Managing the Clan

Some days ago, I opened the fridge to find a bag of raw pork ribs wide open on the bottom shelf. There were two bowls of cut fruits on the shelf above, uncovered. So pissed - how many times have I emphasise food safety to N??

Today, I was walking about with Yu in the sling when I saw her wash my water bottle with the baby bottle brush. Asked her whether she had been using the baby brush all along, she said no. But asked her whether she had used the regular brush before, she said no. Yet she said she brushed all bottles! Wth did she think I put he regular brush there?? And all these 18 months with us, she didn't even ask what the brush was for?!!

It's tough for me to do without a helper. But having one might kill us all!! I was very very angry about the whole full-time domestic helper thing throughout lunch and the afternoon.

Some years back, I had resisted getting a helper coz I didn't want a stranger in the house. I didn't want to share our toilet in particular. I used to use a squat toilet growing up and then I had my own toilet after the upgrading. I shared toilet for three out of four years in Oxford and totally hated it. I never sit on toilet seats outside; yup, I hover.

In any case, we had a great part-time cleaner who kept our house clean once a week. She even ironed our clothes. All I had to do was to magiclean the floors every night after Kai went to bed, and wiped up mishaps etc.

Circumstances changed when Kai was about one year old. At that time, he was still having baby cereals, oats or bread for dinner. Sometimes, if I bought dinner fresh before I fetched him, he would share with me. Neither was ideal - baby food or MSG-laden table food. I couldn't cook well but even if I could, cooking would delay bedtime and I wasn't keen. Following my second miscarriage, we decided to get full-time help.

Kai got to eat proper table food. I had help with daily things and emergencies such as middle-of-the-night pukes, and eventually I didn't have to rush to fetch the kids. But the employment was fraught with frustrations.

1. I had to get past my toilet seat phobia. Every time I saw something alien on the seat, I'd wipe or get her to wash it. With N, the seat and the floor are wet all the freaking time coz besides wetting it with every use, she also handwashes her clothes in the toilet and showers there. She stubbornly refuses to use the washer...
2. I didn't mind sharing the bathroom too much but I ended up with having a shaver and a toothbrush amid the shampoo and stuff during Y's time. N refuses to use the bathroom and prefers to shower in the toilet so yup, the wet toilet issue above...
3. The floors were not as clean as before, strangely when they are cleaned with detergent every day, sometimes more than once a day! Miss my part-time helper...
4. Things in the house started to get worn more quickly as we cooked more and washed more - helper tends to make things too wet, N more than Y. Or things were just left to rot. Last weekend, I found that the spot under my box of cotton buds was all wet and brown and slimy - how long was it not cleaned?!
5. Y sometimes didn't wash her hair for an entire week. And she cut her hair one side long, one side short - could not tie so I made her wear hair net. N washes her hair diligently but she lets it hang loose too often. Just this evening, Sito found a strand of long hair in the curry!

I bear with it. But food safety and hygiene are not compromisable! I discussed with Sito the possibility of doing away with full-time help. It means I'd have to do a lot more and Sito would have to chip in significantly too. Sito said he would leave it to me to decide but it's tough - I told him I also don't want to see him black face with more child care load.

Let me envisage it from April onwards when I go back to work as that's a more steady state scenario compared to now. All verbs are from the adult perspective. It could be one of us, both of us or all of us.

School day mornings:

• Wake very early
• Settle breakfast, toilet and change of clothes for the kids, one or more may be screaming/crying
• Keep utensils etc and milk bottles left out to dry overnight, if I didn't do it middle of the night
• Pack last minute stuff into bags
• Put thawed ingredients into rice cooker, slow cooker and/or steamer and set timer, while the kids are happening
• Prepare myself for work, either while the kids are happening or after they're gone, depending on how early they wake
• Send the kids to school
• Go to work

School day evenings:

