World Kindness Day

Today is World Kindness Day, and I am using this post to share the kindness that has touched D during this year.

Today also marks the end of another school year!

I do not usually send gifts to teachers at the end of the school year, but this year, I felt the need to. I felt obliged to thank the teachers, for their kindness, especially for helping D out during the year. Well, if you don't recall, she had a very strict and stern teacher who turned out to be one with a heart of gold  - (read http://secretdiaryofasahm.blogspot.sg/2014/01/tough-exterior-soft-heart.html.) She not only helped D out, she arranged for the other teachers to help D out too, on the days when she could not. In addition, she also arranged for D to have a special lift pass (the lift in the school is only for the use of teachers and visitors), which enabled D to use the lift when necessary. Her kindness astounds me!! A Big THANK YOU to Mrs T from the bottom of my heart.

Well, I sent in token gifts to the teachers with a card thanking them, and I received a reply from D's form teacher. She informed me that there were a few classmates who have been helping D out in school as well. This was something new to me, as D has never mentioned it to me at all.

When questioned, D said that a few of the girls helped her out with her bag when they had to bring it along when they were required to move around the school. Not something that happens much but occasionally. These were girls whom I seldom hear D talk about. I asked D if these girls knew about her medical condition, and she replied that she hadn't personally told  these girls at all. She has only shared about her medical condition with a few close friends. And these girls, were not from her Primary 1 class, who knows about her condition as the teacher then had told them about it. These girls are not the biggest girls (in size) in class, but definitely those with the biggest hearts. To these girls a BIG Thank you too!! For your kindness, which surpasses my expectations.

We frequently read about horrible events on social media, but be assured, the world is still full of many people with BIG hearts.

Remember it may be only a small deed for you, but you never know how big it is to the recipient.

Try a little kindness ... and pay it forward!

Empty Nester Birthday Celebrations

You know how we always celebrate our children's birthdays?
So what happens when you have an empty nest and your child's birthday rolls around?

Well, I'm going to be in that position next year when my oldest goes away for her uni education.

We had a dry run of that situation this year with a friend of ours. She's here with her husband while her daughters are living in Australia, both in uni. 

She couldn't take leave to travel there to celebrate with her child. Neither could her child come over as the uni term was still on.

So being foodies, she decided that we still had to celebrate her daughter's (M) birthday. 

She invited a few good friends over, prepped dinner, I baked a cake and we had a dinner to celebrate M's birthday. 

Of course we didn't forget M during the celebrations. With the phone in hand, and on video mode, we sang happy birthday, sent M birthday greetings, cut the cake, had a good time and then sent the video over to M! 

We had a good time! And I'm sure M was glad we remembered her and celebrated her big day!

So, I foresee this is what I will have to do when my oldest goes away. Of course, it's nothing like being there with her to celebrate her day. But, I guess, we can't we too choosy when we don't have other choices. It sure beats sitting at home and moaning not being able to celebrate the birthday together. 

One year later

My now-not-so-little one has completed one full year of pamidronate infusions. This brave warrior has had the cannula inserted half a dozen times without squirm nor tears.

Mum is so proud of you D!!

Her BMD has improved, but not sufficient for her to go off it yet. As such, she will still be continuing with these infusions. Fortunately, apart from the severe abdominal pains she gets after her infusions, she has not suffered any other side effects to her kidney, liver or bladder. We have also finally managed to time her oral meds after her infusions so that her pains are managed. 

It appears to be a very slow process to increasing bone density. But shoulder on we will, To stronger bones! 

Best remedy for Childhood Constipation (Satire)

By George! I think I have found the best remedy for constipation in school-going children!

It involves no pills, no prunes, no fruits, no juice. In fact, nothing to be consumed at all!!!
Seems like to good to be true but it works ALL the time for D.

Just give them ...


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HOMEWORK!!!




Try it and let me know if it works for your child too!!

Announcing that it's bedtime may work as well ;)

Back seat driver

MUM, you beat the lights!!

Me: No, I did not!! I crossed the junction before the lights turned red.

But Mum, you are supposed to slow down when you see the lights turn amber, NOT speed up.

Me: I still cleared the junction before the lights turned red.

Sigh!

And that sigh didnt come from me. I have been told to tell her: "You will understand all these when you are older."

And I should have been the one sighing. All this from one who doesnt even have a driving license!

Where have all the years gone?

There are days when I sit and wonder:

Where have all the years gone? 

