A huge load off her shoulders

Yes, a huge load has been lifted off my daughter's shoulders now that the PSLE is over. Many may scoff and say that it is only the PSLE, but in Singapore, every common exam is a major exam for our children, nevermind what level they are at. It is a brigde they have to cross that may affect their futures, hence the stress for them to do well.

We have always told her that as long as she gave her best, we will not fault her no matter what her results, and some how, being the conscientious and hard-working girl that she is, she has worked hard.

We tried not to stress her, but we found that we had to constantly remind her to study, and stay focused on the exams, coz children being children, they can get carried away at times by distractions. I guess, we ourselves were stressed, even though we were not the ones taking the exams!! There were nights when I awoke at 3am after having a dream about her exam papers!! Even I couldnt believe it. When I was sitting for my own exams, even the Uni ones, I never worried or fretted like I did the past few weeks. I guess this was one exam I had absolutely no control over.

Now, with the exams over, I noticed that there is a spring in her step, and her appetite has improved. She seems happier and even has time to play pranks on her siblings. Tho' she never outwardly complained, she must have internalised the stress she was feeling.

Well, I guess we will enjoy ourselves for the next 5 or so weeks before we start worrying and fretting the week before the results are released. That's life, I guess.

"Lord, give success to the work of her hands!"

Boys!

They are really amazing creatures! We had the privilege to play hosts to 7 of my son's friends not so long ago, and this was the first time I have had so many boys in my home.

They are really different from girls. When my oldest had her friends over previously, they could just sit around and eat, or play board games, or twirl each others hair. But boys, they are really wired differently. They are not interested at all in food (except chips and fizzy drinks). We had a BBQ going, but they did not want to eat. I couldnt let them go home without dinner, so I had to force them to eat. Most of them wolfed down a sausage and said they were done - never mind the chicken, lamb chops, squid, etc all crying out to them to be eaten.

They can play soccer anytime, anywhere! When they had to abandon their soccer game halfway because of rain, they were equally happy playing FIFA 08 on the x-box. Anything soccer will do. Even table-soccer! Even if they dont have a ball. I have seen them kick around a tennis ball, a mineral water bottle, someone else's shoe, a pencil case, even a toy pig!! I am not kidding.

And the mess they are capable of making!! Even in areas that were out-of-bounds for them, like my bedroom. Not sure how the crumbs found and mess found their way there. You would have thought that my home was ravaged by a hurricane at the end of the gathering. There were crumbs everywhere, and I mean everywhere! Dont ask me where it came from. Guesss they must be like "Pigpen" from Charlie Brown where dirt follows them where ever they go.

And even after a soccer game, they were so active, even tho I made sure I did not serve anythimg that would trigger off a hyperactive reaction, they were bouncing on the sofa and playing so boisterously. I guesss boys will be boys!

GOTTA LOVE LITTLE BOYS

Here's a joke which I hope gives you a good start to the day, and I hope you all have a great week. Will not be blogging until after my daughter's PSLE which starts next friday. Take care and God Bless!



Two young boys walked into a pharmacy one day, picked out a box of tampons and proceeded to the checkout counter. The man at the counter asked the older boy, 'Son, how old are you?'

'Eight,' the boy replied. The man continued, 'Do you know what these are used for?' The boy replied, 'Not exactly, Sir, but they aren't for me. They're for him. He's my brother. He's four. We saw on TV that if you use these, you would be able to swim and ride a bike. Right now, he can't do either one.'

On the road to getting fit

Yes! After 8 months I have finally started on getting fit.

I decided that I had to do something about my fitness after noticing that even the hairdresser goes to the gym regularly, and her partner, cycles and exercises every week!! That was to me my wake-up call. I had to do something about my own fitness, or rather the lack of it.

I know I have been wanting to start this exercise regime for awhile. But there were always excuses. Marketing, dont like jogging, no time, etc. No more excuses for me.



I started last week with a 1.2km brisk walk. It took me 12 minutes to complete it. My kids "pooh-poohed" my effort when I told them, saying that the distance was too short and that I should jog.

