The big sister

Jordan was home earlier in the week nursing a chest infection. It was stressful because we wondered how our helper was going to cope with Muffin and her as well as do the housework and cook the kids' lunch.

Thankfully, she surprised me. Again. She spent a great amount of time reading to her brother, climbing in and out of his cot and later his playpen, inciting him to chuckle like a loon.

We think that Jordan sees Muffin as her little pet.

Here she is, singing to him while he takes a bath. You see a look of sheer admiration on his face for his big sister. And his eyes seem to speak volumes to her.



It's heartwarming to see and I hope she always will take care of him.

Technorati Tags: elder sibling, big sister

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Infectious laughter

Most Sundays we traipse East to see my parents for dinner. My parents live with my eldest brother and family. All in, we have 6 children amongst us, Muffin being the youngest.

On the day their youngest was born, we found out we were pregnant with the twins. So our kids are about 9 months apart and have discovered in the last half a year or so how to play together.

The twins look forward to going over to Mama's house (as they call it) for a variety of reasons.

1. There is a big playground that they hit while giving us some peace to finish dinner.

2. There is a piano that they can bang around with and occasionally demand for me to play a ditty.

3. There is an extremely wide kid- friendly DVD collection and their 3 cousins are often watching a variety of stuff that the twins have not watched before.

4. They get to play with their cousins. Becca, the youngest and them will chase each other silly creating a huge racket that even my deaf father can hear

5. But generally, they bond over watching television. Whoever said that watching television was antisocial obviously hasn't seen how the kids watch television. All sorts of reactions, mostly fueled by one another.





Times like that, I feel warmed and heartened at the idea of a big family with lots of people around. But it is only for a split second before common sense kicks me in the brains and reminds me how broke, tired and pulled in different directions I feel!

Technorati Tags: twins, weekends, family

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Entertaining themselves

When I say I have 3 children, people ask me how I cope.

My answer depends on my mood and how good the children have been. But it usually revolves around we just get by and something's usually have to give.

I used to be very spoilt because I had two helpers at one time. But one has since gone back since her contract was up and I had no wish to renew it. With 2 helpers, I could be assured that the twins would be fed, bathed and dressed on time.

Now that we have only one and she has to cook, clean, prepare the children's food and look after Muffin while I am kept occupied by the older two, we have let things slide.

Nazi moms would have chased me down with pitchforks and burnt me at the stake. But I will have myself an aneurysm if I tried to control everything.

So, this morning, being a Saturday and us not really needing to be anywhere in particular, I just let the kids play while I got Muffin to sleep and expressed.

This is what they got up to without any help from anyone.

Jordan, deciding that she was on an MTV set and changing into a swimsuit before strumming her guitar.

























Evan, taking apart the kitchen stove set and using the stove top as a set of drums and his colour pencils as drum sticks. He also makes up words as he goes along but is able to carry a tune.




My bedroom and study looked like it got hit by a hurricane and tornado. But they didn't fight and they didn't quibble. They left me to do what I needed to do and looked like they were having fun.

Of course, I should have used some of that time to ensure they sit and colour but they seemed to be having so much more fun doing this and after all, it is Saturday morning.

Technorati Tags: twins, Saturday mornings

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Last in the class

I had to meet the twins' teachers again. Unfortunately, the report this time isn't as glowing as promising as the last one. The last one was almost glowing with how the twins were wonderfully cooperative, sharp and engaged, happy and ready to learn. Jordan was a little bit less academically inclined than Evan but she was still great in their books.

This time round, some things remained the same. They love story telling, they love singing and are very engaged in learning. But when it comes to sitting down and colouring or apparently, gluing bits of paper to bigger bits of paper, that's where they fail. FAIL.

I never thought I would hear that word associated with my 3 year olds.

Evan is uninterested in colouring and gluing. He can't hold his pencil right. He looks bored and would rather twiddle his thumbs than to colour within the lines.

Jordan is a little bit better but in the teacher's words, it's only because she's a girl and is more obedient to instruction. But even then, she apparently doesn't colour as well as she should and is SLOW.

Slow? I ask. It's a competition?

The teacher tries to back track and redress the situation. "Every one in class would be finished. But your son and daughter would not be done. They're almost last and they are slow."

There, the word again. SLOW. And add to that. LAST.

I used to be a competitive sprinter. Those are words that sound bad, both in my athletic and non-athletic dictionary. And those are words that should not be associated with my children's pre-school education.

I ask the teacher, a little bit snarkily, "So what do you suggest I do?"

As if she had prescribed this to other parents, she says matter of factly "Sit them down and colour with them everyday for 15 minutes."

Seriously?

I am tempted to ask if she feels it necessary for me to hire a tutor to ensure that they are able to colour quickly and accurately by the end of the year.

