Raising Barbies & Transformers

'Ah Lian' Girlfriend & 'Mun Jar' King

2011-12-28T00:27:00.000+08:00

About Daddy & Mummy

At this phase of my career and in this later half of the year in particular, I'm attending back to back military courses til the end of next year. This means that my working hours are inflexible, which translate to less time for me to prepare En Xi for school or bath En Jun. Fortunately, Grandma was around to lend a helping hand, but with her age, this is an extraneous toil on her. Oct '11 also saw the most trying times for mummy as I was away for a 3 weeks overseas exercise. This would be the first time Mummy had to handle both of you (without me around) and it was a humongous task for both Mummy and Grandma.

Thereafter, its payback time for us (or me in particular), your grandparents were away for a week's vacation and we took leave to care for both of you full-time. Yes, we survived, but barely because En Xi contacted Hand Foot Mouth Disease (HFMD) and we'll talk more about this later. At this point of time, both of you might be wondering why we didn't get a helper or maid. To which, my response is that, we'd rather slog a little more for both of you, rather than having both of you grow up with the wrong values. I'm not saying that families with maids are inculcating poor values to their children, it is just a lot more harder to bring across the right values in a spoon-fed environment. Besides, we do have a helper, but she comes by once every week to help do a thorough cleaning of the house.

About En Jun

"Bo Tak Head"

Its been 6 months and how time flies, you have grown quite a bit and is looking bubbly. You are such a smiley kid and its amazing how you connect to the people around you effortlessly. Most strangers adore your infectious smile and cutesy nature, in particularly the ladies. When we have meals at the malls and you get cranky, I will never hesitate to carry you for walks and Mummy always wonder why? Go figure.

You had uneven hair growth and we decided to shave your head at the 5th month. The result was a Michelin mascot look alike, you had really roundish eyes, nose, cheek, head, fists and lots of chubby baby fats on your limbs. Quite often, people will ask if you are a girl and we always wondered why? What do you think?

In fact, you have a character of your own and have distinct different habits to your elder sister. Firstly, you are a very small drinker and is a light sleeper. You don't clock much sleep during the day and needs constant attention. You will not hesitate to cry at a whim for us to carry you in our arms. As such, you are officially the "Mun Jar King" of the family. You still wake up often in the night for feeds and leave Mummy with lots of sleepless nights. I was fortunately enough to enjoy my beauty sleep since you are on direct feed. Lastly, the pleasant surprise that struck us is that you actually enjoy bathing. You would always be all smiles and kicking up the water during bathe time. Bathe time suddenly becomes therapeutic and fun, your sister hates to bath till this day.

Crew cut look after 1 month

About En Xi

In late Sep '11, after 4 months of maternity leave, Mommy was preparing to head back for work on the next day, when you got struck with HFMD. This was a nightmare scenario for us. Firstly, Mommy had to risk the wrath of her boss and apply for another week of leave to bring En Jun to Ah-Por house, so as to minimise the risk of infecting En Jun. Logistically, it was taxing for both of us as it involves Mommy taking a cab in the morning to Ah-Por house and myself to fetch them back. Fortunately, you were cleared of HFMD after 5 days, but we had a hunch that the Doctor just wanted to play it safe by declaring you had HFMD as your fever subsided within a day.

In Dec '11, we signed you up for a week's Drama Workshop with your cousin's Shou Rui and Shou Cong. The workshop was to culminate into a play by all the children who signed up. Regrettably, HFMD struck yet again and you were out from Day 4, it was a pity you didn't get to perform with your cousins on stage. To make matters worse, you missed our annual X'mas party (since '07) with Mummy's girlfriends & hubbies. Quarantine at home for 10 days was dreadful and it almost drove me nuts. Try stopping a shark from swimming, you get what I mean. Thankfully, you recovered just in time on X'mas eve to catch 2 more parties! Hurray! Actually, thinking back, Daddy was at fault that you contacted HFMD. I knew about the spread of HFMD in school from Day 1, but chose to send you back to school after the Drama classes because I wanted some time to do up some household chores in the afternoon. It was a silly decision and uncalled for, sometime for me to ponder and reflect about.

You are 90% potty trained! All big and small business are done in the toilet bowl now and you have started sleeping without diapers with some success. You seem to be going through some regression syndrome of late, meal times are now extremely challenging and takes an hour for you to finish. I do hope this is transient because there was considerable effort in cultivating healthy eating habits and mannerism.

You have 4 books on cautionary tales. These are books to reinforce the idea of "Lying", "Over-indulgence in Eating", "Bullying" and "Bad Mannerism" is not good. Some how, you are now exhibiting or role-playing the exact bad stuff the book was trying to explain is bad. However, not all is bad, at least you are very good at saying, "Please" and "Thank You". Not too shabby for a start.

Sleeping Beauty

You are into "Princess" stuff now and Dora is now considered passe. Sleeping Beauty has also taken center stage for our pretend play and I'm your handsome prince. It is absolutely hilarious when you pretend to sleep, while waiting for your handsome prince to kiss you and wake you up. You squint your eyes uncontrollably, trying to peek at me while flashing your trademark megawatt smile across your face, showing your blushing cheeks and teeth at the same time. Its such a sight and never fails to bring a smile to my face.

Conversation between us has been interesting of late.

Daddy: Its late, let's go man.

En Xi: Dadddddddy, I'm a girl, not a boy.

Daddy: Errr, ok, let's go babe.

En Xi: Noooo, I don't like babe.

Daddy: ?????

Oh yes, you are unofficially my "Ah Lian" Girlfriend. Everything that spurts out of your mouth always starts with "Daddy, ....." this, "Daddy, ......" that. And every time, I start chatting up with Mummy in the car, you would interrupt, "Eh eh, excuse me, Daddy, Why ......, blah, blah, blah...." A peck on Mummy's cheek, would result in an instantaneous scream of disapproval from you. Oh my, its so scary, I'm really starting to get worried for your spouse in future.

Some Random Thoughts

As you can see, raising kids is no easy stuff. Browsing through my past posts, I realised that I focused too much on the negative stuff. Time to bring back the happy stuff! Please do not frown and feel uneasy about your upbringing. It is perfectly human to rant and bitch the "not-so happy" moments, that is why, it is important to remind ourselves and our loved ones of the happy memories on a regular basis.

This probably gave you a glimpse of what's inside Daddy, who is pessimistic by nature. Did this took you by surprise? I shall not reveal much, lets save this topic for our Father-Daughter-Son talk when you grow up.

Its amazing how people (mothers for some families) in the 60s and 70s can bring up 7 kids without any help. But then again, people in past was just about feeding the kids, making sure they don't cry and stay out of trouble. Problem with today, and its a self inflicted problem, is that very single thing is so competitive. Parents want to get the best that there is for their kids with so much research (non-concrete) suggesting early childhood development is key to the child's future. Like most parents, we want to make sure you succeed in life and the society is not making it any easier. When almost every single child is having classes to develop their "this and that", you just can't step back and say, "Its ok, he/she will pick up reading at a later age." Its like saying, every single kid has a computer and you refuse to give one to your child. Imagine what kind of pressures the kid will face when he/she is with his/her peers. I'm not saying we should give in to every demand, but some things, like it or not, has become the norm in the society and you can't just say, "No, you can't have it." Ok, this is going to be a long debate, my left brain is arguing with my right brain now. I shall leave this discussion as it is now.

Sibling Love

Small Talk: Never underestimate the power of observation

2011-08-16T17:26:00.000+08:00

After a weekend long of vegetative state due to a stubborn flu bug, Daddy finally regain his conscious and pick up his usual "how's your day" conversation with Mei Mei.

Daddy: So, En Xi goes to school huh? What does Ye Ye do?
En Xi: Ye Ye fix things.

Daddy: What does Ah Ma do?
En Xi: Ah Ma cook.

Daddy: What does Mummy do?
En Xi: Mummy feed Didi..errr...milk

Daddy: So what does Daddy do?
(at this point, I'm sure Daddy was probably expecting something like "Daddy love me, or Daddy read story to me, or worst case scenario, Daddy play with the phone."

[scroll down for anwer]

En Xi: Daddy sleep.

Probably that explains this pix, En Xi was angry with Daddy for sleeping too much, and not playing with her. So, she decided to play hard to get and ignored Daddy's request to hold his hands.

I love my Mei Mei, so full of attitude :)

25 more days

2011-08-15T01:26:00.000+08:00

Just as I was getting comfortable with my stint as a stay-at-home mum, my colleague facebook-ed me a countdown of the exact number of days I’m due for work, awakening me from my hallucinations that my maternity leave is still 4 months left. When I realized that it's barely a month left to my just-another-day mornings, I felt intense palpitations, and the world was spinning like I had rounds of Flaming Lamborghini.

Barely a month ago, I was yearning to go back to work and missing the undivided 8 hours I would have to myself. I take back my words!!!!

I'm so enjoying the simplicity at home.

For the only KPIs I need to run for are the percentage of dinner that Mei Mei has finished, evaluating the frequency/consistency of Didi’s has everyday (trust me, when you are a young parent, there is an un-explained obsession about our kids' poop!) and crunching numbers over the cheapest diapers with my sophisticated vlookup formula.

Daily Market Research

Looking at my to-do list for this maternity leave; 0% in the belly department and still looking like I’m in my 2nd trimester. And I just realised that I still can't fit in half of my work wear, did I just feel a cardiac arrest?

Can't imagine what's life going to be come the fateful day, I think I need another Magnum to calm my nerves.

Our blog has a facelift!

2011-08-11T12:52:00.003+08:00

We got a new name for our blog!

We figure out that with the arrival of DiDi, we need a name that is more generic to be used for two.

(p/s mei mei, if you are reading this, don't worry, you are still the special one because this url is named after you!)

I wanted a more sexy name, something more fun to reflect our joy (and tortures) in our parenting journey.



So one fine day while Mei Mei is singing to the tune of 'Barbie Girl', I thought it would be very apt to have it as part of the name, since Mei Mei is quite a prima donna like Barbie ! But wait, the name got to be more unisex to cater for didi, since barbies and boys don't gel. Initially I wanted to name it "Raising Barbie and Ken..", since they always come together! How smart I thought I was, but it got trashed by Daddy, with his usual "hard truths" remarks, "You know Didi is going to hate you for this when he grows up right????".

OKKKKKK, too un-macho right, GOT it!



So, back to the drawing board. As I was going down my list of manly epic characters, "Transformers" seems like the perfect fit! Aren't kids pretty similar to them when they do their more-than-meets-the-eye thingie? At one moment, they can be as cute as Care Bears. And VOILA - they can transform into a screeching machine, armed with highly destructive tear-guns in the next milli-second!

Got to run to attend to my wailing Barbie and pooping machine now, stay tune for more adventures in our next update !

My iPhone randomness

The Monster

2011-08-04T11:27:00.001+08:00

Boooo!

We have a resident Monster in the family since a few months ago. If you are thinking that this is the nick we gave Mei Mei or a new pet we got for ourselves, nope you are mistaken.



Let me tell you a bit more about this monster. He stays in our storeroom and sometimes hides in the storage boxes in the bedroom, or even under the drains overlooking our window. The birth of this character came when Mei Mei was protesting about everything, staging mealtime battles and putting up bathing struggles. Daddy decides to prey on Mei Mei's weakest link; the scaredy cat in her. He started talking about this monster who kidnaps disobedient kids. Kids who don't eat their meals, refuse to bath, or even shout rudely, the monster will catch them and locked them in a dark and scary cave!

To convince Mei Mei further, Daddy have staged a few 'fights' with the monster in the storeroom, to pretend that he is trying to prevent the monster from escaping so that Mei Mei can finish her dinner quickly before the monster finds out. It's amazing how realistic Daddy's acting skills is, what a pity that he didn't fulfill his Star Search dream.

The monster trick worked so well that Mei Mei is rather convinced about it's existence! I spotted her telling her classmate that the monster will come and take him away if he doesn't listen to their teacher (which her classmate gave a boring, disbelief look).

Not sure how long she will find out that this is a coax. But one thing for sure, it is far more effective than a cane, less the pain and tears!

Appreciating our little Picasso

2011-08-03T17:38:00.000+08:00

Since Mei Mei started preschool this year, her interest in art is becoming more pronounced.

