(2003) Calling all 2003 babies

Thanks for the tip on RGPS alumni. Wow, looks like paying 540 isn't gonna be enough.

Now we need to enquire about the SJI Junior's stand on accepting children of alumnus. Dh is an old boy of De La Salle and SJI.

Hey, it would be fun if your B and my B can both be in the same school!
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You'd better take care. I'm sure the family wants to enjoy CNY without the flu bug.

Hmmm... must be the Sg's bad air - causing dark circles. Or is it the stressful lifestyle?
 


Hi Pris!

Yay, I know, SJI Junior's been renamed from St Michael Pri.

From the MOE and SJI Jr website, it looks like SJI Jr is offering a straight 10 years programme. So I'm wondering if affiliation to SJI applies and in that sense, if the Daddy being an SJIOB helps.

Thanks for the tip on Maris Stella. It will be Feb tomorrow!
Gotta be quick with the registration!
Have you any idea how the fees are like?
 
Hi Sarah!

I know. 50 SGD is cheap! That's why I told my dh to join. Mine, however, isn't so cheap... 540 SGD! And as you must have read from Serenade's post, I still need to be involved.... exactly how, I don't know yet...

Sigh... sigh... you know the recent WGA strike in the US has caused many series to come to a halt now... No more current entertainment...

Hmmm... maybe dark circles are caused by allergies too. Also, perhaps nights are too bright in Sg. It's lit everywhere, unlike here. I don't know. Maybe some docs ought to do some indepth research. MOre Sg kids really do have dark circles than the kids here...

Hee... doesn't you dh sit on the stool to pee? Tell him it's for hygiene purpose, so that the toilet seat will always be kept clean.
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Really, believe me, the toilet stool is certainly much cleaner! Good thing Hannah hasn't got an older brother. Kristin has always wanted to stand and pee!
 
Hi Meilan!

You sound like a very relaxed and seasoned mom! Yay, happy for you!

Am glad that the little one is easy... You know, I've heard from a mom of 5 telling me that the biting point is having 3. Once you cross that, having 4, 5, or 6 children doesn't make it any difference anymore. In fact, you might wanna consider another one, so that JC can adopt the next baby as her own now that JK is overshowering the little one with his attention. ;)

Have you heard of the 2nd child complex, when there are 3 siblings in a family?
I think JC really does need more reassurance and attention. But it's also a good thing that she's the only girl. She will always be the gem in Mom and Dad's eyes - the little princess.
 
Hi mommies,
Thanks for sharing on milk. Quite scary when I read about it initially. But on second thoughts, most things we eat aren't exactly "healthy" too. Meilan, I like what you said - moderation is the best.
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Hi Meilan,
Thanks for the website. Will check on it. Do you intend to return to your job (part time) after your maternity leave?
 
Hi K's mom,

Care to share on how your hubby became an old boy of De La Salle and SJI? Hmm, tale of two schools?

No harm dropping RGPS an email to enquire further. Was given that impression few years back. But things might have changed after such a long time.

Our 2 Bs in the same school, nice thought
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But if I'm not wrong, SJI isn't easy during the primary 1 registration. Would consider a boys' school for B if C could enrol in RGPS. Unfortunately, RGS is not affiliated to RGPS. So, we are looking at mixed gender schools now.
 
Hi Pris,
We are still attending the various homeschooling activities. But planning to have smaller groups so that the kids can foster better relationships with each other.

Can I please have access to kai's blog? Thanks!
 
hi K's mom

I know abt 2nd child complex cos I'm one!! To my mom, my bro was god-sent and my sis is the baby, even till now.
 
Kristin mom, ya daddy shower her but I explained to her during shower which part of her body is considered "sensitive" areas and daddy can only touch there for a reason. To wash her up or apply cream or something. I want to drill into her that it does not mean as long as it's men that she knows can have "direct access". Anyway, girls these days reached puberty early due to the rich diet and standard of living. Will pull the plug when she enters primary school.
Dark circles for this age usually imply that the kids have sensitive nose. It's more common in countries with high humidity.

Pris, wow BBQ pork!! Lucky for your family. This year they raise the price to $48/kg. Think this week will hit $50~$53kg. Wonder if you can get this in other "ang moh" countries. Or is it a local delicacy??

Btw, my friend's girl is in RGPS. She told me the school is pretty relaxed in their teaching because most of the kids there are already exposed to lot's of enrichment program before they enter P1. She's finding it quite hard to cope because she didn't send her girl for much enrichment program. Don't know how true this is. Or is it just her class?
 
