My Son’s Haircut

BEFORE

This was taken a week before the haircut.

AFTER

This was taken yesterday, a day after the haircut.

DURING

And… yes, this was taken while my dear son was having his haircut!

The credit for this hilarious scene (which REALLY took place) goes to… me.

No prizes for guessing, yes, Hubby-jr hates haircuts. Every past session is a drama in itself. The reason? He has a “thing” with bits of hair falling on his face, especially his eyes. He usually flinches and lets out occasional whines, screams and whimpers throughout the haircut which all but lasts (at most) 30 minutes.

To reduce the “trauma” my father-in-law used to have to shield Hubby-jr’s eyes with his hands while my mother-in-law executes the haircut. (Yah, how many grown-ups does it take to cut my dear son’s hair?)

Anyway, on Monday we fixed him a haircut appointment with my in-laws. Before we even left for their house my son was a bundle of nerves. “Yeh-yeh (grandpa) will cover my eyes.” He said repeatedly, looking to me for some sort of assurance. “Yes! Yes!” I replied… repeatedly. It was getting on my nerves. Just then, I thought of… goggles! (He just started swimming lessons… which is another story…)

I looked at him and said, “how about wearing goggles? If you wear it then the hair will not get into your eyes.” To my amazement, he calmed significantly at the idea and said, “okay.”

I was quite pleased at that point to have thought of such a “brilliant” idea… until the haircut itself. Yes, it worked, he was quiet throughout even though he was still tense. BUT I hadn’t anticipated how ridiculously funny the whole thing looked. Thankfully it was a home haircut. I don’t think I can turn him into such a spectacle at a hairdresser/barber in a mall!

Oh well, hopefully he’ll outgrow the need for goggles or I’d just have to think up of another “brilliant” idea when that time comes. For now, its goggles and behind closed doors at my in-laws.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Add…

…Monkey Must Have Too and that’d aptly describe my no.2, Little Missy. She imitates just about everything her kor-kor (big brother) does and just about whatever kor-kor gets, she has to have it too (with the big exception of punishment!) It’s the common younger child syndrome isn’t it?

With Little Missy, its to the extent that she wants to take medication just because my older boy has to take antihistamines. His sensitive nose is acting up more often now with the utterly unpredictable weather fluctuating between scorching heat and thunderstorms.

“I wan medsen (medicine)! I wan medsen!”

“Okay dearie (if you insist), here…” and I feed her liquid Vitamin C (seize opportunities people, seize opportunities). Yes I confess I have been tempted at times to feed her drowsy antihistamines… sweet dreams sweetie… sleep longer yah?

Anyway, last Saturday, my poor son had a minor mishap on the escalator which left him with some nasty cuts on his knee. This “earned” Hubby-jr a pad on his knee held by first aid tape. In my effort to distract my son with happy thoughts I exclaimed, “Hey look, you have sticky tape on your knee!” (They’re at a sticky tape craze at the moment after watching the sticky tape episode of Dora a few dozen times). Next thing I heard was a not so little voice coming from a particular little person,

“I wan stiky tape! I wan stiky tape!”

Ask and ye shall receive…

My dearest hubby’s handiwork.

It Was Not Just A Dance

“Backward, Forward, Shuffle, Shuffle… get ready for Chinese Dance… next is Malay Dance… now the Indian Dance…”

My son showed me a dance routine he learnt in school the week leading to Singapore’s National Day (9 August). I was so amused and thrilled that he not only learnt it but he could actually perform it.

They were going to perform this mass dance on 8 Aug 08 as part of his kindergarten’s National Day Celebration.

So the day before, I checked with his class teacher if I could witness the celebration (there was no open invitation to parents). After getting her green light, I snuck to school that eventful morning after I sent him off to his school bus, Little Missy in tow.

I wanted to surprise him. (He has asked me on several occasions to pick him up from school.)

Upon arriving at his kindy I stationed ourselves right in front of a small group of parents at the place where they’d perform the mass dance. He beamed when he saw us. I was half afraid he would cry and want to stand with me (as he would have done so last year). But he didn’t. He just smiled and kept glancing our way every now and then.

I was so proud. My boy is maturing so well.

Then the dance began. And even though I could only see his head (thankfully he’s tall) bobbling in a mini sea of red and white (all the children were dressed in the national colours), I felt a lump in my throat. I had to hold back my tears.

I swear if you could see through me that moment, you’d see an explosion of sorts. I was exploding with pride. Drama huh? Well it is partly because he was just SO different last year. Last year he would’ve just stood still and not participate. So for me to see him taking part fully in something like this was just…

Never in a million years would I have expected myself to feel that way over a mass dance performed by a group of pre-schoolers (of course I only had eyes for my five year old).

But I did. I am mommy-fied.

A Year On…

Mid July we met up with Hubby-jr’s class teacher for the kindergarten’s bi-annual parents’-teacher meeting. It was at such a meeting a year ago that his class teacher (then) was concerned with his lack of socializing and delay in speech. She (the teacher then) prompted us to have him checked and that led us to discover his hearing loss.I can’t believe it was just one year ago. Somehow it seems much longer. Maybe it is because we’ve gone through so much since then.

Looking back, I am very amazed at the progress I he we’ve made. (It’s great to look back once in a while to see where we started just to see how far we’ve come!)

His present class teacher reported he is doing well academically (even without me having to go through lesson plans with him). His written work is improving and he participates well in class activities. PLUS he’s interacting well with his classmates. Her only complaint was that he’s restless in class and often dozes off when she’s teaching! (Of which she has since rectified simply by changing his sitting position!)

He met one of his “buddies” while we were waiting that day and it was such a joy seeing him laugh and play with his friend. Just knowing he has made friends is huge enough on my happy indicator as it is. To be able to see him interacting and his friend reciprocating, it blew me away! Indeed he is such a different boy now, much more confident, friendly and talkative!

A year ago I went home with such a heavy heart. That day, I went home smiling (BIG smile) and extremely grateful (tearing grateful).

Stay Love

Grace is one of the Christian values I feel deeply about, having experienced God’s grace in my life. Knowing that God loves me for who I am and not what I did or didn’t do. Knowing that nothing I do (or did) will shock Him into not loving me has lifted and freed me beyond words.

Therefore I strive to impart this to my kids. I try to reinforce as much as possible that I love them even when they are naughty or disobedient.

“When I am naughty, mommy doesn’t love me,” Hubby-jr said one day.

“No, I love you even when you are naughty. I’ll always love you. When you are naughty you make me angry but I still love you. I love you because you are my son; you are God’s gift to me.”

The first time I told him, he seemed a little confused. How can mommy be angry (scolding and punishing) and still love him? After reassuring him a few more times, he took me at my word and repeated what I said verbatim, “mommy loves me even when I’m naughty.”

He asked me several more times (when I had to punish him), “do you love me when I am naughty?” And I’d reassure him. At times I’d also add, “I have to punish you when you are naughty because I have to teach you and I want you to learn to be a good boy.”

The question stopped after a while (a month or so ago?) and I almost forgot all about it until last night.

I lost my cool when they fought over a toy. Yes one out of tons that they have! As I was tucking them into bed I saw their dejected faces and felt sorry. So I said, “Hey, its okay, mommy’s not angry anymore. I won’t stay angry with both of you for long.”

And before I could say anything more Hubby-jr face lit up and he piped “but mommy will stay love you.”

“Yes, I will love you always. Both of you.”

My five year old got it. Sniff.