Friday 28 December 2012

Almost grown up

Kah Yen is going to Sentosa island today, without Daddy and Mummy.

She is going there with our Nanny and her entire big family, including one grandparent, four parents, two Korkors and one Jiejie. The Korkors and Jiejie are the one play with Kah Yen every afternoon when they come back from school and also every day for the June and December holidays. Now they are all going back to school next week, Kah Yen is also going to preschool, so the two families decide to bring them all out to Sentosa, to have a ball of time before they go back to school and also part their ways.

To worry about Kah Yen is totally unnecessary, she is so close to her Korkors and Jiejie she would follow them whereever they go, and cry when they leave her behind. Both Korkor and Jiejie's parents also dot Kah Yen a lot, they buy her toys and pretty clothes very often. And their Popo is both patient and affectionate towards the kids. I have no issue with them bringing Kah Yen out.

But, being the first time mum, the compulsive mum anxiety still kicked in this morning. I woke up early to pack her bag, even though I know our Nanny will pack for her. I wrote down a list of things to bring and check on every one of them, as if she is going to her Primary 3 summer camp for the first time. She is just going out for one day!

Kah Yen on the other hand, had no anxiety of any sort at all. She woke up jolly as usual, and when Daddy reminded her she is going to Sentosa today, she is all smiling. To make sure she knows exactly what is going to happen for the day, I asked her a few questions.

"Where is Kah Yen going today?"

 "Sentosa!" (as if she really knows what Sentosa is)

"Where is Sentosa?"

"... ..." (silence)

"Sentosa is an island where you can have lots of fun. Now who is going with Kah Yen?"

"Popo, Korkor and Jiejie!"

"Are uncle and aunty going with you?"

"Yes!"

"Is Daddy going with you?"

"No!"

"Is Mummy going with you?"

"No!"

Alright. Passed. I think it is safe to say she knows what's going to happen. And the fact that Daddy and Mummy are not going with her seems to bother her little, to my relief.

I then gave her my usual hug and kiss and told her I am going to work.

"Mummy is going to work! Byebye Mummy, Byebye!" Never before she had said "Byebye" to me in such an enthusiastic tone. I think if she is more expressive, this is exactly what she will say:

"Byebye Mummy, quickly go to work! I am going to Sentosa to have some fun yeah. Bye!"

I think this girl has, almost grown up.

Wednesday 26 December 2012

Christmas in the sky

We brought Kah Yen to Singapore flyer on Christmas day.

Well, it all started from a flip-the-flap book I read to her on county fair a while ago. On the book there were a big wheel and a hot air balloon. She asked to take hot air balloon, I told her she couldn't because there wasn't any in Singapore. To make her feel better, I told her there is a big wheel called "Singapore flyer" in Singapore and we will take her there one day. I am thinking the one day will come only when she is 3 or 4-year old.

But everytime we read the book again, she will ask me "Kah Yen is going to big wheel yah?" And everytime I have to say "Yes, we are going there really soon". They say parents should not promise young children too easily, I learnt my lesson!

It so happened the husband saw some charity booth selling Singapore flyer tickets at S$10 each, so he bought six tickets. We went there with another family with two older children.

Kah Yen totally enjoyed it. I was afraid that she might be fearful of height, but nothing of that sort. In fact it is probably one of the safest places in the sense I can close my eyes and do not have to worry she runs into danger, 'coz there is no place to run to. The moment we stepped into the cabin, she started running and jumping around, pointing and shouting the names of things she knows. She also followed Korkor and Jiejie whereever they go and acted like a big girl. I can't even get here to stand still and take a decent photo. 


Inside Singapore flyer

I am so high I better squat down

Like a big girl

I have been to Singapore flyer once before and I thought I would never go up again for my lifetime. Come on, isn't it boring for us adults? But with the children, that 30 minutes felt just too short.

Monday 24 December 2012

A paper Christmas tree

We didn't buy a Christmas tree for this year. As much as I want Christmas to be a family tradition for the children, I have to let it pass this year because we are moving house soon. So yesterday Kah Yen and I sat down together and made a paper Christmas tree ourselves.

It is a very small Christmas tree and very easy to make. Just cut out the different shapes, color them and glue them together. I cut mine from an A4 paper template, but there is really no need to use a template since the shapes are all basic shapes. They can be cut out from normal B&W paper, or color paper, or cupboard or even giant form. And you can make it any size you want depends on the materials you have.

Making a paper Christmas tree

For the tree trunk I cut a long piece of rectangle shape from a tissue box, it is more sturdy and easier to hold.

I printed my template from DLTK - Growing up together, thanks to the internet even people like me who had never made art & craft before can now enjoy simple crafts like this with my 2-year old. There are alternate decorating ideas for this Christmas tree too. For example, you can print on form or cupboard for a more permanent tree, you can poke a hole in the top to make a Christmas tree ornament.

We had a wonderful time making this together. And throughout the process we reviewed our colors, shapes and sizes. Kah Yen was very proud of her creation. For the rest of the day she kept asking me "Where is my Christmas tree? Where is my Christmas tree?" :-)

Friday 21 December 2012

Merry Christmas!

Here is Kah Yen wishing everybody a Merry Christmas with her giant tree house!



Wednesday 19 December 2012

A special Christmas concert

Children with special needs always have a special place in my heart. Well, I didn't really work with any or encounter many in my life. Maybe it's because of the movie "I am Sam" - a touching story of an autisic single father fighting for the custody of his normal daughter, or because of the book "A friend like Henry" - a powerful story of a mother's struggle to break into the world of her autistic son and how a dog changed everything, or because of the local blog I follow "Love and A leap of faith", or because of a few parents I know with special children - they always inspire me.

Or simply because I am a mum, because I see every child as a child, I see every child as unique and special.

On Monday night we had the privilege to attend a special Christmas concert for a group of Down Syndrome children. It is put up by parents and volunteers from the Singapore Down Syndrome Association. And all the props for the show are made by the children themselves. The lead singer is a local musician who is now teaching music to children with special needs.  I spent the first half of the concert clapping and singing along, and the second half trying to fight the tears coming off my eyes. It is one of the most special Christmas concert I have ever attended.

Children tossing "snow"during the concert

Choir singing and children dancing with their stars

Santa Claus has come to town early

I can't post the photos of the children without the permission of their parents. But, trust me, they are all angels.

As for Kah Yen, she fixed her eyes on the center of the room (which is also the stage) the moment we entered the concert. She refused to sit on the chair or our lap throughout the concert. Instead, she stood on the staircase, clapping and laughing along with the audience, and swinging her body and head whenever the music is on. For a moment I heard her screaming and cheering too, I think I am pretty sure she has gotten my genes.

This girl likes concert

Thursday 13 December 2012

Preparation for school - Part One

Finally Kah Yen is going to school!

I had a full taste of the difficulty of looking for a childcare center in Singapore. Before I had my own child I think people are crazy when they told me they start to hunt for childcare one year in advance, or even before the child was born! Now I think I will do the same for my second child and doesn't matter if you call me a "Kaisu" parent or not.

I only started to look for a childcare this year August after we confirmed we are buying a house in Punggol, Kah Yen was already 20-month old. I couldn't start earlier for I don't know where are we moving to and when. The timing was not perfect but I still have four months to hunt for a school if in order to send her next January. I thought it won't be that bad.

It was! Punggol is a new town. There are too many young families with children, too few childcare centers. After three months of calling, visiting and queueing, I only found two centers with vacancies. For some of the popular centers, my queue number in the waiting list is beyond 200, I think by the time they finally call me Kah Yen is well ready for primary one. For the two centers with vacancies, neither of them is a suitable choice, one is too far, the other one is over-priced. We are not looking for an IDEAL one, we just want a center that is nearby and within our budget.

I wrote a post about my idea of a good childcare center in August, I sounded like I was already an expert and had everything under control, but deep down in my heart, I was worrying, panicking, self-blaming and panicking again. Time is not on my side, AND, there is no plan B.