Her teachers has been sharing with us about her flair in art, in particular a great sense with colors (and a penchant for pink). I find that quite surprising as she rarely draws at home, preferring to strip her Barbies, creating a rackus with her garang guni barang or staging the "Goldilocks and Three Bears" show for the 501th time. One thing for sure, she did not inherit those artistic genes from me, as my drawing nerves have stopped developing after kindergarten.

She likes to draw human faces. I like the drawings she does as we are always part of her composition. It might not look proper to some but that's what I like about it! Her style is rather quirky, somewhat looking like aliens most of the times (since they always have big heads). Just a small problem we noticed; she tends to draw with very firm grip, causing her drawing materials to suffer from total and permanent disability after the first use.

Here's some of my favorites:

Her first few drawings - usually characterised by 2 big dots as the eyes completed with 4 dangling limbs. And she started to add some hair on the head, cos Daddy said it will look nicer.

My personal favorite - when I asked what is the big patch of color at the bottom of the face, she said it was chinny chin chin (her lingo for Daddy's goatie). The lollipops-lookalikes are floating balloons.

The big blue face in the middle is Daddy, because he wears glasses. Awwwww...

This is a portrayal of our family and her classmates. Mummy is the saugsage-looking thingie on the left.

Guess what this is?
Answer: It's a spider (we thought she was drawing Lion King initially)

Posing with her pink masterpiece and her classmate, Nathaniel.

Along came Didi

2011-07-06T17:34:00.000+08:00

3-day old En Jun

My first post after Didi En Jun arrived! Didi is now sleeping longer in the 2nd month, which allows me to sneak in some time to work on this blog which has been sitting in my draft box for the past few weeks.

Spot the difference

It feels very deja vu with the arrival of Didi. Everybody attest that he strikes a stark resemblence to Mei Mei when she was young. So it seems to bring me back to the time when Mei Mei was first born and reliving it once again. The difference is that now we are more savvy parents and less kang cheong since Mei Mei has put us through a stringent boot camp training then.

With a fussy Didi who needs to be nursed almost waking hour in the evening, there is very little time I can spare for Mei Mei. I'm grateful that Edwin offered to take 6 weeks off from work to jagar Mei Mei during this trying month. He is now her undisputed BFF, so much so that he is always the first person she runs to for anything and everything. The house is always buzzing with, " Daddy..can I...", "Daddy, I want...,". I'm getting quite jealous to be honest. Their bond is so tight that even when it's just me and her, she will unconsciously address me Daddy. I just hope that Didi can get more settled down soon so I can reclaim my BFF top seat soon.

Before Didi came along, we were quite worried that Mei Mei might be hostile towards him. She surprised us by handling this new transistion very well, thou there are some emotional moments at school during the first weeks. In fact, she turns out to be a very caring Big Sister towards Didi. Some of the very endearing moments;

A smirky Big Jie Jie

When Didi is up for night feedings, Mei Mei will wake up and ask "What happen to Didi??" and instantly crashed back to sleep
There was once that Didi was wailing frantically during his bath, sweet Mei Mei actually put her water pistol into his bath tub, prompting us to use it to calm him down (something we used to do to coax her into bathing)
No matter how loud or rough she usually is, she's instantly transformed into a gentle angel when talking to Didi.
During one of our car rides, Mei Mei even requested that we stopped talking as Didi is sleeping (something that totally stumped me!).
She always ask me to feed Didi when he's crying, claiming that he's hungry thou he just finished his feed 5 seconds ago.

I'm glad that both of them has started on the right note. Fingers crossed that this continues for as long as it lasts!

Cooling Off

2011-05-06T14:33:00.008+08:00

Around Us

Today is Cooling Off Day. The country is in the midst of a 10 day election campaign and all campaign activities will cease today for voters to recollect their thoughts before voting tomorrow. Ironically, today's weather is scorching hot and there is hardly any cooling off with all main stream news and the Internet media buzzing with accusations and politicking. Politicians are playing up our emotions and pulling our heartstrings by pressing on touchy issues such as, "Do you want a better future for your children? Don't be afraid! Vote for XXX! Majulah Singapura!" Sometimes, I wonder if they understand the meaning of Mahjulah. For the record, although I'm a civil servant, I'm not partisan and I like to believe that I got a pretty good idea of what is a better future for my children. Though my one single vote matters, it remains valid for 5 years before a new Parliament is formed. So, my answer to a better future, though it may seems irrelevant at this point, is my commitment towards fostering values and character building in my children.

Some light humour, see video below.

About You

You have made progress towards your potty training! Good job Champ! Albeit the occasionally accident, you have done well so far and is only dependant on the diapers during sleep. However, you remain to prefer using the diapers to settle your big business. Whenever, you feel the 'big' coming, you will steal your diapers without us noticing and change into it to finish off your big business. This normally happens in your room and when we enter the room, you will (see video below):-

You are 3 years and 3 months old

2011-03-17T12:38:00.009+08:00

Its been 5 months since Daddy last blogged. Rest assured that I still care a lot about you, its just that human beings are habitual creatures. I have 'nwuah-ed' for some time now due to the relaxed pace of my work (my boss better not be reading this) and have also spend a fair amount of time on personal reading in the nights. Since you started full day child care this year, also meant going to bed and waking up earlier for Daddy and Mummy as well. Okay, I know, enough excuses, I'm just plain lazy.

About You

In preparation for your baby brother, we decided to send you to a full day child care center in 2011, so that Ah Ma can have time to take care of Di Di when he arrives in this world. You stopped your enrichment classes at YKidz in Nov 10, but your teacher, Janet was kind enough to invite you back for Xmas celebrations. For memories sake, here are some photos with your teachers and friends at the party.

Your cousins, Ri-Ann (L) & Ricole (R)

Your best pal, Audrey

Your Principal, Ms Ng Yu Kai

Your form teacher, Ms Janet

Your other teacher, Ms Jasmine

Your new school is in MindChamps Toa Payoh, no more school bus and Mummy can now (with Daddy occasionally) bring you to school daily. This is something we enjoy and cherish very much as your mood meter is in the 'happy' zone in the morning and we get your almost undivided attention in our conversations. Ye Ye fetches you from school (at times Daddy when I get an off day or 'twang' from work).

Getting really excited for your first day in MindChamps

Initial impression up til now (3 months) shows that you are happy with the new school and your form teacher, Ms Leah (your form teacher) has managed to encourage you to eat on you own confidently. Whenever Daddy and Mummy gets an opportunity to pick you up from school, we are always thrilled to hear you say, "I'm so happy today!" We never quite figure out what you are happy about as you never quite revealed when queried and is often in a hurry to showcase your classroom stuffs to us. Your potty training is still in the works, but at least you can now inform when you want to do your 'wee wee' & 'nrgh nrgh'. So that's a good start.

I'm happy to see you grow up with a great sense of humour. Albeit at times you are shy with people you don't know, we know that there's always a cheeky side of you awaiting to throw us off our chairs.

Our Continuing Struggles

Convincing you to bath seems to take an eternity and has proved to be a challenge. We are not sure how this came about. Could it be due to a/several bad experience or just plain playfulness? Seriously, we don't know and its growing to be a little concern for us as its time and energy sapping for us all in the family. It takes a good 15 min to persuade or trick you into walking into the bathroom, another 15 min to play in the bathroom and lastly 15 min again for the right choice of clothes, which naturally has to be pink in nature. We are mostly late for appointments and what follows is a frantic march to the car and frenzied drive to our place of destination. I've officially demoted Mummy to '2nd grade princess' in the family as there can be only 1 princess in the family and that's you, our spirited child. So, again, good luck to the guy who marries you, not only does he got to contend with your feisty temperament, but also your never ending time wasting antics with 'mor' here 'mor' there.

Our Travels

Before your baby brother is born and looking forward with the next vacation seems so far away, we did a short road trip to Desaru up north in 'Boleh-land'. We had a little fun with the water park and managed to visit the fire flies river trip and ostrich farm. As always, you had the most fun and was indulged with your favourite biscuits. You are still talking about the trip til today.

Getting ready for the water park

The farm worker communicating the ostriches

The ostriches eggs were huge and almost impossible to crack

Weird looking cross bred chicken that had a bad hair day

This one had a hard day at work and was soundly asleep, its not dead if you are wondering

Was this imported from Pandora in the movie Avatar?

Some Fatherly Advice

Recently, Daddy went for a church wedding and the pastor gave the newly weds 3 words, Commitment, Contentment and Consecration. While, I can relate the need for the former 2 qualities in a relationship, no offence to you if you are ever going to be a Christian, I think the last C should be Conscience instead. Why? Consecration is to be holy through a relationship with God, with a good relationship with God brings you a good relationship with your spouse. If you are not a Church go-er, this might sound 'bulls**t' to you, but think carefully, search deeper and you realise by having the same conscience (values, principles or ethics) with your spouse towards life will quite frankly provide a meaningful relationship. So, to crudely put it, to me, God in this case is but a tool for 2 person to share common values (I chose the word conscience cos it started with the letter C, but you know what I meant) in their lifes together. Whether, you are reading this when you are 15 or 25 years of age, I hope I make sense to you. With my infamous short term memory, I hope I can share with you more in future.

Love, Daddy

Raising My Spirited En Xi

2011-02-11T00:08:00.001+08:00

For those who have been followed through our blog, or had a chance to meet my Mei Mei in person, you will probably realize by now that she is nowhere near a compliant child.

Don't be fool by my angelic smile, I can be your worst nightmare..hwahahahahah

For the longest time, we have been hoping that she might outgrow her challenging nature once she gone past her babylicious stage. When she blew her 3 candles last month, I have decided to resigned to fate that her package is here to stay. Edwin is also increasingly concerned with this feisty tike, and why every simple task seems like a Mount Everest calling for her. Nothing gets completed without a dose of tantrums. And on good days when she decided to give us a break, it feels almost like striking TOTO!

You can't make me...neh neh ni boo boo

As more and more of our peers join us in the Parents Society, we can’t help feeling concerned when we see how their kids are just so easy to handle. This is also where I will get to meet 2 typical mummies, who are capable of pulling my emotions either ways.

Meet The Competitive Mum, who will rave about how their precious has accomplished the Toddler 101 milestones, and casting a discerning look at Mei Mei, complete with the unspoken judgment that it must have been something that we haven’t done right. We do wonder sometimes, if we have indirectly fed her willfulness because we chose not to use the rod. It might have been easier to keep her in check if we have decided to go with the negative reinforcement from the start. But I was the more determined one not to, as using the rod would have been an easy way out, and I believe I know what’s best for her. At this point, the Tiger Mums out there might snare at me, as this might be a totally unacceptable parenting theory in their world. I have been brought up in a traditional Chinese family, where defiance is not an option for girls. I may be the compliant child that my mum is always proud of. However, it is also obvious that I lack the adventurous spontaneity like my brothers and always drawn to the politically-correct way of life.

Now for my favorite friend; The Empathetic Mum who will assure us that we are not alone. Instantly, our conversations will always progress to be somewhat like a support group discussion, exchanging our fair share of nerve-wrecking experiences.

Some people advocate kids of Mei Mei’s nature as the “strong-willed” child - a term that I was first introduced to when we attended a parenting workshop. It was then that we seemed to have found the perfect explanation to Mei Mei’s behaviour.

As I actively seek more enlightening answers to manage Mei Mei’s strong-willed traits, I chanced upon a book recently by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka - “Raising Your Spirited Child”.

Here’s a peek of the traits that characterises a “spirited” child:

Intensify - "..They never whimper; they wail. They can skip into a room, smiling and laughing only to depart 30 secs later inflamed."

How can I not concur with this when most days with En Xi is like watching “Dr Hyde and Jekyll” Live in Action, and it totally resonates with Edwin's exasperation that she can never take “No” for an answer.

Persistence – “…They are committed to their task, goal-oriented, and unwilling to give up. Getting them to change their minds is a major undertaking.”

I remembered those days during Shichida when cold sweat will shivered down my forehead whenever we have writing activities. She simply refused to let me hold her hand to guide her, and insist to color all the characters when we were instructed to trace them instead. And the bedtime lights-out ordeal, when she always wants to read the last, last, last storybook till we have exhausted all the books she can possibly find.

