You would think I laugh a million times a day.
Fact is, I hardly do.
Most days, I am mostly tolerant (interrupt my cooking to wipe your backside? Sure), deliberately ignorant (the two of you can scream till kingdom come. I am deaf) or plain furious (you idiots).
Stay-home motherhood – sans maid – is funnier upon reflection, when the kids are asleep.
But on occasion, I am genuinely ticked. I laugh out loud and I cannot stop.
This is not condescending laughter (Oh you're so cute!), admiring laughter (Oh you can walk!) or just happy laughter (I'm so happy I have you!).
It's the I-cannot-stop-laughing kind.
I find it’s happening more nowadays, these Mary Poppin-ish episodes.
I think because now, finally, they can entertain me. I don’t have to entertain them.
The other night the girls strip upon command to be bathed, one by one.
Jo hops onto the table and does a bar-top dance. Lu follows suit.
I am not laughing. I am fed up. My water is heating up.
They start bowing to the audience: Me.
They make a show out of it, run into the bedroom and run out onto the stage. They put their hands on their heads, muss up their hair, shake their bums.
I am still not laughing. But I turn off the heater, sit back down and grab the camera.
The girls grab an umbrella each, prop it up and wiggle behind it. I smile.
Day finds a toy microphone and Jo grabs it. “Helloooo everybaady!” she says, the other hand on her umbrella. “I am Jody, this is Lulu, and we are NAAKED!”
Finally, I laugh.
I laugh even harder when the girls finally convince Day to remove his clothing and join them on the stage, and he does his slightly-embarrassed hunched-over version of bar-top dancing.
Jo closes her eyes and sings rapturously: “I want, nobody nobody but YOU! I want nobody nobody but YOU!”
The door opens.
For the first time in months, KK comes home to find his wife actually smiling.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
housewarming 3
Pol Yee moves from strength to strength. He sells off his prime unit at The Sail and buys another prime unit.
This house, I didn’t bring the kids. “Erm, I don’t think my house is very kid-friendly,” he mumbled.
Feel: Black, white and red with metallic accents for a Type A bachelor.
* Luke (black), Pol Yee (purple), Chun (white). Pix by Melissa Goh
As always, it is the music which warms his abode and I’ll leave it at that.
A video we took (Abba's Super Trouper):
And more.
* Tian Chang Di Jiu from the Solvil and Titus ad
* Forrest Gump's Feather Theme
* New York, New York
* Por Una Cabeza
This house, I didn’t bring the kids. “Erm, I don’t think my house is very kid-friendly,” he mumbled.
Feel: Black, white and red with metallic accents for a Type A bachelor.
* Luke (black), Pol Yee (purple), Chun (white). Pix by Melissa Goh
As always, it is the music which warms his abode and I’ll leave it at that.
A video we took (Abba's Super Trouper):
And more.
* Tian Chang Di Jiu from the Solvil and Titus ad
* Forrest Gump's Feather Theme
* New York, New York
* Por Una Cabeza
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
housewarming 2
* The sea in the distance
Jo takes to Shaowen and Lorraine’s new home like a duck to water.
She tells me: Mummy I want to stay here FOR-E-VER! I want to stay here EVERYDAY!
Shaowen is an entrepreneur extraordinaire who runs the wedding music company Wedding Harmony. He plays the keyboard, his wife Lorraine (I’m always finishing up her food for her) is the singer and I sometimes play the violin with their pop or jazz bands.
He also runs an aesthetic clinic at Takashimaya and everytime he sees me the straight-talker says: “Sher Maine, come and do a facial / treatment / laser. You will look so much fresher and younger, like last time when we first met you (all of six years ago).” At the time he was a polyclinic doctor.
I may some day.
Anyhow. Their new home is right up Jo’s alley: Carpets, chandeliers, velvet, full-house air-conditioning. Maybe all little girls like this sort of style.
(I only brought Jo)
She throws herself onto the satin bedsheets, against my horrified whispers of “Nooo, Jo, nooooo!”
She makes herself comfortable under the grand piano, snuggling into the carpet and pretending to be a feline.
She meows to all the guests.
But by far, her favourite room and where she hides most of the evening, is Lorraine’s walk-in wardrobe.
She reclines, all queen-like, on the divan and greets the guests who come in to take photos (everyone is fascinated by the room).
She plays with Lorraine’s collection of teddy bears. She admires Lorraine’s towering collection of shoes. She eyes Lorraine’s display of Louis Vitton, Chanel, and Hermes bags.
She paws Lorraine’s necklaces and puts a pink pearly one around her neck (see photo above).
She throws herself on the divan and sighs. “Mummy, can you make a room for me and Lulu like this? Please? Please?”