Hi Serenade, abt CNY craft, the one that meilan provides has the instructions for making dragons ... or just make a simple fan, which I done. I've yet to explore much with CNY ideas coz busy with other crafts, but it's really a good time to expand on their chinese vocab knowledge.

btw, think u spoke of teaching Middle C sometime ago being new in the Yamaha syllabus? I thot Middle C is the first key that they learn? B's starting on chords on the left hand, and I think it's another round of stress level as it's a jump in skillset.

Hi K's mum, nice to hear from u again ... thx, will check out that book. read recently in papers about how easily kids can be lured ago by strangers. I think my B might be one of those ... he offers information so readily to everyone.

btw, what's the folks' opinion abt kids learning hanyu pinyin in K2? schools are not supposed to teach and that's the phil that B's school will hold, but many mummies are sending their kids to enrichment for this

.ky.
 
hi sarah
ok, let's go hunt for tummy friendly calcium rich food. i like ikan bilis and toufu, but cant be eating those every day and their calcium contents dont count for much i think.

hi serenade
this year, moi not in the mood for CNY crafts. Shared the story of Nien with mel, explaining to her why we 'see red' during CNY. she asked if there would be a monster in class during the CNY party.

hi meilan
u are on your way to supermom status!
u can start bargaining for some 'me' time while the kids rough out their issues on their own heehee

hi ky
mel learnt abt not talking to strangers from lil red riding hood, so she doesn't offer much personal info. in fact, when i tell her to greet neighbours we meet in the lift, she goes" i don't talk to strangers." !!!???
So your B's a teeny bit too friendly har?


hanyupinyin, my take is to tackle eng first, if child can't decode eng sounds, introducing the chinese sounds will only serve to confuse and
hamper progress of eng phonics. the vowels are already different.
i always console myself, for mel to pass chinses exams in P1, there are mutiple choice questions, the tikam tikam type u know.
but really, to master chinese is to be able to read chinese han zi and not hanyupinyin, isn;t it? ok, hanyupinyin is a must for texting, sending sms, that i dont deny
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Hi mommies,

Check out Tao Shu "Gong He Xin Xi". A great animation to initiate the kids on CNY. The DVD version has both English and Chinese audio/subtitles. There are 4 episodes in the DVD -
Ep 1 Nian the New Year Monster
Ep 2 Chinese New Year - New Clothes
Ep 3 Chinese New Year - Seeing Red
Bonus Ep Happy Happy New Year
 
Hi Serenade!

My dh was from De La Salle in primary then moved on to SJI for secondary school education.

Now SJI Jr was formerly St Michael, though now they also claim affiliation to SJI. So am not too sure if joining the alumni for dh would help with the registration. But I'm hoping for our advantage, yes.

I'm rather irritated now by the kindergarten enrollment situation in Sg. It seems that people have been signing up their kids for kindergarten classes so far advance as in 2011! Good giref! How am I gonna find a spot for my children? This is totally unfair and it's starting a cycle of getting people to sign up even before the child is born. Do we really have to do that? Why can't there be a standard enrollment period for the following year? Gee... what do people expect now from a 3-hr kindy programme?
 
Hi ky,

I meant playing both hands using the middle C, i.e both thumbs on the Middle C. Apparently, private piano tutors would usually start with the middle C method. Heard JMC doesn't cover this in the past. But will be included in the new syllabus now.
 
Hi Serena!

WHat you mentioned sounds all too familiar with what people usually say about branded schools now. But the thing is, I'd rather my children not go to a school next to my block, for reasons others might consider frivolous.

And since there aren't really good schools around my area too, I thought sending my daughter back to my Alma Mater would be the wisest option. Besides, I'd really like to enroll my daughter in an all girls' environment. Of course, there's always ST Margaret's to look at, not too far from us. ANother option
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Personally, I met too many teachers throughout my school days who didn't really teach much. Then there weren't even enrichment classes to put the blame on. And such teachers can be found anywhere, in good schools and neighbourhood schools alike. I've also heard too many stories of teachers from neighbourhood schools, that the teachers really had a lot to teach, including starting right from the scratch to introduce the alphabet.

Now I'm not too sure if your daughter would be happier in that kind of environment. Because I know for sure that my kids would be bored to tears. Knowing my children, they do enjoy a little stress and competition for now. And frankly speaking, I'm hoping for positive peer pressure which both my dh and I found in our school years.

Besides, I think a little bit of tolerance for ambiguity should be trained since young. It will open the mind to more questions in life. Stress isn't necssarily all bad too. It's the management of it that we should be teaching our kids.

Dark circles mean sensitive nose... how true that humid weather does make the nose sensitive.
Thanks for clarifying on that.