Sensitivity - “…Keenly aware, spirited kids quickly respond to the slightest noise, smells, lights, textures, or changes in mood. “

This is how most of our photo-taking sessions will end up

The every morning saga of getting her to change into her uniform is never something we look forward to, as she will end up cladding something of her choice after some dramatic struggles. And not forgetting her recent strike during 1^st day of CNY, when she refuses to change into the cute cheongsum outfit I’ve painstakingly select for her, as she keeps insisting that it’s not a dress but a shirt.

The poor CNY dress that never make it to daylight

Perceptiveness - ”…It takes them 10 minutes to get them from the house to the car.
They notice everything.”

I feel a sense of relief to know that we are not some crazy parents who have to always carefully strategized every outing, starting from something as simple as a short walk from the MRT, as thou it’s one of Edwin’s ATEC misson, to avoid any potential eye contact with tear-inducing suspects such as playgrounds. Even the same walk to the bus-stop (that takes less than 3 mins) seems like eternity as she always manage to discover something new to amaze at.

Adaptability – “…Spirited children are uncomfortable with change. They hate surprises and do not shift easily from one activity or idea to another..”

This probably accounts for the taxing emotional strikes she put up when she first started full-day preschool a month ago.

By Page 10 of this book, I can’t help thinking that they should re-name the title to “Raising Your Spirited En Xi” instead.

As the book has rightfully pointed out, life with my Spirited En Xi are equally rewarded with prized moments of joy and laughter. She will ambush us with disciplinary words such as “Don’t shout”, “Cannot push”, “Say sorry” when we haven’t been observing the same ground rules that we have laid down for her. And of cause how everyday is her birthday, and we have to conduct the cake-cutting ceremony and sing her the “Happy Birthday” song for the 10,001th time…her daily supplement of warm snuggles (usually complete with a Olympic dive into our arms) the moment we step through the door…and how she likes to orchestrate a music performance at home, and getting everyone to be part of her rock ensemble, creatively using make-shift instruments such as cup covers as cymbals.

I'm so happy to be the free-spirited child!!

I’m looking forward to uncover more insightful tips in this book and hope to share some successes in the near future. For a start, it has definitely help to reinforce my unwavering belief that Fate must have its own plans for her, and setting her up for something out of the usual run of things. Stay tune for more updates on my Spirited En Xi!

En Xi’s 3rd Birthday Bash – The Pink Party

2011-02-08T12:36:00.001+08:00

The planning for En Xi’s birthday bash was rather an impromptu thought. From the original intent of just having a small get-together with just our immediate family members, the guest list became longer, and the scale of the setup became bigger each time we speak.

The theme of this party was unsurprising. Since the day she knew how to distinguish colors, she only has eyes for pink. Anything that she could lay her eyes on has to be pink; from her pink shoes, pink PJs, pink bag, and…. even her kite has to be pink! And somehow when she knew that her birthday was approaching, she has been raving about having a pink birthday cake (complete with pink candles) every day. So, Mummy decided to worship her obsession with pink, as a hallmark of her growing-up fetish.

Her much-awaited birthday pressie

Her Pinkie Pink frock

For a change, we decided to take the party outdoors so that we can relieve ourselves from the post-party cleaning up. It was probably the best decision that Daddy had made, as the abundance of space allow the little guests to roam freely, while parents gets to relax in the comfort of the cool breeze. I believe the highlight for the kids was the bouncy castle we rented, something we always wanted to do but constrained by the space at home.

Thou the weather weren’t too kind to us that day, Heroes of the Ong Family save the day with their perfect co-ordination of BBQ culinary skills amidst the heavy drizzle.

The Chef SWAT - Ah Peh, Ye Ye, Daddy

As for me, the classic moment has always been the cake-cutting ceremony, seeing how the kids awed over the cake and basking in the joy of singing the “Happy Birthday” song.

A precious cameo moment - finally En Xi managed to look straight and smiling into the camera

Till…Shou Cong Gor Gor intercepted the anticipated moment of the candle-blowing ritual, En Xi’s angelic face suddenly transformed into a state of distress! We were quick to lit up the candles again and avoid the joyous event from turning into a “bloodshed”. This time, En Xi was determined not to let anyone spoil her day, cautioned Shou Rui Gor Gor with a stern look saying “Shou Rui Gor Gor cannot blow!” (for the record, they immediately became BFF again once they are back at play).

Pink Cake + Pink Ice-cream = Ultimate happiness for En Xi

En Xi, we hope that you’ve enjoyed your pink party!

Love you always, Mummy n Daddy :)

A new year, a new addition

2011-01-05T21:30:00.001+08:00

Mummy has been out of blog action for the last couple of months.

In case Mei Mei is wondering - why isn't Mummy contributing as much to my blog? Don't worry darling, I still love you loads and you are still my best, best, bestest friend (our private joke with Charlie n Lola).

As some of you may not know, I'm expecting No.2 now! The baby is coming in May 2011, and the first trimester was really rough for me (it pretty much feels like how you have party so hard the nite before, I felt the same every day throughout the first 3 months). And kudos to Edwin for taking care of Mei Mei to allow me more rest time.

This changes everything..Again

How is Mei Mei coping, many asked me. I have to say that she is coping very well, thou she was a tad emo when we first broke the news to her (leeching to me on the all the time, and oops, she bite again...). But in these couple of months, she seems to have ease well into her impending role as the Big Sister En Xi.

Mummy is a Kangaroo
I've heard about how it's important to prep her that Mummy will not be able to carry her as before, so that she doesn't harbour any negative feelings towards No. 2. So, I started telling her that Mummy is a kangaroo so hugging her might hurt the joey in the pouch. She understands it pretty well, turns to Daddy when she needs someone to carry her. There was once I wanted to carry her, and this little darling told me "Mummy is a kangaroo, cannot carry." (and she said it with a very serious look, as thou she is chiding Mummy for not knowing the rules).

En Xi Jie Jie
We always talk about how she is going to to be a Jie Jie soon, and how she can help take care of the baby with us. Sometimes, she will suddenly point to herself and say "Call...En Xi Jie Jie". Weirdly, she will use a exceptionally gentle tone when she "speaks" to the baby, or sing to the baby her favorite "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" lullaby at nite. Quite an unusual behaviour, considering that she talks at the top of her voice most of the time in the household!

Are you the baby?

It was quite a hilarious incident when she attended her first gynae checkup at about 4 months of my pregnancy. While Doctor Lisa was doing the ultrascan, she was very fascinated with the visual of the baby and heart beat. Somehow, I think she got confused, wondering where on earth that came from. She actually turn to Doctor Lisa and asked, "Are you the baby?".

The 1st Xmas Present

Mei Mei received her first pressie from Didi (yes, it's a prince!) during Xmas. I think she was quite excited about it!

It's amazing how the arrival of this baby is influencing Mei Mei, and I'm glad that it's turning out to be on a positive note (fingers crossed!). I also know that the remaining 5 months will be a particularly precious window for Mei Mei, to be able to indulge in our exclusive, undivided attention. Against all cautionary advice, we have decided to continue to let her bunk into our room, as nothing beats a morning that is greeted by her beaming smile!
-

Dora, but only in Pink pls

2010-10-30T15:10:00.001+08:00

A Happy En Xi in her new Pink Dora Nightie (Daddy bought this from Big W 'Mega store akin to Carrefour' in Rockhampton 'Beef Capital of Down Under', Australia)

Its funny how time seems to be an eternity when you are away from your kids. For the umpteen time (I lost count), Daddy is away for overseas work yet again. Its even more weird when you get home and never fail to notice even the most subtle differences in your kid. While it may seem trivial, every parent will always feel the need to exclaim and share with the whole world. So, here I go.

All Dressed Up and Ready for School

As always, you are taller and heavier, 96cm and 13.6kg to be exact. Your linguistic skills are picking up and you are able to express stuff such as, "Its ok Daddy, I'm ok, we can do it again." Unfortunately, your ability to follow instructions is still very much left to be desired. Your obsession with 'Pink' and 'Dora' has done to a whole new level. You are refusing to wear your uniform for school and this has been going on for a month plus now. The only outfit for school is the Pink 'Dora' T-shirt that Ah Ma has bought for you, matched with an orange leggings with a touch of pink, coupled with Pink 'Dora' back pack and Pink 'Hello Kitty' Crocs. We think you are getting over our heads as you always come home from school with the uniform on. Gotta catch up with your teacher for some tricks these days.

Personalised 'Dora' Themed Booster Seat

During my time away from home, Ah Ma finally managed to cajole you into sitting at our dinner table for meals, but at the expense of giving up the baby chair. The adult chair was too low for you, but you insisted on nothing else and we had to give in. So, off I went to look for a booster seat for you and I was exasperated when you refused to even try to sit on it. The problem? It was blue, not Pink! I should had guessed and made the colour of my choice as my primary criterion for selection. There was no exchange policy and Ah Ma came to the rescue again and suggested that you personalise the booster seat by pasting Dora stickers on it.

So much for 'Pink' and 'Dora', your favourite book from the library now is titled 'My Best Best Friend' of Charlie and Lola series. Daddy ponders if he'll ever be your best best friend in future.

Story Telling

2010-09-22T19:00:00.006+08:00

Since at an early age, bedtime stories have been a habitual routine for En Xi. Every night, when we say “time for milk”, En Xi will rush into her room and grab her favourite books. She then tosses the books on the bed and lies down with both arms out stretched, reaching for the milk bottle. As she slurps down her fix, we sit down next to her and start reading. Before you know it, she bumps her milk bottle onto your hand to indicate that she’s done. This consummates with her licking her lips profusely in delight, before she sits ups pointing to a book and says “How about this one?”

I’m glad to have had adopted this habit as it allows us a little bonding time every night and more importantly, nurtures En Xi’s interest in reading. As a matter of fact, she has enjoyed bedtime stories so much that she looks forward to bringing back new books from the library. Sometimes, En Xi will read to us, albeit with the occasional prompting. Once done reading, she looks up and the sparkle from her eyes and warmth smile instantaneously energise us.

With En Xi’s affection for reading and her showing symptoms of bad mannerism, such as snatching and gobbling down her favourite snacks. We came up with a brilliant plan to cultivate her values by reading cautionary tales. Our first book was “Say please, Louise!” by Roxbee Cox??? A large text graphical book with emphasis on the phrase “Say please, Louise! A please and thank you is all that’s needed.” At the start, we were taken by surprise with her ease of reciting ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ as we flip through the pages. But I guess we did not explain when and how to apply the appropriate mannerism nor did we allow her to practise enough. It all seems confusing for her in the beginning. At times, she said ‘Thank you’ before asking for things and often hurries off without saying ‘Thank you’ when she gets her stuff. Eventually, our constant reminders and patience paid off. Finally, En Xi was able to communicate ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ in the right situations.

Delighted and encouraged by En Xi’s progress, we decided to introduce more cautionary tales by the same author, such as “Don’t be Greedy, Graham!” and “Don’t be a Bully, Billy!” But it seems tougher than before, now when we ask “Can we be Greedy or Bully?” She would spontaneous reply “Yes!” much to our dismay. But I’m sure she’ll be on the right track in no time, all we need is a little more patience.

A little Daddy-Daughter Time meeting up with En Xi Favourite Cartoon Character

Communicating, the En Xi way

2010-09-05T02:20:00.001+08:00

En Xi: Daddy! I want milk.

Daddy: Here you go.

En Xi: (knocks on ah ma's room door) Ah Ma! I blow milk.

Ah Ma: Blow milk? What blow milk?

En Xi: (pointing to the sofa, smiling) There! I blow milk!

Ah Ma: Oh oh... That's vomit... Are you okay, En Xi?

That was 3 weeks ago. The only positive out of the incident was her smile, proudly pointing at her puke as though it was cool. En Xi was down with stomach flu and among many other virus that hops along the sick wagon were a bout of flu, fever and phlegm. This prompted a drop in appetite and feeding became somewhat laborious. To make matters worse, En Xi started to thin down and felt like a bag of bones when we bathed her. Naturally, Mummy felt really bad and began her 'its all our fault' theories of feeding too much this and that or sleeping too late, etc, etc.

Getting ready for beach and insisting on wearing her swimwear while we pack our bags

Fortunately, En Xi recovered in time for our 2nd Bintan trip this year and what great fun we had. We had more company and my parents together with my brother's family were able to join us. So it was great thrill for En Xi as her BFF (Best friend Forever), Charlene Jer Jer (that's how En Xi calls Charlene) was there. We managed to visit the beach and pool on each of the 4 days we were there. Every morning, we are greeted with her saying "I want to go ah beach!" Speaking of which, we came to realise that En Xi talks in a very Singlish way. In fact, most of her speech contains the adjective "ah". Examples such as:

I go ah beach.

