Long Waited Meetup

After several years of birthday celebrations/present exchanges with my friend Vicky, we've both totally ran out of ideas on what to give each other, esp. when we also practiced X'mas gift exchanges.

So, last year, we made a pact that since we'd give each other a treat on our birthdays, we shall skip the present thingy and stick to the treats instead.

This year, the first year to our new agreement, Vicky has been 'on time' for her birthday treat but mine has been delayed-due to her flying to and fro to meet her husband whose overseas now. Today, we finally met up. Her friend had mentioned to her about the Daiso near here(there's already one near her home anyway, hahaha) and to show her how this branch is like, we decided to meet at Rivervale Mall for a quick snack(Renee wanted her Mac's lah...). I had not really wanted to go there 'cos I know I'd surely ended up with some buys and indeed, despite my control exercise, I still ended up with S$18 purchases at Daiso, aiyoh.

We then proceeded by LRT(neither of us drove today) to Compass Point and after our dinner at Swenson's, to 'entertain' Renee, we headed to Kiddy Palace. We've also met Jeanieve and her family at the restaruant too, hmm perhaps we should ask the mommy if she'd be keen to bring the kids over one day, heee. Vicky wanted to drop by our place but her parents whom were also nearby, wanted her to take over the wheels on their way back as her dad's eyesight isn't very good at night due to age, so I got daddy to pick us up earlier. On our way to the pick up area, we stopped by the new stall(taking over the one selling little donuts) - 'Pie Kia' and bought some pies back. Hmmm, not bad... :).

Back home, Renee played the violin for Vick but as usual, she was very nervous and didn't play well at all even though she's already quite familiar with those pieces already. Aiyah, like that how to go for the exam, haiz... Vicky's parents didn't come til about 9:45pm and thus she was cornered to play with Renee til then, hahaha.

Fresh Juices

Have been giving Renee freshly squeezed juices from time to time but she's never quite like it, so the juice maker we've bought had been idle in the kitchen for quite a while since the last time. Yesterday, we went for breakfast with daddy and I took her to some grocery shopping. The fruits on display looked nice and I thought perhaps she might like the juice more if she 'makes' it herself, so we bought bagfuls of apples and oranges(her favourites).

We started the process after her nap and lunch,

and, she still doesn't quite like it.....

The Exam and F1 Race

As informed earlier by Ms Mok, a violin usually takes about 6 months to be stabilised but once it's 'de-tuned', it'll take another while again. We now realised that it is indeed so! About 6 months or so after she's first started her lesson, her violin was only beginning to stabilise but leaving it in the car for 2 days during my birthday had de-stabilised it and now it requires more tuning again, haiz...

Ms Mok brought up the 'topic' again - the ABRSM exam! I don't think it's necessary yet but she felt that it's better since Renee's already playing the grade II pieces and she sees no point to hold her back. I'm not so concerned about her practical and sight-reading but I'm more skeptical on the other 2 areas as violin exams consist of 4 parts - Aural, Practical, Rythmic+Melodic recognition/identification and Sight Reading and I'm not sure if Renee would be 'willing' to speak out on those areas PLUS I would need to coach her more, as these aren't touched on yet(and I don't know how...).

Anyway, with what she's explained and for giving her the explosures, I decided to go along with Ms Mok's suggestion and gaver her Renee's particulars for the registration. Oh man, our girl is really going for the grade I exam soon, hahaha, can't believe it, hopefully she can pass man, hahaha.

Renee's still un-settled at most times during the lessons and though Ms Mok has been very nice to kindly extend the lessons and asked us to come over earlier at times(even though sometimes it was more of me and her discussing about some stuffs, lolz), I usually try not to, 'cos I think it's not really fair to her. And now, as the pieces get tougher, it had seem inevitable that her lessons be extended and so, we've agreed that when her new violin's ready, we'll extend the duration of her lessons - will check with Ms Mok as to how long.

Today's piece - 'Minuet', the first piece to the '1 bow with change of notes' style and I believe I'm going to have a hard time coaching Renee from the next piece onwards...

F1 Race

We were wondering where to go for our dinner when daddy said, since he's unable to get tickets(only the more costly ones left) for the F1 race, hearing the 'sounds' would be as good, hahaha silly fellow. So, we headed to Suntec City and after our dinner at Dian Sian Er @Marina Sq, we met his friends. They were there for the race with their client - they've bought the S$1800 tkts, geez! And since their client is going for the track race, he offered for our friends' families to watch the race from his hotel room(which I believe was also booked by our friends) and upon their offer, we tagged along. I've never been a fan of such events but I must say that catching a live view of the race and its 'sound' from the hotel room was really quite thrilling, even Renee whom had been afraid when she was younger, wanted to watch from the balcony as well, :D. Daddy of cos, had wanted to stay til the end of race but I was getting more and more tired as the laps went on(it just appeared as a repetition to me anyway) and also, it's abit uncomfortable with all the family members in the hotel room that's not ours, I urged him again to go back, heee. He finally relented on my 2nd attempt and we got home just on time to find out who's the winner, on TV, :).

Soccer Time Again

No family gathering again this week and instead of dining out nearby, daddy decided to go downtown as he wanted to subscribe to the SCV again, Men!...

Lately, indeed, like what most people said "children'll be more adventurous with food as they grow older", Renee has been eating more of 'outside' food and that makes life abit easier for me, kekeke. Though of cos, I'd still try to cook her meal even as we dine out whenever I could but since she's taking more home cooked meals these days, it's also good that she's more willing to try new foods.

