13 April
we were praying for the children in indonesia who might be affected by the earthquake n he said "God pls give the earth rain..so the vegetables can grow and they can eat the vegetables."
"God please give the poor children mummies and daddies."
I asked why they need mummies and daddies and he replied: "They need mummies and daddies..if not..how can they eat?"
"No mummy and daddy then cannot work and earn money to buy food...!"
I told him I needed to lie on my right side cos my left side was 'feeling warm'; he asked "Are you still warm mama?"
I said yes.
After a while I felt him touching the corner of my blanket and asked "Are u cold mama?"
I replied yes without thinking n he immediately pounced on the contradiction "oh then u can turn around and face me!"
I burst out laughing.
26th April
He's been asking Gonggong to put him to bed these days.. most probably because Gonggong is lenient with him and indulges him with story after story, thereby prolonging bedtime. Calista managed to sleep rather early last night, so I went in and offered to put him to bed. He was initially happy and bade his grandpa farewell, but after finishing up his milk, he changed his mind and asked for grandpa instead. I told him it's a bad habit to keep changing his mind, and asking for this or that before bedtime just to buy time.
"Once you pick gonggong or mama, you cannot change your mind again."
without missing a beat, he pointed out - "but i said 'Gonggong' first!"
The mother is defeated. P laughed when I told him the exchange and said our son seems to have a natural talent for thinking up comebacks on his feet.
27 April 2012
26 April 2012
i love you, that's why i protect you..
Tonight before bed, C hugs me and says..
"Mama..if you are falling off the bed, i'll protect you and save you like that.." *uses his tiny leg to try and grip my waist so I won't fall off*
I say "thank you.."
C: "I love you..that's why i protect you..."
Me: "i know.. thank you.. i'm so happy.."
C: "And I'm so happy you are at home with me mama. Thank you...... Can I smell you?? MMmmmm...nice!"
(Ha..i remember liking the smell of my mama's shirt when I was young too...we are such primal creatures at heart..)
And then he goes and breaks the tender moment by saying.."Eh..just now I said i want gonggong to put me to bed mama.. why are you here??"
-_-"
"Mama..if you are falling off the bed, i'll protect you and save you like that.." *uses his tiny leg to try and grip my waist so I won't fall off*
I say "thank you.."
C: "I love you..that's why i protect you..."
Me: "i know.. thank you.. i'm so happy.."
C: "And I'm so happy you are at home with me mama. Thank you...... Can I smell you?? MMmmmm...nice!"
(Ha..i remember liking the smell of my mama's shirt when I was young too...we are such primal creatures at heart..)
And then he goes and breaks the tender moment by saying.."Eh..just now I said i want gonggong to put me to bed mama.. why are you here??"
-_-"
She whines, at 9!
Dear baby Calista
You are not such a baby anymore..we witness your ever-emerging consciousness as you make attempts to communicate with us, and I am struck by the sentiment that you are growing fast..much too fast for my liking.. though of course it would be selfish to want you to remain like this forever. Parenthood is full of contradictions. It is your Daddy's and my greatest wish for you and your brother to grow up into adults who are pleasing to God, self-fulfilled and wise. The process is fraught with uncertainty and lots of doubt as to whether we are doing what is necessary for you two to get there.. whether we are doing enough.. and sometimes, I wish that we have already reached that end point in time, so that I can rest easy in the knowledge that we've accomplished what we've set out to do. And yet, some part of me wishes that the two of you will never grow up.. that you and your brother will remain our sweet babies forever, babies who will always be here for us to take care, babies who love our company and sweet-talk.
I think you will fully understand only when you become a mum yourself, like I did. All this musing seems just in time for Mother's Day. Haha. But I digress.
I wanted to let you know how much you've grown in the past month, how you've changed, and how you've managed to endear yourself (even more! how is that possible?!) to all around you..
Milestones
You managed to crawl properly on 27th March..Just a few days after I commented in my previous letter that I hope you'll crawl forwards and with confidence soon. :)
You've also shown an interest in finding out how things work.. when I fed you the Happy Baby Melts on the 29th, you reached for the pack (which was resealable), shook it and turned it upside down in an attempt to pour the melts out. :)
Oh, another major milestone this past month! Your 3rd and 4th teeth emerged on 30th March! You started having runny nose on that day and slight fever.. and I felt the tip of your top front left tooth pushing out from the gum. Your top front right tooth appeared the very next day.
This letter is a little late, but you've managed to pull yourself up from a crawl, to a kneeling position, to a stand on 21st April.. and you've also learnt to wave bye by moving your hand up and down..
Personality!
You've also learnt how to communicate with your body language. Sometimes Popo will test you and offer to carry you out the house. You'll resolutely refuse the temptation, instead kicking your legs and patting my arms with both your hands to signal that you wish me to go out of the house.
You've become rather clingy and vocal about wanting me and only me to carry, the minute you see me within the same room. You will whine and give a pre-cry in order to get me to carry you, every time i'm in your line of sight. Last weekend when we were at the playground, your nainai marvelled at how you'd turn your head here and there to seek me out and whimper/whine till I could take it no more and go over to carry you. Somehow, you'd reject all others, except Daddy, if you are in my arms and others open their arms in their offer to carry you.
