SLAVERY BLISS

She Is 6!

2009-07-18T12:48:00.000+08:00

Today is XY's birthday. It's crazy how fast time flies by. Next year, she'll be wearing the blue pinafore, attending a "big school" (primary school).

When I looked back at her 5 years old post, I realised that she's pretty much the same now as she was a year ago (still very playful and very vain hehehe). Some things to add on :

Has her own thoughts I have to get the 'green light' from her before buying her clothes and shoes. If she doesn't like them, no point buying coz she'll rarely wear them. She rejects my choices rather frequently. So she doesn't have many new clothes nowadays. Actually I won't go wrong with pink, but her wardrobe's too "pink" already. Therefore I try to add some other colours for her.

Independent She can brush her teeth and bathe on her own. But I seldom let her bathe herself. If she does, I'll give her the last rinse, just to make sure she's clean enough.

Full of curiosity When the adults are talking, she wants to know what we're talking about. She'll ask us on the spot when there're words she doesn't understand. We'll have to keep reminding/scolding her not to interrupt our conversation.

A loving and helpful sister She gets bullied frequently by didi but she still loves and adores him a lot. Even though she's angry with him when he hits her or when he doesn't want to share things/toys, she'll play with him again later. She can even help him when he wants to pee - hold the potty and pull his pants down for him. Or bring him to the basin to wash his hands before eating.

Rude She can be quite rude at times. From the way she asks for things, the way she talks to people (especially those who adores her), the way she retorts back, I sometimes wonder if I'm parenting her the right way. *sigh... headache*

Naptime She still naps in the afternoon, usually 2-3 hours. I wonder how she's going to cope if she attends the afternoon session next year. Maybe I should start to train her to forgo her nap in the next few months.

Oh by the way, Slavery Bliss is TWO! I've not been updating it regularly. Can't use my laptop freely these days as my boy wants to play with it once he sees me using it. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continuous support and friendship as I've been rather slow in blog-hopping as well. Hope it can survive to see its 3rd year. :-)

Wet & Cold

2009-07-16T16:28:00.000+08:00

Last weekend, we were back in my hometown, Penang. This is our second trip home this year, since Chinese New Year. It was a very short trip, 2 nights stay (Fri - Sun), so I didn't inform any of my friends about my trip. Just want to laze around at home and spend more time with my family.

It rained heavily and almost non-stop from Friday night till Sunday morning. The weather was very cold at night. We're wrapped up in our blankets from neck to toe during bedtime, with the fan switched on to the lowest speed. With such weather, we had most meals at home. Rather inconvenient to bring the kids out. I got to eat many of my favourite hawker food (packed home by my personal delivery boy - my dear brother hehehe).

The only time we went out was for lunch on Sunday with my family. We had dim sum and noodles at Lorong Abu Siti. The noodles was good but not the dim sum. Hubby and I prefer the dim sum at Anson Road. Since we didn't go out much, how did the kids occupy themselves being confined at home? They played with card games, toys, torch lights and most of the time, they fought over my 10 year-old nephew's PSP. Even didi who doesn't know how to play, demanded for his turn as he wanted to press the buttons. :-|

~ a rare moment - waiting patiently for his turn ~

Oh ya, I also ate some durians (finally!). Yummy! But came back to KL with sore throat and runny nose. :-( Not sure if it's because of the durian. Anyway, I only ate about 7-8 pieces in total. The sore throat lasted for just one day. I'm now feeling much better, just have thick phlegms to clear and a blocked nose. And I really hate blocked nose coz it's really difficult to sleep at night. sigh...

Haircut & Rewards

2009-07-10T23:45:00.001+08:00

Monday was a holiday for XY because of Family Day the day before. I brought the kids to the salon for a haircut. When we were at home, CE said he didn't want a haircut. So I persuaded him with lollipop as reward.

They had their hair cut at the same time. CE sat in the toy car while XY on an ordinary chair next to him. I stood in between them as a "facilitator", constantly reminding them to stay still, like a broken record. :p At times, I've to hold CE's face to keep him still.

Overall, I'd say they behaved really well. CE was fidgeting a little and kept looking sideways at jie jie. Well, you can't expect a 3 year-old to stay as still as a statue, right? So I shouldn't be complaining. XY, as usual, was very cooperative coz she "wants to look pretty". ;-) But I offered her fries as reward anyway.

After the haircut, we went to McDonald's (just next door) to have french fries. Actually I was craving for that too. Haven't had them for a very long time already. Both of them enjoyed their fries dipped in tomato sauce.