We've never planned to get Renee any disney prinesses' costume since she's got a few(though we had to wait til she's older to wear them-'cos they're bigger in size) but when we chanced upon this set on offer(sat was the 2nd last day of the sale) and with the discount coupon we have, we couldn't resist it, heee :

And replacing her 'cracking' Dora place mat, we got this:

Some stuffs for mommy too! Hee, I've seen this Japanese brand of nail products online but seeing it on retail tempted me further lolz... Pretty pricey(comparable to locally retail priced OPI) but good quality(esp. the nail art stickers - they've always been alot bettter than china and even korea made ones), so.... :

Good Memory

There's this tune(I've heard at the salon during my facial visits) I've liked but havn't been able to check its title out(as they put a few CDs into the player). It's not always that I could remember the tune but today, when Renee heard me humming it, she asked "mommy, what's that song?". I told her that I don't know the name as well but she said it's very nice, :).

Later, in the kitchen, I tried to hum it again but I've lost the tune(ya, this is how forgetful I am these days) but she hummed it for me! Geez, kids really do have elephant memory huh!

Oops, Baby, We Gotta Run Again!

Since Renee's stopped going to the CC and me to the office, we've both been waking up later and later, hahaha. It's time to stop this bad habit and today, we woke up at 9am+. The benefit of being up earlier(well, not that early actually) is that we get 'more time' and after her practice this morning, I told her to catch a nap before her lunch and she ended up with a late lunch, 'cos though she said that she'd only have a short nap but she still one that lasted more than an hour, :D.

After her lunch, I took her downstairs for some bubbles fun but there was some work going on at the pavilion area, so we proceeded to the playground. Soon, it started to drizzle and we rushed to the benches down our block. Even over there, we also didn't get to stay much longer 'cos shortly later, we had to 'run' again when fogging began, hahaha.

Back home, when I've got her dinner ingredients ready, I sat down and did some 'learning' work with her - something which I've been wanting to do for a long time but I guess after today, it's gonna stop again 'cos I'm already beginning to feel 'lazy' about it, hahahahaha.

'Andantino'

'Allegretto'

(non staccato style)

Putting Mat

We had initially planned to go out early today as daddy was supposed to be attending a dinner and although he later decided not to go but we still went out early anyway, :).

A few days ago, Sharmaine had invited us for a playdate(with Shuen's GUG playmates whom we've also met before I think) at the Zoo's Kidzworld. Renee wanted badly to meet up with Shuen but thinking that it'd surely rain today, plus we wanted to have a family outing, I turned this invitation down and throughout the day, she has requested a few times, to meet up with her friend, :(. So, when she spotted the golf putting mat, daddy decided that it's about time for her to start practicing her golfing skills with the real club we've bought earlier(wanted to get her a full set since there's 1 o n sale but we're still not sure if she'd be totally ok with the right hand play) and he bought the mat.

Back home, both of them quickly put up the mat to have a go, but the real club is still kinda heavy for her(height's ok already), so she took up the toy set to practice instead hahaha. When I came out of the shower, she came to tell me "my golf is still no good, I need to practice more" and I quickly took the opportunity to tell her "your violin is also not good enough yet" and she replied "ya, I also have to practice violin more", hahaha.

Princess Crown

Finally, we found a princess crown in the form of a hairband at Isetan today! We were really lucky 'cos it happened that today's the last day of this temporary stall holding sales there too!

Renee has re-accumulated another 20 stars for the princess crown set, after she's exchanged the earlier 20 stars for the 'candy machine' . However, til date we've still got no news(hv also gone to the shop to check a few times) on the arrival of the set and according to her, she actually only wanted the crown so this one will do perfectly fine. I'm also very happy to have found it 'cos I've almost wanted to get her 1 of those Disney Princesses' but they had seemed abit 'loud', phew.

"Not Easy to Take Care"

The other day, I was handling the foodstuffs in the kitchen when I thought to show Renee again how the meat(s) she's been eating would look in raw. She then asked if the food's meant for her and when I answered yes and told her that she'd have to do the same for her children in the future, guess what she replied? She said "I don't want baby anymore". I asked why and she said "because it's not easy to take care", hahaha.

Associating countries with numbers, can you?

Whilst on this topic, let me recall the day, weeks ago, when we forbidded her to continuing singing that taiwanese tv serial show's song and she asked the originality of the song. I told her it's from Taiwan and she said she wants to go live there when she grows up so she can sing the song, hahaha. Yes, this is stubborn talk. Then later that evening when we went to pick her up from the CC and on our way back, she said "mommy, next time I'll go stay in Taiwan, you and papa go stay in Tai 2". For one moment, I had not understood but daddy was already laughing away, then I realised she's associated Taiwan to Tai 1, hahahahaha.

Big Homes?

During breakfast, I told Renee that her aunt Elsie and Lili are now holidaying in China and oddly, she asked "aunty Ellen also?". It's funny why she'd just asked that so I questioned why she didn't ask about aunty PC and she said "aunty PC went also?", alamak! hahaha. I told her that aunty Ellen and PC didn't go along and she asked "is it because they like their big home?", hahaha, this is even funnier. Having nothing better to reply to that, I said "ya, maybe" and she went on "next time I want to shift to a big house", hahahahaha.

Kids... really, we really can't keep up with the thoughts that run through their mind every now and then, :D.

The Bliss

Finally, we went for a dine-in at 'The Bliss' today...

We were early(afraid of no car park lot), got there before 6pm and the restaurant was still quite empty, so we went for a walk at the park. Spotted some people fishing and though we don't encourage leisure fishing(it causes hurt to the fishes, etc), we let Renee stayed to have a look so she knows how/what it's about. A boy, with his uncle came to us and showed us a very colourful Japanese fighting fish they've caught with a net(so no hurt was caused) and went on to tell us about the 'adventure' they've encountered during the day, :).

As I was feeling hungry, we proceeded back to the restaurant and though we were not impressed with the menu choices(probably becos it's more of a beer garden) and the outdoor table set-up(the ones at the non-smoking area are alot better), but we must admit that the food tasted not bad at all. Pricing wise, average for the set-up but since the food taste quite good, so ok lah. But not really a place for family, unless you choose a table at the non-smoking area which is near the lake.

