Another Milestone

Though JS haven’t been wetting her diaper during the nights for sometime now, but last night was the first night that she actually wakes up and tell me she needed the loo. So it’s one step closer to diaperless at night….which also mean more cost saving! Haha

Last night after she uses the potty,  I suggested that no need to put on the diaper anymore, anyhow, she still feel not use to it and asked me to put it on for her.  Maybe will finish off the diapers we have at home first and observe a few more nights again to see if she’s ready to be off diaper at night.

Handsome?

After JS’s haircut, I’ve decided that WH also need a little trim for his very little locks. Being calculative (not willing to spent the RM2 -5 ) for a simple haircut… decided to DIY again.

The first time I’ve trimmed it for him, turned out to be quite a disaster . The first time he could sit still, but this time round he’s moving about a lot and I have to get the maid to hold him down and I try to avoid cutting too short like the first time. But good thing is he never fuss about getting his hair cut.

Before (see the curly side)

After

Hubby asked why got no sideburn….errr…. now “heng” la…it’s the “IN” thing…haha….what do you think? Nice or not?

Asked WH: “Who handsome? Daddy or WH?”

WH: “I”

“Daddy handsome or not?”

WH: “NO”

口

Today’s writting for chinese lesson is the word 口 (mouth).  JS already recognize this word long time ago, but teaching her to write this word is the first time.

Though it’s such a simple word with only 3 strokes and very simple squarish form, it took me more than 1 hour for her to write in the correct stroke sequence and I almost lost my patient in between the process of teaching.  What she did was merely drawing a square box which is so wrong.

In Chinese writing, the way each stroke is written is very important. One cannot just simply copy out the form of the words without writing in a correct stroke sequence. The horizontal line must always be written from left to write and to complete the word it’s also from left to write, top to bottom never the other way round.

The proper way for writing the simple 口, is

1: the vertical line at the left

2: the top horizontal and right vertical line in ONE stroke (JS kept doing it in 2 strokes instead of one)

3: Last stroke is the bottom horizontal line, which must be from left to right and seal of the two strokes at the bottom to form the square. (JS did it by writing from right to left instead)

After one hour of correcting her, holding her hands to write, writing example on the white board…she finally got it.

When teaching JS, I make sure that I do it the correct way and not just merely pass through. Whatever I teach them must be accurate so that the effort is not wasted and it the foundation and basic is not right than it will be very hard to change later.

JS Recite Poem

JS recite chinese poem..

王维——《相思》

红豆生南国，春来发几枝？
　
愿君多采撷，此物最相思。

First Canning

Both JS and WH received their first canning from me the past 2 days. Very seldom I would use the cane to threaten them, usually when they are way beyond control, I will flashed the cane, but never once I really hit on them. My parents never once hit on my brother or me using the cane, but 2 incidents that happened separately made me used it on them.

Sunday evening, JS and WH each has got a box of new toys (something like Lego but it’s a free gift of some product) from their grandfather. I helped WH to assemble the pieces into a car. JS playing on her own set but she didn’t want to follow the instruction sheet to assemble the car, instead she wants to assemble something out of her own. She insisted on having one of the pieces from WH. No matter how hubby and me explained to her that she should just use whatever she has and not snatched from the brother, she wont listen and kept crying and kick out a big fuss (grandsparents and aunties have been giving in to her too often, she thinks that she can have her way and the things she wants ALL THE TIME). When we were not looking , she just snatched and tried to dissemble the pieces to take out the particular piece she wants. I got so fed up with her attitude of only wanting things her way, I gave her a good smack on the bum with the cane. 

I dont know what’s the best way to let her know this kind of behaviour is intolerable. I certainly know canning is not the best way, but at that moment, it seems like only the cane can do the job. Of course later hubby and me did explain to her in good terms again that snatching of toys is not acceptable.

