As you all know – I have some health issues – lucky for me – in some ways- being here in the West – my medical bills are taken care of by MSI and for many friends that I know – they are also covered by a disability insurance provided by the government here. In fact, the coverage is pretty wide here in the West – did you know that if you had a mental illness – it is considered a disability too? well, before coming here and living in the West – I didn’t know about it at all. But for those who have a back injury and cannot work – they are able to go on disability too – amazing right? Yes, I’ve seen and heard from a lot of customers that they are on disability – when they don’t look sick to me at all. Back home – when we talked about disability – you either have to break a backbone and cannot walk anymore before you can claimed any kind of disability insurance. Of course, I don’t want to be on a disability but one never know right – when you have as much health issues as I do – but it’s good to know that I am insured if something does happen – and I won’t be a burden to PB and Chloe.
Summer 2011
Every summer since coming to Canada – it doesn’t seems that we’ve done that much at all down at the waterfront. The last few years – I had gone down to the waterfront with Chloe on my own – or with her babysitter – but it’s different without PB. This year – we’ve managed to do a lot together during summer – I guess it’s because we’ve got Gary – a friend to help us in the store – volunteer work. Plus Gary we trust our store in his hands – we don’t worry at all – that money is going to go missing or some hanky panky going in the store. So when Gary is helping out – I just totally relax – no worries whatsoever. I’m just happy that PB is willing to do a lot more with Chloe – because she is growing so fast – and I really don’t want him to miss out on all the fun – watching her grow.
Beatles Octopus’s Garden
I grew up with parents who are not very arty farty – nor are they very hipped. When it comes to the Beatles and lyrics of songs – my mom was just not into it – and my dad “the shit face” well – he was never around right – so you can’t expect to learn anything from him. Now with Chloe – it’s a different story altogether – because she has got a dad – who loves music – although he wouldn’t sing to her – and she picks up all the good stuff from him. Like this song – Octopus’s Garden – Chloe who is 7.5 yrs old – would sing this song to me – and the yellow submarine. I who is 46 yrs old is learning so much from this little girl who brings me so much joy. So I’m inclined to believe – that what your children are – us as parents have direct impact on them. So yes! you want your kids to be this and that – make sure you check yourself – are you also this and that? I don’t believe in pushing my kid – but strongly believe in nurturing them with love and encouragement.
Raising A Kid Well
When Chloe was born – the minute I held her in my arms – I was very happy but at the same time overwhelmed with fear and responsibility as to how I am going to be able to raise her up well. Not only in terms of feeding her and clothing her but also with her education and making sure she grows up to be a responsible adult, well-behaved – you know the works – like any good citizen of society. My fear derived from seeing so many teenage pregnancy in this town – and also so many problematic teenagers. I fear I may not bring her up well – I fear she may grow out of hand – I also fear for my own health – what if I am not around to help raise her with PB. You see – after arriving in Canada – I realized that my health is not what it used to be and since PB was the only bread winner in this household, therefore I was very worried – what ifs???? So I did what any responsible woman and mother would do and took out my life insurance calculator and got some good advice from my insurance agent and did the right thing with my term life insurance. You never know what life may bring you eh – and in the event when something does happened I want to be prepared because I want my kid to be raised up well. I want an option for PB to leave work and to look after Chloe properly – i hope that day may never come – I hope to watch my princess grow up – and go into college and get married and have kids – but you never know right? What about you? how do you raise your kid up well?
A Collection Of Jewelry
My love for jewelry started when I was very young – I think it was my grandmother who actually got me interested in jewelry and when I was young and visiting my grandmother – she would take out her jewelry to show me. My great-grandmother who loved my sister so much – left her a ring – on her deathbed – so you see how we all got started young with loving our diamonds and gold. My grandmother also kept most of her jewelry at home therefore, she had all her jewelry insured – even an engagement ring insurance – that’s to tell you how early she started with buying insurance for all her jewelry. Being a Peranakan – descendants of Malay and Indonesia – they have exquisite jewelries – it’s too bad that my mother didn’t get left with a lot of her jewelry since she was the oldest amongst her siblings. But because of generations of love for jewelry – I too develop a love for them and passing on the tradition to my daughter.