As promised, they had their lollipops after lunch. This is CE's second lollipop. He hardly gets the chance to eat it. And he's probably thinking "haircut = lollipop" as his first lolly was after a haircut too. :D

And then they started to monkey around.

Family Day @ Putrajaya

2009-07-06T17:19:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, we attended the Family Day event organised by XY's kindy. Our day started very early. We reached the venue at about 8am. Upon registration, we were given coupons for breakfast and lunch. I went to collect our breakfast (curry puffs and sausage buns), then looked for our tent (Blue team). We settled down on our picnic mat (we were asked to bring this) and ate our breakfast.

~ kids enjoying their breakfast ~

The event started with the National Anthem being played, followed by a speech by the principal. Then the children performed the pom pom dance. And next, the games began. We had earlier selected which games we wanted to participate in. The games required the parents and child to work as a team and also to team up with other families. We participated in 2 games but PaPa wasn't being very sporting (when we reached there, he has already made himself clear he won't be participating in anything *blek*), so I 'borrowed' SIL to be XY's "father". hehehe And likewise, I was CH's "father" in their event coz BIL wasn't feeling very well.

~ getting ready to perform the pom pom dance ~

The last game was treasure hunt but we went to the nearby playground. There was a small pool next to it. Many children were playing water there, including the kindy's students. We had been notified earlier that we can use the facilities (playground and pool) at the Community Hall after the event. Although I brought the kids' swimming costumes, I didn't let them play in the pool. The water was errr... not very clear (I think enough of brownish water for the week). :D

At the playground...

~ the big monkey climbing here and there ~

~ see, samseng or not? ~

~ he can spin/play with the wheel for a VERY long time ~

~ finally got bored with the wheel, went for some sliding fun ~

On our way to the car, we met the principal. She passed us a gift as our team won the treasure hunt. How nice, at least XY got a souvenir to bring home coz we didn't win anything in the games earlier.

We went for lunch and reached home at 2+. It was a very tiring day for all of us (especially the old folks :D). I was totally knocked-out once I lied down on the bed. Even after a 4-hour nap, I still slept early with the kids at night.

Brown Water

2009-07-01T14:18:00.001+08:00

There was no water supply late last night. Usually we'll get dirty water once the supply is back. When I bathed CE this morning, the water was brown in colour. :-|

~ CE bathed with this ~

The colour was like the above after throwing away almost 10 pails of water. So can you imagine the colour of the earlier batch? Ewww... Anyway, I still bathed him but washed his face with "cleaner" water from the basin tap.

I really don't know how come the water in the second shower room is so dirty. The water from the master bathroom and taps downstairs is just a little cloudy (even with a filter outside the house). Good thing I have another filter in the kitchen. Sigh... we have to pay for this kind of water. Maybe we should dig our own well. hahaha

Fruity Dessert

2009-06-30T16:42:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I made konnyaku jelly coz it's expiring soon. Bought a can of longans on the way to fetch XY from kindy. Kakak and I started our 'project' after lunch. After cutting the strawberries, grapes and kiwi into small slices, I arranged them and the longans in a tray and 5 small cups. I used less water than instructed on the packet as I've added the longan syrup. It was sweet enough (also taking into consideration the fruits) so I didn't have to add any sugar at all.

~ konnyaku jelly with fruits ~

This was their dessert after dinner. I gave hubby a mouthful and he asked for a piece. I was surprised (and very happy, of coz) as he's not a dessert person (especially those that I make :p). But when he had his piece, he complained that it was sour. hahaha That was why I gave him a bite with only grapes earlier. I knew he doesn't like the sourness of strawberry and kiwi.

Needless to say, it was a big hit with the kids. CE didn't really like longans though (hmmm... funny coz he loved it when I made longan jelly). XY, as usual, kept asking for more. But they only got to eat their second serving this afternoon after lunch. Now all finished, no more for tonight. Anyway, I've got another packet of powder, will be making jelly again very soon. ;-)

3 Years 1 Month Old

2009-06-22T23:42:00.000+08:00

Today CE is 37 months old. I don't think I'll continue to do the monthly updates for him. Blame it on my laziness, forgetfulness and there aren't many new things to update every month. :p But since I skipped his update last month, I'll do a brief one here.

