taken this morning...the two little naked boys

check out nathan's hair, it's love offering from kor kor

i made dough for the boys this week...

i hope they had fun...else my cleaning effort will be in vain. but i hope they won't ask me to make dough for the next 1-2 months...

the cleaning is awesome...i gave ian rolling pin and some cute cookie cutters, hoping he will create some shapes and show me. if you think the boys simply sit quietly, create some shapes and put nicely...then fat hope lah!

the older one pressed, squashed the dough, flicked them everywhere, his hands and feet, body, shirt were all stained with dough,
"mommy!!!! doughhhhh, red color, red color dough!!!"

the younger one...took all the small pieces and threw far far away...

they played on the matt, the cleaning is beyond.
the floor, the sofa, myself, the bathroom, the kitchen...

thank goodness it's quite easy to wash off....that's what i like about play dough :)

how's my 'enjo' product so far?

there's a bit of life change ever since i have that...

- i clean the stove after every cooking...as compared to...once every 3 days (average)
- jem who usually (and still is) do the sweeping and mopping, i started doing that using product..like the fact that i don't have to go in and out of the toilet to wet and squeeze dry the mop and having to touch the chemical, i mop with just water only, with a spray with me.
- i started clean the shower screen once a while....as compared to...none last time. love to see the 'no more water stain' with very minimum effort

of course, there's something still remain the same
- jem haven't touched any of the enjo product
- i haven't shed any weight, and in fact gain...even after i do more things

just bombed my enjo consultant with lots of questions today on the 'how tos'...

i still have doubt after using one of the product, waiting for her to clarify.

phewwwww....it's a long and tiring week - what's new??!
...just glad that i finally sit down and relax.

picture taken in church. we were with ian in his david club (children ministry), nathan was sitting there watching somebody's singing and dancing.

a quick update....

it's confirmed...middle of next month, my father in law will need to do surgery...from eating food through mouth to putting pureed food through tube to the stomach...eating through mouth is not recommended as that will lead to lung infection again. it's a drastic life change coz it's for life. please pray for my father in law, it's a tough life change, i just hope he can find joy, strength in God.

the entire liang household strongly encouraged daddy (my father in law) to retire. he will be and he better be! coz i purposely enrolled ian to nearby kindy so that he can send and pick ian up from school every day next year! something for him to do in his retirement. next year onwards, because of ian's kindy location, will be at in laws' place most of the time, which also means...i'll have MANY helpers at home.

yeah...there goes my marymount kindy! bo bian, the majority of liang household voted for nearby (ie. convenient), only 1 voted for marymount (who else?).

how much faith, how to pray

i gotta confess i don't know how to pray...

my heart is hoping she'll get healed miraculously. everyday, i told ian, "come, ian, let's pray for bo po (we called ah bo, ian calls her bo po), let's pray that God gives bo po healthy body, strong and happy and have peace, pray that bo po can start playing with ian and nathan once again. in Jesus name". ian says "Amen" with a cheeky smile.

how much faith i have when i look at her...will God heal her? wish i can be like someone speak in strong faith, YES! God will heal you, your cancer be gone in Jesus name.

ah po lost appetite, worrying for ah bo and daddy day in and night. i want to pray that God will prolong ah bo's life as long as possible...then what happen to her daily, breathing oxygen everyday and night, if something goes wrong again, she got to go through the suffering, struggling to breathe, then she got to self administer injection daily. ah po...continue to worry...and eat little. should God call ah bo home, it's too much for ah gong and ah po to bear...we are worrying about their health already...

maybe i should pray "peace of God be upon her at all time, that her heart be filled with joy despite all these..., praying for salvation for entire family, God strengthen her everyday (though body is deteriorating each day, but spirit is renewed)? or pray that her system works well again..."???

but most importantly, ah bo must understand her salvation...and she experiences God's love, power. uhmm...maybe i should pray towards that direction?

pray kind of prayer as though God is going to heal her, as though she'll be healed?

or

pray kind of prayer for God's strength to go through day by day? (ie. she's not gonna be healed)
"Lord, thank You that she'll be healed, but if is not Your will, then strengthens her each day" (lack of faith???)

