Month: July 2010

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My Kid Loves To Read

My kid loves to read – i even have a picture of her in the toilet reading a magazine – muahah!! I am guessing – she loves to read because she sees us reading a lot – they say the apple don’t fall far from the tree eh. We get all her books from school, or the local book store here but PB uses Amazon books to get his special books that you have to order – like the Forgotten Realms & the Wheel of Time series (we can find it in this small town).

The school encourages us to read to her and we do it every night before she sleeps – she loves for us to read to her – but she refuses to read on her own. So ever since she started “real” school, we were able to acquire some books that was in her level – and she is now able to read simple books. And though she doesn’t read too much yet – she loves buying books and we never refused when it comes to books. My grandfather used to say that books should be our best friend – and at that time – i thought it was so corny – but now i can fully understand why my grandfather preaches it constantly. What about you? does your kids love to read? where do you get good and cheap books ? pray tell.

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Don’t Sue Me !

Two weeks ago – one of our neighbor’s kid came over with his football uniform to play with Chloe – and I had said he looked so good. Our neighbor’s kid is a joyful one – we just love seeing him around – because he would always come and hug chloe and play with her. Anyhow, I asked the lil’ boy if I can take a picture of him – and he had said yes – but i’ve learned my lesson from the many years in this town – i also asked him to ask his mom if it was alright. He came back and said his mom was alright with it and i took a picture of him. But when i saw his parents out in front of their house the same night, I couldn’t resist opening the door and telling them – “Donch sue me now! i don’t have $40K to give you!” muahhahahaha!!!

You must also be wondering what i’m going on about right? well, you see many year ago – when we first moved into our new home – I had taken a picture of the little boy of our chicken shit neighbor – and put it up on my blog – back then. A few months later – they had come over and told me they weren’t happy with the picture on the internet – and that i could be sue for US$40K – muahahahah!! firstly, their kid was fully-clothed, secondly, i did not say any unkind things about the kid nor them – so why the big boo-ha? go figure. They claimed that there was a pedophile down the road from us – but what has it gotta do with me and my blog? if there was a pedophile down the road – he would have his own collections right? And really???!!!?? was there a need to say something like that? just a simple ” i’m uncomfy with my son’s picture online” was suffice. I would have promptly taken it down and promptly apologized. But nope – they didn’t do that – so that was lesson #1.

2 yrs ago – when Chloe went to school for the first time – french immersion – her home room teacher was told about Chloe’s blog. A few months later – she got the principal to tell us that she was uncomfy about having her “name” mentioned on Chloe’s blog. Yes ! just her name!!! WTH right..??? like my chicken shit neighbour both of these people have their pictures on the internet that could be easily found when i google for them and on Facebook. So what was the big deal ? i don’t really know. So now .. after 11 yrs here in this small town. I am darn smart now – i never mention names.. nor would i put out a picture or take a picture without permission. I don’t know what is wrong with some people in this town – i’m just glad that there are only a handful this way – crazees – thank God for the good people in this town though.

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Focus On The Good Stuff

We are already into the 4th week of Summer Camp and everyday we asked Chloe how did it go. Of course, she would go on and on – about how some kids were bad to her .. and how some wouldn’t play with her. And her favorite words these days is “This is the worst day in my life!” – drama much ? So yes – it had been going on for a few weeks now and everyday – we promised to talk to the camp coordinators about it for her. Which we did – but you see – we weren’t teaching the kid the right thing – because then she would think that everything has to go her way – so last week – we taught her to focus on the good stuff. This evening – when i was bathing her – washing her hair – i asked her how did camp go ? she didn’t wanna tell me at first – but when she did – i reminded her that she need to tell me the good stuff first and then the bad. So she told me the good stuff – and forgot about the bad. So yes – focus on the good stuff – but that doesn’t mean that you don’t listen to her grieve – because what we may think is a small matter – is a big deal to them. But as parents – i remind myself to teach Chloe to also focus on the good things and only tell on others when she is “really” hurt. What about you ..?? are your kids this way? how do you steer them to the right way/direction?

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Weddings & Flowers

Living in Canada for the last 10 yrs doesn’t mean that I want to lose touch with family and friends – in fact – i think we are a lot more closer now that we don’t get to see each other that often. But it is sad when the nieces/nephews or the best friends celebrates a special occasion and you can’t attend. But like all Chinese, we believe that we have to show that we think and care about them. Asked Barb who started work this year in January after taking a long break looking after her daughter. But what was most awesome was – all our friends from all over the world came together and used Proflwers to send her a bouquet of roses – to boost her confidence -she was thrilled i am pretty sure.

