Routine

I never quite like a routine lifestyle. I prefer one that's more "exciting" with ad hoc "surprises". That's me. Hence, there's one aspect of SAHM-hood which I'll never get used to --- routines!

In the munchkins' first year, many mommies I knew often emphasize on the importance of a routine for their infants or toddlers. It never occur to me why it should be so and honestly, I couldn't be bothered to find out why. My usual response to these mommies would be "Why do you want to organise your life around your kid's schedule? It should be the other way round, isn't it?" As such, whenever we have an appointment and my girls are still napping when its time to go, I'd just put them in my arms and make our way there. Very often, they'd wake up by the time we hit the lift lobby of our flat. Sleepy but happy to be out of the house, they'd normally behave themselves, so I don't see the need for a routine then. Looking back, I count myself very blessed to have breezed through the first year. Or perhaps, I'm already suffering from dementia such that I cannot recall those difficult times in the first 12 months of motherhood. Kekeke... (Oops! I should review my earlier blogs before posting this! Hahaha...)

Over the past 2 months, I began to intensively read up on books on the toddler years because I find myself suffering burnouts and getting stuck in "no win" situation so very often with the munchkins. And guess what? Routine, routine, routine... This word kept appearing pages after pages in one of the books I read, until I decided to seriously give it a try. I have a chart placed on the door to the storage room, so everyone at home have a clear idea what activities are expected for the munchkins throughout the day. So far it was Di who find the routine particularly useful because he now knows exactly what to do for/with the girls on his off days. As for me, I'm trying my best to stick to it, though I still find myself deviating from it time and again. Hee! Old habits die hard!

But I must stressed that post implementation of the chart, the kiddos are napping longer and sleeping better lately. They also seemed a lot happier. It may not be directly due to the routine but its definitely because I can better manage them (and my own expectations) after so much reading. For a person who's not an avid reader, this is an achievement, you know! Hopefully my pea brain can retain those information or I may have to revisit those books again. Darn!

Career Switch

I've worked for approximately 13 years before I became a full time home maker. Throughout that decade, I did a few career switches and looking back now, I don't regret being in the various fields as those working experience definitely helped made me who I am today.

However, there is a particular field which I'd love to be in, but somehow that "ambition" was never materialised. I guess my circumstances never favoured that "ambition" through those years of career building, so the craving to be in that field was "lost in transit". Then today, yes, just this morning, I was reminded of that "ambition" again. You see, Di took the munchkins and Ya-Ya with him to his parents' place and I had time (and the entire house) to myself, so I started to "catch up" with my thoughts. I thought of what I'd love to do in my golden years, and that led me to rethink my plans for the coming year, which in turn brings to mind that desire for my long lost "ambition".

As usual, I don't think this reminder came as a coincidence. God must have prompted me for I have been wondering what I should or could do as a career come next year when the kiddos go to playgroup. Despite $$$ being very important to ensure our monthly income covers our expenditure, I selfishly hope I can still embark on a career which satisfies my self-actualisation needs even though they don't pay big bucks.

So my dear friends, pray with me for confirmation and assurance. As long as I know this is His plan for me, I would fearlessly take the step of faith and go forth. I need to know, and I know I will know... I just have to walk and wait upon the Lord. And that's the most challenging task for an impatient brat like me. So pleeeeeeease, pray with me and for me! Thanks!

"Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord." - Psalm 27:14 (New Living Translation)

2nd Date with Di

Well, shortly after our recent date at Gelare, I decided to "invite" Di for lunch at Sakae Sushi (not the best but its the nearest!) since I didn't get him anything at all for his birthday. I was thinking we either have a quick lunch while the munchkins nap, or bring one of the twins along.

I SMSed Ling about my plans and to my surprise, she not only volunteered to babysit the girls, she asked if she could bring them (along with Ya-Ya) to the regional library. She had been wanting to get the girls there to explore the library cos she found the decor (a bunch of cute, colourful mushrooms) very attractive, especially for toddlers like En & Xuan.

