Reading

We went to the library at Clementi this morning and got Yu his library card!

Both Kai and Yang received their library card as their first birthday gift. They have not used their card yet. A lack of interest from Kai is one thing. We have also not been going to the library much, oops. But today, I used Yu's card to borrow seven books coz 2016 babies all get a goodie bag for borrowing six books! And did I mention the library card is a special edition too?

The goodie bag - yellow library card at bottom right

The bag which comes with a zip is perfect to use as a library bag. I remember that when I was a kid, we would utilise all five cards to borrow 20 books! Can't remember how many bags we used! Now, each card can borrow eight books! But the loan period remains at three weeks.

Yu reading a book on trucks

After getting his card, I nursed him before reading a book on trucks to him. But I barely snapped the photo before he got all grumpy and rejected the book, refusing to even sit still. So I quickly grabbed some books, redeemed his goodie bag and left. Think we spent more time nursing than reading *.*

This evening, I read a book with dinosaurs to the two at dinner time. They loved it! Then I read a Chinese book 小手不是用来打人的 to Yang - it's clear why I borrowed this book hoho! - while Kai was showering.

Our kiddy bookshelf is at the bottom left side of our desk, with books stored with their binders facing out. But for children, it's better to show the whole front cover. We have no such display shelf but we have a long TV bench so I lined them up for them to discover in the morning :)

Hope they like the surprise bookshelf!

Oh, I read them all just now :p

But I really should go find an age-appropriate book to read. I'm now in the very long queue for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I'm fifth in line; think I started at eighth in November!!

Anyway, hope this first loan of kiddy books from the library would mark a long, regular and frequent relationship between the boys and the library. I started reading at primary two I think. We would make the trek to the AMK library every three weeks and spent the whole morning queueing to return books, looking for books and queueing to borrow them. Back then, the borrowing queue was so long that sometimes I would finish a couple of books in the queue and hurried to grab replacements!

By secondary school, think the system improved to a kiosk instead of a manned counter. CY and I used to go to the library together every two weeks and had KFC after that haha! Can't remember how we decided on KFC already!! But somewhere along the line, we stopped going to the library... But I continued to borrow from NJ library. I think I also borrowed from the Oxford Public Library before - can't remember for sure!!

My working life didn't include many books, unfortunately, until I discovered Overdrive a couple of years back. It's the only way I could fit reading into my life. I can use only one hand, while nursing, while going to work, while eating. I've always been a fiction reader. Or science - I borrowed things like astronomy books way back. But on Overdrive, I also read other works of interest, like Alibaba, which turned out to be very interesting!!

Lately, I haven't been reading much. Yu's nursing sessions are getting really short. And I seem to have never-ending things to do when I'm not busy with Yu! Ok, blogging is one culprit :p Shall try to read more from next week!

Update 10 Feb 2017

Laying out the books in plain sight is useful! The boys pick up the books in the morning and just now :) Hope their interest lasts :)

Three things/incidents:

1) I read a simple Chinese book to Kai this morning and asked him to read it himself, basically reciting from memory. He said he didn't know Chinese so he retold the story in English! *.* Well, at least he understood the story.. Need to motivate him to speak more Mandarin...

2) One part of another book saw a snake saying that he couldn't cover his ears. I asked Kai why. He said coz he didn't have hands, giving me a look that said "isn't it obvious....?"

3) Yang listened to the stories but he was also very interested in the pictures. He asked what this and that were. Just now, he even counted windows in the Chinese book - all the way to 15 in angmoh-accented Mandarin!

Out came the jotter books!

Kai has been learning how to sound and spell short words like jet, pet, mat, fat, cat, dog. He wanted to write so I bought another pack of 10 jotter books, this time with lines. I had him write his own name himself on the cover of his first jotter book.

