If you're a parent and you know what I'm talking about, clap your hands

Truth is, I still cannot believe I'm a mother. Every time I looked at the son, I find myself asking what did I do to deserve this sweetheart? I mean I know the doing part, but the amazement that it somehow produces this amazing product is somewhat confounding, don't you think?

I know I am.

And it really takes one to become a parent to truly appreciate the kisses of your child, the hugs they give and the gratefulness of it all to know that, You are the special one to them.

As much as they fill your world, it is us, as parents, to love them the best we can and to our utmost ability to provide for them.

Provide them with a loving home, a loving embrace and a loving heart.

To love them to become the best they can be, to love them to be who they are and to love them to be loving people.

Really, it truly takes one to become a parent to understand what it means to be a parent.

I know I am.

Our weekend has nothing to do with sailing

How did we spend the husband's birthday? 

He bought some manly stuff like light fixtures for the house, got himself a $3.80 haircut plus a $4 hair wash which he can get it completely free at home, but he explained to me that since he had showered before leaving home, so its only apt that he gets the hair wash so he doesn't have to shower again for that day. 

Whatever rocks your boat sir, but like I said, its for that day. Don't get your hopes too high. 

And the best part of the day was having a Japanese buffet dinner. I think we got our money's worth by feasting on all that sashimi and seafood. The son? For once he decided to turn vegetarian by having lots of water and fruits, at a buffet nevertheless. 

Whatever rocks his boat too as he kept himself entertained throughout the whole meal watering himself. For this, I'm grateful that we all got to eat in peace. Whatever rocks my boat too.

Today's outfit:

top: sis, flats: Novo

P.S: The flats gave way progressively throughout the day. This is what happens when you decide to wear a pair of shoes after two years of them sitting in the cabinet. You gave them a chance and they die on you.

What to wear: Weekend

Tomorrow is the husband's birthday. We've got no plans to go anywhere but I've this outfit planned if we're heading somewhere, and also if I really do have those red jeans too.

A girl's got to plan ahead, right?

I left out adding a bag because I've got to keep my hands empty to hold his hands. Very thoughtful. 

Planning for the future

I'm too empathic. Just the other day, the husband and I were watching a zombie show when I turned to him and asked, "What happens if we're really attacked by zombies? I think if we need to choose a car to run away, always choose a van! They're spacious enough to put all our stuff and supplies in it!"

And without looking at me, he just replied, "Its not ever going to happen dear". Spoilsport!

Anyway, in the event of a zombie apocalypse truly happening, my advise is, dress comfortably.

Today's outfit:

cardigan: defunct blogshop, tunic: Gmarket, jeans: New Future.  flats: Cotton On

A cardigan to keep warm at night, tunic to double up as a dress in the event the jeans gets too bloody from all the zombie killings, and flats for easy running.

P.S: For further reference, please watch this. 

You can thank me when we're all alive and well. I hope.

When one talks, it puts people to sleep but I think it's just me

Sometimes I feel that talking to a baby is just like blogging. Because it seems like you're just talking to yourself. 

This epiphany came to me last night as I was getting the son ready for bed. I was just telling him about my day and asking him how was his, when he just looked at me, begin to chew on his pillow and closed his eyes. Well played son.

There you have it. I'm my own reader and writer. 

Today's outfit:

dress: Jennie Shop, jacket: Primark, bag: BKK, flats: City Plaza

P.S: That's what I usually do too when the husband tries to talk to me. I foresee he has the makings of a blogger.

Its really blurry

Today's outfit:

top: Jennie Shop, scarve: Cotton On, pleated skirt: City Plaza

You know I'm back when I post blurry outfit photos and calls them artistic.

But.

I'm having a hard time thinking of the next sentence to write.

You know its bad when all you read are these one liners.

I'm still very tired, my eyes are puffy and I can't think properly.

My bad.

But.

I know you're a forgiving lot.