So there you have it! A fabulous weekend plan for the family. Ling arrived at 10am to "pick" the 3 of them up then head straight for the library. After the "battalion" left, Di read the papers without any rascals pulling away the pages, while I updated my blog. We headed for Sakae Sushi at 11.30am to avoid the lunch crowd. Our craving for sashimi was finally satisfied at a total damage of $66+. We then spend the next hour doing grocery shopping - something we haven't done together in ages!

We would love to have more time to ourselves, but we had to head home. I had arranged a playdate with the mommy of another pair of twins that afternoon. Nevertheless, the 4 hours break was enough for me to feel like we're "newly weds" again. Hahaha... Sorry, kids! I'm not denying your existence. Both En & Xuan are my absolute darlings but daddy has to come first. After all, he's providing for all of us, so we had better treat him well. Kekeke...

So when's our next date, Di?

Elevator

Yesterday was "Gong Gong" day. Usually, both the munchkins would gladly follow him out for their "free & easy" session while Ya-Ya and I feast on the lunch Gong Gong bought for us. While I have my concerns about Gong Gong's decreasing agility (Come on, he's already 65!) which poses as a challenge since he had to handle 2 tots who has no sense of danger, Gong Gong had proven himself time and again he could manage them for a good 20 minutes at least.

But when I headed for the kitchen to wash my hands after I helped the munchkins put on their shoes, I heard my dad shouting for me frantically from the corridor. In my heart, I was thinking "Did you forget to bring something? Wet wipes? Biscuits? Do you have to shout this loud?" as I brisk-walked to the door.

There at the main door was Xuan, standing alone and looking pretty innocent. Then as I turn to the direction of the lift lobby, I could see Gong Gong shouting my name, staring at the floor indicator and pressing the elevator buttons almost at light speed. And you guessed it! En was nowhere to be found!!!

I rushed to the lift lobby immediately, leaving Ya-Ya to pick up Xuan and ran after me. Gong Gong tried to explain in details how he had left En at the lift lobby while running after Xuan who headed back to our house. And like most toddler horror stories go, he said "I merely looked away for a second and she was gone!".

Horror images started to form in my head and I had to take a deep breath before turning to look at Ya-Ya. I wanted to ask her to standby at the corridor with a phone. I was going to search for En via the stairs and Gong Gong would conduct his search via the elevator. Before I could even vocalise my hunting strategy, the elevator came back up to our floor since Gong Gong had pressed both the up/down buttons. Viola! The elevator door open and princess En walked out quietly, hugging her toddler's Bible close to her chest. Thank God!

She didn't cry. Neither was she freaked out by this incident. Gong Gong and I gave her a big hug to reassure the brave little one. But knowing how timid she'd always been, I thank God no one else had been using the elevator, hence the door did not open on any other floors. As for the brief moment En spent alone in the elevator, none of us will ever find out how she reacted or felt since she's not talking yet. One thing for sure, she must have been praying to God and was comforted by Him. For she walked into the elevator carrying the Bible but emerge hugging it. Praise God!

Here's to share with you a pix of her beloved Bible which comes with a little handle for her to lug around.

















Well, we've all been reminded once again that where toddlers are concerned, NEVER take your eyes off them, EVEN if its only for A SECOND. :)

"For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways." - Psalm 91:11 NKJV

Date with Di

Two nights ago, Di and I decided to go for a date after the munchkins went to bed. Its been a long time since we were able to sneak out on our own. And Di's heavy workload nowadays means we see less of each other cos I'd be in bed by the time he reaches home on some days.

So we had ice cream & smoothies at Gelare while sharing our job frustrations (well, motherhood is a considerably tough job, you know!), discuss possible solutions to the issues we face and realign our visions for our family's future. I strongly believe communication is the key to any relationship. And I'm not talking about any normal conversation. That's just exchanging of words. I'm referring to spending quality time together, listening to each other and sharing. Its nearly impossible for us to do that while the munchkins are awake. Most parents would feel the same, I guess. Kids, toddlers in particular, simply have that magical power to totally transform parents into absolute strangers unless they're napping or in bed at night. Kekeke...