I am so glad you've adjusted well to the move too..settling in and sleeping well right from the start. I have also managed to put you to bed without too much fuss for a few nights now.. you only need to be fed until you turn away from me, and I'll carry you into your cot while you are half awake, stroke your side for a while, watch for your breathing to slow and then voila! the baby is asleep! :)
You close your eyes when you fear something..like the time when you were playing with metal bowls in the kitchen and would close your eyes and frown when they went 'clang' onto the floor. It makes me think of an ostrich that sticks its head in the sand and I can't help but find that so adorable.
Eating-wise, you've finally started to eat quite a decent amount of porridge..my reserves of frozen EBM are at the last 2 packs though.. i think we'll have to supplement in a weeks' time. :( Oh well.. so we managed to feed you BM exclusively for 9.5 months.. that's not too bad and i won't beat myself up, knowing that I've really tried my best. I'll continue to produce my meagre amount..just so we'll have an easier time at night (P is saved from having to wake up and mix the formula as long as I hang in there for the night feeds)... let's see how long we can keep up the partial b/feeding for :) < You are such a joy in our lives, dear Calista...and you are definitely Daddy's precious darling.. the highlight of his days.. thank you for being with us.. we look forward to witnessing more of your milestones as you grow with us each day!
Lots and lots of love
Mama
You are not such a baby anymore..we witness your ever-emerging consciousness as you make attempts to communicate with us, and I am struck by the sentiment that you are growing fast..much too fast for my liking.. though of course it would be selfish to want you to remain like this forever. Parenthood is full of contradictions. It is your Daddy's and my greatest wish for you and your brother to grow up into adults who are pleasing to God, self-fulfilled and wise. The process is fraught with uncertainty and lots of doubt as to whether we are doing what is necessary for you two to get there.. whether we are doing enough.. and sometimes, I wish that we have already reached that end point in time, so that I can rest easy in the knowledge that we've accomplished what we've set out to do. And yet, some part of me wishes that the two of you will never grow up.. that you and your brother will remain our sweet babies forever, babies who will always be here for us to take care, babies who love our company and sweet-talk.
I think you will fully understand only when you become a mum yourself, like I did. All this musing seems just in time for Mother's Day. Haha. But I digress.
I wanted to let you know how much you've grown in the past month, how you've changed, and how you've managed to endear yourself (even more! how is that possible?!) to all around you..
Milestones
You managed to crawl properly on 27th March..Just a few days after I commented in my previous letter that I hope you'll crawl forwards and with confidence soon. :)
You've also shown an interest in finding out how things work.. when I fed you the Happy Baby Melts on the 29th, you reached for the pack (which was resealable), shook it and turned it upside down in an attempt to pour the melts out. :)
Oh, another major milestone this past month! Your 3rd and 4th teeth emerged on 30th March! You started having runny nose on that day and slight fever.. and I felt the tip of your top front left tooth pushing out from the gum. Your top front right tooth appeared the very next day.This letter is a little late, but you've managed to pull yourself up from a crawl, to a kneeling position, to a stand on 21st April.. and you've also learnt to wave bye by moving your hand up and down..
Personality!
You've also learnt how to communicate with your body language. Sometimes Popo will test you and offer to carry you out the house. You'll resolutely refuse the temptation, instead kicking your legs and patting my arms with both your hands to signal that you wish me to go out of the house.
You've become rather clingy and vocal about wanting me and only me to carry, the minute you see me within the same room. You will whine and give a pre-cry in order to get me to carry you, every time i'm in your line of sight. Last weekend when we were at the playground, your nainai marvelled at how you'd turn your head here and there to seek me out and whimper/whine till I could take it no more and go over to carry you. Somehow, you'd reject all others, except Daddy, if you are in my arms and others open their arms in their offer to carry you.
I am so glad you've adjusted well to the move too..settling in and sleeping well right from the start. I have also managed to put you to bed without too much fuss for a few nights now.. you only need to be fed until you turn away from me, and I'll carry you into your cot while you are half awake, stroke your side for a while, watch for your breathing to slow and then voila! the baby is asleep! :)
You close your eyes when you fear something..like the time when you were playing with metal bowls in the kitchen and would close your eyes and frown when they went 'clang' onto the floor. It makes me think of an ostrich that sticks its head in the sand and I can't help but find that so adorable.
Eating-wise, you've finally started to eat quite a decent amount of porridge..my reserves of frozen EBM are at the last 2 packs though.. i think we'll have to supplement in a weeks' time. :( Oh well.. so we managed to feed you BM exclusively for 9.5 months.. that's not too bad and i won't beat myself up, knowing that I've really tried my best. I'll continue to produce my meagre amount..just so we'll have an easier time at night (P is saved from having to wake up and mix the formula as long as I hang in there for the night feeds)... let's see how long we can keep up the partial b/feeding for :) < You are such a joy in our lives, dear Calista...and you are definitely Daddy's precious darling.. the highlight of his days.. thank you for being with us.. we look forward to witnessing more of your milestones as you grow with us each day!
