Jakey's First Birthday

It was J's first birthday and we had a dedication for him at his local park. We brought B & C along since we were babysitting them (while their parents celebrate their wedding anniversary).

J just started to take his first steps and was rather unstable at that time (more than a month ago). This was the first time B & C got to hold his hands and walk him and they were so thrilled to do so. Even though they do not see J much nor have much interaction with him, they love hanging out with him. C fondly remembers J and often, at the mention of J's name, would excitedly recall "I hold Jakey's hand!!". I am pretty sure J won't remember them much but hopefully this photo would help him a little some time down the road...

Southbank with Nieces

Clockwise from top left - walking along Southbank, on the bridge looking down at buses and cars, C in comparison with the shortest human on earth, B and I looking into the display of real size animals.

2 weeks ago, hubby and I spent almost an entire Saturday with our B&C nieces. Their parents were in church for a training session and some work so they asked if we were free to take them for most of the day. Since we were free, we were happy to do so. We had C stayed over with us the night before - her 2nd time. Like her 1st stayover, she woke up 2-3 times at night but this time, it took longer for her to get back to bed because she is weaned off the milk bottle which helped her to go back to bed quickly. But in the same way, she continued to sleep when I brought her onto my bed at around 6am when she woke up. In fact, I woke up earlier than her, leaving her on the bed with hubby.

After picking B up from her home, we drove to Southbank. The girls were really excited to spend the day with us. We walked quite a distance, stopping by every now and then for toilet break, drinks and morning tea,  on our way to the Queensland Museum. The girls were fascinated and wow-ed by almost everything they see - birds, flowers, water fountains, Brisbane 'eye', the top of buses and cars when we were on the bridge to the Musuem, the egg tarts I made for them, statues, displays and the promise of visiting the museum and a picnic lunch thereafter. 

The trip to the museum was both educational for the girls and us. There were exhibits on the modes of transport available in the old days - carriages, boats, cars. The most interesting was the "Animals and Man" exhibit where many real sizes of animals and insects were exhibited for us to compare how the real thing looked like. It was quite cool to be able to walk beneath a live size 'whale' which feels like you are underwater and looking up in awe of the size of the big whale. The girls were quite afraid of the sound that whales make, which was played along the public corridor. We had to carry them and assure them that it was alright. B was also afraid of some animals that looked big and threatening and refuse to go anywhere near it, e.g. an angry-looking big brown bear. She was not afraid of snakes and spiders (I wonder if she will be if they were real) and she was happily looking out for kangaroo, sea lion, penguin, koala, fishes, crabs, jellyfish, turtles. C was a little more brave but by then, she was a little tired and so hubby had to carry her quite a bit (he had sore biceps the next day :p). 

After the time in the museum, B finally had her long-awaited picnic. At the beginning of the day, I told her that we will have a lunch picnic. We chanced upon a playground along the river and decided to find a nice spot there. There were many children running and playing. I watched the girls at the playground while hubby went to the car to get the mat and grab some lunch from the nearby food stalls. The girls had a ball of time at the playground before we had a seafood platter hubby bought, along with some fruits and egg tarts I brought along. 

I was thankful that the girls held up and not sleep in the car on our way home, even though I know they were quite tired out. B usually has more energy and able to stick out for a bit more since she is older. You know when she is really tired when she has been walking the entire morning and suddenly ask to be carried. I told them to not sleep in the car and wait until they get back to our place for a nap and they did :) Back at home, it was really sweet to see them waiting to sleep with each other on a small little mattress on the ground. I instructed them to sleep and left them alone, which they did for around 1.5 hours. I promised B that I will make some jelly with her for dessert. C also got involved and they were rather thrilled to make jelly out of oranges (I figure this was one way I could get B to eat a fruit that she does not usually like to eat). After we were done, I felt tired and needed a nap. So I left them by themselves to play, while hubby was fixing something nearby. I am thankful for the girls to be quite good to keep themselves occupied with the limited toys we have at home. 

By the end of the day, I know they do miss their parents but I know they also had a lovely time with us too. Their parents were also happy, having a day of 'freedom' without kids and busy at home. They popped over for dinner and pick up their girls. I had a good day and time with the girls. I know hubby did too. :)

To Be Like Jesus

This song has been ringing in my mind the past week. I bought a Sovereign Grace children's cd last year, to have it available in our car so that when our nieces ride with us, they could listen to some songs. I was glad that they love this cd. When my friend visited and used our car, their 2 kids loved it too, because they have this exact cd back in Singapore.

Sing along to this upbeat tune! Listen to the song here.

Love, joy, peace, and patience too
Grow in those who trust in You
All who put their hope in Christ
Kindness, goodness, faithfulness
Self-control and gentleness
Live in those who have new life

CHORUS
I want to be like Jesus
To walk and talk like Jesus
I want to live like one who follows Him
I want to love like Jesus
To give my all like Jesus
I want to live like one who follows Him

I don’t always do what’s right
Jesus lived a perfect life
And for sins like mine He died
Teach me to obey Your Word
Help me to put others first
Holy Spirit, change my life

© 2009 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

The Day She Calls Me 舅妈

My youngest niece "A" has been addressing me "umh ma", when she is supposed to say "jiu ma" for 舅妈，which is the term to address the wife of her mother's brother. For some reason, she has no problems saying "jiu" when she addresses Quop as 大舅 "da jiu". But when it comes to me, she could not put the "jiu" and "ma" together. Her mum and I have tried many times to get her to say it right but she'd innocently still say "umh ma". 