Well, I'm just glad we managed to "catch up" with one another this time. And I certainly look forward to more of such dates. :)

Speech

Further to my previous post on the munchkins' effort to go independent, I must add that another factor which contributes to the daily frustration is their inability to communicate. Even Di attributed their recent emotional intensity to speech delay. This is probably the only milestone which they've yet to achieve at 18 months. While they are able to signal their needs by pointing and making sounds, or even say words like "come" (when they signal to pets or birds to come to them) or "up" as they climb the stairs, they are still generally babbling throughout the day. In most cases, it is En and Xuan who gets really upset when Ya-Ya and me couldn't deliver their needs and wants.

And although I'm quite OK with them not speaking or even calling me "mommy", I get really pissed off (forgive my language here but I seriously cannot help it) when others show their "concern" over this issue. Especially those "well meaning" neighbours who react in "great horror" as if I said my girls are dumb, or bragged endlessly about their grandchildren who started addressing them "po po" at 14 months. There are times when you feel like replying "Oh, your grandson started talking at 14 months? Does that make him a lawyer?" when I knew exactly the grandson she's referring to is that 16 month old brat yelling at her. But I've decided not to lower myself to their level cos there are so many issues we could argue about. And there are also nosy parkers who won't stop giving uninvited "tips" on how to make the munchkins talk or potty train them. You can imagine how many times I had to hold back remarks like "I can afford disposable diapers, you know? Not just those cheap diapers. We use MamyPoko Pull Up Pants!" @#$%^&*!!!

Okie, let's ignore those EQ-deficient folks and look at the brighter side. I must give my munchkins credit for having more or less achieved all the necessary milestones at 18 months. Their first tooth emerges at the 5th month, they master the act of rolling over at 4 months (En) & 4.5 months (Xuan), sit steadily without support when they turn 6 months, stand without support at 10 months (Xuan) and 11 months (En), followed by their first steps at 11 months (Xuan) and 12.5 months (En). Thereafter, they proceed to run, sorts simple objects by shapes, pick up tiny objects with thumb and index finger, negotiate the stairs, imitates demonstrations, scribbles, stack blocks, etc. Of late, they've also started to self feed using a spoon and even manage to take off an article of clothing (shorts or sleeveless tops).

So, look! So what if they can't talk like the 16 month old brat? At least I can preserve my sanity for a few more months till they start raining questions beginning with "Why, What, Who, When, Where and How" on me. Kekeke...

Terrible Twos?

I understand most toddlers go through the "terrible twos" phase, but it didn't occur to me I could be right in IT now even though the munchkins are just 18 months old. Every passing day gets more and more challenging for both the munchkins and me as they start to embark on their journey towards independence.

We get caught in so many NO WIN situation daily when the munchkins insist on being independent at performing tasks which they aren't adequately equipped with the skills to do it yet. Its a terrible vicious cycle which goes something like this:

• They want to play the 3-D shapes sorter.
• I quietly watch them do it, knowing they lack the skills to complete sorting all the shapes.
• They get frustrated at their failure to perform, they start to whine.
• I try to comfort them and offer my help.
• They get upset because I tried to help, so they begin to wail.
• I take a step back and watch again, offering only verbal instructions.
• They recognise their inadequacy and rage at me for not helping them.
• I try to demonstrate how the shapes should be realigned in order to slip it into the box.
• They kick and scream as if I had "desecrated' the pieces of shapes.
• I retreat to a corner, take a deep breathe and pray if necessary.
• They continue to wail.
• We take a 2-4 minutes time out.
• Things return to normal and they move on to another toy.
• The whole cycle starts again...

If this is just a prelude to the "terrible twos" stage, God help me! I cannot imagine being in the actual phase. Otherwise, I pray I'll become amnesic, just like the munchkins.

Allergic Rhinitis

Brought En to the doctor yesterday as she had been coughing at night and waking up so very often. I assumed it was, you know, just dry cough but the doctor suspect otherwise. He thinks she might have sensitive windpipe, and that upsets me. Well, if you think it just concerns En, think again... She has an identical twin who shares 100% genetic makeup as her. That's what upsets me further. Haiz...

