Friday 21 February 2020

CCA for Kai and forgotten homework

Kai didn't want to take up a CCA last year. This year, I tried again. I took one afternoon - yeah to part-time! - to go through the list with him. I thought he could go for swimming; it's way cheaper than his current lessons and can free up our Sunday mornings if I stop Yang's lessons until primary school!

But this boy of mine isn't too keen on sports. We saw chess club and I encouraged him to go for it. It starts taking students from only primary two coz it's a good time to start. And he has been playing chess and xiangqi for a while since last year. I think he wasn't too keen on a CCA but eventually, he agreed to try.

The first session took place on Wednesday. The week before, he was fine at first as he realised that his best friend T was in chess club too. Then, he became a bit more whiny etc whenever I mentioned chess club coz he thought it was held at the secondary school side, "but I'm not in secondary school!" On Wednesday morning, he finally said that he was worried.

My poor boy has been experiencing anxiety! And there I was, thinking he was whiny :(

My heart went out to him but we had to prepare to leave the house. So I recalled the parenting koyok I sell, and spoke with him nicely to get ready and we would talk more on the way.

So we did.

I flashed out the app with the instructions on where chess club would be held - his classroom! And a note from the school talking about staggered recess and lunch. So it turned out that he misunderstood his teacher when she told them about seating arrangements for recess and lunch during COVID-19 period - his class had been assigned to sit at the secondary school.

So all was well. I packed fried rice for his recess and gave him $2 for lunch.

I left the office later than usual to pick him up. I got there 15 min earlier so I sat at the bus stop to read, and got to the gate at 414 pm. Kids were just starting to stream out; most onsite CCA, like his, ends at 4.15 pm. But there was no sign of Kai.

Then I got a call from the general office.

Kai: Where ARE you?

So rude *.*

Turned out that he was a bit early and didn't see me so he went straight to the general office. Ok, at least he followed SOP!

I was glad to hear that he enjoyed chess club, even though T missed school and wasn't there that day. He played with a couple of his classmates and a boy from another class.

I was dismayed, however, to hear that he had crisps and milo for lunch! My poor boy must be hungry! So I brought him for some chow - he looked so happy but going by his comment that the burger tasted like potato, I got the idea that it wasn't terribly yummy, hoho!

Happy boy!


We managed to squeeze in one round of spelling practice after his shower before I had to fetch his brothers. After dinnertime madness, I sent them to bed. Sito was away so I let Yang and Yu go to our bed. At 8.30 pm, Kai came in to say that he forgot to do homework!

mf: Must you hand it in tmr?
Kai: Yes!
mf: Chinese issit?
Kai: Yes!
mf: Too bad - it is bedtime. You just have to do it in school before assembly time.
Kai: But one part needs parents!
mf: ...
Kai: I know! We can do it on the bus!

Ok!

And I woke at 6 am ytd to find him eating breakfast and doing homework at the same time. My conscientious boy! Love love! :)

So I played my part and asked him to show me the part for parent participation. And lucky I did coz it required a square paper, cutting and pasting! He couldn't do it the first time round and had to redo. There was another similar one but we had no time so too bad for him!

Kai did the rest of his homework on the bus


Coz I was worried when he couldn't follow instructions the first time round so when I got back ytd, I had him do a similar piece. He could do it. When asked, he said he couldn't do it in the morning coz I was rushing him *.* Ok, my fault :(

He attempted to teach me chess ytd. I was so confused - no words like xiangqi!!! To think that was the bigger set which I bought just last week as he had to bring his own set for chess club and his first set was quite tiny. We played again today - I still couldn't tell a few things apart *.*

Sunday 16 February 2020

My cleaning boys

Some time last month, I told Kai it was high time he did his own dishes. So after dinner, I showed him how to throw food scraps and wash up.

Throwing food scraps


Soaping it up!


And Yang had homework this weekend - household chores! He wrote three things in his list - making his bed, washing dishes and sweeping. He had to do that for three days. Yesterday was the third. He did not make his bed today haha! But he didn't sweep the floor yesterday so he had to do it this morning.

Proud owner of a well-made bed


Reaching for the soap, wearing his PJ top and... underwear! That's why I took the pic from this angle :p


I don't know a cuter dishwasher :)


Sweeping bread crumbs


Of course he had to be a witch!


Kai's enthusiasm has started waning. Will try to encourage him further, even though it takes a lot of soap and water when these kids wash dishes!

Monday 10 February 2020

Ending the LNY with crazy shopping

Sito and I like to go to the supermarket at the end of our regular date night just to look around and perhaps stock up on stuff. But we had a shock last Friday - there was no basket available and the last trolley was just taken away. Sito thought they sent them for sanitising while I thought perhaps they were being wheeled back at the moment....

But no, Sito discovered snaking queues! Must be due to the evening announcement on DORSCON orange. The Singaporean kiasuism was out in full force!

We have a steamboat party the next day so we really needed food. I sent Sito to queue while I picked the goods. Also wanted to buy some stuff to prepare Kai's recess food - new initiative! - but gosh, cans were almost out, pasta was almost out! New initiative could wait...

The next day, I had wanted to swing by the supermarket after Yamaha to get prawns which weren't available on Friday night. But Yang had a tummy ache so we missed Yamaha. I agreed to bring Yu to the supermarket while Yang was on the throne. Yu was such a good boy! Of course he wanted this and that but he was ok - not exactly pleased - to put them back.

Helping to push the basket when the queue moved


"What is that?" (Shampoo!)


I had to go to the supermarket again on Sunday coz we needed milk. But luckily, the queues were normal - thanks to PM coming out to speak the evening before? Hope people don't waste all the instant noodles and toilet rolls they bought......

We spent a quiet day at home coz the boys were quite happy to watch TV! Oops... Though Kai got impatient after a while and kept asking when AhYe and AhMa were arriving.

Fruit yusheng!


I had yusheng four times this year, none with fish haha! But it's the crackers that I love... And the plum sauce... Oooh...

Steamboat spread!


Our second steamboat this year :) Kai surprisingly wanted more beef slices - eat more, my skinny boy! Yang wanted to cook shabu pork belly like last time and this time, I was able to take pictures and video :) But he didn't eat as much as last round - was it the soup? Yu also didn't eat as many fishballs and meatballs as I thought he would. Perhaps it was the Paw Patrol!!

Yang was just tall enough to see what he was doing :)


And so there we are - end of the 15 days of LNY! By this time next year, I hope the boys would have a more adventurous palate and be able to sit with us at the dining table during steamboat, yeah!

Mouldy bread experiment

I've wanted to do this for some time. Finally decided the time had come when one evening at the door, Yu told me he didn't need to wash his hands before dinner coz he didn't touch anything. BUT! He touched the railings in lifts, the floor at various parts of our journey home and his shoes, and I don't know what else!

So I told them to wait for me while I dashed into the kitchen to grab some ziplock, washed and dried my hands. We gathered at the dining table, and I took out the last three slices of bread in the pack - one to bua their unwashed hands (ok now go wash with soap and come back!), one to bua their washed hands and one went straight into the bag.

Dirty hands, clean hands, no hands


At the advice of some friends, I bua-ed water on the "dirty hands" slice to hasten mould development which is supposedly slower on factory sliced bread, and on a later day, threw in a new slice bua-ed with their phones. I did the latter right in front of Kai, who was the only one at home then.

You can see that some mould had already formed on "dirty hands" in three days!


The kids came to the desk to look at the bread periodically. Today, there was plenty of mould on "dirty hands", some on "phones" and still none on "clean hands"! So it was time. At dinner time today, I did a little debrief. Kai was largely expressionless but Yang and Yu's face said YUCKS! So glad to hear Yang say that we should wash hands before dinner!

Successful! 


Four became three? Well, I had to throw the "no hands" away earlier this pm coz it was mouldy!! Since "clean hands" was fine, my conclusion is that the bottom slice of the loaf must have been a bit damp in the first place. I'd always thought the bottom brown part looked a bit shiny... Perhaps that means we shouldn't eat that slice!

My control was no control!


Read about an experiment done by a teacher somewhere. They had a slice with hand sanitiser - it went mouldy too! I never like hand sanitiser.. I mean, eat with dead germs on my hands??! :p

Sunday 2 February 2020

Mind reading kid, non-mind reading mama

One night, while I was lying next to cutie pie Yang, I wanted to gu ji him :p But I know he doesn't like that too much.

mf: What’s the armpit used for?
Yang: It's for connecting the body!

I did not expect that!

mf: Yes! You’re right!

And he went on to tell me about body parts as his friend's doctor mum came to school to share about body parts recently. Then I can’t remember now whether he offered it or I asked:

Yang: The armpit is also used for gu ji *big smile*
mf: It is! Haha! Actually, that was what I was thinking about. You read my mind!
Yang: Yes, I read your mind *big smile*

I also had a big smile :)

Then yesterday we were talking about fave rides in Legoland on our way to Yamaha. He gave a long list of rides and then asked me to read his mind and tell him the last one on his mind. Eh, I cannot read minds la...

On our way home from Yamaha a few weeks back - that's his solo time with Mama :)


Dong dong qiang!

The mall started playing LNY songs almost right after Christmas. I like hearing festive songs but unfortunately, they chose a set with English translation... Just so weird... Bring back the good old Chinese dong dong qiang songs!

We had our first date night in a month on 17 Jan - looks like Chinatown but it was the bazaar downstairs!


They were selling LNY decorations. There was also a pasar malam - same old food but we like it! Even Kai likes the kebab, oooh, kebab!

Met the God of Fortune on their way home on Saturday!


No pictures of the boys in traditional clothes this year coz Yang and Yu had their LNY celebrations in school early, on Tuesday, and I forgot to ask A to take pictures :( And Kai decided not to wear traditional clothes to school coz "I'm not a baby anymore" so yup, here we go!

This year, I started preparations late coz I thought I had one more week before LNY! So we started eating late too :p Kai started bringing some pineapple tarts to school the few days before LNY. On Thursday when I was on MC, I came back after sending Kai to school to find that Yu had helped himself to love letters given to us by our neighbour.

Afternoon tea on LNY eve 


Sito went straight to Mum's place from work while A and I brought the kids on the train. Dinner was steamboat, yeah! Yu ate so many fishballs!

Handsome boys trying to do chin up


Yang plays Cooking Mama for the first time; Yu: "I watch XiaoGeGe play"


"I watch Papa play"


Happy to wear new pyjamas!


Yang was trying to crack groundnuts while Yu was trying to crack melon seeds! But they didn't really like it. I had fun showing them though, especially the groundnut earrings :p LNY eve is the one day in a year when the boys get to stay up late. Kai fell asleep first. We had to send Yang and Yu to bed when Yang started crying after I changed channels - cranky already!

Big sleeping baby


While Mama took photos with/of the little brothers


Who is this baby hiding under ong lai's??


Our LNY family shot - plenty of pineapples!


They insisted on helping :)


Kai brought along his chess set for bai nian challenge, hoho!


Yu wanted a drink and Kai called it Yeo's! Hello, that's the brand; the drink is chrysanthemum tea ok...


Ah Yee bought kid-friendly snacks for them, and my three monkeys ate more than half a pack and even packed some in our bag!


Seeing his boys eat so much of it, Sito tried it too and found it yummy!


Three ong lai's eating corn biscuits and enjoying a game on Papa's phone


Lunch was amazing!


Getting tips from BiaoJiu to fight against JiuJiu


Yu wanted to go to the playground but was coaxed into a nap


Finally the playground!


