*.* After a long absence.... *.*
It has been 8 months since I last posted..... Jojo is now 18 months old, and Faith is 3 years and 2 months old. Isn't it simply amazing how fast time flies?
Finally have the time to post....after all, Term 2 is coming to an end. And I guess I'm feeling a little melanchoic and emo coz both kids are currently sick, and Jojo will be starting school in less than 2 weeks time.
So much has happened in the last 8 months. Honestly, I don't know where to start! =) Why don't we start with some of my fav shots from my phone??
My super cheeky children... =)
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| Faith's first class photo. |
Happy babies
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| Faith's first movie - Happy Feet 2 |
My seasonal greetings to family and friends.
One of my favourite shots of them.
Faith's first cookie-making experience at school!
Family photos! Love the family polo tees for our CNY outfit!
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| Faith at a relative's wedding |
Faith's 3rd birthday!
More lovely shots of them
At Daddy's friend's wedding!
So...... where do I begin??
Jojo weighs an awesome 14.2kg now and is almost 90cm tall.
Faith is about 13.1kg and is about 94cm tall.
YES. My darling Jojo has outweighed his sister. Isn't it scary?
The two of them are simply in love with each other. Faith always wants her brother to accompany her to school whilst Jojo truly adores his sister. He mimics her every action, and he loves having her around him. It's so nice to see the camarderie that they share. =)
Faith is now a true chatterbox. She is picking up things really quickly. She can count from 1-100 and recognizes numerals 0-20. She knows her alphabets by heart and is now learning phonics at school via the Letterland Phonics program. She knows the consonant and short vowel sounds, and honestly, as an educator, I think she is doing just fine for her age. She is still learning to write though, and that still is a little bit of a challenge for her. But I'm in no hurry. I believe she will learn in her own time and space as long as both the school and home provide sufficient opportunity for her to learn and develop these skills. When will I get truly worried? When they tell me that she is behind her learning age.... and even then, I will use my own discretion to assess the situation. My main goal for her when she enters school is that she can read, and loves to read. Hopefully, her writing is acceptably neat. But that's about it. Seriously. All that matters is that she is developing at a pace suitable for her own ability.
As for Josiah? The boy has one true loved soft toy - Doraemon. We have no idea why but he simply adores his toy. He was the one who chose it and has loved it ever since. As for his cartoons, he loves Mickey. He dances to any tune that plays on the TV and though he is able to say a few words, we have learnt that he will only say them when he wants to. He still loves chasing birds, and it's funny how excited he gets when he sees them.
He will be starting school on June 1. Honestly, we do fear his adaptation to school more than we feared for Faith. Mainly cos he still can't seem to keep still, and hs attention span with toys aren't very long. Also, he eats anything and everything except bread and cakes, but he likes his main meals to be soft. Why? Because he's lazy to chew! He basically swallows his food, so it disappears in like a second. Thus, he spits out his rice/food if he is required to chew it.
Sigh.
We know that at the end of the day, he will adapt just fine. It's just the process that's gonna be painful. And anyway, it's gonna be a far better option than to leave him at home where he faces the TV almost 24/7.
oh well. Batt's running low on the lappie. Will update soon with posts on Jojo's school adventures!!
Labels: mummy
Remembered by Squashy Mummy at | 11:48 PM
*.* 8 month old and 28 month old *.*
I have been back at work for about 6 weeks now. It is scary how time flies....
Ever since the previous update, the virus hadn't left the family. Josiah has only just recovered from his viral fever, which caused him to have high fever and break out in rashes. It was the first time we'd seen him lose his appetite for his solids, and become inactive. Thankfully, Faith didn't fall victim to the virus. However, her body reacted in her own way by causing her to break out in mild rashes and have slight diarrhoea. Barely having recovered from that, Faith is now coughing and having a runny nose all over again. And Josiah seems to be catching it too.
Sigh.
When will they be fully well again?
On to happier news.....
We brought them out to the Singapore Art Museum for the Kids' Garden. Was so happy to know that they had it again this year. Faith enjoyed herself at it so much last year. This year's exhibition allowed the children to interact with the displays. However, the previous year's one was of a larger scale, and it was more beautiful. Anyhow, what's important is that they really enjoyed themselves! Would have loved to post the photos here, but something seems wrong with my browser today. Will soon have a post dedicated to pictures alone.