Then, my heart sank as deep as the Titanic when the wordings "Allergic Rhinitis" (AR in short) appeared on her prescribed medication. These may seemed like any normal medical terms but to me, this is a term which had been labelled on my medical records since 1993. In fact, I was once condemned to the "chronic" family and was in specialist care for 6 years. To be told my munchkins (who bears no physical resemblance to me) and I have something as such in common is nothing to rejoice about.

So is it time to stop living in denial and face the music? They are only 18 months old and they have a long way ahead of them. I will not cease to work on improving their health and respiratory system, so they won't follow in my footsteps. Had my parents been more educated about AR when I was younger, my quality of life would have been a lot better. Am I blaming my parents now? NO. They did their best, as I would for my kids. So out I went to get bottles of Eucalyptus concentrate for the air revitalisor which I had newly relocated to their bedroom. Organic cold care chest rub is also on standby every night now. I will not hesitate to take any extra care to prevent the munchkins from being part of the AR herd.

On a separate note, I'm still thankful to God that there are things I could do in this case, and having come this far with my AR condition, I knew exactly what to do with my munchkins'. Praise the Lord they are not suffering from something which I had totally no knowledge about. And I still believe in miracles. After all, they are only 1.5 years old. There is hope for complete healing anytime. Never limit what God can do.

Extract from song "When You Believe" (chorus) :
There can be miracles when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who know what miracle you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe.

Birthday

Its Di's birthday today. Did we plan a romantic lunch/dinner together? Nope. It was a simple fare at Di's godparents' loft - a sumptuous feast followed by ice cream and yummy durian cake from Angie The Choice. Actually, we agreed to have the mini celebration there so the grandparents could play with kiddos. How romantic, right? Well, when you have 2 active, energised, excited toddlers, you'll be very thankful to just have a decent lunch in peace while the folks and maids entertain the munchkins.

Given a choice, I'd love to have dinner at cozy restaurants (without the kids), prep gifts and surprises for him on his birthday. I won't say its impossible to do so, but I (or rather we) wouldn't want to stress any babysitters, especially when it comes to the munchkins' bedtime. Its a little bit tricky to put them to bed if you don't know their bedtime preference. Hence, we rather stick to the safer options like what we had.

Nevertheless, I had always remind myself not to put the kids' needs above Di. Cos the day will come when the munchkins will marry the man of their dream (I'm "far sighted", aren't I? Hee...) and I may get stuck with a "stranger" if I don't get my priorities right now. Its a challenge, I must admit, and I'm still working on it. But I'm sure we'll be able to get things right in time to come. Perhaps next year, Di. Or maybe my birthday at the end of this year? Kekeke...

Running on Empty

My patience is running out and my "batteries" doesn't seemed to be working... Well, I know for sure the electricity (God's grace) hasn't been cut off but I suspect its hardware (my pea brain and burned-out heart) failure this time. What to do? The hardware's been put through a series of load tests (eg. sick/cranky toddlers, killing weather, Di working OT often, etc.) recently and its beginning to not respond to standard protocol...

Patience. A very simple 8-letter word. One which many of us are familiar with because God had extend His to us so very often. Why is it so challenging to do the same to others? A very profound question which I couldn't answer (as yet).

For now, the interim solution to this hardware failure episode is application of a new programme which requires loading Psalms 103 from the good old system known as the "Bible". Perhaps executing verse 8-9 thrice a day may do the job until a permanent solution is established?

"The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever" - Psalms 103:8-9

In addition, musical therapy (practising on the guitar) is expected to help as well. Therefore, so long! Gotta go tune that guitar first... Now where did I place the tuner? And where are my scores? @#$%^&!!!

Zoo

I actually thought I'd have a lot to write about our 2nd trip to the Singapore Zoo earlier today. Turned out everything went so smoothly, I don't know what to write! Strange...

Well, we left our home at 9:30am and spent about 4 hours in the zoo, including lunch. It was more fun to be there this time because the munchkins can better appreciate the animals and the surroundings. Despite the heat, Xuan is ever so thrill to spot an animal. En, on the other hand, is her usual oh-so-calm and composed, you wonder if she actually notice the animals. Its only when she let out that soft yet firm acknowledgement "um" that we knew she's aware of what all the excitement is about. Ha!

