On days when there are no tantrums, it is pure bliss spending time with the kids :) But I guess, how can one appreciate the good, if one does not first experience the reverse?
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Thursday, 25 February 2010
These days, I deal with tantrums on a daily basis. I feel as if the Sydney trip kind of triggered the emotions in my 2 babies. Lucas has realised that screaming gets him the attention he desires. This boy has really good stamina, just today, he tried to take a swipe at me, I glared and him and told him sternly no. Oh ... the floodgates opened ... he cried and screamed and kicked. I quickly placed him in the playpen, where he couldn't hurt himself, and ignored his crying. It is very interesting, just hide and observe him, you will find that he looks around in the midst of crying to see if anyone is looking (and to take a breather). If he spies you looking at him, off he goes again, if not, the crying reduces to a whimper. When he finally calmed down, after about half an hour, I sat down and read a book with him and he was totally fine, oblivious to his terrible crying tantrum that had just passed.
As for nat, these days, it is just a contest of wills. She wants something, I tell her no, she gets angry, becomes rude, gets scolded ... blah blah blah ... the cycle goes on. I am trying out the naughty chair method, works sometimes, but not all the time.
I know this is just a phase, but sometimes, it gets really frustrating. But I always think to myself, better to go through this now, then to have 2 rude and bratty kids/tweens on hand later. So wish me good luck and grant me patience, please.
These days, I deal with tantrums on a daily basis. I feel as if the Sydney trip kind of triggered the emotions in my 2 babies. Lucas has realised that screaming gets him the attention he desires. This boy has really good stamina, just today, he tried to take a swipe at me, I glared and him and told him sternly no. Oh ... the floodgates opened ... he cried and screamed and kicked. I quickly placed him in the playpen, where he couldn't hurt himself, and ignored his crying. It is very interesting, just hide and observe him, you will find that he looks around in the midst of crying to see if anyone is looking (and to take a breather). If he spies you looking at him, off he goes again, if not, the crying reduces to a whimper. When he finally calmed down, after about half an hour, I sat down and read a book with him and he was totally fine, oblivious to his terrible crying tantrum that had just passed.
As for nat, these days, it is just a contest of wills. She wants something, I tell her no, she gets angry, becomes rude, gets scolded ... blah blah blah ... the cycle goes on. I am trying out the naughty chair method, works sometimes, but not all the time.
I know this is just a phase, but sometimes, it gets really frustrating. But I always think to myself, better to go through this now, then to have 2 rude and bratty kids/tweens on hand later. So wish me good luck and grant me patience, please.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
We are back from Sydney. My advice? It is not a good idea to bring 2 young kids, who are close in age on a long-haul trip like this. There were nice moments, definitely, but the tantrums, crying and puking were far more common, on a daily basis.
We left on the second day of CNY. It started off quite smoothly. The flight was in the night time and we were assigned a bassinet seat. Nat and Lucas were both in a good mood and didi slept right through, 2 hrs into the flight. Nat was well entertained by my DVD player which I brought along for her to watch Little Einstein. I even boasted to my mum that the kids were cool travellers, just like daddy.
Sleep, Food and Weather
When we arrived in Sydney, it was morning. The kids were tired and generally slept on the double stroller most of the day, as we pushed them around, exploring the city. Tip 1: Feb is not a good time to visit, the weather is hot, mostly like Singapore. We enjoyed ourselves a lot more in Melbourne in May last year, mainly because of the cool weather throughout the day. This time round, it was hot, hot, hot!
Food was usually western type bread, eggs, bacon for breakfast, burgers and fries for lunch, although we did try to have a fancy dinner in Hunter Valley. Tip 2: Not a good idea to visit a fancy restaurant with 2 young kids, who threatened to bring the glass cups (nope, no plastic ones available), throw the breakable crockeries on the floor and get drunk on daddy's glass of red wine, after making a swipe for it. Did I mention the din we were making? Tsk Tsk! The kids didn't really like western food and pretty much survived on milk, cereals and fries. Towards the end, we got desperate. We spied an ad for Din Tai Fung in the Sydney guide and made our way there, just so the kids could have some real hot piping chicken soup and rice. They thoroughly enjoyed it, and so did we. Sigh, we really are true blue Singaporeans that cannot do without rice for extended periods of time.