I want ah biscuit.

I want ah chee choo. (which means pacifier and I have no idea how she came up with that)

That's ah spider.

And the list goes on.

"Diao Deng" eyes with baywatch pose

En Xi has also started communicate herself a little better and is able to take simple instructions such as "Keep your toys", which comes in very handy, albeit with a little persuasion and reward at times. She is also able to state her needs and is quite comical at times (at least to mummy and daddy). There were times when daddy and mummy are engrossed in our own conversation and En Xi will stand up, raise both her hands in the air, shouting, "STOP! STOP!" She then bows her head, frown and look at us with her "diao deng" eyes, demanding for attention. What can I say? The kid never gets enough attention!

Another screaming episode

Of course, there are times, when En Xi is just sweet. Sometimes, but rarely, she tries the soft approach to get her way by grasping her hands together, tucked under her chin and with her sweetest possible voice, "Daddy.... How aboooout... biscuit?" This normally does the trick and we give in to her demands. Most of the time, she just spreads herself on the floor and starts wailing. I must say En Xi has great stamina, she can keep going with her face turned red and tears streaming down like a tap. At times, taking a break, with a deep breath and yawn before she starts the next salvo. And what do we do, we give up and accede to her demands again.

The little one never keeps still

(This photo doesn't quite relate to what I'm writing here, but I just like this photo, so what the heck?)

Once in awhile, we pretend to be angry before she starts her nonsense. What does En Xi do? She stands in front of us and says," Angry?" Starts shaking her hips, dancing and sings," Wiggles, wiggles! Dibo Dibo Dee?" That's her way of cheering us up.

Last, but not least, my favourite phrase from her when I tickle her neck with my rough stubble on my chin. "Daddy, why you do that?"

The hair on my chinny chin chin never fails to make En Xi laugh

I love National Day

2010-08-24T23:53:00.001+08:00

Ever since the school started to prepare En Xi for the National Day celebrations, they have been incorporating the national day medley songs as part of their daily choir practice. En Xi seems to be hooked to singing it, and she can sing all day whether she is painting, bathing, before bed and not forgeting..whenver she sees a Singapore Flag.

I never knew that our national day medleys can have such an influence on her! It has definitely made it to her top 10 Billboard KTV list, replacing "Happy Birthday" as the most sung number.

Here's her rendition of the 2 favorite songs.

p/s Thou she didn't quite exactly get every word correctly, but I have to say I enjoy it anyways!

Princess Pink

2010-08-01T15:28:00.001+08:00

Call me Princess Pink ok!

Since a few weeks back, you have officially proclaimed yourself as "Princess Pink" & try to associate anything you can to be "Princess Pink".

The Rock-Pink look

You only want to change into this only pink bubble-dress pyjamas we have, else you will go hysterical and wail as thou it's end of the world. Once you have successfully coerce us with your emotional blackmail and squeeze yourself into the pink frock, you will point to yourself and say "I Princess", complete with a 360-degrees ballerina spin. (p/s Whenever it rains, we will get very stressed cos it means that you pink pyjamas may not be dried in time...that means that it's trouble for us again)

When we start counting the characters in "Twelve Dancing Princesses" story, you will go "1, 2, 3 ....12 and ...(pointing to yourself) 13."

Whenever you see Mummy in this particular dress, you will say "Mummy, Princess"and insist that Mummy do the ballerina dance number, just like the way you did.

Once Daddy tries to tease you and say you are too fat to be a princess (while pointing to your inflated tummy that forever looks like you just had 2 bowls of rice), you will get upset and insist firmly "I Princesss!"

You try to change the lyrics of this alphabet phonics song to suit your Princess fetish. This is how it goes, "Itchy Princess (instead of the original "Itchy Insect"), I, I, I.....this is the sound I hear".

Your extreme obsession with pink color...that's one of the constant headaches we have every day. It started with your shoes, as you will not wear any of them except the pink one. Even if we managed to tactically trick you into wearing another color, you will eventually find out and insist that we removed it immediately (even thou we are walking in the middle of the road). You always have an issue with your uniform (which is not pink) and insist that we change you into some pink top or dress that you have picked. Even when it comes to brushing, you will always choose the pink toothbrush, despite it being so old and worn. And when it's bathtime, you refuse to bath till we wave some pink outfit at you.

It can be very trying sometimes, especially when we try to dissuade you from looking like a pink panther. But it will never pass your "screening" check in front of the mirror, and we have to remove anything un-pink.

Pink makes En Xi happy!

Nonetheless, that's what make you sooo cute. Mummy was exceptionally relieved that you have inherited the genetic vain DNA from me. As for the longest time, I was getting quite worried that you may turn out too boyish since u are never the typical girl-lish persona.

I'm Mummy's Mini-Me

My relatives always tell me that you are just like a mini-me, and reminds them so much of me when I was young. The only contention came from PoPo cos she always feels like you are the much dare-devil version (unlike me, who was most of the time sitting quietly at one corner and barely could be heard).

Parenting

2010-07-22T10:01:00.005+08:00

A picture taken at the Singapore Night Festival 2010 that Daddy really liked

Recently, Daddy went for a Secondary School gathering and somehow got to know a few more friends, rather than catch up with old ones.  There, Daddy met a SAHM (Stay At Home Mum) and we spoke at length on some parenting matters.  One such conversation that got Daddy thinking again was the effect of enrichment programs for kids.  Enrichment programs in the "Little Red Dot" is a BIG thing, as you will know when you grow up that Education is everything and all that matters in our country.  Some might beg to defer, but for a guy who works in the civil service and watch countless inapt superiors get a pay rise for doing half the work of what I do, this idea kind of sinks into my head.  Ok, enough ranting for now and back to the subject proper.

One of many places that Daddy and Mummy brings you to cultivate your artsy fartsy roots

I was explaining the routines of your everyday with regards to the homework in the evenings and stressing the importance to keep up or drop out.  But my new found friend opined differently and only subscribes her kids to nursery and kindergarden.  No additional enrichment programs and lets her kids play all the time and as much as they want, but of course within limits.  She said, "Kids are going to start carrying big and heavy textbooks from 7 years of age, let them have their childhood, they will learn to write and read anyway."  Wow, you better start thanking this lady when you grow up and happen to bump into her in future.  She was right in her way and I can understand that to a certain extend, while learning to pick up life skills early is important, such as writing and reading.  It is only a matter of time you will learn these skills, what's more important is to let you enjoy this process.  That is why I'll continue to read to you every night because the bonding is just great and irreplaceable for me.  You'll also be glad to know that you will be ending your enrollment to Shichida classes by the end of the year.

Ok, let's stick to play now, shall we?

Daddy was reading the New York Times and came across 2 interesting articles that might be of interest if you are a parent.  Sometimes, we wonder what we do as a parent actually helps.

Accepting That Good Parents May Plant Bad Seeds

We marvel at the resilient child who survives the most toxic parents, yet the converse — the notion that some children might be the bad seeds of more or less decent parents — is hard to take.

http://nyti.ms/8Z1MDu

   Computers at Home: Educational Hope vs. Teenage Reality
Researchers measuring a home computer’s educational value to a schoolchild in a low-income household are finding that test scores tend to go down, not up.

http://nyti.ms/aOiiLl


There's so much talk about filial piety these days, Daddy wonders if you will hold onto Daddy and Mummys' hands when we are old, just like we once did when you were young.

Growing up Together

2010-07-19T16:53:00.002+08:00

My journey with En Xi for the past 2.5 years has bought quite a fair bit of reflections for myself. At times, it has led myself to question the beliefs, values and principles that I hold so truly in life, but more significantly, it has led to another level of understanding between Rei and myself.

There are times when I wonder if I'm strong enough when the going gets tough with you? Will I wobble and succumb to your bidding? Is bending backwards for the sake of complimenting one another's parenting styles the way forward? What if Mummy don't agree with Daddy? Should there be define roles and areas of scrutiny for each parent? If yes, then what happened to bringing you up as parents where couple-hood is the core and nucleus of a family? What about your speaking rights? What do you believe?

Lion or Fish? Is it even Real?

Here are 4 examples of distinctly different parenting styles:

1. 'Spicy' Tapioca Snack

The family shares a pack of spicy tapioca snack, you kept wanting to try it and kicks a big fuss over it. We can let you have it and you will understand the meaning of 'spicy' when we say 'spicy'; or just keep the pack out of sight and consume when you are out of sight.

2. Fun in the Playground

You start to walk and climb, we can continue to run behind you in case you fall; or watch from a distance and intervene where a fall can mean dire consequence.

3. Let's go Now

You refuse to walk towards the right direction and insist on moving your way. We can walk up and reason with you; or watch from a distance that is slightly out of sight to let you understand who's the boss.

4. Eat it all up

People should always finish every bit of food on your plate unless they are too full; or leave pockets and bits of rice on your plate when you are done cos it don't matter anyway.

Ultimately, the differences are what they are because of one's upbringing. The values imparted from the grandparents may or may not left an impression on the parents. The parents chose to see the positive or negative of each belief, coupled with the environment they grew up in and the type of exposure one's get, particularly in school and work is what very much defines the parent. If the parents are so different from one another, then the question is how can 2 seemingly different persons become a couple? Your guess is as good as mine, but I chose to believe that positive attracts negative, bad attracts the good, and we are together precisely because we compliment one another.

Little Pigs Little Pigs Let me in...

2010-06-27T01:03:00.009+08:00

Taken from a Batik Market in Bali

En Xi's favourite bedtime story for the moment is "Three Little Pigs". Sometimes, when she is in the mood, she will even read together with me, but of course, she can only say "Little Pig, Little Pig, Let me in" or "Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin". I guess these two phrases are her favourite parts. In fact, we think that you are having one of those "talking outburst" many parents told me about. Its funny, how sometimes she speaks, but then again, every parent feels the same for their kid. Here's one of the those moments when my parents came back from Korea:

(Knocking at Grandparent's Room)

En Xi: Ah Ma! Ah Ma!

(Grandpa opens the door)

Grandpa: Yes, En Xi?

En Xi: Are you tired?

Grandpa: Ha ha, yes, very tired.

En Xi: Ah Ma Sleeping?

Grandpa: Yes, she is.

Her favourite impromptu phrase includes, "Mmmm, I think, Ah Pink!" when she see's her favourite colour pink. When she is playing and drops something that she associates with feelings, she will go, "Are you ok?" And let's not forget her favourite phrase, "Dun want dun want, Bu Yao Bu Yao".

Inverted shades for the flat nosed one

It has been 2 weeks since En Xi went school. Not because of illness, but rather, we went for yet another trip. This time to Bali, its been 8 years since Rei and myself stepped foot on Bali. In fact, back then, that was our first trip together. As always, it was a blasting time for En Xi, not so for Rei, but not too bad for me. We kind of think En Xi is a born swimmer, because she is never afraid of the water. Despite being submerged in water and gulping pool water for 2 sec or so, En Xi still gets her head up with a big smile on her face. After the trip, it was a week of school term break, while Rei and I get back to work. We knew that keeping En Xi entertained while she is at home all day will prove to be a challenge. Hence, we bought quite a number of books and toys for her. Not only that she was painting for almost every other day. There's also this fascination about bubbles and spraying water onto herself that she finds funny. These days, kids really have all the fun, at times I wonder if we spoilt En Xi too much, the Bali trip was to be the sixth trip for her and her fourth time on board a plane.

En Xi is still quite a bully, impatient and at times very irritating.

En Xi's tendency to bully kids younger than her is something we can't quite understand. Today she went onto her biting rage again when her cousin, Julian was trying to sit on a rocker that she was just done playing. So "Pai Seh" for both of us, but more worrying is this continual trend. Since she started holding onto a pencil/pen, she never like us to help her hold the pencil to write or draw.

En Xi's impatience can be best observed when she's trying to fit things into fillings that are obviously too small. Things such as trying to fit her Hello Kitty umbrella into her little Dora handbag or trying to fit the hardcover books into the same bag. Then, she starts going into those mini foot stomping, followed by flinging herself backwards onto the sofa while wailing at the same time.