BBQ pork? I don't miss that. My kids didn't eat enough of that in Sg for them to miss it here. My dh will probably be eating some since he'll be back in Sg for meetings and CNY.
But I usually don't rush to buy BBQ pork during CNY. It's almost always burnt and the price is astronomical compared with the normal sale. It'd be silly to pay double as much for something that tastes half as good as usual, don't you think?
 
How nice... There're even DVDs on CNY!

Can't wait to start my kids on music enrichment too... It's quite amazing to see little K tapping her tambourine to beat.
 
Hi K's mom,

How I wish both ACJC and RGS have affiliation to the respective primary schools too...

Don't fret about the kindergartens. As long as you don't mind the afternoon sessions, most preschools have vaccancies. Once the kids start school, request for a change to morning session. Well, the kiasu spirit in Singapore is still very much alive
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Hi all,

Has been reading but no time to participate in the discussions since i get tired easily now (cos I cut down on coffee or drink none at all on some days) and sleeps ard 1 plus (or dh using PC!)

Abt CNY craft, i found this site (http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/chinese-new-years/chinese-new-years-crafts.html )and i love the first 2 activities, no time to do with the kids thou cos i'll be off to msia soon.

I also hope to have my boy same school as anyone of the kids here .. but guess its just wishful thinking.
 
ky and serenade,

wow those things you both mention abt music make me sweats. middle C .. playing chords .... *see stars*

Now my boy is still using the first set of text and workbook, and is starting on playing F clef notes (is there a name for that?) using left hand.
Wonder is it the teacher not teaching us enough or or is it that you both have music background?
 
Ya Sarah, i do remember those triangular packets of milk ... but i don't remember drinking them .. how nice if I can still buy them .. so boring to keep seeing the same old packaging.
 
Sherlyn, I'm so sad. My kueh bangkit taste like cookies! so hard and brown. It's not melt in your mouth kind. Are you going JE this week? Mayb I can give you some to try. Instead of coconut milk, I added strawberry fresh milk. Don't know if that's the reason why it's so hard. I'm baking pineapple tarts and almond cookies today. Wish me luck! My friend is coming over to help but her baking experience is as good as mine. So, don't expect today's baking will be spectacular. Ha..

Jan, you're gonna see more of me soon!!
 
Serena, don't be sad. "Shi1 Bai4 Nai3 Chen2 Gong1 Zhi1 Mu3" mah. Maybe its really the milk .. you will know when u try with coconut milk.
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This week ? weekend you mean? no, today half gone, gog gym soon, then tmr morning at home, afternoon go woodlands, friend's place for gathering. Aiya, miss the bangkit. do you know bangkit is one of my favourite. Wow, my favourite are all the fatty pastry like pineapple tart too! How abt saving some for me. I will sure be gog to the JE library since i hv books to return when i come bak.

My mother also bake pineapple tarts. She uses the jam from PH and the recipe from PH, and i love the crust, absolutely love it... its not the open top one, those round kind. So good, can bake with friend. I still left 3 room of windows not clean and the various doors, plus etc etc etc ... and i m leaving monday morning till 11th evening then i come home! Luckily i m not gog to hv any guest.
 
Abt Piano.
I am or shld be me and DH are newbies to piano and we just let A have trial with a private teacher. He likes the lessons alot and enjoys what the teacher teach him in a small room. We signed him up and he will start his 1st lesson after CNY week. I am quite sure I will seek help and advice from you gals (Ky, Serenade & Sherlyn..and how else I miss out..sorry ya). Do you gals have piano at home ?
 
Oh ya..A was kind of confused when he try to read chinese words with hanyupinyin just now. I can see that he is trying phonics way to read the chinese words. This is rather dangerous from what I think. I must remember to ask his teachers for "solutions".
 
DH was down with cold , mil went out gai gai (it's weekends) ..am so so so tired taking care 3 kiddos today with my maid. My maid was kind and advise me that she can take care both twins tonight in case they catch the virus. I am so washed out now..see if can still tahan the tiredness then I can watch my korean vcd coffee princes. I doubt I can cos am dozing off already while typing..
Just wana say that my maid is considerate and I am thankful to her and kudos to mil who has numb painful hands and take care my twins for almost 24 by 7 everyday minus away night time after 7pm & weekends.
 
Hi serena, good! Let's do more lunches and kopi.

kueh bangkit is one of my favourites but of course, don't know how to bake. Just bought a box from bengawan solo after sampling the indonesian one which is really good but more ex than the local recipe. Told myself that it's just once a year.
 