Sleeptime was another exhausting experience for us. With the kids in the same room, they both refused to sleep. Switching off the lights and patting them to sleep didn't really work, as they were too hyped up. It sometimes took us more than an hour before they fell into slumber.
Nature
The nature walks at Botanic Gardens was nice. Nat and Lucas love chasing the seagulls and there were miles and miles of greenery. However, the hot weather diminished any hope/dream that I had of us hanging out for half a day at the gardens reading a book, while the kids chased the birds. It was just too hot. Surprisingly, many local Australians were doing that, while the sun shone down strongly on them.
Our visit to Featherdale Wildlife Park was fun for the kids, they loved it. The nice thing about visiting wildlife park overseas is the close interaction one can really have with animals. Nat and Lucas fed wallabies, kangaroos, koala bears and even roving emus (nat was scared of the big black bird but lucas was quite brave and enjoyed roaming amongst them). The animals are so tame and so comfortable with humans that one has no fear, even when face to face with the bigger size adult kangaroos, which can actually look quite intimidating. Nat even collected her own set of bird feathers (and I have no idea where they are). She was also pleased to see a real live kookaburra up close (the kookaburra song , the one about it sitting on the old oak tree is one of her favourite tunes).
It's been 2 days since we have returned from our trip. Things are back to normal and the kids are back on their usual routine. Interestingly, to me, in just a mere one week, I suddenly feel that they are more grown up. Despite all the stress of the holidays, they are still my little darlings.
We are back from Sydney. My advice? It is not a good idea to bring 2 young kids, who are close in age on a long-haul trip like this. There were nice moments, definitely, but the tantrums, crying and puking were far more common, on a daily basis.
We left on the second day of CNY. It started off quite smoothly. The flight was in the night time and we were assigned a bassinet seat. Nat and Lucas were both in a good mood and didi slept right through, 2 hrs into the flight. Nat was well entertained by my DVD player which I brought along for her to watch Little Einstein. I even boasted to my mum that the kids were cool travellers, just like daddy.
Sleep, Food and Weather
When we arrived in Sydney, it was morning. The kids were tired and generally slept on the double stroller most of the day, as we pushed them around, exploring the city. Tip 1: Feb is not a good time to visit, the weather is hot, mostly like Singapore. We enjoyed ourselves a lot more in Melbourne in May last year, mainly because of the cool weather throughout the day. This time round, it was hot, hot, hot!
Food was usually western type bread, eggs, bacon for breakfast, burgers and fries for lunch, although we did try to have a fancy dinner in Hunter Valley. Tip 2: Not a good idea to visit a fancy restaurant with 2 young kids, who threatened to bring the glass cups (nope, no plastic ones available), throw the breakable crockeries on the floor and get drunk on daddy's glass of red wine, after making a swipe for it. Did I mention the din we were making? Tsk Tsk! The kids didn't really like western food and pretty much survived on milk, cereals and fries. Towards the end, we got desperate. We spied an ad for Din Tai Fung in the Sydney guide and made our way there, just so the kids could have some real hot piping chicken soup and rice. They thoroughly enjoyed it, and so did we. Sigh, we really are true blue Singaporeans that cannot do without rice for extended periods of time.
Sleeptime was another exhausting experience for us. With the kids in the same room, they both refused to sleep. Switching off the lights and patting them to sleep didn't really work, as they were too hyped up. It sometimes took us more than an hour before they fell into slumber.
Nature
The nature walks at Botanic Gardens was nice. Nat and Lucas love chasing the seagulls and there were miles and miles of greenery. However, the hot weather diminished any hope/dream that I had of us hanging out for half a day at the gardens reading a book, while the kids chased the birds. It was just too hot. Surprisingly, many local Australians were doing that, while the sun shone down strongly on them.