'My Room'

I've long forgotten about this 'tag'/'sign'(or whatever it's called, heee) that Vicky's got for Renee during her last trip, so today, after PX's left, I quickly put it up. Renee actually preferred the sign we've put up in the car(but too heavy and kept dropping off, no matter which car we put it on) but I found this one more appropriate and put the car sign up at her library corner, :D:

'Perpertual Motion'

Its Variation

Belated Gift and Home Library!

We've finally collected my rings this morning, hurray! :D. Am very happy 'cos they're all made to my liking and best of all, the lady boss was so kind to take in the pair of rings we've bought earlier from her but never really got to wear, :D. Whilst we were there, I took the opportunity to get another pair of small diamond studs earrings since all my studs are now left with 1 of each pair, lolz.

Daddy wanted to go back to change the vehicle but before that, he dropped both of us at Compass Point as I needed to return my book and borrow another from the library. Very tempted to borrow 2 books 'cos the stories written by this author seemed to be pretty welcomed and I hardly am able to find 2 new titles there at the same time. However, fearing that I won't be able to finish both of them on time(since the birth of Renee, I've always needed to extend my loan period - good thing they've now made loan extensions free, phew, as u can imagine how much extn fees I've alr paid so far hahaha. anyhow, it still beats having to buy the books and finding space to store them lah...), I just took 1. Then as usual, we headed to the children's section and after I've read 6 or 7 books to Renee, I told her that we needed to hurry to the supermarket to get the vegetables if we want daddy to pick us up. She was reluctant of 'cos, so I tempted her with the suggestion of 'converting' her books corner to such that of a library's and she was elated, hahaha, kids...

Immediately seeing that I've settled all the stuffs back home, Renee asked if we could do up her 'libary corner' and since I still had a little bit of time whilst her vege's cooking, I agreed and there! :

The books'd appeared to be alot more when they were placed in the magazine boxes

I've got for her. But it's better this way, as we now have space for more books!

*Guess what? I've just gone in to peek and this mischievious girl had already fallen asleep on our bed! lolz...

Mommy's Birthday Gift is Finally Ready!

I've been looking around for bands to wear with the solitaire but hvn't been fruitful in my search, they mostly don't sit in nicely with my ring or the diamonds are not of the right size - either too big or too small. Thought of having the ring re-made but I prefer mobility of the 'accompaniments' so I could also wear them on their own and there's no urgency in getting them, I didn't really bother.

On my birthday, whilst browsing around for a gift, daddy remembered that I've been looking for the rings and told me to try the various jewellers. We sorta found a pair, shaped/curved to fit around a solitaire but, to wear on its own, it doesn't look good, so I told daddy to forget about it.

Few days later, I suddenly remembered the jellewery retailers' supplier my sis knew and we popped over to her factory cum showroom to take a look. I finally found what I wanted! Even daddy agreed that it's just nice - a set of triple diamond rings and, in my size!. But, they came in 3 tone gold - Rose, White and Yellow and I only wanted them in white, so we have to custom order.

Much earlier, I've given her some of my loose stones and 2 rings to be re-made into another ring but after waited sooooo long for a design, I finally gave up and took the already dismantled(by them) rings back. That same day, I brought them along and this time round, I gave her an idea of what I wanted, instead of waiting for them to come up with a design. Even so, it still took quite a while for these rings to be ready(business for them must be really booming) and I'm glad that I'm finally able to collect them tomorrow 'cos to be honest, after all these weeks of waiting, I've almost forgotten that I've actually got a birthday gift!

The thing about giving these jewellers your design/idea is that, you risked them duplicating it for the mass market and sure enough, when I was out with Renee, I saw a similiar but simpler one at the showcase of 1 of the jellewery retailers at the mall! Mine's a mixture of diamonds/rubies and unless they really do up exactly like mine, else I'd still have a rare piece(good thing also that it wasn't something of a great idea, else I would feel very 'banged', hahaha).

'Allegro'

This is PaPa's favourite :

A few songs after this and her staccato style began to slack. This is not an easy style and I guess she'll need alot more practice(preferably guided by Ms Mok) to perfect it.

Violin's getting Too Small

Earlier this month, Ms Mok had finally went to collect the violins she's purchased on students' behalf. Unfortunately ours was shipped the wrong piece and according to Ms Mok, Renee's recent 'hitting' onto other string when she plays, is due to her violin being small for her. We've thought to get one locally instead but she said that she'd be going there in a few weeks' time and told us to wait.. Since July, she's withheld from teaching Renee to play the 'fourth' finger notes as she'd prefer her to start on the new violin since there'd be alot of adjusting when she uses it. So, meantime, I guess we have to endure listening to that occasional 'other string' sounds whilst she practices(she's also trying her best to avoid that, :D) and try to get her to stretch her fingers further to prepare her for the bigger violin...

'May Song'

'Long Long Ago'

Making the 'Bed'

This is what our darling girl will do on 'good' days, lolz :

Getting Tougher

Yes, this is what Ms Mok has been telling me and it's also exactly what I've finally realised, or rather should I say, felt it. I was beside Renee during her home practice of the piece 'Etude' yesterday and I felt that this song seems to be the beginning to tougher pieces. True enough, based on the notes of the next few pieces, I think it'll be very very soon before Renee will start to engage in the '1 bow a few notes' bowing and I seriously think it's gonna be tougher for me to guide her. Given her age, I hope this will not be too much of a problem for her... Else I'll soon be vomitting blood, hahaha.

No, I don't Want To Make Any More Changes

Another week of skipped violin lesson, we finally resumed it today. However, after Ms Mok's given me her available time slots, I felt it's better to just stick to Sunday's 11:30am and change if need be. Daddy would definitely be very happy to change it to another day so that in the event that he's really sold the A6, he could still go golfing but I'm sooo tired of keep making these changes and this time round, no, I'm not going to. To him, it's just a matter of 'changing' a time slot but on my part, I have to ensure that it's not one when Renee would be grouchy, tired or even at her meal hour(esp. now that she's stopped schooling for the time being, there's no real need to compromise in this way). He even suggested for me to go pick Ms Mok up from the primary school she's teaching on Saturdays, so that we could have the lesson before 5pm and go to my mom's thereafter, aiyoh! Anyway, no more changes(not even the cleaning day) til such time when necessary...