Hi ky, a friend whose kid in P1 said that the school is teaching hanyu pinyin. I thought that the current MOE focus is 'ren zi' and no hanyu pinyin.
 
Moshi, I can see almost immediate results by letting JK fill in numbers with hints on some patterns but it seems to me that he still does not understand the underlying concept of tenths. I think I will rest this for a while. He's quite fed up with numbers by now.

K's mom, I know about the middle child syndrome. I'm a middle child myself, even boycotted sch for one month when my mum gave birth to my brother. So I can understand very well JC's sense of insecurity. I try not to stop JC from coming close to didi but last night, I discovered a few finger marks and a deep bruise on my baby's leg. JC has been pulling him from all angles and now I really regret not being more vigilant.

Moshi, I'm far from a super mom, just biting the bullet till the kids grow older.

K's mom, 3 is really IT, no way can I cope with anymore.

Serenade, can you please invite me to your blog? I am unlikely to continue with my part time job in my current situation and actually I don't miss working. It's becoming harder to leave the kids behind now that I've become a more committed SAHM than before.
 
Sarah, thanks for mentioning how you let H try pee standing up like a guy. I should let JC try the same. After a friend visited with her son who is JC's age, she decided to follow him in using the potty and insisted on standing up. My helper and I couldn't stop laughing. Anyway, their visit provided a good opportunity to start toilet-training her. I'm actually very proud that on the first day itself, she could urinate and poo successfully by telling us she needed the potty
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Though she didn't do as well in subsequent days.
 
Will miss you Sherlyn. Call me when you're back. In the meantime, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

KNOW of anyone who is keen to drive some VIPS during Aerospace show? The person must have clean driving record. Knows the location of most hotels. Good pay and only for 10days. Starting end Feb. All Aerospace show will require Merc. So the driver needs to exchange their car with the merc. They will drive the merc home and take the car for 10days before returning. Please PM me if keen.
 
Hi Apricot,

Take good care of yourself too. The weather these days is so unpredictable. Sigh... am popping multi-vitamins from now on.

In a few months' time, Aston will be far more advanced than the JMC kids here. We should be the ones seeking your advice soon. So, brace yourself for more questions from us. Nope, we don't have a piano. JMC is not a piano course.

Hi Sherlyn,
Do you mean the right hand? Brandon started with the right hand in JMC.

I got the DVD from Popular Bookshop. It's only 1 disc with 4 episodes.

Hi Meilan,
See you at my blog. Glad that you are settling well with being a SAHM
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Hi Serena,
Don't lose heart. My mom told me that Kueh Bangkit is not an easy bake.
 
Abt middle child syndrome, my C is very sensitive and cries for attention. I think this's considered as attention seeking and what other usual or unusual behaviors shld I look out.
 
Hi Serenade,
Thanks. I hope to dodge the flu bug soon so pls do not hit me in these few days. I am drinking alot of water and vitamin C too.
 
Hi girls .. will be gog off in 2 hours time. Cant imagine the load of email i will get when I am back.

Enjoy all the gatherings and the feasting. Miss you guys and Happy Lunar New Year.

Serenade, I mean playing the lower set of notes lower then the middle C using left hand.

Thanks Serena for the wishing. Drive merc for 10 days. Now i wish i can drive. :)
 
oh abt peeing standing up, my girl would do that before her bath after her clothes off. She pees like the brother, pushing her hip out or half squart. She enjoys it. *sigh* hahahaha
 
Hi apricot!

I think you shouldn't worry about middle child syndrome. You've got twins!

Hi Meilan!

JC's situation might not be as bad as what you think. She will always be special in her parents' eyes because she's always the princess. The situation might have been worse if she had a younger sister. Also you will definitely tread with care since you know how it's like.

I dread the day I need to go back to my work. Like you, I'm beginning to get comfortable with the present arrangement of staying at home for the kids.

Hi Serenade!

What about your dh's alma mater? Any help?
I'm hoping for some music appreciation class for the kids. Hee, ballet class... Tell C to wait till K is back, ok?
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apricot, pls email me instead.

Serenade, I looked at the ingredients and said to myself "this is going to be a piece of cake" and then what happens?? Hard as rock!!
Btw, I left a comment in your blog think you may have missed it. What is Mathstart?

If you're given 2 options, have another baby or further your studies which would you mummies choose? Assuming you're not allowed to ask why you need to have another child or why you need to study.
 