(The only good part of that sentence was "and Lulu")
Lorraine is tickled to the max.
“Wah! You have to sign a bond with us so you can pay for bling and bags and shoes when she grows up! This one is going to be high-maintenance!”
I am horrified.
* Jo, me, Lorraine and Phoebe (another wedding singer)
Monday, September 27, 2010
housewarming 1
I love homes.
I love poking my nose into other people's homes, new or old.
I love making myself comfortable in strange homes and observing languidly how others decorate, how they chill out, what is the environment they are most comfortable in.
It is incredibly illuminating.
So when I am invited for housewarmings, I perk up.
I normally wouldn't blog about it except there were so many in a short space.
In a month, I am invited to three housewarming parties (Deb had also just moved into her new home but I was more interested in Annabel than in the apartment!)
In reflecting on the parties, I am struck at the similarities: all three are coincidentally high-rise apartments with expansive sea views purchased by Type A personalities.
None of them know each other.
With that premise...
HOUSEWARMING 1
Jianxing was my Orientation Group leader in junior college and hostel mate in university, just back from Chicago.
Famously perfectionist, he applies himself to every home renovation with the same fervour he used to exhibit in perfectly re-producing famous movie posters into huge painted backdrops.
He's the sort who would stop at a photo frame to adjust a few milimetres.
All of his homes - he's done three so far - are stunning. He designs them all himself and sources for fairy-tale bits and bobs from overseas locations.
He tells wonderful stories about every single home. For this sea-fronting beauty which is Scandinavian-inspired:
* The bouquet of 35 light bulbs over the dining table: each one is precisely 7 watts and several bulbs broke while they were being shipped over from (I think) Amsterdam. Or some other equally distant locale.
* There's the light bulbs. Now that I look at it, it looks like there's more than 35 bulbs in there. Jianxing serving up Raffles Hotel mooncakes!
* The floor-to-ceiling glass panels facing the sea were so huge they could not fit into the lift and had to be hoisted up 14 floors of stairs by the workers who collapsed in a heap post-task. Jianxing took the lift up, they complained to him, he then revealed himself to be the sadistic home owner. Those same panels are polished every week.
* Every chair in the home is a thing of beauty, like this one.
* And this one.
* Then there are the hand made dustbins which I now wish I had taken a photo of.
For his housewarming, the man bravely invites six adults and eight kids.
Me, Jason and Janet – we were all in his Orientation Group – and our offspring (the lot: Kieran, Kirsten, Tristan, Benz, Zoe and my three)
Jianxing admits he doesn’t know how the house will hold up under the assault.
We are probably more stressed than he is.
Day runs into the house and bangs straight into the clear glass. Bam!
My girls sit in front of the TV and dig their toes into the snow-white sofa. And my kid’s feet, well, are not always pristine.
* My girls each on a white chair.
Day wanders into the bathroom and explores the space-age taps and other fascinating toilet accessories before banging into the swinging door.
* Swinging toilet door on the left of photo
He ends up playing on the computer with Kieran.
I can't help thinking the kids would do better without us parents around (less nagging and hanging around them to prevent potential damage) and we would do better without them around (obviously. We would be chilling out in air-conditioned comfort sitting in gorgeous chairs listening to good music looking at the sea)
We also meet Jianxing's daughter, baby Eva! Here she is with mummy Jolene.
Eva lets me carry her!
She is such a cheerful and sociable baby. And her room has got an incredible sea view.
I love poking my nose into other people's homes, new or old.
I love making myself comfortable in strange homes and observing languidly how others decorate, how they chill out, what is the environment they are most comfortable in.
It is incredibly illuminating.
So when I am invited for housewarmings, I perk up.
I normally wouldn't blog about it except there were so many in a short space.
In a month, I am invited to three housewarming parties (Deb had also just moved into her new home but I was more interested in Annabel than in the apartment!)
In reflecting on the parties, I am struck at the similarities: all three are coincidentally high-rise apartments with expansive sea views purchased by Type A personalities.
None of them know each other.
With that premise...
HOUSEWARMING 1
Jianxing was my Orientation Group leader in junior college and hostel mate in university, just back from Chicago.
Famously perfectionist, he applies himself to every home renovation with the same fervour he used to exhibit in perfectly re-producing famous movie posters into huge painted backdrops.
He's the sort who would stop at a photo frame to adjust a few milimetres.
All of his homes - he's done three so far - are stunning. He designs them all himself and sources for fairy-tale bits and bobs from overseas locations.
He tells wonderful stories about every single home. For this sea-fronting beauty which is Scandinavian-inspired:
* The bouquet of 35 light bulbs over the dining table: each one is precisely 7 watts and several bulbs broke while they were being shipped over from (I think) Amsterdam. Or some other equally distant locale.