Learnt a new song today as Ms Mok feared that she might be bored just practicing on the G Major and so today, she's started the 'Etude'. Ms Mok commented that Renee's notes reading is fast - she played each note immediately. She's comparing her to her primary school students. But I guess it's perhaps due to them having homework to concentrate, and music is usually secondary to most people, so less time spent on their practices, thus resulting in poorer memory of the notes, etc...

It's gonna be another 3 months before we could see some 'light' perhaps on what's coming, to decide the next course of routine and I'm thinking, perhaps I might try and find some temporary but interesting enrichment/play class for Renee in the meantime. Any suggestions anyone?

Naughty?

As we didn't pick the vehicle last evening, we went to get it as soon as PX was here this morning. Then I took Renee back whilst daddy head off to the office.

I needed to get some more vegetables, plus PX might appreciate doing the cleaning alone, I asked Renee if she'd like to go to the supermarket. Needless to say, she quickly said yes, hahaha. We went to Compass Point 'cos the vegetables at Cold Storage is alot fresher and nicer as compared to those from NTUC(Plus, NTUCs dun have australia's brocolli, heee).

Last night's good behaviour didn't last through and she threw abit of tanthrums today. Though it seems to be getting better bit by bit everyday, it'll perhaps take a while more for her to kick off those bad behaviour.

At mom's however, I saw her defending herself, finally, when her cousin snatched her toys. It's an improvement though she still let go in the end(daddy had mentioned before that this is not a bad thing actually, it wldn't hv reflected good on her if she doesn't. the better part is that she doesn't go snatching and this is something which we hope she'll never never pick up!).

Good but Emotional...

The 3 of us went to the office today but we have to send the A6 to service first.

Later in the afternoon, daddy's got a call from an ex-colleague citing a new business opportunity(I had thought it was a client) and they were to meet up around 5pm. Since we're unable to pick up his vehicle with this arrangement and he's going to exchange the damaged golf bag at Paragon, I told daddy to drop us at Robinsons so we can shop(I need to utilise the redeemed vouchers) whilst waiting for him.

Renee had woken up very early this morning(maybe excited about going to the office) but since her 'Dua Peks' were also in the office to play with her for a while, she managed to stay alert til we hit the road. With this power nap, she transformed! She was such a good girl the whole evening that I bought her these, lolz :

At the cashier, I was told that there's member discount on this already on offer top! Hurray

However, despite the fantastatic behaviour, she got abit emotional too. Once, she sat down quietly and when I asked why she looking so sad, she said "why you pull me out from the childcare?". We of course, have already explained the reason to her. Done at Robinsons and after our delicious dinner(it's very yummy to her, hahaha) at Noodle Palace rest., we proceeded to the new OrchardCentral but it was even quieter there and when Renee sighted the sofas, she requested to take a seat. She was soo happy that she kept snapping pictures with my mobile but after a while, I got sooo bored that I didn't even wanna continue exploring the new mall and took her back to Centrepoint, hahaha.

When daddy told us that he could only pick us up after 9pm, I decided to go browse the shoe department at R to pass time and whilst sitting there, I teased Renee by waving to her(but I wasn't waving 'goodbye' to her nor did I give any indication of leaving her there in pretense) and suddenly she ran to me and almost teared...I was totally puzzled and asked her why but she didn't want to answer me.... :(.

*when daddy came to pick us, he told me what the meeting was about and if I had known earlier, I would have dissuade him from going - is it worth the time spent there? It was a MLM seminar that he was brought to.

A Nice Visit

Having slept late last night from backing-up the files to an external hard disk, I woke up late this morning(10am).

When I finally switched my mobile on, I was actually half way through handling the foodstuffs daddy's collected from Eileen. That's when I got a text from Sharmaine asking if we'd be free today and she could bring her 2 kids over if we like. So co-incidental! I was just thinking about them last night and had thought to ask if they'd like to meet after Shuen's chinese enrichment class but as I wasn't sure if it's on a Wednesday, I didn't ask her.

So, although they'd be coming late at 4pm, I decided to just welcome the idea! I've sorta 'declined' the last time after I've invited them the 2nd time, 'cos I felt that the timing's too short and Renee will surely feel sad when they leave. But this time, I thought, since Renee would be staying home for quite some time, it'd be good to let her enjoy her playdates whenever possible.

Initially, Renee was abit half hearted. She first said she didn't want them to come over and preferred to go meet them outside but later, she couldn't help but kept asking me "why are they not here yet, mommy?", "why is it not 4 o' clock yet?", every other hour! hahaha.

Finally, at 3:45pm, she asked again and this time, I have good news for her - aunty Sharmaine has just text that they're 'on the way'. She was very happy and even said that she didn't want to continue watching her Hi5 vcd anymore(she's rediscovered her love for Hi5 shows since e time e CC started playing Hi5's songs the last few weeks).

At slightly past 4pm, the door bell rang and she was very excited. Aunty Sharmaine came with Shuen, baby sister Lyn and 1 of their maids PLUS a tub of Haagen Dazs amd a box of Viennetta ice-cream. Oh man, I'm going to put on more weight liao, haiz...

It's a short get together but we(incldg the adults) really had a wonderful time and when it was time for them to go, Shuen said a few times "mommy, I want to stay here longer". It's really nice to see both of them playing so well(though there'd been a little 'i want this' now and then but usually Renee wld give in I noticed...) even though they don't meet up that often and Sharmaine had been a really nice guest mommy whom will 'prevent' her kids from going overboard(also when snatching began). Just for example, Renee led Shuen to the bedroom and invited her to climb onto OUR bed and jump! I've never seen her did this before and was actually surprised but I didn't think much of it. At that moment, Sharmaine and I were still chatting in the other room but the moment she heard this, she rushed to our bedroom and commanded Shuen that she's not supposed to be doing that. She said that she wouldn't like other children to do that at her home and thus, she would never allow her kids to do so. I'm just glad to find out one more thing in common among us, heeee.

