(xiang 2y4m): 1st Field Trip

Xiang's kindy is organizing their 1st field trip on this year, to ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ZOO NEGARA + LRT ride on coming Thursday 30 April 2009, from 8.30am to 3pm.

My first reaction was :"What? Again?????" I felt like just coming back from the zoo and going again so soon. The condition for 3yo to join is one of their parents must accompany them. For those 4~6yo, parents joining is not compulsory.

Xiang's daddy is definitely not free on that day. If I brought Xiang there, I'll have to care for him alone since the teachers need to keep an eye on those 4~6yo kids. But, on the other hand, I think he's behaving very well with the presence of teachers. I've asked him numerous time whether he wants to go to zoo. He replied me: "要~" (yes). Just for reassurance, I've asked him why he wanted to go to zoo. He replied me:" 要看elephant,要看duck duck!" Zoo got ducks meh?????

Anyway I've decided bring him to join this field trip, alone and not going to bring the stroller coz we need to follow the school bus and later a ride in the LRT. I hope he's willing to walk on his own. I think it will be tiring for me, but I'll do as best as I could to let him mixes around with his friends. Also, I guess that at this stage, he still "allowed" me to follow him. When he's older, sure he's not willing to have his mom tagging along. So, Zoo & LRT, here we come!!!

21 March 2009 - Shooting by TwoPixels Photography

We booked this shooting during end of year 2008, . But so many things come up: we went to China, then kids were sick, then the photographer on business trip, then kids were sick again ....... finally we are able to make it on 21st March!

A very tiring day, and the park we went to were so dirty! It's really a wonder touch that the photos came out nice. Below are just 2 of the photos for sharing, others please visit HERE. Still more to come when I received the CD later on. I love them all!!! I intended to do this for few years to come as a record of my kids since I'm lousy in taking photos.

Interested? Please go to: http://two-pixels.net/ for Jazzmint & Sue site. I love this because they came to our house and the kids were way much natural than taking photos in studio. If booked before 1st May 2009, still can enjoy their old pricing!

(Xiang 2y4m): April Progress Report

27 April 2009 (Xiang 2y4m)

Finally, the day has came for Xiang's Nursery 1st Progress Report. There will be total of 3 times in this year. I was looking forward to this "big day" very much and wanted to know how Xiang did in the nursery.

This is a very lengthy report, but I wanted to write this for my record. No patience? Just see the last paragraph for my summary!

The evaluation key is of 3 grades:

E= Excellent; G = Good Progress; W=Working on Skill (in other words, not good ^_^"")

As I have expected, Xiang didn't get any E at all. Actually, mostly are grade W

There are few skills which the teacher categorized:

1. Social & emotional skills: Xiang is doing good in responding to teachers, independent, happy & cheerful at school. What most surprise me is he got a G in playing & sharing with other children! His class teacher told me that he learnt this recently and I'm so happy with this.

2. Listening Skills: Xiang is doing good in when listening to stories and paying attention.

3. Fine Motor Skills: Using crayons, painting, pasting, puzzles, scribble, draw a line & circle are all grade W. The teacher told me that he's lazy on coloring whereby he'll just color a bit and don't want to continue. When asked him to do the puzzles, he will take his good time to slowly take and put together the puzzles, as if scared of breaking them (why I wonder, was the teacher too strict?).

4. Gross Motor Skills: walk, jump, balance, hop, throw & kick ball are again all grade W but as what i expected.

5. Learning Skills: Colors & body parts grade W. I knew he still sometimes mix up the colors but I have thought that he knew all his body parts. Strange ~~~ Though not in the evaluation, but the teachers commented that he's good in numbers, letters & phonics.

6. Work habits: Good in caring for toys & school material.

7. Speaking skills: Teachers commented that he still couldn't speak clearly in English, but he could understand them and answer some questions. We spoke Mandarin at home and that's why.

8. Self-reliance: Going to toilet and getting dress on own - W again. We told the teacher that Xiang is no more wearing diaper during day time and from tomorrow onwards, he'll be diaper-free to school also. The teachers will keep an eye on him in this.

9. Music skills & Art skills: W again.

My main purpose of letting him entering into this school is for him to have fun and mix around with friends. I'm really glad that he is. My most concern is not his academic achievements but his attitude, and I'm glad that he started to share with his classmates. Other areas, all doing poorly especially fine motor skills, arts and music.

Blog update

I'll be keeping my blog stuff mainly on Multiply. Actually a long time ago I'm doing that, but never thought of posting it up here.

