Bruise Lim Again

Popo brought the kids cycling the last 2 days in Centris. They also had fun at the playground.

Just now, I noticed that Lil Isaac has about 8 blue-blacks on his legs. Faint. I wonder if somebody will accuse us of child abuse.

Mummy Lim

Pulse Check

Lil Shauna has been with LCentral for more than 2 years and is due to progress to the 4th level in coming October. I supposed there are better enrichment centers out there but I am pleased with LCentral. Lil Shauna is now able to blend words (though forgetful about her rules at times) and read independently, if she wanted to. Most of the time, she lacks the confident or it is simply much easier if mummy or pappy can do the reading for her.

She is also doing Chinese enrichment with her school and some Chinese enrichment class with Felicia. Truth be told, I do not placed as much emphasize on Chinese. It is definitely not an easy language but sadly, I think Chinese is indeed losing its importance in Singapore. I am very glad that Lil Shauna adores her Chinese enrichment teacher and looks forward to her enrichment class every Saturday morning. I thought her Chinese has improved tremendously as compared to previosuly. She speaks Mandarin to Popo now and doesn't tried to shut me up when I communicate to her in Chinese, like how she used to. She still thinks that she is an English though. LOL.

We have dropped music after struggling for a term and unlikely to pick it back in the near future. We don't see her being gifted in music and it is too painful to struggle in it especially when time is so limited and precious. She has been swimming with Uncle Shawn for over a year and can now do front-crawl continuously for short distant and is learning back stroke now. Progress may be slow but nothing beats taking swimming classes and monkeying with her cousins. She is also taking art classes with her cousins at the CC across Centris, largely to burn time. I tried to check her interest on other fun enrichment like dancing or gym classes but she simply isn’t keen and I see no point in forcing her for those.

Her parents are working hard as well to perform their parental volunteer duties. It has been almost 3 months since we started and we have clocked 7 out of the required 40 hours. I think we shouldn't have problem fulfilling the 40 hours. We aren’t sure if West Grove Primary School is indeed the right school, definitely not the best but I think the neighbourhood schools are all about there.

Mummy is busy searching for Maths enrichment for Lil Shauna currently. She will drop her art classes when we find one. Mummy has been busy reading forum and will be bringing Lil Shauna for assessment (required by most centers) beforedeciding on a suitable one for her. I hope to find one that sheenjoys. I may be greedy but think that learning at their age should be interesting so that we don't kill their interest. WithMaths in place, I think I have completed the picture. 

The 2nd kid always get it worse. That is even when Daddy Lim had been reminding me way before Lil Isaac comes along that he should get to attend similar classes that jiejie attended. Unfortunately, humans are both forgetful and lazy.

Lil Isaac did get to attend 2 terms with My Little Gym and that is almost all. Poor boy. Well, he started swimming with thejiejies and Uncle Shawn a couple of months back and mummy is looking at some gym class that he can start attending again. After jiejie’s scare with music, I am not the most keen to send him to one. Maybe I am believing that the music genes doesn't flow in our blood.

Academically, we will be starting him on phonics with LCentralwhen he turns 3 in October. Lil Isaac doesn't have jiejie’s flare for English. He hasn't even learnt all the 26 uppercase letters and I need not mentioned about lower cases or the sound. We will continue to try to introduce more letters to him but I hopeLCentral could help him in more ways. Popo think that we are wasting $ by sending him so early to phonics classes when he couldn't even speak clearly but I think it will be worth the investment.

I don't have gifted kids. I am not trying to hothouse my kids too.I only hope that by preparing them early and giving them strong foundations, they will be more confident when they enter the academic mad rush. Roooaaarrrr…

Mummy Lim

Trauma

When we fetched the kids yday evening, we were told that Lil Shauna's left earring was stuck in her ear lobe. It probably took place these few days cos I clean her ear on Sunday and her ears were alright. 