* There's the light bulbs. Now that I look at it, it looks like there's more than 35 bulbs in there. Jianxing serving up Raffles Hotel mooncakes!
* The floor-to-ceiling glass panels facing the sea were so huge they could not fit into the lift and had to be hoisted up 14 floors of stairs by the workers who collapsed in a heap post-task. Jianxing took the lift up, they complained to him, he then revealed himself to be the sadistic home owner. Those same panels are polished every week.
* Every chair in the home is a thing of beauty, like this one.
* And this one.
* Then there are the hand made dustbins which I now wish I had taken a photo of.
For his housewarming, the man bravely invites six adults and eight kids.
Me, Jason and Janet – we were all in his Orientation Group – and our offspring (the lot: Kieran, Kirsten, Tristan, Benz, Zoe and my three)
Jianxing admits he doesn’t know how the house will hold up under the assault.
We are probably more stressed than he is.
Day runs into the house and bangs straight into the clear glass. Bam!
My girls sit in front of the TV and dig their toes into the snow-white sofa. And my kid’s feet, well, are not always pristine.
* My girls each on a white chair.
Day wanders into the bathroom and explores the space-age taps and other fascinating toilet accessories before banging into the swinging door.
* Swinging toilet door on the left of photo
He ends up playing on the computer with Kieran.
I can't help thinking the kids would do better without us parents around (less nagging and hanging around them to prevent potential damage) and we would do better without them around (obviously. We would be chilling out in air-conditioned comfort sitting in gorgeous chairs listening to good music looking at the sea)
We also meet Jianxing's daughter, baby Eva! Here she is with mummy Jolene.
Eva lets me carry her!
She is such a cheerful and sociable baby. And her room has got an incredible sea view.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
mary poppins
Jo straps on her bag, puts on her hat, wields her little umbrella and leaps off the table: "I'm Mary Poppins!"
She nudges Day: Day can you be Bert? (Bert is Mary Poppin's man friend)
Day: NO!
Jo: Please, Day, can you be Bert?
Day: Aiya, NO!
Jo: (turns to me grudgingly and asks in a very small voice) Mummy can you be Bert?
Me: Ah? Er. OK.
Day: (cutting in loudly) Ohhh, OKAY OKAY! I'll be Bert.
The two of them march under the umbrella and sing: "Oh, it's a jolly holiday with Mary! Mary makes your heart so light!...."
Thursday, September 23, 2010
universal studios adventure
My 73-year-old father accidentally walked into a roller coaster ride touted as a “high-speed psychological thrill ride through sharp turns, full rotation and fast reverse” and came out white-faced.
“Wah, sai1 lei3. (Cantonese for damn shiong). They could have carried me out,” he mumbled, post-trauma. “But I actually survived. Not bad.”
That was the scariest, best and downright funniest moment of our Universal Studios adventure.
Mum got five free tickets for Universal Studios because her department had helped out with the Youth Olympic Games. Usually each adult weekday ticket costs a hefty $66.
Me, the kids, mum, pa and Teng go. (free for Jo and Lu)
Stipulation: We have to go on a Tuesday night from 630pm onwards.
General impressions:
* Night is good. It’s cool. Only most times, most of the rides are closed from 7pm. It’ s open till 11pm only for the YOG thank-you event.
* It’s an aural assault. To me what makes Universal Studios, Universal Studios, are the hundreds of speakers which are placed all around the park blaring sound tracks from movies like Jurassic Park. It is what makes you feel like you are in a giant movie.
* It’s huge. I realize soon that the price is absolutely worth it, except you cannot cover the park in one visit. Especially not those with young kids. Between 7 amd 1030pm, we do not even cover half the park. Which is why the annual pass ($318 per year for unlimited access) probably makes more sense if you're a fan.
* Oh and top of the ticket price, food is a bomb. A hamburger, fries and drinks set from Mel’s Drive-in is nearly $10. You can’t bring food in. And parking at Resorts World is $6 per entry, $2 for every subsequent half-hour. Capped at $26. Like that’s any consolation.
* It’s impressive. Well, I am impressed anyway. Loads of wow moments. From the photo mascots (professional and friendly), to the 4D Shrek movie which made us scream then laugh out loud, to the fire and explosion-filled Waterworld show. Rides? They’re all free (included in the ticket price) but I only sat on the kiddie ones.
* It does not seem crowded. Not compared to other Universal Studios anyway. Average waiting time for the rides our trip was 5 to 30 minutes. Yes, ours was a special event, but the taste I get from blogs is it is either really empty or it can be crowded.
* Kids enjoyment level: Lu, Jo and Day, in increasing order. The older the kid, the more they enjoy it.
Back to my pa. I just have to get this down, the kid’s incredible Gong Gong.
