's house except for her pjs- gulp). I was nagged for dressing her like this for her party after my family saw these pictures.

Saturday's Party (2)

2009-05-19T09:56:00.001+08:00

This is the Mickey cake Megan chose from Bengawan Solo after we had lunch at Tiong Bahru Plaza. We got it on the same day we were having the children over (I forgot to order a cake for this party). It was also the first time I allowed Megan to indulge in whatever she wants to eat.

And we will probably save such privileges for birthdays only...

Saturday's Party (1)

2009-05-19T09:09:00.001+08:00

Jiajie, Olive, Lara, Hector, Luke & Rufdi came to Megan's lil party on Saturday at our place.

Ling, Jiyuan and Olive/Zixin were the very first to arrive. Zixin is really a very happy smiley baby, always smiling and she is now making lots of gurgling sounds. She is very fair, very chubby, very poster pin-up baby indeed. But we forgotten to take a pic of Olive and Megan. I really need to be better coordinated and have a head on my shoulder the next time I organised any parties.

Then Shuhui & hubby & Jiajie came. Jiajie is turning 4 I think. And he is really good looking too. A very stable child with gorgeous dark hair and bright eyes. Sometimes ,I wonder if the children will grow up to be real friends with each other and what it will be like. It was great that we had quite a few pictures of Jiajie. I think it is easier to ask a older toddler for pictures than to command 2yo to stand still for photos.

Our neighbours from the 3rd and 17th floor came by as well (I invited Rufdi and his mom when I bumped into them at the bus stop a week ago, and she suggested that we asked Luke and mommy, so I thought why not, the more the merrier). I had always thought Luke was the boy we always meet in the lift - but thats apparently another family on the 14th floor according to Rufdi's grandma- who knows every family with a toddler in the block!

Both the boys are 2 months younger than Megan. Rufdi is such a happy boy, always running, always smiling. Luke is really tall can speak very well. And it happens that Ivan's sister is someone both Lyndon & I know from work (Ivan is Luke's dad). We did say Singapore IS SMALL.

Debbie, Lara & Hector came shortly after we cut the Mickey cake as Lala had piano lessons. And my, Hector looks so much like mommy! Lala is v grown-up now and very well-mannered. I think if they come over more often, Lala and Megan could be good friends.

We were also glad that my grandma and uncle, our next door neighbour 'abang', mei-mei, Sean, Weiting, Wei'en and Sean dropped by.

And I stupidly left my camera at my grandma's place so this just about the best pic of the party taken by EJ.

Our Pressie for Megan (2nd installment)

2009-05-19T08:57:00.001+08:00

We went to Toys'R Us on Friday evening cos Megan didn't wanna go home or leave ahma's house. And there it was, the slide and swing set on SALE! I thought Papa should get into her books by agreeing to getting her this toy. The store doesn't assemble for customers on weekends so we became the lil elves who pieced this giant up while Megan was asleep.

She woke up the next morning and we took her to the slide in the hall. She was HAPPY .to see that the slide in the box really materialised in our home. Isn't it great to wake up in the morning and be deliriously happy :) At least once for your birthday.

We won't be making any more bulky purchase... seriously.

Balloons for the Children

2009-05-19T08:53:00.004+08:00

Megan loves the smileys on her sneakers, so I got some yellow smiley balloons (and they are also cheaper than the barney balloons). We saved the balloon canes from our trips to Macky's and recycled them for the party too. And I made some doggy balloons for the children (and we could only have dogs cos (1) don't want the children to be fighting over who gets what - v important to be homogenous when it comes to very young children (2) I can only shape dogs! LOL

Prepping the Home for Party

2009-05-18T20:35:00.001+08:00

I finally did something 'clever' with the humongous, totally useless (save for depositing our bags and shopping each time we get home, and then cluttering our flat as we conveniently forget our bags/shopping we deposited on what was originally meant to be our dinning table).

I got a $19 tablecloth from IKEA - the colours were nice so I didn't bother to measure actually, but thank goodness it fits this BIG WHITE ELEPHANT. Table goes way way back to where the balcony and long stretch of windows sit. Throw on the colourful fabric and viola, useless table disappears. And really, that's the 'cleverest' thing I can do with it as it was assembled in the flat, hence we couldn't even move it OUT of the flat even if we choose to give it away.

