Learning and teaching a new language

I’ve been trying very hard to vary the language and dialects which I use to communicate with the kids. But so far, it only comes, ‘if I remember’. Otherwise it will be only be English and Malay.

Recently I’ve been consciously slotting in Hokkien whenever I have play sessions with them (not too often, depending on their moods too). So whenever they did well, i.e. fix the puzzle, arrange the items or even just sing and count, I will congratulate them with a ‘high-5’ hand-action and then praise them with ‘clever’ or ‘pandai’ (Malay) or ‘gau’ (Hokkien).

Last night, after fixing a puzzle on her own, AIR2 said ‘gau-lah’ and I was caught by surprise! I smiled to myself and praised her for that too. Then she gave me a ‘high-5’.

Then I asked AIR1 ‘Ai chiak dragon fruit boh?’ (Do you want to eat dragon fruit?) I am not sure if he actually understood me, but at first he looked puzzled, but after I repeated, he nodded. It’s either he understood or he just caught the key word ‘dragon fruit’ :D

Indeed interesting to speak and hear them speak new things in return. Here’s to more Hokkien this weekend!

Single parenthood

Hubby has been travelling alot for about 6 weeks now. All weekends not around. In short, we see him only 2 days a week.

So it's single parenting for me, for the 2 of them!! Weekdays, nothing different from the usual. Only unusual thing is that now AIR1 tends to stay up very late. Almost midnight and he is still awake. Gosh...but thank God he's skipped kindy for May.

On the weekends, it can be quite challenging, trying to humour them and keep them from dying of boredom. However, I seriously do not know if this is the best for them.

So rather than staying home and trying hard to be sane while not getting a high-blood-pressure, I take them out. by the time we get ready, we're too late for the playground in the park cos it'll be hot by then. So our routine? We leave home bout 10 or 11 am (depending on whether I have other errands to run) then we head to the shopping mall. We stroll around, have lunch and window shop some more. By then, AIR2 is asleep. AIR1 is tired. I sit him on the handlebars of the stroller and continue. Sometimes he will ask to push the shopping cart or even the stroller. He can be very helpful nowadays, knowing the limitations I have. (When things get out of hand, technology in the form of a tablet comes into the picture :P)

And by the time he is sleepy, its 3pm or so and its time to leave. Rare cases, AIR2 will awaken and so AIR1 will take over the stroller :) and more shopping continues.

It's quite fun, because when we are out, we are all less stressed. The kids don't get bored easily, esp AIR1.

I wished I could just take them swimming, but I can't handle both at the same time. Only if AIR1 listens....it's impossible cos he always wants it his way.. :)

I also wished I could take them running..but its impossible...so only playground time in the evening for them...and then I will be looking at other people running and wondering how nice it would have been if I could run with them :)

But it's been an interesting time. AIR1 helps me do grocery shopping, has a set toilet-routine, can help me look out for his sister and of course do all those small kaypoh (busybody) stuff :P

Now, it's gonna be dim sum and banana leaf this weekend for us...and shopping for gift for Ahma (grandma).

What did you say?

Gosh! 1 month went by and I've not really logged in or blogged. Crap. So many things happened, but thanks to blogger-friends who do link their posts to FB, I read them there :)

Well, it's been 1 month of turmoil. Yes, you heard right.

New work, new schedules, new arrangements and all sorts of things happening at home. Yes, it was a real 'rojak' of happiness and sadness.

Dramas.

And to top it all, I heard of some bad news about a friend this morning too. :(

Now I am thinking....and thinking of all the things that I've been through this whole month and wondering if it needs to be re-looked. Do I need another drastic change?

(sorry, I am writing in metaphors cos it's quite difficult to get to the point at this point of time)

Now let's go shopping for a present for Mummy's birthday!! :D

This is the way to eat

Before



After

 This is how my almost-two-year-old wallops her drumstick... :)

Kids' Gym

I wasn't too sure if my kids would like it so since there was a free trial class available, I signed them both up. OK, abit wasted cos AIR1's class is later, so I put both in the same class, i.e. meant for up to 3 y/o. So AIR1 technically abit older, and as discovered, the oldest in the class, by 2 months :D



Not feeling so adventurous...try the slide first

As soon as we got in, AIR1 sat for a while and then asked to go home. While I spoke to the lady who manages the place, AIR2 was too excited to wait. She kept pestering me to go in with her. And so I went in, but AIR1 didn't want to enter. It wass indeed unexpected. OK, maybe lasted for like 10 seconds and AIR1 followed us in. :)

On the rolly-polly thingy

There were only 5 kids, including these 2. And AIR2 was the only lil' girl. She was a typical girl. timid and taking things slowly. AIR1 was already running around, sweating...and I was impressed with his balancing skills on the balance beam.

Overall, FlyKidz was great. But now I dunno what to do - sign both up in the same class or 2 different classes? hmmmm ponder ponder...this is supposed to occupy those daddy-less weekends until June...so we shall see how...AIR1 was independent enough and didn't mind the instructors' help. He loved the trampoline and all other stunt-like stuff :D

Almost dead

It amazing that some people just takes things forgranted. As though its the most natural thing to do. Here you are sacrificing so many things, even almost at the brink of death, but u still get selfish remarks of things you should be doing instead.

Maybe I should just drop dead before the seriousness of it all is understood??

And because of this, I keep having flashbacks into the past. And having those what-ifs moments. It can be so negative and demoralizing.

Thank God at least AIR1 could at least say 'Please listen to mummy, if not mummy go hospital'. At least he was somewhat concerned. Worried he wouldn't get to go to the playground, perhaps. hehe

Here we go! go! go!

Whenever I feel like saying 'here we go', a mental image of 'The Cat in the Hat' by Dr. Seuss comes to mind. The show on Disney Jr. has a catchy tune which rings to 'Here we go go go...on an adventure!'...

So here we go!

It all happened so fast and unexpectedly I am baffled. I was just thinking about it while driving today. I was applying for change of jobs. I wanted to leave this $***hole. It was getting from bad to worse. But I had to consider many things. Hub and I travel in our course of work. So we take turns to babysit when it happens. That means we can't be working too far from where the kids are, to make it convenient for us. So I didn't have much hope as there were many criterias to fulfill.

And one day, a call came. And from that fateful day onwards, 2 weeks later, I tendered my resignation!! Yahoo!!

And upon tendering my resignation, I also found out that the back-stabbing which I suspected was happenning, actually happened, and even to larger scale than I imagined. It was absurd. And the boss who was trying to get me to stay (because the ISO audit is round the corner and I'd be gone by then -whocares!), had done alot of assumption in what he would want me to do in the future, plans which I saw coming, but I disliked.

Thank God that I am leaving.

I guess it is only because I am better than that back-stabbing idiot, that is why he feels so threatened...so much so that he is going all out to bring me down. Be little me, make me look foolish...do what you like for the remaining 3 weeks I have. I don't care! Go find your new victim, idiot! There are not many choices left.

And to the boss who must have drank a ton of this idiot's saliva (chinese saying is that you drink the person's saliva and you'll listen to that person), open up your eyes. He's got you wound on his little finger like a yo-yo. And you are more than 10 years more senior than him, I am sure you are much wiser than to just listen to ONE idiot to get news from the whole department.

You both can go rule the shrinking organization.

Cat in the Hat cartoon picture courtesy of Google.