Monday, 29 March 2010

Baby quirks, you got to love them. Nat's quirk: She has to wear pretty dresses all the time, totally obsessive. After a bath, she will sail into the room and point to her dresses, telling me exactly which one she wants. Usually, it's the one with lots of flowers. Some days, she even refers to herself as a Princess, haha, it's so funny. Just the other day, she lay in bed and said "Princess Natalie is tired and wants to sleep."

Didi Lucas also has a quirk. He likes to be held in a certain position. When we are watching television or the computer, he likes your hand to cradle his tummy. If the hand should happen to drop onto the lap, he will gently nudge it back into position, before leaning back and sighing with content. He sure is a funny boy.

Din do much this weekend, just captured a video of nat eating bee hoon using her chopsticks for the first time and also a pic of "pretty lucas", taken by his sister. Enjoy!

Wednesday, 24 March 2010

Today is ballet day. Nat always has some seperation anxiety just before class and dropped a few tears just before class started. However, once she got into the groove, she was happy. Danced and pranced and generally focused on what the ballet teacher was saying. When she came out of class, she declared to me that she loves ballet. Meanwhile, maybe ballet is really making her more girly, she loves wearing dresses and sometimes even requests to wear her pretty dress to bed. We have a few old ones set aside, just to cater to her request.

With nat, I have been trying to get her to write the alphabets and she is picking it up quite fast. Mandarin is an area that I am still working on, been thinking what is the best way to interest her in learning. So far, playing Mandarin kids' songs on the radio seems to work and she is quite comfortable singing and listening to Mandarin. Will perserve and see what else I can find to interest her. She loves to doodle and we have notebooks and pens everywhere, just to satisfy her doodling desires. Check out her spider with two eyes and many legs. I'm glad her doodles have progressed from just scrawls to interesting pictures.

At 18 months, didi is finally speaking a lot more. He seems to pick up new words every day. I have decided to be more diligent and try to make sure I watch the alphabets in Starfall with him and flash cards every day. Some people do not believe in the merits of flash cards, but it seems to work for my kids. I don't follow the "flash cards at lightning speed" concept though, I take my time, so my kids can recognise the picture and the word that accompanies it. I'm glad that didi is picking up some words from the flash cards, like giraffe, zoo, wear, bear, bee. His favourite numbers are five, nine and ten, courtesy of Starfall.


When people say boys are more active, they are not joking. Didi lucas is like a little pocket dynamo. Every day, he climbs up and down the sofa umpteenth times, never deterred even when I drag him off and give him a stern lecture. On the bright side though, he seems to sleep better these days and that is great, as gary and I sleep better when he sleeps well. He loves swimming as much as I love buying cute swim wear for him. Check out his latest swim fashion! Cool?

Wednesday, 24 March 2010

When nat is in a good mood, she will sing me songs she learns in school. This is one of her favourite. What a treat!

Monday, 22 March 2010

Nat was asleep, didi lucas was fussing, so we took him for a late night car ride to the supermarket. He was thrilled. Explored the whole supermarket and played hide and seek along the aisles. On the way home, he saw the headlights from the surrounding cars in the side mirror and said "Car coming". A milestone for my baby boy, the first time he put 2 words together that make sense and is even in the correct tense, haha. We really don't spend one-on-one time with the little man enough. Love him more and more every day.

Today was also the little man's first lesson at the Julia Gabriel Billingual PlayClub, kind of interesting, having a mix of both English and Mandarin teachers. I have been to these lessons with both kids so many times, but I still like to watch them interact, socialise and generally have fun in the classroom environment. Didi is a bit like daddy, when he is focused on something, like during story time, he furrows his brow and stares intently, looks very fierce. I really must capture a digital pic or video of him doing that and post it on the blog.

Wednesday, 17 March 2010

Some of my friends enjoy a bottle of good tipple on special occasions like birthdays, and they make it even more memorable by drinking a wine made in their birthyear - a wine every bit as old as they are. I recently celebrated a mate's birthday over a 1970 Latour - stunning and aristocratic.