Lots and lots of love
Mama
25 April 2012
Bliss
as we strolled home, Ch pointed out with excitement 'flowers, mama! flowers!' (his dad educated him on the likes of women, and in particular, the likes of this mama.)
Stopping to meow at friendly cats (calista attempted a baby meow too!) and watching our son bounce up n down in enthusiasm as he hunted for the 'right' block number, P and I held hands in the cool evening, looked at each other and shared the same sentiment -
'this is bliss.' ^_^
The rational problem solver
Christian has truly matured.
P and I used to tag along with the grandparents, drop him off at Carpe Diem Kidz, then take the MRT at Tiong Bahru. Since our move and change of school, I have not been bringing him to school, and have instead been taking the private bus to work.
Christian asked this morning “Mama, can you bring me to school?” I felt bad that I could not accede to such a simple request, bit my lip and apologised, saying that I could not because the private bus would not go to his school to pick me up and bring me to work.
He countered “Oh, but Mama can drive me to school, then I go into school, then you drive home, park the car, THEN you go to the bus stop and take the private bus!”
I smiled, saying that was a good idea, but that would mean I would be very late for work.
He was slightly deflated, and said “Oh, Mama..your boss wants you to go to work early???”
=S I felt so guilty.. thankfully I'm on half-day leave today so I consoled him (and myself) that I will be home in the afternoon to play with him.
22 April 2012
About God
28 Mar 2012
I told Christian "Let's pray", before sleeping.
I told Christian "Let's pray", before sleeping.
Christian, without missing a beat, says "God, I am sick. Can you make me well?"
then later...
"I want to ask God 'You want my bread, God?'"
"Then how can God come to my house??? Is He in my heart?"
1 Apr 2012
C: "God thank you for making the world.
Thank you for making Mama.
Thank you for making Daddy.
Thank you for making the building."
Mama: "Erm..Christian..buildings are made by men."
C: "Oh. Okay. Thank you God...for making the shelves."
Mama: "Erm, shelves are made by men too. Only living things and the Earth are made by God.."
C: "Then girls make what?"
It took Mama a few seconds, but she realises he was confused because she said "men". =7
1 Apr 2012
C: "God thank you for making the world.
Thank you for making Mama.
Thank you for making Daddy.
Thank you for making the building."
Mama: "Erm..Christian..buildings are made by men."
C: "Oh. Okay. Thank you God...for making the shelves."
Mama: "Erm, shelves are made by men too. Only living things and the Earth are made by God.."
C: "Then girls make what?"
It took Mama a few seconds, but she realises he was confused because she said "men". =7
Mushy declarations from C Part I
14th March 2012, just before bed, Christian says -
"Mama I love u a lot a lot a lot..I love daddy half a lot only. If I tell daddy I only love him half a lot will he be sad?
Mama why you stop growing? Why adults stop growing? When I grow older will I go to heaven? Then will I see hamster there? I will ask hamster 'hamster, u die already?' I want to go heaven and see God.
*full of concern* Mama, you have a bolster? Oh. Ok."
*I turn to face the other side after being tired of lying on one side for too long*
"Mama turn around! Turn around so I can look at you..
Mama....you are going to fall off the bed soooon...
You must turn around so I can look at you then can sleep."
I ask him how he's going to sleep if his eyes are open looking at me. He's momentarily stumped, then says
"Let's hold hands and sleep, mama.
Mama...u hv a pillow?"
15th March 2012
I brought him down to the playground, he sees a familiar boy Siang Siang and said proudly by way of introduction "This is my mama!" before proceeding to hug me.
I am comforted and decide to bask in the moment for I know the day when he is ashamed of my presence will come earlier than I imagine it would.
16th March 2012
In the car, on the way home -
"You know what is my favourite? Mama!
Who is ur favorite, mama? Popo? I know...daddy!"
(I couldn't say it's him..cos what about Calista? Sigh..)
18th March 2012
After reading the book "Guess how much I love you" -
"I love u a lot a lot mama...I love u the whooole day..I love u even when u r sleeping, when u r at wk, I STILL love u. I love you all the way to the moon, I love you all the way to the stars and the sky. Is that far? I love you all the way to the van and the crane over there. Is that far?"
"Mama, I love you until the WHOOOooooooLLe sky!" (P comments "what a great love it is".)
19th March 2012
I brought him down to the playground together with Calista who was in a sling. A girl came over, looked at me with big eyes. I thought she was going to stroke the baby, but she raised her hand as though to hit me. Christian quickly stood in front of me and stretched his hands out. I was SO TOUCHED and my heart melted, as I saw from the little guy's eyes and his slightly quivering lower lip that he was afraid, and yet he was brave enough to conquer his fears due to love for his mama.
It made me feel that all the effort and sacrifice has been worth it.
2 April 2012
We were going for Berries class but I was pumping.. P told me that he can't afford to wait for me else they'll be late, but Christian upon hearing that, clung onto my arm, said "I love you mama, I will wait for you. I won't go." I beamed and immediately decided to heck the pumping and go.
When recounting the incident to P, telling him how pleased I was, Christian who was silently listening in the back seat suddenly butts in and says "I'm here, Mamaaa...I love you!"
P rolls his eyes and pretends to be disgusted.