To stop Shuen's 'pleas' to stay longer, Sharmaine remembered the ice-cream and suggested to let the kids have it and that did the trick, they were immediately distracted, hahaha. However, I guess it's melted quite abit during their journey here and it didn't get 'harden' on time and so Renee didn't quite enjoy it(she's never like melted ice-cream) - she didn't even want it later when daddy and I were having it and it was already back in its good frozen condition.

Anyway, now that we're in a way 'free', Sharmaine suggested that perhaps we could see if any playdates together would be possible the next few months, instead of waiting for the next school holiday, :>. Sure, if that's possible with her already very tight/rushing daily schedule, I'm sure Renee would be happy too, :).

Daiso @Rivervale Mall

Last night, Li's asked me if I'd be going to the office 'cos she wanted to go to the Daiso near here. So, with the CC matter settled, I decided to join her there today.

After waited quite a while without any reply from her after my sms, I got Renee to phone her, hahaha. We finally met up at Rivervale Mall at 1:15pm.

I didn't drive today 'cos daddy has taken the V and I really feel stressed up driving the A6, so I asked Renee to walk there with me. Wah, it's been such a looooong time since I've taken this walk to RM with Renee and with the weight gain I've put on, I must say I really felt the heat man, lolz... Perhaps I should take the walk with her everyday, hahaha.

Eileen told me that this new Daiso outlet's still quite messy but when we were there, it didn't look so to me. Actually, the things in Daiso are almost about the same but each outlet would have its own concentration of items range and some would have a wider selection in that case. Much as I've tried my best not to buy too many stuffs 'cos I've just gone to the one at IMM not too long ago, I still ended up with 11 pieces and Li, 10, hahaha. Anyway, am sure we'll go back there again, since I have the next few months 'free', heeeee.

Withdrawal

We've decided last night, to withdraw Renee from the CCC.

There are many reasons behind our decision but to cut things short, these are the main ones :

1) Daddy's been busy 'outside' and thus, the need for me to go to the office has also lessened and it'd be silly for me to just bring her all the way to CC which is @ West Coast on those days when I'm not really needed at the office.

2) She's getting naughtier - has since picked up bad manners/temperaments/vocabs(not mentioning the not so nice taiwan tv serial song). Can't imagine if we've placed her with a neighbourhood centre.

3) Weather's getting cooler and soon more 'sickness' cases will arise(H1N1 has been reported to be on the rise when weather gets cooler).

It's a good thing that we've told the centre right from the start that Renee's stay with the cc will only be temporary and that we might pull out after 1 school term. Sooo co-incidental that our decision came in just right on that timing! And we appreciate Mrs Teoh's kind understanding to allow us to withdraw her immediately and did not even charge us for the 1 day she was there yesterday. Though this has been pre-informed in a way, we still have to thank her and we've requested her to thank the teachers on our behalf for the care they've rendered to our Renee.

Many concerned has asked if I'd be placing Renee back with the pre-school(after the current sch holiday week) since that was my initial plan. But now, I feel that these changes in such a short time span will not do her any good. In addition, there still isn't much to be achieved academically at nursery level and for the same reason as #3, I think it's better to let her stay home til next year when she goes to Kindergarten I. I also hope that our new home location(if we are really moving) and etc will be more settled/finalised by then so we could make the necessary arrangements accordingly, big headache for me...

When we informed Renee about this decision, she wasn't happy and tried to behave better. This morning, she woke up and requested to attend 'school' tomorrow and I must admit, we almost relented but as this is not something we've decided just the very last minute and since it's just a matter of time, it is perhaps the earlier the better.

I just hope from now on, I'd have enough energy to keep her occupied, besides her keeping herself busy with her toys...

'Bedtime Resistance or Refusal'

Came across this interesting article on kiasuparents.com and thought it's a good read/for reference. Content extracts :

This information is approved and/or reviewed by U-M Health System providers but it is not a tool for self-diagnosis or a substitute for medical treatment. You should speak to your physician or make an appointment to be seen if you have questions or concerns about this information or your medical condition. Exención de responsabilidad en Español Complete disclaimer

What is bedtime resistance or refusal?

This handout applies to children who are over 2 years old and sleep in a bed (rather than a crib) and refuse to go to bed or stay in the bedroom. Often, they go to sleep while watching TV with a parent or they sleep in the parents' bed. In a milder form of bedtime refusal, a child stays in his bedroom but delays bedtime with ongoing questions, unreasonable requests, protests, crying, or temper tantrums. Such children are often tired in the morning and have to be awakened when it is time to get up.

What is the cause?

If the child occasionally comes to the parents' bed because he is frightened or not feeling well, he should be supported. However, if the child postpones bedtime or tries to share your bed every night, he is taking advantage of your good nature. These are unreasonable attempts to test the limits, not fears.

How can I end bedtime refusal?

These recommendations apply to children who are manipulative at bedtime, not fearful.

1. Clarify what a good sleeper does.

Tell your child what you want her to do: At bedtime a good sleeper stays in her bed and doesn't scream. During the night, a good sleeper doesn't leave her bedroom or wake up her parents unless it is an emergency. A good sleeper gets a sticker and a special treat for breakfast. A bad sleeper loses a privilege for the following day (for example, all TV or access to a favorite toy).

2. Start the night with a pleasant bedtime ritual.

Provide a bedtime routine that is pleasant and predictable. Most before-bed rituals last about 30 minutes and may include taking a bath, brushing teeth, reading stories, talking about the day, saying prayers, and other interactions that relax your child. Try to keep the same sequence every night because familiarity is comforting for children. Try to have both parents take turns in creating this special experience. Never cancel this ritual because of misbehavior earlier in the day. Before you give your last hug and kiss and leave your child's bedroom ask, "Do you need anything else?" Then leave and don't return. It's very important that you are not with your child at the moment of falling asleep; otherwise he will need you to be present following normal awakenings in the night. If your child is fearful, tell her you will check on her every 15 minutes (instead of her checking on you). When you come in, tell her she's doing a good job of being quiet. Leave within 15 seconds. On one of your visits, you will find her asleep.