Teng passed by a sign next to two towering Anubis which said “Revenge of the Mummy” but what he really saw was this: Waiting time 5 minutes.
“Eh this one no need to wait. Might as well go. Can someone go with me?”
I, who would have gone, was carrying Lu, who was cranky.
Pa offered to accompany Teng. He thought it was a SHOW, just like the nice Shrek movie we saw earlier.
The moment they went in, mum sat on the seat model outside. She read the sign.
It said something about strobe lights, fog, high speeds.
At that moment we looked at each other in horror. I ran in trying to look for my dad but they were gone.
We waited. And waited.
Then we saw them emerge.
Teng was in front. His hair was blown back like he had just come out from a wind tunnel.
My dad was behind.
At their expressions, we laughed so hard my stomach hurt.
It was a ride through the dark with ghouls and monsters popping out, and was exactly what it was touted as: sharp turns, full rotation, fast reverse.
Teng, all of 25, said he nearly puked. Everybody was screaming.
Why didn’t pa turn around when he saw that it was a rollercoaster? Apparently when he saw it, it was right in front of him so he obediently got in.
Why didn’t anybody check if he was of suitable condition to get on the ride? Don’t know. The staff immediately stopped Day (who desperately wanted to go) but adults are probably expected to take individual responsibility.
It’s probably the worst thrill ride he’s ever experienced in his life, not that he has sat in many to speak of.
Anyhow: hurray for 73-year-old Gong Gong going on a roller-coaster ride!
* Enjoying a well-deserved cuppa post-ride
“Wah, sai1 lei3. (Cantonese for damn shiong). They could have carried me out,” he mumbled, post-trauma. “But I actually survived. Not bad.”
That was the scariest, best and downright funniest moment of our Universal Studios adventure.
Mum got five free tickets for Universal Studios because her department had helped out with the Youth Olympic Games. Usually each adult weekday ticket costs a hefty $66.
Me, the kids, mum, pa and Teng go. (free for Jo and Lu)
Stipulation: We have to go on a Tuesday night from 630pm onwards.
General impressions:
* Night is good. It’s cool. Only most times, most of the rides are closed from 7pm. It’ s open till 11pm only for the YOG thank-you event.
* It’s an aural assault. To me what makes Universal Studios, Universal Studios, are the hundreds of speakers which are placed all around the park blaring sound tracks from movies like Jurassic Park. It is what makes you feel like you are in a giant movie.
* It’s huge. I realize soon that the price is absolutely worth it, except you cannot cover the park in one visit. Especially not those with young kids. Between 7 amd 1030pm, we do not even cover half the park. Which is why the annual pass ($318 per year for unlimited access) probably makes more sense if you're a fan.
* Oh and top of the ticket price, food is a bomb. A hamburger, fries and drinks set from Mel’s Drive-in is nearly $10. You can’t bring food in. And parking at Resorts World is $6 per entry, $2 for every subsequent half-hour. Capped at $26. Like that’s any consolation.
* It’s impressive. Well, I am impressed anyway. Loads of wow moments. From the photo mascots (professional and friendly), to the 4D Shrek movie which made us scream then laugh out loud, to the fire and explosion-filled Waterworld show. Rides? They’re all free (included in the ticket price) but I only sat on the kiddie ones.
* It does not seem crowded. Not compared to other Universal Studios anyway. Average waiting time for the rides our trip was 5 to 30 minutes. Yes, ours was a special event, but the taste I get from blogs is it is either really empty or it can be crowded.
* Kids enjoyment level: Lu, Jo and Day, in increasing order. The older the kid, the more they enjoy it.
Back to my pa. I just have to get this down, the kid’s incredible Gong Gong.
Teng passed by a sign next to two towering Anubis which said “Revenge of the Mummy” but what he really saw was this: Waiting time 5 minutes.
“Eh this one no need to wait. Might as well go. Can someone go with me?”
I, who would have gone, was carrying Lu, who was cranky.
Pa offered to accompany Teng. He thought it was a SHOW, just like the nice Shrek movie we saw earlier.
The moment they went in, mum sat on the seat model outside. She read the sign.
It said something about strobe lights, fog, high speeds.
At that moment we looked at each other in horror. I ran in trying to look for my dad but they were gone.
We waited. And waited.
Then we saw them emerge.
Teng was in front. His hair was blown back like he had just come out from a wind tunnel.
My dad was behind.
At their expressions, we laughed so hard my stomach hurt.
It was a ride through the dark with ghouls and monsters popping out, and was exactly what it was touted as: sharp turns, full rotation, fast reverse.
Teng, all of 25, said he nearly puked. Everybody was screaming.
Why didn’t pa turn around when he saw that it was a rollercoaster? Apparently when he saw it, it was right in front of him so he obediently got in.
