5th January 2011:
1. Our 10th year wedding anniversary
2. Madison's first day at Pat's Schoolhouse
10 years makes us sound like an old couple! But yes, it's really been 10 years since we've been married. It's weird though, doesn't feel like a single day has passed. Yes, even though we've got 2 kids!
We didn't really do anything special today, being a work day and all. Chris did present me with his gift though.. a beautiful sparkly diamond pendant from TIFFANY'S!!! Right up my alley. His gift? 2 kids!
Today I did take his mum to the spa though. I wanted to go to SpaBotanica at Sentosa resort but it was fully booked. So the next best was the Aramsa spa at Bishan Park. Am I glad we went there instead! It was really quite nice! I think the most important aspect of the spa experience is the staff and environment, and Aramsa spa scored on both counts. I invited Chai and HanTing along as well, so I had 2 couple suites booked. We opted to have the Aramsa touch massage.
It turned out to be 60 minutes of bliss! No wonder people do these things regularly! We had a nice cup of ginger tea to start, then a short foot soak before undressing for the actual massage. The masseurs were very professional and private. I actually fell asleep during the massage, even though parts of it were a little ?ticklish!
When the massage was done, we got to sit in the lounge and have more tea and biscuits. After that we went over to their cafe for a small bite before we all headed home. Even the cafe served pretty good food!
Madison had her first day at preschool today. This week is orientation week. Classes start at half time (11 am) and end at 1pm. She gets to be accompanied for this week. Madison was quite anxious and hesitant at the start, but towards the end she warmed up and for a moment didn't even want to go home! We were brought around the school for a tour, given a briefing on their daily activity. It's really quite good. She gets to do different things everyday, and there are 2 teachers to the 11 kids in the class. It's bilingual so 1 teacher in English and another in Mandarin. The music teacher is a different person and she conducts the sessions in a dedicated music room. Breakfast and lunch is provided, although breakfast is optional.
I'm just a little worried about drop off and pick up; would it be crowded and jammed full of cars? I guess I'll be finding out soon enough. I also have to work out the sequence of events; what time I actually want to drop Madison off, and then come back to Annika, or feed Annika first then drop Madison off?
Hopefully Madison will settle into her new school with as little tears as possible next week. It's a good bridge to primary school. I cannot imagine how kids who don't go to preschool cope with real school!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Discipline war part 2
So.... my sister came back from work last night and sat down to discuss the issues at hand.
I think we had already decided on time out/naughty chair as an impartial way of refereeing the kids when they play together, and we were merely waiting for MH to sit down with us all and agree on it.
After yesterday afternoon, Geok told us that it was almost impossible that he would be able to do that ( ? Pride/ego ) --what a child! So... he basically left it to her to thrash it out with us ( which was what I anticipated ANYWAY! ) So... we decided that the kids would be given time-outs if they attacked the other kid, bit/shoved/clobbered the other child. 1 minute per year of age, they had to sit there the entire time and then apologise when it was over. They would then get a hug and it would end the timeout.
THE CAVEAT??!! MH expects to be CONSULTED when Elizabeth was the one getting the timeout! How ridiculous is that? Especially since he refuses to partake in the discussion relating to it! Why should we CONSULT him if he did not witness the event?
Anyway, I don't trust his ability to administer the timeout appropriately. My solution? I will keep my kids away from his. Until he goes back to work properly. Right now he is in a temporary rotation away from his usual orthopaedic training so he spends inordinate amounts of time AT NOVENA.
It was great having an adult conversation with Geok though. She's a more temperate person, and seems quite even minded when it comes to these issues.
It's a pity that things had to deteroriate to this level, but if MH had the simple courtesy and frame of mind to be respectful when dealing with people other than himself it wouldn't have happened at all! I did what had to be done and I really don't care if I seem like the nasty one.
Anyhow, Madison starts school tomorrow so things will be different. Hopefully our new apartment will be ready to move into SOON. It would be nice to have more space for the kids and for US!
I think we had already decided on time out/naughty chair as an impartial way of refereeing the kids when they play together, and we were merely waiting for MH to sit down with us all and agree on it.
After yesterday afternoon, Geok told us that it was almost impossible that he would be able to do that ( ? Pride/ego ) --what a child! So... he basically left it to her to thrash it out with us ( which was what I anticipated ANYWAY! ) So... we decided that the kids would be given time-outs if they attacked the other kid, bit/shoved/clobbered the other child. 1 minute per year of age, they had to sit there the entire time and then apologise when it was over. They would then get a hug and it would end the timeout.