Our place is done up in mostly dark colours and my camera phone isn't all that powerful. This is the only picture I managed to take before the party started. Infact, I was glad EJ came armed with her camera or Megan won't have any pictures of her lil party (I left my cam at my grandma's house).

Party Decor

2009-05-18T19:06:00.001+08:00

I thought we should not splurge on party decor nor flavours for Megan's celebration. But a party is a party and it should be fun and colourful. So I made some paper streamers out of coloured paper and packed a few goodie bags for the children we are expecting.

Megan was excited about the party when I explained the paper streamers and decorations in the house to her. When I was putting up the streamers 2 days before the party in the morning, she came to me while I was standing on the piano bench, held on to my legs and said "Mama, xiao-xin". My heart simply melted.

Lookie - It's A Real Cookie!

2009-05-16T02:59:00.001+08:00

After much pressure and harassment from my little one, we ended up making REAL cookies cos Megan said "ke-yi-chi-de cookies" (can be eaten cookies). We baked some from a simple sugar cookie recipe and decorated them with mini M&Ms (like Barney and friends did in the vcd, no less of cos).

And we baked them, and we ate them ! And we packed the rest for family to say thank you.

Our Pressie for Megan's 2nd Birthday

2009-05-16T02:26:00.001+08:00

I guess the trip to see POOH 'live' in Disneyland HK will be the best gift we could give Megan for her 2nd birthday (we were lousy last year, we didn't do anything for her 1st- didn't think she would understand). The queue was terrible but we were fortunately the last to take a pic before the cast retire for a break.

And when the DL-staff motioned for us to quickly leave after we took our pictures with POOH and TIGGER, Megan actually cried! She refused to leave ! I had to tell her POOH and TIGGER had to take a bath as it was a very warm day (the latter was true) before she was willing to let the matter rest.

We should have an extra day in HK cos DL really needs 2 whole days for the children to fully explore all the thematic 'lands' within the park. Fortunately, Megan is too young to realise she has missed out on most of the rides and was very happy seeing Pooh and the parade (yes, we caught the parade altho the weather that day was blazing). It was nice, Ariel, Princesses, Mickey & friends - but a pity no Pooh. Megan was happy though. The music and dancing was good.

I must say Disneyland has a weird effect on people. I don't like Mickey, at all, ever, but while we were at DL, Mickey suddenly seems rather adorable. And it appears that Megan felt the same way too. For the following few days after we got home from DL, it was "Mickey" all the time. But when we really got her a vcd on the mouse, she refuses to watch it - I think the magic is within the park - how very clever these theme park designers are.

Lookie, It's A Cookie !

2009-05-14T17:50:00.001+08:00

There is a Barney vcd that has a scene where Barney and friends were seen having LOTS of fun decorating cookies. Megan picked up the word "cookie" and told me they were playing with "play-doh". I thought it would be fun for her to get messy and make a dough from scratch - and so we did, with flour & water, and green beans for toppings.

She wanted to eat the 'cookie' she made and I had to tell her that its not been cooked (I should have said 'baked' really). Several days later, she decided that the cookies should be, and can be eaten cos the children in the vcd were seen eating their cookies.

So today, I took her to my aunty's place and made some REAL sugar cookie dough. We will cut some cookies out after dinner and bake them, and eat them for dessert!

Megan & Balloons

2009-05-14T15:06:00.001+08:00

Megan always wants to participate in whatever I am doing (which is why I must be extra cautious in whatever I do cos she is great at imitating these days). She found the air pump really fun and kept insisting on inflating all the balloons we have. Sometimes, its kinda irritating, especially when I wanna get things done in the shortest possible time... Megan sure builds up my patience.

My Balloon Sculpture (Animal)

2009-05-14T09:27:00.001+08:00

My 2nd attempt at sculpting a dog. Will be giving these to the children at Megan's little celebration on Saturday :) Shall attempt to make some butterflies if I can find some time between all the party prep...

Very Touching Moments (VTM)

2009-05-14T06:55:00.003+08:00

My grandfather was discharged from the hospital after nearly 1month of stay. On Sunday, I told Megan before we go to bed that she would soon be seeing 'lao-gong' (great grandpa, in teochew) back home cos the doctors have "check-check" and said he is OK to go home. She listened intently and replied "Ah-long (Uncle Clarence) yi-yang, lao-ma jia you Ah-long" (she was trying to tell me that Clarence has also been discharged and she has seen him at my grandma's place!). Truly, I was amazed at the connections she could make.