On closer inspect, I can hardly see the stud on her left ear lobe. When I tried to push it out, her tears flow like water and she was screaming bloody murder. We decided to bring her to the GP. I supposed some numbing cream would help.

It was almost 8pm and I found an empty clinic in JP and it was probably a wrong choice. When we entered the clinic, there wasn't a single patient. The doctor was sitting at the counter, typing in front of the computer and the clinic nurse sitting at the waiting area watching tv. How weird??!!

In the consultation room, we were told that the doctor had no numbing cream in the clinic and suggested that we headed to the A&E instead. I was clearly reluctant. It was afterall such a small matter. The doctor didn't seem very interested and attempted weakly to ask Lil Shauna if she wanted a jab to numb her ear instead. He was quick to tell us that he couldn't do anything when Lil Shauna rejected the jab. I think he just didn't wanted to handle a crying and uncooperative kid. In the end, he gave us prescription to buy numbing cream from the pharmacy and told us that we should be able to get the stud out after the cream takes effect.

Back home, we waited 50 mins for the cream to take effect before trying again. I don't know if it is bcos the cream didn't work or Lil Shauna had such low threshold for pain but we were unsuccessful. We tried 3 times, each time, she cried and struggled and yelled murder. We decided that it was time to hit the hospital.

We tried West Point Hospital to find that the doctor went out for an emergency case. We couldn't escepe NUH Children A&E at the end of the day and I dread the wait.

Fortunately, we didn't have to wait that long, probably about an hour. At the triage, the nurse told us that they have a numbing cream that may work. Otherwise, they had to sedate her. What? Sedate her for that some tiny earring? Sob.

By God's grace, we didn't have to sedate her. The PD also decided against using the numbing cream, something about it being not safe for ear. She simply checked the earring and forced it out, something that we could have done on our own if it is not the fact that Lil Shauna cried buckets each time we attempted. 

The whole procedure took less than 5 mins. The PD said that the numbing cream probably had worked, she was also more skillful having dealt with numerous similar cases and the parents probably wouldn't be as daring and forceful as her. Lil Shauna didn't cry when the PD was working on her. She looked like she was on the verge but didnt. She also didnt struggle like when we tried. She said that it was more painful than I tried. Really? 

Anyway, we were just so glad that the whole ordeal was over. We were given antiseptic cream and it was almost 11pm when we left the hospital. Lil Shauna decided that she wanted the other earring off too. I have no objections. By the way, the PD is really nice and very pretty. Hehe.

When I was finally tucking her to bed, she asked me if she is going to Centris today. She was very excited to share her battle story and scar with the girls. Haha.

Mummy Lim

Have to Speak Proper English

Lil Isaac woke up from his nap. Daddy Lim was napping in a different room with the door closed. Lil Isaac didn't realise that Pappy was back from work.

ML: Didi, go and call Pappy to wake up (direct translation from mandarin).

Obediently, I saw him lugged his nono and walked to the telephone at home, picked it up and said into the phone, "Pappy, wake up!".

Muahahahahaha. It is my fault. 

Mummy Lim

Poor iPad, Poor Mummy

Our iPad has been with us for about 2 years and it still looked pretty used. The kids used it mainly for watching YouTube and playing games. Mummy used it to watch her Korean drama. 

It has "fallen" multiple times and still served us well until yday. Lil Isaac dropped it for like the 265th time and the screen blacked out and it never came on. Sob.

Mummy tried charging it and connecting it to the computer but nothing happened. The black screen continue to stare back at me. There also don't seem to be any legitimate Apple Service Center in Singapore. Arrgghhh.. Luckily mummy still has her Galaxy Tab to watch her Korean drama.

We have decided that we will send it to some "ah beng" hp/ iPad service center and see if it is worth saving. If it cost is an arm, we will see a mini iPad at home soon. Muahahaha. 