Anyway, I'll still be keeping the blogspot blog and viewing it from time to time.

So if missing me, please go to:
http://aplim123.multiply.com

Something to keep him busy

I've ran across some pretty nice activity books in a bookshop (aspirasi) nearby my house. I was initially attracted by their promotion activity of story-telling at first. So I just dropped by one day and have a look.

Who knows, I spent nearly 1 hour there as there are so many books for pre-scholars! As some of you might have known, I'm working hard to reduce the dependence of my son Xiang (2y4m) on his pacifier. I was thinking of doing more activities with him so that he'll "forgot" about his paci.
Anyway, following are the books which I bought, all range from RM3 to RM6 per book.

I've started with the Shapeland Book 1 (from Pelangi). It has pages with shapes (circles, triangles, squares etc...) which can be tear off. Then these shapes need to be glued to the second page which has some pictures.

Xiang liked it very very much! We helped him though to put the glue coz he either put the glue too little or too much. My hands fulled of glue coz I wiped off the extra glue using bare hands. I need to look for a better glue type or glue stick coz he couldn't control the force when squeezing out the glue.

Tearing off the circles ...............

Applying glue ............. daddy helping .........

Paste it ................

All done!!!!!!

And this too!

The big orange circle in the flower page is done by daddy, that's why it's pasted so nicely. Others all out of lines when I just let him pasted on his own. Hope that he'll improve better in future. I'm glad that he likes it and this also acts as a tool for me to distract him from requesting for pacifier.
Noticed my gal Qi? She's so curious what was korkor doing and kept on wanting to tear the pages off the book!

Push & Fell

19 April 2009 [xiang 2y4m; qi 1y2m]

I think it was just days apart where I posted on how Xiang helped me in watching over Qi. The elderly often said, we cannot praised them face-front or else they will turn naughty instead. I'm not sure how true that is but accident happened yesterday night.
I was snapping photos on 2 of them, wearing new cloths which I purchased online recently. Qi stood up and decided to practise her walk. I think I've missed out to mention that Qi is able to walk a few steps starting from 1y and now she could walk quite a far distance. She's the careful type whereby she'll walk very slowly and even if she fell, she'll be able to support with her 2 little hands on time.
Anyway, back to the topic, while Qi was standing up and smiling at us, Xiang suddenly pushed her from behind (he's playing with her actually). Both my hubby & I were not responsive enough to catch her. She fell straight on her face!!!!! She was crying on top of her lung and I saw blood coming out from her mouth. We examined her and saw that she bite her mouth, causing a small ulcer.
Xiang stood there remained unmoved, as he realised he just made a BIG MISTAKE. After we have calmed Qi, I called him to my side. I can see from his face & eyes that he's really scared. I gave him a lengthy lecture and even when we went up the bedroom, I still continue babbling.
Tonight, I'm going to ask Xiang again on the do's & don'ts while playing with Qi. No wonder all mothers are long-winded.

Sibling's love

16 April 2009 [xiang 2y4m; qi 1y2m]

My husband was running late yesterday and so I went to fetch both my kids alone. Qi's nanny told me that Qi is having fever in the evening. I felt her forehead and body, she's hot.
While driving, Xiang was being naughty as usual and struggled to front seat, Qi sitting and him standing. I reminded him not to sit on meimei. Xiang has a habit of repeating what we told him, sometimes days or week after we told him. When we reached home, he turned and told me "不要坐住压到妹妹" (Don't sit on meimei).

Once reached home, I told korkor to look after meimei. I took the ear thermometer from bedroom. Hmmm ... 38.3 degC, indeed having a fever. When I was searching my fridge for the fever medicine, meimei crawled to her potty, playing with it. Before I said the word "no, dirty", korkor came to my rescue. He immediately took away the potty, put inside the toilet, closed the door and stood in front of the door with arms on hips. He looked like bank security guard guarding billions of cash. Meimei crawled to the toilet front but no way she could get pass korkor. I would have laughed out loud if I wasn't in a busy & kan-cheong mood preparing meimei medicine.