"Mama I love u a lot a lot a lot..I love daddy half a lot only. If I tell daddy I only love him half a lot will he be sad?
Mama why you stop growing? Why adults stop growing? When I grow older will I go to heaven? Then will I see hamster there? I will ask hamster 'hamster, u die already?' I want to go heaven and see God.
*full of concern* Mama, you have a bolster? Oh. Ok."
*I turn to face the other side after being tired of lying on one side for too long*
"Mama turn around! Turn around so I can look at you..
Mama....you are going to fall off the bed soooon...
You must turn around so I can look at you then can sleep."
I ask him how he's going to sleep if his eyes are open looking at me. He's momentarily stumped, then says
"Let's hold hands and sleep, mama.
Mama...u hv a pillow?"
15th March 2012
I brought him down to the playground, he sees a familiar boy Siang Siang and said proudly by way of introduction "This is my mama!" before proceeding to hug me.
I am comforted and decide to bask in the moment for I know the day when he is ashamed of my presence will come earlier than I imagine it would.
16th March 2012
In the car, on the way home -
"You know what is my favourite? Mama!
Who is ur favorite, mama? Popo? I know...daddy!"
(I couldn't say it's him..cos what about Calista? Sigh..)
18th March 2012
After reading the book "Guess how much I love you" -
"I love u a lot a lot mama...I love u the whooole day..I love u even when u r sleeping, when u r at wk, I STILL love u. I love you all the way to the moon, I love you all the way to the stars and the sky. Is that far? I love you all the way to the van and the crane over there. Is that far?"
"Mama, I love you until the WHOOOooooooLLe sky!" (P comments "what a great love it is".)
19th March 2012
I brought him down to the playground together with Calista who was in a sling. A girl came over, looked at me with big eyes. I thought she was going to stroke the baby, but she raised her hand as though to hit me. Christian quickly stood in front of me and stretched his hands out. I was SO TOUCHED and my heart melted, as I saw from the little guy's eyes and his slightly quivering lower lip that he was afraid, and yet he was brave enough to conquer his fears due to love for his mama.
It made me feel that all the effort and sacrifice has been worth it.
2 April 2012
We were going for Berries class but I was pumping.. P told me that he can't afford to wait for me else they'll be late, but Christian upon hearing that, clung onto my arm, said "I love you mama, I will wait for you. I won't go." I beamed and immediately decided to heck the pumping and go.
When recounting the incident to P, telling him how pleased I was, Christian who was silently listening in the back seat suddenly butts in and says "I'm here, Mamaaa...I love you!"
P rolls his eyes and pretends to be disgusted.
18 April 2012
The things children say
It was Christian's first day at the new school yesterday. Christian has adapted to his new school better than I imagined he would. He speaks of his old friends at his 'old school'.. but rather matter-of-factly, and he seems perfectly happy at the new place. P asked him 'How is your new school?' and C replied "It was nice." =7 I managed to leave him alone there today, without too much fuss on his part. He has really grown up! He is able to understand my repeated refrain "You are just staying here for a few hours to play, talk to the teachers and sing some songs..mama will be back to pick you up for lunch and we'll nap at home." He told my dad that school is only 'for a short while..' ^_^
Anyway, I overheard some really funny statements made by the N2 and K2 children as I spent time at his school yesterday and this morning.
K2 boy to K2 girl yesterday, in a grave, confrontational tone -
"Shannon you tricked me. You said you'll give me a Lightning McQueen sticker but you gave me a heart. What does this mean?"
N2 girl at the breakfast table this morning blurts out from nowhere -
"I'll grow very big, you know. As big as my papa and mama."
and my son
yesterday morning, when his Teacher met him for the first time and asked how he was
"I have hair growing on my legs!" *mama hides her face in embarrassment*
this morning...
"Daddy, I was dreaming just now when I was sleeping..I dreamt that I was a hunter, and you were the wolf!" (Freud would probably have something to say about this.)
"Botak Botak...Botak starts with B!" *mama bursts out laughing* "Why are you laughing, mama?"
Anyway, I overheard some really funny statements made by the N2 and K2 children as I spent time at his school yesterday and this morning.
K2 boy to K2 girl yesterday, in a grave, confrontational tone -
"Shannon you tricked me. You said you'll give me a Lightning McQueen sticker but you gave me a heart. What does this mean?"
N2 girl at the breakfast table this morning blurts out from nowhere -
"I'll grow very big, you know. As big as my papa and mama."
and my son
yesterday morning, when his Teacher met him for the first time and asked how he was
"I have hair growing on my legs!" *mama hides her face in embarrassment*
this morning...
"Daddy, I was dreaming just now when I was sleeping..I dreamt that I was a hunter, and you were the wolf!" (Freud would probably have something to say about this.)
"Botak Botak...Botak starts with B!" *mama bursts out laughing* "Why are you laughing, mama?"
13 April 2012
Last Day at Carpe Diem Kidz
Today's Christian's last day at Carpe Diem..I was feeling wistful on his behalf, at the thought of him leaving behind his friends..some of those children have been at that school with him since he entered at 21 months old. I'm not sure if he really understands that he is unlikely to ever see them again - he was just happy at the thought of me bringing pizza to school and kept asking me if he could eat ONE pizza. Hmm...he did mention that he's 'going home' and seems to understand that he has to say bye to those friends, but he does not seem sad at all. Perhaps it's because he's never experienced a true farewell as yet, and does not understand what it means and how it'll feel.