2 recent episodes demonstrate En Xi's potential to be a very irritating person. Episode 1: En Xi didn't want to sit in her car seat and despite all attempts to get her own way, she was strapped up tight in the car seat. Unhappy with the treatment she received, she pout her lips and crossed her arms, while using her right leg to hit Rei's leg repeatedly. Episode 2: En Xi was lying down face up and watching Dora on my iPod Touch while I was cleaning her up after she pooped. Maybe she felt the strain on her arms and she proceeded to reach for my hands to hold the iPod for her.

Tackling the Problem

2010-06-04T16:23:00.005+08:00

The above painting is your masterpiece, titled "Lady" and it cost Mummy $25 to bring it home from the School's event, "Art Feast". Apart from paying the exorbitant school fees, now we have the privilege of being 's**kers' to actually pay for what you drew in school in order to bring it home. Of course, it was our choice to buy it or not, but then again, no parents would want to miss this milestone for their child, wouldn't they? In case you are wondering, you drew on a much larger paper and had the teachers to guide you or the paper. Nonetheless, its still quite artsy.

Anyway, after Daddy's complaints in the earlier postings, something disturbing happening in school of late. Your teacher called and told Mummy that you actually bit 2 of your friends in school. Now, this truly came as a shock. Even though you are at times (mostly) a tough kid to handle, I had yet to witness you being a bully. After the traumatising experience that day, you came home and was particularly moody. You were being rude again and Mummy was putting you in place before you sat down and bit yourself in the arm. This aren't any good and there can only be 2 reasons why you did that, (1) you did not know how to express your unhappiness and resort to self harm or (2) your teacher asked you to bite yourself to see if its painful when the other 2 victim friends cried. Daddy thinks its the former reason. The teacher even went on and on and suggested (by the book) that you may suffer from mild autistic as she noticed you had troubles concentrating and taking simple instructions. This caused Mummy to suffer a mild depression for a day, but Daddy just think that the teacher was so full of sh*t. Fortunately, our worries were dispelled over the immediate weekend when we went for a couplehood seminar that had some talk on parenting. Your behavior is classified as the strong will-ed child and we have good reasons to think you are one. Although you have problems looking directly at us when we talk and can't seem to take simple instructions, we realised that you actually hear us when we talk and know when to look at us (when you want something). Coincidentally, Daddy is on a 2 weeks break from work and with your grandparents on a holiday to Seoul, Korea, Daddy is on a mission to set things right.

Alfresco Dinning

But before Daddy can start on improving your mannerism, I gotta start to learn how to cook for you. Daddy is proud to improve his cooking ability from 1 dish (maggi mee) to 6 dishes (fried rice, mashed potatoes, porridge, pancake, bee hoon soup and maggi mee). Taking care of you by myself in the day for a straight 5 days was a first for Daddy and I'm proud to say that I had managed to survive through unscathed. Now back to our problem, the biting problem seems to be gone away and I kind of tried to fix a routine for you, getting you to eat, sleep and play at the right time with the right rules. It was difficult in the beginning, but you did showed improvement and even took the initiative to get the books when its time for your afternoon nap. Bathing and changing your nappies are no longer a struggle and getting you up and ready for school is now a breeze. But the biggest take away is that you now know when we are upset with you and you know it when you are in the wrong. Although you still enjoy slapping me in the face, you are more sincere with your apology (don't ask me how, I just know).

I guess this leads to the morale of the story, no matter who takes care of the kid, be it the grandparent, the teacher at the childcare center or the maid. Nothing beats having the parent to spend quality time with your child. A marked improvement was achieved in a week, can you imagine the difference a SAHM (stay at home mom) would make to the kid? (hint hint to Mummy.. :P) Daddy always though he was a great dad who spends quality time with you on weekends, but I guess when you are young and is still finding your feet in this world, quantity still outweighs the quality we share together.

Here's some pictures Daddy took 2 weeks ago when we visited the National Museum of Singapore (free) on the International Museum Day 2010 and the Rainforest Kidzworld @ the Zoo.

You never quite replicate your artwork from school, made me wonder if the picture was a fake?

Baywatch moment

As always, knocked out after another crazy day.

While Daddy is away

2010-05-16T10:48:00.000+08:00

Disclaimer: This is a super-belated post that Mummy was suppose to fill in months ago when Daddy was away. Along came a major career switch and it has been sitting in the "edit" list for the longest time. Nonetheless, Mummy will still like to share this post as it marks some of the remarkable moments that still tickles me.

Hello Doctor!

Mei Mei fell sick just days before the school holidays. For some reasons, she has been quite scared of visiting the Uncle GP, always attempting to escape before we make it through the clinic's entrance.

Let me out..

The 45mins of waiting time feels like hours, not because of anxiety but rather due to Mei Mei's hyperactive-ness in the clinic. Sometimes I wonder why she can be so active even thou she is unwell.

Preparing for seventeen

Gor Gors

As it's difficult to bring Mei Mei out when Edwin is away, the best place to hang out is always my brother's place. Mei Mei gets along really well with her 2 cousins now, a stark change ever since she turned 2. It's quite entertaining to see how they interact, everything just seems to funny.

Rehearsing "Yum Seng" for Uncle Sam's big day

Let's pretend

Role play has a new found meaning for Mei Mei since she step into her 2nd year of growing. In fact she wasn't really the typical girly type who likes to play her masak masak. She is always more attune to "destructional" games like dismantling her kitchen set or toys and fixing it back.

Here's some of her "pretend" moments which was quite refreshing for me:

- Transforming the multi-purpose hairband into both a sunglass and belt

- Using her princess rattan chair as a stroller for Pinkie

Stickers galore

This has been the all-time hobby for Mei Mei since she was a baby. I figure out that it's a good finger training exercise for her, and most importantly it can get her occupied for a long time while Mummy gets busy. What I thought was quite interesting is that she has this thing about stacking the stickers (instead of spreading it out) by pasting it on top of each other.

En Xi The Terrible Toddler

2010-04-30T22:50:00.006+08:00

Lately, we visited Bintan or a short weekend getaway at the Nirwana Resort Hotel. Not too bad a place and it was a well deserved break from our everyday routine. More importantly, I was our first trip as a family without the extended family. So, it was just you, me and Mummy. It was great fun as we indulged ourselves (you included) a great deal. From the thrill we had on the beach to the relaxing paddle in the pool to the fantastic seafood we had.

Anyway, today's update is about something that continues to bewilder both Mummy and me and is starting to be a cause for concern. While you are beginning to understand simple instructions and communicate your basic needs, you have quite a nasty temperament. Although, your favourite book and daily bedtime story is "Say Please, Louise", good mannerism is clearly not your cup of tea. Although, at time you will say please, you will say it in the most frustrating way possible with a hint of whining to the point of screaming and irritation. Something that goes "PPleeeeeaseee Argghhhhh!" Your "Thank you" when you eventually get what you wanted is in the softest manner possible and one that is never quite sincere and never said with the look into one's eyes. Daddy and Mummy have been inculcating good mannerism in you since day 1, but to no avail. We'll keep trying and hope that this is just part of the terrible 2.

Another daily event that simple drives us nuts is your refusal to bath and change diapers. In the past, when you refuse to bath or change nappy, Daddy would play some silly games with you, make you giggle and laugh till you forgot about having to clean yourself. Eventually, tricking you to the bathroom and getting the job done. Somehow, getting you to step near the bathroom has been tougher. The old tricks no longer work and to make matters worst, you don't even want to change into your pajamas. Sigh... I just hope that this is just one of your terrible 2 symptoms and hope that you will grow out of it soon.

You have a feisty character and it shows, all I can say is good luck to the man who marries you.

Nonetheless, Daddy and Mummy still love dearly and nothing beats seeing you with that ever so sweet, adorable and charming smile while you run towards us to give us a hug when we come home from work. And let's not forget that cheeky smile of yours.

CNY 2010 Outfits & Some Random Thoughts

2010-03-27T00:40:00.008+08:00

Mummy is away on retail therapy in Hong Kong over the weekend. At the same time, Daddy is on a few days of off-in-lieu after the overseas assignment. It felt great to connect with you again. Doing the simple things together again. Stuff like to sending you to school and back. Bathing you while playing gardening in the toilet, teaching you how to brush your teeth and feed you. Doing flashcards together and reading your favourite story books. Play catch at 'Polliwogs' and blowing bubbles and throwing balls at the Botanic Gardens tomorrow. And if you are game for it, maybe a trip to the Zoo for the water themed park on the day after tomorrow. I got the whole weekend lined up. And the best thing to this deal is to be able to exercise my own way of coaching and taking care of you. No offense to Mummy, but she's kindda of uptight and jumps instantaneously on any level 1 situation, but that's because she cares a lot about you.

Anyway, I shared with a couple of my colleagues and friends about the stuff we were gonna do together. Like any alpha-male, I had stares from my guy friends like I had eye liner on, asking me why I actually enjoy doing stuff like that. And my answer will be why would you actually ask a bewildering question as this? There is no doubt in me that I enjoy doing the difficult things (feeding you) as much as the fun stuff (play in the park). The bond that we experience and that magical smile never fails to brighten my day.

Some updates on you.

You have grown much taller since I last saw you and I guess its timely to buy one of those height measurement wall paper to chart your progress. You are able to express yourself much better with a few simple words, but is still unable to form structured sentences. You are still very very difficult to feed and is an extremely picky eater. I'm still afraid to bring you to shopping malls as you hate holding hands and run about oblivious to dangers around you.

One last thing, we are visiting your best friend (currently) aka Charlene tomorrow. Before I forgot, Grandma thinks you bully most kids who are smaller than you and that includes your cousin, Julian. Bad Girl.

To be a better man

2010-03-26T23:42:00.004+08:00

The highly anticipated Father Daughter Day (FDD) failed to materialise as Daddy was unexpectedly pulled back to work on every other day that was supposed to be an off day. So much for Work Life Balance... :( Somehow, work is not quite the same since Daddy scaled towards the supposing-ly greater things in his career. And like any garberment job, I can't quite rant about the hand that feeds me family.

Anyway, Daddy just came back from yet another overseas assignment and missed you dearly. Funny how 3 weeks seems like an eternity. As guilty as it may be, I kindda missed you more than Mummy. While this may not sound as a concern, it is important in my own humble opinion that the couple (in this your parents) must be the bedrock to this family. For a healthy family must begin with a couple with a healthy relationship. So for a start, you will always be second to Mummy.

Its funny how one changes him or herself as one grows up or ages.

Daddy remember himself as a rather rash and gutsy young man when he was in his early 20s. Often stepping on the toes of many and thinking that he is fulfilling the heaven's work as the global policeman. Kindda the ones in a martial arts drama serial set in the 1900s? Where there will always be a lead with suave looks and unbeatable skills who does nothing at all but being a busybody who pokes around everybody's business, while maintaining a lavish lifestyle without having to make a living and has plenty of $$ dropping out of the sky.

Then, Daddy met Mummy of course. Here, the responsibilities starts. You start thinking about the future, you make plans. I pretty much changed my outlook in many things in life. I certainly was much calmer in my approach to stuff. Another corny way to view this can be "Mummy was the 'ah lian' who manage to calm the 'ah beng' aka Daddy". You probably don't understand this when you read this, you need to read this, or alternatively maybe you can google for 'Young and Dangerous". You try to be a better person who thinks for the family and cares about the family. You want to be the person everyone can depend on.

Then, came you. If getting married made Daddy a more matured person, then having you made me want to be a better person. Allow me to explain, I possess many sins. I tear the tabs of the parking coupon and sheepishly ditch the torn off tabs on the floors of the carpark. I swear as if its part of the language we speak. I drop filthy tissue papers on the ground in the public when no one is looking and the list goes on and on. But all was to change one Monday at Six when En Xi arrived in my world. School can't teach values and the ways of life. The only person(s) who can do that is me and Mummy. That is why Daddy doesn't want to disappoint you and want to be the role model that every kid wishes for.

Wish me luck.

iPhone moments

2010-03-09T15:28:00.002+08:00

We are feeling quite guilty for not actively updating our blog. And it's really frustrating that we are losing track of the milestones of En Xi whenever we try to start a new posting. For me, the invention of iPhone is definitely a godsend to me! I'm quite disturbed by the tecnicalities of DSLR (I still have problems grapsing how aperture works!!) and the fact that I couldn't shoot as well as Edwin. All Apple inventions, starting from the simplicities I have experienced with Mac to my iPhone, it's what every working parent need to make the simple pleasures of documenting their little tikes so much more convenient.