My panicking finally affected the husband, so much so that one day at work when he saw a center next to his office building, he walked right into it. And he fell in love with it instantly. Okay men don't really fall in love with something instantly like women do, they are not mushy as us, what I mean is, his first impression of the center was very good.

He has since visited the center twice and me once. Both of us liked it. The center has been there for 8 years. It is very near his office. The price is reasonable. The children look happy. They look like they are well-disciplined too. The teachers we spoke to are gentle and patient. The rooms are bright and spacious. It is right at the center of the heartland but yet it is secluded, away from all the noises and the traffic. The big playground in front of it is almost like the center's own. It is also right behind the library, so organized library trips are their pride.

At the start I was totally against bringing Kah Yen to near our offices. I am afraid the daily travelling is too much for Kah Yen, and there is constant pressure of knocking off on time. But after visiting the center, my mindset changed. Maybe travelling half an hour with Daddy each day is not a bad thing after all, a precious time for some Father-Daughter bonding. And while Daddy is in charge of picking her up, I can go back home straight after work to get dinner ready. Nobody needs to rush.

So last week I brought Kah Yen with me to the center to settle the registration, I was lucky they were preparing for their year end concert. With music and dancing going on, Kah Yen was able to relax and walk around the place on her own feet. Later Kah Yen sat on the floor with other kids to watch the rehearsal together, she looked like she is already one of them.

After we said goodbye to the kids and teachers, I asked her:

"Do you like school?"

"Yes!" she said.

"Do you want to go to school?"

"Yes!" was her answer again.

I am not sure if she fully understood these two questions, but I am just going to take "Yes" for a "Yes" and hope everything will turn out fine.


Monday 10 December 2012

You and Me

We all know toddlers take some time to figure out how to use pronouns such as "you", "me", "I", "he" and "she". The book says they only master them between the age of two-and-a-half to three. The book is probably true, for Kah Yen is still very much confused by her pronouns.

Talking about "me", I thought she is good since I have taught her to sing "Jesus loves me this I know" and also "Good is so good to me" with a pat on the heart everytime it comes to the word "me", and she follows. But then the other day when I did a funny face to make her laugh and she wanted me to do it again, she kept saying "Mummy show you! Mummy show you!" Sigh...

She didn't quite get her "you" right either, though she can follow us saying "God bless you", I guess it is just a phrase to her. When she woke up from her nap and couldn't find her Daddy, she kecame to me and asked "Where is your Daddy? Where is your Daddy?" I had to hold on my laughing and resist answering her "My Daddy is in China. How about yours?" LOL.

I correct her by saying "You mean where is my Daddy?" and here is what happened after.

Kah Yen: "Where is my Daddy?"

Me: "Your Daddy is in the study room."

Kah Yen: "Where is my Mummy?"

Me: "Your Mummy is right here."

Kah Yen: "Where is my Kah Yen?"

Me: ...

...

Hold on. The good news is, she is learning to use her "I" correctly. Previously when she wants something, she either says "Kah Yen wants biscuit." or worse (and more often!) "Biscuit! Biscuit! Biscuit!" Look at what she says now:

Yesterday we were having lunch outside, I bought chicken rice for myself and minced meat congee for her, the moment I reached our table with the food. There she goes.

"I want porridge! I want rice! I want chicken! I want soup! I want I want I want!!!"

Opps, did I just say that it is a good news she has learnt to use her "I"? I apologize I have made a mistake.

Saturday 8 December 2012

Playthings

What is donkey doing with the cooking set?


And who are the boy and girl live on top of tree houses?


I took these two pictures after putting Kah Yen down for her nap. Usually I make her pack up her own toys after playing, but today I didn't because I want to look at what she has been playing.

She played with her cooking set when I was in the kitchen preparing our lunch. She cooked and talked to herself, and every five minutes she would run to the kitchen door and tell me what she was cooking. I don't know how the donkey ended up there, perhaps she was cooking lunch for donkey all this while.

After lunch while I was cleaning the plates, she played LEGO with Daddy, their favorite game these days. I heard them talking "This is for me, this is for you. That's Kah Yen, this is Daddy". Now I knew they have built mini-Daddy and mini-Kah Yen and together they lived on tree houses.