Naptime Experiment
This experiment, which started about 2 months ago, has failed. He's now back to wearing diapers for naptime. Although he was doing quite well at the beginning, I have to stop the training as he was sick and on medication (too drowsy to be aware of the need to urinate while sleeping). Then after that, his 'performance' wasn't consistent. Some days he's okay, some days I've to change him and the bedsheet halfway through his nap. You see, he disliked the rubber mat or towel to be put under him. So when accidents happen, he wets the bed as well. Moreover, he doesn't realise it that he's wet the bed. He doesn't wake up immediately. I take that as a sign that he's not really ready yet. Anyway, on the days that he doesn't wet his diaper, I'll use it again at night. I guess I'll wait till he's really ready.

Milk & Fruits
His milk intake has been reduced to 2 times a day (skipped the afternoon one) since I started to let him nap without diapers.
Have introduced rambutan and lychee to him. He loves them. He's tried durians when he was smaller, didn't reject them. He's not too choosy when it comes to fruits. His current favourites are banana, grape, mango and dragon fruit.

Behaviour
He's become a big cry baby. The start of the Terrifying 3 stage? When he doesn't get what he wants :
(1) he jumps on the spot like a rabbit and/or
(2) cry out loud and/or
(3) keep repeating what he wants.
If he doesn't do ALL 3, then it's any combination of the 2. :D

Others
When he speaks, he likes to end with "... ah", especially his questions. "Mie, can we play games ah?" Aisay, speaking like a cina ah pek.
Makes request to go for movie. To him, movie = popcorn. Obviously, he's only interested in the popcorn. hehehe
Not so obedient anymore. Will sometimes protest when I ask him to brush his teeth or bathe. I guess as they grow older, they have their own preference and won't follow our orders willingly all the time.

Movie Outing

2009-06-19T23:49:00.000+08:00

SIL and I brought the kids for a movie last Wednesday. We watched "Monsters vs. Aliens". The kids really enjoyed the popcorn. Can't say the same about the movie though. I think CE doesn't know how to appreciate the movie. When he was done eating his popcorn, he wanted to get out of the cinema. :-| Luckily he didn't insist nor made a big fuss. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience as the kids didn't create any scene. :-)

This is the first time we tried the couple seat. For that particular cinema, the couple seats are at the last 2 rows. Although the seats are in a row (no spaces in between, just the arm rest), the space is slightly bigger as the arm rest between 2 seats is removable. For 6 of us (3 adults and 3 kids), we bought tickets for 2 couple seats (4 seats altogether) and we sat very comfortably.

Before the movie, we 'wasted' some money at Jusco's playland.

~ CE particularly like those with steering wheels ~

~ even the "big" kid wants to play in the moving vehicle ~

No Card Nor Gift

2009-06-15T14:03:00.000+08:00

... just a Dark Chocolate Moist Cake.

After the failed attempt to bake the Nestum cake 5 months ago, I tried to bake a chocolate cake on Saturday for hubby's birthday (yesterday). But the cake is more for the kids than for him coz he doesn't really like chocolate cake. hahaha

A few weeks ago, I went to the bakery supplies shop to get some muffin mix and I asked the shop attendant to recommend an "easy" cake. She gave me the chocolate cake mix. Well, it's easy to make, just mix all the ingredients (pre-mix flour, eggs, oil and water) together. But the baking-in-the-oven session was a little tricky as I've got a slightly cracked and burnt top. After getting great tips from my previous attempt (thanks friends!), I lowered the temperature gradually and covered the top with foil paper when the top started to crack. So the cake came out (looking) okay.

~ the ingredients, I used milk instead of water ~

~ the not-so-pretty birthday cake ~

After dinner, we had a very simple cake-cutting ceremony. So simple that there was no candles to blow. :-) The cake tasted alright, not too sweet. But very rich, so can't eat too much at one go. The kids kept asking for more (as usual) - chocolate cake mah. :D

~ not too sweet but very rich ~

The Itchy-No-More Addict

2009-06-05T19:45:00.000+08:00

Thank you for your concern and suggestions on CE's rashes. His condition's much better now. Went to see the doctor again on Tuesday as the cream (now I know the name of the other medicine - Gentamycin) has finished. Also to let him check on the rashes. Just to make sure everything's normal and nothing new has cropped up. The doctor said they're "dying" (or did he say drying? hahaha). I asked if they'll leave marks on his body. He said they won't, will slowly fade off, unless he scratched them till they bleed. We still don't know how he got the virus as the doctor said it could be through contact or air-borne. Lucky thing jie jie's not affected.

Now the rashes have turned brownish and I think they're not itchy anymore. Have stopped giving him Piriton (for itchiness) on Wednesday. I've also stopped applying the cream today. Hopefully there'll be no surprises till he's fully recovered.