Hi K's mom ... don't get so stressed up over pre-school and pri school. I keep telling myself that though I keep falling thru'. *sigh* ... can we swop hubbiess? *grin*, De La Salle's so near my place but there's no way B can get in unless we do a calculated gamble. Hubby's from St Anthony and it's Bkt Batok ... but after serious consideration, I've decided that he shouldn't be going that far for pri school. Oh, btw, something I do notice, though enrollment for pre-school is done for the younger ones years ahead, vacancies tend to open up when it's kindy time... well, unless u are looking at super super hot ones that need 2 yrs waitlist.

For CNY, I've just done a very simple craft with some kids yesterday ... will try to put in blog soon.

Serenade, both thumb on middle C? hm, B's doing thumb on middle C and last finger on another C. I've got kasong knowledge in music so perhaps the thumbs on C is for later.

Apricot ... u did miss out someone whose child's very good in music. Tthe child's really brilliant! hm, do I get an invite to a recital with that statement :> From her, I learnt to take it easier with music n not be stressed over the practice part ... though last week, we did sit down for over an hour of practise as B did a piece that requies new fingering position.

.ky.
 
Serena, I cannot contribute to the choice, I will not chose anyone cos I do not wan stress. My stress threshold is low. Ha..seems like you do not like my answer..sorry
 
I went to the market yesterday and this old lady related her friend's real life expereince to me. A sad one I wld say.

Everyday, the grand children would ask the grandma why is she living such a long life and why doesn't she die sooner. Eventually the grandma queried them 'Why did you ask such a question?'

Answer 'Mom always asked dad why is his mom still living such a long life and why didn't she die sooner?'

Grandma asked again, 'why did she say that?'
Answer : 'Mom said grandma is annoying.'

This grandma is still living with his son, dil and grandchildren and best of all she is cooking and taking care of all of them...........
 
Hi Serena!

In my very right frame of mind, I would say I would choose to further my studies. Life's simple when you have only yourself to answer to.

But considering that FACT that I'm a mom with two kids already, and that would mean hiring a babysitter now and then when I need to go attend lectures, and also cooking dinner before working on my assignments is priority, I think I'd rather have another baby. Diff pregnancy, another two years of staying at home, another baby to care for right from scratch - think it's less daunting than having to lock myself up in the bathroom for exam revision with kids running amok at home.

Hmmm... but you are talking to a mom with two kids. You see from 2 to 3, the jump isn't so great anymore. If I had only 1 kid, it would be a very different story. Because from 1 kid to 2, I would say my friend, think long and hard before you take the plunge to having another baby!

Then again, I might be wrong.
 
Hi ky!

We are really looking hard and good at Maris Stella and St James coz they are pretty near our place.

The Learning Ladder would have been fun for B and K, but they are out of the way for us.

Lorna Whiston would be great too, but no one pays for school fees for us anymore.

Btw, I really gotta ask my dh to call up the kindergartens again since he's back in Sg.

Swop dh??? Hee... swopping address might be an easier option! ;)
 
Hi Serena ... if taking your position, ie with 1 child, and it's a 4-yr old child. I'll say do both, if you can. Do the study first (if the course is not too long), and then have another child. I recently spoke to a mother. She had her only son when she's 40 and in that first year, she did the Montessori Cert with MMI. She wanted to do proceed with Diploma but realize she's missing out on the baby, so she stopped. hm ... but if if considering in my position, I'll probably opt for another child, if I have help, which is not going to happen, so no more. And there isn't anything to tempt me to study officially further, but that's more likely to happen if it ever happens.

K's mom, 2 to 3 is still a jump. I've only got a pair of hands, how to hold onto the 3rd one. And family deals are usually meant for 4, and with the food prices and transportation changes raising the cost, and zero incentive to SAHM for giving birth (vs Working mums), supporting 1 additional child is getting to be ridiculously more expensive ... but that's just my personal opinion.

.ky.
 
Hi jpooh!

Would you choose to be financially independent and live on your own when you retire, or would you live with your son/daughter and be a financial burden to them when they then have dependants to care for?
Hmmm... good question to think about now right?

It's one thing that I expect filial piety from my kids, but another if I wilfully destroy my nestegg in bad investments and then expect my kids to take care of me financially. Pardon the little self-projection in this case, but MIL/DIL living together is not easy. And sometimes the problem might not seem to be so simple to the eyes of others.

But yes, poor grandma indeed. Still she didn't have to hear those words from her grandchildren.
 


Hi ky!

I totally agree with the family deals part. Even flying is not simple when you have three kids.

Not that any of those two would have any remote chance of realisation, but still having another kid would be easier in my case.

Really, if I had ONE kid, I would study no doubt! esp in the case of my older one now, I can always leave him alone to work or read.
 
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