Baby of the family

It was PSLE listening comprehension on Tuesday so no school for P1-5. I went back to bed after sending off Kai and Yang. Soon, Yu woke and came into our bed.

Somehow, we started looking at his hands. And he told me that Kai said that he's still a baby coz he still has those dimples on his hands.

6 March 2017

Tuesday

Just when we thought that actually Yu wasn't small anymore, he showed us that he's still a baby 💕 

Then yesterday, he came home sad and starving. He didn't have anything to eat during recess coz a boy bumped into him and knocked off his "panko rice" - panko chicken with Japanese curry. The queue was too long for him to buy again. He said he looked at the boy and the boy looked back at him before walking away without even an apology. I think Yu was too shocked to do anything. But he said he was too timid to do anything.

What did he do then? Cried :( He also cried when recounting the incident. This boy cries silent tears. Which are the worst. So poor thing. And so hungry coz he had only a cup of warm milo at home before school and a pack of milk at noon. Luckily it was a shorter day than usual due to P5 oral exams.

Over lunch, we told him that if this should happen again, he should just get a quick snack at a stall with a shorter queue instead of starving. More importantly, call out the boy. Not to expect the boy to compensate for the food but at least he should apologise? And if he should see this happen to other kids, he should step in to help. But again, he said he was too timid *.*

Today, Sito reminded me that this boy could stand up to his big brother who is almost two heads taller. So I told him again to stand up to others too when need be. Don't suffer in silence. He just gave me cute look and said ok 🤔

Maybe he's still too young. Ah well...

When the third term ended and the final term starts...

The Monday after prelims, Yang got all his grades - AL11 in total! All of us were pleasantly surprised! To think that last year or even earlier this year, we were concerned he might go to G2!

But cannot be too happy yet. Sito found a stash of past year PSLE papers in Yang's bag a few days later coz it was the end of term, and they were not pretty... Not pretty at all!

Were the prelims too easy? We shall find out in due time, I suppose... 

In the meantime, studying must continue. The term ended after Teachers' Day celebrations on Thursday, and that afternoon, we started on the first paper of the term break.

Yang had two busy days on Monday and Tuesday - first was a full-day online English bootcamp, and then he had two tuition classes with a 15-min break in between coz the last class of the month would be after PSLE and so was brought forward. 

If Yang can get AL3 like in prelims, we won't send him for English tuition anymore. Kai will also drop English tuition by end of this month as he wants more time for self study instead.

Then on Wednesday, while I accompanied Yu to a playdate far far away, Yang had a tooth extracted as it was shaking but didn't look like it was coming off. He had been trying to shake it for some days and eventually decided on Tuesday that he would have a dentist take it out. Better not let it dangle during PSLE! 

Sito said he was so brave - the dentist thought it wasn't very shaky and suggested anaesthetic injection but Yang didn't want the injection so he just had numbing gel! Yang's own recount was so funny - he said he stared at the light above and pretended he was dead, and then he raised his palms up, saying "ohm"!!

Apparently, the dentist was very good with kids

Sito said his hands were tense but he didn't make a sound during the extraction, but he couldn't stop talking after that, bloody and all! He was all fine by the time I came back with Yu but his dinner was only ice cream 🤦‍♀️ 

Somehow this one extraction was way more expensive than Kai's two last year. Maybe Kai saw a hygienist that day. Not sure but I'll check it out one of these days.

Now, Yu also had ice cream. He started on a Magnum mini two minutes before our ride arrived, and finished it off just before getting into the car. I told him to hold on to the wrap to throw the stick in, but right after he was done, I realised he wasn't holding the wrap in his other hand - it was another Magnum mini!!!

So pleased!

His friend's mum was very kind, bought a lot of snacks for the kids and told them to eat more so this boy took one more... That one more was eaten after we got off the car at Bishan. He wanted Macs for dinner. Ok since Sito also packed Macs for Kai. But instead of cabbing back to the Macs near home, we cabbed to Bishan for Macs then took MRT home, saving transport costs and walking time, yeah!

In fact, that morning, I also split my usual frozen meat purchase to make full use of vouchers while still getting free shipping. 

Gosh, I must be getting smarter. Hahahaha!

Another reason for taking out the tooth? Swensen's Unlimited on Thursday!

Four of them made sundaes; I prefer my MSW ice cream neat :) Though I also had a croffle with chocolate ice cream, just to satisfy cocoa cravings...

And yes, Yang could eat more than ice cream by then. He seemed to have eaten more than usual that day. Maybe hunger debt from day before :p I gave them frozen dumplings for lunch - Yang ate 10 out of 24! Kai and Yu had six each so Sito had only two but well, he wasn't hungry. I had my usual overnight oats. Didn't sound like a lot but Swensen's Unlimited is always an early dinner for us.

Piano at MRT station was available, finally!

I ran out of chicken leg for curry on Friday so I used beef shabu but it was a small pack. We had some fish fingers on Tuesday and I kept the sieved oil. It smelled super non-neutral (!) so I used it again to cook the last box of fish fingers to top up their protein. Then the oil went into an empty peanut butter can to be dumped - I loved keeping some cans aside to help contain excess oil or gravy to dump. Must keep my drain clear and my rubbish chute clean...

Saturday was a busy day for me - baking in the morning as I would be taking Yang for Chinese on Sunday. The revision schedule was set when we didn't know whether Sito would need to accompany Kai to chess NST on Sunday. In the end, Sito only sent him up a Grab ride. But it's ok. We had cake for tea on both Saturday and Sunday!