When my grandpa was finally home on Tuesday, my aunty took Megan to the corridor to wait for them to come up to the flat. I was told that she shouted "LAO-GONG" repeatedly at the top of her lungs. And apparently, accordingly to my uncle's recount, my grandpa peeled open his eyes (which is often shut) and his eyes turned moist and red.

My uncle then wheeled him to the barber shop and Megan kept insisting on following. When grandpa was finally home, she went to him, looked at his feeding tube, and gave a very emphathetic look. She called him again, and went to his bedside and touched him.

Shopping For Books

2009-05-14T06:39:00.001+08:00

Uncle Kelvin was reading some American trivia book when Megan walked to him with 2 copies of Winnie the Pooh books. She simply shoved one copy into his hands, and insisted he reads the same book as her. She made sure he "read" the book too ... bossy missy!

With A Very Proud Great Grandma

2009-05-11T21:12:00.001+08:00

The 2 women I love and spend the most time with ...

Chalk Art

2009-05-11T20:48:00.001+08:00

We went to 'Udders' for ice-cream on the "Free Ben & Jerry Scope Day". There was a huge chalkboard in the cafe for patrons to make suggestions for new flavours. I gave Megan a chalk and she was very happy scribbling on the chalkboard. I guess the texture of chalk is very different - I had a go at it myself and was very happy to be reminded of my childhood :)

We had lunch at Ikea today and bought some chalk there. I thought it will be nice for her to doodle on the concrete floor at my grandma's corridor. We did just that in the same afternoon and she loved the mark making experience with something as tactile as chalk (you really can't get the same feel out of chunky crayons or felt pens!)

I gave her pink chalk (cos there were very few purple and I wanna save purple for her -its her fave colour, and pink is my fave). Her mark making was stronger than I expected. It was a very concerted effort to make horizontal lines and she made marks along the entire corridor!

Megan Wears Her Shoes (with ease)

2009-05-11T14:37:00.001+08:00

Megan can now wear her shoes confidently, all on her own. She can even put on her velcro-fastened sneakers should she choose to wear her "pao-pao-shoes" (running shoes). I placed a little stool next to a shoe rack which we both keep our shoes/slippers. I realised that its little things around the house like such that helps her develop habits and confidence in doing more things on her own. Before I placed the stool there, she would want me to wear her shoes for her or rely on the helper to keep her shoes when we get home. Now, she is the one reminding me not to misplace my slippers when I take them off !

ME time, US time

2009-05-09T07:25:00.002+08:00

I just read a friend's blog about her 5th wedding anniversary. I can't remember how many years I've been married. Probably 4 or 5 too. I am terrible with numbers and this wedding thing seems too far behind me. But I think my gripe is about how there has been no ME time and US time with Megan around.

It seems to have gotten worse after I decided to play SAHM to Megan. The last time other-half and I tried to catch a movie (to my insistence ie), he was checking his mobile for time and asking me when is the movie ending so that he could "see my daughter". Really, the movie was good-and he agreed, he laughed in the movies, but he still couldn't help it but check the time.

Then there's the "where are you now" text messages whenever I am out and not with Megan in the evenings (and most of the time, I am teaching a class, not shopping or partying). It is usually followed by "Hurry up". He is good at making his points clear and succint.

And seriously, its sad to say I can't recall when was the last time I got a good hug. I told him that last evening on our way to fetch Megan (she had a fever- and I m praying hope it will subside by today as I am blogging). I said I cannot remember when was the last time I received a hug, for good reasons, or without. I told him I was more a "hired, live-in, full-time nanny for Megan" than a mother and wife. Ok, perhaps I never play the role of wifey well enough. But whatever it is, its bloody sad.

The romance died - and I am too knackered to bring it back all on my own.

*I MUST MAKE SURE HE READS THIS ENTRY!

