(2003) Calling all 2003 babies

hi moshimoshi!

sent an invite again to your account.
hope you can access my blog now.

gtg... breakfast appt with friends here... or rather brunch?
talk later!
 


Hi moshimoshi!

How about just simple sandwiches? You can select jam/butter or tuna or egg? And then get the children to help spread and cut out using cookie cutters.

Bring some raisins for the eyes!!
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hi sherlyn!

it's easy to loose heart being a SAHM and staying at home 24/7 to face the kids.

I always tell myself I need to learn... learn from all these ang-moh women here. They cope their days well as SAHM without grandparents' help and have no live-in maids, though many do have part time cleaning lady like me, hehe. So the major cleaning is taken care of but the daily cleaning still goes one.

On summer days, I've even seen pregnant women cycling their kids, one child seat in front and one behind. And they are pregnnant... a lot of people on one bike, right? I usually stand in awe and tell myself to be strong!

And now if the weather is good, I bring the kids out to the playground... it's really -phew- a relaxing time for me. For a change, go out and get some fresh air and forget all about the mess back home. Do a take away for the kids. I'm sure they won't resist Happy Meals from Mac. And in that way you get a breather too.
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Hi moshimoshi!

Misunderstanding there... you want an invite to Multiply instead?

Actually my blog is on blogspot. Multiply is used to keep some photo albums and video clips online for sharing among friends and relatives.

Anyway, have already sent you an invite from both sites.
 
Hi ky!

saw the clip on Keith blowing the trumpet!
Well done, boy!!!
No. 2 is really different from No. 1, right?
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Btw, where did you get that cute trumpet? At Daiso?
 
Hi Meilan, I am sometimes upset that my kids only interested in playing rather then learning .. maybe that would be a good excuse for not homeschooling them haha

I give my mother SG$600 per mth cos she is helping me take care of my kids ... thou usually she is the maid, helps in cooking, moping flr etc. I dun ask how much my dh give his mom so i cant compare.
 
Hi Serenade,

MY mother is opposite. When I told her i m very stressed that alot of mothers are homeschooling their kids, and the kids can read and write etc etc .. she starts to say a chinese phrase which means "good when young doesnt means also good when older" .. I really wish sometimes she can help me teach the kids, things like do coloring with them but she simply watch them play or read her papers .. but wat can i expect, she has already fulfilled her duties as a mother

Like you , i also worried i m depriving my kids from alot of things since i don't homeschool, seldom go out (only weekends and dependent on driver - dh), and no enrichment classes at all.

I hope i have done well so far as some of you has encouraged me .. anyway i got to start aiming .. start some teaching at home at least .. :)
 
Hi Kristins_mom,

hehe I want to learn from the busy homeschooling mothers here leh .. maybe cos my kids are very behind time lor ..

We already eat out during weekends when we go out, so weekday try to eat homecook (thou there are still times we eat out alot during weekday).. anyway if i give kids outside food, my mother would make some noise too ..
 
okie all mommies,

i must confess that my command of english is not good (converse in mandarin most of the time) so usually i will "talk" only when necessary .. however i do read all the posts but would have miss answering some questions still .. do pardon me hor ..
 
Sherlyn

I can fully understand your lack of time. It's not easy to set aside fixed time everyday to teach your kids without tiring yourself out, even if you are a SAHM. If they are already attending school, you shouldn't need to worry. If you can afford the resources and time to send them to enrichment centres, do so but not if it will tire you out ferrying them around. You should try to give yourself a break whenever you can and set aside time for yourself on a regular basis.

I used to want to do everything well and try to make use of every minute that I have. In the end, I got myself too tired to do anything properly. So now I learn to prioritise my tasks and take care of myself better. I saw this statement outside a pharmacy which is very thought-provoking and I would like to share with all mommies - "You may not be sick, but are you healthy?"
 
Kristin's mom, I dun quite find SG happening for kids... I brgt Rachel for her 1-yr EYE review @ KKH. The whole chkup took me 2 hrs... Glad that she doesnt need to wear any specs altho she has long-sightedness.
 
Hi Keikei,
You will be surprised with how unhappening where I am staying is, especially without a car.

