Good News, Bad News

Good news, I’m back (blogging). Bad news, I’m back (end of my visit to my hometown, end of my break). Good news, hubby is still on leave (he can help me with the kids!).

Good news, I’ve stuff to share with you (I wanna blog). Bad news, our home computer has breathed its last breath! (HELP!!!). Good news, hubby’s work laptop is here cos hubby’s on leave. Bad news, hubby’s going back to work next Monday. Hopeful news, hubby will FIX this problem before he returns to work (new computer? Anyone giving theirs away over at Freecycle?!)

How? What will become of me… if I’ve to go computer-less even if it’s just for awhile… HUBBY DEAREST PLEASE FIX THIS BEFORE MONDAY, PLEEEEASSSE. Pretty please, with a cherry on top????

Going Away

I’m going awa-ay, I’m going awa-ay, I’m going awa-ay.

We’re heading back to my hometown tomorrow morning for almost two weeks. Woo Hoo!

Five hours bus journey with two active young kiddos. Not so woo hoo.

Still, I AM SO, SO, SO HAPPY.

I doubt I’ll be blogging much during this time even though my parents’ place has broadband. Time to just… chill. Sorry to take another break so soon but guys, I really need this.

I’m going awa-ay, I’m going awa-ay, I’m going awa-aaaay!!!

Sometimes small and simple is good enough

1 Thomas & Friends Cake

2 Large Oishi Pizzas (and 12 yum-delicious chicken wings)

2 Close Friends (who’ve known each other since 4 months old) and their little siblings (that totals 5 children guests)

2 Mommy’s “motherhood” friends

That was what I whipped up in two days for my son, Hubby-jr, to celebrate his birthday. And that was all it took to make him a very happy boy.

My son is turning five tomorrow.

I was mulling for sometime in May as to what I should do for his birthday. Organising a birthday party on a weekend was one of the ideas I had. BUT when the holidays started (almost 2 weeks ago) I ditched the idea. You see, I was just plain too exhausted. It’s my first time winging a holiday with 2 kids without my parents (yup, they usually visit during the school hols). We (hubby and I) then decided to just bring him for a movie on his special day.

B-ut… then… just two days ago my friend asked if we’d be celebrating Hubby-jr’s birthday and that led me to ask my son what he wanted to do for his birthday. Would he prefer his friends coming over or going out to watch a movie? Without hesitation and with much excitement he chose the former. So I called his two “babyhood” friends’ mothers that evening. Next day I brought him to choose his cake. This morning I called for pizzas. And that was that, we had a mini birthday celebration.

It was great seeing him brimming with excitement in anticipation of his friends coming over for his birthday the last two days. To think he was once afraid of parties. He has really grown.

“Thank you mommy for preparing for my friends to come” he said after I spent some time in the morning getting the house and things in order.

“I really enjoyed my birthday (party) today,” smiling as he told his daddy over dinner.

And that was all it took for this mommy-fied woman to think and feel - it is all worth it. Being mommy-fied isn’t so bad after all. 

My Space

I never knew how precious this particular commodity is until I became mommyfied.

And I’m feeling so stripped of it now that it is the school holidays!!!

Help! I need space. S-P-A-C-E.

Oh yeah, I get “some”, here and there, but that’s NOT ENOUGH!

My dear speech delayed son has improved enough to want to chat incessantly. Yes I am thankful (thank you Lord) BUT… I need MY SPACE.

To curb cabin fever I’ve to schedule sporadic outings. Traveling and eating out with two young kids can be fun but unavoidably there are “those” times where it’s just nerve wrecking.  

On quieter non-outing days… yes, my two kids can and do play with each other so I don’t have to play with them… but after 15 minutes or so, one of them will come looking (or shouting) for me. They need mommy’s help or something or just my attention.

Little Missy naps for 2-3 hours (God bless her!) BUT almost 5 year old Hubby-jr may or may not. Thankfully I’ve trained him to stay in his room for an hour (if he can’t nap, he can read his books).

BUT people, that’s all I’m getting - ONE hour. Out of 11 hours (yes, hubby’s away daily for that many hours).

Can you now understand my dire need for space? Yes, S-P-A-C-E!!!

Just when will the d*mn holidays be over?!!

“I can do this. I can stay sane. I’ve survived a week already. Late next week we’ll be off to visit my parents in Malaysia. Hang in there mommyfied. It’s only a few days more…deep breaths. Take deep breaths. I can do this… I can…”

Great Sites For Kids

Shannon @ Rocks In My Dryer has compiled a LONG list of great sites for kids. It’s not just a list that goes on and on and on, she has actually categorized them. A great first stop to find wonderful online stuff to entertain our pride and joy(s)! Click on the icon below to get there. I’ll be putting it up on my sidebar too.