Why didn’t anybody check if he was of suitable condition to get on the ride? Don’t know. The staff immediately stopped Day (who desperately wanted to go) but adults are probably expected to take individual responsibility.
It’s probably the worst thrill ride he’s ever experienced in his life, not that he has sat in many to speak of.
Anyhow: hurray for 73-year-old Gong Gong going on a roller-coaster ride!
* Enjoying a well-deserved cuppa post-ride
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
catty jo
Jo’s cattiness hasn’t gone away.
These days, a few times a day, she makes me treat her like a cat.
* Feline aspirations
I call her and she gets indignant: “Mummy I’m not Jo. I’m Catty”.
She crawls around the house on all fours.
She then shows me her three positions: This is stand.
This is sit.
This is lie down.
I am then expected to give her the command.
Weakly or irritatedly, depending on my mood, I comply: Catty, can you go and sit next to the sofa?
She responds: “Miao”.
“That means yes, Mummy. Miao is yes. Miao miao is no.”
Sometimes she breaks into a chorus of miaos. In response to my bewilderment, she quickly translates: “Mummy that means Catty wants to drink honey with ice in the pink cup.”
Sometimes I am expected to hold out my cupped hand so she can lap up imaginary milk.
Once she licked my flesh but I recoiled so violently she never did it again.
I ask her: Jo, do you like cats very much? She says “yes”.
I continue: Do you want to keep a cat?
She thinks and says: “No”.
Why?
“Because it will poo and I don’t want to clean up.”
These days, a few times a day, she makes me treat her like a cat.
* Feline aspirations
I call her and she gets indignant: “Mummy I’m not Jo. I’m Catty”.
She crawls around the house on all fours.
She then shows me her three positions: This is stand.
This is sit.
This is lie down.
I am then expected to give her the command.
Weakly or irritatedly, depending on my mood, I comply: Catty, can you go and sit next to the sofa?
She responds: “Miao”.
“That means yes, Mummy. Miao is yes. Miao miao is no.”
Sometimes she breaks into a chorus of miaos. In response to my bewilderment, she quickly translates: “Mummy that means Catty wants to drink honey with ice in the pink cup.”
Sometimes I am expected to hold out my cupped hand so she can lap up imaginary milk.
Once she licked my flesh but I recoiled so violently she never did it again.
I ask her: Jo, do you like cats very much? She says “yes”.
I continue: Do you want to keep a cat?
She thinks and says: “No”.
Why?
“Because it will poo and I don’t want to clean up.”
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
cellophane lanterns
My mother asks, pointing to the cellophane fish, rabbit and dinosaur for Day, Jo and Lu respectively: Why do you buy these? Might as well get those round paper ones. Cheaper and the flame doesn’t go out so easily.
Sentiment, perhaps? I miss cellophane lanterns.
The kids walk up and down the street with their lanterns outside my folk’s place tonight. I half expect the lanterns to go up in a blaze, leaving only the wires to give any clue as to what it was before.
They don’t.
* Lulu’s hand and her dinosaur
Lu refuses to hold her dinosaur, choosing instead to run along the street in slippers while pulling up her skirt at choice moments to reveal her naked bottom in a bizarre peepshow. (no panties to be found and she rejects the diaper)
My mother is outraged.
Jo walks steadily and unerringly, concentrating on the task before her, marching with rabbit held straight in front. Up to the house on top and back down.
Her flame never goes out. KK says the fat rabbit body protects the flame.
Day whines. And whines: I don’t like fish. Why does my flame keep going out? Aiyoh this lantern is no good.
Walking slowly and steadily trying to keep a flame alive is not his thing. He ends up running twirling his (flame-less) lantern like a baton.
Nobody looks up at the bright moon.
Walk over, they pounce on the mooncake and pomelo.
We like nice, cosy, contained little festivals like these.
Sentiment, perhaps? I miss cellophane lanterns.
The kids walk up and down the street with their lanterns outside my folk’s place tonight. I half expect the lanterns to go up in a blaze, leaving only the wires to give any clue as to what it was before.
They don’t.
* Lulu’s hand and her dinosaur
Lu refuses to hold her dinosaur, choosing instead to run along the street in slippers while pulling up her skirt at choice moments to reveal her naked bottom in a bizarre peepshow. (no panties to be found and she rejects the diaper)
My mother is outraged.
Jo walks steadily and unerringly, concentrating on the task before her, marching with rabbit held straight in front. Up to the house on top and back down.
Her flame never goes out. KK says the fat rabbit body protects the flame.
Day whines. And whines: I don’t like fish. Why does my flame keep going out? Aiyoh this lantern is no good.