I left my career at my prime,

To take care of my little ones

15 years have past,

And now they are no longer little.

I look in the mirror,

And sometimes wonder, who is that looking back at me?

At times I don't even recognize myself.

I see a woman, with years etched on her face,

Tired, lifeless, aged.

Where is that young, youthful lady

Full of vigour, full of energy, full of life?

I have friends who say

I look younger than my age

But I wonder:

Are they just saying kind words

To make me feel good?

I know I do look younger than some many years younger than me

But I no longer see the young me in the mirror anymore.

At times I don't even recognize who I see.

It doesn't help when you have young ones 

Telling you everyday, that you are old.

You begin to feel it, 

And believe it.

That you are old. 

Visited a relative just last week

And she commented:

Where have all the years gone? 

I remember when you were just a little one.

I too wonder, where have all the years gone?

The last 15 were spent changing diapers, 

Washing milk bottles,

Ferrying the kids around.

Was my time well spent?

I do not know. 

Will I one day look back and regret

That I have wasted my life

With nothing to show for at the end of it? 

I do not know.

I still wonder:

Where have all the years gone? 

Time flies when you are having fun.

I was just asked this: 

Why does one school week go by so slowly but one week of the school holidays fly by so fast? 

One good deed begets another

I was at the supermart today when the old lady in front of me struggled with her trolley at the checkout.

So I decided to help her out by unloading her trolley.

She was so thankful, but that was the least I could do.

Soon it was my turn. I checked out my purchases and was struggling with my 2 trolley loads of grocery shopping when an older woman came up and offered to help me navigate one. Bless her!

I was thinking to myself, that one good deed sure begets another!!

Then I drove to the wet markets. As I was parking my car, a gentleman came up, knocked on my window and offered me his unexpired parking coupon. I took it and thanked him for it.

What I thought was going to be a humdrum day when I woke up today, turned out better than expected.

So do some good when you can, Your returns may be a thousandfold!!

Older = Kinder?

My little one made this observation:

Older people are kinder.

Then she went on to say (based on her observations of my friends):

Aunty L is very kind. She must be 56? No? But she must definitely be older than you coz she is kinder than you!!

(Aunty L is not even 50!)

Not sure if I should be happy (that I actually look younger than Aunty L) or sad (that I am not kind!!).

April 1st

How time flies.  We are already into the 4th month of the year, and the 4th week of lent.

Today is April fool's. Do you have a prank up your sleeve?

Well, I don't. I just hope I don't get pranked :P

One of the top local schools here, gives the kids a day off school on April 1st every year.

There reason behind the day off is the good showing at the GCE "A" levels, results which were released a couple of weeks ago.

But I think, it's because the teachers do not want to be at the receiving end of any tricks!!

Well, I will just have to be on the look out for these pranks, since my kids are at the prank-playing age.

oh yes, and of course, I will also try to sniff out the untruth published in today's newspapers! There is always an article in the local press!!

D and fasting

D: Mum, I need lunch today.

Me: How about fasting? (I was just teasing her)

D: I cant!! I need to eat!! 

Me: I am sure you can try.

D: NO!! You must give me at least a piece of bread!

Me: Ok, when we get to Godma's I will ask her to give you a piece of bread.

D: I cant just have bread!! I need more than bread!!

Me: But you said to give you a piece of bread.

D: I was just saying!!

D during lent

She was looking at the suggestions on what she could do during lent and she went: and whose feet am I suppose to wash on Maundy Thursday?

I replied: you can start with mine and Pa's.

She then asked: so am I also supposed to carry a cross on good Friday?

Me: yes, that would be a good idea. 

Exasperated with my answers, she then asked: so tell me, who should I baptize during the Easter vigil??

Mosquitoes

Yes, I'm writing about those insects that suck your blood.

Those irritating 6-legged insects that love to buzz around your ears when you are trying to catch some sleep on a hot night.

Yes, those very same ones that are capable of killing you, especially of the aedes variety, and can spread dengue.  

They have a tendency to make their appearance when we try to catch some shut eye. But they are around everywhere, everyday, feeding on you and your loved ones. They tend to love to attack those with a higher body temeprature , namely younger children, and possibly menopausal women (due to the hot flushes experienced, perhaps)!

Well, we have been plagued by them recently, most probably due to the extremely hot and dry weather!

But last night, we were spared. Why? We didn't know initially. 

But when we woke up this morning, we had found that quite a number of them had committed suicide in our toilet bowl.

What had attracted them to the toilet bowl? 