THE CAVEAT??!! MH expects to be CONSULTED when Elizabeth was the one getting the timeout! How ridiculous is that? Especially since he refuses to partake in the discussion relating to it! Why should we CONSULT him if he did not witness the event?
Anyway, I don't trust his ability to administer the timeout appropriately. My solution? I will keep my kids away from his. Until he goes back to work properly. Right now he is in a temporary rotation away from his usual orthopaedic training so he spends inordinate amounts of time AT NOVENA.
It was great having an adult conversation with Geok though. She's a more temperate person, and seems quite even minded when it comes to these issues.
It's a pity that things had to deteroriate to this level, but if MH had the simple courtesy and frame of mind to be respectful when dealing with people other than himself it wouldn't have happened at all! I did what had to be done and I really don't care if I seem like the nasty one.
Anyhow, Madison starts school tomorrow so things will be different. Hopefully our new apartment will be ready to move into SOON. It would be nice to have more space for the kids and for US!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Show down with the BIL
I'm sorry but I really need to vent...!
It's been 5 days since the start of this cold war and apart from the first showdown, I've also approached Geok about resolving this issue of discipline for the kids. Geok has been unable to resolve it, stating that she is waiting for MUNHON to decide.
So... the answer for the moment is to keep the kids relatively separate so that they DON'T get into any serious fights.Not ideal or easy but we have no choice until they get off their butt and sit down for a discussion. ( WHICH MUNHON REFUSES TO!)
Today, I took Madison and Annika over to the Novena house at lunch time. Munhon drove Elizabeth over after school. Elizabeth was whiny and throwing tantrums at the lunch table as usual, but I just ignored it. Told Madison to leave Elizabeth alone. I made sure my kids were well away from Elizabeth. Gave Madison several warnings to stay away.
After Elizabeth finished her lunch, she wandered over to where Annika was playing. Madison came over, and said something like "don't do that " or something. Didn't even touch or come close to her. Elizabeth went over to Madison and whacked a little bowl right out of Madison's hands. Of course Madison started crying. Munhon, was slouched in front of the TV as usual, doing nothing amidst the crying.
So then, I told Munhon to come and resolve this. His action? Carried Elizabeth up and said it was "ok"!!!! ?? OK? To hit another child?? The GALL! OMG! I took a deep breath, tried hard to stay calm, and asked him what we were going to do to resolve this issue of kids fighting. And what did he do? Like a child, he ignored me and WALKED AWAY! HOW RUDE WAS THAT!
I refused to be treated rudely and disrespectfully like that. I walked up to him, and told him flat out that I would not be treated as such. Then I asked if, that if he wasn't going to discipline his child, did he expect me to do it? He just gawked at me, and kind of waited to see what I would do!! I asked him TWICE.. and since his answer was the same, I took it as affirmative. So I told Elizabeth NOT TO HIT MADISON. She of course, responded by crying.
Anyway, it ended with him leaving and me telling him to get lost. He deserves it. MEGA PISSED ME OFF. Never had to invoke my powers of being first child EVER, but I did it then.
Still, the good thing was that it finally got him off his butt and before I knew it, the phones were ringing off the hook for Pa and Chai! It was quite funny really. At least I have the satisfaction of being EFFECTIVE. If I have to be the BAD GUY, I DON'T CARE. I WILL DO IT. Especially since he CROSSED my lines and my CHILDREN were attacked. Seems like his answer is to leave it to his wife to resolve it!! WHAT AN ASS. He really has no gumption and conviction. No courage to face dispute and resolve it head on. I pity him.
I still don't think he'd be able to effectively carry out any form of discipline that we decide anyway. But hopefully we get to sort this out. Let's see what happens tonight.
It's been 5 days since the start of this cold war and apart from the first showdown, I've also approached Geok about resolving this issue of discipline for the kids. Geok has been unable to resolve it, stating that she is waiting for MUNHON to decide.
So... the answer for the moment is to keep the kids relatively separate so that they DON'T get into any serious fights.Not ideal or easy but we have no choice until they get off their butt and sit down for a discussion. ( WHICH MUNHON REFUSES TO!)
Today, I took Madison and Annika over to the Novena house at lunch time. Munhon drove Elizabeth over after school. Elizabeth was whiny and throwing tantrums at the lunch table as usual, but I just ignored it. Told Madison to leave Elizabeth alone. I made sure my kids were well away from Elizabeth. Gave Madison several warnings to stay away.
