Stress

We attended the 2nd lessons for Yamaha Junior Class (YJC). I hope Lil Shauna enjoys the class as much as her previous Music Wonderland (MWL) bcos I find this one so much tougher and therefore, less enjoyable in my perspectives. The teacher expectations are much higher and there are more homework, practice and preparation to do. I am a typical kiasu Singaporean parent and gets stress when Lil Shauna lags behind in class or does not follow instructions. Arrghhhh, she’s only 4 and this is not even real school. Relax, breathe, enrichment class lah. I won’t die if she decides that music is not in her blood. Children who do not know how to play any music instrument still grow up anyhow. Breathe…

I am definitely enjoying less. I found myself constantly looking at the clock and willing it to move faster. There are so much homework and practice to be done after class. The homework is not tough but needs time and time is something that I do not have, at least not in excess especially when the little tiger has delayed his bedtime. This week, we are required to watch a few of the song pieces on the DVD and also learnt part of a song by heart. We tried watching the pieces in the car but Lil Isaac demanded noisily for Dora to be screened. And in order to teach Lil Shauna, who must learn too? Your truly has already mastered the required part but our princess is not even paying attention. So I kept singing the song aloud the entire evening. I sang it so many times until Daddy Lim learnt the words too. I hope Lil Shauna will learn through osmosis.

We have yet to buy the Electone and will be dragging it a little while more to make sure that Lil Shauna is really keen to continue learning. She still looks happy in class. I guessed the fact that it is a parent-child class helps and she is probably happy to get the attention, no need to fight with didi. I will press on until Lil Shauna tells me that she has enough and I hope that day doesn’t come.

Oh, we have not done her phonics homework for this coming Sunday class. -.o”

Mummy Lim

Finally! Pierced!

Lil Shauna had her ONE ear pierced some months ago. She backed out after one ear and had been smartly donning only one earring for the past months.

I have no issue with her having only one earring. However, I do look forward to buying pretty earrings for her and earrings come in pairs. So, I have been asking herself every now and then if she's ready.

Her answer has changed from "no" to "tomorrow" and "later". I supposed she is starting to slowly forget how painful it was. So, we patiently waited. Yday, after so much coaxing, she finally agreed and we wasted no time.

She finally got her other ear pierced. It was actually funny how she turned red after her ear was done and started sobbing when Daddy Lim carried her. There was no tears the 1st time lor.

So, she was all puppy eyed and clinging to Daddy Lim for the rest of the night. We probably have to tolerate her whines for another few days but yeah, we finally got the other ear pierced!

Mummy Lim

Cheeky Tiger

So cheeky!

Mummy Lim

Sick Again

Errrrr... Why are the kids falling sick again?

This flu virus strain is so persistent. It started with Daddy Lim, who passed it to Lil Shauna, who passed it to Popo and auntie and then Lil Isaac. Before Lil Isaac recovered, he passed it back to Daddy Lim again and I also got it. Just when I am recovering, Lil Isaac and Lil Shauna fell sick again with flu.

It is the usual mucus and phlegmy cough. We are relying on the leftover medicine. I hope they will recover soon.

Mummy Lim

Homework

Lil Shauna gets distracted easily and doing homework is always hard work. She ends up talking about anything and everything unrelated and wanting to do other stuff. Now that we are into middle sound and Lil Shauna hasn't master it, doing the phonics homework is a pain. It takes lots of coaxing, alternating with coercing. At the end of the session, I think I feel more tired than her.

I remembered Mummy P telling me how Jiejie C can do her phonics herself and without supervision. I listen with envy. Left alone, I think Lil Shauna will be doing everything else other than her homework.

I wonder how many white hairs I will get when she goes to school and I have to help her with her homework. I can already picture the heartache that accompanies the school examinations. Haiz.. This is part of the parenthood deal.. I can hear Daddy Lim asking me, "now, is the family complete?".

Mummy Lim

Ouch!

My company holds cross business units' sports competition every year and it is treated every seriously. There are multiple events ranging from sports like basketball and netball to cyber games and 8-ball pool. It usually ends off with some running event. There are auditions and training sessions. Very highly competitive.

I was active in these competitions many years ago. Getting pregnant 2x was my saving grace. I have successfully avoided the games for the last few years. Hehe.