• Leave work on the dot to fetch the kids on time
• Dish out their dinner to cool while the two older boys play; feed Yu cereals etc first
• Let the older boys eat while I settle Yu to bed but they cannot be left alone. For now, Mum is usually around but when we move house, Sito must be home by then! Else, Yu can sleep later with his brothers
• Shower the two and pray that the din doesn't wake Yu
• Send both kids to bed and pray they don't wake Yu
• Turn on the washer before cleaning up the kitchen and the floor
• Pray that the older kids stay in bed and Yu doesn't wake
• Prepare things for the next school day, including bags and thawing ingredients for the next morning
• Adults' turns to shower
• Start the dryer
• Play catch-up with work
• Keep some clothes and hang up the rest for part-time helper to iron
• Keep praying about the kids' sleep

Saturdays:

• Same morning routine
• Do grocery shopping and pack ingredients into boxes for fridge and freezer for the next week
• Do some housekeeping, e.g. washing clothes, since the major stuff would have been done by part-time helper
• Play catch-up with work
• On good days, go out instead of doing things! This will replace our Friday date nights.
• Fetch the kids and do part of the evening routine
• Take a nap if possible...??
• Go out as a family and eat out else it's dabao and regular evening routine
• Shower the kids together and send them off to bed
• Pray that the older kids stay in bed and Yu doesn't wake
• Crash

Sundays:

• Same morning routine
• Call on TV the nanny and worry about their eyes
• Go to Mum's place
• Stay there or come back to nap, depending - similar routine to Saturdays
• Prepare for the new week

Public holidays:

• Combinations of the above
• Pray that the older kids stay in bed and Yu doesn't wake
• Crash

Middle of the night:

• Wake multiple times until they are old enough to sleep through or just stay in bed
• Sleep whenever possible

......


Looks rough but not undoable. Definitely not unable as I have friends with three kids and no helper, not even family. Just that for emergencies, we won't have someone at our beck and call. Also, when we move house, it will be quite a rush for me coz I'll have a longer commute - perhaps have to apply for long-term flexible work arrangements.

Just now, I briefly mentioned that one day we would not have kakak anymore. Yang said then Mama would bring him to bed. Kai, upon a second mention, asked why. If my target is to not have a helper by the time we move house, then I would have one year to train up the older boys and also Sito and myself to handle more. Yu will also be more manageable in a year's time. Good luck to us!! In the mean time, I'll just retrain N first. Frustrating!!!

Update 31 Dec 2016

Ok, so Sito read the details and decided that we would not become like some co-workers who dash everywhere to pick up kids and let work suffer. Fine, then looks like it's me who will continue to suffer the apparently indispensable full-time helper! Boys, please grow up quickly so that we can be independent!

PS: I let Kai pour his own milk today. Time to let the boys do more!

Impressed by Kai

So many stories of Kai today!

When I got to school this evening, I saw Kai grabbing his transformer out of his bag and going towards his friends. I called after him at the door but he neither saw nor heard me. His teacher told me that he was going to show the toy to his friends.

Kai didn't even manage to get back to the table as six or seven of his friends started to crowd around him. He told them that he would share the toy with one of them. Me me me! They said.. But Kai had already started going "eni mini mani mo" and what spider etc etc, eventually landing on a K2 boy standing behind his old friend A, who was angry ho ho!

At this point, I was so regretting I left my phone at home - missed a great photo op!

Anyway, the lucky boy told Kai very loudly that he (Kai) could go to his house to play transformers together! Then Kai did a little demo before handing the toy to him as the crowd started to disperse. In the meantime, Yang came out so I went after him to help him with his shoes. Kai came out soon after.

As Sito had a dinner appointment, I quickly went to shower after getting back so that I could take over Yu. Dinner could wait as I wasn't hungry. Imagine my surprise and joy when I came out of the shower to see that Kai has finished most of his food! Think it was coz he wanted to be taller than V whom we will see this Saturday. Well, I managed his expectations that only consistency begets results :p

Sito managed to put Yu in bed, asleep. But he soon stirred so I carried him while the older boys had their shower. Kai was playing with Sito in the past two weeks so with Papa away and me occupied with Yu, he asked Yang to play with him but got a flat no from the video addict. So he obliged my request to play on his own quietly - really!