I'm happy he's no longer bothered by the rashes but he's giving me a new problem - he's become a computer game addict! The other day I wrote that he's only interested to press the remote control for the Wii games. Then I made the biggest mistake of introducing him to computer games. Actually I switched it on for jie jie, he was just the spectator. He wanted to play too so I let jie jie guide him. And there was no stopping him since then. :-(

It's the Windows Vista game called Purble Place. There are 3 games altogether :
1. Memory game ~ open 2 cards with the same design to clear all the cards.
2. Cake-making ~ match the cake order by selecting the correct mould, cake flavour, cream and topping. He's very good at this one.
3. Detective game ~ guess the puppet's features - hairstyle, eyes, nose and mouth. He calls this the 'Monster game'.

~ in full concentration ~

~ playing his 'Monster game' ~

He wants to play ALL the time. The minute we go downstairs, he'll say "I want to play games." Yes, this is STILL his favourite sentence. I don't even dare to use my laptop as he'll come bug me once he sees it's on. It's really difficult to get him to stop when he's playing. When it's meal time, he'll tell me "I don't want to eat" or "I don't want to be hungry". :-| Have to threaten him with "No more playing tomorrow" if he refused to budge. Of course, accompanied by some crying episode most of the time. And I find it difficult to set a time or condition for play as he doesn't seem to understand. I have to trick him if I want him to stop or when I want to delay switching it on for him. He's still playing with his toys (building blocks, musical instruments, etc) but I think he gets bored with them easily and then he'll come to me and say "I want to play games." *pengsan*

Scratch Here Scratch There

2009-05-31T23:59:00.000+08:00

I wrote about CE's itchy red patch on his stomach area last week. It has become worse since then. As there was no improvement after applying the Foban-H cream that his paediatrician prescribed, we brought him back for check-up again on Monday. The doctor said it doesn't look like normal rashes so he asked us to consult a skin specialist.

Went to see the specialist on Wednesday. Doctor said it's viral infection. This could last for weeks, even months. He prescribed another cream. It's a combination of 2 medicine - Crotamiton and Ge****yein (can't decipher the nurse's writing :-|). Really pity the little boy as it's very itchy. Luckily there's no other discomfort. But he's been a good boy as he stays very still for me to apply the cream all over his body after his bath and he willingly take the oral medicine for itchiness (Antamin).

A few days have passed and new rashes are still appearing. But the rashes around the abdomen area have turned brownish, which is what the doctor expected. I really hope it wouldn't last for months. I really don't know how he got them, the doctor can't give an explanation either.

~ the abdomen area ~

~ his chest and neck ~

~ his back ~

Hope I didn't spoil anyone's appetite. :p

No More Fruits

2009-05-29T19:30:00.000+08:00

So we had this for teatime today.

~ pineapple muffins ~

When the kids were napping, I baked pineapple muffins. Kakak mixed the ingredients (eggs, water, corn oil and ready-mix flour), I took care of the oven. Had to bake 3 rounds as I've got a small oven and I've got 42 little muffins.

The kids ate the muffins once they woke up from their nap. They walloped 5 muffins each. Didi kept asking for more. I hid the rest of the muffins but when I was eating them, he kept pestering me. I had no choice but to give him a few more bites. He has become very greedy lately. Always asking for more. :-|

~ the kids can’t get enough of it ~

I want to play games

2009-05-29T14:33:00.000+08:00

This is what CE has been saying a lot lately. He wants me to give him the green light to switch on the Wii games. He'll quickly take the tv remote and change it to the games channel. Then he'll take out the Wii remote from the drawer and press the button to start the game. We don't allow him to touch the console so he cannot change the disk. I'll change it (if need to) and he'll point the remote at the censor and click the button to start the game.

Actually when he says he wants to play games, he's asking ME to play, so that he can control the remote. There's one button on the remote that's constantly used - to continue the game (after some instructions) and to make the selection. It's not that difficult. When the screen shows the "A" button (to continue to the next screen), he just need to press the remote. So he's always on the look-out for the "A" button. When we need to make a selection (e.g. Quit or Retry), we just tell him "Q" or "R", then he'll point and press to select.

~ our personal remote controller ~

Only when we're using Wii Fit, he can have full control of the remote. If we play the basic games, we'll need the remote control to play. So he's got nothing to do. Luckily at this point of time, he's not too interested in the games. Just wants to control the remote. So there's less fighting between the kids as one is playing and one is the remote controller. :-)

~ jie jie in action on the Wii Fit ~

So Proud Of You

2009-05-26T10:28:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, I went to XY's kindy for Parent-Teacher's Day, to collect her exam results and discuss her progress in school with her class teacher, Ms Irene.