Josiah is now using his walker and the push-car as a support tool to walk. I seriously believe that he'll be walking before he turns 1 at the rate that he's going. He kinda reminds me of a bull, just bashing his way through stuff with no fear or worry of the consequences. By this time, Faith was gingerly easing her way down from the sofa/bed. But this boy has yet to learn the technique of having his bum go down first. He's just going everywhere head first!!
He is now 9.55kg and 73cm tall. He is 2 kg lighter than his sister!!! It no longer makes much ofo a difference carrying the both of them. LOL. He has also finally started calling me MAMA! It just happened today, and was music to my ears. =)
He is truly a littly boy. He loves anything that spins or has wheels. And he is super attracted to music and lights. Lately, he's been putting his ear to every single thing, just to check if there's sound! He's such a funny boy...
As for the little girl, she's now learning so many songs from school, and is starting to sing, or rather, recite them at home!
She started off with the Happy Birthday song, and insisted that we sing one song for each of her classmates and teachers! Then one day, she came home asking me to sing the 'Thumb' song, which I finally figured out to be 'Where is Thumbkin?". Soon 2 more songs were added to her list, and they were Chinese songs!
A few weeks later, she started reciting the following
"Incy Wincy Spider climbing up the spout. Down came the rain and wash the spider out. Out came sun and dry up all the rain, Wincy Spider climb up -gain!"
"Twinkle Star.what you are. up so high, diamond in the sky!"
She can also sing "If You're Happy" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" now.
Watching her learn all these new things really makes it so interesting and fun. =) Of course, growing up comes at a price too. She has finally understood what it means to be shy, and hangs her head/ shuts her eyes when she is surrounded by strangers. She has also become more independent, and there have been few occasions where she chose to stay home whilst her dad came with her brother to pick me up.
Watching the both of them grow can be filled with so much fun, but it is also extremely tiring and frustrating at times. it takes a lot out of the two of us, but it is rewarding.. =)
Come 26 August, we will be selecting our flat. Hopefully, there'll still be good units left! =)
that should be it for now. Will upload the pictures so0n!!
Labels: mummy
Remembered by Squashy Mummy at | 11:02 PM
*.* updates... *.*
So, it is one month since the last post. Much has happened during this time.... Lots of changes, many firsts, and of course, me going back to work....
First things first, Josiah's 7th month stats...
Weight - 8.7kg
Height - 72cm
Head circumference - 46cm
He has cut his first tooth, and is now actively trying to use every piece of furniture in the house to help him stand! In fact, he is able to bear most of his weight on his legs already. However, his inability to stand or keep still affects his ability to stand entirely on his own.
He is also calling 'pa-pa' very clearly now, though it refers to both daddy and mummy!! :)
We have started him on porridge, which he clearly loves and eats lots of it!! Although he loves anything that can be eaten!! :)
As for Faith, she is adapting really well to school, and is now able to count from 1-20, though she often skips numbers!! :D she can also recognize all letters of the alphabet, and can partially recite the alphabet song and 'Row, row, row your boat'! She can name her teachers, and at least half her classmates! It's amazing to see how much her speech has developed after she started going to school. 3 weeks into school, our dear girl actually walked in happily and waved goodbye to us! That was such a great achievement and we are sooo terribly proud of her!!
Faith's going to school has really been a win-win situation thus far. Whilst she picks up skills, gains independence and learns more, it has also allowed Daddy and myself to have two much-needed short dates thus far, and allowed Daddy to catch up on his sleep after his night shifts. We are also able to give some one-to-one attention to Josiah, something he rarely ever has.... :)
The kids have been coughing for a month or so, and they've tried western and Chinese medication. :( both Daddy and myself are also coughing now. Hope the bug goes away soon....