Incident two

Monday morning. Kids playing. WH might have picked up the bad habit from JS.  Instead of playing with his toys, he suddenly shown interest in JS’s and tried to snatch. JS yelled at him but this boy of mine yelled back at the sister and started pulling the sister’s hair and push the sister down on the floor (it was really like a sumo wrestling, my boy on top of the sister) and he kept throwing his fist in thin air to show his dissastifaction. Of course my boy kena smack on the palm with the cane.

Really hard in getting my kids to learn sharing and be loving.. the eldest been pampered and spoilt the first 2 years and now the brother picking up her bad habit.  Hopefully next time something similar happened, I might be able to talk them out instead of resort to the cane. 

Haircut Day

Took JS to the parlour to have her hair cut yesterday. I love girl to have long hair that I can play around with different hair do…but JS dislike having her hair tie up and it’s looking very messy. She herself actually like to keep long hair…but after trying “brain wash” her…she finally agreed to have her hair cut without any fuss…

 Long hair made her look more matured…but also very untidy

Short hair (娃娃装) makes her look like a Japanese doll. It’s so much more refreshing and light to look at her face.  Also make me realize that she’s still such a baby despite me treating her like a more grown up girl each day.

Wedding Dinner @Ipoh

We travelled up north to Ipoh last Saturday to attend my highschool friend’s wedding dinner. The wedding dinner by the bride’s family was held at Tai Tong@Heritage.  So that’s the place that we stayed for the night. Wedding ceremony and dinner by the groom side will be this coming weekend at our hometown.  

Both the groom and the bride were my classmates. They have been courting for almost 14 years and finally tying the knot. So everlasting and heartwarming love …

Met up with some of the other classmates that I haven’t met for almost 10 years. Though not all my ex-classmates attended the wedding dinner but it’s still good to see each others.  I’m the only one who brought along my kids, the rest of my classmates just leave their kids of my kids age at home. What a pity didn’t get a chance to let the kids play together.

I treasure these friendship very much as they are the longest friends that I have. I have totally lost contact with all the acquintance from primary to lower secondary school when I switched school during Form 4. During my upper secondary school days, there weren’t many Chinese in the whole school. (There were probably 5 or less chinese in the whole afternoon session of lower secondary in the whole school. No Chinese in the art stream of upper secondary but only Science stream and we have our own designated classrooms and this block is located at the far end of the school compound so it makes us kind of isolated from th rest of the students) There were only 19 Chinese students in the whole form 4 & form 5 my year, 6 Chinese girls and the rest guys, and all of us are in the same class, hence we were quite close to each others.

After Form 5, we still gather like once a year during CNY, but past couple of years, with each one having their own family, it’s hard to get everyone gather together. But this couple never failed to visit my family either at my grandparents place or hotel during CNY for the past 4 years.

Wonder when will be the next gathering for us.

 Once upon a time…..

 Now…… (one of the girl didn’t make it. All six of us happily married….everyone with kids ..except the bride of course..:D)

We spent Sunday morning at lunch with my aunty who is also staying in Ipoh.

ps: Friends…if you want any of the picture to be taken down…please let me know.

Boy Obsessed with Breast

I have done the least I could as a mother and successfully breastfeed my boy for 2 years. As much as I enjoy this breastfeeding session and though there were many down time where I feel really tired but still I persisted. As much as I enjoy the breastfeeding session and also the closeness and bond I shared with my boy, but now I’m really seriously thinking of weaning not so much because I couldn’t stand the tireness and sore nipples, because I have worries.

 If a girl, I might not have so much worry and continue breastfeeding as long as she wants but my boy has grown…he’s already two. I’m a little worry that he will get obsesse with breast. And it’s getting embarrasing the way the touches me in public and he attempt to help himself to be nursed…. each time when I want to pull up my shirt to nurse him, he will happily said ” feed/big nen nen” . It has been going on like this for a while and I cannot figure out whether is FEED or BIG and I usually ignores it. Yesterday I checked with him.  “Did you say feed or big? Feed?” WH: “No no”  (shake his head) ME: “Is it big nen nen?” WH: “ng. big nen nen” (nodding his head)

See..this kind of comment coming out from my 2 years old boy…sure is embarrasing…what if it’s heard in public…that’s why I’m really thinking of weaning.