After Elizabeth finished her lunch, she wandered over to where Annika was playing. Madison came over, and said something like "don't do that " or something. Didn't even touch or come close to her. Elizabeth went over to Madison and whacked a little bowl right out of Madison's hands. Of course Madison started crying. Munhon, was slouched in front of the TV as usual, doing nothing amidst the crying.
So then, I told Munhon to come and resolve this. His action? Carried Elizabeth up and said it was "ok"!!!! ?? OK? To hit another child?? The GALL! OMG! I took a deep breath, tried hard to stay calm, and asked him what we were going to do to resolve this issue of kids fighting. And what did he do? Like a child, he ignored me and WALKED AWAY! HOW RUDE WAS THAT!
I refused to be treated rudely and disrespectfully like that. I walked up to him, and told him flat out that I would not be treated as such. Then I asked if, that if he wasn't going to discipline his child, did he expect me to do it? He just gawked at me, and kind of waited to see what I would do!! I asked him TWICE.. and since his answer was the same, I took it as affirmative. So I told Elizabeth NOT TO HIT MADISON. She of course, responded by crying.
Anyway, it ended with him leaving and me telling him to get lost. He deserves it. MEGA PISSED ME OFF. Never had to invoke my powers of being first child EVER, but I did it then.
Still, the good thing was that it finally got him off his butt and before I knew it, the phones were ringing off the hook for Pa and Chai! It was quite funny really. At least I have the satisfaction of being EFFECTIVE. If I have to be the BAD GUY, I DON'T CARE. I WILL DO IT. Especially since he CROSSED my lines and my CHILDREN were attacked. Seems like his answer is to leave it to his wife to resolve it!! WHAT AN ASS. He really has no gumption and conviction. No courage to face dispute and resolve it head on. I pity him.
I still don't think he'd be able to effectively carry out any form of discipline that we decide anyway. But hopefully we get to sort this out. Let's see what happens tonight.
Happy 2011!
Another fantastic weekend!
New Year's eve :
The weekend started off with a half day at work( woo hoo!). In the afternoon we attended a 2 year old birthday party. The birthday girl incidentally will be starting school with Madison this year. The evening was spent at Novena with the grandparents, who organised a small house party to countdown to the new year.
We didn't make it to midnight though. Chris was on call. Madison, had ice cream at lunch, ice cream and chocolate cake at the party. Guess what ? Post party sugar slump. She fell asleep in the car on the 10 minute ride home, then woke up grumpy and whiny. She finally recovered late in the evening when the guests started arriving, and then was revved up for the night. I think she overate, and ended up spewing a little at the end. Gross.
Just in time to end the year, we've had a minor tiff in the family. Of course it's partly because of the kids. Madison and Elizabeth swing between being best friends and worst enemies, but lately Elizabeth has taken to biting. Madison has had several bite marks to show for that, and Elizabeth does not get disciplined for it. In our opinion Geok and Munhon have chosen a rather lackadaisical attitude towards rules and discipline when it comes to their offspring; she is frequently whiny, throwing tantrums and crying whenever she doesn't get what she wants.It is so annoying. Madison's behaviour deteroriates whenever she is with Elizabeth; to be fair, she sees how much Elizabeth gets away with so she tries her luck too.
Anyway, it started because Elizabeth bit Madison AGAIN. Chris took it upon himself to tell her off, but I don't think Elizabeth even understood. She smiled throughout it, thinking it was all a joke. The very next day I left Madison behind while I took Annika home to sleep, and as usual the 2 girls got into a tiff. Geok then took it upon herself to give Madison a shelling, and that's where it started. We thought it would be best to sit down calmly and discuss the issue of discipline, but then within a minute of starting, Munhon was up in arms, left the table and was saying he refused to participate in the discussion. But even though he said he wanted to leave the discussion, he continued to make remarks and comments across the room to us. That really pissed Chris off and he basically told Mun hon to either come and sit down and talk to us civilly or else shut his trap. Mun Hon then got angry and I think if it weren't for Pa's intervention we might have had a fist fight on hand???!!!
Argh... since then it's been semi cold war, I think the kids shouldn't play together until some resolution has been acheived. Since Mun Hon was the one who refused to partake in the discussion, I'm not initiating another one. He can do it.