Both kiddos knocked out by 1:30pm just 5 minutes after we embarked on our return journey. They never fail to amaze me how fast they could go into "sleep mode" when we're on outings. Well, I'm contemplating becoming a member of "Friends of the Zoo"... What do you think?

Fallen

A mommy's nightmare. I witnessed Xuan tumble down the spiral slide at the playground 2 nights ago. Can't helped but kept feeling guilty about it. I was almost certain she's steady enough to climb up those steps and glide down the slide on her own. After all, she's done it many times already.

Anyway, the moment I hold her at the bottom of the spiral slide, I almost wanted to cry myself. Her face was a concoction of tears, saliva, blood, etc. What was I thinking??? She's merely a 17 month old toddler! I felt my heart tumbled right into my stomach at that instance...

Well, she's sustained minor cuts on her lips and bruises on her left leg. Nothing serious and I'm so thankful to God for watching over her. When we went to the playground again the following evening, our dear friend was still as thrilled to see that fateful slide. Guess "severe short term memory lost" is one of those life's lessons we should learn from our kiddos. :)

Rich Yet Broke

For the past 20 months where I've been unemployed (by choice), finances were never an issue, even after the munchkins arrived. Somehow we just survived. Di's single income has to feed 5 mouths including his own. Well, there was the baby bonus from MCYS which is hardly sufficient to cover the cost of formula milk powder and the kiddos' diapers. But we made it this far by God's grace, and of course with much support from our lovely family members. Where else do you think the branded clothes, shoes and toys for different ages/phases came from? Hee... And not forgetting the fresh groceries my dad and in laws bring along to us whenever they drop by to visit the kiddos. :)

I must stressed that we're financially sound at this moment. However, just last week, that notorious "Insecurity" demon touched down quietly in the tiny, tranquil base of mine, fondly known as the "Heart". Why did I allow this demon to checked in? Its not as though our bank account had hit rock bottom. Di is, in fact, doing very well at his job, we're expecting him to receive a big bonus package this year. So why am I feeling disturbed?

Well, I did a rough calculation and our expected expenditure in 2009 is sky high! I brought the girls to check out My Little Campus, a childcare centre which I plan to enrol them in Jan 2009 (gosh, can you believe they'll be starting Nursery 1 next year?). But even before classes actually commence, we've to fork out a hefty $3K for registration, deposit, uniforms, insurance, etc. Subsequently $1K every month goes to this childcare facility. Then, in order to obtain the baby bonus in the CDA (Child Development Account), we've got to throw in $6K before MCYS would match the savings dollar to dollar. @!#$%^&

And even with the kiddos going to daycare, we're planning to extend Ya-Ya's service for another 2 years, so it all adds up. Plus there is the cost of the various immunisation/vaccination the girls had to be given prior to enrolment. How scary??!!! Erm, I mean the $ amount, not the needles...

I've friends asking if I'm keen to enrol En & Xuan in enrichment classes or even just activities in the kids gym. Well, I won't for 2 reasons. Firstly, the 4 of us (En, Xuan, Ya-Ya and me) already make up a class and a gym, so there's no demand for enrichment classes at the moment. Plus all the playdates we go to (or held at our place) is almost like E.C.A. (extra curriculum activities) in school. Hahaha... Secondly, I may be richly blessed at this moment, I wouldn't want to be deadly broke next. So I shall carefully manage our little pool of finances now until I'm back to work again, hopefully early next year.

Dear Lord, I pray we'll always be richly blessed, never broke. Amen. Kekeke...

Insurrection

Twins amount to a permanent riot? Then what about 5 pairs of twins confined to a hall of an apartment? Hahaha... Its called an insurrection, according to Mark Twain, author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Well, last Thursday, I brought En & Xuan to a playdate involving 4 other pairs of twins. The kiddos range from 9.5 months to 17 months old, meaning En & Xuan are the oldest among the lot cos they both turned exactly 17 months that day! The entire event was a little chaotic but outrageously fun! And I think we'll do it again soon. Kekeke...

Check out the pix below!


The kiddos (clockwise from bottom pf pix):
Xuan, Cayley, Yazmin, Danial (back facing), Reyden, Reyes, Austin (blocked by his mommy), En (far back in pink), Sheau Min and Sheau Kai (blocked by his granny).