Songs & Scent

2009-05-09T06:50:00.001+08:00

I was driving when I heard snippets of "Grow Old With You" being played as part of some advertisment on the radio. I couldn't help but smile to myself - a lot. I cannot believe how easy it was to be this happy, how can a song bring back so much memories for me. But it was really nice to be experiencing that few moments of sheer happiness. Nothing fancy, just some music, just mushy lyrics, me and myself in the car (no megan, no others). I was truly happy for that few minutes, reliving each and every scene I could associate with that song - how a particular friend actually went to a lot of effort to play that song for me a long time back.

Then there was the Clairol shampoo I bought some time back to use at my gran's. It isn't fancy salon shampoo, it isn't costly nor really fragrant. But it reminded me of those bitter winter days while I was in London. Again, its really strange for me to feel happy cos winter isn't my favourite season, nor was bathing in winter with little heating. Nor was I terribly happy in those days. But I guess I must have been happy back then, cos the scent from the shampoo really lighten my load each time I choose to use it over the other "better shampoo".

Now I am trying to get some Organics shampoo and see if it could work the same magic (I was using that when I was 17 and was ALWAYS HAPPY back then, my old friends would probably know why).

Not-so-old OLD friends of mine

2009-05-09T06:28:00.001+08:00

These are my very dear friends whom I have know since I was 17 (which was really more than ONE decade ago-gulp). Although we seldom meet, or rather, I seldom meet the girls, I really dunno who else I will turn to if I need a listening ear. After being mommy to Megan, I have been a terrible friend, not emailing Han as regularly (if at all) and not even meeting Ling and Hq despite the fact that we all live in the same country (my excuse is both of them live on the other end of the island).

My phone calls and text messages to the girls dwindled as my time with Megan is stretched longer as she grows older. Which is bad if you ask me, cos my social life ever since staying at home with Megan seem to have been reduced to people I email (which are mostly parents) or relatives whom I can count on for some babysitting help.

This is really bad - I must reorg my life and do something about it. But really, I don't smell success anywhere near with my current situation at home.

*DEPRESSING, to say the least*

Megan meets tonton Laurent !

2009-05-08T20:25:00.001+08:00

Megan finally meets tonton Laurent, and Aunty Han after almost 2 years. Han visited us when Megan was 2 days old when we were still in the hospital. And the next time we saw her was 4 May 2009 (2 weeks to Megan's 2nd birthday). This time, we were glad we met Laurent after hearing so much about him.

Laurent was great with Megan. Megan's eyes were wide opened (so was her mouth) when he sang her "Allouette", in french no less! And did I mention he carried her and flung her high up in the air several times, and share his delicious lemon cake ?

Han, we know we can count on you guys to babysit - so expect us anytime soon!

Freaking Bday Parties

2009-04-27T00:46:00.003+08:00

I can't believe the extend parents go to for a child's birthday party. Infact, I am particularly referring to the age group 1-3 yo. I mean, what does a 1yo know about the 1001 flavours and designs of cakes the merchants have conjured. Or how much can the kiddo remember of that 3-4 hours of elaborated planned party? I gotta admit I am as stressed out as I am disgusted.

First, there is the cake. Why does it have to be a NUMBER cake which spells the age of the child? Especially for the 1st birthday (we were given a really nice chocolate mousse cake with the HUGE ONE last year). We liked the cake, it was from Jack's Place EATZI, and it was really tasty, but why "ONE" ? We couldn't finish that enormouse cake of cos.

Then, there is the lunch/dinner. I have been asked countless times ever since Chinese New Year in Feb, what are we doing for Megan's birthday (in MAY). I mean, she is all but 2, what will she know of catering (altho I must add that she has acquired a rather gourmet palette after all that eating out and table food she is now permitted to partake). I, for one, will not cook for a party. Cooking tires me. Cooking stresses me. Cooking is done only when I absolutely have to (eg. feed Megan when no one else is available to cook a meal). To cook for my family (or my husband's) is mission impossible.

Catering requires a min. number of people (I think its usually 30). And we don't really have 30 adults to invite. We do if we combine both my family and my husband's - but that will be another nightmare in itself. I welcome any meal-solutions.

What to do with excess EBM (for yen)

2009-04-26T18:49:00.001+08:00

A dear friend just texted me to ask about storing excess ebm. It seems like something that happened ages back (and I actually missed it despite the tendonitis). I thought I should write a little about my bf days before it seems too much of a prehoristic event to me (my memory after becoming a mother is TERRIBLE to say the least).

