Parenting tots - past Facebook posts about funny conversations and tales in 2012

Dec 24 2012

The babies r growing up:

Xun is turning 3 in January. This girl is astounding me everyday. Tdy she used the term "sparkly star". I thought, "what an adjective! And there's even alliteration!"

We read a book about a baby. She commented," mama, I am not a baby anymore. But I am still your sweetheart." my heart melted.

Didi is turning 1 in jan! He has started taking bold steps into the world of walking. I think he may walk before his birthday 

He is a tyrant most of the time, screaming when he can't get his way, climbing all over his sister and clinging to mfolder petulant. He has his endearing moments, like how he planted wet kisses on his grandma repeatedly with his mouth shaped like a goldfish's, and how his lips will quiver and tears will well up in his eyes at the slightest reproach. Really amusing. I think he is gonna be a heart breaker.

Wanyuan and I love them in our bed. The sweet smell, the warm bodies, the knowledge that God has entrusted us with such precious ones make our hearts swell. Oh, someday they will want their own bedrooms, someday I will have to deal with surly sullen teenagers. But for now, how heavenly is the sound of their peaceful breathing, two little ones soundly asleep. 

Oct 12 

Played "guess how much I love u" with xun. 
We went to and fro abt random stuff..

M: I love u as high as the shelf...
X: I love u as High as the ceiling!
M: (astounded) I love u as tall as e tree
X: I love u as high as the sky... 
M: (awwww)... I love u as high as e moon
X: i love u as high as rocket into e sky! 
M: ..... Waaaaa
I think I have got an amazing girl who really loves me.

I wish you would love each other so dearly all the time...

 9 Sep

Tiger mum in sheep's clothing

Xun is turning 3 in jan. I tried finding a playgroup in b panjang so she can learn to socialise. Alas, there were mostly childcare centers,playgroups in crammed classrooms, the pcf does not have vacancy too. I suppose I will just keep her at home for another year. 

Xun at 2+ years old...what a beautiful blushing bride...photo was done by Xiaoyi, the really talented selfie...

Close friends will attest that I always adamantly declare that I will not be a kiasu parent and be caught up in the mad pursuit of grades. I mean, I think xun has fun with me at home and I do teach her stuff, albeit randomly and spontaneously. But I think she is developing well. She speaks complete grammatically correct sentences (e.g i have eaten my dinner. Whose shirt are you wearing mama?), in an accent (people have commented on it), sprinkled with Spanish words (she watches far too many Dora cartoons). She has cognitive skills (she can tell left and left, she gets into cabs and says "bukit panjang, mayspring"). She has poise (she sings and dances with flair and fanfare). She has taste (she loves hats and chooses her own clothes). She has a great sense of humor (for quite some time, after reading stories, she ll tell wanyuan not to sleep and to use his iPad. We never understand y. Until yesterday, wy asked y he could not sleep while she slept, she told papa "because you (make a snoring sound)".) And she leans on Jesus (when things crop up, she looks to heaven and says "Jesus, help me.")

               


So my vain flesh gets prideful and I think i m doing ok as a parent. And I can and will continue to resist feeling pressured to get swept up in the academic whirlpool.

That is, until I took her to an art lesson, hoping it was novel and fun. She refused to sit on the stool, sulked and pouted and simply did not want to talk or draw. I was dissed, I started to bribe (with promises of her fav gummies and Timmy tid shows). She stood her ground. Then I threatened (no Timmy tid shows, not leaving till u draw something). Then I used force (plonked her unceremoniously onto the seat). In the end, she drew some lines, the teacher said to let her try again when she was older. Boy, did I feel pissed at her misbehavior! 

My baby had grown so much...

When I got home and reflected in the middle of night, I realized I got furious because my "face" was at stake. I did not want to lose control. I felt her misdemeanor was a reflection of me, of poor upbringing. I have succumbed to the very pressures which I say I want to refrain from: pushing the child in areas she is simply not ready or interested in, in areas which I think will be beneficial for her, because some childhood experts say so, because many parents are doing so....Sigh.

Children are guilt inducers- we either feel we do too much or do not do enough. I thought a better response will have been to laugh it off and tell her that it's ok if you don't wish to draw, let's just have fun.

I firmly believe that my kids are safe in God's hands and He loves them more than I do. He will teach them and great shall be their peace. So I want to be a sheep in the parenting journey, just following my shepherd Jesus, knowing He will lead our family to green pastures and He will bless us.

