Thursday, January 27, 2011

Mind over matter

What do you do when you are speeding along the highway when you feel an itch on your right foot (the one on the pedal) and it feels like as though some ants are biting you there? And its not any ordinary itch, but the mother of all itches that needs to be scratched immediately! And you just cant stop to scratch that itch, coz you are in the fast lane, and there is no way you can get that foot off the pedal and your hand to it.

Man! That happened to me this morning, and I was in agony.

So I decided to focus on the itch disappearing, and willed it away: "Go itch go, ... no! it's not itchy anymore, away with that itch, DISAPPEAR! Move man, itch, move to someone else's foot, GO! Not itchy, not itchy anymore" I told myself

And hey presto, it wasn't so itchy anymore, until I reached the traffic lights where I scratched it to death before the lights turned again. And that was the only time I didnt want the lights in my favour!

And you know, it wasnt ant or insect bites, it was ... nothing. It was just my foot wanting to be scratched at the wrong time! Couldnt it have chosen another time?

Friday, January 21, 2011

Sushi Making

This morning was the 2nd straight morning which saw me making sushi at 5.45am

Why? Because D requested for it, as she had seen her friend having sushi at snack time in school and she had been begging me for it. I was not keen to make it for her as it meant I had to be up extra early just to make it. I wish the other Mum will just stop raising the standards and please just give her child a normal snack for recess time!!

Anyway, after a week of "My friend had sushi for snack AGAIN today! Can you please make for me too??" coupled with those puppy dog eyes, I guess I succumbed.


Well here is a riddle since it's a friday:

Q: What did one lab rat say to the other?

A: I've got my scientist so well trained that every time I push the buzzer, he brings me a snack.


I hope I have not become that scientist!!

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

More settled now

Yes, I am more settled now. With the car back, my new sofa in, and my new driving schedule finalised.

After 20 days I am back to driving my car again, and it feels good. But it's funny, after 20 days I had forgotten where the ignition is, that the lights were not auto on, nor the doors auto lock, the location of the hazard light, etc. I had to re-orientate myself coz I had gotten too used to the husband's car!!

Also, my new sofa arrived. The old one was getting quite tatty so we decided to change it. And it took a month! And this time it's a RED sofa - auspicious for the new year!! Well, we couldnt decide on the colour. I wanted the usual boring black -(goes with everything!), hubby wanted a white one (which I violently objected to as it would be black even before the week is up with those kids around!) and the oldest wanted a mustard or orange one! Well we compromised and settled on the red. The display set was a white one, and we took the risk and opted for it. Now that it has been delivered, we are so pleased with it, coz it looks really good, and it makes our home less boring, esp with the black marble tiles!1

As for the new driving schedule - it SUCKS (please pardon the language!). Why? Because I never get home before 5pm EVERYDAY! Previously when my oldest had CCA in school, she would finish after 5 and hubby would pick her home. Now with a change in school timings, (short days are days where she has CCA and 3rd language and finishes between 4.45 and 7pm, and long days aren't that long. So I end up having to pick her everyday! Coupled with D and N finishing at different times on Mondays and Tuesdays, I am making 4 trips just for school each day, and that is not counting mandarin classes, tuition for my son and music lessons for the two girls. And my day starts earlier too sending the oldest to school everyday whereas the hubby sends the younger two!

I feel so tired just writing about it so you can imagine what it is like at the end of each day. Anyway, it's good that now I know what my schedule is, I can prep for it. Mentally I prepare myself for the worst and everything else will come out better :)

The weekend is almost here. yoohoo!!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Pick up time

MIL has been going with me during pick up time after school, as sometimes parking around the school is impossible. When that situation arises, she will then hop off whilst I wait in the car nearby until all the children are out and she will call me then I will swing by the school gates to get them.

She has been telling me about how all the children look alike and she looks out for D's school bag rather than D most of the time. And she also told me about this one little girl that supposedly looks like my daughter.

Today, we were early and I managed to get parking, so I went down with her to the pick up point for the Primary Ones.

MIL: Look! There is that girl that looks just like D, the one with the pink bag.

ME: where? *looks around* (as the place is crowded with parents/grandparents/helpers and we were quite far to the back).

MIL: Over there. *she points* I think she is shorter than D. Our D is not that small after all.

Me: *Still craning my neck and looking out for that girl as well as my daughter*

MIL: OMG! That girl IS our D!!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Liar, Liar Pants on fire

Remember how we used to chant that when we were younger when we caught our friends telling a lie?

Who do people lie?