New Year's Day:
We didn't join them for breakfast so we had a nice break. Usually we end up whittling the day away after breakfast when we're there but this time we managed to skype Anthony in Melbourne, then pop over to the shop next door to do curtain shopping for our new apartment. It rained cats and dogs in the afternoon so we were stuck indoors for the rest of the day. In the end we did wind up in the Novena house for dinner, but it was a quick one and we came home again early in the night. Dinner was civil, but you could tell things weren't right.
Yesterday we spent completely away from them, instead we had a field trip to the Sky tower at Marina Bay Sands. It was pretty cool! Of course we had to pay the silly entry fee, but we got to go up and check out the bikini babes ( and non babes ) hanging out by the infinity pool on the sky deck. Took plenty of pictures too. We had lunch at the food court after perusing the various restaurants at Sands. Mostly too posh to bring a toddler and an infant. In any case, the restaurants were empty. Ended the meal with dessert at a cafe called Darcis.
In the evening we left the 2 kids at home and took Chris' mum out to dinner at Prive. We were lucky that we arrived when we did; soon after we were seated people suddenly started appearing and the cafe was FULL! Had a relaxing dinner then back to reality.... the start of a new working year....groan....
Happy 2011!
New Year's eve :
The weekend started off with a half day at work( woo hoo!). In the afternoon we attended a 2 year old birthday party. The birthday girl incidentally will be starting school with Madison this year. The evening was spent at Novena with the grandparents, who organised a small house party to countdown to the new year.
We didn't make it to midnight though. Chris was on call. Madison, had ice cream at lunch, ice cream and chocolate cake at the party. Guess what ? Post party sugar slump. She fell asleep in the car on the 10 minute ride home, then woke up grumpy and whiny. She finally recovered late in the evening when the guests started arriving, and then was revved up for the night. I think she overate, and ended up spewing a little at the end. Gross.
Just in time to end the year, we've had a minor tiff in the family. Of course it's partly because of the kids. Madison and Elizabeth swing between being best friends and worst enemies, but lately Elizabeth has taken to biting. Madison has had several bite marks to show for that, and Elizabeth does not get disciplined for it. In our opinion Geok and Munhon have chosen a rather lackadaisical attitude towards rules and discipline when it comes to their offspring; she is frequently whiny, throwing tantrums and crying whenever she doesn't get what she wants.It is so annoying. Madison's behaviour deteroriates whenever she is with Elizabeth; to be fair, she sees how much Elizabeth gets away with so she tries her luck too.
Anyway, it started because Elizabeth bit Madison AGAIN. Chris took it upon himself to tell her off, but I don't think Elizabeth even understood. She smiled throughout it, thinking it was all a joke. The very next day I left Madison behind while I took Annika home to sleep, and as usual the 2 girls got into a tiff. Geok then took it upon herself to give Madison a shelling, and that's where it started. We thought it would be best to sit down calmly and discuss the issue of discipline, but then within a minute of starting, Munhon was up in arms, left the table and was saying he refused to participate in the discussion. But even though he said he wanted to leave the discussion, he continued to make remarks and comments across the room to us. That really pissed Chris off and he basically told Mun hon to either come and sit down and talk to us civilly or else shut his trap. Mun Hon then got angry and I think if it weren't for Pa's intervention we might have had a fist fight on hand???!!!
Argh... since then it's been semi cold war, I think the kids shouldn't play together until some resolution has been acheived. Since Mun Hon was the one who refused to partake in the discussion, I'm not initiating another one. He can do it.
New Year's Day:
We didn't join them for breakfast so we had a nice break. Usually we end up whittling the day away after breakfast when we're there but this time we managed to skype Anthony in Melbourne, then pop over to the shop next door to do curtain shopping for our new apartment. It rained cats and dogs in the afternoon so we were stuck indoors for the rest of the day. In the end we did wind up in the Novena house for dinner, but it was a quick one and we came home again early in the night. Dinner was civil, but you could tell things weren't right.
Yesterday we spent completely away from them, instead we had a field trip to the Sky tower at Marina Bay Sands. It was pretty cool! Of course we had to pay the silly entry fee, but we got to go up and check out the bikini babes ( and non babes ) hanging out by the infinity pool on the sky deck. Took plenty of pictures too. We had lunch at the food court after perusing the various restaurants at Sands. Mostly too posh to bring a toddler and an infant. In any case, the restaurants were empty. Ended the meal with dessert at a cafe called Darcis.