The very next day, I tried jogging. But jogging is really not for me. After 500m I was panting!! So I went back to my brisk walk and covered a distance of 2km. I did break out in a sweat, and I think that was a good start. Now, 2 to 3 days a week, I go for my walk, walking a longer distance with each passing day. And it only takes up no more than half an hour of my time.

Hopefully this road will bring me from unfit to fit, and finally looking Fab!! Like they say: The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, and I have taken my first step. Have you?

She ate a story!

Every time at lunch, I will usually talk to my children about what happened at school that day. One day this transpired:

Me: Little D, what was for snack in school today?

Little D: I had pasta soup, and you know Mum, there were letters in there today.

Me: Letters or lettuce?

Little D: A, B, Cs MUM!

Me: Oh! You mean it was an alphabet pasta soup. Did you have a lot? Did you eat up D - __ - __ - ___? (spelling out the letters to Little D's name)

Little D: No Mum! There were so many letters I think I ate a whole story!

Guess that explained her inability to finish her lunch that day.

Totally Ineffective

That's me! Have not been able to do what I am supposed to do. That means I am - (according to the thesaurus) incompetent, inept, powerless, useless, weak, worthless, etc.

You see it is less than 5 weeks to the PSLE. I am supposed to make my daughter focus on preparing for the exams, but I have been totally unsuccesful.

She finds a thousand and one excuses not to do her work. She will play with her little sister, watch tv, go on the computer and spend hours checking her email (I am sure she doesnt receive that many emails everyday!), feed the fish, play with her mobile, you name it she does it - except focus on her revision.

The same with my son. Tell him to do his homework and he has so many excuses.

BUT why is it when hubby tells them - they say: Yes Pa! and before I know it they are doing their work. It makes me feel so useless. Cant even get my own kids to do work. AND I hate having to trouble hubby at work to get him to talk to them. Even if I try dangling a reward - say: "finish your work and then we will do something fun together" I still dont get the required response that I want. Short of losing my temper and taking out the cane (which I dread doing), I am unable to get them to do my bidding.

This sure makes me feel LOUSY!!

The Mouse Story with a Moral

A mouse looked through the Crack
In the wall to see the farmer and
His wife open a Package.


What Food might this contain ?'
The mouse wondered - -

He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.



Retreating To the farmyard,

The mouse proclaimed the Warning :

There is a mousetrap in the house!
There is a mousetrap in the House!'


The Chicken clucked and scratched,



Raised her head and Said,

'Mr.Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern To you,
but it is of no consequence to Me.
Cannot be bothered by it.'


The mouse turned to the pig and told him,

'There is a mousetrap in the House!
There is a mousetrap in The house!'



The Pig sympathized, but said, I am
So very sorry, Mr.Mouse, but there
Is nothing I can do about it but Pray.
Be assured you are in my prayers.'


The mouse turned to the cow and said
'There is a mousetrap in the House!
There is a mousetrap in The house!'


The Cow said, 'Wow, Mr. Mouse.
I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin Off my nose.'


So, the mouse returned to The House, head down and dejected,
To face the farmer's Mousetrap . . .
Alone.

That Very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a
Mousetrap catching its Prey.

The Farmer's' wife rushed to see What was caught.
In the Darkness, She did not see it was a venomous
Snake whose tail The trap had caught.

The Snake bit the farmer's wife.

The farmer rushed her to the Hospital ,



But she returned home with A fever.

Everyone Knows you treat a fever
With fresh chicken soup, so the Farmer
Took his hatchet to the Farmyard for the soup's Main ingredient.



But His wife's sickness continued,
So friends and neighbors came to
Sit with her around the clock.



To Feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The Farmer's' wife did not get well;

She Died.




So Many people came for her funeral,
The farmer had the cow slaughtered to
Provide enough meat for all of them.



The mouse looked upon it all from
His crack in the wall with great
Sadness.



So,
The next time you hear someone
Is facing a problem and think it Doesn't concern you,

Remember ----


When one of us is threatened,

We are all at risk.

We are all involved in this
Journey called life.



We must keep an eye out
For One another and make an extra
Effort to encourage one Another.

REMEMBER . . . . .


EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD
IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY;

OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON.