No more helper!!

I remember we started considering a helper around the time of our second miscarriage in 2013. That was a factor. Also, I thought Kai should graduate from cereals, bread and bites of my cai png to a more proper dinner *.*

Y left after just under two years, I think right after Yang turned one. She wanted to come back later as her then employer's house was too big *.* But I didn't want to change. Later, she texted me again, as I had mentioned previously that I might get two helpers in future with more kids. But this helper room is even smaller than before! In any case, I didn't need a second one after all. What I didn't say was, my boys were older and I didn't wish them to see her dressing on her day off! 

N stayed with us until Dec 2019. I would have let her stay but for her off day request after getting married. She later had issues with her new employer and left. No sound from her for two years until the Tik Tok incident. 

I was planning to tell A about not renewing contract towards the end of November. But I saw on MOM's website that I could only extend her work permit for four weeks; it was eight weeks when I checked a few months back! This meant she needed to start looking for transfer earlier. So I decided to tell her in mid November, after I finished a key item at work instead she just upped and left! Just nice she also commented that her work permit was expiring that Saturday morning when I was baking; I told her we would speak later.

While the kids were playing Nintendo, I told her I wouldn't be renewing her contract as I wouldn't be working the next year, and asked her if she wanted to go back or transfer. She decided to transfer directly to a new employer. I extended her work permit for four weeks and went to a Facebook page and linked a few employers to her directly for interviews. All settled within two hours!

The next morning over Yakun breakfast, when we were cuddled around the small tables, I told them we wouldn't have a helper anymore, and sought their cooperation to help out in housework and eating well. They were so nice about it - Kai said he would help with housework, Yang said he would mop, and Yu said he would fold clothes! :)

I liaised with the new employer on the transfer. Took two weeks before we sorted out the consent coz she did it wrongly the first time round. In these two weeks, A came to ask me why she could not continue working here. Um, coz we could not communicate??! Nah, I didn't say that but I told her - again - that I wouldn't be working from next year so I wouldn't need a helper.

The MOM approval took a while but it arrived. I had already started preparing for the day - bought replacements for various household things (e.g. frying pans which got damaged very easily over here) and also new items that I want to use (e.g. steam cleaner). Also sorted out my daily, weekly and monthly tasks, and decided on a new laundry routine.

A left 5 pm on Monday, 20 Dec 2021. For the first time in over eight years, we had only family in the house :)

And then for the first time in over eight years too, I ironed clothes and washed toilets :p

But it was quite tiring the first few days - had to clean the yard room, paint the walls (why were they brown and grey?!) and shift things into the yard room, on top of regular cleaning and feeding the family. Two days of leave were not enough. I had to go back to work but I managed to settle more household stuff as I was on half-day leave mostly - clearing leave!

For some strange reason, my hamstrings hurt madly. I mean, I painted with my arms leh :p Got better with massage from my four boys. And then Robot-kun came to help! Failed to map it on Christmas eve coz it got stuck in the toilet etc - turned out that it must start and end at the dock in order to create a map. Finally did it on Christmas day!

Map of our house, excluding toilets, kitchen, yard and balconies

So far, I've used it to vacuum all floors and mop only the tiled floors, and even let it run to the kitchen - just have to watch it a bit as the cabinet height is such that the robot could get stuck! Maybe I'll wring out the cloth more and try mopping the parquet floors on low water setting...

So that's one C - cleaning... Children - still the same, haha! Cooking - totally outsourced except for our Saturday porridge. Clothes are the worst - laundry every day! And somehow, I automatically wake at 6-ish every morning to hang up the clothes *.* Good thing is they dry very quickly if it doesn't rain; I don't have to wait for more sun in the afternoon!

I now need a fifth C - chill! Seriously salute full-time working parents with no help! I'm looking forward to settling into a new routine with work out of the way :)