I have never wanted my children to be in an environment that places so much emphasis on the unimportant. And in the larger scheme of things, colouring is unimportant. I think the fact that they are somewhat obedient to instruction, are keen to learn and excited about it should be highly praised and encouraged.

I think that kicking up a fuss about the ability to colour is kicking up a fuss about nothing. But that hasn't stopped me from feeling very chastised by the teacher. Of course, I think it is ridiculous. But to be told that your children are the slowest in class and the last in class to finish their written work, it hits me hard in the gut. No mother wants to hear that her children have failed.

And I shouldn't be made to feel this way. Yes, I think it's valid that I should work with Evan to hold his pencil right and help him gain strength doing it. Yes, I think that being able to sit down and do work for a time is important to learning as well. But I think that it shouldn't be made such a big deal. I shouldn't be made to feel that my children have just flunked out of Colouring 101 and that is the end of the world as we know it.

Something's gotta changed.

I came home and asked the twins if they liked their school. Jordan said no. She said she wasn't happy because it was difficult. I'm not sure colouring is difficult but I suspect it's got to do with being nagged about colouring and being forced to do it.

I am torn. Part of me feels that they need to learn that some things they have to do in life will be boring but necessary. But part of me feels that they shouldn't be in a place that puts them down for not being able to do what is expected. Especially when they are supposed in an environment that is supposed to promote the love of learning and be nuturing.

And at the back of my mind, this little voice reminds me this is why I want to leave Singapore and put my children into a different type of education system. I'm not sure if it's just because of this but that voice sure is growing louder and louder.


Technorati Tags: twins, Singapore education, preschool

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Food Mess

Muffin has been on solids for about 6 weeks. He started off keen but now, it's a chore to feed him because we have to pry his lips open to shovel the food in. In my helper's words, we have to bully him into eating. We call it guerilla feeding. Whenever we see an opening, whenever his mouth is agape, it's akin to a lightning strike mission.

He doesn't mind bread and of course loves biscuits and baby related junk.

Fruit is great but when it is brown rice, millet, spinach and or broccoli, the lips are sealed and guerilla feeding ensues.

The only way I've managed to get food in is to trick him. I trick him with his water bottle (he loves his water, like his Mommy). He thinks he's getting a sip of water and positions his mouth like a little bird waiting for food and I swoop in a shovel some mush into his mouth. He takes it but not before he gives me a dirty look.

On the rare occasion, I get to give him breakfast. Like this morning. I know my helper hates it but I love helping him make a mess. He smears the mush, it gets everywhere and both he and I think it's funny.























Avocado he doesn't mind so much. But it hasn't stopped him from making a grand mess. On his clothes, hair, face everywhere. Well, people pay good money to have avocado smeared on their faces so I guess his baby soft skin will be baby softer still.

When it is all over, he happily takes the dirty mush filled towel and plays peekaboo with great relief.



Technorati Tags: 7 month old baby, Weaning foods

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A blue moon

Muffin cried for an hour tonight.

That was somewhat traumatic for me.

Not because he was pulling a Jordan where she cried for two hours without stopping for a breath and made me feel that she hated me.

But because he has the sniffles. The problem is when a little baby has a sniffles, it's like a major case of the flu. His eyes are teary. He can't breathe, he's all congested and getting him to lie flat might actually cause him to choke on his mucous.

And he is usually so mild mannered and happy, anytime that he is so upset causes us to be upset.























So he cries and cries, not knowing how to settle himself and get himself comfortable.

All rules are broken when this happens.

Usually he's made to go to sleep in his room.

Usually there's no rocking. (Apparently, you spoil the child. I don't do it for a more physical reason. It hurts my knees!)

Usually the minute he falls off to sleep, he is quickly put into the cot.

And usually it's either myself or the helper that gets him to sleep.

But tonight, all that went out the window quite quickly as his discomfort escalated.

Nothing we did. Not the singing, the swaying or soothing did it for him.

Eventually Packrat, with his big arms and broad shoulders, stepped in, talked to him, comforted him and rocked him. The crying petered off and Muffin was able to fall off to sleep in his father's big, safe arms. Packrat also discovered that carrying him face out, which I wouldn't have thought was conducive to sleeping was what worked best.

























And then, silence finally reigned over the house. Occasionally broken by the remnants of a sob.

Technorati Tags: infant, falling ill

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Lessons learnt

We have come away from our first full family holiday a little wiser as to what we can do when on vacation with 3 young children, one of whom is under the age of 1.

The biggest lesson I learnt was not to bring the under 1 year old to such a cold climate. His little body, even when working in overdrive, couldn't generate enough heat to keep him warm. Hence, he would screech if we put him onto the sheets to sleep. Too cold.























Second thing I learnt, don't be ambitious. Don't plan too big. The twins were happy with the simplest entertainment. A park with gulls worked as well, if not better than the farm that was four and a half hours out of Perth and was the costliest accommodation we stayed in all through the week. I think we try to justify our trips by wanting to do things we cannot do in Singapore.