In the evening we left the 2 kids at home and took Chris' mum out to dinner at Prive. We were lucky that we arrived when we did; soon after we were seated people suddenly started appearing and the cafe was FULL! Had a relaxing dinner then back to reality.... the start of a new working year....groan....
Happy 2011!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Christmas weekend
Phew... the Christmas weekend is over!
Actually, it was a pretty good weekend. It started early since Christmas eve was a half day at work. Chris was home early too. We had dinner at home with the family, then everyone decided to come and check out our new apartment. It's almost ready, just some carpentry work that needs to be completed. We need to get curtains measured and fitted too.
On Christmas day the entire family met up for breakfast at the Botanic Gardens. We were reasonably early so managed to get seats. The family is growing! We needed a table for 10 just for the immediate family! After breakfast the kids got to feed some overfed and stuffed fish at the lake, before heading home to raid the gift pile.
Now that Madison is getting older, it's quite fun to see her get excited over the presents. Madison and Elizabeth were swimming in gift wrap and endless amounts of toys, clothing and other paraphernalia. The rest of us did our gift swaps and I think we were all quite happy with each other's selection this year.
Instead of an eve dinner we planned a Christmas day dinner with turkey. A few relatives were invited and it was perfect with Han Ting around.( That made Chai very happy!) We bought the turkey 4 days earlier and started thawing it out 2 days prior. The day before it was soaked in a brining solution and then I started to prepare it for baking 6 hours before dinner. The entire baking time was 4 hours at 160 Celcius. I did it from a vague memory of this recipe that I'd tried a few years ago and the turkey turned out great. This time round was the same! The breast was tender while the legs were juicy, and the meat had the fragrance of the herbs that I covered it in during brining AND baking. Pa also made roast pork and a braised version that we turned into a prawn and pork salad. For dessert we had 2 log cakes. And of course, lots of bubbly. By the end, we were stuffed but happy. The kids got to eat their fill of sugar too.
Boxing day was a day sans helpers. All 3 of them were off for the holiday. The morning was kind of nice, Chris and I got to laze about with the kids for all of 15minutes in our pjs, then I got breakfast started. After brekky we went over to the pool at our new apartment for a dip. After THAT we headed over to the swimming club. The plan was lunch there but since we were early we had our second dip at the club pool. Annika got to go in for a swim too! Her first! She took it remarkably well, considering the water was actually quite cold. I didn't let her stay in too long, since the midday sun was on the way up. After lunch we drove around for an hour while Madison had her nap. Learnt my lesson from the last time I had to do an afternoon nap... I got the nap and not the kid!
So, we got to see the massive house on Nassim Road that had the biggest Christmas tree ever, with an amazing light up to boot. The house had 2 huge dragons on its' formidable front gates.
Unfortunately, by the time we got back to the apartment, I was beyond paying attention and managed to dent the back bumper bar on the left reversing into the carpark...(sob).
Dinner was out at Pudong, a Shanghainese restaurant at Balmoral Plaza. We had our favourite braised pork, dumplings, noodles in sauce and cold toufu. The restaurant has good food, although service leaves much to be desired. The restaurant itself looks a little dingy and aged but oh well... the foods' good.
This week feels weird... hopefully it'll be a good one to end the year off!
Actually, it was a pretty good weekend. It started early since Christmas eve was a half day at work. Chris was home early too. We had dinner at home with the family, then everyone decided to come and check out our new apartment. It's almost ready, just some carpentry work that needs to be completed. We need to get curtains measured and fitted too.
On Christmas day the entire family met up for breakfast at the Botanic Gardens. We were reasonably early so managed to get seats. The family is growing! We needed a table for 10 just for the immediate family! After breakfast the kids got to feed some overfed and stuffed fish at the lake, before heading home to raid the gift pile.
Now that Madison is getting older, it's quite fun to see her get excited over the presents. Madison and Elizabeth were swimming in gift wrap and endless amounts of toys, clothing and other paraphernalia. The rest of us did our gift swaps and I think we were all quite happy with each other's selection this year.