So if yen is reading this, this is what I did:

I took the easiest way out, albeit a little costly, and got many small milk bottles.
I expressed directly into the bottles and store them in the fridge for 24 hours (although many literature said 48 hours is fine, but I thought I should just be a bit more cautious with such precious fluids).
I defrost the ebm a couple of hours in advance, or sometimes, 1 day before I need them.
It is ok to see yellow, thickened creamy milk (the fats have coagulated)
I bought a warmer but it was too much of a hassle to time it, so the best way is to defrost the frozen ebm in a mug of hot water.
Shake/swirl the bottle a little before feeding baby (that way, the 'cream' will mix well with the rest of the liquid).
Do not ever save defrosted ebm - discard any leftovers.
It is perfectly normal to note a slight difference in colour of frozen ebm, do not panic as long as you have sterilised your storage container/bottles well (and the freezer is working!)

*You can consider clearing your pimples with ebm too! I read it somewhere that you can use it to help clear mild eczema or acne problems (what I did was to express a little after I shower to moisturise my nipples).

Singapore Flyer Sep 2008

2009-04-25T19:15:00.002+08:00

I took Megan and my grandma for a ride on the Flyer last year. It was boring to say the least. We saw sand, water, more sand, more water (for construction of marina IR) and oh, the F1 track. Thank goodness there was another kid to amuse her, and the yakult to keep her happy.

June Is Theatre Month !

2009-04-25T18:52:00.001+08:00

We are going to Roald Dahl 's Fantastic Mr Fox and watch Barney live in action. It will be Megan's first trip to the theatre and hopefully she will be sufficiently amused for us to sit through the entire hour. Theatre is just inaccessible for families here in Singapore - its expensive, and mostly child-unfriendly. We gotta pay FULL price for a ticket for Megan who is all but 2yo to be admitted. So imagine what it would cost a family of four to go to the theatre - little wonder most families are milling in the malls instead :(

LEGO DUPLO @16mth

2009-04-24T14:28:00.001+08:00

I can't quite figure out how to post really large pics on my blog since html and I don't speak to each other. But I really wanna post some of these older collages I made of Megan's milestones :)

This Is My Fave Shot

2009-04-20T04:19:00.001+08:00

Megan's Workout

2009-04-20T03:56:00.001+08:00

It doesn't make sense to me to be running about on such a scorchingly hot day. But Megan is perfectly happy to have all the space in school, and the exercise facilities to explore. She had a wonderful time running, and running, and running...

We found the wash-station and cool down by washing our hands, a lot.

When we got onto the taxi, I was bushed and fell asleep! Good thing Megan was cooperative and put her head on my lap and lied down the entire trip home.

Watching Rugby

2009-04-19T19:25:00.001+08:00

That is Megan saying "Goal!"

Water Confidence

2009-04-18T08:10:00.002+08:00

Megan loves swimming. Not that she can actually swim, but she is getting very confident in the pool - which is why I could take these pictures while I leave her be in the pool (there are usually just the 2 of us at the pool, papa will melt if he gets wet...)

She is now trying her new stunt - getting out of the pool on her own and getting back. I am not so sure of the getting back bit, so I helped her get into the pool instead. She wanted to "tiao" (jump)! But crawling up onto the edge of the pool comes easily for her now.

I wish there were other children at the pool when we visit-we usually have the entire children's pool to ourselves.

Thinking Chair Pics

2009-04-18T07:39:00.001+08:00

She was not so reluctant to sit on the "thinking chair" the very first time I introduced it (I felt that "naughty" will come across as being quite punitive). Infact, I couldn't resist taking out my cell phone to take pictures of her cos she was sitting prettily on the chair after I told her to! When Megan saw my phone, she knew it was picture time and smiled at the camera (which of cos, wasn't the idea). So I have to put it aside first, and tell her why she has to sit there. She understood perfectly what I said, and began to sulk after I explained why I brought the stool out. Which is quite to my amazement to be honest, cos I really didn't expect her to fully understand the concept of punishment.

Later in the day, she committed the same offence again. And when I said "sit on thinking chair", she began to wail ! I insisted on her sitting down, and held her down firmly to the chair cos she was struggling to break free. Then, grandaunty came along and 'rescued the princess'.

