myJournal

August 3, 2005

Oh dear, I thought I better not make this the title, but that was exactly how RX sings when she's patriotic to her country!!!

National Day is drawing near. Singapore is celebrating her 40th birthday! I was very surprised when RX actually participated in the joyous occassion. She has been singing the national anthem these few days! I wonder who taught her. It was later found out to be the TV itself. Every morning, she'd watch the TV and that's where she learn her national anthem which was played every day in the morning show! I saw her singing the national anthem and waving the national flag and capture that on my camera phone... it was ultimately cute! I should have sent the clip to TCS for some national day patriotic contest! If only there is one! Her version of national anthem is complete, except for some phrases, which apparently was too fast on the TV for her to catch! Instead of "Majula Singapura", she sings "monkey-la singapura", and the part on "cita cita gi...", she replaces the "cita-cita" with "mmg-mmg" ... I don't think anyone would hold this against her, she is so innocent and cute!

August 10, 2005: 3.00 pm

The maid has gone back to solo for a week. So I took a one-week leave to be the temp maid and at the same time a babysitter. It was a tiring chore, both housework and taking care of RX.

Before I took leave, I surveyed for all possible story-telling sessions @ the kibrary, and activities for kids... I even compiled them into a list - ALL READY & PREPARED! I thought I would spend the one week meaningfully, bringing RX to talks and activities to enrich herself. WHO KNOWS! I never expect the one week to turn out this way! I never had the chance to bring RX out at all. From morning to night, I'm all tied up with housework and preparing feeds for her, clearing up messes on the floor, mopping, sweeping, cleaning, washing, ironing... and finally laid down on bed half-dead. The chores are already a big headache, but there are other creatures that add on to my misery! One of the most irritating is the ants, they never seem to get out of my sight. They even climbed into the tins of sugar, and I had a very bad time cleaning up the mess they created!

RX is taking her afternoon nap now. Good thing she does that. For a while, I can complete all the housework as quickly as I can without hearing her shouting for "Mummy" every split second. Actually I feel guilty. I have not been playing with her except during feeds when I am forced to sit down to feed her. She has been coming to the kitchen to look for me and I always tell her to go and play and that I am very busy! All because of the chores! Who knows in heaven there's so many mundane chores on earth?!?

Enough of complains. The good news is... the maid is coming home tomorrow!

August 10, 2005 : 7.30pm

"Mummy, can u read this - The magic porridge pot, ... so nice". Then she took out another story book and said, "I read the Emperor's new clothes".

Now she's standing besides me with eyes wide open, staring at me. I told her yesterday when I checked my email, so now whenever I am in front of the computer, she says "Mummy check email". Now, her stare starts to turn guilty as she mumbles, "Mummy say cannot put-put pampers". For a second, I knew the stool has already took shape inside her pampers.... to be cont'd later.

Alas, cleaning her stool is so painful! They stink!... I must have given her such good food that she shit almost everyday with such terrible odour. RX is old enough to be toilet trained, yet she is not. All kids around her age are toilet trained, or at least giving it a try. RX doesn't. She resisted and refused to get her butt sat on a potty! However I always console myself that "she do it sooner or later, it's just a matter of time", she can't possibly grew up wearing pampers always.

August 11, 2005

RX has outgrown her bottle and silicone nipple. Now she's using bottle with straw... that means she can't go into sleep using the "basket" anymore. Now she goes to bed after finishing a bottle of milk. I'm glad she can sleep without the basket now. It is another achievement milestone to me! Nowadays her bedtime ritual goes like this...

After a bottle of milk with straw, she'd go to the bedroom and lie on the bed. After a session of tossing, singing, talking by herself, she'd squirrel down the bed, sit on daddy's mattress and ask him to bring out the weighing machine that is placed in front of the bed.

First of all, she'd stand on it to weigh herself. "xuan xuan ten K-G", she said. Then pointing to daddy, "Daddy, u stand... see how heavy" (daddy stands on the weighing machine) "Daddy is sixty four!"

Now she's satisfied, and would proceed to the next item on the routine agenda - the purse and coins. "Give me the coins!" she demanded. Happily, she'd sit on daddy's mattress and lay out all the HK shillings nicely in a row.

After the weighing machine and coins ritual, she'd stand up and walk out of the bedroom insisting that the daddy go with her. When she sees all the lights off and darkness in the living room, she'd finally accept that it is time to sleep.

Again she'd toss in the bed..., but this time, she'd sleep.