For her 1st semester exam, she scored 100% for 3 papers (English, Bahasa Malaysia and Science), 88% for Chinese and 90% for Mathematics. We're very happy with her results. As parents, we shouldn't emphasize too much on the scores (at kindy level) but use the exam as a guide to see what needs improvement.

We've always been concerned about her Chinese language. We started to enforce more Mandarin-speaking at home since last year. Ms Irene said her Mandarin has improved. She's conversing more in Mandarin and has wider vocabulary. She would've no problems coping in a Chinese-medium primary school. By the way, we STILL haven't decided which medium school to send her to. How come, you may ask, as we need to register for the school when she's 5 years old? Sigh... long story.

Anyway, back to her progress, these are some of Ms Irene's comments and what I was thinking in my heart :
-> Has leadership qualities. The boys have their own leader and she's the leader for the girls (only 5 girls in her class). *She's pretty bossy huh.*
-> Very helpful to the teachers and also her friends. *She's very kepoh (busybody), I know.*
-> Very observant, especially during science subject. She asks a lot of questions, meaning she thinks. *Oh, she does? (hahaha I'm a terrible mom hor.)*
-> Much more independent now. She can do work on her own.
-> Very daring and confident. She's willing to share her knowledge. She volunteered to show her ballet dance to her teachers and classmates. She asked her good friend (who's in the same ballet class) to perform together but she refused. So she went ahead and danced on her own. *Errr... daring or loves attention?*
-> She writes very slowly, especially the Chinese characters. Ms Irene has highlighted this to me before. I've explained that she's trained to write slowly and carefully at home, otherwise her strokes will be out of shape sometimes. Because of this, she sometimes need more time to finish her work in class, or she'll have to continue them at home. Then she added, the end result is neat and tidy work. *smiling inside*
-> One thing that hasn't changed since Day 1, she's still as talkative as ever. But Ms Irene said it's manageable, she'll keep quiet when asked to. Guess she's very forgetful. Keep forgetting that she has to keep her mouth shut. hahaha We all agreed that she really loves to T-A-L-K. *So proud of my chatter box.*

So what's her reward? We've already bought it for her the week before her exam. The Nintendo Wii. We said it's for her, but actually mommy and PaPa also want to play. :D I've already set the rules :
(1) Can only play on non-school days. Sometimes she gets to play on weekdays (but just for a short while), when the adults are at it. So we're quite flexible actually.
(2) When we ask her to stop, she has to. No appealing and no complaining. Otherwise, no more playing in the future. This she follows (sometimes need reminding), but so far so good. Everybody happy.

The Celebration

2009-05-22T14:38:00.000+08:00

Today the little boy turns 3. My PIL were here last weekend to attend a wedding dinner. So we had a simple birthday celebration at home last Sunday (17-5-09).

The birthday boy requested a "car cake". Don't know why the fascination with cars. He doesn't play much with his toy cars. He's never watched Cars, the movie before. Anyway, he insisted on a red car. Luckily the bakery in town has the picture of Lightning McQueen.

Here are some photos. Enjoy...

PaPa will get a mini cake on the way home later. We'll have another round of candle-blowing and cake-cutting tonight. I think the little boy is confused why we wished him "Happy Birthday" today when he's already cut his cake last Sunday. But I'm sure he doesn't mind having another round of celebration.

Very Suay

2009-05-21T21:08:00.001+08:00

I brought CE to consult his paediatrician this morning. He has some rashes on his neck, chest and abdomen after a one-day fever on Monday. His runny nose is just clearing up and I thought might as well check to see everything's alright with his ear and throat. Luckily no further infection. Also, there's a red itchy patch on his body that didn't go away after a week (I applied Hydrocort). It has dried up a bit but it seemed to have enlarged. Doctor prescribed Foban-H, a cream that contains antibiotic.

~ red patch on his right side (stomach area) ~

The suay thing that happened was I got summoned for parking without paying. Why I said suay? Because I was prepared to pay. I knew I didn't have any coins in my wallet so before I left the house, I 'stole' 50 sen (20+20+10) from the kids' musical coin box. But when I put in the coins, it didn't accept my 10 sen coin. Then I realised it's a SGD10¢. As CE and Kakak were waiting at the paed's clinic (I dropped them in front of the clinic earlier), I didn't bother to go change the coins. Moreover, I only have RM50 notes. I was secretly hoping that I won't get summoned (it's quite common around that area). I was gone for about half an hour (max 40 minutes). When I got to the car, there was a piece of paper stuck to my wiper. *sigh sigh sigh* So instead of paying 50 sen, now I've to pay RM30. Thanks to that SGD10¢. *arrrgh!!*

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-10T21:48:00.003+08:00

This year, Mother's Day is very special to me. Not because of how it was celebrated, but because my mom was here. We came back from Singapore together on Thursday night. I went there the day before to attend my 3rd uncle's funeral. Mom went on Tuesday.