Kai writing :)

Yang wanted to draw so he took a plain jotter book. I held his hand to write his name on the cover. He couldn't hold a pencil in the correct way so I taught him. But most times he still uses the wrong way of grabbing the pencil like he was going to stab himself *.*

He did very well despite the pencil grip - after drawing what looked like a circle, he told me it was a face or something and proceeded to draw the eyes, nose and a smiling face! I don't think Kai could do that at 2.5yo. I should take a picture of that later...

Then he climbed up to point the letters and pictures to me

Today, Kai took a plain jotter book as well but drew spiders on the bench, cute but argh!

I'm looking forward to more writing and drawing from my boys! :)

Sleep, potty training, saliva and more

Ok, this is a japalang post...

Just now, I was sitting in the kids' room with Kai and Yang. I started singing Rock-a-Bye Baby when Kai decided that he wanted the Chinese song coz he's a Chinese boy - I was so happy he said that! So I switched to 摇啊摇 but Yang wanted the Enggish (sic) one! So I alternated between the two.

After a while, I remembered the Cantonese song so I sang that, and Kai sang part of a verse with me! I wondered if he remembered it from before coz he used to sing along a bit.. And Yang asked me what's a-ba :)

Kai's sleep pose which I find very sweet

Yang's sleep pose - who's da boss?!

Yu's current sleep pose - with an arm dangling behind!

On 1 February, Kai came back to say "It's February?" Yes, my boy :) He has learnt months of the year but he is still refusing to learn how to read time!

Mum was busy on Friday so we practised divide-and-conquer - I went to get Kai at 3 pm for a surprise ice cream treat and Novi fetched Yang by 6 pm.

Sayang baby didi before eating his ice cream

He wanted to stay there to play with his toys

But we left soon after coz Yu was fussing... And that night, I had the Sad Sleep Story with Yang...

Let's start with Thursday... Yu was sleeping in his bed. When Yang went in for his milk, he went to sayang him, which was lovely except that he woke Yu. It was difficult to set Yu down so I was pissed. As a punishment, I had him sleep on his own instead of having N accompany him. It just so happened that Kai said he wanted to sleep too so the two of them stayed inside.

While I was settling Yu in my room, I heard so much happy noise from the next room, which meant they were not sleeping! When Yu went down, I told his brothers to go bed, cane in hand. Then I sat on the sofa right outside the kids' room with the cane on my lap, watching Kai and Yang on the camera and tapping the door with the cane every time Yang stood up on his bed looking towards the door, which was just about every five seconds.

A few times, both came out saying they wanted water. Couldn't deny them so I promised that the first to fall asleep would get a chocolate the next morning. At first, it looked like I'd just offered a deadweight incentive to the older boy who understood incentives more than his brother did! But when Yang stopped trying to come out, he fell asleep very quickly while Kai was still tossing! Eventually Kai slept.

Yang getting up again!

Kai still tossing after Yang fell asleep

At 9 pm, Yu woke for milk. At the same time, Yang woke and sat on his bed to cry. I was so torn! I needed to feed Yu but I also wanted to sayang Yang! Given how he seemed closer to N, I wanted the opportunity to sayang him to fall on me rather than N. But it was so hard coz Sito was having late nights and I don't let helpers handle infants.. Eventually, he got up to get N into the room, sighs...

So, Friday. I thought Yang managed to fall asleep last night without an adult. So I tried again though I offered myself to sit in with them rather than to not have anyone at all. At first, Yang was ok but after he finished his milk, we began an epic struggle - me sitting behind the door and he crying and pushing/pulling me to try to get out the door to find N. I ended up sitting there crying with him for some time. Then finally, no choice, I let him go out.

I reviewed the past year odd of outsourcing his bedtime to N. Within months, he would rather have N than me accompany him to bed. This means it would take more months for him to let me take him to bed coz he's older now.

So Saturday morning, instead of trying to settle Yu back to sleep, we just got up and had breakfast together; Yu could nap later. Then I dumped Yu with Sito and sent the boys to school - spend more time with them plus reduce their time spent with N. Will send them every morning from now. I had a gathering with G they all but came back earlier than expected and managed to send them to bed for nap time though they ended up not napping; think Yang had a snooze in school already.