That day MIL mentioned about some herbs or whatever from the chinese herbal shop. Edible but bitter which can be applied on the breast/nipple… it’s a way to wean baby from breastfeeding because of the bitter taste….. a little tempting want to try…..

Any mummies (MG??) who has experience on breastfeeding boy beyond age 2…. how’s your boy’s reaction to the sight of breast???

ps: when I made up my mind to fully breastfeed even before the birth of WH, many people around me told me that I should mix fix because the weaning process would be very difficult, but I didn’t pay attention because I was really very determine to fully breastfeed, I told myself that I can surely find a way to wean by the time comes and didn’t worry too much.. I’m still not too worry at this moment though it’s hard

Winning Formula

Read this in the parenting column in the newspaper today. I think this article really targets on mothers like me…who is zealous who think that enrichment classes is essential and  sending my kids to endless (exaggerate a little. But I think I would if I have the time and $$$) formal classes.

As much as I’m aware of learn through play, but sometimes I still worry that they have not been “educated” enough. I’m jotting this know to remind and assure myself that whatever i have been doing together with my kids, I’m already helping them to learn…

“Nowadays, even toddlers are not spared in the pursuit of excellence and success. To zealous parents, it is never too early to enrol their tiny tots in all sorts of formal classes, from music to reading to compute.

However, child developement experts will tll you that a healthy and happy childhood will do more for your toddler’s long term development than all the structured and formal lesons put together.

Hence, we share with you an age-old recipe to build a strong foundation for your toddler’s development. Here’s our secret:

NUTRITIOUS FOOD+NURTURING FUN=A HEALTHY AND HAPPY CHILDHOOD

…….firmly believes that play is a child’s right and that play is definately not an “empty” activity. To her, play is a platform for intellectual, physical, social and emotional development. So allow junior to play freely – with supervision.

Smart mum is supportive – lending a hand when junior encounters problems with his toys; encouraging juniour when he braces himself for a challenge; praising him when he accomplishes a difficult task, and comforting the little one when he hurts himself.

She selects toys with care – safe and neither too difficult nor too boring for junior’s age. Even some of mum’s kitchen utensils like colanders and sieves double up as junior’s toys! To her, toys need not be sophisticated or expensive

Juniour is given lots of room for pretend play which stimulates his imagination, expands creativity and sharpens resourcefulness. WHen invited, mum plays along with the kids.

Fun can also be in the form of visiting the zoo, taking a bus ride around town, shopping at the mall or simply roaming free at the playground. In short, she turns mundane,everytday events into exciting and educational experiences. All without a formal classroom set up. “

Formula Milk

I wonder if the formula milk including the follow up ones is having some kind of yucky smell or taste if it’s not drank from the bottle.

My kids have no problem drinking fresh milk from the cup, WH even have no problem drinking Sustagen from the cup, but when I get them to drink their formula milk from the cup, the funny “gelli” look is well written all over their face. Why huh??

Shall I give them fresh milk in cup (but to my Asian mentality, I still think formula milk is vital for their growing up), or shall I just stick on to Formula milk in bottle (this one giving me lot of headache because JS treats the bottle like a pacifier). I know formula in cup will not really work….

*writing this because i’m trying to wean JS from the bottle again after the first failed attempt months ago. With bottle, she can drink up to 48Oz of milk per day, without bottle, she only takes about 18Oz and the same amount of food with or without bottle*

Is formula milk which has been added with AAA…BBB…XXXX that essential to a growing kids? Wouldn’t fresh milk just be enough…. I know that kids in “ang moh” country including Australia  just drink fresh milk after they turn 1 and not formula…. Why we asian so kiasu hor???