It was a Friday morning in February when I was caring for her while her mum went to work. "A" is in the clingy phase where she'd miss her mum a lot, even though she has been prepped that she will be spending the morning with me and she loves me. Whenever she thinks of her mum, she'd cry for her and I found it difficult to distract her mind away from it. Hence that Friday, I made a last minute decision to bring her out even though I did not have any errands to run. I brought her to Ikea where I think we could walk around and spend 1-2 hours and not be bored. 

At the carpark of Ikea, I got "A" to say 舅妈. She surprised me by being able to say "jiu" properly for the first time when she addressed me! Nothing has changed in the way we have been getting her to say it right. For the rest of the day, I noticed that she will still address me as "umh ma" when she needed my attention but when I say "Say 舅妈", she'd be able to pronounce it correctly. I felt like it was an achievement that I made for teaching her to say it right :)

"A" enjoyed her time at Ikea. There was no mention of "ma ma" (mum) nor crying. But there were moments that she just got lazy and wanted me to carry her. Generally, she was quite good. She ate a fair bit of morning tea I brought along and befriended a little aussie girl (2 months younger than her) who shared the same name as her mum. She is quite a darling in befriending little children (not so much for adults). 

Incidentally, I learnt later that my sister-in-law has not been daring/comfortable to bring "A" to Ikea to shop. I guess she realised that it was not that difficult to manage after all. Or again, it might be the case that "A" would make things more difficult for her mum and be more well behaved with me (not her mum). 

Yummy Food, Happy Faces

4yo niece B (above) and 2yo niece C (below)

We had B stayed over at our place some time last year. This time, we figure it is time to have C over. C came over and stay on a Friday night. We were prepared for a possibly bad night with C waking up a few times at night, like her sister B. C would generally wake up in the night (on most nights), sneak into her parents' room and sleep with them on their bed! 

We put C to bed around 9pm on the same mattress her sister slept on when she was over, on the ground just beside our bed. She'd usually have some milk in a bottle and by the time she's done, she will be asleep. Water has since replaced milk and that was exactly what I gave her - water in a bottle and she soothed herself to sleep. I was so thankful that she was easy to put back to sleep, even though she woke up 2 times through the night. All I needed to do is to give her water in the bottle. I need not pat her nor carry her to sleep, which was what I have to do with B. C did not cry for mummy too. She was contented with seeing me and knowing that it was a familiar face with her in the dark. When she woke up at 6am (her usual time) in the morning, I carried her and brought her onto our bed. Because I was still tired, I lay her beside me and went back to sleep, with my arm on her so that I will know if she moves or leaves the bed. Surprisingly, she went back to sleep and we all slept for another 2 hours, i.e. she slept for a total of 11 hours that night! Apparently, this was so so rare for her to sleep that long. Her parents tried similarly at home but C would not go back to sleep. 

Later that morning, we brought C to attend a friend's daughter's 2nd birthday party. With a few other children there, C had a great time. When we got home, she napped for 2 hours, which again, was atypical of her. Her sister B came to join us in the afternoon while their parents went out on a date. I cooked us a simple dinner of rice with prawns and zucchini stir fry and baked fish fingers. (Photo above) B & C loved the food! Both of them ate most of what was given to them and fed themselves to enjoy the meal. B was complimented for eating more than she usually does (she is quite a picky eater). Well, I guess I have fulfilled a few of their favourites - prawns and crispy something (fish fingers in this case) and made it a balanced meal too. Now, I shall think of a way to get B to eat her fruits. That will be another story.

At the end of the day, Quop and I are happy our nieces had a great time of fun, rest and meal with us. Their parents are also happy that they get some alone time, plus their girls enjoyed themselves with us too. Hmm, they were a little envious that the girls ate well with us and C slept generally well too. Hmm, I think the girls take their parents for granted. 

A Special Christmas & New Year

With R and the kids (our men not in the photo) at our 'outing' to the laundromat

(overdue post)

R and family has come and gone. They spent 8 days between Christmas Eve and New Year in 'Aussieland'. It was so good that J (R's husband) was able to take 1 week leave for a break. They had originally wanted to holiday as a couple but there was no one to care for their kids. Hence they decided to bring forward their (future) plans of visiting us. They deliberately chose the dates when Quop and I had the one week off work in that same period.

It happened that it has been raining in Brisbane and its surrounds, due to the La Nina weather pattern. Pretty much from the time they arrived (and the days before), it was raining, and raining, and raining.... It rained so much that all we did was spending time at home and at big shopping malls (which was also partly because of the good post-Christmas sales). The rain almost caused our friends to change their minds NOT to spend 3 days 2 nights at the Gold Coast. Praise God He answered our prayers, the rain stopped just at the day that they decided to go ahead with their plans. With that, they were able to spend 3 days at Sea World, Movie World and Paradise Country Farm, while Quop and I could spend that time to chill out, shop and getting a break from a fairly energy-demanding time with young kids living in the house...

I am really thankful for the time that we spent together. R reckons that even though we spent most of it doing the everyday tasks like cooking, cleaning up after meals, putting the kids to bed, bathing the kids, feeding the kids, getting the kids ready to go out, it was good to have a glimpse of how each other's lives are on a daily basis (even though it is not a totally true picture of reality because they are holidaying whilst we don't work). Spending 24-7 with each other in the same house would allow us to see some good (and bad) habits and routines, interactions within each family and how we respond when our limits are tested (oh yes, we saw lots of it with young children who test your patience). Similarly, I am sure they got to see how we behave, interact, etc.