When all else fails, always have your kid on standby

argh! where's my bowl?!

grape connoisseur 

the bowl is the new hat

a growing boy is a tired boy

waking up grumpy

the story of our lives

I will be taking a short break this week, thus I've post the son's pictures to make up for it!

Babies are always good to use as bribes, heh.

A trip to hell and back

Before we head down to Haw Par Villa, the husband made a call to the office to enquire about its opening hours. 

Husband: Hello, is this the Har Par Villa office?

Man on the other line (sounding really bored): Yesssss, we are opennnnn, seven days a weeeeeek....

Husband: Erm ok thanks, bye!

He must have answered it a gazillion times, hence the bored tone, haha!

Haw Par Villa

the Ten Courts of Hell
too gruesome for pictures

a memorial for one of the founding brothers

It was quite an interesting visit as we got to learnt more about the history of the villa. The brothers built it as a means to teach traditional Chinese moral values like filial piety, honesty, willingness and kindness etc...

20 odd years ago

2011

I had that exact photo taken back then! Hee, made the son took the same one as well.

Just a word of caution. As the villa is built on a small hill, be prepared to walk up slope and climbed lots of stairs. We were huffing and puffing while carrying the son up and it was a very hot day to boot too. And don't forget the mosquito patch, umbrella or sunscreen.

Har Par Villa is open daily from 9-6pm, I think. And with the Circle Line now opened, it's so much more accessible than before.

P.S: You can try calling the office to ask for the operation hours. Or just to get a kick out of  hearing the man's bored voice.

What to wear: Weekend Wedding Dinner

For this past week, I've been waking up everyday in the morning thinking its Saturday. And the bland realisation when its not made the week passed by even slowly, bleah! But thankfully its here again.

So we'll be attending a wedding dinner this weekend and the above is what I have in mind to wear it to. Most of it are similar to what I already have in my closet. I'm just lacking that clutch. But I'll keep my hands full by holding onto my son. He'll be my best accessory for the night.

Hope you'll have an enjoyable weekend and make it a good one! 

We all learn as we go along, don't we?

The thing with being a parent is, you really don't know what you're getting yourself in to. For sure when both of you got married and starts to plan for a child, the idea of having a cute little baby in your arms cooing and being all cuddly makes perfect sense right?

Wrong.

The thing they don't tell you is, that having a kid comes along this little known rule called Parenting.

Parenting

noun

1.

the rearing of children

2.

the methods techniques, etc., used or required in the rearing of children

3.

the state of being a parent; parenthood

adjective

4.

of or concerned with the rearing of children

When my sis and I were growing up, the only parenting I know of was when my mum took out the cane. She used it mainly to discipline us and she would freely unleashed it upon us too. I would be so embarrassed to go to school the next day because of the cane marks on my legs. 

And that's the main point. Its never about the pain but rather the humiliation of it.

This was the old school method. But what about the now? There are tons of information on the web on articles of parenting, methods of parenting and many claims to be effective, so how do you choose wisely?

For me, back in the early days when the son was born, I tend to use the cry-it-out method, only because I didn't know any better. Every time someone picks him up whenever he cried, I would told them not to do so as to not 'spoiled' him. Taught by the old school of thoughts that by doing so, it would cause the child to be clingy when in fact, its the opposite.

So I quickly dropped that and tried the attachment parenting method. With this new found method, I find that I'm able to respond and nurture my son in the best possible way. 

Well I'm no expert here but what I've learned from these two methods are, there is a time and season for it to put in place. 

For infants, using the attachment parenting is obviously a much better method to raise them. And as they grow older, strike a balance between the two methods. But then I'm not condoning using it when the kid has fell hurting himself and crying his lungs off while you stand there telling him to cry it out as its for his own good. Duh!

as the saying goes, Happy parenting makes for happy kids.
you can quote me

P.S: I think my son is just glad that his mum found out about attachment parenting from the Internet. If not, he would still be crying his lungs off. 

A trip to the zoo

We spent half a day there and its not enough! There were shows that we wanted to catch but missed out because of the rain and also because I was too engrossed with the animals to keep track of the time. 

zoo zoo zoo!

my back to nature outfit

the boy and the pygmy hippo that swam too fast

the majestic white tiger

warthog

me no like this

and this

i know i'm shallow when i saw this and
first thought was of shoes and bags

hello horse

shy horse

goats

little goat wannabe

patting the lemur whom he keep calling it as cat

lemur

giant tortoise

giant tortoise version of romeo and juliet

We bought the tickets that comes with the tram rides. Stingy me didn't want to get it as they cost $5 more each, but the husband said it will be worth it later on when we get tired of walking around. Turns out he was right. Besides it drizzled quite heavily for a while and the tram rides did saved us from getting too wet and too tired out. And its unlimited rides too, so it is worth getting it.

There was also the Kidzworld, where you can let loose your children to play in the water area and playground, KFC to satisfy your hunger (fathers) and Ben's & Jerry for your sweet tooth (mothers). Very well covered for the whole family!

Some of the shows that we did managed to catch were the Splash Safari and the Animals Friends Show. Both were funny, entertaining and especially for the Animals Friends Show, great emphasis was placed on us that having pets are a huge responsibility and wild animals are not meant to be kept as exotic pets.

Yes sir!

And I like how they've also place informative details of each animal exhibits and made it very educational to read. I guess that's how we change people's mindset now. Educate instead of just hard selling.

For more information of the Zoo, click here.

I'm sure looking forward to our next trip to the zoo! How about you?!

What to wear: Weekend

Haven been doodling on Polyvore for quite some time now. This is my perfect get up for the weekend. Fun, casual and comfortable chic.

So so glad its finally here.

Agenda for the weekend: Spring clean the house, sort out the store-room, pick my sis up from the airport, have a good breakfast, tealicious and read a book.

Or I think I'll skip the first two and just have a good breakfast, my tealicious and read.

Yes, that will be good. 

I would like my ears back, thank you very much

An early birthday present for the husband:

glow in the dark entry pass

free standing for all

rock devotees

but i'm dressed as a disco ball

let the rocking begin

\m/

still rocking at 60 years old!

dude, wrong concert

It sure was LOUD.

But fun and truly heart thumping. Now I just need ACDC and Queen to hold their concert here to complete my rock rite of passage.

{Guest Post}

Today, I have a special guest post by Emily Patterson. She is an early childhood practitioner for Primrose Schools. Although the school is based in the US, the below article is a good example of how kids, no matter where they're born, are the same universally. They just wanna have fun. Or sort of. Or unless your kid believe that he is Spongebob Squarepants, then that is another article altogether. Enjoy.

Fun Ways to Beat Boredom without Beating Your Wallet
Submitted on behalf of Primrose Schools: early child care services by Emily Patterson (@epatt1062)

Two words that have never changed through the years and generations of children are the inevitable; “I’m bored” that every child utters at some point in time. Regardless as to whether it’s a rainy day that keeps them inside or a beautifully sunny day that presents a variety of opportunities, inevitably at least one child will offer this observation. 

One of the best ways to beat boredom is to come up with imaginative ways for children to play that will keep them thinking and engaged during the down time. Just remember that a child using their imagination is the key to keeping their mind active and thinking, and just as importantly, such activities do not have to be expensive. A child’s imagination is limitless and it doesn’t require a grand vacation or a lot of money to fuel it. 

Below is a list of ideas to help keep child’s mind active at the same time. 

1. Jar of Ideas to Beat Boredom: When summer begins have your family sit down and come up with a list of ideas that can be done alone or collectively. Make certain that your kids share their ideas and help with constructing the jar as well. This helps to let your child know that they are a part of everything and their ideas are important. 

2. Bringing Stories Alive: Although it sounds simple, reading will keep a child’s mind active during the summer. But a good way to enhance this is to find a way to make the story come to life; some books describe things like creating an imaginary world out simple things found in the back yard and such, challenge your children to do the same. 

3. A Treasure Chest for Art: This is a chest with art supplies and even items such as foil, paper towel rolls and such. The idea is for your child to find uses for these items and to create artistic creations, this helps to challenge their mind and their creative nature. 

4. Performing as a Family: Let your children put on performances for the family. Challenge them to create plays to perform and allow them to utilize their imaginations by dressing up and acting out their creation for you. Another good idea would be to video or record these performances, this not only shows your interest in your child’s creations but it also records some of your family history. 

5. Build a Fort: Children love to build and challenging them to build a fort will keep them occupied as well as challenge them to solve problems and the best part is the items can be found around the house. 

6. Fun from Cookbooks: Share your cookbooks with your children, let them pick out a recipe and help them cook it. The measuring helps encourage their math skills. 

7. Scrapbook: Use a spiral notebook and encourage everyone to draw a picture of what their favorite activities are. Also collect mementos of events; this gives your children an album to look back on as well as encouraging them at their story telling skills. 

8. The Listening Game: This is simple and all you need is nature and a set of ears. Just lie down on the grass and see what you can really hear and if you can imitate it. This gets everyone to slow down and increases a child’s focus on listening. 

9. A Scavenger Hunt: This is also a simple activity and can involve as many people as you want. Simply make a list or use pictures of common items and have the participants find them, you can even find ways to make this extra challenging by using clues. 

This is just a list of ides to help give you a jumping off point, add or subtract to the list as you see fit. Activities that give you a balance in the freedom of child initiated play and structured activities can be a big advantage in keeping your child thinking and active intellectually. 

Keep in mind that when a child says they are bored, this is usually because they don’t feel that they are being challenged by the activities they are engaged in, or they are too difficult. This is why it’s important to keep age appropriate activities in mind. 

Of course every child is an individual which means different interests and different learning styles. That’s why it’s important to provide a wide variety of suggestions for the summer months to avoid brain drain. Just remember it’s also important to give the child a creative hand in the process of the ideas to make it as personal and tailored to them as possible, this encourages their interest all the more. 

Now that you have some good ideas in mind and a starting point, you can easily help keep the dreaded cry of ‘I’m bored’ from being uttered by your children.

Explosion of the poopy kind

Do not ever, in any case give your toddler two plums. One is good but never two. I learnt this the hard way while we were out having dinner once.

We were seated at this eatery and towards the end of the meal, the son suddenly has this spaced out look. I thought he was just tired out since he hadn't nap at all during the day. Guess I thought wrong.

When I stood up to carry him out, what greeted me was not pretty. He had poop all over. All over the seat, up his back, his pants, his shirt, his arms and his hair (because I smelled it when I kissed him after the clean up and inevitably, cleaned it up with my mouth). I'm sacrificial like that.

So I freaked out and together with the husband, stood there for a while deciding which is the best way to carry him out without getting more poop on him. Thankfully the restroom was just beside the eatery.

We ran to the toilet where I hosed him down with the water hose (we used the handicapped toilet) and soap. Whereas the son was calmed, I was totally freaking out. There was really poop all over him. All over.

After I hosed him down with the cold water, he started shivering. So what do you do when your child starts shivering and his clothes are all wet and poopy? You do the next best thing.

You take off your shirt and lets him have it while the father goes in search to buy a new one while the two of you hide in the toilet. Exciting.

Moral of story? One plum is really good enough for a kid.

Oh, not that?

Always have back up diapers, change of clothes and make sure you familiarise yourself where the exit is first.

P.S: I really do want to apologise to the eatery for not cleaning up the chair. In the moments of panic and freaking out, we totally forgot about it. There's no CCTV right?