So my friends, remind me when I get embroiled in the mad pursuit again, tap tap me on e shoulders. Remind me I m a sheep. Baaaa

July 28

The not so glorious part of motherhood:

Lest childless friends be led to think that raising kids is a bed of roses going by the ecstatic comments and adorable photos of blithely kids on FB, let me caution, raising kids is the most tedious, enervating and sometimes most unrewarding job in the world!

Terror alert! Two terrors watching soccer tog.

Who could believe such a small bundle could be such a pain?

The list of horrors go on and on - sleep deprived nights, panic attacks when they develop sudden illnesses, deprivation of social life, frustration with the 10000th whining episode, battles at the dining table, wars tussling control over the gadgets, endless poops, vomits, screaming and crying, fear if ur doing ur best to prepare them for life, anguish that you have blown it yet again and pray they will not remember those harsh words and actions when they grow up, guilt that you think about throwing them out of the window or leaving them at the shopping centre yet again (just kidding k, don't report me to the mental institution!).

So my best friend said "but all parents told me it's still rewarding despite the frustration"... Hmmm I have been telling my sisters that it is a seriously valid option to remain childless after marriage. Ah but not having the chance to reverse, I shall soldier on and hope to tell you in years to come that indeed hard work has borne fruits. In the meantime, I say to the childless friends, have lotsa fun and enjoy ur freedom. And to the mums: cheers, days are long but years are short, who knows, I will be musing on this post years later and wish they haf stayed so little  brrrrr night, world.


Jun 28

Was telling wanyuan that xun xun has put on weight and she says emphatically " YA, I m 13 kg." we laughed, and wondered if she really understood or she just had superb comic timing.

"I m gonna finish your milo".. you used to drink milo everynight with papa, then it became ribena, then it became yellow juice...and of course your TWO bottles of milk...

Jun 25

Sweetheart 29 month old xun: was preparing stuff in kitchen n heard her saying the clothes on rack were dry. Came out seeing her laying the dry socks and undergarments on e sofa, saying "mummy I help you keep the clothes."

Terror 5 month old didi: waking up every hour at night for past one month. M becoming murderous.

mama's sweetheart

Apr 20 2012

Ramblings of a mum: 

Xun was eating snack in the living room while I breastfed didi in the bedroom. Heard dropping of utensils n assumed she has dropped stuff, again. She shook her head when questioned. Not believing her, I went to chk, she has put the chair bk to its usual position in e kitchen and the bowl n cup at the sink. In her usual cute manner, she explained she put the utensils on the chair and brought them to the kitchen. My heart melted, what a little sweetheart from God.

Xun's not an angel on all days. We fight over her incessant demands to watch tv and she will end up in Whiney crying bouts which drive me up e wall. She resists being toilet trained and always demand immediate attention at the most inconvenient moments lik when didi is crying his lungs out. Coaxing her to eat healthily is a nightmare- she only eats noodles, fishball, nuggets and hotdogs now. Sleep is another issue- she loves life so much and coaxing her to sleep takes hours sometimes with requests for yet another game and another story, till the sleep deprived me will end up snapping at her harshly "mummy is very tired, no more talking."

Tong's classic quivering lips when he wanted to cry...

Being a mum teaches me many things. Like her simple faith in Jesus, from rainy weather to spolit DVDs, she always says "ask Jesus". Numerous little things like her enthusiasm abt life, her love and protection of didi (she always says didi can't be carried by the auntie neighbors and will sayang and lie beside him and hug him), her willingness to be taught, her wry sense of humor (she always says xun xun is so funny), her appreciation of things (she ll say I have fun aft going on outings and tell us "thank u for coming (out with me)"), her desire to be mummy's little girl.

Being a mother is a painstaking job. You do not get tangible immediate rewards and you never know how the kids will turn out to be. You sacrifice a career, you put ur personal life on hold and you get beset by fears and tears. You get frustrated with the banal routines, of a sequestered existence and the never ending demands of these little beings who rely on you for every single need. 

                      

But at e end of a long long day, esp long when the kids fall sick, I count my blessings that they are healthy and safe. And I thank God for trusting me enough, despite my weaknesses and incapability, to put two of His little ones in my care. And I give thanks for awesome extended families and friends who always help out and pray for us. And go to bed weary and satisfied, knowing that my efforts will surely bear fruits and someday I will look back fondly on these times and wish they could have stayed so little and dependent all the time.

Night to all, night to all e mothers.

  

Thank God for my best friend, your godma.

Thank God for sisters...