Here's what our little girl has been up to recently:

1-2-3, Cheee-Cha!

She is more "camera-sensitive" now, are more open to posing for us. Thou it's still extremely challenging to take a still shot of her, but she does have her posey moments when she is a good mood.

This is what she likes to do on her way to school - singing, dancing...and

hidding behind the pillar pretending to play peek-a-boo.

The Spring/Summer Kids Collection 2010 - Just wear pink

Will the real green Shady please stand up?

Her new-found accessories is this green shades that she got from her Xmas pressies. The problem is ; En Xi has an extremely flat nose bridge, which makes it difficult to support anything on it. But seems like she has found a solution to address this problem - simply turning the shades upside down!

Mirror Mirror on the wall

She's into self obsession or is it talking to the infamous "secret friend" in the mirror? Clearly, she is beginning to develop Mummy's traits of being magnetized by any form of reflection she sees, and it amuses her to see herself making different expressions in the mirror.

Hey you in there, what's with the obiang color shades?

Guitar Heroine

Ah Ma just got a new toy for her recently - the pink electrico toy guitar. She has included that in her entourage of favorite things, carrying this with her wherever she is...even when she is watching the TV, she makes sure that it doesn't leave her side.

Personalizing her guitar with her Dora stickies

I love to behave..only in school

Surprisingly, En Xi turns out to be pretty well-behaved kid in school. I was appalled by how obedient she can be to her teacher's instructions, but a total opposite when she's at home. Recently she hasn't been co-operating well with me in Shichida classes, but as soon as the teacher came along, she instantly transforms into the angel who does exactly what the teacher need her to...what a chameleon!

Teacher Risa rewarding En Xi with a "Well-behaved Sticker" at the end of the class.

Meanwhile, Daddy is away again on an jungle expedition to Thailand, stay tune for more "exciting" adventures with me, myself and En Xi!

New Year's Resolution for 2010

2010-02-07T13:29:00.004+08:00

Let's rewind back 10 months ago and review Daddy's New Year Resolutions for 2009.

1. Be More Patient

2. Blog More

3. Read More

Daddy had a talk with Mummy and we both agreed that I had improved on pt 1 & 3, but can improve on pt 2.

Well, I guess I had been more patient with you, taking more time and effort in feeding you taking care of your needs. However, Daddy needs more patient on the road. Alternatively, Daddy can drive less and ride more often instead. Seems like patience is reserved for you and Mummy for now. Daddy is also glad that you would hurry and grab a book when its reading time.

Now, for the New Year's Resolution for 2010:

Daddy & Mummy thought that the new table and chair would be appropriate for you, since you had shown interest in reading and writing. And since you only took 1 day to vandalise your very own table, Daddy took the liberty to visually display his new year resolutions for you.

Your grandparents will be embarking on a short trip during the CNY week and Daddy so happen to be on a week's leave during this time as well. Daddy is looking forward to blogging down the everyday life as a SAHMD. Let's hope I can find the time.

Happy 2nd Birthday

2010-01-21T14:43:00.000+08:00

Well wishes from her kiddie friends

As the title of this post suggested, En Xi had a really happy day during her party. Contrary to the usual practice of going for the big hype on her 1st birthday, we decided for a more elaborate celebration on her 2nd year instead since she will be much older to appreciate what's going on.

"Dora" was the party theme, since she's the biggest fan of this popular Nick Jr character. Aside from some hiccups when airing the video we painstaking prepared over nights of OT, the party turned out better than expected. She was also completely awed by the Dora decorations, going "oooohhs", "waaahhhs" and "La-la" (how she reads Dora) when she saw her idol being plastered around the house.

High Five, Dora!

(p/s En Xi was obsessed with high-fiveing with this Dora balloon throughout the day)

Special mention to those who have made this successful bash possible:
Ah Ma - being the great Host and attending to our friends and family while we were busy running around.
Ye Ye - our resident's Precision Engineer; ensuring that every corner in the house is child-friendly.
Daddy - the Logistics Supervisor to ensure that the food and decorations were ready on time. And also the Creative Director of the video, adding the funny touches to make this such a wonderful production.
Uncle Sam - taking over our DSLR to capture the best moments of the party

And finally to all the kids who spent this special day with En Xi - Thanks for coming!

When can we eat ar?

Little Tyra with Big Sista Teri

Best shot of the day goes to - En Xi and Gong Gong

The grand finale of the party - Reveal of the Dora Birthday Cake

The Happy Birthday Song - a magical tune that instantly cheers up all the kids

(maybe they thought it was their birthday?)

The long-awaited Family Portrait

The Ong Family (with En Xi fascinated with her Dora cake)

The Wang Family (with En Xi STILL fascinated with her Dora cake)

The Friends that complete this party

The monstrous appetite of En Xi

Hola! We love Dora!

14 Jan 2010

2010-01-14T05:30:00.005+08:00

My precious Mei Mei,

You are turning 2 years old today, time really passes like a blink! You are officially a BIG GIRL now, and no longer the fragile baby that I once cradled tightly in my arms. Mummy is really proud of you that you have been a very brave girl, though that also means that your awareness for danger is still very worrying.You are capable of making your own decisions now, and the house is constantly resonating your "No", "Don't want" and "Please". Mummy really tries to be firm when you start your wilful acts, but my heart just melts when you say "Saw-Rui" (how you prounounce "sorry").

For some reasons, you've always been a very happy child. Sometimes I wonder if it's the enormous servings of milk you have everyday. Your cheeky smiles is a miracle potion that fuels my positive energy. No matter what setbacks I faced, the sheer mention of your name just dispels all my worries.

In no time, you may not want to manja Mummy like you do now. Before that happens, Mummy is going to indulge in your koala-bear cuddles for as long as it lasts. Looking forward to walk you through your next stage of milestones, and hope to hear you say your first "I love you" to me.

Happy 2nd Birthday En Xi, you are such a blessing to our family.

Love You, Mummy

All about En Xi (0 - 24 months)

2010-01-10T14:17:00.004+08:00

A re-collection of our memories with En Xi. Enjoy.

2009 Review

2010-01-02T14:55:00.016+08:00

Its a brand new year ahead for 2010 and its only timely that we should review the things you did in 2009.

5 Significant Events

1. A fever that wouldn't go away and persisted for 5 straight days. At times, even hitting the heights of 40 degrees. You were toasted! Your loved ones were worried sick.

2. Started Playgroup at YKidz. A 2 hour activity on weekdays that helped to develop your language, motor skills, character and many other things. Your parents are not the "Kiasu" type, but felt that you needed more discipline and 'fun' things to do while we were away for work. Anyway the playgroup did you good as it sets a routine into your daily life and you finally started taking your meals and naps on time.

3. Now for the "Kiasu" part. Yes! As much as all parents would hate to admit it, we are all "Kiasu". You will get it when you have your own kids in future. We enrolled you for Shichida, the secret ninja training school that teaches kids how to throw deadly daggers with a flick of your wrist.

I'm just kidding :p

The Shichida method is supposed to unlock that unexplored part of your brain and make you a genius. I know it sounds crazy, but all we ever wanted was to give you the best head start in life. Period.

4. You travelled thrice in the year of 2009, Melbourne in Feb, Phuket in May; and Perth in Nov.

5. You went for your first 'live' show - Hi 5.

5 Reasons Why Daddy Loves You

1. You run to Daddy with a big smile on your even bigger face when I come home from work.

2. You kiss Daddy goodnight every night without fail.

3. You say "Daddy Daddy" in the sweetest possible voice.

4. You have an awkward dance routine.

5. You have really chubby cheeks.

5 Reasons Why You Never Fail to get on Daddy's Nerve

1. You are a picky eater.

2. You have very bad manners.

3. You always throw tantrums.

4. You love to shout.

5. You love Mummy more than Daddy.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2009-12-31T00:00:00.031+08:00

This is a special tribute to our Super Daddy, whose birthday falls on the last day of the year, 31 Dec.

It's a very special day to many, as a result, he doesn't usually do a big celebration cos most of his friends are busy counting down to the new year. For me, it's especially meaningful as it's also the day that we'll review what went through the past 1 year, and pen down new resolutions together.

Thanks to the innovation of Mac, Mummy is able to put together this special project on the pretense that was suppose to be for Mei Mei's 2nd birthday. I decided it will be more meaningful to give some credit to Daddy, our unsung hero of the family.

Hopefully when I'm old and no longer nimble, En Xi will be able to carry on documenting the moments of Daddy, like how he has done it for you in this blog.

Darlin Ah Bin, hope to help you accomplish all the wishes you may have on ur birthday.

Love,
Wifey, Rei

Perth-fect Holidays 2009

2009-12-07T00:44:00.018+08:00

Planning for this year-end trip was something we were looking forward to, as Daddy will not be able to go on leave once he starts his new posting next year. Perth was rather an unplanned decision, largely because we have heard critics that it’s not a very exciting place, and to some people “boring” is how they will describe it. We were quite skeptical initially, not much expectations I would say. However, the scenic rides and pleasant climate really took our breath away!

Day 1 – Perth City
I was earlier warned that Perth is going to be different from all the cities i have been too. Thou I was prep, I still had a culture shock when there was barely anyone on the streets when we first arrived. As most of the shops was closed by 5pm, it’s actually a common sight in Perth. We were recommended by the CAT driver (Perth's city shuttle) to visit the so-called most happening F&B outlet, Northbridge. It's a street filled with restaurants that is easily covered with in our 10mins walk. Really took a while to get used to the culture, especially when it was totally a different extreme from its neighbour Melborne.

Ratio of car to people - 2:1

Day 2 – Freemantle, Perth

Took a scenic cruise ride to Fremantle along Swan Valley River. This marks the first of our first bad news of the trip - Mei Mei fell right after taking the 1st shot of the day, bruising both her knees badly. Luckily, that didn't quite affect her mood, although Mummy's face was black black after that.

Aside from Mei Mei, Ye Ye and Ah Ma was probably the next happiest people during the trip

The bane to Mei Mei's naughtiness - FOOD

A must-visit Fish And Chips place in Fremantle

Day 3 – Albany
We started our southern road trip from Perth City, 1st stop landing at Albany. A beautiful coastal town, and famed for it’s natural formation “The Gap” and “Natural Bridge”. Mei Mei was excited as usual, and it was extremely scary to see her dashing recklessly through the stone paths.

Catch me if you can!

I'm En Xi the Explorer..follow me!

The gigantic wind mills at Albany Wind Farm was simply breathtaking too, and a real eye opener on the power of nature! We ended the day with our familiar KFC, the best meal we had in Perth. Happily getting back the car, we were greeted by the 2nd bad news of the trip; the GPS was spoilt! Daddy was totally pissed, as without GPS, it’s akin to without ipod when Mei Mei is cranky (I will come to that later). Thank god, Daddy had the foresight to rent an Avis car, the only car rental shop that can be found at Albany airport. We manage to arrange for a replacement the next day to continue our journey.

Day 4 – Pemberton
Next stop was the famous Valley of the Giants walk at Demark. As it was still raining, we didn't get to do the walk. Nonethless, Mummy insisted to take a touristy shot of the signboard so we can tell people that we "set foot" there. Happily deciding to carry on our journey, Daddy realised that the engine couldn't be started at all. Here we are, stuck at the carpark amidst the heavy downpour with no mobile network! We were even planning for the worst case scenario that we may need to camp in the car. Luckily, the park ranger came to our rescue and help to jump start our battery again.

Finally we reached Pemberton, one of our most favorite pitstops. A place characterised by it's cool climate and people there are simply so laid back and relaxed. We even feel that they seem to talk a beat slower than usual. We stayed at a real authentic cottage house, Pemberton Breakaway Cottage.

The cottage was facing a wide farmland amidst the tall karri trees, we could even see sheeps roaming on the farm. However weather hasn't been too kind to us, as it was drizzling on and off most of the time. The only regret is that we only planned for 1-nite stay, and we didn't really get to explore the inside out of the place.

The tiny pink dot on the left is Mei Mei

Visited one of the wineries, dairy factory and a lavender & berry farm. Met a super rude waitress at the berry farm, who repeatedly got our lunch orders wrong 3 TIMES and made us wait for almost an hour.