So three of us had quiet time until 3 pm while Sito took care of Yu; no point having N take care of Yu coz we would just create a similar problem down the road. I was very tired though; I kept closing my eyes as sleep attempted to overcome me but Yang told me to open them coz he couldn't see me hoho! When Yu was up, I carried him and sat with his brothers outside until it was time to feed. This morning, Yu had a long nap, which allowed me to spend more time with Kai and Yang.

Ziplock bag painting this morning while Yu was sleeping

Evenings will be tough. I'll have to handle Yu coz Mum won't be able to stay late while Sito probably won't be back early. This means I'll continue to outsource Yang to N at bedtime. But I've decided that if Yu can be put in my bed, I'll go sit with Yang and N until he falls asleep. Kai is easier - I can settle Yu before sitting with Kai.

This will be super tough when I start work but I'll take it one step at a time. I remind myself I have a bottle of Yomeishu lying around at home!!

In happier news about Yang, I think he is finally fully potty trained, yeah!! His teacher told us to let him wear underwear to school. Most days, he remain dry. So we switched to underwear at home as well. Day time was mostly fine, though once he pooped in his underwear!!!! Kai came in to tell me Yang pooped on the floor. I went out to find a lump on the floor! And then saw his underwear.... The next time Yang said "my poo poo is coming out!", we wasted no time haha!

As for night, for a long while in January, he was dry when wearing diapers but wetted his bed the moment we switched to underwear! We were washing bedsheets like mad! But around LNY, he finally stayed dry for more than a couple of nights. I think we can call it a success :) The next step is to reach Kai's stage - he can pee standing, get up at night to go pee in the dark and go right back to sleep. We still need Kai to reach his next stage - wipe his poop! - but I'm sure we'll get there...

Now to the littlest one...

Yu has cute fleshy big toes!

I know he was curling his toes now but when he relaxes, the fleshy bit looks the same - pointed! So cute!

I was half lying down; he was napping on my belly *.*

Crying also cute!

Forgot to secure him for a nap so let him hold his mittens!

So handsome!

Legs in the air!

Love his look in this wefie - why are you pulling your PJs?

All curled up :)

He pulled off suddenly while nursing, resulting in a milk spray on my bed

Very strong boy we have here!

The bib from YX and SF that has seen three boys :)

Now bibs are a regular thing when we go out. I suddenly remember someone told me - when Kai started salivating - that once the baby starts salivating crazily, the mother's hair will start to fall out. Well, his saliva and my hair did start to happen at about the same time, about two weeks ago! This third-time postpartum hairfall is epic - so much hair in the shower though my hair is the shortest this time!

Anyway, perhaps it's time to cut Yu's hair? Na said he looks like toilet brush now...!

孩子，你在想些什么？

刚才在房里抱着宇的时候，看着三个睡梦中的宝宝，突然好奇他们通常在想些什么，有感而发。

*** *** ***

孩子，你在想些什么？
当你推动玩具车的时候
当你向我示玩法的时候
当你拉扯熊宝贝的时候
你，在想些什么？

上学途中一路不停发问
坐在车座椅往窗外凝望
红灯时引发的嚎啕大哭
你，都在想些什么？

泪水已经在眼眶中打滚
满脸泪水鼻涕直扑向我
累了、落单了泣不成声
可怜的你在想些什么？

晚餐碰也不碰光吃空气
含着食物说得口齿不清
不喝不睡吵闹不肯安静
你，又在想些什么？

睡前的故事聊天等程序
倔强逞强不肯合眼安睡
定时醒来呼唤我靠近我
你，还在想些什么？

夜了，暗了，安静了
你们会梦见些什么呢？

I love LNY!

LNY has always been my favourite festival, though I don't remember when Chinese New Year became Lunar New Year but the latter is indeed more accurate!