Lying is morally wrong and is always discouraged, but it seems to come so naturally to human beings.

People lie for many reasons, personal, as well as social and here are some reasons:

* to make themselves sound good
* to escape punishment
* to look agreeable / avoid disagreements with others
* to maintain good relations
* to protect privacy about oneself
* as a joke or to fool someone

But some people are compulsive liars. They acquire a habit of lying and they tend to lie in any and every situation.

I know someone who has been lying ever so often. I really dont understand. Always using someone else as a front for the lying .. like saying "so and so" wants it or said so, when I know it is not true, coz this "so and so" is too busy with everyday life to be bothering about what she has just lied about. It may be a harmless lie, but the more she does it, it is beginning to get on my nerves, and as a result everything she tells me has me doubting her now. And she thinks I am so dumb and do not know she is lying when she does. URGH!!

Friday, January 14, 2011

You Know You're Getting Old When...

Never thought that I would admit it before I turned 50, but I can really feel my age creeping up on me. So I thought I would compile this list of what's been reminding me of my age:


* Shopping no longer means shopping for clothes or shoes, but many a time it's for household items. And that has become your favourite section in the department store!
* The clothes that I used to wear in my younger days have come back in style.
* Happy hour is a nap.
* I frequently find myself telling my children how much things used to cost.
* I have an increasing number of doctors in my phone contact list.
* I say something to my kids that my mother said to me, and I had always hated it.
* My memory is shorter and my complaining lasts longer.
* My joints are more accurate than the Singapore Met service.
* All my favorite music is in the bargain bin at the CD shop.
* I look for my glasses for ten minutes, then find they've been on my head all the time.
* I hold all reading material further away just to read it.
* Our personal milestones are now our wedding anniversaries!!

And the clincher:

* The husband and I get invited to weddings and it's no longer our friends getting married, BUT their children!!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Thank God for Big Brothers

I am not referring to my own big brother but MY son, the big brother.

Much as it seems I am always angry with him for not doing his school work, he has proved to be a BIG help this past week.

With D in the same school as him, and with no parking within the school grounds for parents during the morning drop-off period, N has been helping me out by walking her to the school hall. D,on the 3rd day of school, told me that she didnt know how to get to the hall for morning assembly!! I have brought her the past two days but looks like she was in a DAZE, and hadnt quite noticed how to get there!!

So big brother to the rescue, tho' his assembly point in the mornings is different from the little one's. He would actually hold her hands and bring her to the hall. And when she complained that her school bag was heavy, he helped by placing his hand on the back of her school bag to help ease the load.

At home, he would help me by practising her "ting xie" (chinese spelling) with her, as many a times, the children complain that I pronounce the chinese words wrongly. Over the past few days I have also told him to remind his "mei mei" (little sister) to practise her piano when I was out doing my runs. Though he has stopped piano classes some two years ago (becoz he claims he is not interested), he sometimes practises her piano pieces. And I noticed that this has suddenly made D want to practise her piano even more ... coz of the "kiasu" (scared to lose) mentality. She doesnt want to be playing worse than her brother!! What a blessing for me, coz I love it when the children play the piano and the house is filled with the tinkling of the piano keys!

And I noticed that as a result of all these, Big brother and little sister have become much closer! And tell me, what could make a mum happier!!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Dont Drink and Drive

That was the message on the radio during the past festive season, and I think it was really good advice as the number of accidents as a result of drink driving was much reduced.

We were in the car just a few days ago, when we stopped at a traffic light. Just than that message came on the radio. At the same time, I took a sip of water from my water bottle - it was a hot day!

And my Daughter, D admonished me in a stern voice: Dont you listen, MUM? They just said dont drink and drive!!

Me: @_@

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Surviving the first week

Yes! One more day and the first week of school will be over. And I must say it went pretty well. The little one was awoken in the mornings on her own without any problem ! Guess it helps when I make her go to bed by 8.45pm, with short cat naps during the day in the car when we can manage it or if she will co-operate do it :D

And we managed with just one car. A little bit of inconvenience at times but it is working out. I drop the two younger ones and the husband at the office in the morning and come home with the car. Then its marketing or errands with the MIL, until it's pickup time for the kids. In the evening, when picking up the oldest or anyone from enrichment, I will swing by to get the husband from the office. The oldest get sent to school by FIL, and I think its great coz there is no stress in rushing her to be ready early and no need to face jams at two locations which makes it better for all concerned, AND it provides for some grandpa and granddaughter bonding time!!