One of En Xi's reading craze - pointing to words she came across and started reciting A-Z

By this part of the trip, Mei Mei was completely out of control . She will either refused to let us carry her or cry unstoppably on the floor when we refused to give in to her demands. The only thing that could stop her was FOOD & Dora on ipod!

Ice-cream - the godsend food that can tame even the most impossible child in the world

It's mine..hwahhahwhwhahhawhah!

Dora always saves the day whenever the grouchy monster acts up

Day 5/6 - Margaret River

Cape Leeuwin, a lighthouse that is a must see destination where the Southern and Northern oceans meet. Personally, I didn't find the lighthouse particularly facinating, rather it was the strong wind that really characterize the place. I think Mei Mei was pretty amused that she was steered like a drunkard by the strong wind.

We did another farmstay cottage at Margaret River Hideaway Farm. We were truly impressed with the 5-star facility, something unexpected from the understated outlook of the property. We will definitely recommend this to anyone who's looking for a value-for-money getaway. The animal feeding sessions definitely tipped off the experience, and I bet Mei Mei felt the same too with the up close and personal sessions with some of the exotic farm animals that the owner imported.

I'm want the bigger lollipop that is up there

Unfortunately on the next day, both Mei Mei and Ye Ye was both down. Ye Ye was having terrible runs, due to the overdose of cheese that went bad (he polished almost half of it the night before). Mei Mei's flu also worsened, so she was practically drugged from medicine by now. Mummy and Daddy finally managed to take a break while she was napping and did a short drive around. Daddy finally shown the biggest smile of the day when he saw the cure to his alcoholic craving - BEER.

Mei Mei gazing at the coffee beans roaster thinking that it was the chu-chu train

Mei Mei getting quite good with posing by the end of the trip

Day 7 - Perth City

We finally bidded farewell to the picturesque Margaret River and made our way back to Perth City. The warm hospitality that we encountered during our southern journey really left an impression. I can finally appreciate why some of my friends are completely in love with Perth. It's the relaxed pace and serenity that it's almost impossible in a city jungle like Singapore.

Despite our fair share of "perils" throughout the journey, we can't agree much enough that this is indeed one of the best trips we had for so far.

Perth, we will definitely come back for you again!

The road to recovery

2009-10-30T23:59:00.004+08:00

It's been almost a month since Mei Mei's viral saga. Things are finally back on track after a 1-week long fever.

Her intake of water was not still pathetic initially, and we have to find new ways every day to "con" her into drinking. Weirdly, she is only interested in drinking from the plastic cups from Starbucks, or the Sunkist juice bottle. Later which, we found out that her rejection for water is becos of the super-sized ulcers on the side of her cheeks. I can understand how painful it is with the constants bites by her growing molars...oouch.

It must been such a tough time on Mei Mei to have to go through so many ordeals during this time. Thankfully, Mei Mei has been a brave girl, still playful and cheeky despite that. Her appetite is recovering back to the norm recently. In fact, she is eating almost double the portion of her previous diet! She alway seems to be hungry, requesting for snacks or milk even right after a full meal. Now she is always spotted with an unusually pudgy tummy, like a little kangaroo.

She is also beginning to show-off more and more of her expanding vobabulary. Now she can articulate some of the animal pictures of the flashcards at ease. My mum used to tell me that that weeks of prolonged fever was a stage to prepare her for the next stage of growing up, and they will suddently wise up after that. I used to be doubtful of that, but I'm beginning to see some sense from her 58-years of seasoned caregiving experience.

Stay tune for more adventures when we are back from our Perth-fect trip.

A moment to think about

2009-10-30T23:42:00.005+08:00

Came across this meaningful story from one of the many chain emails. Usually, I don't treat them seriously, often deleting them before i even go beyond the 1st para. Somehow, this caught my attention and got me thinking. Thou,it's nothing new that they are saying but I guess it's such occasional snippets that remind us about the simple things we conveniently forgot. It has inspired me to focus on my "biggies" and get my "paddles" back on track.

Hope you enjoy the read.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Fight The Relationship Drift

Warning: There’s a cruel epidemic afflicting our families, our marriages, and our friendships. It’s called the Relationship Drift.

It’s a very devious disease. It’s like some cancers. You really don’t know you have it until it’s fatal. And then it’s too late.

And then Relationship Drift becomes Relationship Dead.

The only solution is to diagnose it early.

But the symptoms of Relationship Drift are almost invisible to the naked eye.

Because you’re not really fighting each other.

There are no screaming matches. In fact, your home is quiet. Like a convent.

And there are no pots and pans flying in the air.

And there are no bloody court cases.

But little by little, your hearts move apart.

Intimacy is gone.

Joy is missing.

In marriage, sex only happens every time Haley’s comet passes planet earth.

You take each other for granted.

One day, you know the disease had run its full course because you wake up one morning not caring for the other person anymore.

Let me give you examples of the Relationship Drift:

The father who doesn’t have heart-to-heart conversations with his kids anymore. Or the wife who doesn’t enjoy her husband’s company anymore. Or a couple who talk to each other functionally, not deeply. Or siblings who no longer laugh together, play

together, and eat together.

Here’s why: We live in a busy world.

Where bills need to be paid.

And cars need to be repaired.

And kids need to be fed, vaccinated, and neutered, er, I mean nurtured. (I know of parents who want to administer this little medical procedure to their kids when puberty comes along.)

My point? It’s natural that you drift apart.

You don’t have to be a bad person. You don’t have to be Adolf Hitler or The Joker. You don’t have to be obnoxious, selfish, or evil to cause the disease called Relationship Drift.

Let me give you an analogy.

Two people in a relationship are like two little boats floating on the sea.

Problem: There’s a current that will slowly pull the two boats apart. Before they know it, the two boats are miles away from each other.

Friend, there’s really only one way to fight the drift: Paddle!

If you don’t want to drift, you’ll have to go against the flow and paddle your way to each other. You’ll have to work hard, muscle your way, sweat like crazy and fight to be together.

I believe that the only antidote to Relationship Drift is to bond constantly.

If you don’t, the effects can be disastrous…

When We Don’t Fight Relationship Drift

In a previous article, I already shared these statistics from David Perdew.

David Perdew wrote this about “fatherless kids” in America. According to statistics, children from a fatherless home are:

· Five times more likely to commit suicide

· Thirty-two times more likely to run away

· Twenty times more likely to have behavioral disorders

· Fourteen times more likely to commit rape (this applies to boys)

· Nine times more likely to drop out of high school

· Ten times more likely to abuse chemical substances

· Nine times more likely to end up in a charitable institution

· Twenty times more likely to end up in prison for a long period of time

David Perdew says we either pay now or pay later.

And when you pay later, it always costs more.

My suggestion is to pay now.

Fighting the Relationship Drift is very difficult. But it’s easier paying now than paying later.

Here’s how to do it.

Time Management Isn’t The Answer

Do you want to spend more time with your family?

Time Management is not the solution.

I know a company who charges $759 per person for their Time Management Seminar. Let me save you $759 right now and tell you it doesn’t work.

These guys will teach you how to become experts in multi-tasking.

While you shave, mentally plan for your day.

While you drive, record your things-to-do in an MP3 recorder.

While sitting on the throne of life, make your phone calls.

While talking with your boss, floss your teeth.

I don’t believe in any of that.

Though I must admit, I’m guilty trying all of them.

Except for the flossing. (I don’t have a Boss.)

And believe me, these things don’t give you more time.

Worse, they take away your peace.

Here’s a principle you can take to the bank: Anything that takes away your peace won’t work in the long run.

Instead of Time Management, I teach people Biggies Management.

What Are Your Biggies?

If you really think about it, you can put everything happening in your life into two categories: Biggies and Smallies.

If you manage your Biggies, you manage your life.

It’s the secret to great success.

What are your Biggies?

People who don’t know their Biggies will be ruled by their Smallies. They’ll be lost boats in the sea, being pushed and pulled in various directions.

Your Biggies consists of the 4 most important parts of your life:

1. Your Family

2. Your Health

3. Your Mission

4. Your Spirit

Everything else are Smallies.

If you want to be successful, focus on your Biggies.

When you make your Weekly Schedule, write down the Biggies first.

Each of these Biggies can be broken down. But today, I’d like to share with you the Family Biggies that you need to do. These are the powerful ways to paddle against Relationship Drift.

Are you ready?

Create A List Of Untouchables

My romantic date with my wife is an Untouchable.

I told her that we’d have a romantic date every Tuesday night unless these three things happen:

1) President Obama calls up to consult me on high-level issues such as terrorism, global warming, and nuclear disarmament; or…

2) The Pope calls me to discuss some murky theological question that only I can answer (like “Did Adam have a belly button?”), or…

3) If a comet rams into earth, burning the entire planet’s atmosphere, and human life as we know it ceases to exist.

Aside from those three scenarios, nothing can touch my date with her.

Seriously, there are weeks when I’m travelling and we can’t date. But I see to it that when I fly back home, the first thing I do is spend a day with my wife and two boys.

Frankly, I love my romantic dates with my wife. She’s my emotional home. She relaxes me. (Okay, I confess that one time, I was so relaxed I dozed off when she was still talking.)

My weekly date with my 2 boys is an Untouchable too.

So is my twice-a-month lunch with my mother.

And twice-a month dinners with my extended families.

I also have regular dates with my Friends. (We call them Caring Groups in my spiritual family, Light of Jesus.)

Friend, the only way to paddle against Relationship Drift is to create your list of Untouchables.

But before you invite your kids to a date, let me tell you how not to do it.

How To Have Dates With Your Kids

One day, a teen-age boy approached me and said, “Brother Bo, can you please tell my father to stop having dates with me? I think he got the idea from you.”

I later learned what his father did last week.

First, he invited his son to have a burger. But the moment they sat down in the restaurant, the father said, “Son, I want to talk to you about your poor grades.”

After a mini-sermon on “study well because I work so hard to pay for your studies,” the father jumps to another sensitive topic. “Your music tastes are terrible,” he said to the lad, “It’s loud, noisy, and disgusting. I think you should listen more to classical music.”

The father goes on to other topics, such as the length of his hair, the late night phone calls, and the obscene amount of time he spends playing computer games.

Poor kid. He didn’t know what was coming that day. He didn’t realize he was attending a multi-track conference.

After their meal, the father told him, “Son, I enjoyed our date. Let’s do this weekly!”

His son must have had an epileptic seizure right there. Can you imagine going through this torture for the rest of his teen-age life? That’s when the boy asked me to rescue him from a life of purgatory.

So I called the father and said, “Parental sermons, homilies, lectures, and full-scale multi-track conferences are banned from your dates.”

“Why?” the father asked.

“Because the date isn’t for you,” I said. “It’s for your son. You don’t have to enjoy it as long as he does.” I told him, “Play billiards. Play bowling. Go fishing. Ride bikes together. Anything your boy wants to do.”

Let me explain why this is essential.

When the relationship is close, kids listen. Their hearts are supple and open.

But when there’s already a Relationship Drift between the parents and the kids, their hearts are far apart. So no matter how much the parents shout, their kids don’t hear the message.

So the first goal is to bring your hearts close to each other.

How To Bond As A Family

Another Untouchable you need to create is a Weekly Family night.

The goal is to do something fun together.

Rent a movie and cook popcorn for a family movie night at home.

Or take a Family Walk around the village.

Or play a game together. Monopoly. Pictionary. Patintero.

Or read a book out loud.

Or just order pizza and ask everyone to share around the table.

When you do this each week, you’re creating memories that will last a lifetime. Life is about moments. And believe me, your grown-up kids will never forget these special bonding moments as a family. It will be their anchor. It will be their source of emotional

stability. That amidst the sea of change around them, they know there are just some things in life that don’t change.

Like the memories of being together as family.

Here’s one more tip before I end.

Invite Your Kids’ Friends To Hang Out At Home

You’ve got to be the cool Mom and Dad–Even if you’re not.

How? Make your home the preferred hang-out place for your kids’ friends.

I know it’ll cause a little dent on your budget.

Okay, I lied. It will make your life savings disappear.

A group of teens are like a pack of piranha. They will eat anything that looks like food in your kitchen cabinets. And if your kids come home all tired and sweaty from a basketball game, be forewarned. That is a perfect storm. You will become poor

overnight. You can buy all the food in your city and it won’t be enough. They’ll just burp and ask for more.

But the rewards are incredible.

First, you’re with your kids more.