When Yang went to bed, I told Kai to continue to play quietly and that I would join him after setting Yu down. He surprised me by saying that it was ok for me to go settle baby. And...

Kai: Sometimes I'd say, "MAMA, COME SIT DOWN AND PLAY WITH ME!"
mf: (wa liao, so fierce)
Kai: But now it's ok, you can go.

I was so impressed by such an understanding boy!

After setting Yu down in the bed, I decided to give him the decongestant in the dark. I went out to measure the thing before going back in. Kai was curious and followed me to have a look. I told him what I was doing and asked him to go play quietly outside. As he left the room, he pushed the door open and let in some light, saying, "I'll give you some light ok?" So nice of him!!

Then I went outside to play with him. Actually I just sat there and talked about his toys :p I also told him very frankly that I don't know how to play robots as I had never played with robots as a kid!

Kai: Then what do you play? *bewildered*
mf: Well, I didn't have a lot of toys but I read. I love reading and I'm still reading!
Kai: But reading is not fun!! Playing toys is fun...
mf: That's coz you have not discovered the joy in reading...
Kai: *what's she talking about*

Anyway... So seeing how good he's been since we got home, I told him that he could go to bed at 8 pm even if Yang fell asleep earlier. Turned out Yang slept at 7.55 pm so Kai had five minutes. But he asked so nicely - and in a super cute way - to play for a little bit longer, I gave him another five minutes. And when I went to his room with him, I also stayed a little big longer with him. He can be so sweet and nice!

Like last weekend. Sito had a wedding lunch on Sunday so I had to handle both Yu and Kai at Kai's nap time; N took Yang. Yu was sleeping in my arms so I invited Kai to nap in my bed since there was space. He was cheeky for a while but as I was so tired and dozing off, I just held his hand a little and he grew quiet as he saw me doze off. Ok, I admit I pretended a little :p But I really did doze off for real even before I saw him sleep. When Yu woke me less than an hour later, I saw that Kai had fallen asleep in a foetal position :)

On Monday, Kai also napped in our bed but with Sito as I was busy with a wide awake baby

Kai can be very competitive at times, e.g. he always wants to win (even rock-scissors-paper) and he wants to be taller than his brothers. He can also be very whiny and irritating, which I guess might be a common thing among kids his age. But he can be such a dear when he's on his best behaviour! And who am I kidding... He can be endearing even when he is naughty too, like running all over the place happily - messy and noisy but everyone loves a happy kid!

I took Yang out for a ice cream a couple of weeks back. I hope to bring Kai out another day too, hopefully to the library, hopefully to try new foods but most certainly, ice cream is on the cards...

Update 30 Dec 2016

Well, this morning, he started crying as I was leaving the centre. "I want Mama!" Gosh, it was like N1 all over again! *.* Never mind, it will only get better...

Poor higher-order kids

Our little baby is a bit ill :(

He's been dry coughing on and off since his first month but it was not a daily occurrence and just one or twice a day if at all. A week before Christmas, he had crusty eyes which resolved within three days.

But Sunday night, he coughed loudly and cried a little. Seemed that he was feeling awful. Monday after lunch, his nose started dripping and he developed a wet cough. I even saw his phlegm when he cried - it was like he was gargling phlegm! :(

He continued to wake every two hours to feed but on Monday night, he also woke two more times in between to cry. His cough was also scary - sudden and loud. His poop on Tuesday morning was sticky with swallowed mucous. We decided to bring him to the paediatrician to make sure his lungs were clear.

We couldn't make an appointment as the clinic was open only in the morning on Tuesdays. Upon registration at the crowded clinic, I went two floors down to my gynae for my second HPV vaccine shot and then Sito and I went to the basement for a drink. It took more than an hour to get to our turn.

The PD was very warm and talked to Yu, quite unlike our regular PD. I gave him Yu's story as above. He said the dry cough was normal and advised us to massage the area between the inside of his eyes and his nose for the crusty eyes should it recur.