Mama couldn't let the thinking chair be there for nothing, so the persistent mama took her back after she was less agitated (but still crying) and told Megan she must "sit and think-think" cos mama is gonna "talk". She understood and sat, albeit for less than a minute. I talked as little as I could to explain to her. Then its the sorry mama and xoxo.

Tiring to discipline. But has to be done!

All Children Love Books

2009-04-18T07:19:00.001+08:00

All children love books. Its the universal truth. Megan infact, loves her books so much she is suprised to find "stickers" stuck onto all NLB books ! I had to explain to her that the auntys in the library (which she is used to calling it the "ni-or-or", but now she can say "purple!" in perfect english-btw, that's because the Bt Merah branch is painted purple, like Barney) need to stick those in the books so that we know they belong to the libraries.

She has never scribbled in any of her books although she has access to her books and crayons. What I am really proud of is that she will go to her Papa and ask for "zhi" (paper) when she feels like scribbling (she seems to know that he has a tub of recylced paper under his desk in the study). I still can't figure out how she found out about our recycling tubs...

This picture is taken almost the very minute she woke up 2 days ago. She wanted to read "Gor-gor share-share" book (Title: A Boy Shares Food) and its really cute when you hear her say "Ye-Su" :)

This no-pay-leave/stay-at-home deal is working out rather fine it seems.

Introducing: The Thinking Chair

2009-04-16T14:42:00.001+08:00

Need I say more (offence: she POURED a cup of water onto the floor and waddled in the puddle)

Kakak di mana?

2009-04-16T14:35:00.002+08:00

This week has been madness cos great grandpa is in SGH. And Megan's kakak has to watch over ah-gong during the nights. So there is no one to sweep,mop,wash-up,clean up after the bunnies, or megan for that matter.

Today I cooked lunch for Megan. Its boiled spinach, scrambled eggs and veggie pasta. She ate it up, albeit with the carrot of an ice-cream for dessert. It's madness without my helper. The kitchen is still in a mess (although I merely cooked for Megan alone!) and I haven't found time for a tea/coffee.

I am so not looking forward to dinner time...

Too Hot ! Gotta Swim !

2009-04-12T09:18:00.002+08:00

It was simply too hot to even wanna wake up and get out of the airconditioned bedroom ... but of cos we had to drag ourselves out of bed. And it was such a scorching day I cant even think about hitting the shower. So I asked the lil' one if she would like to go swimming and needless to say, we were all packing our stuff the very next second.

Megan has gotten really bold in the pool and refuses to let me hold her hand while she wades around (imagine the day your child tells you not to hold her hand cos she is too grown-up, I will probably go into mourning). She loves to hold on to the edge of the pool and "fly" with her legs afloat. Megan could also get out of this 0.5m pool all by herself by climbing up from the edge of the pool!

Bedtime Prep 1

2009-04-08T03:32:00.001+08:00

Coaxing Megan to sleep may require some props at times. Today, she finished her milk and decided to "qi chuang" (wake up) and look for her Poohs. Then she coyly sat around her toys and asked me to take pictures of her. Oh well, how could I resist?

What's In Megan's Bag Today ?

2009-04-06T15:49:00.001+08:00

Megan has a "bag habit". Each morning, while I am in the shower, she will get busy picking a bag (her current collection boosts of: 1 Princess Trolley Bag, 1 Princess zipper shoulder bag, 1 Dora backpack, 1 Barney backpack, 1 Hello Kitty backpack). After which, she will choose items from around the house to keep in the bag. And AROUND THE HOUSE I mean. Sometimes, we get really bizarre items like panty-liners from my cupboard - unused of cos! Kekekek....

Dancing Princess

2009-04-06T01:45:00.001+08:00

Plie ain't so hard to teach a kid, especially one who loves dance and movement as much as Megan. I am immensely proud of this little rascal who will squat each time I say "Plie" :) Let's hope when the day comes for her to practise as told, she won't be fleeing! Btw, I use this instruction to get the pull-up pants nicely put on.

