Thomas & Friends Live!

The LAST day of the school holidays! And I brought the little girl to catch "Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage" at the Singapore Expo today. Yes, I know. Trains and such are like so much more of a boy thing but Janine is an atypical girl that way. She's not content playing with barbie dolls or "masak-masak" (stereotypical girl toys) but is fascinated, if not, enthralled by boy toys - aeroplanes, trains and sometimes trucks! So besides her favourite "Jay Jay the jet plane", she loves Thomas too, particularly Percy because he is GREEN! The last time she was over at cousin David's home, she was in seventh heaven with his collection of Thomas the train and other peripherals!

So without a doubt, the girl was uber excited about the show! I only mentioned ONCE to her early in the week that I will be buying tickets to take her to the Thomas show and for the rest of the week, "Mommy going to buy ticket for Thomas" was on an (almost) endless loop. Obviously she has been waiting in anticipation the WHOLE week for this! Lol!

And I think it was a worthwhile wait for her. She got to see almost all her favourite characters live in action on stage, dance and clap along to the music...methinks she really enjoyed herself today because she was riveted from start to end and nary left her seat (except maybe once to sit on my lap). Even after the show she would still be re-telling to me the part where Percy gets trapped in the tunnel because of a rock fall.

And as if just bringing her to the show was not enough, her mother went further and spoilt her by buying a Thomas light stick (it cost me 15 smackeroos!!!!! And I STILL bought it! Can you belive it???), which she was so thrilled over and was constantly waving it about in the dark, and a jigsaw puzzle ($5 for a small piece of cardboard cut up into 6 smaller pieces). Daylight robbery I tell you but aiyah, once in a loong looong time is OK lah hor, Kin Yew? Hehehe...And anyway, from the way she was clutching and staring at her jigsaw during the intermission and how even tonight she is insisting on sleeping with her Thomas light stick, I think its money well spent lah! Hohoho!

I thoroughly enjoyed the show for the great Mommy and Daughter time together. I hardly spent much time with her this week even though it was the school holidays and all as we had "fostered" her out to her grandparents so they could spend some precious time with her. It was a nice break for us lah but I do miss the little girl. Heh!

Anyway, hope you had a great time today Sweetie, cos Mommy certainly did! ^^

Ahhh! Nothing like a nice cuppa ice-blended to wrap up a wonderful afternoon! Yes, it's go-all-out-and-spoil-your-daughter day today! :P

Great Expectations!

The herald of exciting news! The 2 little lines in the indictator window says it all.

REJOICE together with us! Our little family of 3 is about to get BIGGER!

Random Conversation - Empathy

While trying to egg KY on to get his bum off the chair and out the door (for once! usually its me he will be nagging at) so that we can be at church on time without having to zig zag through traffic and hurtle down the expressway at speeds I will not disclose for fear I will get an online speeding ticket(!)...

M (to KY): So...are you ready to go? Or are you still going to play your stupid games on the computer? (Yes, I am SO encouraging. Much as computer games are my sore point with KY, so is my perpetual rubber timing and nagging an annoyance with him. We have our endearing ways for each other! Haha!)
J (who was entertaining herself pulling her school worksheets out of her file and thus creating more mess for me to put away) : Papa do stupid things!
KY : What??
M (to J) : YA! Papa is playing stupid games on the computer!
KY : ...
J : Mommy is angry!
M (playing along): Yes! Mommy is angry!
J: Mommy is angry with Papa!
M (laughing) : Yes! Mommy is angry with Papa!
J : Janine is angry!
M : Oh! Why is Janine angry?
J : You angry, I angry also!
KY (to M): YOU! What are you teaching my daughter!?!

Ho ho ho!

As simple as that!

Things I have learnt after this exchange:
1. Children ARE listening to what we say. Even when they appear not to!
2. Children are VERY sensitive to the emotional vibes going on around them. I guess they pick it up from the tone/volume of our voices when we talk.
3. Children tend to pick up words that you rather they don't pick up!