Fruity yusheng with abalone at Mum's place


Another evening in our room with photos


Yu noticed new pyjamas on us both


Kai looks like a little round baby here!


Little grey riding hood! But the kids said it must be red *.*


We brought the kids for a movie on the second day. We had wanted to go to Vivocity so that we could take the cable car. But the first Wuhan virus case stayed at Sentosa so we changed to Orchard instead.

Waiting for 190 to go to town!


We were early and the kids were dashing about at the cinema level. Yu was also whining for popcorn. Sito asked me, "Whatever possessed you to bring them for a movie?!" Hoho!

When it was time to go in, Yang remembered to take a booster seat - he had that when we watched plays. So all three brought a booster seat in. Yu was the last boy to walk in, but a few steps in, he turned around saying, "I don't want to watch anymore!" He was afraid of the dark theatre! Luckily, it didn't take much to convince him that there would be light soon.

Yu happily eating popcorn


Two similar expressions and one busy with popcorn


We didn't know that Shaun the Sheep was a wordless movie. But just as well coz Yu could understand it! He just sat there watching and eating and laughing - super cute! Kai and Yang looked like they enjoyed it too. So did the parents. It was a fun little show, and until now, we're still going lula (the alien baby), mima (alien mummy) and bubu (alien daddy) :)

We couldn't agree on a lunch place after the movie. Ended up buying some snacks from Isetan and finishing it outside. Kai didn't eat much as usual while Yang and Yu finished up the chicken and squid.

Yu insisted on sitting by himself on the way home


Making funny faces after his good-boy face


I think we opened hongbao on the second day before leaving for the movie. Yu was busy with the TV while Kai and Yang slowly opened theirs while watching TV... Yang didn't say much. When Kai took out a $10 note, he said, "Wow, somebody gave me $10!" When he found two $10 notes, he thought it was very generous! I was very pleased to hear that and yet a little anxious about what he would think of the $10 when he got to the $50 notes... His reaction was a little muted - not sure if it was the TV or shock :p

But the next day, when our neighbour popo gave them hongbao, something interesting happened. Yang opened it once he got inside, and said, "Only $10!" Kai heard him and said $10 was a lot coz he had to take 10 days to save that much! I was so pleased to hear that! :)

We spend the third day at home. Finally managed to find all the key pieces to rebuild Yu's choo choo train! He brought it to nap, during which it started to rain - we were happy coz we had prepared for steamboat, yeah!

Plenty of Lego pieces everywhere


I moderated the amount this time, heh :p


Yu had a meltdown just before dinner coz of movie selection. When he finally calmed down to eat, he ate a lot of fishballs. Later, he insisted on a garlic cashew and got upset with the taste. He kept wiping his tongue and saying yucky. Nothing could take the taste away. After a while, he puked out some water.

After showering, he complained that his tummy was painful. I gave him oil and tried to help him sleep. But just as I put him horizontally in my arms, he made an uncomfortable sound and puked out his dinner all over himself! After a shower, he managed to go to sleep.

But later, he woke and asked for milk. I thought he might be hungry and gave him a little. But when we went back to bed, he cried about painful tummy again. I just helped him stand when he puked again! This time, the base of his mattress got wet. Sito carried Kai and Yang to our bed so that we could turn on the lights to clean. Thankfully, that was the last of this puke series.

With the public holidays over, we still feel a bit festive coz we eat goodies every day! I think this year, Sito outdid me on the pork floss rolls that Mother made :p

Wednesday night, when we happily brought tubs of LNY goodies to eat in bed! :)


The annual gathering of the pioneer population colleagues today was cancelled coz duty called for at least two of them - probably to do with the Wuhan virus. So I unpacked all the hongbao and cleared up the desk while the kids were watching TV. I guess that's the end of this LNY season! Though just this morning, the kids were asking how long it was. I told them it was supposed to be 15 days. I'm looking forward to the 15th day - planning for a steamboat :)