We didn't have any lavish celebration, didn't go to any fancy restaurant. For breakfast, we just ate dim sum at a shop nearby. As we had a late breakfast and we've to leave for the airport at 2+ pm (to send mom off), we had a light lunch of fried bihun. Then it was a simple dinner at home, just like any ordinary day. Well, XY wished me "Happy Mother's Day" early in the morning. And didi too wished me when prompted. Hmmm... it's not that ordinary after all yeah. ;-)

Happy Mother's Day to you!

I'd like to take this opportunity to apologise for not visiting you lately. Have been sleeping early and resting more while fighting the war. I have a few things to attend to (will be busy till June) so I'll have to go slow on blogging and blog hopping. Would really appreciate your understanding. See you... when I see you okay?
:-)

The Long Weekend

2009-05-08T19:22:00.000+08:00

Thank you very much for all your get-well wishes and caring gestures. Unfortunately, the virus seemed to be very strong this time around. XY is fully recovered already but I'm not. But it's just the end part. I guess it takes a little more time for the "elderly". hahaha

Didi's condition worsened after my previous update. His throat infection spread to his ear (again!). He was really in pain this time as the doctor said his right eardrum was very red. Luckily it was under control after medication (painkiller, antibiotic and ear drops). Then he complained of pain and itch on his left ear on Tuesday morning. I just put the ear drop for him (for 2 days) and he's okay now. So I can also announce victory for him. Yay!

Okay, enough of this boring health issues. Here's a short update on our activities last weekend.

Friday
Went to IOI Mall after our bak kut teh brunch. The kids had a great time at Jusco's playland. After considering for months, we finally bought the Nintendo Wii. And also the Wii Fit a few days later (Tuesday).

That night, after the kids slept, PaPa and I played tennis (the Wii game lah :D) till about 3am. It was a really good workout as our t-shirts were wet (partly from exercise and partly from the hot weather). We swung our arms as if we're playing real tennis. Also moved our body (stretched a bit) to reach the ball. My arms and shoulders ached till now. And that proved how unfit I am. As we're so sticky, we had to shower before sleeping. What a night.

Saturday
Just stayed home.

Sunday
Went to KLCC. PaPa went to take a look at the Home Decoration Exhibition (Homedec 09) while I brought the kids to Petrosains. XY was quite fascinated with some of the experiments but I didn't have much opportunity to explain to her. I had to take care of the excited didi who kept touching this and that. There are games for the kids (and adults) to play and you really need to spend at least 2-3 hours there. I didn't go for the Helicopter Simulator coz I didn't want to waste time waiting for our turn. I'd think that should be fun.

Our tickets included DinoTrek, the dinosaur exhibition. It was quite interesting to see the different types of dinosaurs in 3D. They can move too! There're computerised panels where you can play games (dino puzzles) and read more information about dinosaurs. We took some pictures with their interactive camera and they'll be e-mailed to us (need to type in the e-mail address). But I haven't received them yet. Maybe it doesn't really work.

Pictures taken in DinoTrek :

~ Apatosaurus (I think) ~

~ Spinosaurus vs. Tyrannosaurus Rex ~

~ Maiasaurus ~

Health Updates

2009-04-27T16:02:00.000+08:00

The whole family is sick. The only survivor is PaPa. This round, everyone's sick at the same time, Kakak too. XY and I are wrapping "wantons". Me more frequently than her. I sneezed so hard till my head and face ache. *sniffle sniffle* Actually, XY's been having runny nose for almost 2 weeks already. It started with a mild one, stopped, then returned.

Didi had fever for 4 days (no more fever today *phew*). Now he's having runny nose and cough. He was having slight redthroat and diarrhea (luckily no vomitting) when I brought him to see his paediatrician on Friday. I think he's no longer having diarrhea but stomach still gassy. I'm not giving him milk just yet but have included vegetables and more meat in his meals. The poor guy was only eating watery porridge with few slices of fish or chicken for the past 2 days. Although the kids are not well, I'm very glad they're still as active as ever.