I am reminded once again that children are not only mirrors or little sponges, but they are also like loudspeakers, sensitive enough to pick-up and broadcast the nuances characteristic of their family! Not that we use expletives freely at home or berate one another incessantly, but unless I am looking for embarressing moments (not as if I am lacking in this aspect...my dear friends in office may NOT comment further on this thankyouverymuch!!!), its best if we be more mindful of what we are saying to one another!

Random Conversations - Fear

Last night, the little girl was trying to tell me about a story her class teacher, Mrs Yeo, told them.

J: Mrs Yeo tell me a scary story.
M: Oh is it? What scary story did she tell you
J: In a dark dark room....
M: Oh...in a dark dark room...and then what happened?
J: (cocks her head to one side) Hello anybody there?
M: Oh...was there anybody there?
J: (waving her hands frantically at me) Mommy don't talk!

And although she doesn't want ME to talk about the scary story, the little one OBVIOUSLY can't get it out of HER system. She brought up the story again while waiting for me to prepare her bottle of milk.

J: Mrs Yeo tell me a scary story...in a dark dark room...
M: (by now I have some recollection of the story that I had also read loong looong time ago) Oh...in a dark dark room...and then? There was a dark dark cupboard...and in the dark dark cupboard there was a..
J: (waving hands frantically again) Mommy don't talk! Don't talk the dark dark room!

So then it dawns on me that the story had given Janine the heebie-jeebies. And no wonder. The story ends with a GHOST popping out of a box @.@ Eeeps! Even I would get the creeps *shudder* My poor darling.

Of Red And White, Crescent Moon And Stars

Janine's school celebrated National Day yesterday and we enthusiastic parents excitedly squeeeeeezed into the small hall to see our little ones sashay, dance and marched their little hearts out to the tune of some of our favourite National Day songs.

And of course, what's a party without FOOD? The spread was "downsized" to cater to their little taste buds (and perferences), but even then, look at the variety!!! They are on their way to being your typical food-loving Singaporean :D

I leave you with a short clip of Janine, together with her classmates, performing "Rasa Sayang":)(yes her DEBUT performance!) Look out for their little turn-on-the-spot at the beginning. The teachers spent many hours helping them to "perfect" that little turn so it definitely deserves some special mention :D

[Edit: Apologies! Having some problems uploading the video clip @.@ Ack! I promise it will be up akan datang!]

HAPPY NATIONAL DAY SINGAPORE!

Random Conversations

Once, KY was vacuming the carpet while the little girl, perched on the sofa, was watching her all time favourite Veggietales. At one point, he had to stand in front of the TV to vacum a spot and inevitably blocked her view. Then...

J (after craning her neck this way and that): Papa...
KY: Yes Janine?
J: Please Papa, can you don't block me? I want to watch the TV.
KY: ...

Confirm TV addict @.@

Just the other day, while I was giving her a bath...

J (pointing to my toenail-less toe): Mommy pain pain
M: Yes, Mommy fell down and hit my toe. So pain pain (its a long story but that's generally what happened :P)
J: Mommy toe pain pain...got blood...mommy must go see doctor and put medicine
M: *chuckle* yes, must put medicine then not so pain
J: put medicine then not pain already

Doctor Janine is in. Btw, did I mentioned that she has her own doctor's kit? Complete with stethoscope (with heart pounding sound effects), thermometer (that displays temperature), kidney dish, syringe, etc which is all contained in a pretty and matching pink carrier case. Gift from one of KY's teacher friends. How cool is that.

This one is a classic for me. When we visited KY's parents this week, I had parked the car rather near to the drain that runs alongside their house. I had to fish something out from inside the car, and as a result, was standing rather close to edge of the drain.

J (after a moment of observing what her crazy mother was trying to do): Careful the drain, mommy
M: OK...
J: Careful the drain wait you fall down...then I cannot help you...
M: !!!

How true. From the mouths of babes comes words of wisdom :P

Rather precocious coming from a 2-and-a-half-year old, I must say. Whatever the case, her sentences are getting more and more complex...more coherent and still quite funny! ^^

Eat Your Heart Out Aunty Esther!

My (pathetic) attempt at trying to re-create those artistic modeling shots that, even if it doesn't entice you to buy the dress that you probably can't fit in, lets your eyes linger a little longer at the composition or perspective of the picture taken.