Was it the smell? Was it something we ate? But we didn't eat anything out of the ordinary.

Perhaps, it was the smell of the the urine, after consuming durians!! Mosquitoes love the aroma of durians too?

We are going to try it again! (But not tonight! Coz there probably aren't any left!) haha! 

But meanwhile, please help out by making sure you are not breeding mosquitoes! 

Lent

The season of Lent will soon be upon us.

This year it starts on 5 March, which is one week away.

Lent is a 40 day period, in which Christians prepare for Easter. It is a penitential season marked by fasting. abstinence, prayer, and alms giving.

Every year, I abstain from meat on fridays during lent and I usually try to give up something I enjoy. So I am considering what to give up this year.

If it is something easy to do without, it doesnt become much of a sacrifice. So it has to hurt a bit for it to be meaningful.

Facebooking? Computer games? Chocolates? Desserts? What will it be?

I still have a week to decide.

Zen

Yes, I'm feeling Zen. Trying to feel Zen may better describe it.

No, I'm not upset. Trying to be calm, not scream, and act C.O.O.L.

Yes, she's late again. And getting later, and later by the day.

We used to leave home at 6.45am in the morning for school.

But that hasn't been the case for quite a while.

In fact, for the whole of last week, it was more like 7am.

Today, it was 7.10am.

I must learn to let it go ... about leaving late.

No doubt she doesn't start until 7.40am.

But I hate rushing. I hate dealing with traffic, which gets really heavy after 7am. I hate it when she is just-on time, I like her to be a little bit early (Read: she can settle herself down before the mad day starts!)  And I hate paying toll charges which kick in from 7.30 am for the route I like to take on my way home. Which is the shortest route.

But I do not like to start the day screaming at her to wake up.  I hate to start the day shouting for her to move it.  I hate to start the day and week on the wrong foot.

So what do I do? I pretend to be unaffected that she is late. I am Zen!!

Size, it's a matter of opinion

Today, D came home from school and told me: Mum! We changed our sitting places in class.

Me: Oh! Where are you seated now?

D: I am seated in the middle of the class, but still in the front row.

Me: who are you sitting with?

D: I have a tiny little boy next to me.

Me: What is his name? And how small is he?

D: His name is Xxx. And he is slightly taller than me.

Me: He is taller than you and you call him tiny? 

D: Heehee! He is still tiny! 

Exercise and weight loss

I have been trying to lose some pounds for some time now.

Walking, swimming, and watching my diet.

But none of it seemed to worked. Unless you consider losing half a kilo after 4 months.

A friend commented that that kind of difference was more like the result of a bowel movement :P

Even with the fitbit and walking 10,000 steps a day, The needle on the weighing scales hardly budged.

Someone commented that she expected me to have put on some weight after the year-end vacation and was surprised that I didnt.

Well, I'm glad that I the pounds didnt pile on despite the festive feastings, and year-end vacation. So maybe that in itself is an achievement.

Funnily, I lost 2 kg over the last two weeks and I didnt do a thing. I missed my morning walks, I didnt swim  nor do my taichi. And I ate as usual.

It's STRESS, I tell you. That's the way I lose weight. I only need something to worry me, upset me, and the pounds just shed! It's the weight carried by this brain of mine that works it for me.

Others, put on weight when stressed, but for me it has the opposite effect.

Not something to rejoice over though.

A crab? - Tough exterior, soft and tender inside

The teacher I heard most about from my daughter during the first couple of weeks of school was her English teacher, Mrs T. She kept telling me that she was very strict, fierce and demanding. She had class rules, she laid out her expectations from day 1 and kept reminding them.

So, when the day of the parents' briefing rolled around, I kept a look out for Mrs T. Though I have had 2 other children go to that school, I have not heard of this teacher before.

Just my luck, she did the briefing for English for the whole standard even though that is usually done by the Head of Department. A small petite teacher. She has very clear in covering what was expected of the students and the changes to the syllabus.

When we broke up into our class groups, I took the opportunity to engage her about my daughter, and she came across as very business-like. Other mums whom I spoke to that morning too confirmed that their children had mentioned that she was very fierce and strict.

The day before D went in for her infusion, I e-mailed her teachers regarding her absence from school, and requested for D to be briefed on the school and homework she would miss.

Mrs T was the only teacher who replied to my email. She replied to say that she hoped that it was nothing serious. That alerted me to the fact that D's form teacher had not briefed the other teachers of D's condition. I briefly replied explaining D's medical condition to her.  She then came back with a barrage of questions including how she could help and her concern. I then responded and outlined to her my requests that I had forwarded to the form teacher previously regarding D's condition and what needed to be done.