Our visit to Featherdale Wildlife Park was fun for the kids, they loved it. The nice thing about visiting wildlife park overseas is the close interaction one can really have with animals. Nat and Lucas fed wallabies, kangaroos, koala bears and even roving emus (nat was scared of the big black bird but lucas was quite brave and enjoyed roaming amongst them). The animals are so tame and so comfortable with humans that one has no fear, even when face to face with the bigger size adult kangaroos, which can actually look quite intimidating. Nat even collected her own set of bird feathers (and I have no idea where they are). She was also pleased to see a real live kookaburra up close (the kookaburra song , the one about it sitting on the old oak tree is one of her favourite tunes).
While daddy visited the wineries at Hunter Valley, the kids and I hung out at the picturesque vineyards, admiring the view, digging for caterpillars and picking pebbles. Along the way, Nat even adopted her own pet rock (something she learnt from tv). Of course, I surreptitiously threw away her pet rock along the way, lest didi Lucas picks it up and attempts to swallow it.
We also had somewhat of an adventurous time at Port Stephens, when we went sand boarding at the sand dunes. I initially thought that there was no way we could do something so "extreme" with kids in tow, but it actually turned out quite fun. We hopped onto a 4WD and bumped our way to the deserted end of the dunes, just 4 of us and the guide. Basically sand boarding is a bit like tobogganing on sand. You sit on a skateboard like thingey and just slide yourself down the dunes. There are gentle slopes and steep ones as well. We positioned the kids between our knees and slid down the gentle slopes with them. Nat even attempted the medium slope together with daddy. The catch is after all the fun and thrill of going down slope, remember one has to trudge your way up. It's real tiring. The kids had fun running around the base of the dunes, chomping on sandy twisties and burying their faces in the sand ... eww!
The other highlight of the trip was our boat trip out to watch dolphins. From the boat, we could see the dolphins up close, frolicking in the ocean. Didi Lucas slept through the boat ride, lulled into sleep by the rocking of the boat. Nat adored the dolphins and screamed in excitement every time she saw one pop out from the water.
The other highlight of the trip was our boat trip out to watch dolphins. From the boat, we could see the dolphins up close, frolicking in the ocean. Didi Lucas slept through the boat ride, lulled into sleep by the rocking of the boat. Nat adored the dolphins and screamed in excitement every time she saw one pop out from the water.
On the last day, we visited the famous Bondi Beach. This is what beach culture is all about. Sunny skies, surfing dudes and icy cold water. The bummer? The kids got all hot and cranky and didn't really like the sound of the rushing waves. Gary and I looked at each other with the same thought, if the kids were not with us, we would just jump into the sea and have a nice long soak/swim.
Good Playmates or Not? Tantrums and Puking, Sigh!
The kids love each other to bits, that is, when they are not trying to kill each other. Nat loves to tease her baby brother. She will tempt him with food or other interesting items and when he attempts to swipe it, she will scream and hide it away. This gets Lucas really pissed and he ends up chasing her to make a grab for the desired item. When this happens, she pushes him, but if she misses, he makes a beeline for her hair. It's quite comical actually, in hindsight. But there and then, it is quite frustrating, Gary and I have had to stop such scuffles many times a day.
Nat is also at the age when she is experiencing different emotional experiences. For her, jealousy is a big issue. Whenever we pay too much attention to Lucas, she gets upset. She has honed her crying skills so well that crying on demand is no problem. When Lucas gets carried, she wants to be carried too, when she is perfectly capable of walking the short distance. When Lucas gets juice, she snatches his cup away. Tantrums are a daily occurence, with both the kids. Over the course of the week, my gentle little boy has been "led astray" by his big sister and become more aggressive. Interestingly, I realise now that this little boy is capable of a even bigger tantrum than nat, when he starts crying loudly, he refuses to be distracted or pacified by anything.
Puking was also a "highlight" of the trip. Gary and I love to drink orange juice and whenever we drink, of course, the kids want some too. Overdo the juice and "in one minute, out the next". It didn't help that after the dolphin boat ride, nat and I both felt seasick and that night, she puked quite a few times, staining the bed linen and carpet. Poor girl, she wanted to be changed everytime she puked until I literally ran out of clothes to change her into. As a mum, it is really worrying to see your child puking away and being so helpless. All I could do was comfort her after each puking session. Tip 3: May not be a good idea to bring young kids on boat rides. Luckily for us, Lucas was fine, I can't imagine dealing with 2 puking kids.