Instead of an eve dinner we planned a Christmas day dinner with turkey. A few relatives were invited and it was perfect with Han Ting around.( That made Chai very happy!) We bought the turkey 4 days earlier and started thawing it out 2 days prior. The day before it was soaked in a brining solution and then I started to prepare it for baking 6 hours before dinner. The entire baking time was 4 hours at 160 Celcius. I did it from a vague memory of this recipe that I'd tried a few years ago and the turkey turned out great. This time round was the same! The breast was tender while the legs were juicy, and the meat had the fragrance of the herbs that I covered it in during brining AND baking. Pa also made roast pork and a braised version that we turned into a prawn and pork salad. For dessert we had 2 log cakes. And of course, lots of bubbly. By the end, we were stuffed but happy. The kids got to eat their fill of sugar too.
Boxing day was a day sans helpers. All 3 of them were off for the holiday. The morning was kind of nice, Chris and I got to laze about with the kids for all of 15minutes in our pjs, then I got breakfast started. After brekky we went over to the pool at our new apartment for a dip. After THAT we headed over to the swimming club. The plan was lunch there but since we were early we had our second dip at the club pool. Annika got to go in for a swim too! Her first! She took it remarkably well, considering the water was actually quite cold. I didn't let her stay in too long, since the midday sun was on the way up. After lunch we drove around for an hour while Madison had her nap. Learnt my lesson from the last time I had to do an afternoon nap... I got the nap and not the kid!
So, we got to see the massive house on Nassim Road that had the biggest Christmas tree ever, with an amazing light up to boot. The house had 2 huge dragons on its' formidable front gates.
Unfortunately, by the time we got back to the apartment, I was beyond paying attention and managed to dent the back bumper bar on the left reversing into the carpark...(sob).
Dinner was out at Pudong, a Shanghainese restaurant at Balmoral Plaza. We had our favourite braised pork, dumplings, noodles in sauce and cold toufu. The restaurant has good food, although service leaves much to be desired. The restaurant itself looks a little dingy and aged but oh well... the foods' good.
This week feels weird... hopefully it'll be a good one to end the year off!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
CRAZY busy...!
It's been rather busy and stressful these past few days...
Yesterday was a good example. The kids had to be dropped off at school, after which the service man was supposed to come and check on my Delphin vacum cleaner( AND HE DIDN'T TURN UP!). Then, for some reason the clinic decided to get busy and it was a mad rush to see them before pick up time at 12noon.
Of course, by this time Annika was grouchy and hungry so I was driving like a mad woman to get everyone home for lunch and naps.
When Annika was finally settled I had to grab a quick bite, pump and then go back to work. Again, another mad rush to see patients, then it was off to the airport to pick up my mother-in-law. Thank goodness traffic was smooth flowing. When I got to the airport, thinking I would be late, it was a pleasant surprise that she had not picked her bags up yet. So, a quick toilet break and a nice cool drink. She finally checked out close to an hour after the plane touched down. We went straight back to Novena, where the kids were all up and playing already.
By this time, Annika was tired and hungry for her last nap so off we went for a short rest. Being an evening nap, she was up 30 minutes later and then it was time for Madison's dinner! So, I handed Annika over to Warni, kept Madison company while she had dinner. When dinner was done, Pa came home and of course we headed out shopping.
Thank goodness United Square was busy but still had reasonably short queues at the supermarket. We picked up a few items and headed home. OF COURSE we forgot about the traffic home. Even though the shops are a 5 minute drive we took close to 15 minutes to get home. BY WHICH TIME our dear Annika was grumbling AGAIN! ( BEDTIME )
So... quick bath for Annika, quick feed and then lights out and down for the night. We finally had dinner, then it was time to go home to put Madison down for the night. Of course when we get home I STILL have to pop out to get some milk from the convenience store, wash and sterilize my pump, prepare Annika's bottles for the next day THEN finally shower and RELAX.
Oh.. and Annika turned 5 months yesterday! I wanted to get her a little cupcake or muffin to celebrate but in the craziness of the day, FORGOT. As usual. I am suffering without my iphone's calender.
I also have started giving Annika a little bit of solids just because she seems so terribly interested in our food. Everytime I eat something she actually brings my hand to her mouth and try to 'eat' it as well! Yesterday she got steamed sweet potato with spinach. Which she took fairly well although she gagged a few times. She doesn't gag with banana. Tonight I am going to try cereal with banana. I've got an avocado that I'm waiting to ripen. I think the solids help a little. She managed to go a longer time without a night feed last night. It was so nice to get that extra sleep.
The other thing that really took up quite a bit of time was Christmas shopping. Finally completed it all this afternoon. Quite a headache thinking and buying presents for so many people!