Am looking forward to visit those places that you recommended with my kids
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Can long-sightedness be detected so early? I thought the kids' eyes are still developing at this stage? Was the checkup done with an eye specialist?
 
Hi moshimoshi,

Your work with Mel is simply fabulous! Hey, you make a great homeschooler yourself too! I guess once Brandon attends school, that's what I'll do too - ride on what the school is teaching and provide some enrichment at home
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About the cane, you haven't seen the worst; Brandon actually told his sister he had to cane her b'cos she had done something wrong. And now whenever she does something wrong, he will lecture her in a very admonishing tone. Talk about imitating the adults...

The Jubilee preschool looks interesting. Thanks for recommending! I'll probably need to pay the schools a visit before deciding on one. But still, distance is the main concern.
 
Hi Sarah,
Brandon wasn't singing in that clip. He was only imitating the dance :p. Hey, both Bryan and Hannah can team up and do duets
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Cheryl and Kristin can be the backup vocals and Brandon can probably be the dancer providing "entertainment". Haha... can't imagine if we really stage them up... Any mommies interested in letting your kids join the fun?
 
Hi Sherlyn,

You don't know my mom. Initially, she was admonishing me for reading to the kids early. Then when my niece started attending N2, she changed her tune and kept stressing how difficult the curriculum is. Whenever my niece (whom she is taking care of) achieved some milestons like reciting san zi jing, my mom thinks she's brilliant. But when it comes to my kids, she would make comments like "that's b'cos you started them early". Even my hubby wasn't spared when he was back in Sg. Sometimes, I'm not sure what to do with her too. I must say she has been a great mother to us all these years. Perhaps she feels closer to my niece than my kids since she's taking care of her. So, I don't really hold her on that. But still, argh......

I do agree with your mom on that - "good when young doesnt means also good when older". That's why parenting is such a long and tough road. Though schools are "suppose" to be doing the teaching, many teachers are focusing on the results rather than the learning process. My niece received complaints about her ability to write and colour, alphabets, chinese etc during the first half of N2. She was a december child and moreover, she has never attended enrichment classes or daycare prior to N2. In the end, my sister(FTWM) started teaching her at home and now she's doing fine in K1. So, despite sending the kids to school, it's still good to be hands-on with Jing An. And you will be surprised how Yu Xin will benefit too. But do prepared for some hair tearing moments.
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Hi Kristins_mom,

Thanks for the link on Playmobil Park in France! Didn't know there's one here. We'll definitely consider that for Easter.
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We definitely look forward to linking up with your family before our departure. But time seems to be pretty tight now. We still have unused tickets from the last trip, so we are visiting Paris Disney again in May (the labour day period). How about joining us there? We can probably do some shopping too, hehe...

Say thanks to Bryan for me, will you? Actually, I was secretly wishing Cheryl would have bigger eyes. While pregnant with her, I make effort to stare at the french children's eyes frequently. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to work leh... simply not in the genes. Kristin has such big beautiful eyes, Hannah & Mel too.. envious, envious...

I love the house too... sometimes I'll hide inside there to get a few minutes of peace :p Leaving that until the last day for packing. Still unsure what to do with it. Apparently, my apartment is not big enough to house that... can't bear to let go too... Brandon will hit the rooftop if we do.

Totally understand what you mean by being more independent. The french women are also very independent. Sometimes, I can see a mother handling 2-3 kids alone at the clinics/supermarkets. There are some who resumed their normal routines one week after delivery. One Sg wife was surprised to see a french lady picking up her child at the school less than a week after delivery of her second child. After being a SAHM for 4 years with no help, I feel it's very much our mindsets that make the difference. Also, the affordable living standard in Sg makes us more pampered. I'm already thinking of engaing part-time help when we return... :p But the cost is still keeping me back. With that kind of money, I keep thinking about the stuff I can invest in for the kids... Yeah, I'm addicted to buying for the kids...:p

Getting the TV to babysit the kids these few days, cos I am busy with packing. Gosh, it feels so near and real to return to Sg now. So, if you don't see me online, I'm probably tired out by the packing.
 