Mother’s Day 2011
This is a back-dated post – I was surprised i didn’t write anything about this year’s Mother’s day – but like most Mother’s day – it’s mostly about Grammie and not me. But I did make PB pay for the carnations – that I had chose because I had gone out to get some carnations for Chloe’s teachers and her school staff.
And Chloe made me this crispy rice thingie – that I didn’t really eat – because they were too sweet for a diabetic – but I really appreciated it. This was made with her after school program.
And another lovely card made in school for me – so cute – it even has a picture of her in the front of this rose card.
And a lovely song and picture of mummy and Chloe – awfully cute.
Health Exams
Last year – I had gone to see my new family doctor because my old family doctor decided to abandon us – and move to a more vibrant town. But thank God – he is gone – because my new family doctor is way better – very encouraging and never once did she talk down to me – like the old one. But since I am new to her practice and not a spring chicken no more with so many health issues – she insisted that I have a full body check up – which included a ecg because I had high blood pressure – according to my old doctor. But truth be told – my blood pressure only go up when I’m talking about the town I am living in – other than that – I’m pretty calm. But she insisted an ECGs are not uncommon to me – because my mom used to do those – since she worked in the hospital. But I do like my new doctor and her office – because her clinic is pretty high tech – with all the savvy equipment and everything recorded using a notebook and not paper – so that they can pull out a file – without having to pull out paper folders. So my health exam will be up soon – and again I know i will have to do another ECG test – but this time – I’m more prepared since I’ve already done it once – and I’m not so panicky now. So wish me luck – while I await my ECG.
Making Father’s Day Breakfast
So it is Father’s day today – and for breakfast – Chloe helped to make breakkie for her daddy. Chloe said she was going to make her daddy a sandwich for breakfast since it was Father’s day.
She spread the butter but not the cheese whiz – because she said it was yukky ! hahahah!! then we put in some ham for PB and i cut the sandwich into half and got PB some chocolate milk. That was our gift to PB for Father’s day – hopefully, chloe will continue to make breakfast for her daddy as she grows older.
For The Soon To Be Mummies
I thought I would share this with the soon to be mummies because I sure wished someone did when I had Chloe some 7 yrs ago. Being a new mother – although I was then 39 – I was still paranoid and panicky when it comes to looking after Chloe. When Chloe’s grammie said that she should go into her own bedroom – I cried buckets – because I felt that I was abandoning my baby. And let me tell you if you fell that way – it’s normal – it’s the hormones going crazy. So if you are a new and soon to be mummy – I strongly suggest you get those video monitor that allows you to watch your baby sleeping in her/his room while you do other things or even when you are sleeping. So that you don’t have to feel that you need to be able to see the baby every second. That kind of monitor is the the best baby video monitor because it allows you to talk to your baby, watch your baby and listen to your baby. Had I known that there was such technology then – I would have bought it for sure. Now that would have saved me my sanity and probably made me less stressed. So there – my advice to soon – to be mummies and first time mummies – buy that video monitor – it would do you and your spouse a ton of goodness.
We’re Moving To Alberta!
Hehe!! of course not! but a local magazine had done some survey and proven that Alberta is the best place to live in – throughout Canada. Apparently, they have good schools, good neighborhood and a place where you can find jobs easily. But all these are only in paper – is it true? Well, I really don’t know to be honest – because I haven’t lived in Alberta – but if you are thinking of migrating – then you should definitely speak or write to some people who are already there. Canada is a huge place – and the town that I’m in is very small – a population of like 7000 – and even though it’s a small town – taxes are high for your properties and jobs are hard to come by. We are very fortunate because we’ve owned our own business for the last 12 yrs this coming August – but I know people who can’t find a job here – and had to move their entire family so that they can find better jobs.
Having said all the above – being in a small town suits PB very much – he grew up here – he doesn’t like driving in the city – and of course food in the city is way much more expensive even though the varieties are more. I don’t know if I would move elsewhere in the future – but for now – we have no plans yet. As much as I would love more asian food – I’ll have to say that the competition both in school and on the store front isn’t as competitive as it would be in say Alberta or even in Halifax.