True that. But not at the expense of sanity or in their case fingers. Both had their fingers pecked at by the fowl on the farm. Jordan had an entire gaggle of ducks chase her for the bread she was eating. The same thing happened to Evan except the fowl in question were chickens and the food was a half eaten apple.

























We could have however, have had more cook outs. I love the fact that the Aussies barbie in the day. Lunch time barbeques are great because you laze in a food induced haze for the rest of the afternoon, just coming out of it in time for dusk and to go out foraging for more food. All else fails, fire up the fire and throw more stuff on the grill. Steaks are cheap, bread is soft and salads are fresh.

















Spend more time at the beach house. Instead of having split up our stay so much, we should have stayed put a little bit more. And stayed put where we were most comfortable. That would have been the beach house with the barbie pit, the pool table, the ducted heating, the enclosed garden where the twins rough and tumbled safely and of course, the magnificent ocean 2 minutes up the street.























Be able to eat out by the pier and soak in the sun and the cold. Even though it was touristy and probably a little on the expensive side, sitting by the pier in Freo and eating fish and chips out of paper was great fun. The twins ate fish, stole fries, whisked off the foam from the hot chocolate and then excused themselves to go off to chase the gulls. And us adults with Muffin sat enjoying everything around.

Even the twins' Ah Ma wondered how was it that we couldn't do this in Singapore. The answer was that it was too hot!























Technorati Tags: twins, family vacation, Perth

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10 cheap ways of entertaining kids on vacation

One thing about travelling with young children is the constant need to keep them entertained. Thankfully, young children are very easily entertained and don't really need us to shell out a lot of money for admission fees into places to have fun. In fact, most of the activities that we specially planned for them were tolerated but were obviously not what they would do if they had a choice.

It was amusing watching them come up with ways to entertain themselves. I had made it a point to leave them be rather than try to occupy them every minute of the day.

So this is what they came up with.

1. The one thing that I did bring and was thankful I did was a sampling of their books. They could sit and go through their books again and again as if it were newly bought. Jordan would create stories from the pictures in the books and would add in whatever experiences she had just seen into it for good measure. So, the little mermaid ate french fries and threw some on the ground so that the noisy gulls had something to eat.
























2. Helping round the house. We didn't let them do the dishes because the water was too cold. But they loved gathering dirty clothes and putting them into the washing machine. It helped that it was a front loader and next vacation, I'm teaching them to separate colours from whites.
























3. Every where we stayed, there were bath tubs. And the kids loved baths. All hours of the day, they would ask to have a bath. Even if they had just gotten out of one an hour ago and had finally just warmed up in front of the fire. As long as the water was relatively hot, they were happy to spend extended periods of time in it. Sometimes too long and they'd emerge, wrinkled like prunes.

















And when we had to plan things for them or take them out. We 'd head towards these things.

4. Visit the local playgrounds. Bundle them up if it is cold and then just head out and find a play area. We loved the swings because they all had safety harnesses and even little Muffin could sit on the swing and was loath to get off. Evan learnt how to spot the colourful playgrounds from the car and request we make a stop.
























5. Head to the seaside. Once they got past the fact that the sand was ice cold, they reveled at how fine it was and how it looked like powder. They also had fun at the water line, chasing the waves and squealing in delight at the sheer coldness of the water. Just be careful because apparently sharks feed at dusk and quite near the beach.























6. Chase birds. There's an inherent attraction to chasing birds. So ducks at the pond and gulls by the pier got chased. Of course, the birds could also turn around and chase the young 'uns. But that's another story for another time.
























7. Allow them to eat stuff they don't usually eat. I'm not talking about junk food although we did allow the twins french fries on one occasion. It's hard to stop them from eating the chips off the fish and chips especially when there were mountains of it! But they also kept themselves busy eating things like lemon wedges, butter and in Evan's case, tubs and tubs of yogurt. His record was 4 in a day.

























8. Playing with things they are not supposed to play with on a regular day. Of course, this doesn't mean allow them to get themselves into situations fraught with danger. But generally, baskets and blinds seem to be a great hit. I think it also helped that there was more than one of them, so they always had a playmate. Even Muffin, who had his adoring big sister sit in the basket with him and play 'row row row a boat' with him.
















9. Allow them to use the car as a playground as long as the keys aren't in the ignition and the doors are not locked. The twins take turns pretending to be driving and to be the passenger in the front seat. They engage in 'serious' conversation as us adults do and drive, honk the horn, flash the lights and fiddle with all the different gadgets. Why I say make sure the door is open? Once we shut the door by accident and Evan needed to pee. He couldn't get out so he peed on the seat. Not something you want to happen.
