R and I really cherished the girl chat times we had, especially now when she has young kids and she hardly has time for herself. Between us, we have the privilege of seeing each other face to face for 3 times in 2010 - I went back to Singapore twice and she visited me this time. R & family has been a blessing to Quop and I even when they are our guests. She (they) showered us with so much thoughtful gifts, more than I imagined, on top of the things that I have requested her to bring over for me from my family. She has also paid for some of my shopping when we went shopping. I hope we have been good hosts to them by sharing our house, our car (they took our car to Gold Coast) and many little things we made it special/kid-friendly for them. They have also allow us to see how we have a lot to learn about patience - the way they parent and deal with their 2 active and energetic young children and with your spouse when your children press for your constant attention, I think, has given us some food-for-thought in our relationship with each other and how we might (God-willing) be parents in future.

We spent the countdown into the new year near the airport sending them off. I miss R but I sure look forward to our future catching up sessions, hopefully with some of our other girl friends (and their families) in Singapore or maybe another part of Oz! :)

First Babyccino

This is "C" aka "Tin, Tin" on her first babycinno. 

(Left to right)

1. "Ooo, this is interesting. What is a babycinno?"

2. "Hmm, 舅妈 's coffee looks larger and more interesting". 

3. "舅妈, I don't know what is this foamy thing. Is it for me to drink or play?"

4. (after the first sip) "Heh heh, it has a funny texture (which I am not used to)..."

Me thinks she is one of the cutest :)

Growing Girl

Our youngest niece, "A" is coming 20 months soon. She has grown quite a bit... not fat and chubby but in her height and her development. Amongst our 3 nieces, she is probably the easiest with feeding - eats almost everything, no known allergies and generally eats well. Hmm, except when she is over at our place, she'd insist of sitting on my lap while I feed her. With the yummy and healthy food she's eaten, it is no wonder that she is growing well and tall (that is partly in her genes with a tall daddy).

In the past month, hubby brought her swimming in the pool in our complex. Other than her mum, hubby was probably the first person who brings her into the water. Usually, she is not too willing to be carried or interact with hubby (her 大舅). She would cry/whinge in protest whenever hubby attempts to carry her. However she would hug and kiss him goodbye when we part. Hence, it was quite a little milestone for hubby to carry her into the pool to swim. We started out by getting hubby to carry her and/or hold her hand as we walk to the pool. She whinged a little but was okay quite soon after. She likes swimming and was excited to enter the pool. However, when we got to the pool, she seemed to have second thoughts and wanted out. After a bit of coaxing and assurance, she finally was able to enjoy the dip. I don't blame her for being a bit cautious and scared since it has been her mummy who brings her into the pool for a dip. I am glad she enjoyed it after all... but I had some trouble bathing her (crying in protest and refusing to be bathed) after the swim. 

"A" loves the swing in the playground. She is rather cautious with other play things in the playground but with the swing, she almost has no qualms about getting on. The swing at playground we went to, its safety chain (to secure the child) was broken. But she was careful about it. I pushed just a little for her to enjoy some swinging motion and watching to make sure that she does not fall out of the seat. I think she was happy. She'd know when to say "come down", meaning she's had enough. 

In general, I have to say that "A" is not the easiest of our nieces. She often expresses her displeasure/discomfort/unhappiness by crying (as with all other kids), but sometimes you know that she will be ok but she is just not happy. However, she is generally not difficult to care for, compared with many others I have seen. "A" is very cute though. I think she is the most extroverted of our nieces. I am sure many things await her as she will soon be 'upgraded' to being a 姐姐 (older sister) :)

Helpless Children

With all the recent floods in Queensland and its news, I read about possibly, the youngest victim - 23mo little girl who was swept off her 6-month pregnant mum. This little girl's 2 grandmothers - 1 was found dead and the other is among the missing. This is just one of the many horroring, sad stories from the many who are affected by the floods. As I was reading this news, I was waiting for hubby (who was helping our friends to clean up their flooded home) and my SIL and her family to join us for dinner. When my 2 nieces arrived, tears just swell up in my eyes when I see the almost-24mo C and 4yo B, ... I really felt the loss for that mum of her innocent 23mo daughter and for another man who lost his wife and 2 children.

In a totally different story, during the same weekend, we heard news of a friend's 15mo boy found to have a 5cm tumour in his brain. Words cannot describe how devastating it is for his parents and his loved ones to know this and bear to see this little one undergo surgeries and seeing little tubes poked into him. Looking at the photos of this boy growing up - his smiles and all, makes me wonder why does this have to happen to such a young, bubbly and joyful child. I could only but pray for him... I pray God will spare this little life that he may grow up knowing and loving Him and to serve our Lord with his life. I pray that his parents will continue to stand firm in the Lord and trust in Him during this difficult time.

Sometimes, some parts of our lives just simply do not make sense. But we can be assured that God knows what He is doing and He has the power and ability to do the impossible - just because He is God. When things seemed out of control, we can be assured that He is in control - of the world, of the winds and the rain, of the flowers and the animals and of our lives. Our Lord God is the creator, the beginning and the end. When life do not make sense, we can only but trust in our Saviour Jesus, who has shed His blood in exchange for our lives so that we have hope and an eternity to look forward to.

In another story which happened many years ago in a rural, remote part of Malaysia, a 4yo boy had an unknown cause of high fever which did not go away. After travelling a long time (hours?) to get to the nearest hospital (cars were not common then), the boy survived. The doctor told his parents that should the boy arrive at the hospital any later, he would lose his life. You would often hear that it is dangerous for children to have prolonged high temperatures. It will affect their brains. That little boy is well surviving today and by God's grace, his intelligence, his health, his development were not compromised through that illness. This boy is now my husband, who by God's grace (his parents said) grew up to be the most intelligent amongst his siblings.