3. Establish a rule that your child can't leave the bedroom at night.

Enforce the rule that once your child is placed in the bedroom, she cannot leave that room, except to go to the bathroom, until morning. Your child needs to learn to put herself to sleep for naps and at bedtime in her own bed. Do not stay in the room until she lies down or falls asleep. Establish a set bedtime and stick to it. Usually, this change won't be accomplished without some crying or screaming for a few nights.
If your child has been sleeping with you, tell her, "Starting tonight, we sleep in separate beds. You have your room and we have our room. You are too old to sleep with us anymore."

4. Ignore verbal requests.

Ignore ongoing questions or demands from the bedroom and do not engage in any conversation with your child. All requests should have been dealt with during your pre-bedtime ritual. Before you give your last hug and leave your child's bedroom, ask, "Do you need anything else?" Then don't return unless you think your child is sick. If your child says he needs to use the toilet, tell him to take care of it himself. If your child says his covers have fallen off, promise you will cover him up after he goes to sleep. (You will usually find him well covered.)

5. Close the bedroom door if your child is screaming.

Try to ignore screaming, but if it's disruptive, close the door. Tell your child, "I'm sorry I have to close your door. I'll open it again as soon as you are quiet." If she pounds on the door, you can open it after 1 or 2 minutes and suggest that she go back to bed and stop screaming. If she doesn't, close the door again. If the screaming or pounding continues, open the door approximately every 15 minutes and remind your child that if she quiets down, the door can stay open. Never spend more than 30 seconds talking to her. Although you may not like to close the door, you don't have many options. Rest assured if your child is over 2 years old and has no daytime separation fears, it is quite reasonable to do this.

6. Close the door if your child is leaving the bedroom.

If your child comes out of the bedroom, return him immediately to his bed. Avoid any lectures and skip the hug and kiss. Get good eye contact and remind him again that he cannot leave his bedroom during the night. Warn him that if he comes out again you will need to close the door. If he does come out again, close the door. Tell him, "I'll be happy to open your door as soon as you are in your bed and I'll leave it open as long as you stay in bed." If your child says he is in his bed, open the door. If he screams, every 15 minutes open the door just enough to ask your child if he is in his bed now.

7. Put up a gate or lock the bedroom door if your child is repeatedly leaving the bedroom.

If your child is very determined and continues to come out of the bedroom, consider putting a barricade in front of her door, such as a strong gate. A half-door or plywood plank may also serve this purpose. Sometimes the bedroom door will need to be closed temporarily to convince your child that staying in the their room is not negotiable. Reassure your child you will open the door as soon as she falls asleep. Also, each night, give her a fresh chance to stay in the bedroom with the bedroom door open. (Caution: If your child has bedtime fears, don't close the door.) If your child is a danger to himself or others, a full door may need to be kept closed until morning with a push-button lock, hook and eyelet screw, childproof handle cover, piece of rope, or chain lock. Although this step seems extreme, it may be critical to protect children less than 5 years old who wander through the house at night without an understanding of dangers, such as fire, hot water, knives, or going outside.

8. Send your child back to her room if she comes into your bed at night.

Sternly order your child back to her own bed. If she doesn't move, escort her back immediately without any show of affection or pleasant conversation. If your child tries to leave her room again, temporarily close her door. If you are a deep sleeper, consider using some signaling device that will awaken you if your child enters your bedroom (such as a chair placed against your door or a loud bell attached to your doorknob). Some parents lock their bedroom door.
Remind your child that it is not polite to interrupt other people's sleep. Tell her that if she awakens at night and can't go back to sleep, she can look at books or play quietly in her room, but she is not to bother you.

9. If she awakened you at night with screaming or demands, visit her briefly.

Reassure her that she is safe. If she needs blankets readjusted, help her do this. Then leave. On the following day teach her how to independently solve any complaints she makes during the night. (Remind your child that it is not polite to awaken people at night. Tell her that if she awakens at night and can't go back to sleep, she can read or play quietly in her room.)

10. Help siblings sleeping in the same bedroom.

If bedtime screaming wakes up a roommate, have the well-behaved sibling sleep in a separate room until the other child's behavior has improved. Tell the child who has the sleep problem that her roommate cannot return until she stays in her room quietly for three nights in a row. If you do not have a separate room available, have the sibling sleep in your room temporarily.

11. Awaken your child at the regular time each morning.

Even if he fought bedtime and fell asleep late, wake him up at the regular time so he will be tired earlier the next evening.

12. Start bedtime later if you want to minimize bedtime crying.

The later the bedtime, the more tired your child will be and the less resistance he will offer. For most children, you can pick the bedtime hour. For children who are very stubborn and cry a lot, you may want to start the bedtime at 10 PM (or whenever your child naturally falls asleep). If the bedtime is 10 PM, move the bedtime back by 15 minutes every week. In children who can't tell time, you can gradually (over 8 weeks or so) achieve an 8 PM bedtime in this way with many fewer tantrums. However, don't let your child sleep late in the morning or you won't be able to advance the bedtime.

When should I call my child's healthcare provider? Call during office hours if:
Your child is not sleeping well after you try this program for 2 weeks.

Your child is very frightened.

Your child has lots of nightmares.

Your child also has several discipline problems during the day.

You have other questions or concerns.

written by B.D. Schmitt, MD, author of "Your Child's Health," Bantam Books.
Published by RelayHealth. Last modified: 2005-05-13 Last reviewed: 2008-06-09

This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

Pediatric Advisor 2009.1Index

Pediatric Advisor 2009.1 Credits
© 2009 RelayHealth and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

Back to 'School'

After a week long break from the CC, Renee's back to 'school'(yes, still 'schooling' cos it's a CCC) today.

