Another wonderful site

At Hubby-jr’s last hearing test I found a brochure on this wonderful website I’m about to introduce to you.

It’s called the Listening Room at www.HearingJourney.com. It’s Fabulous! In their own words, it’s a web resource full of (re)habilitation activities and ideas to support the development of listening and language skills in children, adolescents and adults.

So far they’ve only stuff for kids but they’re working on activities for infants, toddlers and adults too.They’ve great game ideas for speech therapy that comes with DIY downloadable pdf files complete with instructions. They even have online video instructions. What’s fantastic is that they feature weekly activities. Yes! They introduce a new activity each week! And guess what? The resources are absolutely free!! Isn’t that just Fantabulous?!

Alrighty mommyfied, now get your act together and get them printed and do them! (Me pysching my “reluctant to add on more to my daily to-do list of things” self.)

Have You Seen This?

Incredible!

Alas! Good News

It’s been busy, busy, busy since the long school holidays have started. Keeping my two little ones occupied is exhausting! That’s the reason for the infrequent posts but I will try my best to write whenever I can (it helps keep me sane!)

Anyway, I recently had two pieces of good news that I’m just dying to share and it’s all about Hubby-jr my four year old son.

First, Hubby-jr has progressed quite a fair bit in school - he’s playing with his peers! We had our last parent-teacher meeting just before the school break and it was so great to hear some good news for a change (as you can guess, the first meeting wasn’t too great). Apparently he initiated play with some of his classmates on several occasions! With some help from his class teacher in the communication process they end up playing. It’s great news considering one of the major concerns of his class teacher the last time we met was that he didn’t play much with his peers.

Second, Hubby-jr doesn’t need to wear a hearing aid (at least not for now)! Yup, that’s what the audiologist told us at our last hearing test a week ago (audiologist wanted monthly checks just to make sure hearing loss was not progressive). When she tested him on hearing using both ears he could pick up sounds on a normal range. So that means he is able to use his good ear to compensate. What’s more there were no deterioration in his right ear hearing loss, so now they’d only need to monitor his hearing every 6 months instead of every month! Needless to say I was estatic and relieved! I feel like we’ve reached the silver lining!

We still need to work on his speech. Almost the entire holiday is filled with weekly speech therapy sessions. And when school starts I won’t have the luxury of resting on my laurels. The audiologist advised me to get the daily lesson plans from his class teacher so that I can either prepare him for his school day beforehand or revise it with him when he gets home. The pressing matter for now is to aid him in acquiring his speech. So that when he reaches primary one, in a bigger classroom albeit noisier setting even if he can’t hear 100% he’d have enough cognitive ability to guess what is being said most of the time.

So it’s gonna be a lot of hardwork for both of us but at least I know what we can and should do and I know we’ll progress. It’s wonderfully hopeful and simply great. I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to the school year.

This is a photo of Hubby-jr at his first hearing test or as he knows it a “hearing game”. He gets to play a few different games at each session. At this one he has to put one of those red wooden buttons into the board each time he hears a sound.

In My Father’s Arms

I’m doing some reminiscing today. This was taken when Hubby-jr was barely a month old. He was a colicky baby. The first night he came home from the hospital he screamed from 9pm till about 2am? Something like that, I can’t remember the exact details, I only remember it being VERY long and it being VERY tramautising!

A week later he was still colicky at that hour. But dear hubby had a way of soothing him and every night for the next few weeks my newborn son could only fall asleep on his chest, in his arms.

I took this photo one night. It’s one of my most beautiful memory of my son and especially of my hubby. Isn’t it beautiful? Doesn’t little baby look just blissful? Like nothing could hurt him… It reminds me that “I’m safe in my Father’s arms.”

Another Honeymoon’s OVER!

The terrible twos is officially here. Little Missy threw a temper tantrum today. Oh yes, my little feisty one has pulled many, MANY fusses, screamed now and then, and given me lots of passionate “NO!”s. But today she threw her very first terrible twos tantrum.  

Screaming – check!

Slump on the floor – check!

Legs kicking - check!

Publicly humiliating – you betcha! 