So far I’ve checked out KneeBouncers and StoryPlace. KneeBouncers’ great for my two year old girl and both my kids liked StoryPlace.

Coincidentally the list includes Storyline Online which I discovered via Pilgrim Parent and was just getting round to introducing it. It’s a delightfully wonderful site featuring stories read by actors/actresses. My kids may be too young to fully appreciate it but I personally was captivated by some of the stories. A definite MUST see!

Okay, I shall not hold you back any longer. Go knock yourself out and click away! 

My Girl and Shoes

It is apparent that my darling Little Missy has inherited my shoe fetish genes (which I’m sure is not unique to me and plagues most women)!

The telling signs appeared when she just about 18 months, she tried on shoes along with me at the shoe department one day. She jumped out of her stroller (after she saw me trying on my third pair of shoes), took off her shoes and signalled daddy to pick shoes and help her try them on!  (Mommy was obviously too busy…)

Dear Hubby just shook his head and blamed mommy, yeah moi. He thinks she picked up the “bad habit” just from observing how gleeful I looked whilst I was trying out shoe after shoe after shoe. What can I say? Trying out shoes for fun is one of my “hobbies”. Sometimes I end up buying them, often I do not.

Anyhoo, the fetish is here to stay (with Little Missy). But mind you, she has a mind of her own. She determines which shoes she likes and which ones, NOT.

These fake pink crocs used to be her favourite. It was her “default” going out shoes although she had a good number of shoes. Then a few weeks ago I decided to buy her more shoes as her little feet were growing. It was not easy. She rejected MANY shoes and just wanted her fake crocs. “No! Don wan. Wan pink shoos!”

Unfazed, I pressed on (yeah I love shopping for shoes for my girl as much as for myself!) Finally she picks the cute blue flip-flops (with a back band). How did I know she liked them? She refused to take them off after trying them on?! Then she does a gleeful kind of skip out of the shop, squealing now and then! The same happened with the light blue denim and pink shoes (at another shop, another day…)

“Mommy, what are you doing to her?!” exclaims dear Hubby. Oops, he happened to be there when I bought the blue denim shoes and he saw her pure excitement over her new shoes.

Okay, so I like to indulge my little girl now and then (sue me!) The other of her two current favourite pairs of shoes are hand-me-downs (see! we’re not snooty, a shoe is a shoe, even if it’s not new). For the world of me I can’t figure out why she loves the spiderman slippers (see how worn out they’re getting), they are her “default” walk around the neighbourhood footwear.

Woah, this is a pret-ty long post about my two year old’s… shoes! Might seem like nothing but a load of fluff to some of you. Oh well, one man (woman)’s fluff is another’s fetish. Serious fetish!

P/S: She has other shoes I have not featured here.

The Elephant Song

I LOVE this song I found on youtube by Eric Herman. It’s intelligently funny and cute. Pre-school kids will love this. Yah, I’m actually a 5-year old trapped in a mom’s body! Hahaha…

Intelligent but more suitable for pre-schoolers and a grown up like me loves it??! Confused? Check it out and you’ll see what I mean.

It’s Mine!

“It’s mine!”

That’s what I’ve been hearing a lot lately from both my kids. Yup, the usual siblings’ squabble.

It’s amazing isn’t it, how a (once upon a time, not too long ago, sorely neglected) toy’s appeal increases exponentially the very second one child picks it up and decides to play with it. Before you know it, the other child wants to play with it too. Yah, and just as suddenly, the toy that they were playing with earlier is no longer “current”.

The grass is just always greener on the other side.

Anyhoo, the tussle over toys isn’t new at all. It started way back. What’s new though is that now my son (almost 5, speech delay) can declare, “it’s mine!” (It used to be just, “No, Mei-Mei, No!”) And my two year old Little Missy can counter that with, “no, it’s mine!” (Hurray! Her speech development’s “normal”).

Of course the “it’s mine” goes back and forth, back and forth, back and forth…
Add this, “Mei-mei (sister), you play with this (another toy).”
And this “No!!” Scream!
Then back to, “it’s mine” banter.

It is quite a racket. It can and does drive me nuts. Yet at the same time…
It is so good to hear those two words come out of my son’s mouth (and my daughter’s).
It. Is. Good.

Blog Break

Hellooo… sorry for the silence. I’m taking a little break and will return early next week.

Till then, have a great weekend!

Stay-At-Home Mom’s Worth Nearly $117,000 a Year

And that is in US Dollars!

Don’t fret working moms, your motherly duties are worth US$68,405. Yeah, that’s in addition to your actual job income. Cool eh? Now if ONLY it really translated into REAL money…

Read all about it here. (I found the article by way of Rocks In My Dryer)

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!