Her friends called her repeatedly when we arrived at the door and teaher diana even teased her what has she been doing at home, all whilst she stood near the temperature taking/check area holding on dearly to her bagful of cards/gifts for her teachers, lolz.

During the night(or should I say morning), I've woken up twice to adjust the air-con setting and both times, she awoke - once asking me to sleep with her, which I did, for less than 15mins.

When my alarm beeped at 8:05am, she awoke not long later. Since she's gotten used to the CC, today has been a day with the least 'waking' difficulties and our guess is that she's very excited about going back, :D.

This is the bag of stuffs she's placed near her bag since the week before

The cards we've done for the teachers/care-givers

Another case of H1N1?

When I noticed a new 'note' on last week's practice piece, I've been trying to contact Ms Mok since Mondaay for clarification(even prepared to go back for another lesson since Renee's not gg to the CC the whole wk) but I couldn't get her . Daddy said to forget about it and just practice on the old pieces.

Yesterday, before and even whilst at Sis', I've tried to phone her a few times and again, attempts failed and she didn't reply my sms.

I had wanted to change today's lesson to either earlier or alternatively, after lunch. This is so I could avoid the carpark que and bring Renee to Compass Point to buy her bolster. I had inisitally planned to just try my luck and go to her place at 11am but I feared a wasted trip, so I decided to try sending her another text. This time, I got a reply from her 20mins later - her mobile's with her mom for many days 'cos her mom has caught the H1N1 virus and she didn't retrieve her mobile 'cos she was afraid of the virus spread. She's also advised us from going over, so, haiz...

We were about to return home after our lunch at Mac's, I asked Renee if she'd like to get aunty Lili a small birthday cake and she agreed immediately(hahaha, Li, your 'bonding' worked liao) but 15mins later, Renee began to fuss and since I was carrying quite abit of stuffs, we decided to head home and that's when Li finally replied but it was already too late, heee.

Going Back to CC?

Since my last communication with Mrs Teoh on Wednesday, I've not checked back with her for the updated situation at the CC. On Friday evening, she text to update me 'automatically' - which is all's well.

So, if all remains well, we should be letting Renee resume 'school' with the CC this coming Monday - Oh, she can't wait, hahaha

"Mommy, this Doggy is so Cute"

We've somehow agreed that it'll be good for us to take a break from going down to my mom's occasionally and this week would be it(we've told mom last sat). No gathering at my mom's, I thought Li will surely invite us over to hers since her birthday's next Monday. However, instead, Sis invited, hahaha(of cos Li helped out on the cooking, heee).

It was a simple yet nice gathering for us and whilst the mahjong was in session, Renee had fun time with her aunts.

Earlier, she'd not waited and had given Li her present shortly after we've got there. She's also packed some of her kitchen toys to be put at Li's so that she could have more things to play with when she's there, she must have not explained properly to Li(she must have tot renee had random picked the toys as 'extra' gifts to her hahaha) and she came to me : "mommy, aunty lili dun want" and I've to explain to Li, hahaha.

last min shot so din take pic on what Renee's drawn on the other side of the card

Gift unwrapped

Renee used to like doggies and had behaved pretty close to Kobi. However, frightened by KiKi's temper one day when she was younger, she began to be afraid of the 3 doggies at my sis', hahaha. Just now, I was munching at the dining area and she, standing near the table remarked : "this doggie is so cute". I tried to take a look but can't 'cos the doggie was lying under the table, so I asked her which one and 'cos she can't tell yet, I asked her to describe and realised that she's referring to... Snowie! lolz.

I've been trying to contact Ms Mok and have even called her a few times tonight, hoping to change the timing for tomorrow's lesson to an earlier one so we can better avoid the carpark jam at Compass Point(need to get a longer bolster for Renee liao, she's been hugging mine to sleep!) but haiz... Shall see how tomorrow.

I really like these 2 stories books I've obtained from the US directly via spree and I finally finished reading these 2 to Renee last night. I especially like the one in lighter blue colour - it's very illustrative and I'm sure for kids whom aren't able to read the story books independantly yet, the illustrations serve to provide them with better story outline/imaginations. So, though the shipping cost for these 2 books had cost a bomb(heavy book covers), it was worth it, :).

Counting 11, 12, 13...

I've noticed Renee's been writing her 10s and 20s the other way round, that is the 2nd no. first, e.g. 12, she'll write the 2 first... I tried to correct her verbally whenever I spotted/could. I saw her did it again, whilst writing on her own(like real) on Thursday night and thus, after our 'fun-time' after dinner, I decided to do abit of 'correcting work' with her tonight. After her shower, I told her to bring out her white board and markers and I began to guide her on the correct way of writing the numbers/its sequence, like 13 - 1 shld come first and since she's also writing the nos. 2, 5, 7 from the bottom up, I went through with her on the correct stroke(I hope I'm not wrong either! but I tried not to follow the rule hard-fast 'cos I know writing with the left hand is not easy either, in terms of direction).

Not sure if it's because Renee writes/draw with her left hand, she still writes in mirror direction at times(it's amazing just looking at the letters and even the words she's learnt(started by daddy, it hadn't occurred to me to teach her spelling yet hahaha) recently written this way) but since the last time I corrected her, I see less of it now.

Stinky Mozzie Stings!

Renee was badly stung by mosquito last Saturday whilst playing in the hall alone. There were 10 sting marks on her then.

Last night, luckily I've gone to bed late and have spotted her scratching her arm. Upon closer look, I found mosquito sting marks on her arm and legs! I quickly switched the light on but during the less than 1 minute I've gone to look for some plasters(to prevent her from further scratching after applying the mopiko cream), the dreadful insect had stung her even more! I was shocked to see 3 more lumps on her arm, 2 on 1 leg and another 3 on the other! I perched beside her and moved her to the side gently, the culprit flew out. It must have sucked its full 'cos it flew so slowly that I managed to snap on it... Didn't want to 'kill' but daddy told me before that mosquitoes are bad, we have to eliminate them to prevent harm to others, so I did it, especially after what it's done to my girl!