maybe i simply think too much...sorry to make it so confusing. i'm just telling you what i'm thinking...

thank God for her.

she's a woman of great faith and i'm encouraged by what she said. when most of us are low in spirit and have very little faith...her words speak life.

she doesn't know ah bo got hospitalised, she came to visit her and only to find out she's not there. jem told her what happened.

was standing there, listened a bit of their conversation.

she said "should bind what the doctor has said"

she said "my doctor used to tell my father in law he only have a 1, 2 days left, but God doesn't think so, He waited till his salvation is assured, i wanted my father in law to experience the love of God before God calls him home, i told your aunt, i want her to stand at the pulpit and share testimony"

she went to visit ah bo after that. she's my in law's neighbour. she's God send, to give words of hope to ah bo and us too :D

jem is visiting ah bo now...he took leave today. bebe (the maid) told joyce that ah bo's blood pressure has increased (don't know how much but at least is good news to me). thank God she's still alright.

the boys are sleeping now...i should rest...not well, but still can't get myself to lie down...:P urhhhhh...no no no...nathan is up now.

found ian's next year nursery. visited 4 places...3 church based kindy and 1 montessori...i like the one at marymount ....i read the forum...100/100 mothers show thumbs up to that kindy because of the teachers and place. i visited and i agreed with them, still have vacancy! wooo hoooo!!! for 2nd session!!!! the lady who showed me around is very nice and patient, the whole place is very lively, the kids are all happy, the teachers are nice and friendly, the place is very spacious, lots of kiddy stuff, neat and colourful...i don't know how to tell you...all i can say is i really really like it! i wish i'm the one who enroll. of all the places i visited, this is THE BEST. even the lady herself said this kindy is very popular. i'm sure ian loves it...he kept running away to play at the playground area and i have to catch him back.

anyway, talk so much, we didn't choose marymount (*beat chest*)...we chose 'convenience' factor. a kindy where any of the liang household members can come to pick ian up easily and the kindy has good review too. though marymount is not far from us and bus transport can be arranged, after much thought (though i still very much prefer marymount), this kindy is better for everybody.

so which means next year onwards, there's another lifestyle adjustment to make, the happiest would be ian and nathan of course, coz they can go 'ah gong house' everyday.

anytime

11pm-1am++ - reading forums extensively...finding out any good kindergarten recommendation around bishan area...jotted down details, read and read...shortlisted 2-3 kindergartens...oh no....think i miss the registration...any vacancy left?

1am+ - 2am++ - trying to sleep, kept thinking what will happen if no vacancy, their registration started in march!!! now april liao...i should call early later...hope to visit the kindy.

heard jem is talking...i woke up and checked, thought he sleep talk...actually a phone call from joyce at 4 plus this morning...ah bo is hyper venting.

called ambulance, ah bo was sent to A&E, was told critical condition...blood pressure keeps dropping and we were told 'not much time left'. all rushed to hospital.

after the 1st incident, joyce took charged everything at home and followed ah bo to hospital...all the liangs...included ah gong's youngest son's family were there, we were told to prepare for the worst....while everybody is waiting, ian was awake by then, he's talking, playing with them (it's nice to have kids around sometimes).

we waited till about 6 plus?...doc came out, ah bo will be transfered to a common ward, one lung totally collapsed and infected, and now spread to another lung, need oxygen to breathe.

kids are not allowed to enter the ward as too 'dirty'...i waited till someone can look after the kids and went in. she looks normal now...can talk...like how she looks like at home. can't tell she's leaving soon. doc said it's anytime from now...at most a week.

ian, nathan and myself fall sick...runny nose and coughing. doc said whoever is sick should stay away from the patient. i was happy to see her and sad to leave...wish i can visit and stay by her side. and now, everybody takes turn to visit ah bo.

anytime....i don't like to hear this word.

who's the most heartache persons...ah gong and ah po.

the diagnosis is out last monday.

lung infection. father in law got infection because....uhmm...if i understand correctly...is the food always get into lungs rather than stomach.