It wasn’t super major… yet but I can see those coming… oh yeah… 

I had been hoping it wouldn’t come so soon. Don’t gag, but I was even hoping it wouldn’t come at all. Yeah, yeah, I should get my head out of the clouds. Well four more months of “honeymoon” would’ve been… nice but nooooo… it had to start NOW… at 20 months. Hey Little Missy, get your dates right will ya?! 

Really? You can tell I’m UPSET! 

WHY? It marks the END of my short honeymoon. I’ve been enjoying both my children tremendously since June (that was when Hubby-jr’s tumultuous tantrums came to an end). Yeah, I’ve had to deal with other issues but in terms of tantrums it was pleasantly almost absent!

But now I’ve to buckle up. The “real” parenting stuff has to start with my no.2. I’ve to be consistent, be resolved in disciplining. No caving in. Mark the boundaries clearly. Show her who’s in charge. Sigh… it’s so much easier writing these down than actually doing them. It’s incredibly draining dealing with tantrums.  

I know it’s part and parcel of parenting. But… why… WHY couldn’t I just have another four months… WHY???!!!

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

Sorry for the silence. We’re down with a mild case of stomach flu over here. Started with me and soon the kids. Thankfully I’m recovering and hopefully the kids will be fully well within the next two days.

I’m still not well enough to write much but here’s a cute video of my two little ones. Little Missy loves to hold her big brother’s hands.

102nd Post!

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! I’ve past my 100th post and this is my 102nd! WOW!

To commemorate this I’ve written and posted a page on 102 things about myself. Click here to read it.

Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday was my wedding anniversary. Hubby and I have been married for 6 years. Yeah, SIX whole years. On one hand it seems just like yesterday that we got married and yet on the other, it seems like we’ve always been married!

They say… “You’d end up marrying someone like your dad.”

They say… “History has a tendency to repeat itself.”

In my case, “they” were so right, it isn’t even funny.

I’ve never seen my daddy give my mom flowers, ever! But I’ve seen how he’d drive out and wait for my mom when it’s raining just so she won’t have to walk in the rain. Not romantic but sweet.

Hubby’s bought me flowers many times and even bling blings (not huge ones but good enough for me) but in general he’s more sweet and not quite the romantic. If I expected a surprise planned romantic night out that would sweep me off my feet… let’s just say “fat hope” would have filled my entire apartment and more!

BUT hubby is very sweet. He’d make me coffee in the mornings, help me feed the kids in the mornings just so I can the extra 30 minutes of sleep. He did the grocery shopping for 2 months after each of my babies just arrived and I was overwhelmed. He’d take leave from work if he can if any of our kids or I fell ill or had some doctor’s appointment. I could just go on some more but I think you get the picture… so you see, he’s just the sweetest. Not romantic but sweet.

My parents met at work, fell in love and got married.

Hubby and I met at work, became friends then fell in love and got married.

My dad is younger than my mom by one year.

Hubby is two years younger than me.

My parents have two kids, first a boy and second me! My brother’s older by 2 and half years.

Hubby and I have two kids. First a boy and second a girl. Hubby-jr’s older by almost 3 years.

Isn’t it just downright creepy? Life is truly stranger than fiction! But you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love my hubby and I love the family we’re building together.

My Little Helper

Now all she needs to learn is… in the middle of the living room is not quite where I keep kitchen towels.

Backwards WFMW - How To Deal With Bullies?

This week is Backwards WFMW again over at Rocks In My Dryer, so instead of sharing a tip that has worked for me, I’m asking you for tips. 

I’ve taught and am teaching my children, no kicking, no pushing, no pinching, etc. and reinforce it regularly. Unfortunately they are faced with such kids now and then. If this  happens with hubby or I present, we’d warn the bullies. However we’ve come to realise that it happens sometimes when Hubby-jr’s (my four year old) in school. How should I teach him to defend himself and still remain honourable?

So far, when I’m present, I’ve been trying to teach him to be assertive. I tell him to face the “bully” and say, “don’t push me!” Or “don’t shout at me!” and leave the scene. He’s not very good at it as he’s a little delayed in social skills but I’m working on it.

How do you teach your kid to deal with bullies? How should they defend themselves when bullied? I would really appreciate any wisdom you’d like to share.