Daddy was shocked to see the many plasters on her this morning. 10 altogether...

2 nights ago, I replaced the 'drying up' repellent tub to 1 of the animal shaped scented jellies(which is hot in the market now) I've asked Elsie to buy for me. This particular one I've placed near Renee's bed is yellow in colour(lemongrass) which according to the sales person, is to repel mosquitoes. Though I've not heard of such, except that Citronella is the main extract that would repel, but I thought to give it a try. However, just the 2nd night using it, which is last night, it's already proven its in-effectiveness and I quickly switched back to the bottles of citronella oil(to be dabbed on the clothings when she's mobile) and the repellant tubs.

This morning, I noticed her body felt warm but the thermometer's reading showed normal. However, not long later, her temperature went up to 37.7 and I got a shock. I quickly text daddy and he too, rang back later and asked after her. After her first dose of paracetemol, she started to perspire but I still made her nap after her lunch. Her temperature came back when she woke up from her nap and I gave her another dose after her 2 slices of milk bread and even got her to eat half an apple, heee.

I hope the rise of her temperature was merely due to her catching a slight cold - actually she's complained to me this morning whilst I was making her milk that we've switched the air-con too 'cold' and she'd felt abit cold, but then, we didn't switch the air-con on for the past 2 nights. However, it was pretty windy last night and afraid that she might feel warm, I had not close up the window near her(normally I'll close up abit 'cos on windy days, it can be pretty chilly at night but tonight, I've not done so...).

So far, her temperature is back to normal but I think I have to continue monitor her temperature closely tomorrow, just in case...

Another Relaxing Day

Last night's weather and even tonight's, has been really cool - we didn't even have to switch the air-con on(we're now addicted to air-con as well, :<) and Renee managed to sleep in abit later, which is good since we're not sending her to the CC for this week(daddy didn't want to risk sending her over even though Mrs Teoh's told us that there're no more new cases and the whole CCC has been disinfected on Sunday).

So today, after our heavy home cooked lunch, on Renee's request, I made a last minute appointent with the nail salon for my pedicure. It was sooo last minute and I was lucky that the lady boss came on time to 'serve' me. I don't usually chat with her since it was always her staff who did my pedicure but today, we chatted quite abit and I learnt that her salon would be closed for renovation soon. She's just renewed the lease and took the opportunity to renovate since there'd be 'rent-less' during renovation period at renewal. At times like this, she's able to expand her business, it's 'something' and what's more, she's very young... :).

After my pedicure, I took Renee to look for the princess crown set but again, its stock is still not replenished and my guess is it's hardly ever going to be... Anyway, we've already got a 'replacement' but I can tell Renee really like the set, :(. Nevermind, I'll continue to be on the lookout for such set elsewhere.

Yesterday, I've forgotten that our current bottle of Renee's favourite vegetarian oyster sauce is running out and thus we went to get another just now. Then remembering that she's finally taken to eating fish balls(she had displayed dislike when I gave her Old Chang Kee's but recently, daddy's client had given us a bagful of freshly made ones and she loved it), I tried to look for some but couldn't find any enticing.

Back home, after another heavy home-cooked meal, heeee, Renee 'made' me dozed off, hahaha. What happened? Ok, I was resting on the sofa, Renee immitating what she's watched intently at the nail salon and began to massage my hand and paint my finger nails, hahaha. Her touch and massage felt sooo nice that I couldn't help but fell asleep, heee and guess what, when I woke up minutes later, she told me "mommy, go go, go back to sleep, I play you", I've became her toy! hahahahaha.

Teacher's Day

A school holiday today, so I took Renee to fetch Eileen from the market and when we got home, this playful girl didn't go for her nap like I told her to and thus, when we came home later from our outing, she fell asleep in the car, which is a No No, 'cos the car's inbuilt car seat is simply a booster style, no support and I had a hard time trying to keep her awake whilst keeping an eye on the road. Good thing we didn't go far...

We only managed to leave home at around 3pm and instead of going to the new Daiso at Rivervale Mall(which I was told is big but still abit messy and probably that's why they're recruiting now), I took her to Hougang Mall to look for some stuffs. One can tell that she's really enjoyed herself these 2 days, though she'd earlier requested to "go to school tomorrow", hahaha.

At Mini Toons, I spotted some stamps and since they're not costly, I asked if she like a set and she chose this :

Then, after browsing the store for a while more, she told me excitedly that she's found something interesting and pulled me over to the spot to show me. It's this :

I reminded her that she'd need to exchange her stars for such 'gifts' and she readily agreed and even offered 20 stars for it, hahaha. However, she's still in the midst of re-accumulating her 2nd batch of 20 stars for her 'yet to arrive new stock' of the princess crown set and has got only 18stars as at yesterday. My suggestion of coming back for it when her stars are fully accumulated was immediately rejected as she's afraid that 'history' will repeat itself and told me that she's willing to wait til she's got all 20 stars but I've to get it first, hahaha. I relented and true enough, she didn't ask for it when we got home, :).

I've text Mrs Teoh on the update of the H1N1 situation and although she replied later that the no. still stands at 1 and that the affected boy's fever has subsided, I guess, unless the parents of any other affected child(ren) knew and do inform her today, else the no. should still remain at 1 since there're no new cases reported on Monday. I related this to daddy and suggested that we should perhaps see how things are when the children return to the CCC tomorrow and he agreed that it's to best avoid going then... I took the opportunity and told him that I'd need the V again tomorrow in this case, but he can't understand why we need to go out everyday, hahaha(aiyoh, bored mah, being couped up at home whole day, even though we hv things to do at home...). Anyway, shall see which one he's taking tomorrow...

I've been waiting for an opportunity to go for my pedicure but when I now finally get the chance, I've already did it myself last night! Aiyah.....