HFMD good to know

2009-04-06T01:26:00.001+08:00

Most tell-tale sign is the Blister. You can probably find a couple on the feet, soles and fingers at the initial stage.
FEVER will certainly occur, so medicate with paracetamol every 6 hourly (note: ear thermometers read higher than the ODTs - so don't panic at the readings if you are using the former)
Blisters on mouth/lips will appear at about day 3-4. If you haven't realised its HFMD, that is another sign which tells u it is the dreadful viral (its the ulcers in the mouth that is spreading out)
Did I say doctor did not give any oral prescription (but we had a bill of $82.40 !) I say go to a GP, no need for a paed. We were only given a tube of cream for the blisters (ZORAL) and gel (DIFFLAM) for the ulcers in the mouth (which is the major sources of irritation, as kid couldnt eat!)
Give yogurt, ice-cream, cold milk if not coughing. Don't insist on solids if kid really refuses food (after day 4, Megan could eat her regular meals, but in reduced portion, so I make it up with her PEDIASURE).
Avoid going out as HFMD is spread via mere contact (so if the child touches a box of cereal in the supermarket, and another kid comes along and touches the same box, he may just get the viral too). Megan got hers from holding a girl's hand for all but 5 MINUTES. And that child doesn't even have HFMD (doc says girl in question is probably a 'carrier' as she is a pre-schooler, aka 'frequent germ/viral carrier').
Keep child away from all other children or adults with low immunity. 3 of my cousins aged 19 - 22 got the viral from Megan !!!
Be really sympathetic - the blisters and ulcers are a real nuisance.

Tebrau City-Baby Room

2009-03-22T18:33:00.001+08:00

Tebrau City's "Baby Room" (Rating: 9/10)

Sink (soap dispenser was filled)
Step bin for disposal of soiled diapers
Hot/warm/cold water dispenser (placed next to sink)
4 individual cubicles, with curtains to be drawn for privacy when nursing or feeding
6 diaper-changing stations (each fitted with safety belt to secure baby)
Sarong stand ! with spring and sarong
Spacious room with sufficient space to accomodate several families with strollers
Seats for parents (2 sets of seating, each to accomodate at least 2 adults)

Travel Plans As-It-Became

2009-03-22T00:03:00.001+08:00

Malacca did not materialise, so no little nonya outfit for Megan or myself. However, we did survive an ugly battle with a NOT RELIABLE car rental company (Convenient Car Leasing, CCL) and of course, the much expected traffic jam along the causeway, and ended up in... TEBRAU CITY, JB.

Yours truly was quite proud of herself when she found a rental car within 1 day, and at what I thought was a reasonable sum of SGD140 for a Hyundai Trajet. Problem is, CAR DID NOT HAVE HORN. Yes, you heard me - the company leased out a vehicle which did not have a working horn. And when we called to ask for an exchange, the guy said "No need horn lah, not so nice to horn people oso wat... I never use horn when I drive you know... people may think you are rude...so just drive safely lah, no need horn lah...." WTF/

The subsequent conversation was of course not pleasant, and I do not want to recall any of it. Other half blamed me for being a silly bargain-hunter (and I blamed him for signing on the invoice/contract without reading it!)

Anyways, we did rent an 8-seater (Honda Odyssey) and it was roomy enough for all 6 of us and Megan. Tebrau City wasn't difficult to locate (other half rented the GPS gadget from AVIS as well), although he did miss a turn and we took an extra 20-30min to reach the massive mall.

The first thing we did was to go to the loo (other half does not believe in rest stops, he thinks we may be burglared or kidnapped, or murdered if we do stop). And then it was off to feed everyone at this chinese restaurant called "East Court", which was supposed to serve tim sum (but tim sum was only to be delivered after 3pm). We had unexciting roast meat and other stuff. Nothing to rave about but tea served there was good. And service was acceptable (except that this restaurant does not have a washroom).

Then it was of course off to do some shopping. My conquest was boring to say the least - pediasure, drypantz, enfapro, stationery. But the savings were substantial and I am very pleased.