As for the current ailment, he checked his lungs - clear. But he couldn't give any medicine for Yu given his age, as expected. He gave some decongestant drops and nasal spray to relieve his symptoms, and probiotics for general health. He also found thrush on his tongue and gave us something for it.

The nurse was very knowledgeable when dispensing the medicine, even using a teddy bear to demo how to use the nasal spray on a baby! We then left the clinic with a sleepy baby and a very happy papa - Sito was so pleased to make use of his company insurance that it was quite cute :) But we'll still go to our regular PD for vaccinations coz the wait is way shorter. And his insurance doesn't cover vaccinations.

I managed to give Yu the decongestant in the evening before he slept. But it wasn't until this afternoon that I gave him the thrush medicine as I wanted to read up on it and ascertain that it was indeed thrush and not milk deposit. I couldn't make a positive diagnosis using the wipe test actually and since the medicine doesn't get absorbed into the blood stream, I decided to give it to him. But I think I could confirm that I don't - and didn't - have thrush, phew! Otherwise I would have to dump some 15 bags of frozen milk!!

Yu's nose didn't drip in the day today but it did again in the evening. He also didn't cough much though I could sometimes hear his phlegm when he breathed and at one point, I thought it was croupy!! Gotta watch him closely tonight - he's been sleeping in our bed again for the past two nights.
He was so tired just now coz he was woken up by his brothers at dinner time. While Sito played with Kai, I carried Yu upright for a long time before he fell asleep. My waist and back were screaming!

But he's so poor thing. I didn't want him to cry and make his nose and cough worse so I didn't carry him lying down which he doesn't usually like - in the day, when my waist and back can't take it anymore or he cannot stay asleep when put on the bed, I can switch to the sling which hurts my right shoulder and (another part of my) back, but in the evening, he has to sleep on the bed. I'm just glad that he can be put down when it's dark; imagine if he can't!!

Sighs, feel so sad for this boy. His big brothers love him - touch his face, sneeze into his face, cough into his face. Can't help it. Just unfortunate that he got ill so young, at 2.5 months. Yang also fell ill at about two months but it was a mild runny nose that didn't require a trip to the PD. Kai was the luckiest - he first fell ill at six months, a couple of weeks into infant care.

Yu is still happy in the day, playing and talking lots. But evening time seems to be tough for him. Hope it gets better after tonight!

Happier times before the illness

My growing boys

My babies are growing up fast.

It has been two weeks since we barred Kai from YouTube. So far so well. He takes peeks often. But as Sito is on leave these two weeks, he has been having lots of fun playing with Papa as well.

"I'll just see Didi's..."

"Yes, this is better than video!"

This morning, I asked Kai to count the number of wheels on the wall decal of the circus train. He counted correctly from left to right, and then backwards before telling me - 36!

mf: Why did you count twice?
Kai: Because there are two sides.
mf: Where did you learn that from?
Kai: Um, the train...

Enough to say that I was impressed :)

But he still does goofy things!!

Yup, he poured sand all over himself at the indoor playground today *.* The two of them spent the entire time - worth $40 btw - in the sandpit. I think this was Yang's first time in an indoor playground post infant-hood whereas Kai had been many times, oops...

Anyway... Yang has graduated from the high chair. But it's a nightmare as it's hard to keep him at the dining table! But Yu will be using the high chair in three or four months so it's better to keep it first so Yang doesn't think Yu is taking his place. Yang is still using it outside though - just to curb his mobility!

"I eat biscuit!"

Growing up but still super cute!

Little Yu is showing the most progress, obviously. He's talking so much more now. He even shouted out loud twice in the past week. Sometimes, we'll look at each other, and he'll start to talk to me so I'll chat with him.

Yu: Uh...
mf: Oh, you want to poo poo?
Yu: Uh...
mf: But you can't?
Yu: Uh...
mf: That's tough..
Yu: Uh...
mf: Let me help you, ok?