Walking slowly and steadily trying to keep a flame alive is not his thing. He ends up running twirling his (flame-less) lantern like a baton.
Nobody looks up at the bright moon.
Walk over, they pounce on the mooncake and pomelo.
We like nice, cosy, contained little festivals like these.
Monday, September 20, 2010
a precious loss
I lose things, I let go.
I am so good at forgetting that I don't blink anymore when I discover I'm missing something.
I just move on. Phone, wallet, keys. I just replace, troublesome as it may be. It's just hassle.
Until last week. I lost my pink pencil case.
I let go.
But instead of fading into oblivion, I have gotten more and more desperate and my search is intensifying instead of relaxing.
What was inside was not just my calendar and my schedule of work done.
It contained lots of love notes from the kids.
Heart shapes, letters, cards which Day and Jo would make for me and which I would date, and then pop into the case to look at whenever I needed a happy pop.
How can I ever replace those?
I am bereft.
I am so good at forgetting that I don't blink anymore when I discover I'm missing something.
I just move on. Phone, wallet, keys. I just replace, troublesome as it may be. It's just hassle.
Until last week. I lost my pink pencil case.
I let go.
But instead of fading into oblivion, I have gotten more and more desperate and my search is intensifying instead of relaxing.
What was inside was not just my calendar and my schedule of work done.
It contained lots of love notes from the kids.
Heart shapes, letters, cards which Day and Jo would make for me and which I would date, and then pop into the case to look at whenever I needed a happy pop.
How can I ever replace those?
I am bereft.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
lulu's tears
As she gets in touch with her emotions and tries to inflict it on everyone else around her, many things upset her nowadays. A sampling:
When Day shouts at her.
When I give her The Look.
When I stop her from wearing her favourite too-big slippers.
When I deprive her of the chance of picking out her own outfit post-bath and taking it off the hanger.
When it’s KK, and not I, who brushes her teeth.
When she finds a stray dropped hair on any part of her body.
Sometimes she gets so mad, she roars.
It’s singularly impressive, watching her muster up all the rage in her tiny body and spewing it out, chin quivering, with all the vitriol she can manage.
“I.... SAID... I... WANT... TO... GO... OUT!!!”
* This photo she is furious that I am photographing her
Thursday, September 16, 2010
babies
Deb’s latest addition to her brood, the exquisite Annabel Lee! The baby joins her sisters Alison and Angeline!
* Deb (wearing pink in the background) gave birth just four days ago, another natural painkiller-free birth. Doesn’t she look thrilled!
I haven’t visited Deb in the longest time.
When we hung out we were sapling mums aching to talk to about first-time motherhood, now we have branched out to other life pursuits.
In Deb’s case, she is busy with Maternity Exchange and Dress Sense, which offers rental for maternity and posh dresses / jewellery respectively.
Joining in the party is little Muffin, or Dylan on his BC.
What an unbelievably adorable little tyke!
That mouth, that nose, those eyes!
And Ondine has told me he’s an EASY baby!
Everyone’s first child should be like that! Then everyone in Singapore would be having more kids!
* Deb (wearing pink in the background) gave birth just four days ago, another natural painkiller-free birth. Doesn’t she look thrilled!
I haven’t visited Deb in the longest time.
When we hung out we were sapling mums aching to talk to about first-time motherhood, now we have branched out to other life pursuits.
In Deb’s case, she is busy with Maternity Exchange and Dress Sense, which offers rental for maternity and posh dresses / jewellery respectively.
Joining in the party is little Muffin, or Dylan on his BC.
What an unbelievably adorable little tyke!
That mouth, that nose, those eyes!
And Ondine has told me he’s an EASY baby!
Everyone’s first child should be like that! Then everyone in Singapore would be having more kids!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
animal kaiser
Some thinking points about Animal Kaiser:
* We progressively "lose" our kids as they grow up (not necessarily a bad thing). Animal Kaiser is quite a definitive losing point. The one where we throw up our hands and say: We don’t get it. We just don’t get the blinking card collection / arcade game which apparently infects kids from 4 and some uncles too. We think he picked it up from school.
* As I was saying. The best or most disastrous (depending on how you see it) birthday party pack anyone ever gave Day was a stack of imitation Animal Kaiser cards which apparently cost all of $1. Suddenly the entire K2 cohort is individually equipped with a stack of trading cards which they bandy about / trade / scrutinise every morning.
* There is a very clever accompanying twist: The pack costs a dollar but you have to play an arcade game ($2 a shot) choosing a character from your existing pack (the barcode is scanned in) and after the fight you get ONE more card. Just one. For $2. If you are lucky, it may be THE card featuring the animal with the highest strength / health. That’s the thrill, see, so it’s no use getting several packs of cheap imitation cards.