We have also submitted and received our application for the recent BTO launch in Tampines! thanks to many prayers from my parents and with God's grace, despite having only a 1:8 chance, we got a queue number of 309 for the 320 units on offer!! That means we are guaranteed of a flat! :) the flats will only be ready in 2015 though, meaning the kids would be 5 and 6 by then. Long wait it may be, but we believe it's all God's plan. :)
We have also completed our first roadtrip to Malaysia. It wasn't easy, especially with two of them sick. Faith had quite a few tantrum issues in the car due to the long drives, but we survived it all with much help from my aunt. :) dunno what we'd have done without her......
And well, i'm finally back to work. Am still adjusting to the deadlines, expectations and workload.... As are the kids to my absence from home, especially Josiah.... But we are all coping. The road sure isn't easy..... But I know we will make it through with God's grace and guidance.....:)
Labels: mummy
Remembered by Squashy Mummy at | 11:23 PM
*.* rants of a mummy *.*
25 months and 5 months old. Time is really flying past us. May is just round the corner, and on 27 May, I would have ended my No-Pay Leave, which means it's time to return to work...... I fear what's in store for me. I feel rusty after "lazing" around at home for sooo long..... I fear having to deal with work and my two little 'monkeys' as well as the guilt of having to send Faith to childcare.
She will most likely be going to The Salvation Army Childcare Center. We've had good feedback from Suszan, and the location is convenient, and the place looks not bad. Her trial lesson was initially set for Wednesday.... but my two darlings have fallen very ill, and so, we would be likely to postpone it.....
The initial plan was for her to start in May so that she can get used to the place and the transition period will be easier for me. There would be less stress on my part when I return to work as well. At least, she would be settled, leaving me to only have to worry about the boy, and how my mum is handling things. However, the guilt is driving me NUTS! I can't live with having her in childcare from 9-5+ whilst I am still technically at home! So, we'll probably only send her in June, or earliest mid-May. I'll feel much less guilty that way........
~~~~~~~
Josiah is crawling now, and is almost ready to sit. This transition is the scariest of all, in my opinion, especially with the way Josiah is! He'll pull himself into the crawling position, then lean towards one side and rest on his bum. Then, in a bid to try to reach for a toy in front of him, he loses his balance occasionally and then falls back all the way on his head! Thank God for my playmats, or the consequences would be unimaginable.
The 2 of them really develop at different speeds. Faith managed to sit all on her own earlier, and even though she could crawl, she rarely did so on hard surfaces. The only time we saw her crawling a lot was on our bed when we made her sleep. Josiah is still terribly wobbly as he sits, but its amazing, his upper body strength, for there have been countless occasions where we have witnessed him on his palms and feet!
Josiah is eating a real huge amount of cereal, so much so that after his solid feed, he can last for 3-4 hours without food. He takes in about 8-10 milk scoops of cereal with 2-3 scoops of milk powder, and 2 cubes of purees, the latter only when we eat at home. As such, his total milk feed a day is only about 500-750ml, much lesser than his sister in terms of milk, but far greater in terms of solid foods!
He has tried pumpkin, broccoli, apple, pear and potato. All seem to be fine. Once this batch of puree is finished, I would then be proceeding to combine meat and vegetables and actually cook stuff for him to eat instead of merely steaming them.... next up, Tomato & Cauliflower puree; Spinach, Leek & Potato Puree; Chicken, Potato, Carrot & Leek puree; Apple, Pear & Strawberry Puree.
Whilst it is tiring to prepare all these for him, but it is truly enjoyable, and I am just extremely glad that I am able to do all this for him. I just hope that when I return to work, I would still have the time to experiment with pasta, couscous, ABC soup, oats and the likes...... After all, he'll probably only start on his porridge made by my Mum from about 8-9 months.
~~~~~~~~
Faith is now managing 3-4 word sentences, and sometimes combining singular words with actions to tell us a whole sequence of events. At times, when she thinks no one listens, I even hear her 'singing' her favourite song to Ernie! =) Her current achievement is remembering the names of her relatives. Everyone gets so excited when they hear her pronouncing their names. She can only manage 2-syllable words though, so Mummy and Didi's name have been reduced for ease to Pet and Jo. =)
Her favourite Ah-Yee (my cousin. Seeing as both her parents have no sisters!) Alicia has forged a lovely relationship with her, and seeing how my darling daughter loves to play rough, (as encouraged by yours truly) there have been many occasions where when my Aunt Jenny takes them out, they go absolutely crazy in the backseat! This has caused my Aunt to call them crazy kids (in joke, of course), and now, when you ask her what's Yee's name, she says, "Yee siao!" =p and if you ask her, what happened to Faith? She says, "Faith ting tong!"