I've also been removing his mittens often to let him feel his surroundings - my hands, his toys, the sheets. He has been trying to hit his toys. Today, he started staring at his fist.

"It makes a noise when I hit it.. Let's try again..."

"I thought I found my fist but it was blue!"

It's Christmas tomorrow. The kids are excited about opening their presents tomorrow and so am I! :) Marry Christmas!!

Buddha beckons...

Went down memory lane on Friday.

I used to attend a children's class at a Buddhist temple every Sunday, probably during my primary three to six years. I don't know how it started - it could be that the temple was a stone's throw away from my paternal grandmother's place, even though she moved away when I was in, I think, primary three. Or a relative brought us there and then they stopped going while we continued. Or it could be that Mother knew someone who brought us there coz I remember her talking to this auntie.

We visited some temples in Penang in March this year and I was somewhat reminded of those times in the temple. I made a note to myself to return. Didn't manage to do so during pregnancy but I finally found my way there with Yu!

It was a quick train ride to Serangoon followed by a short bus ride. I had always thought the temple was in Paya Lebar but it is actually in the Serangoon/Hougang area, in Paya Lebar Crescent. When I got off the bus, I looked across for the clan house that my paternal grandmother used to work and live in. Or rather, the spot, coz it had since been demolished.

It was a big old house with a zinc roof. There was a huge hall where banquets took place - I was there during one and the large backyard was filled with tables as well, near the hot temporary kitchen with gigantic pots. There was even a stone mill which I remember pushing. The backyard was meant for the chickens and dogs and a single parrot. I remember sitting at the threshold leading to the backyard to play with dough.

I think this was at the door to the backyard

The hall was also where we loved to run around and play. I remember climbing up the big chairs around the big boardroom table and sitting on the table with a boy who lived nearby, playing with cars or something.

The actual kitchen, well, actually I don't think there was a designated kitchen but there was this huge yard in the house that opened up to the sky where my paternal grandmother cooked on a earthen stove. The dining area was just off this yard, sheltered.

There were a few rooms here and there. I recall a small room before the big hall with a telephone. It was very dark. There were at least three other bedrooms as a number of my relatives used to live there with my grandmother. In one of these bedrooms was a four poster bed, very old. I remember a sleepover there before - not sure if YQ was born yet - and I remember fearing or seeing a cockroach at night *.*

There was a front yard too. There were two big trees there - a rambutan tree and a jackfruit tree. The jackfruit tree was forever covered up with gunny sacks to protect the fruits. The rambutan tree gave me many yummy rambutans, heh! I seem to remember climbing up the rambutan tree.. Need to go through old photos to confirm that...

There were shophouses to the right of the house - left in the picture below. They have staggered height. Based on this memory, the house should have occupied the spot right behind the bridge...

A poorly taken panoramic shot of the stretch opposite the bus stop I alighted at

I walked into Paya Lebar Cres. I don't remember what used to be along this road but things looked old. Now? Spanking new condos.

The turn to the temple

Arrived!

The door seemed familiar - so many shoes right outside last time

While I no longer remember my initial reception to the Sunday class, I do remember that I liked going there. We would start at about 10 am with prayers in the main hall. Sometimes, such sessions can be very long; I never knew the programme. Teachers would go around with a ruler to straighten our back during the meditation. I must admit sometimes I would doze off...

The main hall

Then there might be some singing. There is still a piano to the left of the hall. Then we would go to our respective classes. I enjoyed 小班 very much - I remember discussions on the severity of sins! I think I went into 中班 in primary five. It became less fun *.*

There was also 大班 which I never got to coz I stopped going in primary six - we told the teachers it was due to preparation for PSLE. The fact is, I didn't want to participate in a angklung concert that they had us practising for. I was super scared of performing or going in front of an audience - including my class in school - in general. And I didn't like it that they didn't tell us about the concert when we first started on the angklung. In any case, I was not going to do it!!