Was chatting with Sito about LNY the other day, specifically why it was and hence still is so special to me. In my childhood, LNY represented many things that came only once a year:

1) New clothes

Yes, we got new clothes only once a year! Mother used to make matching dresses for MZ and me, at least up until I was in K2 or even lower primary. When we started to buy clothes, we had to almost beg from the sole breadwinner to get some money.

We usually had two days of visiting, first day to my paternal grandmother's place and second day to my maternal grandmother's place, even after they stopped talking (I think). So we had two outfits each. I remember I always bought the same things, probably in increasing sizes (!) - top with/without hood with matching berms and black/nude-coloured shoes coz 容易配! In short, I was super o-biang hoho!

Somewhere along the lines, we stopped going to my paternal grandmother's place altogether; just to Grams' place on the first day. Then only one outfit was necessary. But when I was independent, I almost always bought two outfits. And although I can get new clothes any time I want, I only do so on a - more or less - needs basis. Nothing, really, NOTHING beats having new clothes at LNY!

Once, towards the end of the year, the mum of the boy whom Mother was babysitting gave us a bundle of clothes from her shop, probably last pieces now that I think about it. I picked out a pair of tights and a top, and Mother said that they could be that one set of LNY clothes. I was furious to be robbed of my annual new clothes! I forgot what I said or did but I did eventually get to buy a set. Probably coz my siblings got to buy theirs.

All these years, the only LNYs where I did not get new clothes were when I was overseas. Else, at least the top must be new. This year, I forgot to shop while Sito was on leave in December - I wear Yu everywhere - so I ended up with a $8.90 top I bought online. That's cheaper than the $10 polo tee I got for N *.* Everything was worn before. Ah well...

2) Lion dance!

I seriously like lion dance. There were shops at the void deck so there would always be at least one lion dance. And once we heard the drums, we would fly out of the door to catch the dance! I love to see the lion move and go high up to get the lettuce, but not when it's hunched up on the floor, peeling oranges.

LNY superstition #1: I was in primary two when an orange peel hit my leg as the lion scattered the peel into the crowd after getting up. When I got second in class that year, Mother attributed it to the orange peel *.*

Caught a lion dance troop making the rounds at Paragon today!

3) Hongbao!

When you have to keep asking people for money for 家用 (yes, always asking on Mother's behalf), for school fees coz GIRO failed half the time, for LNY clothes, for school books and supplies etc, you very quickly learn the importance of money.

Most years, I got around $100 worth of hongbao. Once, I went beyond $150 - that was like striking lottery!! It wasn't until JC that I learnt - and wondered - how some people could get three-digit from just one person!!

But the best part - and torturous too - was to queue up for hours at the bank with my bank book to deposit the money. I might have taken some loose change to spend but else, up to the nearest $10 went into the bank. 19 years later, the hongbao money along with various bursary and Edusave awards bought me my first laptop to bring to Oxford.

4) Gathering

We used to meet up fortnightly at Grams' place. Yet, the LNY gathering was somewhat different. Maybe coz everything was nice and festival and everyone was happy, plus we saw more relatives?

But that was then. Now, the LNY is very 难得 coz we no longer meet up regularly after Grams passed away...

5) Food!

Well, it had always been a buffet at Grams' provision shop :p But LNY is different!! First, steamboat for reunion dinner. Granted, it's not that much of a reunion for us haha!! Still, steamboat = no fight. And for years, we had the old school steamboat - you know the sort with charcoal inside the tower in the middle? Ours was the next generation - it looked like it had charcoal inside but was powered by electricity.

At some point, we stopped having steamboat at reunion, probably coz we would have steamboat at Grams' place the next day. Then it got even better - fried spring rolls and/or wantans!!

And then there was the spread at the coffee table - all the candies up for grabs AT HOME! Every eve, Mother would take out candies and stuff and put into festive rotating containers. Come to think of it, I didn't see the containers this year.... Oh, and the annual bak kwa.... OH, AND YU SHENG!!!!

***

My favourite festival also came with various superstitions..