On the plane trip back, Lucas puked a heap of orange juice onto a sleeping Nat. You can imagine the din that occured thereafter. Cleverly, I had packed some spare clothes into the carry-on lugguage so I whisked Nat off to the toilet to change. However, her mood was spoilt thereafter and she glared at Lucas for vomiting on her.
One of my most stressful moments of the trip was during the plane landing at Changi Airport. Lucas must have experienced some discomfort in his ears and he wailed and struggled loudly during the whole process. No matter which way I held him (within the constraints of the seat belt), he wailed ever so pitifully. I can imagine the irritation of the people sitting around me, but frankly, at that moment, I didn't give a damn. Ironically, once we landed and entered the airport, he was in a good mood again, pointing excitedly at the aeroplanes and shrieking as I pushed him on the baggage trolley.
My Kids
It's been 2 days since we have returned from our trip. Things are back to normal and the kids are back on their usual routine. Interestingly, to me, in just a mere one week, I suddenly feel that they are more grown up. Despite all the stress of the holidays, they are still my little darlings.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Friday, 12 February 2010
You know, there are some books that will be instant hit with kids. This book, A Squash and A Squeeze is one of those books. I read aboutit from another mummy blog some time back and had been keeping an eye open for it. I finally found it recently at Kinokuniya. It's catchy and witty and certainly keeps nat interested in reading it again and again. These days, didi lucas has also developed preferences for selected books in the house, such as We are Going on a Bear Hunt and Goodnight Moon. It's no wonder these 2 books are becoming tattered and worn due to constant snatching between nat and lucas.
You know, there are some books that will be instant hit with kids. This book, A Squash and A Squeeze is one of those books. I read aboutit from another mummy blog some time back and had been keeping an eye open for it. I finally found it recently at Kinokuniya. It's catchy and witty and certainly keeps nat interested in reading it again and again. These days, didi lucas has also developed preferences for selected books in the house, such as We are Going on a Bear Hunt and Goodnight Moon. It's no wonder these 2 books are becoming tattered and worn due to constant snatching between nat and lucas.
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Saturday, 6 February 2010
My little man is growing up so fast, soon to be 17 months. It's amazing, I was just telling gary that I can't believe he will be going to Pre-Nursery next year. Didi is a real charmer, to his o'le mum, of course. The quivering lips and droopy eyes if you admonish him with a stern voice; the half smile he throws in your direction when he knows he is being mischievious; the chuckles he loves to give his sister who enjoys amusing him; the "No no no" his fave word, learnt from his big sister; his plonking down on my lap and nestling himself comfortably whenever I read him a story; his slightly sweaty yet baby smell that fills the air as he sleeps close to me on the bed at night; I love them all.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Friday, 5 February 2010
Time seems to have just flown past, today, my baby girl is 3 years old! Looking back, she has brought a lot of joy into our lives. Although, in my recent posts, I often express frustration over her "terrible threes", at the end of the day, I think this excerpt from a story I often read to her holds true:
"I love you any way you feel, no matter what you do,
I love any way you are.
I love you because you're you."
Newborn
6 months +
1 year +
1.5 year +
2 year +
2.5 year +
3 yearsShe often throws tantrums and more often than not, her tantrums are directed at me. Initially, I was puzzled by this, but later I realised that this is her way of getting attention, especially from me. I really don't know what's the correct or best way of parenting, but right now, I am just trying my best to tread a fine balance between the hard approach and the soft approach. It's not easy, but I stand by my principle, I will not raise a bratty and rude kid in this household.
We celebrated her 3rd birthday with her little friends in school, simple, short but probably just as enjoyable to her as the larger scale party we had for her last year, with rented toy slides and all. Daddy took a day off and we spent a happy time with the kids at Vivocity, at her fave place, the water play area and Toys R Us.
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