Like what you see above? Think twins are fun? Well, think again... Triplets or quads can be entertaining too! Hahaha! Just kidding!!!

"Sufficient unto the day is one baby. As long as you're in your right mind, don't pray for twins. twins amount to a permanent riot. And there are no real difference between having triplets and an insurrection." - Mark Twain (1879)

Breathe My Last?

A very bad Monday morning to start the week off. Xuan woke up crying at 5:30am. Ya-Ya was unable to pacify her, so I carried her out of her bedroom. Well, she did quiet down upon hearing my voice and that was great consolation. I left her to play on her own after Ya-Ya refreshes herself and keep watch over her.

At 7:30am, I got off the bed, refreshes myself to start my "official" duties. Its almost the same routine everyday, 7 days a week, 4 weeks a month, 12 months a year. The kiddos and Ya-Ya would have had their breakfast by now. So I'll proceed to have a bite and watch CNA while keeping an eye on the kiddos. Ya-Ya showers them around 8:30am (I'll do it occasionally) and they'll get their morning milk feed by 9-9:30am, after which Ya-Ya will take care of the household chores while I toddler-sit. But you know what? Once the munchkins' tummies are filled, that's when they gather enough energy to RR&R, aka run around the house, ransack every corner and ruin my day...

Until 11:30am this morning, both of them were fighting over the same book, the same pen, the same stool when there were many other (and better) alternatives available. They were also getting on my nerves by squeezing themselves through tiny paths between the couch and the window, then finding themselves stuck behind the standing lamp next to the couch and couldn't figure their way out. @!#$%^&* To make it worse, on and off, when En shows signs of sleepiness, I'd just go with the flow and gave her a little pat to help her drift off to sleep. Then midway, our dear little Xuan would drop something with a loud bang, release a laughter or chuckle right at En's face!!! With that, En becomes wide awake and the cycle starts all over again...

I had to take countless deep breaths. No point adding on to the tension by yelling at them, I'd reasoned to myself. I'd ignore them by reading magazines. It worked for a while cos they'd quiet down when no one's giving them any attention. But soon enough, they'll venture into other annoying acts which were capable of driving me insane. I even had to urge to strangle Sesame Street's Elmo whose usually cute voice sounded extremely irritating this morning amidst the chaos.

For a while, I thought I'm going to breathe my last. I could almost see myself six feet underground. I thank God for giving me life and life more "abundantly"!!! Why, God, why??? Why me??? Why twins? Why not a singleton? Such irony!

For my female comrades out there who are desperately trying to conceive, I know you'll be cursing and swearing at me as you read the above. But trust me, you'll feel the same too if you had been in my shoes! Allow me to ventilate, at least for now, for I may not have another chance to do so. Who knows when I'll seriously breathe my last? But then seriously, I know that day will not arrive so soon. At least not today, tomorrow, another week, another month or another year to come. I suppose my Lord wouldn't want me Home so soon for I, too, am capable of annoying Him as such as my kiddos annoy me. Hahaha...

"... I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." - John 10:10 NKJV

Fever

En's fever started on 15 Feb. And she's still running a temperature on/off even as I'm typing now. From my record, there were 11 times when her body temperature rise above 38 °C, of which 4 were above 39°C.

For the past week, I was sleepless despite being mentally drained and physically exhausted. This is especially so whenever I measures her temperature in the wee hours of the morning and it doesn't look good. Her temperature rises each time her medication wears off. I nearly broke down one morning when the Braun ThermoScan displays a cruel reading of 39.3°C.

I'm overwhelmed with guilt and heartache. There's a mental tug of war going on in that pea brain of mine. What if her brain gets "cooked" if I don't send her to hospital now? But what if she's OK yet I chose to send her to the hospital,; and she ended having IV needles inserted through her tiny veins, gets terrorised by nursing staff who'll inject antibiotics into her every 4 hours, blah, blah, blah... But then again, if I don't send her now, then... ??? And the struggle goes on... The reality of motherhood, I guess. :(

In the midst of all the chaos, I remember my mom whom I had never thank her for her unfailing love and care for me when I was a child. Among my siblings, I'm most guilty of putting that frown on her face when I suffered injuries here and there when I was young. I don't know how much it must have pained her heart to see me get hurt. Only memories of her telling me off for being so careless. Looking back, those must be words of love and concern.