Anyway, I dropped by just before lunchtime with 2 large pizzas. The children were so lively, posing for pictures for me and clamouring to see the results of picture-taking. They kept nattering away as they ate too, telling me that their slice of pizza is now a track, breadstick, road, etc etc. It was fun being around them... bye for now, Carpe Diem! (We'll be returning tomorrow to take some photos of the school there.. so it'll be "photo overload" on this blog these few days!)
Anyway, I dropped by just before lunchtime with 2 large pizzas. The children were so lively, posing for pictures for me and clamouring to see the results of picture-taking. They kept nattering away as they ate too, telling me that their slice of pizza is now a track, breadstick, road, etc etc. It was fun being around them... bye for now, Carpe Diem! (We'll be returning tomorrow to take some photos of the school there.. so it'll be "photo overload" on this blog these few days!)
Around the neighbourhood IV - Mt Faber SAFRA Kbox
P and I used to go singing very often during our single, dating days. It was our favourite dating activity, to just sing for 3 hours and let the endorphins take over :)
I was having some stomach-flu-like symptoms 2 days ago and got home from work early, but recovered sufficiently by evening to propose going out. "Let's not waste one of the last evenings at our current place!"
It was a toss between watching the Hunger Games and checking out the Kbox at Mt Faber Safra. Although we are Safra members, our membership utilisation rate is pitifully low - we only visit the pool with Christian. After 2+ years of being in this area, we decided to go sing at Mt Faber Safra for the first time.
I thought back to the last time we went karaoke - it was in May 2011! It is becoming an annual event, instead of a monthly affair.
We had lots of fun in this Kbox outlet which was designed in the vein of the "Orient Express". Each room felt like a little private cabin, thanks to the doors and luxurious wallpaper. I'm glad we had the chance to visit! Now looking forward to visiting the other newly refurbished outlet at Bedok Point. :)
12 April 2012
A walk 'round the neighbourhood III - Alkaff Mansion Ristorante
We passed by the recently-opened Alkaff Mansion Ristorante during one of our neighbourhood walks (on the way to the Henderson Waves the previous time) and thought to visit before we move away from the area.
And so we went last weekend. We only brought Christian, and the waiters were so impressed that he could keep relatively quiet and was not running around the restaurant. They passed comments to each other "Next time, I want my child to be like him" and asked us what's our secret. We smiled and explained that our son is really into food, so it's not a great effort for him to sit at the table and eat with us.
Christian enjoyed the food and told me "let's come back again next time, cos they cook nice food for us." The chef was so friendly - he said hello as he walked by, saw our son and invited him to visit the kitchen. Given Christian's current ambition of being a chef, he was more than thrilled to see what goes on behind the scenes. To top it off, the chef even gave him a small pack of cookies, which Christian treated as his treasure! The place was understandably a hit with him.
As for us adults, we liked the ambience. It was drizzling slightly that day, so we couldn't sit out, but we saw a squirrel scamper past us on our way into the restaurant. The chairs on the patio seem like a good place to while away an afternoon on a weekend.. not that we'll have the chance to do so until maybe 10 years later =7
And so we went last weekend. We only brought Christian, and the waiters were so impressed that he could keep relatively quiet and was not running around the restaurant. They passed comments to each other "Next time, I want my child to be like him" and asked us what's our secret. We smiled and explained that our son is really into food, so it's not a great effort for him to sit at the table and eat with us.
Christian enjoyed the food and told me "let's come back again next time, cos they cook nice food for us." The chef was so friendly - he said hello as he walked by, saw our son and invited him to visit the kitchen. Given Christian's current ambition of being a chef, he was more than thrilled to see what goes on behind the scenes. To top it off, the chef even gave him a small pack of cookies, which Christian treated as his treasure! The place was understandably a hit with him.
As for us adults, we liked the ambience. It was drizzling slightly that day, so we couldn't sit out, but we saw a squirrel scamper past us on our way into the restaurant. The chairs on the patio seem like a good place to while away an afternoon on a weekend.. not that we'll have the chance to do so until maybe 10 years later =7
10 April 2012
Sleep Issues
My sleep angel has become such a needy “Christian the 2nd” ever since she had a fever and runny nose while teething. She used to be so good at falling asleep the minute we put her down. Is it inevitable that everything goes downhill once they derive comfort during the teething period / period when they are ill??
Sigh. Gone are the polite, gentle coughs which wake me up at night to feed. In its place are hysterical demanding shrieks which are loud enough to alarm the most restive ghouls at night. She has also taken to comfort feeding. I would offer her the boob, only for her to latch on and fall asleep within a minute. If I try to resist her cries for the human pacifier, she’d cry so piteously and I would relent upon hearing her “Meh meh maaa”.