We may never know why some things happened the way it did. But you and I can be certain that they happened within the Lord's control and most of all, they happened so that God will ultimately be given all the glory that He deserves.

A Tale of 2 Nieces

I brought 2 of my nieces, 17mo A and 22mo C to shop for groceries on Monday. My in-laws are away and so I cared for A while her parents worked. C's sister, B has her regular swimming lessons in the morning and my MIL is not around to care for C. I reckon they both will love it if I bring them out on my regular Monday morning shopping, instead of just staying at home with them. This is the first time for them that they come out with me (have never brought C without B coming along, and it is my first with A) and the first time that both of them are out together (without B). 

I told A and C they have to be good and obedient so that we all can enjoy this 街街 'kai kai' (cantonese slang which refers to "shopping") session. The girls were so happy and excited in the car, as I think that was the first time they were both in the same car together. A was especially thrilled to have C sitting beside her in the car, since she has been the only child passenger in any (her parents') car. She would giggle every now and then and grins when C hums and sings along to Colin Buchanan's songs played in the car.

On arrival at the shopping centre, I was very surprised and pleased to see a duo shopping trolley available. I could have both and infant and a toddler sit together, side by side with each other. I sat the younger A on the baby compartment (a little unsafe because I could not strap her in with her sitting up most of the time. I have to keep a constant eye on her) and the older C in the normal seat compartment. 

Our first stop: the newly opened Aldi at the shopping centre. I told the girls that I would not let either of them down because I only intend to spend a short time there. They were quite good, just looking around curiously and I would engage them to help me choose fruits and veggies to buy. 

At Woolies, they were allowed to take turns to come down the trolley. A was first given the chance to help push the shopping trolley - something which her mum said she love to do and would tire her out. 

Within 5 mins, A is tired and she comes to me and signals for me to carry her (that was cute! - because A used to not want me to carry her :)) When it was C's turn to push the trolley, she gave all her energy into it! She alone could push the trolley without me! And when she hits an obstacle, she is able to turn the trolley by herself and continue to push. Often, I have to say "妹妹, stop pushing. Wait, I need to pick up something." She has energy like a bull for her age! (cute :))

-

They were very cooperative, helpful, obedient and well behaved. I'd enlist their help to put my purchases in the trolley. I think they really love this new experience of shopping with their 舅妈 :)

'Reward' of morning tea at the end of shopping

I had about 3 to 4 Aussie ladies asked me if A and C were twins. The truth is that they are 5 months apart :)

Would I bring them out again? I think so. Don't you think they are super cute? ;)

Shepherding A Child's Heart

At mum's group 2 Fridays ago, 3/4yo S and J 'fought' over a star-shaped card for their craft. Both of them insisted that they wanted the only one star-shaped card. I told them that one of them has to give in and let the other person have it but both of them still insisted that they want it. At one point, I thought to keep it and not give it to any of them. However I figured that they need to learn that sometimes you have to sacrifice and give in to your friend.

I guess I could have done better... I decided to get both of them to play "scissors, paper, stone" and the winner will get to guess which of my hand contains the star-shaped card (the other hand has a maple leaf-shaped card). J won the game and she chose my right hand which contains the star-shaped card. At the moment S realised that she lost and could not have the card, silent tears streamed down her cheeks. I felt so sorry for her but prayed in my heart that she will understand. I wanted to give her a hug and speak with her but she did not want to. Maybe she was upset with me... I found it difficult to be sensitive to S's feelings and at the same time, trying to tell J nicely (and firmly) not to rub it in. J made a few sentences,  like "I told you I wanted the star..", etc. I know S must have felt really bad. All of a sudden, B fished out another star (I am not sure from where and how)! As soon as S saw this star, she collected herself from her sad feelings to a smile on her face. At that moment, I felt like God has suddenly gave me/us some hope - that I need not feel bad about it and both J and S could be happy to have a star each for their craft.

I had a quick word with S's mum after as to what she would do in my situation. She shared that she would not give the item to both and would tell S and her younger sister (almost 2yo) M, to work it out amongst themselves, as to who will give in. If they cannot work it out, non of them will have the item. I thought this is a good way of handling it, especially since J and S are of a similar age (hence maturity) to be able to work out amongst themselves. The first thought I had to resolve the conflict was that none of them would have the star since both of them do not want to give in. But I decided to do what I did. I admit and realise that I must be more prepared for such situations when I mind the children at mum's group. Most of the them, we play with them but I felt (personally especially since I have been minding these kids for almost 2 years) that I have to be a good Christian witness to them too and to be firm and strict whenever I have to. Being the main carer (with 1-2 other volunteer carers) for 7 to 8 children from age 1.5 to 4yo, I have to instill some order so that I can get them organised. I cannot give my attention to all of them at the same time.

I do realise I have to put in more thinking in the way I care for the kids (2 of which are my nieces). I recall the recommended book by my mummy friends in SG, "Shepherding a child's heart" and decided to get a copy for myself. Even though I am not a parent, I am in a position to care for some children for 2 hours every fortnight while their mummies study the Bible.

From the book, I was reminded that the situation between J and S was a problem of the heart:

Now you have 2 offenders. Both children are displaying a hardness of heart toward the other. Both are being selfish. Both children are saying "I don't care about you or your happiness. I am only concerned about myself. I want this toy. My happiness depends on possessing it. I will have it and be happy regardless of what that means to you."

In terms of issues of the heart, you have 2 sinning children. 2 children are preferring themselves before the other. 2 children are breaking God's law. Sure, the circumstances are different. 1 is taking the toy that the other has. The other is keeping the same - "I want my happiness, even at your expense."