I must say Tebrau City is rather family-friendly. Megan was very much amused at its arcade which featured a play area (RM3 for 20mins). And the facilities at the changing room was very comprehensive. Infact, its "Baby Room" is inspiring me to blog about baby rooms in shopping malls :)

Akan datang: Tebrau City's Baby Room & Arcade

How To Choose BOOKS FOR TODs

2009-03-13T03:19:00.001+08:00

I gotta admit I am crazy about shopping. And books are simply too irresitable. I guess its confesssion time that I started to build a Dr. Seuss collection even way before Megan was conceived ... but hey, reading the book itself really made Horton the elephant much more alive when you watch the animation :)

As a teenager, I never really mind the creases on my paperbacks (many of my friends went crazy if they creased the spines on their fave titles - it still baffles me). I love reading and I will hold the book which every way I can just to get through the novel in the most comfortable fashion. My friends were all excellent contortionist. They could read a paperback twice, TWICE I say again, and it looks good as new ?! It is not to say I do not take care of my books. I have my pet peeves - I can't stand dog-ears on pages. Hasn't anyone discovered a bookmark? Or have a spare bus ticket to stand-in for one?

Anyway, I digress. Toddlers, babies must have books. Infact, we must allow them to explore this object in whichever fashion they deem fit. They do strange stuff with books, and its lovely to watch them flip the pages (which they will past 12mths, when they master their pinser grip). That is not to say that you can't start reading before age 1. Infact, you must ! But with a baby that is able to sit up, or even better, a tod who can sit on a chair, reading becomes a REAL pastime.

I give myself certain criteria when selecting books for my tod:

It must be toddler proof. And BOARD BOOKS do the trick just so well. Like mentioned earlier, babies do strange stuff to books: they drool, they chew, they flick it around. And guess what ? It's fine-let them do just that. Afterall, when you gave your tod a book, you had the most nobel intention of wanting him to love books!

Board books are easy to maintain/clean Just pick up some tissue, or in my case, I'm a cleaniness freak, I use alchohol wipes to clean the board books when Megan was little...

It must be the right size. Ok, I didn't read about the size of books for children anywhere. So this bit of advice, I figured it out along the way. If you really want a title that does not come as a board book, go ahead, add it to your home library.

We have many early readers which of cos, Megan doesnt not understand a word of, but the illustrations are interesting and the stories are such classics. I make sure that they are small enough for her little hands to handle. Something like the ladybird eary readers (the square ones) seems to be very popular with her. It isn't too big, or too small to make her feel that it is a 'toy', and not a 'real book' and it fits easily in my bag for trips :)

You want to see your child pick up a book and do stuff with it :) he may flip from page 1 to end, he may look at the cover and fiddle with the price tag. But whatever it is, take cue from him and follow his pace. Megan loves Goldilocks at one point last year. She will take the book from the bookshelf and say "Bear-bear, poor-le" (it means bear's chair is broken). Yes, I was very glad indeed.

It must be colourful. Need I say more? But the watercolour illustrations which are so lovely and beautiful does not attract the kids as much (the peter rabbit's colours does not seem to attract them as much, probably because the palette is much softer than the vivid colours). So when you purchase your children's books, you may like to take this into consideration, as those with watercolour illustrations also often cost a lot more (need to pay the illustrator/artist you know).

Remember, your darling is barely 2yo and asking them "don't do this" and "dont' do that" will not exactly help him associate pleasant thoughts with this 'reading/book thing' which we parents are so into :)

Commercial-break: the pic here shows a board book I've recently purchased. It is cut out to the shape of a puppy and the story is about the mommy & poppy dogs teaching 'Patch' the puppy some manners. Megan isn't into dogs but she loves the story about mommy asking 'Patch' to go play on her own cos mommy needs some sleep...heheh, I love that bit a lot. I stocked up 5 extras, pl email me if you like to buy one ($3).

Travel Plans v.1

2009-03-08T18:38:00.001+08:00

I had wanted to introduce Megan to flying for some time. We never found the right destination, nor the time. Or the volunteers to accompany us on the trip (I need a holiday and some time to head off to the spa or mall you know...)

Grandaunt #2 to Megan suggested a road trip to Malacca and Papa said why not. So our travel plans as of now, version 1 says:

Drive to Malacca with grandaunt + uncle (the 2 auntys are preparing for the finals)
Go stay in a boutique hotel (as featured in the last megadrama of 'peranankanism')
Buy wooden clogs and beaded slippers for Megan
Buy peranakan baju for Megan (for CNY 2010! or the August wedding party)
Buy matching peranakan baju for ME :)
Eat nonya food, assam laksa, chendol, kueh-kueh, chicken rice balls

Sounds promising yeah? But no plans are plans till the father makes PLANS to go.