It got so bad 2 nights ago that P described my ‘sleep’ as merely a ‘transitioning’ from night to day. I was telling him that I get so upset with her repeated awakenings and immediate demands for comfort, which lead me to sleep upside down on the bed and in all sorts of funny positions just so I can rest a bit. Nonetheless, seeing her smiles every morning releases all sorts of warm fuzzy feelings and the irritation of the night is instantly erased. He told me he could sense the venom in the middle of the night, and was slightly afraid for his daughter’s safety. Haha.
Anyway, I thought I ought to try something, and take action to change the situation. Introduced her to the pacifier again last night, thinking that she’s probably waking cos of itchy gums and perhaps chewing a pacifier might help. (I am usually against the use of a dummy but since breastfeeding is well-established already, and since she’s obviously not really requiring milk but comfort, I have no qualms in offering the pacifier in exchange for better sleep.)
Lo and behold, after all that internal justification (for departing from my principles), the princess decides that the pacifier is useless and rejects it. *sniff* I tried putting it in her mouth. She pushed it out with her tongue, explored it a little, decided to chew on the plastic portion instead, played a little with the handle and then threw it aside. I tried coaxing her to nibble / chew on it, but she kept spitting it out. I tried it about 15 times, until she started frowning and got pissed as if trying to tell me “I’m sleepy! I don’t want to play with this thing anymore!” SIGH.
Breaking the breast – sleep association is so difficult. I tried to put her on the bed and just pat her to sleep, but she keeps flipping over and propping herself up on her arms. She associates me with mum-mum, P with going for walks, and my maid with sleep. After 10 minutes of crying herself hoarse (I was thinking perhaps she might fall asleep after tiring herself out), my maid comes in and puts her to bed in 2 minutes simply by patting her buttock. >_< What are we going to do when Ida goes home in August??
06 April 2012
Learning Music
The other day during dinner, Christian blurted out an anecdote about his classmate -
"Just now Andrew wanted to go home with his Mama but his Mama didn't want to bring him home."
Me (surprised): "Oh? Why did she not want to bring him home?"
Ch: "Because she wanted to bring Andrew's jiejie to go play music."
Me: "Oooh.."
Ch: "Why you never bring me to play music, mama?"
Me (smiling and wondering how to phrase my reply such that he's tricked into thinking that I will bring him only because he wants to): "Oh, you want to go learn music? Sure. I'll go look for teachers for you, and then I'll bring you, ok?"
Ch: "Ok." "Why must find teachers, Mama? I know how to play already!"
*taps his left fingers on the table* "See! i can play!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I brought him for a trial class at "Music for Young Children" at Thomson about 2 weeks back. I wasn't very impressed, until i saw how they taught the children to remember the notes on the keyboard. They did some activities around "Dinosaur's Den" and "Fireman Fred" to help them find the D-note and F-note on the keyboard, but I felt the class was a little chaotic with a lot of transition and not that much learning. Christian was kept waiting as the teacher's attention was drawn to other children, and their focus on music composition did not resonate with my personal goal for him either. Also, they only teach the keyboard, and completion of their couse only leads to Grade 2 ABRSM examination. Not worth it, for the hefty fees involved.
I did some scouting around previously, and was impressed that Edvox had a Funtime Doreme course which allows children to try out violin and piano for 6 months at a time, before they decide which instrument they want to pick up. I was amazed that a violin and keyboard is also given away free. This, coupled with the rave reviews online, gave me the impetus to put Christian's name on the waitlist and I was so pleased when they called me last night to say that they finally have enough students for a class. They will start as long as there are 3 interested students. What a great class size. :)
Another mommy blogger recommended Medley Music School and I am really impressed by her son's ability to play the piano and the violin at such a tender age. Think a lot has to do with his natural aptitude and her creative efforts in helping make practice-time fun. I will try to draw inspiration from her and make his music learning journey fun for him too!
(I chose Edvox over Medley for now, cos Medley is quite far from where we'll live, and doesn't have group classes now. It's a good alternative though, in case i find the individual lessons at Edvox lacklustre in future. :) )
"Just now Andrew wanted to go home with his Mama but his Mama didn't want to bring him home."
Me (surprised): "Oh? Why did she not want to bring him home?"
Ch: "Because she wanted to bring Andrew's jiejie to go play music."
Me: "Oooh.."
Ch: "Why you never bring me to play music, mama?"
Me (smiling and wondering how to phrase my reply such that he's tricked into thinking that I will bring him only because he wants to): "Oh, you want to go learn music? Sure. I'll go look for teachers for you, and then I'll bring you, ok?"
Ch: "Ok." "Why must find teachers, Mama? I know how to play already!"
*taps his left fingers on the table* "See! i can play!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I brought him for a trial class at "Music for Young Children" at Thomson about 2 weeks back. I wasn't very impressed, until i saw how they taught the children to remember the notes on the keyboard. They did some activities around "Dinosaur's Den" and "Fireman Fred" to help them find the D-note and F-note on the keyboard, but I felt the class was a little chaotic with a lot of transition and not that much learning. Christian was kept waiting as the teacher's attention was drawn to other children, and their focus on music composition did not resonate with my personal goal for him either. Also, they only teach the keyboard, and completion of their couse only leads to Grade 2 ABRSM examination. Not worth it, for the hefty fees involved.