You see, then, how heart attitudes of the heart. This is always true. All behaviour is linked to attitudes of the heart. Therefore, discipline must address attitudes of the heart.

By reading this book, I pray that it will help me to be purposeful in the things I say to children and how I choose to respond to situations when I am with them, so that they will be learning more about God and choosing to obey and love Him.

Friends and Church Camp

(Overdue post)

J, M and I made a date some 1.5 years to be back in Singapore this year for church camp. The 3 of us and our spouses reside outside Singapore and we miss church camp. The last time 3 of us (and another M) met together was at my wedding in Brisbane. They flew from where they were in the world then to witness my holy matrimony. Unfortunately, as things pen out, M cannot make the trip back (M, you better start to feel guilty again :p). 

Together with R and MQ, J and I had 2 great nights at church camp having girl chats about our marriages and children in my room. Hubby kindly sacrificed by spending time by himself and walking around the hotel premises late at night (all other husbands were either sleeping (because they are sick) or minding the children). How I really miss precious moments like these where we catch up on the smaller details of our lives, our struggles, laughing and giggling (usually, MQ's ignorance for certain things). Most of all, we spent some time praying for each other. I felt so strongly and prayed that God will protect all our marriages in Christ. Satan loves to destroy marriages and our lives and faith in Jesus. The other 'threat' is how having children will significantly reduce couple time and the building of the marital relationship. I prayed that we will always put our marriages before our children and of course, Christ above all else.

I am looking forward to our next 'date', probably in 2012 where we shall be heading to karaoke to sing oldies :) and of course, more girl time.

R, MQ and I having durian at the largest durian party ever!

With A & J at yum cha (dim sum) until midnight. Looking forward to see you guys in Oz next year!!

Hubby with little J, who, for some reason, loves hubby more than me! Children usually prefers me to hubby :p

(There was a video on facebook of them conversing with each other in baby talk)

Last of all, the now grown up Cha Cha, whom I used to blog a lot about. She is now a fine little lady, no longer the little girl I used to know. She is really a dear... and probably the only child in SG who misses me.

Lost My Patience

B with traces of chocolate moouse all over her mouth

Last week, Ikea had a "eat your discount" promotion. It means that, e.g. when you spend $20 dining at the Ikea cafe, Ikea will take $20 off your purchases. Hubby and I have a couple of things to buy and so we head there on Thursday (late night shopping until 9pm). 

I had to drop something at my SIL's before heading to Ikea. I thought I will offer B to come along with us, if she has had a good afternoon nap (otherwise we will have a cranky kid while we shop) and her parents permits her to come out with us. It turned out that B has been asking her mum when she will be able to go to my house again, when I will go pick her up, etc, since the last time she stayed over. B loves to go out. Every morning when she wakes up, she will ask her mum "Mummy, where are we going today?". The answer that she often gets is "Nowhere. We are staying at home" and B is disappointed. So when B heard that she can go out with us, she was so excited and granted that she had a 2.5 hr nap (which was unusual for her), it was ideal to get her out, wear off her energy so that she can sleep at night. 

The moment I arrive at B's place, she and C were so delighted to see me. The smiles (especially C's) that greet me at the door make my day. They are priceless! Unfortunately we will not bring both B and C out. Since B is the older child, she gets more privilege to hang out with us, just because it is easier to handle a toddler. I'd love to bring C out one day though... but B will not be happy if she cannot come along too. And so, the car seat is set up, B pops into our car and I proceed to pick hubby up from his work. B was quiet in the car (which was usual).

At Ikea, there was a long line of people waiting to buy their food/dinner. Hubby stood in the line while I brought B to the front to see what food was available and what she wanted to eat. B kept quiet, refused to talk nor even point out to me what she wants to eat. Everything I asked and everything I said had no response from her. Hubby also could not make her talk and both of us could not understand her sudden change of temperament. I tried to be patient nevertheless and since I know she likes fish and chips, we ordered one for her, complete with her favourite "funny drink" (soft drink, carbonated drink). At the dining table, we cut up the food for her and put it in her hands. She held the piece of fish for a while and just looked at us and refused to eat nor drink her "funny drink". Hubby and I tried everything we could but she remained silent. I have also asked her what was wrong and to tell me but she kept quiet. At that moment, I wanted to scream and scold B. There we are, brought her out to spend some time and enjoy with her, complete with treats that she usually don't get. Before we could begin the 'fun', she turned up in her mood. In fact, I told hubby that if she were my own daughter, I would have scolded her and be more firm. But because she is my niece and I know that scolding B will not help her to open up, I kept my frustrations and B could probably sense it too.

We decided to sms B's parents to let them know that she is not eating. We don't want B to wake up in the middle of the night asking for food because she didn't eat her dinner. Just before my SIL rang me, B started to eat a tiny bit and slowly... B's mum spoke to her on the phone but B remained silent and just listened without any response. Eventually she managed to eat quite an amount of fish (and not just the fried batter) and chips, complete with her "funny drink" (which was actually lemonade) and another treat was the chocolate moouse (which she knows it as ice cream). She ate about half the cup of moouse. Does B realise she is getting such a treat that her sister don't get? Sigh...

The rest of our time together shopping was quite alright. B still didn't talk much but she was more responsive (and she definitely was not tired). Having said that (like I always say), B is still a pretty easy kid to handle. I have seen some others which I think would have made me lose my patience many times over. On hindsight, I am not sure how I could better deal with B. I think I have tried both the soft and hard way for her but not sure which one works. I think I should have 'debriefed' with her, letting her understand why I was frustrated and say sorry, and try to suss out something from her. Even if she does not tell me what was happening with her, at least I know that she has heard me. At the end of the night, I still made a point to tell B that I love her.

