Hubs and I recently started attending a new parenting course called Growing Kds God’s Way. It follows the same series as the Preparation for Parenting a.k.a. Babywise course we had done a few years back in the B.C. (Before Children) era before two became three . True to form, prior to the course, I checked out various forums and reviews on the book and programme to find out more about what to expect, especially since encountering various criticisms on the general content and philosophy of these programmes. As with all things, there are both good sides and bad sides to the story. There are just too many parenting books and philosophies to choose from in the world nowadays, so why this one? But after some discussion and reflection, we agreed to attend the course not because we want to become perfect textbook parents, but primarily for the interaction and dialogue we can have with the other parents attending the course so we can journey along together with them and be honest with...

Hubs being like any typical guy doesn’t often get emotional over touchy-feely moments. So I was surprised to see him emerge from Nathan’s bedroom moist-eyed after putting him to bed the first night after we arrived back from KL . I guess he was feeling a little more nostalgic with his sister being married off and being with his family and all. He told me that as he sat there humming Nathan’s bedtime lullaby, it suddenly hit him how fast Nathan was growing up. He experienced an almost a piercing sadness and pain realising how fleeting the years are. In a blink of an eye, before we even have time to realise it, he’ll be all grown up. "Young boys should never be sent to bed... they always wake up a day older, and then before you know it, they're grown" (J.M. Barrie, ‘Finding Neverland’)

This week as I was jotting down notes for Nathan’s daycare, I decided to include a list of some vocabulary updates for our carer’s reference. After all, it’s been over two weeks since she saw him and there are a number of new words he’s picked up since then. So I thought to jot them down here too for memory’s sake. Nathan will turning 18 months old in one week. He develops so quickly and learns so much every day that it’s hard to pinpoint exact moments when he learns something new. But here are some fairly new words he’s recently added to his vocab over the past couple of weeks… Poo-poo = Poo (i.e. #2) Pappy = Nappy Wice = Rice Joop/Toop = Soup Fok = Fork Po-po = Chinese term for grandma (my mum was really pleased with this one) Tock = Clock Tak = Stuck Twak = Truck Tar/Kar = Car Pok-pok = Poke (referring to the pom-pom poking game I made for him) Noma = Thomas (as in Thomas the train) Doys = Toys Bop = Drop Doh = Door Dwoh = Draw Waiht = Write Weht = Wait Waip = Wipe (he will actua...

I know for a fact that my son is a boy. But it wasn’t until this recent trip back to Malaysia when I realised how much of a ‘boy’ he really is. At home with me, mummy the playmate, he likes to hang around the kitchen with me and play masak-masak (cooking) with pots and pans, ‘help’ me hang up laundry by handing me pegs, read story books together. Sure sometimes he likes to play with his ball or zoom around on his toy-bike… but somehow this trip really unleashed his boy adrenalin (maybe it was always there but I just never saw it in full throttle like this with hair plastered in sweat and all). Cars were a big thing throughout this trip. I was amazed at how he instinctively knew how to ‘zoom’ them across the floor or any flat surface. He could get so engrossed in them until he would not bother about eating his meal. Sigh. Boys.

So we’re back from a two week family trip to Malaysia. The main catalyst for the trip was to attend my sis-in-law’s wedding. After that we took a road trip down to Melaka and Batu Pahat with my parents and my aunt + nephew + niece. Travelling with a nearly one and a half year old toddler was a totally different experience than our last trip with a 10-month old . As his schedule was complete different now, I anticipated that he would be awake for most of the flight. I armed myself with a busy-bag filled with all sorts of things to keep him occupied as I didn’t want to be the target if glaring looks from fellow passengers with a cranky, fidgety toddler in tow. Clockwise from left: Snack trap filled with nibblies which Nathan can reach into without spilling the contents out'; Activity/colouring/sticker books; Favourite story books; Play-wallet – I filled an old purse with unused cards which he can fiddle around with; Pompom popping game – an old container with a hole on top and a fe...

My first mothers’ day flowers from my son… He did the colouring himself, and although he had assistance with the assembly, it doesn’t make them any less dear to a doting mother. How was your mothers’ day? I was greeted first thing in the morning by a big wet slobbery * Muuuuuuuak * right on the mouth from my son. Also from hubs, but with much less slobber. And I had breakfast cooked for me by my lovely hubby… I feel food somehow tastes nicer when someone else cooks it for me. Hope it was a good day for you too.

Hubs has known me for nearly one third of his life and been married to me for almost a quarter of his life. Throughout our years together, I’ve always enjoyed making a big deal over his birthday… not necessarily with big crowds and fanfare, but at least something significant between the two of us. I had left a few years pass by without planning anything out of the ordinary (of course still celebrate with a special dinner or outing together). But this year I decided I wanted to organise another memorable birthday surprise . I was cracking my head for ideas when out of the blue, I picked up a remark that made me realise how much hubs was raring to go and see the new Avengers movie . Our church was planning a big movie screening of the film as an outreach event. I was about to cross that event off our list since I didn’t think we'd want to bother finding a babysitter for Nathan and all. But hubby mentioned casually that maybe he could go watch it himself if I didn’t mind. So tha...

A fairly recent personal revelation: Looking after kids is WORK. You know those conversations with those stay-at-home-mums who ‘don’t go to work’ but to be politically correct we say “ Oh, but you do work! You are taking care of the kids ”. Well, it’s not just a politically correct statement; it is the honest to goodness truth. I used to wonder what on earth those stay-at-home-mums do all day to occupy themselves. I mean after all, children just need to eat, nap and play all day, but what does the mother do whilst the kids are playing nicely by themselves and napping and in between those activities? If you’re wondering the same thing, I shall enlighten your curiosity by sharing a sample schedule of one of my stay-at-home days: 7.00am Wake up, wash up and change Nathan out of his pyjamas 7.15am Prepare breakfast 7.30am Feed Nathan breakfast. Nathan now must to have his own empty bowl and spoon to feed Teddy and I whilst I spoon his breakfast into his mouth. Sometimes he wants to...

Learning to trust. And let go. An excerpt from my current read : The late Erma Bombeck likened the parenting responsibility to flying a kite. You start by trying to get the little craft off the ground, and sometimes you wonder if it's going to make it. You're running down the road as fast as you can with this awkward kite flapping in the wind behind you. Sometimes it crashes to the ground, so you tie on a longer tail and try it again. Suddenly it catches a little gust of wind and flies dangerously close to the power lines. Your heart is pounding as you survey the risk, but then without warning the kite begins to tug on the string as it ascends into the sky. You release your grip little by little, and sooner than you expected, you come to the end of the twine. You stand on tiptoe holding the last inch between your thumb and forefinger. Then reluctantly, you let go, permitting the kite to soar unfettered and independent in God's blue heaven. It's an exhilarating and ...

A post in memory of my late po-po (paternal grandmother) A patchwork-play-blankie she made for Nathan, her great-grandson Things I remember… Lunch at her house on Sundays after church – the two staple dishes on her table were always: pak cham kai (Hakka style poached chicken) and ngiong tew fu (tofu stuffed with pork mince) Playing with the cute yellow fluffy chicks in her back garden – she always had chickens in her backyard Her beautiful yappy dogs (Japanese Spitzes) that she loved so much Photo taken with my po-po and gu-gu in November 2011 Although I was not extremely close to her, I somehow felt rather melancholic and wistful following the news of her death. Perhaps it was the fact that her death meant the passing of a generation in our family (as my gong-gong had already passed away 11 years before). Or perhaps it was the fact that with her passing, the only person in our family with a direct link to our Kadazandusun heritage is gone. She is the only family member I ...