This year, a colleague asked me to join the netball competition and I went for the training yday. Daddy Lim only words to me was not to fall down. -.-"

Yes, I am not young and not fit. I can't even remember when was the last time that I exercised and the training started with netball drills. Drills! I was already panting and puffing when we barely started the drills. By the time they actually started to play the games, I was half dead. My legs refused to run, my lungs was grasping for air. The coordinator had to change me out and even asked me if I was alright. I probably looked damn bad. Actually, I was feeling alright, just not too keen to run. The training finally ended with shuttle run. Boo! Shuttle run??? I am 33, not 13!

Last night, I thought that my lower half of my body felt wasted. Today, my muscles are screaming and I walked like a duck. But at least I had a good workout. I have been wanting to exercise again. I tried to go swimming last Saturday in preparation of the training but it had to pour when I was only into my 3rd lap. Boohoo.

Will I go back next week for training? I don't know. I only know that I have to recuperate for a week. Hohoho.

Mummy Lim

Yahama Junior Class

Lil Shauna has been promoted! Actually she transit naturally to Yahama Junior Class (YJC) after completing her 6 mths of Music Wonderland (MWL). We need to buy her an organ but have been putting it off for fear that she gives up shortly into the course. This second level course requires parents to practice with the kids after lessons. Plenty of hard work.

Lil Shauna seems alright for the first lesson. This time, we have a seat towards the front of the class. During MWL, we were seated at the last row and Lil Shauna was often blocked. This is an hour class, 15 mins longer than MWL and she seems to lose steam and focus towards the end.

The teacher is definitely livelier but stricter too. Or maybe bcos the expectations are different now that they are in level 2. Lil Shauna did well and it appears that MWL did help. She's familiar with most of the exercise that they did in class.

We will probably hold the purchase the of the organ for a little while more. Yeah, we are turning Lil Shauna into a musician.

Mummy Lim

Tougher

It is getting tougher and tougher to tuck the little Tiger to bed. Long gone are the days that he would fall asleep at the bottle. In fact, his bedtime has shifted backwards to 9ish and he is usually still very awake and active when I chased him off to bed. He has also reverted to the “lesser milk” phase and often decides that he has enough when he has barely taken half of his 120ml. Waste my money.

It now takes about 30 mins to tuck him to bed after his milk. That half an hour is my pain and it comprises of lots of rolling and moving around on the 2-single size mattresses. Lil Isaac no longer wants me to carry him to sleep and prefers thrashing around on the mattresses. He talks to me, talks to himself, talks to the air, pretends to feed me food and go on and on and on. How I now treasure those days that he would drift off to sleep peacefully in my arms. What happened huh? He is so different from jiejie. The only similarity that he shares with jiejie is the insistence that I cannot pat him to sleep while lying down. He will whine and grumble and yell and pull me until I surrender and sit upright. I have also given up singing to him bcos any noise that I made encourages him to carry on with his activities.

He will still be thrashing around when he finally closes his eyes. Arms and legs moving wildly in the air, random sounds, sudden sitting up and rolling around, until there is finally silence. Phew, tucking him to bed now is hard work.

Mummy Lim

No More Night Feed?

Lil Isaac hasn't been waking up for night feed since we came back from Desaru. Well, his growth spurt seems to have ended, though I don't see any significant growth. Lol. His milk intake have dropped, which probably explained the drop in night feed.

I am please. He should be sleeping through. He is already 20th month. Jiejie slept through when she was 6 months. With the amount of solids that he takes everyday, I know he is getting enuff and don't worry about he forgoing that one bottle in the night. My beauty sleep is just as important.

Ok, now step 2 of the plan is to get jiejie to sleep with us. 加油！

Mummy Lim

Music Class

Lil Shauna finished 2 terms of her Yahama Music Wonderland classes yday. The class ends with a mini concert and family members were invited. The kids were to put up a solo and also performed as a group the pieces that they learnt in class.

Lil Shauna is the only girl left in the class of 7. A few of the boys were extra mischievous last night, interrupting the performances at different points. Lil Shauna was an angel amidst the monkeys, superbly well-behaved. I can picture Lil Isaac like a monkey too if he is to perform.

Bcos the kids were so distracted by the audiences, the performance was sub-standard compared to what they usually do in class. I was secretly glad when it was finally over.

Lil Shauna was issued with her ever first certificate for completing the class. I am so proud of her. We are starting her Yahama Music Wonderland next Wednesday. I was still hoping for a break. Lol.

Mummy Lim