Serenade, we went to KKH Eye Specialist for the chkup. Last yr, both my dad and Polyclinic suspected that Rachel has lazy eyes. So, we got a referral to KKH. It's a 1-yr review and I've requested for a yearly checkup. Apparently, Rachel has long sightedness according to the eye specialist.
 
Hi Keikei

A fren told me that as the kids' eyes are still developing, it's ok to be long-sighted. Her 5-yr old is too. She said that the eye-sight would go from long-sighted to normal to short-sighted, so long-sighted kids would have a "longer journey" towards short-sighted and that's good.

K's mom ... the trumpet is a hand-me-down. yap, each kid's very different. Keith's been screaming his head off these few days ...

Serenade, didn't go to Sept21. Will write when I've visted it. Decided needed a break from getting out every Tue when I have the car ... took Keith instead for a short drive to see how he can behave alone with me.

Sherlyn, take things positive. rather than looking at what your kids are behind at, how abt looking at what they are capable of? My son doesn't know a lot of stuff that some of the kids here know but I'm happy with what he does know :>

Jess, well-said. Total agree with you esp on trying to do everything

.ky.
 
Hi Ky,

Quote :
"... rather than looking at what your kids are behind at, how abt looking at what they are capable of? My son doesn't know a lot of stuff that some of the kids here know but I'm happy with what he does know :> "

Exactly my view!
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Whatever my kids don't know, my thinking is to slowly teach/expose them lor... You know, after reading on where you mommies have been bringing your kids around, I feel my kids are like "mountain turtles", haha...
 
Hi Serenade!

Envious of Kristin's big eyes? Wait till you see her long eyelashes... the SIA stewardesses always "faint" when they see Kristin's eyelashes. Really have no idea where those eyes and lashes come from.

How about Eurodisney during Easter? Don't think we'll drive coz it's too tiring with the kids, about 6+ hours drive. Will probably explore train connections or maybe budget airlines.
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My dh thought you'd still be in Bordeaux for a while... he thought it would be fun to drive all the way to visit your family in summer, making little stops across France. Too bad, we got to know you a year too late. Sniff!

Frankfurt to Bordeaux is 1144km! Paris is really the half way point to meet up. Hmmm, haven't been back in Paris since end of 1995, on a tight student's budget. Then I thought I would revisit the place later in a more romantic context - honeymoon, maybe. Good grief... now I have children on tow!!!

When exactly are you moving back to Sg?
Gonna miss you as neighbour... sharing the same time zone really makes chatting online convenient, esp when we are both night owls!
 
Hi Sarah and Serenade!

Children concert in Sg?
Yeah, on lah!
I'm sure Keith will be eager to play the trumpet for the band too!
DOn't you think, ky?
 
Hi mommies,
FYI. There's a Songs of Spring by HsingHai Art Association Chinese Orchestra on Sunday, 25 Mar, 3pm-4pm at Esplanade Concert Hall. Free admission.
 
hey mommies
I thought the following events/activities may just support the themes that u are working on/ or plan to work on:

1. Nature theme: Lower peirce trail. i just went on it with my hub this morning, simply awesome, there are heaps of leaves to look at, pity i am not good at identifying them, will ahve to enrich my brain on the botanics department;) the entire trail takes abt 20-30min.
word of caution: wear non slip shoes, don;t go if it rained the night before and bring a bag to collect the leaves. I plan to collect some interesting ones and preserve them ;) oh yes, i took some pictures, will show u guys when they r ready. If u are in the east, changi boardwalk trail is great too.

2. Animals & money theme: If SPCA at mount vernon is not too far from where u are, go down and collect a tin to raise funds for animal welfare work. more details: www.spca.org.sg


3. Colours: Dress in RED and gain free admission to asian civilisations musuem this weekend.

That's all folks, have fun!
 
sarah
u know what, all these free concerts have to be conducted when mel is napping, the...

hey, thank u for suggesting yoko yoko, though i am addicted to it, it had been serving me well, easy and convenient!
 
serenade
i didn't go to Sep21 too, decided to self-make what i need or improvise, spending too much on 1 kid is not too justifiable

k's mom
the last time i viewed ur blog, i didn't have to register as google's member, but not this round.
my laptop speed just gets on my nerves. will try to register soonest.

serenade
haven;t got time to view ur blog also cos'
of the above. i really hope to gain access to all your blogs and bookmark them! ok ok, my next week's 'task to complete'!
 