Also sent a quarter butter cake to Jo on our way out. Somehow the three boys ended up going with me. Yu even stroked her cat's furry head; he was so pleased!

We still borrowed some library books despite PSLE coz Yu can read quite a lot and Yang wanted some relaxing reading... Then it was our usual dinner at Eighteen Chefs - our new fave at Clementi now that Swensen's is gone... The boys attacked the brownie and ice cream dessert like vultures 🤦‍♀️

Next was Popular. The kids like to play with the display phones there but our purpose this time was to get a new calculator for Kai - his is cracked. How? Dropped. Squashed between books. No idea. Tried to find a Singapore map but they don't sell it anymore. If I order one online, it will be sent folded so I'm not too keen...

Sito, Kai and Yang had their hair cut; Yu thought his was ok so we would wait until before his exams.  While waiting for their turn, the boys watched Kai play phone games. It was only after Kai had gone into the salon that I managed to draw Yu away to the pasar malam stall to check his size for new underwear! I thought his current ones were a little too snug round his chubbiness...

On this trip, we were sad to discover that our fave value shop where we got snacks and random foodstuff was closing! In fact, that was our last trip there. Sighs. Where to find such cheap stuff in future??

One last stop - Macs. Promised them kyoho grape ice cream cone. Sito and I shared one too. Oooh, so good!

With Kai away, Yang and Yu had full control of the Nintendo. So they decided to stay in to play and wait for us to pack dinner for them instead of going out with us. And they agreed to have cai fan!

They finished everything, yeah!

Sweet and sour pork, steamed eggs and beansprouts. At first, Yu wanted lady's fingers (my suggestion) but when he heard about beansprouts from Yang, he changed his mind. He had also wanted curry vege but that stall doesn't do curry vege. So that day, four of us had cai fan!

Kai had Macs with a friend after NST near the venue, and took public transport back on his own. It was rather late by the time he got back from Pasir Ris!

With that, the term break ended. And we're now in full combat mode - 闭关修炼！Only going to school and the grands' place before PSLE. Last lap already 💪💪💪

古人的智慧？

Yesterday was the final gathering at AhYee's place for the year. Usually we have four - CNY, 清明，and the two death anniversaries of the grands. I think once we had an extra one when Yan was back with her family.

This time, the turnout was smaller than usual. MY, YQ and XW, SanGu and family were overseas. LY didn't mention but his family was not there too. I was there on my own as it was our fortnightly visit to the kids' grands. It was quieter. 

And I had a revelation. 

Such praying occasions are not really for the dead. They are for the living to come together as an extended family. Such is the wisdom of the ancients, no?

I really enjoy chatting with the extended family. Sometimes we talked about funny things in the past, sometimes we asked about travel plans and tips.

So I bear with all the incense smoke. To say I'm not a fan of our neighbour's twice daily incense burning is an understatement. But I can deal with it once in a while, at such praying occasions or at temples. Just don't get too close for too long. 

I was amazed at this!

AhYee said YQ also knows how to do it. Later at home, I learnt that Sito also knows how - for exam scripts!! And better, while watching AhYee, I suddenly remember how we used to help Mother fold the incense paper into tubes tucked in the ends and throw into a big bag to bring downstairs to burn! 

The offerings yesterday

The table wasn't filled as we had fewer people. Notice the pair of shoes at the back? For Grams :) One thing is missing though - her 3-in-1 kopi! Oops...

I was so full... Was chatting with Mother at the dining table when food coma attacked. We went into the bedroom with the rest and continued chatting in aircon comfort. 

When we left, everyone packed something home. I was happy to pack more bah zangs hahaha! And some snacks plus a box of jelly (not in picture coz not an offering) that was meant for MY but Mother didn't know she was overseas coz she still doesn't have a phone and hence no WhatsApp *.*

Vivid dreams

I tend to get vivid dreams. Some dreams are epic; if I could remember the details, I could write a book! Some are short. Some are repeated. Some evoke strong feelings - at least once, I shouted myself awake. Some are forgettable; vivid while dreaming but ultimately forgotten. 

Thursday night, I had two dreams in which I was showering. Actually, trying to shower. I don't think I have had two similar dreams in one night before. 

In the first, I settled the kids (very young and only the first two) and decided to take a shower. But I barely closed the door to the super big bathroom (I don't know where we were!) when a burly man entered with a toddler in his arms, saying he had to bathe the kid.

I was taken aback - no, you wait for your turn! But no, he went ahead into a small room in the bathroom.

That wasn’t all. More people came in for various things! I was so upset I started screaming - “Ahhh! Get out!”

Twice. I screamed twice. Think Sito tried to get those people out.

Anyway, I woke up. Didn’t scream myself awake. I just woke.

Second dream was in a hotel. Maybe coz Thursday evening, I was just chatting with Yan about Beijing, where we - my family - took two adjacent hotel rooms. So in the dream, I settled the kids in one room, and went to the other room to shower.

It was a very old-looking bathroom. Quite bare. No shampoo or shower gel in sight. But there was a CCTV in a ceiling corner! Ah well, already naked. Keep going…!

Found a bottle of shampoo in the vanity cabinet. Just pumped some into my hands to lather my hair when I heard a knock on the hotel door and the door opened!

Wa, very angry!!

Next moment, Yu was on my bed. It was 7.18 am.

And thus started my Friday, day one of term break!