Will I try again? Probably not in a loooong shot (no pun intended) because I discovered (to no surprise) that cajoling children to pose, hold that pose, smile etc while angling the camera or adjusting the setting to capture that image I have in mind, is no easy feat. Even if the model is my own daughter! That, if anything, possibly made the session even more frustrating. Or maybe what I REALLY need is a dslr? Hah! Excuses!

Anyhow, enjoy Esther! For your info, the brown one is her favourite to wear and dance in (which explains why there are more shots of her in the brown frock). Thanks heaps! and *MUACKS* (from Janine)

Model: Janine
Clothes: From Aunty Esther's shop in the US!
Photographer: Me!

Little RED Dancing "Shoes"

I present to you:

Title: Little RED Dancing "Shoes"
Medium: LIPSTICK!!!!
Artist: Janine

My daughter, on top of discovering that her legs can be her canvas, has also realised the potential of the simple lipstick.

[Edit: Good friend Esther says the the lipstick marks look more like blood and, especially where it got smeared on the floor, makes for a rather gory picture. We joke and say I can use this picture in the future to scare off future would-be suitors who come a-knocking at the door. I can already hear myself "I am warning you...bring her back past the curfew hours and THIS is what's going to happen to YOU!!!!" while waving an enlarged version of the picture in their faces. Alternatively, I could use it to "encourage" the girl to be back by curfew hours "Come back after 7pm and THIS is what will happen to YOU!!!". Oh what fun. Parenting sure has its perks! *evil grin*]

I Am Very Proud Of You

My dear little princess,

You did something today that made me very proud of you. It may seem like a little thing or even nothing to people, but not to me.

Today (and for the last few days), because your Papa is over in Chiangmai, I (together with your Grandpa) brought you to school. I know you are not exactly very enthusiastic about school at the moment. And when I buckled you out of your car seat today, I noticed your down turned mouth and blood shot eyes.

I brought you in to your classroom, hung your bag on its hook, gave you a goodbye kiss and hug and proceeded to leave. You were VERY teary, but you didn't cry. You didn't burst into tears or kick up a racket. Instead, you clung on to your water bottle and barbie doll (instead of me), turned around and joined your classmates already seated on the floor.

In that spilt second I could see the pain of seperation in your eyes and I can only imagine the pain you must be feeling. To have to "step out into the world" and "endure" unfamiliar faces and processes, to be apart from the people you love and whom you draw your sense of securities from must indeed be extremely painful.

Instead of fussing about it and kicking up a racket, you grit your teeth and embraced that pain. Some people may say that you "surrendered" to the system. But I prefer to say that you, like some brave soldier, walked into your "battlefield" and took on your "Goliath". Although you were scared and unsure, you still went and sat with them anyway.

There will be many more events like this in your life, times where you will be thrown into situations you least expect or dislike, times where you and your ego will be placed in a vulnerable position, times where there may be no one familiar by your side to hold your hand and comfort you. But in those times, be my little soldier once more and bravely face your giants. For one thing, know that God who created you fearfully and wonderfully in my womb and who takes care of the flowers in the field and birds in the sky, will surely take care of you. And your papa and I, wherever we may be, will be standing tall and proud and truely blessed by the precious gift of you.

We love you.

Mommy

Body Art

One evening, I walked in on this rather hilarious sight.

By chance, my little artist discovered that her canvas can extend to her legs as well!

Leave her alone to entertain herself for a moment while I finish some chores around the house and she manages to get up to some monkey business. [Note to self: when things get TOO quiet around the house, check on Janine IMMEDIATELY! :P]

I hope I am not looking into the future where she comes sweeping into the house and brandishes a fresh tattoo somewhere on her body in my face *shudder* I will most certainly freak out and demand she remove it or, by golly, I will scrub it off her skin till there's no trace of it left!

For now, it's just plain funny...so I just laugh, cross my fingers and pray that this is as far is it will go where Janine and body art are concerned. OK, so on top of being paranoid, I am also an old-fashion prude. But she's my daughter! Pfffft!