After class, we would go to the back for lunch. I remember the curry was nice :p And I never liked the bitter gourd soup! The back was also where we would have activities sometimes. I vividly remember one where all the kids were seated in a huge circle - there must have been some 60 of us?! We also had excursions - once to some outdoor place, once to another temple on Vesak Day, once to watch a movie on a renowned monk.

I met 传观师父 while in the main hall. She said the classes were still going on but from what she said, it seemed that they weren't too regular - not enough teachers and the children have other activities like holiday enrichment and travelling. It struck me that these days, there are just too many activities to choose from. Perhaps people tend to forgo those not related to education or fun?

She asked me to bring the kids next time - while they can decide on their religion in future, having some immersion when young would help them as Buddhist teaching will guide the kids towards good. They have a sister temple near Beauty World. Perhaps when we move to Bukit Panjang, we can go have a look...

Before I left, the kind nun gave me some cookies to bring back to the kids. I did the usual 添油 and left. It was a very hot journey but I felt fulfilled at the end of it, like I've returned to some roots.

Class photos and mug shots

I was searching this site but t couldn't find any post on their class photos last year. I must have forgotten to post. In the past two months, I realised I had forgotten a lot of things in the past two to three years, e.g. I had a numb tongue after delivery, Yang liked to look at the ceiling fan at Mum's place, newborn days are tough (!) and a to-do list during maternity leave is a silly thing...

But I digress...

So, 2015 shots first...

A stately look with the tiniest hint of a smile

Another rather stately look - first row, third from right

It was amazing that all the babies were looking at the camera! Oh, I think I posted this on Facebook and said the same thing :p

This year, the school asked again for white socks and shoes. I bought white socks but I didn't get white shoes - they are not practical for everyday wear and I'm not buying shoes for one-time wear! So I got them proper shoes. More like sneakers really. In solid colours. As expected, I wasn't the only parent who didn't provide white shoes!

Such a happy Kai! (second row, third from right)

But he gave an un-natural smile for his individual shot *.*

I wonder if I had given him too much pressure to remember to smile for the camera... I mean, he can smile for the camera at check-in/out...

Ok, slightly better...

More than slightly better...

Oops, wrong one!

Ahhh, better!

See, he can be so photogenic!

Yang gave a very stately smile in the class photo - second row seated, third from left

And became expressionless for his individual shot *.*

But his smile can move mountains!

Even when he's covered in chocolate!

Or making a face!

Ok, I'm super cutified by them and need see them instead of their photos now!

Updates on Clan Sito

Clan Sito finally ventured out beyond Holland Village on Saturday!

I received an email from Toy R Us about half-price lego last week and showed it to Sito. Then on Saturday afternoon, he suddenly decided that we should go to Toy R Us! I was coughing - still am - but it was a pretty exciting venture, isn't it?? If not this time, we would have to go out Christmas weekend coz school will be closed on Saturday, Mum they all will be away and Monday is a public holiday - can't hole the kids up at home for three days straight!

After their nap, the big boys had yoghurt, and then were watching TV and wouldn't move until I asked if they would like some juice?!! Kai immediately turned the TV off!

Took a double decker bus to town. Sito and Kai went upstairs, leaving Yang, N and I downstairs. Yang was so cute - he wanted to press the bell but when it was time, he turned to the bell, saw two aunties smiling at him and decided he would not touch the bell!

Thoughts of juice dissipated at the sight of Toys R Us

Kai unexpectedly picked out Tobot D partnered by Dolly

Yang was swinging between Tobot X and Tobot Y and later even Lego

We got the toys gift-wrapped and told them that they could open it only on Christmas day. Kai has been refusing to learn time so I took this opportunity to tell him that he would know exactly when if only he knew about time...

Oh, we ended up with no Lego *.*

Thoughts of juice came back as we walked from Forum to Tanglin Mall. Thoughts alone can fuel a "very tired" Kai. His younger brother was walking happily with no complaints leh... *.*

The happy five!

Watching Kungfu Panda in Chilis - good place for the kids except for the narrow booth seats

Yang got a kiddy meal too but he refused to eat more than a couple of spoonfuls of rice..