We returned B to my in-law's place where her parents are. Soon after, the talkative part of her came back. Was it something that we did? It would be interesting to know what is B thinking in her mind when she doesn't talk. Her parents don't know most of the time either.

It is not easy to discipline kids as they get older, isn't it? There are still so much to learn how to discipline them in the godly way...

Niece-sitting

For the first time, B stayed overnight at our place. It was an attempt to see how we can cope with a sleepless night with a todd and also some fun for her to stay over. From here, we could possibly help care for her should her parents need a break. Before this, B has stayed over with her sister C at their grandparents' but not with anyone else. Prior to this B did not want to sleep over at our place. She only wanted to come and play at our place, saying "I need to come to your place to play with the puzzles". I think it was only one time when I asked her if she wants to come and stay, otherwise her 14mo sister will gladly want to come. 

It was quite a tiring night... B slept around 9pm in my arms while we were watching tv. I put her down on the mattress on the floor beside our bed soon after. When I got into bed around 12.30am, she started to cry, as if she had a nightmare. I patted her but could not get her to stop. I picked her up and only then did she stop and continued to sleep soundly on my shoulder. I waited until she fell back to sleep soundly before attempting to put her down. However, her disturbed sleep kept coming back throughout the night. At some points, she cries out "ma ma" or "mummy". There were 2 times when she cried waking up and opened her eyes and realised that she is not at home but staying with us. With that, she will go back to sleep for a longer period of time before crying out for her mum in her sleep again. I do not know how many times we had to wake up because she cried. But I could not fall into deep sleep (I am usually a very deep sleeper) the entire night. Finally at one time, we brought her to bed with us. B slept in between us but her head and half of her body was next to hubby and her legs were next to my face. In an attempt to keep her feeling secure, we knew she had to have her body being close with one of us and hubby place his hand on her, as if hugging her, but really it was to show her security and give her assurance. In our bed, she stirred a few times too... and we knew the morning was here when she woke up (around 6.30pm). Hubby was nice enough to let me continue to sleep while he kept B entertained, fed her breakfast and brought her to the toilet. I slept for another 2+ hours, undisturbed. 

When I woke up, I notice the active and happy B playing in the lounge. It was as if we were the only ones who did not sleep through the night but B slept through soundly. She was happy as, playing and talking heaps (most people thought she could not speak as she does not open up much to people). After a while, it was hubby's turn to take a snooze before our family comes over for lunch. 

For the record, this is what B puts her parents through every night. She will start to cry around midnight and her parents will bring her to their bed to sleep with them (so that she will cry less). And they will have to be careful of her arms and legs as she spreads them everywhere when she sleeps :)

This was what B did on our stairs in the morning, using our couch pillows and some toys in our special toy box (second hand toys that we bought so that our nieces have toys to play with when they come) to form her imaginary "bus" where she is one of the passengers. I'd say her imagination is quite good! Or perhaps it is also this 'good imagination' that causes her disturbed sleep in the night? Hmm...

My Child Helper

B did not smile but she wanted to have her photo taken

Spent the arvo with B last Friday. That gave me a chance to spend time with B and also allow her mum, my SIL to have an alone time with B's sister C.

B was rather quiet all the time she had lunch, until she got the chance to be my helper in baking. She was so excited to be my helper. She asked that I scoop the flour/sugar, etc and she pours it into the mixing bowl. I got her to hold my egg separator while I crack the egg and pour it into the separator to separate the egg white and egg yolk. B is especially thrilled with watching how the egg white runs through the separator and into the bowl. She kept on wow-ing and talking to herself, describing what she is seeing with a really excited tone of speech. On confirming with her mum, I learnt that she is thrilled because she has not seen an egg separator before. My SIL does not use one.

However when it comes to watching me use the electric egg beater, she did not want to come close to me. She said "You beat it there and I watch from here. I don't like the sound". She stood 2m away from me because she is afraid of the sound that the egg beater makes.

We also made some 'pearls' to put into our iced milk tea. That is her favourite beverage! Consider it as a treat for her... and of course we also made some pikelets which was also a treat for her.

One problem I faced was how to teach B to be more thankful and express it. After a few times of giving her some food, I reminded her that when someone gives her something, she should be saying ___? She simply refuses to say "thank you" even though I had a talk with her. I also gathered that she could be tired and hence did not want to speak. She took a nap soon after.

Thinking back, I wonder what I could have done better... how do I get her to express what she wants, what she is thinking/feeling? How do I teach her in the ways of the Lord in this case? When she is not in the mood, B will keep very silent. She only talks non-stop when she is happy. Maybe only her parents can get her to express herself... maybe I should learn to be less strict with her and so that she feels comfortable enough to share/express. But after all, she is still quite young (3 yo) and still learning how to express herself well.

A Better Babysitting Experience

Last Friday, I babysitted my youngest niece, A for 2-3 hours in the morning while her mummy runs some errands and shopping. The first and last time I babysitted her (with hubby then) was when she was only 6 weeks old. Her parents had gone out for about 3 hours for dinner to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

A, when she was a couple of days old. She already knew how to pose when she sleeps!

Our first experience with babysitting A was not a totally easy and good one. Her routine was disrupted earlier that day that by the evening, she was tired and not fully fed even though mummy has fed her. Read the encounter here.

This time, my SIL made sure I came at a time that A is having her morning nap. It happened that she did not sleep well the day before and hence she is a bit knocked out by that Friday morning. Since she is sleeping, I happily used and exercise on the Wii with Wii Fit :) Had a really good workout (was perspiring and all) for about 30 minutes when I heard A talking to herself via the baby monitor. The cute thing about A is that when she wakes up, she will not cry/winge to get attention (like her cousins) but she will talk to herself... I certainly do not understand what she says :p About 10 mins of talking, she decided to winge/kinda cry and then I know it is time to go carry her out.

