Poor Chloe had been plague by hives again – but not the serious type – every other day we will see one or two bumps coming up – she would scratch it like mad and after we give her some Claritin – it would stopped. But a few days later – we would see a few more bumps. The camp-coordinators had been really good – and keeping an eye on Chloe for us – so we are happy that she is in camp and not exactly loving it but she still would go. Only a few more weeks and she is going back to school. Summer is going by far too fast – the weather is already turning cold here. I’ve also stopped putting on an undershirt on chloe since summer begun. So have i changed or have chloe changed..??
Upgrading Home & Store
It had been a really busy summer for us – in fact – so busy I had to cancel my pedicure a few times now in the last 2 months. The store is doing some revamping with new fixtures and our home ? we are getting our patio all fixed up with mosquito nets – so that we can enjoy sitting outside without the buzzing of mosquitoes and bugs. The zapper that we had bought a few years ago – didn’t seems to help – so I told PB that we really needed to get the mosquito nets up. Afterall, what is good with having a patio and a golf course for scenery when one don’t get to enjoy it. So off we went looking for some Baldwin hardware for door knobs and other accessories. As for the store – we got new fixtures for the movies and games and cabinets as well. The store is beginning to look “proper” now and most of the handmade shelving by PB were taken down. I think he is a little nostalgic about them – hahahha!! for they had followed him for 11 yrs now. So yes! if i haven’t answered your emails or gone on Facebook – it’s because we are busy running around looking and shopping for stuff to fix up our house and store.
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.
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.
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?
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.
When Lanes Merge Episode 19 & 20 (End)
When Lanes Merge Episode 19 & 20 (End) is out for watching !! woohoo!! excited right..?? leave me a comment will yer! i will share, share with you.
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.
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.
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 ?