I did some scouting around previously, and was impressed that Edvox had a Funtime Doreme course which allows children to try out violin and piano for 6 months at a time, before they decide which instrument they want to pick up. I was amazed that a violin and keyboard is also given away free. This, coupled with the rave reviews online, gave me the impetus to put Christian's name on the waitlist and I was so pleased when they called me last night to say that they finally have enough students for a class. They will start as long as there are 3 interested students. What a great class size. :)
Another mommy blogger recommended Medley Music School and I am really impressed by her son's ability to play the piano and the violin at such a tender age. Think a lot has to do with his natural aptitude and her creative efforts in helping make practice-time fun. I will try to draw inspiration from her and make his music learning journey fun for him too!
(I chose Edvox over Medley for now, cos Medley is quite far from where we'll live, and doesn't have group classes now. It's a good alternative though, in case i find the individual lessons at Edvox lacklustre in future. :) )
The conversation last night (5 Apr 12)
He made me laugh again last night..
I was telling him how happy I am to have him, to see him grow a little every day, a mix of Daddy and I. He said "you gave birth to me?" I said "Yes." Then he asked "Where's my birth now?" Haha..He thought "birth" was a thing that I gave to him!
I explained that "to give birth" means the act of pushing a baby out from mama's belly..just like how i pushed meimei out of me too. That obviously got him started on "where did you push me out from?" =S
He asks rather pertinent questions though. We were talking about boys and girls, and how each gender should not look at each other in the bathroom..and that got me nagging about strangers, and how he should only follow family and teachers around. He mentioned "i follow friends too! Can I follow my friends?" I replied in the affirmative, and he started telling me about Meredith, who bumped her head against the chair, but did not cry...and that she's 'Big'. He said he loves family.. and his friends too. I assured him that it's great to love friends, and added "i love some of my friends too." He began asking "who are your friends?" and that was when i realised my list of friends has dwindled considerably. He asked "Why you don't have many many friends?" and I explained that I used to have lots, but after some time, I would tell my friends that I can't meet them cos I need to go home to Christian, to Calista, and then I have less friends over time..
He made the observation that my list was mostly of women though.. and asked "What about your boy-friends, mama? Do you have any boy-friends?" I burst out laughing, told him Daddy used to be my boyfriend, but is now my husband, and came up with two other names for him. :)
And that got him thinking about Daddy and started a whole series of questions "Why is Daddy not back yet?" "Why he work so slow?" "Why does he have so much work?"
I gave up answering his questions after some time, and told him I'd count to 100 to help him sleep. (Good way of boring him to sleep and helping him revise number order right? =P)
Last days at Carpe Diem Kidz
Christian's school held a "Breakfast with Parents + Project Exhibition" yesterday morning.
They managed to combine it with fundraising for SPCA, which is a charity I was most glad to contribute to. The teachers came up with the various dishes for breakfast, parents purchased coupons and bought what was on offer.
The kids had been working on the subject of South-East Asia, with each class learning about a specific country. Christian's class learnt all about the cuisine, flag, national flower, culture and landmarks of Indonesia. This culminated in a visit to the Asian Civilisations Museum and yesterday's exhibition. I was impressed with the interactive exhibits. Other than just static displays of what the children did, painted, drew, there was also a video clip of the children singing some Indonesian song at one corner, an interactive exhibit of a 'gamelan drum' done by the kids, and a wayang kulit corner where the children are supposed to lead their parents to, before the child goes 'backstage' to control the puppets.
(Apparently Christian was so scared of the wayang kulit demonstration a few days ago that he kept crying.. and puked in the car on the way home.. *shakes head*.)
After a tour of the school, P said once again "Sigh. The environment of this school is unbeatable..." with a wistfulness that we were leaving. Hopefully, what the next school can't match in terms of environment, it can make up for in terms of loving, personalised guidance.
They managed to combine it with fundraising for SPCA, which is a charity I was most glad to contribute to. The teachers came up with the various dishes for breakfast, parents purchased coupons and bought what was on offer.
The kids had been working on the subject of South-East Asia, with each class learning about a specific country. Christian's class learnt all about the cuisine, flag, national flower, culture and landmarks of Indonesia. This culminated in a visit to the Asian Civilisations Museum and yesterday's exhibition. I was impressed with the interactive exhibits. Other than just static displays of what the children did, painted, drew, there was also a video clip of the children singing some Indonesian song at one corner, an interactive exhibit of a 'gamelan drum' done by the kids, and a wayang kulit corner where the children are supposed to lead their parents to, before the child goes 'backstage' to control the puppets.
(Apparently Christian was so scared of the wayang kulit demonstration a few days ago that he kept crying.. and puked in the car on the way home.. *shakes head*.)
After a tour of the school, P said once again "Sigh. The environment of this school is unbeatable..." with a wistfulness that we were leaving. Hopefully, what the next school can't match in terms of environment, it can make up for in terms of loving, personalised guidance.
02 April 2012
Chinese at Berries
It struck me a few days ago that I have yet to post anything related to his Chinese-learning journey at Berries. For my foreign readers (and non-mummy friends), Berries is a hugely popular franchise in Singapore which specialises in Chinese enrichment classes.