I picked up meimei to give her the medicine. In my corner of my eyes, I saw korkor re-positioned the potty, this time daddy's study room (or I should say working room), and closed the door tight. When I was about to spoon feed meimei some water, she "chum cha" on me! Oh, that's why meimei is trying to get the potty!!! How ignorance I was!
Again, while I was busy changing meimei pants, wiping the floor clean, I saw korkor took out the potty again from the room. He sat on the potty and demonstrated to meimei, saying: "淇淇小便这边, ngmmm ngmmm...." (qi pee here). He then placed the potty in the centre of our living room ^_^""

When I was young, I too often quarrel with my sisters. Funny thing is we became closer when our distance became wider after we went on our own way. It's really hard for me to teach them about sibling's love and this is the few moments where Xiang playing a good big brother role.

I give up!!!!!

After exactly 1 week of hard work, difficulty in sleeping, waking up in the middle of the night, complaining, I have finally gave up ……

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my PACIFIER!!!

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha ~~~~~

I have actually wanted my 2y3m boy Xiang to give up his paci, but not successful at all. To my surprise, my 1y1m gal Qi cooperated to our effort. Special thanks to Qi’s nanny Susan, you are really wonderful! She told me that we should stop giving Qi paci. The older she gets, the more difficult as in Xiang’s case.

Mommy is so proud of you, Qi!!!

Poll: How's your maid / The Story

As mentioned earlier, I have sent back my Cambodia maid on end of March 2009. We (including my kids) have slowly adjusted living without one.

Many are curious that why I sent back her suddenly. We have actually been thinking of sending her back after her 1 year service. However, my little daughter was very attached to her. We've thought of saving the money as well as all the trouble of training another new maid again. I guess it was a wrong decision that time.

It will be a long list of her wrong-doings, mainly due to personal hygiene and cleanliness. My maid was very stubborn in many aspects and wouldn't listen to us. Example, she can't obey simple instructions such as bathing in the morning. She has a very strong body odour that I cannot stand. I requested the rubbish to be taken out daily especially during days I cooked, but nope, can't follow. I requested white & black cloths washed separately, but I had to throw away some of my brand-new cloths during 1st wash due to color stain (yiah, even after 1y she worked with me). I cannot understand too why she would rather waited until I was furious and scolded her, she'll only following my orders - but for longest 1 week only.

There are 2 times when I scolded her terribly:

1. When she's putting back toys in the lower cabinet, my gal crawled to her. She slammed shut the cabinet door on my gal's finger. My gal's finger was blue-black for months and that night I was crying with my gal.

2. We went to China last year December. We requested MIL to take care of our kids at our house. When we came back, Xiang's left hand & feet were full of scratches marks. The maid told us that Xiang scratched himself and when I asked my boy, he said that" 翔扒". After 1 week later, we sent him to his nanny. His nanny asked me the same thing, she told me on the 3rd day we off to China, Xiang's left hand & leg were full of marks. She doubted that are scratched by hand, but maybe due to hot water or hot object such as joss stick. I nearly sent my maid back that time but she denied it. We've no prove. My MIL said she didn't saw my maid did anything on Xiang, but she also didn't see Xiang scratched his hand & leg.

The night before we sent her back ..... I scolded her again for her wrong doings and she told us that she wanted to go back. We are fine with that and requested her to wait until we got our new maid. But, she packed her luggage, went to car porch and stood there crying. When we confronted her again, she told us that she doesn't want to go back pulak, and said she doesn't want to ever go back to her parents house again. She even said she wanted to work with us forever! What the heck! Just not more than 5 minutes ago she said she wanted to go back Cambodia. We requested her to come back inside.

Guess what, not more than 5 minutes, she went standing at the car porch again, dragging her luggage. Again we went outside and talked with her, asked her to come inside again.

Again, I heard my door opened and this finally drew the line! She told us that she wanted to leave when day time comes. We told her that once she stepped out of the gate, we'll summoned police. She told us police all sleep liao!!! She even told us that she doesn't need a place to sleep and she can live without eating when we remind her that she didn't have any money with her!!!

We dragged her in, asked her to stay inside the small bedroom, took all her luggage, locked all the doors and hide all the keys. It was almost 2am in the morning.

The next morning, she acted as if nothing happens, after woke up, she did her house-hold chores as usual. We were furious (and having bad mood coz lack of sleep) and told her that she just need to sit down and relaxed. We'll send her back straight after we sent our kids to nanny house. Guess what act she put up? She took my panadol and swallowed a handful of them when my husband were sending my kids. My husband's friend happened to be at our house and stopped her from finishing the bottle. She was crying and not wanting to go back to Cambodia. Well, who is the one who requested to go back Cambodia in the first place? Who is the one who dragged all her luggage out in the middle of the night? How do we trusted her anymore since we leaved her alone in our house in the morning?