Today I brought Madison down with me to the clinic. I thought it would be a quick one, then I could take the kids over to Novena, but the patient TURNED UP LATE! ARGH! Madison was really good though. She sat quietly in my room, covering my desk with stickers while I attended to the patient. She also pooed while she was at it, and when I asked her after I was done, her reply was:" No toilet in the clinic?" (!!!) As if she would poo in the toilet anyway! But it was funny. We were late so I had to take her over to Novena in her stinky poo diaper. Boy.. was the car stinky all the way there!
Maybe I should go get Annika her cupcake/muffin today? Hm...
Yesterday was a good example. The kids had to be dropped off at school, after which the service man was supposed to come and check on my Delphin vacum cleaner( AND HE DIDN'T TURN UP!). Then, for some reason the clinic decided to get busy and it was a mad rush to see them before pick up time at 12noon.
Of course, by this time Annika was grouchy and hungry so I was driving like a mad woman to get everyone home for lunch and naps.
When Annika was finally settled I had to grab a quick bite, pump and then go back to work. Again, another mad rush to see patients, then it was off to the airport to pick up my mother-in-law. Thank goodness traffic was smooth flowing. When I got to the airport, thinking I would be late, it was a pleasant surprise that she had not picked her bags up yet. So, a quick toilet break and a nice cool drink. She finally checked out close to an hour after the plane touched down. We went straight back to Novena, where the kids were all up and playing already.
By this time, Annika was tired and hungry for her last nap so off we went for a short rest. Being an evening nap, she was up 30 minutes later and then it was time for Madison's dinner! So, I handed Annika over to Warni, kept Madison company while she had dinner. When dinner was done, Pa came home and of course we headed out shopping.
Thank goodness United Square was busy but still had reasonably short queues at the supermarket. We picked up a few items and headed home. OF COURSE we forgot about the traffic home. Even though the shops are a 5 minute drive we took close to 15 minutes to get home. BY WHICH TIME our dear Annika was grumbling AGAIN! ( BEDTIME )
So... quick bath for Annika, quick feed and then lights out and down for the night. We finally had dinner, then it was time to go home to put Madison down for the night. Of course when we get home I STILL have to pop out to get some milk from the convenience store, wash and sterilize my pump, prepare Annika's bottles for the next day THEN finally shower and RELAX.
Oh.. and Annika turned 5 months yesterday! I wanted to get her a little cupcake or muffin to celebrate but in the craziness of the day, FORGOT. As usual. I am suffering without my iphone's calender.
I also have started giving Annika a little bit of solids just because she seems so terribly interested in our food. Everytime I eat something she actually brings my hand to her mouth and try to 'eat' it as well! Yesterday she got steamed sweet potato with spinach. Which she took fairly well although she gagged a few times. She doesn't gag with banana. Tonight I am going to try cereal with banana. I've got an avocado that I'm waiting to ripen. I think the solids help a little. She managed to go a longer time without a night feed last night. It was so nice to get that extra sleep.
The other thing that really took up quite a bit of time was Christmas shopping. Finally completed it all this afternoon. Quite a headache thinking and buying presents for so many people!
Today I brought Madison down with me to the clinic. I thought it would be a quick one, then I could take the kids over to Novena, but the patient TURNED UP LATE! ARGH! Madison was really good though. She sat quietly in my room, covering my desk with stickers while I attended to the patient. She also pooed while she was at it, and when I asked her after I was done, her reply was:" No toilet in the clinic?" (!!!) As if she would poo in the toilet anyway! But it was funny. We were late so I had to take her over to Novena in her stinky poo diaper. Boy.. was the car stinky all the way there!
Maybe I should go get Annika her cupcake/muffin today? Hm...
Friday, December 17, 2010
December...
I just love the month of December!
The weather is so much cooler, people are in the holiday mood and it's just a generally more relaxed month.
We're having a Christmas day dinner for the family, and probably going to exchange gifts. Buying gifts is a real pain though, since it's getting harder every year to come up with new ideas! My shopping is almost done, after 2 mad days of combing the stores at Takashimaya and at Vivocity.
Chai is back for the holidays. It's amazing, he's already headed into the final year of medical school and will be done by next year! His girlfriend is already done with her Masters degree and started work. I am getting old! It's nice when he's back, feels like our family is complete again. We're all looking forward to when he's back for good.