Ok, now rewind back to last Wednesday.
*imagine the sound of tape rewinding*
I went for my first dose of the cervical cancer vaccine (Cervarix). I signed up for the BP Diagnostic Centre's promotional offer of 3 jabs for RM500. They've extended their promotion till end of this month.

One of the most common side effects is pain at the injected area. The doctor said some complain of pain for a few days, some for a week. :-| I experienced intense pain (very sore but nothing that can kill you lah :D) for 3 days. It was painful to lift up my arm. I can't lie sideways while sleeping as it's painful when my arm's being pressed down. After the 4th day (till now), it's still a bit sore, especially when I press on the injected area. Other than that, everything's normal.

Wishing everyone a germ-free week ahead! *cough cough*

35 Months Old

2009-04-23T16:22:00.001+08:00

CE turned 35 months old yesterday. One more month and he'll be 3. Don't think we'll have a big celebration. We'll most probably just have a simple dinner with family members.

* Statistics (measured on 24-4-09)
Weight - 14.5 kg
Height - 100 cm

Here's a brief update of his antics/development this month :

He is able to say our full names (PaPa's, mommy's and jie jie's). But sometimes the pronunciation is a bit out of tune.
He's still watching Barney's Night Before Christmas frequently. He makes up his own songs (by repeating one or two words) to the tune of Jingle Bell. E.g. "Open door, open door, open open door."
Able to tell which is left and right (hand/leg/ear). But not very good with turning left or right. When he's pushing his tricycle, he's a bit confused when I asked him to turn left or right.
As he likes to ask us why this and why that, we like to disturb him by doing the same. And he'll start his answer with "Becuz...", then followed by statements that's totally unrelated to the question sometimes. hehehe
Imitates the way we talk. He's not so polite anymore. "Didi want to watch tv NOW!" "I said didi dowan to eat!" :- Yup, I obviously use a lot of NOW and I SAID when talking to the kids.
He mixes up the usage of "the" and "to". E.g. "I want the shee shee (pee)."
He's started to drink a whole cup of diluted Milo, sometimes during breakfast (after his milk) or tea time. Previously, just a few sips from mine. Likes to dip biscuits into his Milo drink.
I've been training him to nap without diapers since 11-4-09. He's not been very consistent. He's wet the bed or pants a few times. So far, the success rate is 70%. Will write more about this in a different post.

* Updated on 24-4-09.

First Lollipop

2009-04-21T21:43:00.000+08:00

CE had his first FULL lollipop last Friday. He's eaten lollipops before but just a few licks only. At first, he bit it. He doesn't know how to lick it inside his mouth. After a demonstration from jie jie and some practice, he's a pro already. And he really enjoyed his treat.

So why did he get to eat a whole lollipop on his own?

Because he behaved very well during his haircut (his 5th).

~ hair combed neatly by the barber ~

Notice the cut and bruise on his forehead? He hurt himself 2 days earlier (Wednesday). He was running and slipped on the floor mat. Fell face down and knocked his forehead on the tiled floor. Anyway, the cut is barely visible now.

I brought him to the Aunty's salon but it was closed. There's an Indian barber right next door, where he had his very first haircut when he was 20 months old. Too lazy to bring him to the fancy salon with toy car (difficult to find parking), we ended up in the Indian shop.

As usual, he protested when the barber wrapped the plastic sheet around him. I've tried to prepare him weeks ago. I've been telling him that if he wants to have a haircut, he needs to be wrapped up. I even demonstrated with his towel (as often as I could remember) after his bath. Every time he'll say "Ok" or "Yes". But when it comes to the actual situation, it's a different story. Can't really trust kiddo's words yeah. :D

So I gave him a lollipop to hold and kept asking him not to pull the plastic. Promised him the lollipop after he's done. It sort of worked. He didn't fuss much but when he saw a lot of hair on the sheet, he tried to blow them away or push them with his hands underneath. But overall, I'd say that was one of his most well-behaved sessions.

~ enjoying his reward after lunch ~

~ jie jie also got rewarded for finishing her lunch fast ~

Special Request

2009-04-18T20:43:00.000+08:00

After almost a week of hair-pulling experiences (on our side, of course), the internet is finally working. Anyway, I'll spare you the details (we all know the efficiency of our broadband service). :-) Only now I'm able to upload the pictures and post this.

XY made a request to PaPa to bring her to Kizsports (in 1-Utama). She's not been there for a long time already. SIL and I usually bring the kids there during school holidays. But I didn't bring them anywhere the last 1-week school break.