One more!

World/multicutural theme:
Yesterday's NATAS travel 2007 spread is a must-keep, traditional costumes of various countries are featured, cut them out and clothe them on the paper dolls found on the last page. Pity they are only newspaper and not cardboard quality. The project editor for this spread is my friend's sister, i really envy what she does especially when she gets free travel!
 
serenade
think u wrote that mel has big eyes like kristin's, wait till u see her in person and u will agree that she has my small slit eyes!
 
Hey Moshi,
In case there are Muslim kids in the class, your cocktail sausages have to be halal. Probably sandwiches easier.
 
Hi moshimoshi!

Go to the free concert on Sunday. Let Mel skip her nap once. I do exceptions for Bryan on weekends too, sometimes. But I think now, Mel should understand that she needs her nap. Bryan insists on his nap when he gets really tired sometimes.

Children's concert... heehee... we thought some of our kids love to perform... so we'll give them a chance to entertain us parents lor.
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Mel likes to dance, right?
 
Moshi2!

SOrry, it's me again... forgot to mention about the blog.

Sorry... put the blog now for private viewing only since blogger2 now offers the function. Have never been comfortable with the idea that strange funny people might be reading about our lives.
 
Hi mommies!

Need some help here...
I know some of you speak fluent Japanese. Meilan, ky, can you help?

Some time ago, when Bryan's Jap friend left the school to return to Japan for good, each child in the class received a sticker book from her as a parting gift.

It's a wonderful sticker book, I thought. No requirement of foreign language at all. The child only needs to compare between two pictures and fill out the stickers according to the way the master pic presents it. Thought it's a fun way to get kids to concentrate on details.

Visited the website. Alas, no Eng version at all!
So, maybe the Jap-speaking moms here can enlighten me a little on the collection.

Am thinking of getting my dh's colleague from Jp to get some for me...
http://www.liebam.co.jp/

Btw, Meilan, how much is 500 yen in SGD? Lazy to find out the conversion rates. :p
Gotta check out how expensive these stickers are before I place any order at all.

TIA!
 
Hi Serenade!

DO you order a lot of stuff from wonderbox?

I thought they don't ship overseas the last I checked with them.

They do have a very interesting collection.
 
Hi Cindy. Your daily schedule sounds very similar to mine except that I take up to 1.5hr to make the kids nap one after another and then the one who sleeps first would soon wake up when I'm done with the other. Urgh!!! So cooking dinner is a highly stressful experience for me. I'm seriously thinking of getting tingkat now.

By the way, I just revisited your blog after a long long while. Many more heartwarming entries there... Got me thinking of starting one for myself again since I've been behind in my journal-writing and soon some of these memories will fade...
 
Cindy, I'm sorry but I'm afraid you won't be able to get the stickers. First thing I checked was the "how to order" page and it mentioned no overseas delivery.
 
Have been wanting to share this poem esp with the SAHMs who face the daily struggle between wanting/needing to get some work done and spending time with the kids like me. I picked up from another thread in this forum.

I Took His Hand and Followed

My dishes went unwashed today,
I didn't make the bed,
I took his hand and followed
Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,
My little son and I...
Exploring all the great outdoors
Beneath the summer sky

We waded in a crystal stream,
We wandered through a wood...
My kitchen wasn't swept today
But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade
And now my small son knows
How Mother Bunny hides her nest,
Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,
We climbed a sunlit hill...
Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,
We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,
That I didn't brush the stairs,
In twenty years, no one on earth
Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy
To noble manhood grow,
In twenty years, the whole wide world
May look and see and know.
 
hi sarah, tx for the info on the Chinese Orchestra concert ... might be popping by since we will be at ILs which is nearby. u going?

yes yes, moshimoshi, wanted to share on the NATAs special too. I even got my neighbour's copy. Intend to cut one out and laminate it ... we justed pressed some leaves a few days ago too ... nothing fantastic, just some wild leaves of various shapes and sizes. hm, the teachers were telling the kids not to pluck the leaves in the school compound and here I am plucking away these wild plants. oops

.ky.
 