So the niece who got married last week was very touched to receive this from us all the way from Canada – we couldn’t be there you see – too long a flight – but we wanted her to know we care for her and loved her. Thank God for services like these eh – but it’s not new to me.. because some 15 yrs ago – i was using this service to send flowers to PB while i was in Singapore and he in Canada – i even have pictures of them to proof it.. hahahha!! Ahhh.. love.. what better way to show it then with flowers eh. Did you send flowers to your spouse lately??? or someone you miss ..?? I did received some from PB not too, too long ago – but that’s another story for another day.

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Life In This Small Town

Tis’ very sad to see restaurants/bistros/movie places – closing its door one at a time during the last few months – i wonder what is next for this town. 6.5 yrs ago – when i was pregnant with Chloe – i could eat nothing but quiche from this bistro – just a few doors away from our store. This Bistro kept me and Chloe alive for at least 6 months – i just couldn’t stomach anything. There are so many good people like the owner of this bistro trying very hard to make a living – but end up losing so much – just for trying. Owner of this place is very talented – i’ve eaten there many time during my 11 yrs in this town – so it came as a shock to us that they just up and left with no notice whatsoever.

There is currently a new MP – elected – a very young one – promising from what i see – so i’m hoping that with this new MP – we will see some small changes. Lately, the town councils have been more and more disappointing – i just read in the local papers – how they are $100K unprepared – so they claimed a mis-interpretation! WOW!! already there had been a lot of mis-interpretation in this town for the last few years – plus i can’t see how the town is not aware of what is going on with SWDAS – all these years – when they are even involved in the tri-county school thing. I am deeply troubled by what a lot of folks of this town suspect – but time will tell eh – time will tell. I’m just glad that our business haven’t been affected *touch wood* and thank God ! we are keeping our fingers and toes crossed.

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Local Library

We all believed in teaching our kids good value in life and reading is one of them. Chloe is no different from any kids and although we buy lots and lots of books for her – we still go to the library – to borrow some – so that she knows that reading is good. A few months ago, during the March break – I had brought Chloe to the library to color and read – she loves coloring and when she saw that there were coloring print outs for her to color – she wanted to go to the library more.

Alas, it was short lived – not the going to the library part but the print outs – after our first trip to the library – the subsequent ones were greeted with no new print-outs because the clerk there said that – that was all they have. She suggested that i bring my own coloring books the next time. You and I know that kids love the novelty of “new” stuff – they don’t want to bring their own coloring books. But that was alright – i didn’t say much.

But one afternoon, a friend came by with her kids and said “meet us at the library!” and since it was a saturday not really much to do in this small town – we said ok. I packed my laptop and got PB to send us to the library. The friend had 2 kids and they had gone to ask for some paper from the clerk – she gave them 3 pieces. When the kids were done that paper – Chloe being Chloe wanted more paper – so i went instead to ask – for some reason/s the kids didn’t wanna go. So this time the clerk told me matter of factly that the paper were for printing – and not for giving out to the kids – again she suggested that i bring my own the next time.

I was kinda taken aback by the lack of tactfulness – we are dealing with kids here – kids that the library had encouraged to come to the library – because reading is fun. But nope they won’t give us a few pieces of paper. So i guess – our donation to the library 2 months ago – thru’ “Adopt – a -book” for the library – didn’t mean a thing? What is a few pieces of paper right? 3 kids – 3 pieces of paper and they refused to print anything out for the kids to color ? We haven’t gone back to the library since – because of that incident – we are also re-thinking if we should encouraged our family and friends to “Adopt – A – Book” – afterall, donating more than $120 for those books didn’t mean nothing to them *shrug* – so we might as well be nonchalant and not do anything. Again, I am writing this after a month – not because I’m being petty – but moreso – I feel for my kid – who was quite hurt that the clerk won’t give her some paper to draw. And I feel bad for the many kids who will be going to the library and to be told off – to bring their own paper – if they wanted to draw. I’ve witness an incident whereby a foreign student had asked if he could borrow the phone to make a phone call only to be told to bring a quarter with him the next time *slap forehead* – i had actually wanted to come forward and give the kid the quarter – I can feel for the kid – and I know that if it was my Chloe – she would wished the floor would open up and swallow her. Tactfulness is important when dealing with the public – especially where kids are involved – for now – my kid (Chloe) doesn’t wanna go to the library – why? she said the clerk was a “meanie”. A lasting impression the library has on her for now – i can only hope that she will forget with time – but so far – i’m not getting any luck.