LNY superstition #2: The first day of LNY would dictate how the rest of the year turned out. Since I heard that from Mother, I woke up early on the first day to read whatever story book I had at that time! Two reasons: (1) I wanted to be productive and not lazy; (2) I wanted to do well in my studies but not wanting to read a textbook, I read a story book!

LNY superstition #3: Don't sweep the floor. I think I got that from the show 早安老师！There was a scene where the medicine shop shopkeeper told his DIL to sweep into the house. But it all tied up to why I always saw Mother sweep and mop at night on the eve - she usually did that in the day.

LNY superstition #4: I thought of this as I wrote #3 but now I forgot!!!

Now, I find that some of these superstitions have become habits. I still like to be productive so I wake early on the first day, never mind that it has been "enforced" since Kai came into our life! But I don't ever want to work on the first day so that I might possible do well at work *.*

Spring cleaning is also a habit that has since taken place more than once a year. This year in particular, I had more time being on leave. And I'm also preparing to reduce our stuff for moving. So I have been ruthless in spring cleaning.

As for the children, I have been dutifully collecting their hongbao and putting the money into their own accounts. When they come of age, it will be nice that they have a little sum that they can use for, well, hopefully something as meaningful as their first laptop though I doubt they would get their first that late!

More importantly, I hope that they would come to like LNY as much as I did. Ok, maybe that's tough haha! My number one reason - new clothes - doesn't seem to apply much to boys, especially boys with no shortage of new clothes, as Sito has kindly enlightened me... So hope that they would treasure LNY as a time to catch up with family and enjoy all things festive!

Oh, also hope that Kai will no longer be worried about 年兽 when LNY comes round again!!

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

Happy rooster year from Clan Sito!!

Can see the rooster on Yu's shirt? :) And the Transformers shoes? :) Kai and Yang happily wore them to school right after the LNY weekend.

The boys received hongbao full of chocolate from the school and got all excited about hongbao. They got their hongbao when they woke but found only money inside. Just wait until they learn what money can buy! I forgot to take a picture of Yu receiving his first LNY hongbao though :(

The boys' hongbao

Me and my bub - me dewy (face) not? Used a sample cushion compact for the first time! :p

Went to Mother's place first. Gave Kai and Yang two oranges each for LNY greetings. Yang was shy and Kai was reluctant to greet. When Kai eventually did, the adults laughed and he burst out, "Stop laughing! See? I don't want to say it!" Seemed that he thought we were laughing at him! My poor sensitive boy! I had to explain to him that we laughed coz we were happy, not that we were laughing at him.

Yang liked to look at YQ's fish

This set the stage for the 骗局 later at Ah Yee's place - MZ wanted to carry Yang who refused so she offered to bring him to see the fish. Yang went with her to see... a steamed fish *.*

Happy with Jenny cookies and distributing to the rest

Btw, check out the 40yo blouse on Mother!!! I recognised it immediately - it was one of the many dresses she kept in the wardrobe of my childhood but she had altered it to become a blouse. Back in the day, you tailored your clothes. Apparently she had worn that dress only once...

We were there for a short while, mostly waiting for YQ to return from his girlfriend's place before leaving for Ah Yee's place together. I was nursing Yu when Kai came crashing towards us and knocked into Yu's head! Yu cried out in shock :( When Kai again hit Yu's head accidentally on Tuesday morning, he said it was ok coz he didn't even cry; he "hit his head even harder the other day, at someone's house... at 外婆家" *.*

Yang and Yu fell asleep in the short ride from AMK to TPY. Sito was sitting with Yu as I was driving so he continued to carry him while I carried Yang.

Long time no carry Yang like this!

Yu napped on Sito a lot that day :)

Surprisingly, Yu did not once cry in the car the whole day! But he cried in the car again on Monday. I wonder if he would cry only if it was me sitting with him... But he had cried with Sito before leh... Anyway...

Kai enjoyed the playground!

Source: YQ 

Yang had fun too!

Source: YQ

Three generations of grandparents, parents and children around a homemade ham yusheng with no fish!