Also, since I stopped fetching my son to school 4 years ago (when he changed schools in P2), we stopped praying together in the car in the mornings. Now, we can do it again together, and we did it this morning. It feels GOOD to start the day with a prayer with the children :D

Blessings come in disguise, I guess.

And you know, I just found out that the children think D (note: I will stop calling her lil D coz she's a BIG girl now!)brings a lot of money to school. Heard from the oldest's best friend that she heard D brings $130 to school. This girl's sister is in the class that D's buddy is from and news travel. They must have asked her how much money she brings to school, and our friend (D!) has forgotten all the money classes she learnt in pre-school. She was given $1.30 cents but when she counted she counted 130cents (which is not wrong, I guess). She must have forgotten and told her buddies she has $130!! Well, this MUM will NEVER allow her child to bring that much money to school, and with that amount we can probably feed the family for a week!

Hope your week, and year has started as well as mine.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

1st day of school

The night before the first day of school, she was whining: I hate school. I don't want to go to school. Why must it be so long. There will be so much homework. Why do I have to go to primary school? I want to be 5 years old forever and stay at (name of preschool)!

After a while she settled down and fell asleep.

Fortunately when I woke her up this morning she was quite chirpy. Ate her breakfast and we set of for school early. Nearer her school, there was a jam. It took us 15 minutes to get from the main road to the school which was a distance of approximately 200m. And that was at 6.40am! When we got there, about half the school was already there.

I found her teacher and introduced lil D. Immediately she started speaking to her in mandarin which drew a blank face. The teacher then asked if she understood mandarin, to which I replied "a little". Fortunately she switched to briefing her in English.

She then told D that she was to queue in the front every time the children queued up, so that she could keep an eye on her. She even reserved a front seat in the classroom for her! Kudos to the school also for changing the location of D's classroom( to the best of their ability) so that she doesn't have too many flights of stairs to climb just to get to class. Her class is now on level 5 instead of 6!

The P1s have buddies from P5 for the 1st 3 days of school. These buddies will show them around the school and teach them how to buy food in the canteen, etc. I don't know if it was planned but my daughter was assigned 2 buddies and both were prefects from the P5 class. Of course they took care of her. In fact I think they pampered her. They carried her water bottle for her, and even her snack box when it was recess time. They even promised to bring her a seaweed snack tomorrow!

After school , when I picked her, she declared: I love primary school. My buddies treat me like a queen!! I cant wait to go to school to see my buddies tomorrow.

Well, so far so good. I hope her attitude to school remains this positive :)

Monday, January 3, 2011

Why, oh Why?

Why do they have to change teachers at the last minute??

My precious little one will be having a different form teacher from the one introduced to her during orientation. As it is, it is already a big transition from kindergarten to Primary school. Just when she is all sort of ready and looking forward to having that "fun" teacher, we found out that her new form teacher will be her Mandarin teacher, who has JUST been transferred into the school, a few days ago!

And judging from my experience, Mandarin teachers are NO fun! And no fun for mummy too! Coz mummy's mandarin is .... erm ...not quite there! So, how am I going to explain to the teacher Lil D's medical condition, and the dos and donts, and the precautions to take? And what if she posts on the class blog in Mandarin? This mummy is going to be so LOST. And guess what? I think my chld will be too. Especially after 6 whole weeks of no mandarin exposure, she has probably lost it all, just like her Mum! And I dont think thats going to sit well with the teacher!! YIKES!

Sigh! I wish they would have orientation late in the year, so that there will be no changes for the children. and erm .. for the parents too. And I guess I will just have to photocopy all those doctors letters again, just in case the previous teacher did not pass it on.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

New Year 2011

Today the marks the start of a New Year.

May it bring new experiences, new beginnings, new friends!

Here are my resolutions for 2011

1. To exercise more than I did in 2010. I think that shouldnt be so difficult as I think the number of times I really exercised in 2010 can be counted on my two hands with fingers to spare :P

2. Not to stress myself up too much, nor my son too. As it is, it is going to be a very stressful year for him with his PSLE in in October, so I shouldnt add on unnecessarily.

3. To be more patient with children, and everyone else. I really must reign in that temper of mine, so that life can be more smooth going. It helps lower the stress-factor as well.

4. To improve on my baking and cooking with lots more practise!!

5. To not increase another clothe size. I guess #1 above should help it, but #4 may undo it!

6. To spend less time playing games on the computer! I must set a good example to my kids or they will be tempted.

I guess I better stop now. Better not resolve too many things at one go or my resolutions may end up going in one year and out the next!