In similar fashion, I have put aside a number of bottles of first-class vino for the wifey and kids. 2005 was our wedding year and a magnificent vintage in France, so we have many a great Bordeaux and Burgundy for the years ahead. 2007 is Natalie's year - less successful in Burgundy but a sterling vintage for Chateauneaf-du-Pape and Sauternes - so she can look forward to some nice sweet dessert wines when she reaches the legal age for drinking. But it is Lucas who really has the stars of the collection - a fleet of the great First Growths of Bordeaux from the 2008 vintage, including Lafite, Latour and Mouton-Rothschild. I hope the boy enjoys drinking his inheritance!

Wednesday, 17 March 2010

I have enjoyable memories playing tennis with my mum, when she first started me on it in primary school. She used to bring me along to her tennis sessions with her friends once a week. Armed with my HEAD junior racket that I was so proud of, I would join in their game and whack a stray ball or two. It continued for years till I mastered the skill and could have proper rallies with my mum.

Doing the same with my 2 kids. Nat is thrilled to bits with her new racket, didi lucas prefers to chase after the bright yellow balls instead. I am quite impressed though, nat can actually hit a few balls that I feed to her. I did some reading about starting toddlers on tennis, the bottomline is just let them have fun, good strokes can come later, and fun is what we had this evening. Just in case anyone is interested, the colourful balls are very light, meant specially for kids.

It helps that the tennis courts are just a minute's walk from our house. I hope my kids will grow to like the game, just like me.

Sunday, 14 March 2010

When I first saw this product, a pair of chopsticks, meant to train young kids to hold the chopsticks correctly, I scoffed. But I bought one for nat anyway, quite a while ago, and it was quietly shoved into the cupboard, till little miss uncovered it today. She ran up to me and asked if she could open it. Why not? A few minutes later, she was picking up things, using the chopsticks, just like a pro. Paper, toys, anything she could get her hands on. I put my foot down when she headed towards her shoes, armed with her trusty o'le chopsticks and explained to her that chopsticks were meant for food. She was quite happy when I took out some grapes for her to pick up, using her chopsticks. I'm quite impressed by this product though, never thought that nat would pick up the skills of using a chopstick at the age of 3.

Saturday, 13 March 2010

She is not quite the graceful ballerina yet, but she sure is trying. Tutu skirt, courtesy of a mummy friend, hairband - adapted from part of the skirt. Let's try posting this again, half a year down the road, who knows, she may be more graceful by then.

Saturday, 13 March 2010

The thing I like about nat's school is that they make an effort to introduce different activities for the kids, so that school life is not boring. On Friday, they had "Dress in Your Favourite Clothes" day. If my little miss had her way, she would have gone to school in her ballet leotards, tutu and all. However, we just settled for a nice dress instead. Sob, sob, look at her, all grown up with her backpack and all.

Today, the school had a carnival. The weather was great and the kids had fun playing little mini-games and doing craft work. We just discovered that didi Lucas may actually be left-handed, like daddy. He was attempting to draw something with a marker but whenever we placed the marker on his right hand, he switched it to the left.

Everyday, Lucas surprises us with new words that he verbalises. I brought him for our weekly walk in the park on Friday. We found a new play area, with wood chips scattered around. As he tromped on the wood chips, some chips got into his shoe. He promptly said "Ouch" and sat down on me, indicating for me to take out the chips in his shoes. I was greatly amused. Then, this morning, when he woke up, he pointed outside and said "Go out". I am sure that before long, my little man will be chattering incessantly, just like his sister.

Thursday, 11 March 2010

Nat had her first official ballet class yesterday, she was a bit apprehensive initially, but once I convinced her that she was going to have fun, she adapted really quickly. I enjoy watching her from the little window, just outside the classroom. From time to time, she will look up and wave to me. They did a new ballet move, fluttering around the class like little butterflies, quite sweet to see nat looking so serious and focused as she tried to copy the teacher. Haha, this mean mummy thought she looked more like a housefly, though, with her "wings" fluttering so fast, uh dear, it's meant to be graceful, the butterfly ain't in a hurry.

Today, we also went to see the play, Give a Mouse a Cookie, adapted from her favourite book. Again, she was apprehensive at first, but unlike a year ago, she didn't cry. Instead, she held on tightly to me and focused on the play. After a while, she settled down and even giggled over some funny moments. I think her favourite part of the day was after the play, when I bought her a pack of chocolate chip cookies, outside the theatre to celebrate her "bravery". She munched on one big cookie and promptly fell asleep.