Not everyone was present though. A few cousins were overseas or somewhere. Especially missed Yan this year! Catching up doesn't matter to the kids though - they just loitered around the snack table, asked for permission to eat this and drink that, ran around a bit. Hope they'll have fun with and remember their second cousins more as they grow up!

Yang did not nap after the short nap in the car and on me. Kai did not nap at all. At the end of the day, he asked me why he did not nap. I told him I let him stay awake since it was LNY! So by evening, both boys were tired and ready to sleep. We settled Yu and then both Sito and I fell asleep - I last saw the clock at 8.33 pm!!

The two boys who slept for more than 12 hours straight

We stayed in on the second day but we had fun too. The two older boys were all over the place! We also allowed YouTube - coz it was LNY!

What are we watching??

Lion dance!

Actually we heard the lion dance. By the time the music started, the lion was already in the house. It came out only at the end and left. But we were quite lucky to even see it at all now.

Pretending to do the lion dance :)

Let's watch some lion dance and dragon dance too!

They did not forget their baby brother

Rumble tumble!

Then everyone settled down for some TV - including Yu!

Look at what I was treated to bright and early on the third day!!

We headed over to Mum's place for lunch and the kids napped there. Then we set off for Cool de Sac!

Kai knew how to enjoy himself - just run!

Yang needed some handholding and tries before he was convinced to run on his own

He also went on a small slide - very happy face!

He went on the stage too - for fun and to jump off it!

Kai's first few times on the big slide saw him tumbling around

Yang was a natural after going on it with Sito first

Kai gained better control of his slide soon. When Ah Ye told him to wait for Yang the first time, he was a good brother and looked out for Yang, which led to him tumbling down a little. But later, he held Yang's hand and slid down together :) I saw that only as they came down. Later, Sito said Kai initiated it. Then for their last slide, I heard Yang said, "Let's hold hands!" And they did so happily - that was the best part of my day :)

Clan Sito at the big blocks

There were other parts in the playground too - drawing, Lego, dress-up, computer games, painting and even a baby/toddler area. But my boys tend to stick to one or two areas they like - slides and ball pit. I managed to get them to walk through but they very soon gravitated back to the slides. They really enjoyed it, and they did not kick up a fuss when we left - so good boys! So we'll be back again!

On the way home, Kai was trying to count to 100.

Yang: *to the parents* Can we shower together?
Kai: Hey! I want to count!  One, two, ...
Yang: Can we shower together?
Kai: Hey! Stop it! One, two, ...
Yang: Can we shower together?
Kai: Yes!
Yang: Ok.

It was so funny!

Then when we hadn't reached Mum's place at 100, Kai counted to 200. But we were still not home so we wanted to carry on, saying something like two hundred one hundred and one... Sito helped him out but he no longer had the patience to carry on. We challenged him to count in Mandarin but.... Yang could count to 20 in Mandarin though. Sighs...

Sito was on automatic off on Tuesday so we headed out for steamboat!

Because no steamboat at reunion - expected

Because steamboat became 盆菜 on the first day - unexpected!

Lunch on the first day of LNY had been steamboat for what, 20 years?! So didn't expect this. But well, it was easier and also very tasty! So not complaining. Just that, LNY must have steamboat, right? :p

Steamboat craving satisfied, we went strolling around Vivocity. Yu was fussy and refused to stay in the sling. He also didn't nap much :(

But he loved to look at things - in Challenger...

And in Best where I used the kangeroo hold on him for the first time

Today, everything went back to normal. Sito went to work. Kai and Yang went to school. I stay at home with Yu, going out here and there. With a bai nian gathering this Saturday just kena cancelled today as the big (ex) boss isn't well, my favourite festival is now gone in a flash... 年复一年 - shall have a good one and look forward to the next one! :)

Oh, also looking forward to seeing the kids - hopefully - enjoy this festival like me! I cheat by using the "it's LNY" line:

• No nap, coz it's LNY!
• YouTube, coz it's LNY!!
• More snacks? Ok, coz it's LNY!!! :p