I know these are just simple things but having played with her and seen her play since a baby, I am truly amazed to see how her imagination and creativity evolved as she grows. Playtime has become more interactive, more engaging and more fun-filled. We may not go to many fun places and our house is not packed with toys, but we see her enjoy simple moments and simple things, and we celebrate with her. Everyday.


Friday 7 December 2012

A Milestone, sort of

Well it is not really a milestone on the books but it is still part of the many growth and developments of a toddler that's worth celebrating.

Kah Yen learnt to wear her own shoes - the single strap type.

I can wear my own shoe

I can wear my own shoe

Well done girl! I guess what equally worth celebrating is the spirit of learning new things and learning to do things on her own, the spirit of two-year olds.

Thursday 6 December 2012

The prayer of a two-year old

I still remembered when my friend posted on Facebook the first prayer of her then two-year old daughter on Good Friday. And here it goes:

"Dear Jesus, in Jesus's name I pray, Amen!"

So cute! Isn't that the simplest and funniest prayer you have ever heard? Guess it is Good Friday so it is all about Jesus yah.

Kah Yen has not learnt to pray on her own yet. But we include her when saying grace before every meal and also we pray for her everynight at bedtime. So it is not surprising when I try to teach her how to pray she can repeat after me line by line, with her hands clasped, her eyes closed and her head bowed. Here is our prayer:

"Dear God,

I love you.

Thank you for loving me.

Please bless Popo,

Bless Korkor,

Bless Jiejie,

Bless Aunty,

Bless Daddy,

Bless Mummy!"

She followed me so far, then I came to a pause because my mind was thinking whether to continue with more names or to end here, afraid her attention might not last too long. And while I was thinking, Kah Yen shouted loudly:

"Bless Kah Yen, Amen!"

She just ended the prayer on her own. And I didn't even realize I forgot to include her name but she noticed and added it herself. 

How sweet to hear our children pray to God at a young age. How pleasant it is when from the lips of children and infants come forth praises.

Tuesday 4 December 2012

I am a little builder

Two is a fantastic age. Just last week I was feeling all nostalgic that she has turned two and lost much of her baby-ness. Now I am all over it and I am totally enjoying her growing up every day.

It is amazing how fast they learn things at two. Everyday they discovery new things around them and pick up new words or rather sentences, and they don't just mimic your words and actions anymore, they internalize and create their own. They are twice more observant and imaginative than us adults. They never stop to surprise you.

Like talking. She is speaking more complete sentences now. She is able to strike a simple conversation with Daddy on the phone with a little guidance, such as "How are you Daddy?", "I am fine, how about you?" and "Byebye, see you tomorrow!" Just this morning, I went to the room where she was playing to tell her I am leaving for work. She said "Kah Yen don't go to work, Kah Yen go to Popo place." Well done girl but you made Mummy feel mighty guilt that you have learnt the reality of life so fast!

Then about toilet training, we haven't fully geared up to toilet train her yet (Can't find a block of time since I am working!). It is only in the morning when we have time we will let her sit at the potty to poo. Just 2-month back she still gave the confused look "Why do I need to sit on the potty when I don't feel like poo-ing now" and was reluctant to sit on the potty. Now she walks to the potty all by herself when I call and she can sit there for a good 5 minutes.

Then about playing. We bought her the Duplo Lego set on her birthday. We did not want to buy her earlier because she was just starting to engage in imaginative play with her building blocks, we don't want to flood her with too many toys too fast. When we first played with her last week, she was frustrated because she couldn't stack up the bricks properly, it requires stronger finger gripping and more precision as compare to Mega blocks they have at Sunday school. Then last weekend she just fiddled with them for a while and built something like this, when we asked her what it was. She said it was a train!

I can build a train!

Daddy was very much encouraged and went on to show her how to build a tree (more like a tower to me though), she picked up quickly and soon she came to me showing her own tree.

I can build a tree!

And she went on to build three of them!

And many more trees!

Look how happy she was when I asked her to take photos with her creations!

I am glad that we can be there to see her learn new things and celebrate with her each day.