A was a little surprised to see me but I think she does recognise me (even though I have not really carried her for a while because I was a little afraid of her sudden cries and I don't know why and I cannot humour/calm her down). I carried her to the rumpus to be with me. I was feeling quite sleepy then. I thought I will put her down and she can play by herself while I take a cat nap nearby. But the moment I put her down, she starts to cry. So I picked her up and feeling really tired, I sat on the couch, with my left arm holding her and my fingers holding onto the toy that she is playing to amuse herself and my right hand nearby in case I need to catch her from falling off me. I really was able to have about 10 mins of cat nap where I was semi-conscious and A was still happily amusing herself :) I must say this 'skill' was probably attained through my naps on the bus on my way to work and I was still able to know what is happening around me and when I have to alight the bus.

A at 7 months old, looking a little more like mummy in this photo

A is quite clever now. She is able to listen and seem to understand you. Her mum forgot to tell her that I was coming and hence she was surprised to see me. A was a little impatient when she was hungry but I had to heat up her milk. Carrying her in my left hand and trying to heat up the milk with my right hand, she is quietly observing what I was doing. When I told her to be a bit patient to wait for me to heat up the milk, she seems like she understands. At one point, I have to put her down on the rocker for a few seconds while I need both my hands to take out the hot water from the microwave. Telling her "you wait here for a little while while I prepare your milk" seems to keep her from her little winges of wanting to start to cry because I am not carrying her.

She drank 30ml of her milk from the bottle, which was quite a feat. She has not been wanting to take milk from the bottle. Her dad, grandma, mum tried but also in vain. This time, she drank half of the quantity before rejecting it. I tried a few more times but she is still adament of not wanting the bottle. Well, at least she drinks some! Her mum was surprised but happy that she drank 30ml on the bottle.

Now that it isn't so bad, I do not mind babysitting her more often. Saw her for a bit today at my in-law's and she waved bye bye to me (she looked like she was gesturing "come here" with her fingers opening and closing) a few times. That felt nice :)

You Are One!

Mei mei 妹妹 C, you are one year old today! :) It feels so quick that it has been a year since you are born. I remember that when you were born, I don't really have much affections for you... I think it is because I have a 2-year relationship with your sister and I needed time to bond with you.

You are rather big from the day you were born.... and people describe you as "chubby", "cute", "michelin tyres". However, as your grow to be more active, you are losing more of your baby fat. You are still cute to me :)

Your sister's personality and looks generally takes after your daddy, while yours generally take after your mummy. You apparently look like mummy when she was a baby. I used to say that your sister is the easiest baby to look after. But you know what? I think you beat the record. You are really an easy baby! Except, sometimes you are a little fussy about eating and we have to humour you to eat. But most times, you eat anything and everything and you definitely eat more than your sister! At this age now, you no longer eat pureed food and is eating what we adults are eating.

You simply adore your sister and unknowingly copies her in her ways and gestures. Eg. she sits in the car with her legs wide open or hanging out that does not look very girl-like. In that way, you are also very similar! About 2 weeks ago, I went shopping with you, mummy and sister. You were sitting in the pram and you actually managed to turn your whole body around (despite being strapped down) because you are curious and want to participate in what mummy and I are doing - shopping. You also sit in the pram with one leg hanging out of the pram, looking just like how your sister sits!

Since about 3 months back, I realise that you do recognise me... such that whenever you see me, I can tell from the look on your face that you know me and you want me to carry you. It does feel good being wanted :p whilst sometimes your sister has 'the mood' and is not happy to see me. You are always happy and smiley! :) You bring a smile on my face and you know what? You are so cute that when you cry, your face looked really cute too and I want to laugh when I see you cry. Not because I am mean but you are simply too cute with your facial expressions!

Curiously examining sister's birthday present

You sleep easy, eat easy and play easy. These days, you try to mimic the adults talking. But really, you only go "bah bah, gah gah" or give out sounds like humph, arrhh, in which I know you are attempting to talk or express yourself... but we cannot understand you, you know? I wonder if you are fustrated with us sometimes... heheh. When we say hello, you seem to be able to repeat that.

Another new thing recently is seeing you walk. You have been cruising for a couple of months and crawling everywhere you can go to. When you finally walked by yourself, you walked a few steps in front of your parents and then dropped onto the floor and you clapped, as if expressing that you are happy that you finally made it! Since then, I have been trying to get you to walk... (see video below)

Just last week, at your grandparents' place, no one was watching you... and when I found you, I saw you on the 3rd/4th step on the stairs and standing up with your left hand holding the rail. Boy, you are so brave to climb the stairs yourself and being able to pull yourself up to stand! Your sister is much more careful and she will not take the stairs unless she is accompanied by adults. I can tell that you are more 'gang hoh' (daring) than your sister. You had a surprise look on your face when I found you on the stairs but I know you are happy with your achievement. Mind you, that was a dangerous stunt though. What if you fall from the stairs?

Happy birthday, my 妹妹. "妹妹" has become your 'name' already... everyone in the family calls you that and you also respond to that 'name'. I am looking forward to see what little girl you will grow into :)

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Happy birthday, B! Boxing Day marks the your 3rd birthday. 舅妈 is amazed at how quick you have grown! Just 3 years ago, you were born in the hospital that 舅妈 works in. If not because it is Boxing Day (and I was not working that day), I could have been the first to meet you other than your parents. In the end, your 大舅and I (I was not your 舅妈 yet) visited you together, as 大舅 happened to be in Singapore at that time.