I am not exaggerating when I say "hugely popular". When I was scouting around for Chinese enrichment for Christian last year, I called up the Orchard, Pandan Valley, West Coast branches of Berries, only to find that they have a really long wait-list of students who wish to enrol. I was overjoyed when I called up the Mountbatten branch and found out that there were 2 slots left on a weekend morning! (This also set me thinking...anybody who opens a Berries branch would have customers right from the get-go.. anybody keen to start a profitable franchise with me?)
Anyway, just to document his Chinese enrichment journey, I read rave reviews of Berries on many various forums. However, a colleague who had tried out both Tien Hsia and Berries said her child preferred Tien Hsia. I then went on to to have trial sessions at both centres. Although the Tien Hsia branch was more centrally located (Singapore Shopping Centre at Orchard), my observations of the class and a chat with another parent who was waiting for her child outside class led me to conclude that TH appears to be a little less organised, with lots of time spent distributing materials and organising the children. There was also a child who was left alone to just wander about during the TH trial. The teacher explained that the parent of that particular child had asked her to not rein her child in, but to just let her absorb whatever she could whilst in class. Hmm..it may be nice of the TH teacher to oblige her, but it was certainly very distracting for Christian, who kept looking at that girl playing at the slide which was placed within the classroom.
Berries allowed me to join Christian during the trial class, and the teachers were so animated and engaging. It was clear that Christian enjoyed his time there, after he got past his anxiety of being left behind by me. I noticed that the teacher really understood the way children behave and thought...she would talk to props and pretend that the content of the conversation was not meant for the children's ears, which naturally piqued their interest and achieved the intent of having them learn the word of the week.
Oh well...so. P was grumbling a little that $30 per lesson, with 1 or 2 words learnt per week means we are effectively paying $20+ for our child to recognise 1 chinese character. However, I felt that generating an interest in, and enjoyment of, the Chinese language would help us save loads of money in Chinese tuition when he grows older. Some relatives express surprise that we send him for class even on Sunday..but it's great comfort to me that he happily skips into class every week, without giving even a backward glance. Going through the word cards provided by Berries also allows me to confirm that Christian retains most of what was taught, mainly because they tell stories behind the pictograms, and create vivid impressions on the little minds.
All this money spent has also motivated us to instil a "Speak-Mandarin-only-Sunday", where P and I try our best to speak only Mandarin to Christian, while not compelling Ch to reply in Mandarin. Ch intially kept replying in English, but has finally started to reply in halting Mandarin in recent weeks ^_^
What a long account of our Chinese journey with him.. hopefully it'll get easier with time!
I am not exaggerating when I say "hugely popular". When I was scouting around for Chinese enrichment for Christian last year, I called up the Orchard, Pandan Valley, West Coast branches of Berries, only to find that they have a really long wait-list of students who wish to enrol. I was overjoyed when I called up the Mountbatten branch and found out that there were 2 slots left on a weekend morning! (This also set me thinking...anybody who opens a Berries branch would have customers right from the get-go.. anybody keen to start a profitable franchise with me?)
Anyway, just to document his Chinese enrichment journey, I read rave reviews of Berries on many various forums. However, a colleague who had tried out both Tien Hsia and Berries said her child preferred Tien Hsia. I then went on to to have trial sessions at both centres. Although the Tien Hsia branch was more centrally located (Singapore Shopping Centre at Orchard), my observations of the class and a chat with another parent who was waiting for her child outside class led me to conclude that TH appears to be a little less organised, with lots of time spent distributing materials and organising the children. There was also a child who was left alone to just wander about during the TH trial. The teacher explained that the parent of that particular child had asked her to not rein her child in, but to just let her absorb whatever she could whilst in class. Hmm..it may be nice of the TH teacher to oblige her, but it was certainly very distracting for Christian, who kept looking at that girl playing at the slide which was placed within the classroom.
Berries allowed me to join Christian during the trial class, and the teachers were so animated and engaging. It was clear that Christian enjoyed his time there, after he got past his anxiety of being left behind by me. I noticed that the teacher really understood the way children behave and thought...she would talk to props and pretend that the content of the conversation was not meant for the children's ears, which naturally piqued their interest and achieved the intent of having them learn the word of the week.
Oh well...so. P was grumbling a little that $30 per lesson, with 1 or 2 words learnt per week means we are effectively paying $20+ for our child to recognise 1 chinese character. However, I felt that generating an interest in, and enjoyment of, the Chinese language would help us save loads of money in Chinese tuition when he grows older. Some relatives express surprise that we send him for class even on Sunday..but it's great comfort to me that he happily skips into class every week, without giving even a backward glance. Going through the word cards provided by Berries also allows me to confirm that Christian retains most of what was taught, mainly because they tell stories behind the pictograms, and create vivid impressions on the little minds.
All this money spent has also motivated us to instil a "Speak-Mandarin-only-Sunday", where P and I try our best to speak only Mandarin to Christian, while not compelling Ch to reply in Mandarin. Ch intially kept replying in English, but has finally started to reply in halting Mandarin in recent weeks ^_^
What a long account of our Chinese journey with him.. hopefully it'll get easier with time!
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