* Day lobbied hard and long for a Timezone (games arcade) card. It’s been months. I caved in. I bought him a card for $10 and brought him to the arcade once, which is what really prompted this post because the sight of the line of machines and the crowd on a Monday afternoon at 4pm made me realize this is bigger than I realize and that is where I started to do a little reading up. I said if he wanted to play anymore he would have to pay for it himself, with what I don’t care.
* Skills? Strategy? No! You don’t even need skill to fight! It’s just luck of the draw! Someone somewhere called Animal Kaiser gambling for kids.
* Day has memorized the entire stack of cards, animals, scientific names (Monodon monoceros anyone?), vital statistics, what these animals eat. PING! Educational value!
* Armed with all the independent knowledge search skills I so proudly bestow on him, he relentlessly googles Animal Kaiser whenever I let him loose on the desktop and views fight videos on Youtube. He very mysteriously knows a heck of a lot about cards he does not have and how to play them.
* The machines are found at 7-11 outlets. Unbelievable.
* Adults fight for turns at the machine with the kids. Unbelievable.
* This is probably a classic instance of boring conservative parent not understanding the future generation. Twenty years down the line, all these kids may well talk fondly of Animal Kaiser the way we 30-somethings talk of childhood "buy-and-trade" hobbies like... I don’t know... keeping sticker books??
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
stepping out in style
ON JODY
Dress: Her bought-in-Darwin fav
Shoes: Crocs from papa
Necklace: Filched from Gu-gu
Red hairband: Her favourite hair accessory
Pink ring (hidden in the picture): One of a few
Pink cat backpack: Her favourite accessory (it goes everywhere with her)
Cat: Her favourite soft toy
Black toe-nails (hidden in shoes): Hand-drawn with a marker
ON LUANNE
Dress: Her all-time fav (turquoise is her favourite colour)
Pants: Her all-time fav leopard pants(a hand-me-down from Ondine) which she always pairs with the Turquoise dress
Shoes: Slippers from God-knows-who (a hand-me-down many times over)
Puppy: Jo's pet. Lu helps her to carry it.
Black toe-nails: Hand-drawn by Jody
Hair: Mis-matched rubber bands and a clip to keep unruly hair under control
* All self-styled apart from Luanne's hair.
Thursday, September 09, 2010
music with my kid
How I enjoy this.
These are simple ditties.
Perhaps one day we can do more complex stuff together. If only.
But today, I look over at my piano partner and I still find it mind-boggling that seven years ago he was a bunch of cells in me.
I created something which can now make music with me!
It's his por-por who's been teaching him since then.
These are simple ditties.
Perhaps one day we can do more complex stuff together. If only.
But today, I look over at my piano partner and I still find it mind-boggling that seven years ago he was a bunch of cells in me.
I created something which can now make music with me!
It's his por-por who's been teaching him since then.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Monday, September 06, 2010
Sunday, September 05, 2010
urticaria
One day at school, just after lunch, mosquito bites started appearing all over Jo’s body.
Her friend Ailsa made a count: “Oh there are 22 bites!”
Parents started arriving to take the half-day kids home and a few did a double-take when they saw Jo. Clearly these weren’t just mosquito bites. They looked concerned. Were they thinking: Is this infectious?
Jo’s teacher didn’t know what it was either. She said: “It suddenly came on after lunch, very suddenly!”
Those weren’t bites. I took one look and sighed. Hives.
My experience with hives was watching KK get it quite a few times. Older folks I know call it “hong mok”.
Wiki states: Urticaria (or hives) are a kind of skin rash notable for dark red, raised, itchy bumps.
Jo looks like she has the world map all over her. Europe's on her face and America’s on her elbow.
Cause: It’s a mystery. Even more mysterious than the eczema which I, Day and Lu have which at least has some sort of trigger (like hot weather or sweat).
But, from what I saw of KK, a lot less serious. It comes on, stays for a few hours or a few days, disfigures you in that time, it goes harmlessly. It is far less itchy than eczema and certainly doesn’t necessitate medication.
Jo’s spreads from her legs and arms, to her tummy, to her face. It stays two days. She largely ignores it.
KK’s village remedy: Apply prickly heat powder and drink isotonic drinks. Don’t ask.
Her friend Ailsa made a count: “Oh there are 22 bites!”
Parents started arriving to take the half-day kids home and a few did a double-take when they saw Jo. Clearly these weren’t just mosquito bites. They looked concerned. Were they thinking: Is this infectious?
Jo’s teacher didn’t know what it was either. She said: “It suddenly came on after lunch, very suddenly!”
Those weren’t bites. I took one look and sighed. Hives.
My experience with hives was watching KK get it quite a few times. Older folks I know call it “hong mok”.