She did not reply to my last email to her.

Yesterday, after school when D came out, the first thing she told me was: Mrs T carried my bags for me to class this morning!!

She had searched D out before assembly and helped her out with her heavy school bag. (One of my requests was for the school to allow me to help D with bringing her school bag to class when it was heavy, but I did not get approval for that as classroom areas are restricted to students and school staff only for security reasons.)

Many of D's classmates were shocked. The fiercest teacher carrying D's school bag for her. They even shared this piece of information with those who did not witness it!! It was class news!!

I then reminded D that she had to  thank Mrs T every time she helped her out. I further reminded her that Mrs T needed to be strict in order to maintain order in class. She laid out her best expectations as she wanted her students to do well. She was a tough teacher with a soft heart. The best kind, I must say!

I tell you, Mrs T must be a Cancerian - one with a tough exterior but are really soft and tender inside.

I must say, what she did really touched me. I feel more at ease now, as I know that there is someone looking out for my D's safety whilst in school!

Thanks Mrs T. You are a GEM!!

Are you OK?

It happened 2 days in a row.

When they were drawing blood from D, the nurses turned to me and asked me: Mummy, are you ok?

Of course, I am ok! I am not the one being poked!!

And on another note: Why do they all call me D's mummy? They jolly well know her full name. Why don't they just call me Mrs A?

8 weeks

8 weeks have gone by since D's first pamidronate infusion

She is due for her next one end of this week.

Not sure how her bones have strengthened since the last infusion. We wouldn't know for sure until she takes her next bone mineral density test and my guess is that it wont be done until October, a year from her last.

But on the Vitamin D front, she is still Vit D deficient.

She has been on Vit D supplements (2000 IUs a day) for close to 3 months and yet there is no improvement.

Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids responsible for enhancin intestinal absorption of calcium phosphate (Source: Wikipedia)

They are not sure why even with the supplements she is still deficient. However, they are unwilling to increase her supplementary intake ... yet ...for fear of toxicity.

So it means that she will have to take an additional blood test in 3 months just for Vitamin D levels.

My little trouper hates taking blood tests.

She has no problems nor fear when they insert the cannula.







But complains when they draw blood!! They are like vampires, she complains. Why do they need two vials just to test for VItamin D, she wants to know. I have no idea!!

She insists on the "magic cream: for the procedure. This cream numbs her hand so she doesnt feel any pain. But the funny thing is, doesnt it hurt more to insert the cannula? For that she doesnt need the cream!!

I really dont understand why. With the cream, we end up spending at least an additional half an hour at the hospital, waiting for it to take effect. With the cream, I end up paying more.

I just want to get it done and over with, and get out of that place as fast as I can.

But, I give in to her. ... just to let her have some control over the situation she is in. Hopefully it makes her feel better about the whole situation she is in.

My Little Drama Queen

My little drama queen attends drama classes. This is her 4th year doing so.

Term just started this week.

After class when I picked her, I asked her: How many new students are there in the class this term? 

She replied: About 4 or 5.

Me: So who are the old students that are still around? 

D: Old students? There are no old students! 

Me: You know what I mean!

D: You mean the current students, don't you?

Me: No, I don't. Current students means all that in the class this year. I just want to know who the students who were in the class previously and are still continuing. The old students.

D: I am NOT OLD!! All the students in the class are young Mum. And I am not telling you since you called me old! Hmpf!

Tell me: why do I bother sending her to drama classes? She sure doesnt need them She's drama enough!!

D, me and homework

Me: Do you have any homework today?

D: No.

Me: Yay!!

D: you're weird, Mum.

Me: Why?

D: Because all my classmates' mothers rejoice when the teacher gives lots of homework. But you....

Me: Aren't you glad I am happy when you have no homework?

D: Yah, but you are still weird!!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!!

1st January 2014 has come and gone.

New Year is always a quiet celebration at our home due to the start of the new school year.
We are already into the 2nd day of the school year, and the end of the first school week!

Have you made any resolutions for this year?

Many people do not make any because they know that they can never keep it for long.

But I think it is good to set yourself some goals at the start of each year.

We should not be too ambitious and set ourselves impossible targets.

Mine for this year are:

To scream less, to smile more,
To eat less, to walk more,
To grumble less, and to pray more!

What are yours for this year?