Sherlyn, you are very brave to bring 2 active kids to the zoo on your own though your friend was there to meet you. Till now, I only dare venture to the playground downstairs, nothing further than that. Once, JK ran off so fast and was nearly out of my sight when he spotted his playground friends far away. I had to scoop up JC and ran after him. I gave him a very stern tick-off after that and he did not do it again but still, it deepened my reservations abt bringing the 2 of them out esp since JC is very stubborn thesedays abt which direction she wants to go.

But maybe if it's a very child-friendly place, I'll give it a try someday. If you like, we can meet up with our kids together once of thesedays and give our parents a break.
 
Hi Meilan!

No worries there... think I'm gonna "harass" my dh's colleague to get them for me from Japan. hee hee!

That's why I told you keeping a blog is therapeutic. It's keeping my mind sane and it's helping me to appreciate my children better.
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Also, recently, Serenade and I discovered another reason to blog. We can show our children their virtual friends! The kids really enjoy looking at each other's photos/videos. e.g. Bryan wants to pay Brandon a visit in his playhouse. Bryan always remembers Ben and wants to see how's Ben been doing. Then I showed Bryan the neat work Kai does for his art and craft etc...
 
Here's another story forwarded to me which I feel compelled to share.

A simple man tells how his booking an air ticket for his father, his first flight, brought motions and made him realize that how much we all take for granted when it comes to our parents.

My parents left for our native place on Thursday and we went to the airport to see them off. In fact, my father had never traveled by air before, so I just took this opportunity to make him experience the same.

In spite of being asked to book tickets by train, I got them tickets on Lufthansa.
The moment I handed over the tickets to him, he was surprised to see that I had booked them by air. The excitement was very apparent on his
face, waiting for the time of travel. Just like a school l boy, he was preparing himself on that day and we all went to the airport, right
from using the trolley for his luggage, the baggage check-in and asking for window seat and waiting restlessly for the security check-in to
happen.

He was thoroughly enjoying himself and I, too, was overcome with joy watching him experience all these things.

As they were about to go in for the security check-in, he walked up to me with tears in his eyes and thanked me. He became very emotional and
it was not as if I had done something great but the fact that this meant a great deal to him.

When he said thanks, I told him there was no need to thank me. But later, thinking about the entire incident, I looked back at my life.

As a child how many dreams our parents have made come true. Without understanding the financial situation, we ask for football, dresses,
toys, outings, etc. Irrespective of their affordability, they have satisfied to all our needs. Did we ever think about the sacrifices they had to make to accommodate many of our wishes?

Did we ever say thanks for all that they have done for us?

Same way, today when it comes to our children, we always think that we should put them in a good school. Regardless of the amount of donation, we will ensure that we will have to give the child the best, theme parks, toys, etc. But we tend to forget that our parents have
sacrificed a lot for our sake to see us happy, so it is our responsibility to ensure that their dreams are realized and what they failed to see when they were young, it is our responsibility to ensure that they experience all those and their life is complete.

Many times, when my parents had asked me some questions, I have actually answered back without patience. When my daughter asks me something, I have been very polite in answering. Now I realize how they would have felt at those moments.

Let us realize that old age is a second childhood and just as we take care of our children,the same attention and same care need to be given to our parents and elders.

Rather than my dad saying thank you to me, I would want to say sorry for making him wait so long for this small dream. I do realize how much
he has sacrificed for my sake and I will do my best to give the best possible attention to all their wishes. Just because they are old does
not mean that they will have to give up everything and keep sacrificing for their grandchildren also. They have wishes, too.

Take care of your parents.
 
Cindy, wished I had more time to revisit the others' blogs too. I went back to yours tonight only because I received the invitation through my email and it was just a click-through.
 


Thanks Jess, I am already setting aside time for myself, ie after they sleep .. thus i m usually up till 2am at least.

I think i m very bad at prioritising (is there such a word?)... almost everything in my to do list is as impt, so in the end, i think either nothing is done, or somethgs done halfway. Thus I think I m the one needing the improvement first haha.

I certainly like the phrase. Maybe I shd print it big big and paste somewhere to remind myself.
 
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