Didi Lucas is still a bit young to appreciate plays and stuff, so I didn't bring him along. He preferred to stay at popo's house, riding nat's yellow trike. I am quite impressed, nat didn't start riding the trike till about 2.5 years, but at the tender age of 1.5 years, didi lucas is raring to go. He can't quite pedal yet, but like Flinstone, he sure can use his legs to move the trike. Yabadabadoo!

Monday, 8 March 2010




My little ballerina, tonight we tried on her ballet dress for size, just in case any alterations were needed. She wanted to sleep in it, fought tooth and nail to prevent us from undressing her to wear her pyjamas. She eventually compromised, by grudgingly wearing her ballet shoes to bed. Sigh ... my little girl.

Thursday, 4 March 2010

Hort Park with the kids in the evening, best time to go is after 6pm when the sun is setting and it's not hot. The only drawback, darkness falls pretty fast, thereafter. Such a joy, sitting on the grass and watching them run around in circles. Nat picked up another pet rock, didi Lucas spied a yellow chameleon, it's nice to be out, having some fresh air.

Thursday, 4 March 2010

Nat had her first trial baby ballet class yesterday, and she loved it. I think it's every little girl's dream to wear a pretty ballet tutu and dance, yup, even me who was a tomboy! I did ballet for a few months in primary school and kind of enjoyed the whole experience, especially the dressing-up and the tippy toe ballet shoes and stretchy leotards. Then, as I got tubbier, I decided I didn't look good in the leotards and gave up! Anyway, back to nat, she enjoyed herself in class. I was observing her and she seemed very focused on what the teacher was saying. What I liked about the class was that it did not seem to be a "run around and have free play" kind of class. The teacher was actually teaching them some basic ballet exercises, in a fun manner, with nice music accompaniment. Nat was thrilled with the tutu skirt the little girls in her class were wearing and kept trying to tug at their skirts, haha, causing some irritation. I surely ain't grooming my baby girl to dance a Swan Lake recital, but I do hope that the ballet classes will help instil some grace and grooming in her. Stay tuned next week, when she attends the lesson proper, with her leotard and tutu skirt. She can't wait, and neither can I.

One of my greatest joy these days, is watching nat at the playground with her friends from pre-school. She is quite comfortable with school these days, and does not make a fuss even if she knows I am there. During didi's swim class, we no longer have to hide from her, which we used to, when she first started school. If she happens to catch my eye, she will even wave to me. Sometimes I see her climbing up the slide/ playground structure and I am so tempted to yell for her to come down. I always manage to stop myself, after all, I can't be there to watch out for her all the time, and I am sure the teachers will help keep an eye on her.

As for didi Lucas, he is fast reaching 18 months, and starting to speak more coherently. He has even picked up some chinese words, after listening to me teach nat. He is better able to express himself and is such a joy to be with (when he is not throwing a tantrum). At night, after his midnight feed, he loves to nuzzle close to mummy and fall asleep. I was just telling gary, this stage passes, oh so fast, so one should really treasure it.

Tuesday, 2 March 2010

Today, I was listening to some old songs like this , this and this from long long ago and feeling kind of nostalgic. It seems so many light years ago, and yet, I can remember some memories from childhood so well, just like it was yesterday.

Weekend outings with my mummy when we tasted almost every buffet in town (also the time when i got really fat), playing Nintendo with my cousin, chit chatting with my sister when we slept together at night, watching SBC Chinese serials re-runs at 3pm on weekdays (the weirdest things i have stored away in my brain), hiding a story book behind my assessment book and pretending I was studying, it's quite nice to reminisce sometimes.

Then there are some songs so closely-knitted to my Hwa Chong days, such as this , this and who can forget gary's fave song - this that he sang for the Talentime (which he actually missed the Finals, just to hang out with me, so honoured!) Sometimes, as you grow up, you forget the kind of happiness/emotions/ from your childhood, days without any responsibilities or too many worries.

Looking at my baby pics, I do see some aspect of myself in both my kids, hmm, is it the grouchy lips?





I wonder what nat and lucas will remember from their childhood. Hopefully, this blog is still around, and they will enjoy reading it.