Second, you know where your kids are.

Third, you get to know their friends—and counsel the troubled ones. If they lack parenting, you can re-parent them. (I’m sharing you a powerful secret: One of the best ways of influencing your kids is to influence their friends.)

Fourth, because of all racket your guests make, you and your neighbors will not be in speaking terms. So that’s one or two people dropped from your Christmas shopping list. Savings!

Two Choices: Drift Or Paddle

I can hear you now.

“Bo, this is a lot of hard work! Weekly dates with my wife and kids? Feeding a pack of piranhas? And re-parenting the friends of my kids? My gosh!”

I warned you. It’s going to be rough.

But let me repeat what I said at the start: You really only have two choices in life. You either Drift or you Paddle. You either pay now or pay later.

I’ve decided to paddle. I’ve decided to pay now.

Believe me, I’m enjoying the benefits.

My relationships are deeply satisfying.

Friend, it’s your turn.

Start paddling.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Noooh, No wan, No need.

2009-10-15T15:35:00.004+08:00

My poor little darling got ill. It started out with a little cough and runny nose, before it developed into high fever. Medication from the GP did not work and we bought you to KK Hospital “A&E” twice over the weekend. Like all kids, going through a “big time” illness is like a rite of passage. It breaks my heart to see you like this. You never had problems eating, drinking or taking medication. But after looking at your arsenal of prescription, no prizes for guessing how you are coping.

Now, the presence of Daddy holding onto a syringe is enough to set you off crying. Your piercing screams from medicine time has somewhat worried our neighbours as well, whom had been asking if you are doing okay. Most worrying is your refusal to drink water. This illness has obviously taken toil on you, you seem to weight half a kg lighter and the chubby-ness around your arms and bottom seems gone.

The only consolation is that your cheeks are as rosy and fluffy as ever, which means you are still ever adorable. Going through this dreadful period with you, also meant going back to basics. When you were an infant, we had to track your body temperature and the amount of times you ‘pooh’.

Daddy and Mommy hope you get well soon and your friends in school miss you too. Meanwhile, Mommy will be indulging you by showering you with endless “Dora themed” accessories.

Let's play catch up

2009-09-18T13:15:00.008+08:00

It's Daddy's turn to pen down some thoughts.

After revisiting my new year's resolution yet again and scrolling through the archives; Daddy must say that he has not been a good man. This year's entries are definitely less than the previous and after a thorough investigation, it only leads to one conclusion. Daddy is a facebook addict. To be exact, a Mafia Wars addict. Its silly because the game is in fact totally crappy, non conclusive and is not all that thrilling, but for some reason, Daddy sees the need to play it every now and then. Maybe Mummy should send Daddy to China for some technology cold turkey or something of sorts.

Anyways. Reading through the archives also made Daddy realise that you may not really understand the growing milestones in your life, since we hardly chart it in this blog. Somehow, I felt that we should rename this blog into enxi-parents.blogspot.com instead. While its important for you to know what we think, I think it is equally, if not more importantly for you to know your growing pains.

Let's play catch up then. We went to Phuket with Mummy's family 3 months ago. It was not the typical Phuket kind of trip, but more of a exclusive resort type with Mariotts. We had a great time cos (1) there's hardly anybody around, therefore we gotta use most of the resort facilities; and (2) its cheap cos your uncle got a great deal for all of us at a promotional rate.

Let's party with booze.

Mummy's papa trying very hard to look cool.

We went to the Dora show (free) at CIA. Not too sure, you were more happy watching the show or running around the vast open space or pretending to be a tourist.

Nonetheless, Daddy thinks your love for Dora has gone to a whole new level, where you could actually kiss and hug Dora more willingly than to me. Work for me has also being hectic of recent, which meant less bonding time between us. Daddy thinks that it has taken a toil on our relationship. Somehow, all the bonding that we had build up in the first 16 months has been slowing “slipping” away. So remember this when you have your own kids “When they are young, bonding is about quantity first before quality”. Lately, Daddy took some time off from work to send and pick you up from school, bathing and feeding you, playing with you and reading more as well. Things kindda improved and I'm glad.

Taking sharp and crisp photos of you proved to be difficult cos you never sits still. Coupled with the fact that I had to take my pictures in low light conditions only made it worst. Trying to bump up the ISO on lead to more grainy pictures. Opps, too technical, but you will get to it, just click here. Anyway, Daddy thinks Grandpa and Grandma are very happy with their grandkids in their toll.

Yupe, before Daddy forgets, some milestones between 16 to 19 months without elaboration.

1. Its extremely difficult to feed you and somehow you are bullying Daddy and Mummy when we feed you cos Grandma never seems to have any problems feeding you.

2. You are able to feed yourself, albeit a little messy.

3. You like to try different and new kind of food and will reject food that has been prepared too often with a firm 'No'.

4. Your speech has improved, but limited to singing rather than communicating with us.

That's about it for now. Yah and one more thing, Mummy is going for a DSLR Photography class and will be joining Daddy in capturing more of our happy moments.

Happy Teachers' Day!

2009-09-12T09:09:00.008+08:00

We wanted to prepare a small gift of appreciation for this meaningful day, as we are really grateful for Ms Yu Kai and her team for their great guidance to Mei Mei. Having seen the painting works that Mei Mei has done at school, I was inspired to use that as the theme of the greeting card.

Marking the 1^st try with Mei Mei in painting, I was determined to document the whole process of this inaugural experience. I was visualizing how endearing it will be painting with Mei Mei and capturing the steps of preparation in Daddy’s picture perfect DSLR cam.

Here’s what Mummy was envisioning for the pixs: Mei Mei sharing a laugh with Mummy while painting happily away on the card. Mei Mei will patiently try out the different palettes of color and looking amazed with the output of her artistry talents. Finally the blissful scene will be complete with a grin to grin pose with the finished masterpiece.

In reality, that didn’t really happen :(

Mei Mei refused to sit still, and more interested in painting her whole hands than the canvass. We spent most of the time trying to stop her from planting her colored hands on the table and sofa. From what I thought was just a simple art and craft session turns out to almost a vandalizing disaster. I’m bewildered by how her teachers manage to do that (as I was told that she totally loved it whenever there are painting lessons!!). Instead of the original plan to design 3 cards, we decided to throw the white flag at the end of the 1^st card.

Focusing hard when she first started..

And started to paint the table than the card.

Somehow figure out that her fat little fingers will be more fun than using the brush

Finally added the finishing touch with her Hello Kitty stickers

We will definitely try painting again, but probably the next time, it might be more suitable to move it to the corridor I guess?

The Shichida "Secret Training"

2009-08-22T09:57:00.002+08:00

As part of the Shichida classes that Mei Mei is attending, we are also required to conduct home practices everyday to stimulate her development. I like the idea of this, as it enforces a bonding regime (to stop me, the TV addict, from being distracted by ever-interesting drama serials).

Flashcards and a mathematical exercise called “Dots Programme” is what we will typically do. It’s actually not very interesting, but somehow Mei Mei loves it so much. Whenever she gets cranky, this is like a secret weapon we have. The moment we say “Dots Programme”, she will stop whatever she is doing, turning from cries to smiles, and race into the room to point to where the flashcards is kept. It’s so funny, cos it works just like a spell on her.

Oh oh..it's "Dots Programme" time again...I LIKEEEEEE..

Flashcards are her favorite, so much so that we realized that she attempted to mimick us doing flashcards. It’s quite an amusing sight when she starts reciting in her baby lingo while flashing the cards.

SHAPES!

CIRCLE!

OVAL!

En Xi is back for more action

2009-08-17T00:40:00.007+08:00

It’s been a while since we have updated the developments of Mei Mei. Tracing back from the last posting, it’s close to 4 months since our last update!

Sorry for the silence, En Xi has been growing up too fast that we are so swarmed with running after her, and spending most of our time serving the whims and fancy of this sassy princess. Okay, bad excuses but we will try our best to re-collect the highlights of her growing up milestones.

At 18+ months, this little girl has taken on another level in her milestones. We have also started her on playgroup lessons at Ykidz Montessori and she is enjoying herself tremendously with her new found friends. For us, the biggest reward is her ability to get into a fixed routine and sleep pattern, after her brain cells is drained out in the day. Comparing to before, when our Mei Mei can only sleep after playing “treasure hunt” (ie she will ransack all the things she can find before she is finally happy to settle down for sleep) till it’s past 11pm, it’s definitely a godsend change for us.

Singing is definitely her biggest fanatic now. She is simply crazy about it, that we have to play Wiggles music in the car and put on her favorite nursery rhymes at mealtimes so that she can sing along with it. The amazing thing is that she probably has heard the same song for at least 500 times but never get tired of it. What is interesting is that she can remember when to come in at the key chorus point on rhythm. And when she hears the song “Are you sleeping?”, this is what she will do…

As she is picking up more words, “NO” is definitely her most articulated word, you can hear it for at least 20 times a day. She can say it with different accentuation to express her emotions, like “No” with her head shaking vigorous like she is on ecstasy means she doesn’t want her food anymore. And the weirdest thing is, she will only say “Mami” (that’s how she pronounce it, which I suspected she copy it from Dora) when she needs something.

huh..boring porridge again?

Now that her looks are more defined, we are still debating who she takes after.

Is is Daddy's girl?

Or Mummy's mini?

Mei Mei seems to have a distinct look herself, but somehow, she seems to look very close to Ponyo, a Japanese anime character in one of the recent movies. Judge for yourself..

One of the key highlights would also have to be Mummy getting a new job. Wondering how does this got to do with Mei Mei (since this is her blog)? You see, I used to work grossly long hours, managing to touch down on home pad only when Mei Mei is close to asleep. Although Mei Mei has never compromised her love for me because of this, but I know that it’s not fair to her since both Daddy and Mummy work equally long hours. I have started my new job for almost a month, and glad that I’m finally able to come home to her when the sun is still high and up. Now, the quality bonding time with her has been something that I look forward to every day, especially her big hugs to welcome me back home.

En Xi @ 16 months

2009-04-26T23:02:00.009+08:00

As my mum used to be a babysitter, I always thought that I will be quite prepared for parenthood due to my early exposure to child rearing. Somehow En Xi is a far cry from what I could fathom. She can be quite a character when she - is hungry for milk/you take her toys away/can’t go out/just feel like it.

Sometimes I wonder if it’s because of what I ate during my pregnancy that made her somehow a different material from the conventional babies. But it’s also all these little mischief that made her exceptionally adorable at the same time.

Here’s a quick glimpse of our little drama queen’s life @ 16mths

She responses very well to music with heavy rhythm, such as rock or hip hop. She will start nodding her head profusely and tapping her feet away to the music. Check out one of her performance!

This is En Xi’s favorite pair of shoes, her mini red Crocs. Crocs is probably one of the biggest bona-fide phenomenon in the world and Singapore, and hope that En Xi can remember that she use to owe one of this vogue thing when she was young.

At approximately 5pm, En Xi will guide Ah Ma to her little red Crocs and request for a walk. In fact, she likes to walk so much that she can literally walk for the whole day in the house, and only stop when she is having her nap, meals or watching her favorite TV programme.

The moment this little girl wakes up, she likes to ransack whatever she can find. One fine morning, this is what Mummy found…
Mummy...i really didn't do it.

The all-time favorite game is still “Peek-a-boo” for her. Just throw her a blanket, and she can entertain herself for the whole day.

Meet Pinkie, En Xi's best friend. She will kiss Pinkie the moment she wakes up, and anytime when she is in sight. Sometimes, Mummy gets so jealous as she always reserves her biggest kiss only for Pinkie.

En Xi has also started to articulate her emotions and intentions with her unique baby talk.

Mum mum = food

Na na = “no no”

O-par = hug

Ah-pa = apple

Hit her head with both her hands – means “pain pain”, especially Mummy start screeching at her top of her voice when she is approaching some nasty corners.

Ah-chee = parrots back when someone is sneezing, sometimes says it while covering her mouth too.

Whhyyyyyyyyyyyy - it LITERALLY means why when you take her pacifier away, or take something away from her. It's probably the 1st real word she picked up, and she says it with such precision that it's quite amusing.

Ah ta ta ti ta yaaaaaaaaaaaa……….. - basically, it’s when she is upset that you are not giving her what she wants, like too slow in preparing her milk, wants more ice-cream, refuse to let her get on the dinner chair, blah blah blah...