We went to MidValley last Sunday as I wanted to redeem the free voucher from Sony Centre. After a satisfying meal at Madam Kwan's, I brought the kids to MegaKidz while PaPa run some errands.

It's our first visit to MegaKidz. XY was like a monkey off the leash (latt seng ma lau hahaha), running here and there excitedly. Didi was quite contended playing at the area for toddlers below 4 years old. He was trying out all the toys, didn't stay put at one place for long. But at least he's only moving around in that confined area. Kakak took care of him while I went around taking photos.

~ my daredevil girl went many many rounds on the long spiral slide ~

~ in the "toddler below 4" area ~

After 1+ hours of exercise, the kids fell asleep in the car. XY continued her nap at home but didi, the energetic bunny, didn't want to nap anymore. So mommy couldn't have her much-needed rest too. But he fell asleep quite fast during bedtime.

Naptime Experiment

2009-04-11T22:28:00.000+08:00

CE's been diaperless (except for naptime and sleep at night) for almost a year already. When he wakes up from his nap, his diaper is usually just slightly wet. It has never been completely dry. But I wanted to give it a try.

Today I did an experiment. I asked him to pee before he drank his milk (he drinks 7 ozs everyday before his nap). Then I asked him if it's okay if he doesn't wear a diaper to nap. He said "okay". I kept reminding him that he needs to wake up to pee as he's not wearing a diaper. After he's finished his milk, I let him pee again. Then off to slumberland. I put a rubber mat under him, just in case. Halfway through his nap, I had to readjust the mat because he's no longer sleeping on it. Good thing he was sleeping like a log. :-)

He woke up about 1.5 hours later, without wetting his pants. Yay! He didn't even need to pee immediately. It's definitely a good start. Let's see how it goes for the next few days coz usually he'll nap for 2.5 to 3 hours. But I'll wait till he's really ready for the night time training. This mommy too lazy. :p

Spelling Ability

2009-04-08T12:42:00.000+08:00

CE likes to separate the alphabets from the alphabet mat. And keep those alphabets in his toy car. While I was having breakfast just now, he was playing by himself near the mat. Then he came to me and said, "Mommy, see pot." He's arranged the letters to spell P-O-T! I am soooo impressed coz this is the first time he's spelt a word correctly. I've not seriously taught him spelling (not p-o-t anyway). I guess after watching WordWorld (educational programme from PHDC) for the hundredth time, he can recognise the word. Pot is one of the regular words in the show.

~ photo taken with the Nokia N82 ~

I tested him some more to see if he really knows how to spell. So I asked him to spell box, he arranged Z-O-X. hahaha I told him there's a letter B. Then he spelt B-X-O and finally, B-O-X. So before you say he's clever, I think it's just a one-off thing. Still, I can't help but to 'syiok sendiri' (as Sasha puts it :D). I think every mother is guilty of that, no? :p

Another thing that I want to 'syiok sendiri' is that XY's been doing very well in her spelling tests in school, for all the 3 languages. The best part is, I don't have to spend much time to drill her (especially for English and Bahasa). She can already spell them out the first time I test her. But I have to clarify that the words given are much easier (max 5-letter words) compared to other kindies that I've read in some mommies' blogs. But what the heck, I'm still very proud of her. Hope she'll continue to do well when the words get tougher.

Jigsaw Puzzles

2009-04-02T22:05:00.000+08:00

~ so preoccupied with the puzzle ~

CE likes to play with jigsaw puzzles. His first piece was Sesame Street. Jie jie did it together with him. I was quite amazed that he was able to put them together after a few tries. He doesn't seem to get bored with it. Sometimes when Kakak is busy, I'll ask him to wait for me in the room while I take a quick shower. He'll be happily doing the puzzle while waiting for me. Usually, he would have completed it before I'm done so he'll just mess up the room with books and flash cards. :D

~ CE's first jigsaw puzzle ~

Then I bought him a small Barney puzzle. Playing puzzles is one of the rare moments that he'll stay still for a long while to finish it. I wanted to get more puzzles but can't seem to find them where I normally shop (was not actively looking anyway). Recently, I saw some bigger Barney puzzles at Jusco Serdang so I quickly grabbed 4. There are 8 designs altogether. Well, it's pretty easy for XY. So the li'l teacher was happily guiding didi while playing together (when they're not fighting over it). After a few rounds, CE was able to put them together too, with some occasional help.

~ the small Barney puzzle ~

~ 8 designs of the 40-piece puzzles (W21cm x L28cm) ~