PS: i have no problems bringing my own paper but at times – when a parent forgets – i feel that the clerk should have been a lot more understanding and a lot more flexible. A little bit of kindness goes a long, long way.

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Vitamins & Your Kids

Have you count your blessings for having your kids of late? I do everyday ! Not only because Chloe is a rather good kid – but because even though i complained that she doesn’t eat meat often and never a piece of bread – she takes her vitamins with no problems or any medication. Not that we want her to take more vitamins from tablets – and not from natural sources but we count our blessings that we are able to supplement what she is missing.

Chloe rarely have any problems taking medication – she doesn’t like the needles of course – that freaks her right out – even just talking about it. But like i said – we count our blessings and often i acknowledge that God works in mysterious way with everyone of us – the kids especially. We never really taught chloe how to take vitamins – we just started when she was young and now – she does it on her own every morning after breakfast. Yes – count our blessings ! have you ?

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Time Out Tips

While many mothers would say – that they are not like other mothers and only write the good things about their kids and never the bad ones – i too understand that Chloe is not all sweet and angelic. But having said that – Chloe is often good more than naughty and if she was naughty – we often see it as she wants attention more than being bad. And I hear you all – mummies and daddies out there – we have a living to make and we have commitments to work – in order to bring in the bread and butter.

My own mother had to work 6 days a week – and i think because of that we were never really closed – and I’m truly sad about it too. So for Chloe – even though we own our own store and can have her with us all the time – we too have to work. And like all kids – they never get enough attention and they act out – Chloe does that sometimes too.

Up to last October – it was only the babysitter who has given chloe time out – so we are pretty newbie when this time out thing is concern. And if you hear PB going ” Cut it out!” when we are out with chloe – that’s because he is the disciplinarian in our relationship. But like PB said – although the standard is a min per year of age – it is not meant to punish the kid – when you give your kid a timeout – it is to help regain control and if she won’t sit still during time out – it’s ok – because she knows that there are consequences.

Another tip is to track when your kid is having a tantrum or breakdown – did she get enough to eat and nap time? if she was hungry – or even if she wasn’t feeling good – but what if your child has a meltdown in the mall ? Chloe only did it once – in her entire life – but what would you do? We turned right around and send her home – just once – and it never happened again. My time out tips? never to shout at your kids – in public or at home – time out first – reason later and explain the consequences. Any tips to share? mommies and daddies out there?

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Dressing Up For Summer Camp

As you all know – Chloe is in summer camp now – at least 4 days a week – and this year – we see a lot of difference in Chloe and her summer camp. How so ? last year – she won’t go to any camp without the babysitter – this year – she doesn’t wanna miss camp. This summer camp is also very far and as you all know we bring her in late and bring her out for lunch and then send her back for play time with other kids. Plus – they also play dress up at Summer Camp – so i stopped doing my review on phentramine and helped her pick up the dress and accessories for her dressing up day tomorrow.

Can you guess what the theme is? Yes – is a Blast from the Past – back to the 70s. So we tried many dresses ( from her Kai Mah *godmother* in Singapore) and her hair do too – thanks to Auntie Jenny from Down Under who sent her the polka dot scarf to be used as a hair band. I told Chloe how lucky she is – because during my time – my mother had no time to play dress up with us. But how can one blame her when she was the only one bringing the bread home – and looking after 4 kids with no help. I still cannot fathom why my mother would have so many – even though my father refused to help with the first and second one. Parents who does that – are so irresponsible – if you cannot give the best and your time to your kids – you shouldn’t have any.

Even though we send Chloe to summer camp – we still bring her back for lunch, therefore, it doesn’t make for such a long day for Chloe and it sure doesn’t make me feel guilty like i’m farming her out. Even when we do send her to her grandparents it is only because we want her to bond with her grandparents and that she will be safe there. I’m glad I waited for the right person to come along to have Chloe – else i might not have end up with someone who would help with Chloe too – now that would have been too devastating for me. What about you? does your spouse help? did you have kids with the right person..??