Our relationship grew much more after I officially became your 舅妈 which was around the time that daddy and mummy brought you over and lived here. Now that you are 3, it still feels like you are still 2. I think it is because you are always a baby in my eyes. The truth is that you have grown so much... At the mention of Singapore, you told me "I was born in Singapore" and I told you that I was born there too! :)

In the past year, you have learnt lots of words and speak a lot. But you have your moods - sometimes you just put on a straight face, look down and not say a single word, other times you will be so happy to greet me 舅妈 and immediately want to play with me and you will talk and talk non-stop. Seeing you smile at the end of a work day or a stressful and busy day, and when you want my attention, really made my day!

Now that you are 3, you have really grown to be a girl with your own personality and you know what you like and do not like. This is the first time I see you so skillfully tear open your birthday pressie wrapper. Well, who does not like pressies anyway? :) Your face lit up so brightly when you saw the pressie I have for you.

You kinda did not like us singing birthday song to you. Maybe you were shy? But we were all very happy to finally see you able to blow out the candles, which you also did it only after mummy's coaxing and encouragement. You have never wanted to blow the candles when we asked you to, at all family birthday celebrations. Now you finally did :) We were so proud of you!

I thought it was very sweet when you handed out the cupcake to everyone in the family, some of us said "thank you, I love you", and your response was "love you too". That was so sweet! I nearly teared... I have not heard you said that. I expected you to respond (repeat after and say) "I love you" and not a "love you too". You know how much we all love you right?

The other day, you insisted to want to come over to our place and play with 大舅, even though you were tired. On the way home, you fell asleep in the car. Usually when that happens and I carry you out of the car, you will continue to sleep but this time, you choose to be awake and want to play! Your poor 大舅 don't know how to play with you after a while and he is tired and want to sleep. To you, going to bed and sleeping is a play game itself because you have a blanket to play! So in the end, we all took a nap and you slept for 1 hour. Your energy level went down after that and I was the one who played with you eventually...

At this period of time, blankets are your best friends. With a blanket, your imaginations run wild and could think of how to play with the blanket. You would invite us into your room, sit on your mattress (which is on the floor now instead of on the bed). That is the 'aeroplane'. With the blanket wrapped around the lower half of your body, that is your way of indicating that you are ready to fly the aeroplane and off we go... to Singapore (you would say)! You love all sorts of blankets to cover and play with even though it is summer now and it is hot! We gave you a sleeping bag blanket for Christmas and we were glad you loved it :) I am waiting to see what else you can imagine from playing with blankets.

Yesterday, you came over again and we made some waffles together. You were so happy the whole time, spoke so much and kept asking me "why...? and why... (that)?" This was the longest period of time that you were in such a good mood whilst you are alone with me. But well, it was quite a treat for you - getting to eat ice cream, make heart-shaped waffles for your first time, eat the waffles with maple syrup (what you refer to as honey), get to play with the toys in my 'special box',  and the puzzle set that you remembered from the last time you came. I think I was tired out by you asking me all the whys :p Now I have learnt to ask you back a WHY question so that you will stop asking me WHY at the slightest thing you can think of.

It was funny to learn that Aunty S is gonna hold a birthday party for N just because N wants you to be at his birthday party (Aunty S was not really gonna have a party for N this year)! N really likes to play with you now, surprisingly, because both of you used to not play with each other, even when I brought you to his house for a play date. I suppose it was partly due to your language barriers, since N understood more Cantonese then, while English and Mandarin are what you understand. Now, N knows a lot more English and who knows, he can teach you more canto in future, because after all, you are a cantonese! Because of all your whys questions, I explained to you the concept of husband and getting married, which I think you are still trying to understand. Anyhow, mummy and I agreed that N would be your preferred choice of "who would you marry"... at least for now. Maybe I will tell this 'secret' on your wedding day :p

B, 舅妈 is looking forward to see you grow up and learning and growin to know Jesus and love God. I am proud of you that you are more sharing of your possessions now than previously. Even though you have a sister and a cousin in the family, do know that you are still our beloved 1st child of the family :)

Childhood Song

Last Thursday, my 2.5yo niece Belle was singing a Chinese song 泥娃娃 (mud doll). She was so cute! I went to look for the song lyrics and as I was singing it, I recalled another song 青春舞曲 (Spring song). Here is a youtube clip that I found with some girls dancing to it.

太阳下山明早依旧爬上来
花儿谢了明年还是一样的开
美丽小鸟飞去无踪影
我的青春小鸟一去不回来
我的青春小鸟一去不回来
别的那样呦
别的那样呦
我的青春小鸟一去不回来

太阳下山明早还会爬上来
花儿谢了明年还是一样的开
只要你不是那负心的人
青春逝去爱情一样在胸怀
别的那样呦
别的那样呦
青春逝去爱情一样在胸怀

Translation
The sun sets, but tomorrow it will rise again;
The flowers wilt, but next year they will bloom again.
The beautiful bird has flown away, without a trace,
My spring bird has flown, and will never return again.
Do not moan and cry,
Do not moan and cry.
My spring bird has flown, and will never return again.

The sun sets, but tomorrow it will rise again;
The flowers wilt, but next year they will bloom again.
If you are not the heartless kind of person,
Youth may be wasted, but love resides in the chest.
Do not moan and cry,
Do not moan and cry.
Youth may be wasted, but love resides in the chest.

Reminds me a bit of the book of Ecclessiastes which we only recently studied...

When Belle returns from her holiday, I shall teach her this song :) It is a sure way to get children to learn Mandarin fast!