2 more tests or scan in coming weeks. the result will determine whether my father in law needs to do surgery...that will result in drastic life change.

sorry can't share in detailed here. certain thing is bit too sensitive to share at this point of time. appreciate your prayers.

drinking coffee now...shiok! i don't really drink coffee except during uni days...i turned to coffee lately because i really cannot tahan feeling tired and sleepy all the time...i know drinking tea probably stronger....higher caffeine :P i just feel coffee better, at this point of time.

nathan and ian are having runny nose, ah po said nathan is probably teething...but i suspect it's because i turned on the fan and he caught a cold, so he has been waking up xxxxxxx number of times (yeah, i lost count, i gave up counting)...again, my ever popular word in my blog...TIRED.

ian?
1st week in playgroup - cry whole week
2nd week - no cry but have the almost cry look...great! he's getting used to it.
3rd week - cry whole week...what happened???? more resistant to go playgroup...at least 5 times a day, he'll tell me he doesn' want to go playgroup. will find out from teacher...

anyway, have been reading and searching some info about nursery/kindergarten from the forums...my mom, who was very ill last month, lectured me for being too laid back, not actively looking for ian's school, not caring for my boys' future...she feels that ian's age should start attending child care or go for some longer hour enrichment classes (half day and best if full day) rather than staying unfruitful at home...and 1.5 hours playgroup is too short.

sorry mama, not that i'm laid back...i'm just thinking...ian is only slightly less than 2.5 years old. kids should be playing at this age, should enjoy their childhood, spending time with family...i believe they can learn things at home, so why the hurry to send him to 'school' so early? but think many of you might say ian can enjoy playing....a lot more in nursery eh?

child care is an absolute no no to me. other parents who send their kids to child care, have no negative comments about them. i decided not to work so as to look after my sons, to take care all their basic needs. preparing food, watching them eating, feeding, bathing, changing clothes, diapers...etc etc. all these so called mundane tasks are my precious time and love expression to my boys. i don't mind doing it and in fact cherish and enjoy every moment of it. no doubt child care can teach kids to be disciplined, self feeding, potty training and many activities etc...can learn a lot more things as compared to be at home...i absolutely agree with them. just me...i want my boys to stay with me and i believe my boys prefer to stay with their mommy - at this age.

i don't mind sending ian to playgroup or enrichment classes...most of them are 2-3 hours. i feel is good enough.

or will you think...

the world is different now...you go to school early, as early as 18 months, you learn a lot more...you win when you grow up...?

i don't know...

anyway, ever since the 'lecturing' conversation with my mom. i started reading the forums quite a fair bit. finally i learnt what age to attend prenursery (age 3), nursery (age 4), K1-K2 (age 5-6), know what are the pretty good (and not so good) nursery/kindergarten around my area. oh, did i mention, i got more confused after reading the forums too? today, whole bunch of forumers said this school is very very good, tomorrow, not so good, then after few months, standard drop...after few months, not too bad, very good again. good or bad, i guess it all depends on the teachers and principal.

then i learnt this term called "learn through play"...i read a lot of comments about it, things like

"my son enjoys it very much! always looking forward to it",
"my daughter learns a lot and speaks a lot of new words nowadays"
"they have field trips, not a lot of homework"
"through play, the children learn best"
"Learning thru play not only has stronger academic focus but it leaves more long lasting impression on children than worksheets."

the next day, many 'not so positive' comments...
"my friend's daughter is very good in phonics, but terrible in writing",
"kids who attended learn through play kind of school will find it hard to adjust to P1 when they got to sit down and do worksheets",
"my sister's son knows how to write his name after attending x days, whereas my colleague's kid, after attending x weeks, still doesn't know how to write his name"

arghhh!!! apa macam? good or no good? in the end, still up to us (parents) to decide in the end...

i just visited one church based kindy recently, brought 2 boys there with me...and mannnn....so challenging...talking to the admin, and yelling/pleading/warning/catching ian to stop doing certain things at the same time... and am going to visit a montessori next week. God helps me.

oh well...maybe the lecturing is a God-send warning to me. coz i just found out most kindy open registration for next year is this month - april! if i miss it, i'll have to be in waiting list or go balloting.

i have 2-3 shortlisted. if decided, ian will start attending prenursery next year...3 hours...and i pray hard he will look forward to attend every day...not like now..."mommy, ng oi kor kor jie jie!" (don't want to go playgroup).