~~~~~~~~
I don't deny that there are times where I do wish for a little more freedom, a little more ME time, a little more help from my parents, and a little more confidence instilled into me that I can leave them at home and go out to catch a breather.
Yet, I know that even if I do that, I wouldnt be able to fully enjoy myself without worrying or thinking about them. And seriously, I wouldn't even know what to do! It's been ages since I've truly gone out entirely alone without any company, and even when I did, there were things I needed to buy or do........to really spend time with no tasks/errands to run.... that is almost incomprehensible in my life these days.....
The moments I love most is watching the camaraderie they share. It is beautiful beyond words. Josiah smiles the minute he sees her, and he breaks into laughter when he thinks she is speaking to him. He wants to be a part of everything she does, and Faith gladly welcomes him most of the time, except for the instances where he 'snatches' her toys....Faith loves him so much that she would just walk over and caress his head or give him lotsa BIG HUGS! Much as she hates the fact that he would pull her clothes and hair, because that's just what he does, she would go "No,no, no", and then say "hold hand!" =) it's just amazing watching them interact with one another. Let's just hope these loving feelings they have for one another do not develop into sibling rivalry as they grow up!!!
The joy and frustration these two bring is impossible to express. And every day that passes just reminds me of how little time we have left together to truly enjoy time without the stress of my working life.....
Labels: mummy
Remembered by Squashy Mummy at | 12:03 AM
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
*.* Lunar New Year 2011 *.*
Well well, we are almost halfway through the Lunar New Year.... It's been a mad rush as we strove to meet all the commitments of family obligations and our own needs. Each festive occasion is greatly insane as we travel from one end of SG to the other with our little monkeys in tow. I am just thankful that my paternal side of the family is in our neighbouring country so there is one less obligation!!
The Ho family is terribly traditional, and thus, there are lots of meals to be had during this season.... Meals I'd never known existed before I was invited to partake in them!!
年三十晚 - 团圆饭
初一 - 拜年 and lunch before visiting the granduncle.
初二 - 开年饭
初七 - 人日
正月十五 - 元宵节
All these, coupled with my family's reunion dinners, both my maternal side, as well as my immediate family (since we are a family of 14 already) and of course, the hubby's maternal side too! It can get quite crazy, whether Christmas or new year....
The daddy was still working throughout the celebrations so it was terribly tiring for both him and the kids. But, we have survived!! Now, we just need to complete the final reunion dinners on the last day of the Lunar New Year.....
But I believe the kids benefit from these meet-ups. Honestly, as the numbers in each generation diminishes, I wonder if the 气氛 for CNY will diminish as well when they grow up. Having been brought up in a big family all my
life, gatherings and meet-ups are great fun... The blackjack sessions, etc are all part of CNY and it's festivities.... What will happen when the numbers dwindle and there aren't enough to go round any longer?
Ah well.... Spent $700 changing $$ for the angpows this year.... So tight on cash that it's almost impossible to pack more.... Thank goodness we have kids to help us reap in the cash as well!! ;p
Now that CNY is almost done and over with, it's time to start planning Faith's birthday.... Lots to be done!! :D
Labels: mummy
Remembered by Squashy Mummy at | 4:54 PM
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
*.* A child's view? *.*
The mummy has decided.
Writing from a mum's point of view can be terribly drab. Looked thru the posts and felt that they were far more 'cute', interesting and entertaining when I wrote from Faith's point of view (albeit it being me acting cute all along)!! Plus, it helps add a bit more fun into my day, thinking of what she might say if she could talk!
Hence, I have decided that I would alternate between Josiah, Faith and myself between posts, depending on it's subject! :) makes reading more pleasant, and easier for them to track when older, as the relevant post would be tagged according to either one of them. After all, the main purpose of this blog is for them to read about themselves when they are older!
So there, signing off my first mummy post!
With love,
Mummy
Labels: mummy
Remembered by Squashy Mummy at | 11:56 PM