Wiki states: Urticaria (or hives) are a kind of skin rash notable for dark red, raised, itchy bumps.
Jo looks like she has the world map all over her. Europe's on her face and America’s on her elbow.
Cause: It’s a mystery. Even more mysterious than the eczema which I, Day and Lu have which at least has some sort of trigger (like hot weather or sweat).
But, from what I saw of KK, a lot less serious. It comes on, stays for a few hours or a few days, disfigures you in that time, it goes harmlessly. It is far less itchy than eczema and certainly doesn’t necessitate medication.
Jo’s spreads from her legs and arms, to her tummy, to her face. It stays two days. She largely ignores it.
KK’s village remedy: Apply prickly heat powder and drink isotonic drinks. Don’t ask.
Friday, September 03, 2010
Thursday, September 02, 2010
thoughts behind a lazy day
Teacher’s Day was yesterday. It was a holiday.
The presents were duly chosen, packaged, lovingly labelled and presented the day before.
The actual day, I had the three kids to myself.
What do I do? Where do I go?
I think.
ONE: I cannot laze at home. That is really the hardest thing to do. Three kids in a confined space with only one adult means a whole lot of mess, a whole lot of whiny requests, I will be very busy and they will watch a whole lot of TV. No.
TWO: I cannot bring them to someone’s house to play with other kids. All of them are a a little sniffly. Oh they feel fine, but you know how it is about conveying germs to someone else’s kids. Taboo.
THREE: I really really really want to make them sweat in the great outdoors, but it is blistering hot. The kind of hot when I enter the car and I smell something burning.
FOUR: I could bring them to an air-conditioned place. But anywhere which involves retail is out, because I am feeling very poor and I refuse to spend more than $10.
FIVE: I could bring them to somewhere weird and wonderful. Only I can’t think of any at the moment. And sometimes, new can be iffy with these kids. Adventure for adventure’s sake can have the opposite effect on them.
So. I end up bringing them to the neighbourhood library. An old tried-and-tested familiar routine.
It was quite wonderful, really.
They had not been there in a while and I didn’t rush them. We had all the luxury of time.
On the way to the library, we stop at the usual playground. There, they perspired. I’m happy, they're happy.
* Lulu in her favourite shirt of the moment, the one which Gu gu made for her. Hey they have the same eyes!
* Jo in one of her favourite shirts
* Girls pouring sand all over the playground equipment
* Lu: Bigger, mummy, I want bigger!
* Day's fav: Jumping off the swing at its highest point
At the library, they stop at their favourite mama shop, or the shop of affordable rubbish as I call it. Soft drinks and junk for all, including me, for $4.10. Fab.
* Twisties, Mamee and cheap Cheezels
They borrow a DVD and some books each.
The whole muggy afternoon, we hide at home. They enjoy their DVDs and draw while I read and sleep.
The presents were duly chosen, packaged, lovingly labelled and presented the day before.
The actual day, I had the three kids to myself.
What do I do? Where do I go?
I think.
ONE: I cannot laze at home. That is really the hardest thing to do. Three kids in a confined space with only one adult means a whole lot of mess, a whole lot of whiny requests, I will be very busy and they will watch a whole lot of TV. No.
TWO: I cannot bring them to someone’s house to play with other kids. All of them are a a little sniffly. Oh they feel fine, but you know how it is about conveying germs to someone else’s kids. Taboo.
THREE: I really really really want to make them sweat in the great outdoors, but it is blistering hot. The kind of hot when I enter the car and I smell something burning.
FOUR: I could bring them to an air-conditioned place. But anywhere which involves retail is out, because I am feeling very poor and I refuse to spend more than $10.
FIVE: I could bring them to somewhere weird and wonderful. Only I can’t think of any at the moment. And sometimes, new can be iffy with these kids. Adventure for adventure’s sake can have the opposite effect on them.
So. I end up bringing them to the neighbourhood library. An old tried-and-tested familiar routine.
It was quite wonderful, really.
They had not been there in a while and I didn’t rush them. We had all the luxury of time.
On the way to the library, we stop at the usual playground. There, they perspired. I’m happy, they're happy.
* Lulu in her favourite shirt of the moment, the one which Gu gu made for her. Hey they have the same eyes!
* Jo in one of her favourite shirts
* Girls pouring sand all over the playground equipment
* Lu: Bigger, mummy, I want bigger!
* Day's fav: Jumping off the swing at its highest point
At the library, they stop at their favourite mama shop, or the shop of affordable rubbish as I call it. Soft drinks and junk for all, including me, for $4.10. Fab.
* Twisties, Mamee and cheap Cheezels
They borrow a DVD and some books each.
The whole muggy afternoon, we hide at home. They enjoy their DVDs and draw while I read and sleep.
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