10. One thing Perth and most other states in Australia has lots of is parks. Open spaces. Sometimes with lakes and ponds and fountains but those are bonuses that Evan looked forward to discovering. But give them any sort of open wooded space, they'd run around, chase one another, chase one of us, pick up sticks, pick up leaves, jump on leaves having discovered that makes a delicious crunching sound and of course, Little J would pick flowers. They would play pretend, picking up little imaginary spiders and snails, talking to them, feeding them leaves and ultimately being giants and eating them up with evil laughter and a loud fake burp to end it of.























And every night, they had no trouble going down to bed and would sleep peacefully through the night having been exhausted by their own games and dreaming of new ones for the new day ahead.

Technorati Tags: twins, entertaining children

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Jordan's travel journal

This is Jordan's version of our Perth vacation. Of course, with a little help from Mommy.

My name is Jordan. This is me.
























We are off toe Perth, Australia. 6 whole days of just hanging with Mommy and Daddy.

















We got there by aeroplane. It was a Singapore Airline plane. We almost missed our flight because Ah Ma and Ah Gong were having dinner with friends. The stewardesses were very nice. They gave us soft toys, stickers, numerous packets of organic juice and came every time I pressed the call button.
















It was a beautiful day. The sun was out, the skies were blue and the clouds looked like cotton wool. Mommy made me wear 2 layers and a jacket. How silly of her!























Because it was a Saturday and the weather was beautiful, we went to Fremantle for lunch. We had the Cicerello's fish and chips for lunch. It was Evan and my first time eating French Fries in full presence of Packrat and Mommy. Mommy should let us eat French Fries every day!
















Onto the farm we went. It was nothing like Old MacDonald's farm. There were ducks, chickens, goats, sheep , lambs and calves. It is rumoured that there was also a donkey but I did not see it. The farm was very cold and it rained a lot. Papa and Ah Gong spent a lot of time trying to keep the fire in the fire place burning so that we wouldn't be cold.


















Unfortunately, as I stood outside while eating my bread, a whole gaggle of ducks came after me because they wanted my bread. I screamed pretty loudly and Papa swept me off the ground onto his shoulders. I do not like ducks. Especially the white one. The white one is big and naughty.

Mommy and I went to pick feathers from the ducks after the ducks got locked up for the night. They have to be locked up because there is a naughty fox that will eat them if they are running around at night. What a naughty fox!


























Mommy's aside: We also went to the beach house. But there, they were too busy running in and out to do the pages that I had created for the beach house. We'll add it soon enough when we get the chance.

Technorati Tags: twins, vacation, Perth, activities for 3 year olds

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10 ways to get the cute little beagle dogs to go woof!

We're more or less packed for Perth. I am stunned at the amount of stuff we are bringing. I forgot to add to the previous post that on top of everything else, we are bringing 3 car seats. One for each of the kids. And a pram for Muffin.

Anyway, I woke up in the middle of the night with the overwhelming thought that I had to tell my older two that the cute little dogs we will see at the airport MUST.NOT.BE.PLAYED.WITH.

And when I look at all our stuff. I realise that we are bringing a whole bunch of stuff that might tickle the dogs' sensitive little noses and we might need to explain ourselves.

1. Formula.
2. Infant cereal.
3. Juice gummis that we are going to use to help the twins cope with cabin pressure
4. A mountain of diapers that could have been used to traffic drugs or so I've seen in the movies. .
5. Breast milk
6. A thick jacket for Little J that makes her look like a little lamb.
7. Scratch and Sniff stickers that a friend gave the twins to keep them occupied.
8. Remnant milk and food or the twins' clothes.
9. Muffin taking a big poop in his diaper
10. Potential puke or spit up on any of us.

And of course, the ever curious, ever friendly Beavis and Butthead going up to the dogs and wanting to play with them.

Oh! The things that could go wrong!

Technorati Tags: twins, Perth, vacation

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A village travels.

In two days time, the twins, Muffin, their grandparents and us will be off to Perth. We are going to stay at a beach house and a farm. Muffin is going to go on his very first plane ride. It seems a colossal effort to pack. It's early spring so it's chilly. There is an added chill factor because we will be on a farm and we will be at the beach.

This has meant a whole lot of packing. Warm clothes are a necessity. Entertainment for the 3 hour ride to the farm. Bottles and a blender for Muffin because he is on semi-solids.

We have packed at least
50 pieces of diapers
15 pairs of socks
10GB worth of audio-visual entertainment
9 jackets
8 crayons
7 plane tickets
6 books (3 each)
5 rattles or chew toys
4 packets of baby wipes
3 children
2 GPS
1 stack of papers to grade (Work never really ends)

I don't forsee it being a restful vacation but I look forward to seeing Perth through the eyes of the twins. And for Muffin, I just pray he enjoys the weather and being with Mommy and Papa 24-7.



Technorati Tags: twins, Perth, vacation, Perth farm stay

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