Mummy Lim

Happy Teachers' Day

Teachers' Day is on coming Friday, 6 Sep. The kids' school is closed and they are having half day on Thursday. We haven't bought any Teachers' Day presents. My bad. I was procrastinating and it so happened that I have to work late yday and today. So effectively, we have no time to buy present. When Daddy Lim and the kids came to pick me up, I suggested that we head to the petrol kiosk mart to buy some chocolates for the teachers.

ML: Baby, we haven't bought anything for your teachers. Shall we head to the petrol kiosk to buy something?

LS: But I already gave something to my teacher.

ML: Huh? What did you give to your teacher?

LS: The big seashell lor. I gave that to Mrs Neo (form teacher).

ML: Muahahahahaha.

We picked up that seashell when we visited Tanjong Rhu @ Sentosa a few weeks back. I can imagine all the useless stuff that pre-school teachers received on teachers' day. Lol.

Mummy Lim

Her Very First Time

We were in the ABC market and were almost finishing dinner. Daddy Lim was carrying a sleeping Lil Isaac in his arms and asked if jiejie could have to buy him

a coke from the drink stall. It is not child labor lah, we were only one table away. I thought Lil Shauna would reject the request but she gamely took it up.

DL: Baby, can you help pappy buy a coke?

LS: Where?

DL: (Pointing to the drink stall one table away) Just there.

LS: But I duno how to say.

DL: You tell uncle, "Uncle, 我要一罐coke."

LS: Ok (she took the $$ and walked to the stall)

DL: Don't forget to say "thank you" and take the change!

Lil Shauna waited for her turn and returned triumphantly with the coke and the change. While she was ordering, her parents were so touched and closed to tears, busy taking picture while hawking over her to make sure that everything is fine. 

She did great. We are so proud of her.

Mummy Lim

ABC Market

We went to the ABC Hawker Center for dinner just now. It had been a long while since I visited a hawker center. When we dine outside, we usually have our meals at food court, fast food joints or restaurant. Mummy was drooling over the wide selection of food. I saw satay, clay pot rice, indian rojak, fried carrot cake, fried fish bee hoon soup, roti prata... Food that aren't usually available in food court. I was walking around with Lil Shauna looking for food to order. I would be sharing with the kids.

ML: Baby, what would you like to eat?

LS: Fishball noodles.

ML: ...

With all the good food and we ate fishball noodles. -.o" It is not easy being a mummy.

Mummy Lim

Arty-Farty

A friend posted pix of her visit to Art Garden @ Singapore Arts Museum on FB and it looks good. So we brought the kids there yday. We were there with my bro's family and ah yee. Ah yee likes this kind of arty-farty stuff. Muahaha. She was also very keen to visit the Singapore Night Festival that took place in that area in the night.

For our kids, it was their time ever to the museum. You can tell that, other than ah yee, there is no artistic genes in our blood. Lol.

The place is pretty cool. There are a total of 6 theme rooms. However, they are actually more suited for kids 4 and above. There are craft work in 3 of the rooms and jiejie totally enjoyed them. Lil Isaac's idea of craft is mad scribbling. 

After the Art Garden, we went for dinner and continued with the Night Festival without my brother's family. There were a great number of performances but the kids were tired by then and we didn't visit many of them as plenty of walking is required,  from one venue to another and both kids were fighting over the stroller.

I think we would like to do such again next year. By then, the kids are one year older and I think they would enjoy the art more.

Mummy Lim

Play, Play, Play

With the boy back on track, it is again play time again during the weekends! He is still grouchy at times, which is normal with kids post recovery. Otherwise, he's very much up and jumping.

Daddy Lim is on duty today. So we came to the indoor playground, Tickle, to waste the day away. The kids are having a blast with their cousins. We were here since 1.30pm and they are still playing. 

Now that the boy is older, I can simply sit and stone at "rest area". Muahahaha. I have been stoning for the past 3 hours and counting. Haiz, should have downloaded some Korean drama to work. 

Mummy Lim