Posing at the bus stop

Yang has lots of interesting expressions. So that's the cute hand pose one above, and more below.

Oh! Super exaggerated!

Funny lopsided lip pose - sometimes he does this balanced :B

Anyway, we started dinner early at 5.30 pm and left before 6.30 pm. We got another double decker bus and this time, Yang followed Kai up the stairs! I could hear them from downstairs. It struck me that bus/train rides are usually quite quiet. Unless my boys happen to be there *.*

When we got home, everyone had to shower. Quite a rush! I first showered Kai and Yang and myself together (!) while N showered - she rather showers in the toilet *.* - and Sito carried Yu. Then I bathed Yu while Sito showered and N sent Yang to bed; Kai stayed awake until Yang fell asleep. Then I sent Kai in and switched roles with Sito.

It was a pretty successful outing although Kai was uncooperative at first in taking the family photo. And of course, someone had to not like his food... Hope we can be more independent soon and go out without N.

Sunday was a significant day too. Yu happened to nap very well in the morning so we had some time to spend with both Kai and Yang.

They piled toys on Papa...

And Mama spent a lot of time with Yang in the afternoon coz Yu was nicely occupied by his grandpa/ma/aunt!

I was so happy! This was even better than Friday when I took him out of school early for an afternoon snack! Coz when we got home, it was near the end of the day when I had to feed Yu etc and couldn't be too hands on with Yang.

Just Yang and Mama (and Yu sleeping on me)

Yang accompanied me by playing with my hairband, hair clips and shoulder massager while I was nursing Yu

Finished up Sunday by sending both Kai and Yang to bed at the same time. Kai decided to go to bed early, I think, coz he couldn't watch video anyway - he fussed and whined on Saturday night due to connection issue and/or video selection issue. Since his videos are making him unhappy, and we think they have a role to play in his lack of patience, I told him there would be no more bedtime video for him. He remembered that on Sunday and played toys while Yang watched videos - good for him! - though he peeked here and there. When Yang can be reasoned with, he will join Kai in playing toys or reading.

But they took more than an hour to fall asleep. First, we read two books - I had to insist on reading each only once. Yang's concept of "last time" needs improvement... But he understood his milk was waiting...! Then they were noisy for a while. Finally convinced Kai to stay quiet while Yang yakked on. Eventually, Yang dropped off to lalaland. As I pushed their beds together to cover the spot on the floor I was sitting on, Kai whispered "goodnight, Mama" - so sweet!!!!!

A random insertion of Yang's 杰作 on Sunday afternoon at Mum's place

Kai and Yang also just finished their first week of K1 and N1 respectively. Kai was very happy to know on Monday that he was going to K1. Yang a little clueless but he knows excitement when he sees it!

Kai: I'm going to K1! I'm going to tell Papa! (Papa was asleep!)

Kai: I'm going to K1. Then I'll go K2.
Mama: Yes, but finish K1 first!

Mama: Yang, you're going to N1 today!
Yang: N1B! (Actually it's N1A..)

And how about Yu? Well, Mum "broke" him - he took the pacifier for more than a few seconds! Hopefully, with that, he may slowly become more open to the bottle...

Pacified on Papa

And he can hold his head up high!

Though he can flop down quickly too. Grow stronger, my boy!

And we finally place the baby gym permanently in the kids' room on 30 Nov. Yu spends some time there kicking around every day. He will stare at the toys and try to hit them - purposefully or accidentally? Not sure yet!

The big boys like to crowd around Yu on the baby gym

Oh, how about the parents? Both still tired. Sito still has a headache. I still have my backache. End of report :p

Not really la... We have a few updates too!

Sito celebrated his birthday with his three boys :)

Then we had a little couple time (plus baby)

Another shot at the Taka tree!

Last shot at Taka tree back in 2007! Spot the difference?!

And then of course we had our little anniversary do. Sito will be clearing leave in the last two weeks of December. Looking forward to more couple time!