Madison is finishing up her time with Bibinogs. It's a little sad that's she's ready to move on, and I'm grateful for the skills that they have imparted to her. She's developed so much over the year, and become more confident and articulate since she started school. Next year she starts at Pat's Schoolhouse at Buckley and I'm hoping she doesn't have too much trouble adjusting. I think she'll like it there eventually.
Annika is also growing up much too quickly. She's rolling all the time now and is generally a happy person. It's great how I feel so much more relaxed and confident handling her compared with Madison! She's also lucky to have 2 older kids to entertain her and keep her company. Elizabeth and Madison sway between protective love and jealous snatching! It's funny how the 3 of them occupy themselves the entire day.
Chris is going away AGAIN, this time with Pa for a medical mission trip to Padang, Indonesia. They leave tonight and will be back on Sunday NIGHT. Argh.. I will have to survive another 2 nights with the kids. He's working so much these days that he hardly has time for the kids, and with all the travelling he's been doing recently, it's been a little tough. But I do understand that he needs to train now so that he can be good at what he does.
The saga with Warni is also resolved. She is (hopefully) coming back to work with us for another 2 years starting next March. She leaves for a holiday in February. We negotiated her working terms and so she gets a pay rise and regular time off starting next year. I think she's happy and already I feel a positive change in her work attitude. I want to thank her for her efforts over the past 2 years, and so I will give her a Christmas bonus as well. I think I want to do the same for Maria and Siti( Geok's helper) as well. I am grateful for their help over the past 5 months with Annika and Madison.
Finally.. on the apartment front... yay! Work has finally begun and things are looking GOOD! I'm hoping we'll be able to move in before next year, but we're not rushing things. I'm rather sick of sleeping in the lounge and having our things all over the apartment. It's only a slight increase in space, but since we're having things built in it feels like a significant upgrade.
Oh.. and Chris' mum is coming for the Christmas break. And staying till Chinese New Year. That should be fun. She'll get plenty of time with her 2 granddaughters.
That's it for now...
The weather is so much cooler, people are in the holiday mood and it's just a generally more relaxed month.
We're having a Christmas day dinner for the family, and probably going to exchange gifts. Buying gifts is a real pain though, since it's getting harder every year to come up with new ideas! My shopping is almost done, after 2 mad days of combing the stores at Takashimaya and at Vivocity.
Chai is back for the holidays. It's amazing, he's already headed into the final year of medical school and will be done by next year! His girlfriend is already done with her Masters degree and started work. I am getting old! It's nice when he's back, feels like our family is complete again. We're all looking forward to when he's back for good.
Madison is finishing up her time with Bibinogs. It's a little sad that's she's ready to move on, and I'm grateful for the skills that they have imparted to her. She's developed so much over the year, and become more confident and articulate since she started school. Next year she starts at Pat's Schoolhouse at Buckley and I'm hoping she doesn't have too much trouble adjusting. I think she'll like it there eventually.
Annika is also growing up much too quickly. She's rolling all the time now and is generally a happy person. It's great how I feel so much more relaxed and confident handling her compared with Madison! She's also lucky to have 2 older kids to entertain her and keep her company. Elizabeth and Madison sway between protective love and jealous snatching! It's funny how the 3 of them occupy themselves the entire day.
Chris is going away AGAIN, this time with Pa for a medical mission trip to Padang, Indonesia. They leave tonight and will be back on Sunday NIGHT. Argh.. I will have to survive another 2 nights with the kids. He's working so much these days that he hardly has time for the kids, and with all the travelling he's been doing recently, it's been a little tough. But I do understand that he needs to train now so that he can be good at what he does.
The saga with Warni is also resolved. She is (hopefully) coming back to work with us for another 2 years starting next March. She leaves for a holiday in February. We negotiated her working terms and so she gets a pay rise and regular time off starting next year. I think she's happy and already I feel a positive change in her work attitude. I want to thank her for her efforts over the past 2 years, and so I will give her a Christmas bonus as well. I think I want to do the same for Maria and Siti( Geok's helper) as well. I am grateful for their help over the past 5 months with Annika and Madison.
Finally.. on the apartment front... yay! Work has finally begun and things are looking GOOD! I'm hoping we'll be able to move in before next year, but we're not rushing things. I'm rather sick of sleeping in the lounge and having our things all over the apartment. It's only a slight increase in space, but since we're having things built in it feels like a significant upgrade.
Oh.. and Chris' mum is coming for the Christmas break. And staying till Chinese New Year. That should be fun. She'll get plenty of time with her 2 granddaughters.
That's it for now...
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