And mom's right. She used to say "You'll understand how a parent feel when you become one." And I'd say better not become one if you're "not prepared" to understand how tough parenting is. Well, gotta go now. Time to take another temperature reading on En.

Gathering

Happy Valentine's Day! Its been quite a while since my last posting. Time is a luxury to me nowadays as I spent 90% of my time interacting, playing with and of course, disciplining the kids. Whatever's left is only enough for a refreshing shower or coffee break. Sigh...

The Lunar New Year came and gone... Or at least the crucial first few days, so to speak. To be precise, the lunar new year last a good 15 days which means the last day of this festive season would be exactly a week from now. Di, myself, the girls and their Ya-Ya were exhausted after 4 full days of travelling around the island to gather with family and friends, while last Sunday was spent entertaining relatives who visited our loft in the morning followed by lunch and dinner gathering at our place with 2 different groups of friends. I thought my joints were giving way by the end of the day. Kekeke...

But just last night, I had a dinner gathering with 2 pals whom I have known for at least 2 decades. It felt just like yesterday when we were secondary school students, but yet so different. Well, apart from physical changes, all our personality very much remained the same. Ly's still the same outrageously witty, loud and expressively gal, though deep down, she's possessed by a spirit of sorrow & melancholy. De still looks good as if he never aged since 20 years back. He's got a mind so complex; I think his intelligence is way beyond my ability to comprehend. Hahaha... But he too, is possessed. By Casper, the friendly ghost! He's like a wondering spirit who simply cannot settle down! And I wonder if he ever will. :)

So the 3 musketeers spend the night at the good, old Holland Village dining, chatting, drinking and indulging... in food, coffee, ice-cream and fond memories. The same place, the same people, but yet, it was no longer the same. I couldn't pen (type, in this case) my thoughts & feelings about last night because they were beyond words. And if I really have to, I think its going to take days to materialise. So I'd rather hide them in a little corner of my heart, and perhaps when I turn demented one day, I'll be able to verbalise the episode. Hopefully, I'll have an audience then. *Fingers crossed*

'Tis the Season to be "Sleepy"

Christmas and the New Year went by and before we know it, we're just a mere 16 days away from the Lunar Chinese New Year! Amidst the festive preparation (actually its just spring cleaning the house and shopping for new clothes), the tooth fairy and flu bug caught up with En and Xuan respectively. 6 emerging teeth and an ever runny nose, my gosh!!! So there goes my festive mood again...

When a child is not well, everyone around him/her gets busy attending to his/her needs. When you have twins or multiples, its more like engaging in a guerrilla warfare when the kids are unwell at the same time. Surprise raids take place once every 30 minutes after midnight. And that ear piercing, screeching sound of your teething toddler wailing "out of the blue" just makes you want to duck under your blanket forever.

Sleep deprivation is driving me insane. Forget new clothes, grooming, visitation plans, gatherings, etc. All I want for this festive season is my 2 hours of sleep...

New year... new life?

Had a good time watching fireworks set off from across the straits of Johor last night (or rather, early this morning). And yes, not forgetting the beautiful honking sound from the ships berthing in nearby shipyards or sailing along the straits. This is the one thing that has never change (ever since we moved into this new apartment in 2005) when the clock strikes twelve, ushering in a brand new year. I just love that quiet "commotion" as the chilly breeze brushes across my cheeks in the first moments of 1 January.

Going to bed, I prayed that life would be more exciting and enriching in 2008. And boy! I was right! 4 hours later at 4:05am, my dear En started getting whiny in the wee hours. The culprit - her emerging molars. Oh, how I hate infant teething!!! While Ya-Ya tries her best to pacify En, Di and I head to the kids' room to ensure Xuan is not affected by the scene. Thank God Xuan managed to return to dreamland unassisted.

En, on the other hand, just couldn't settle down. I went up to the cranky gal who is obviously tired. Ya-Ya had to keep changing position when cradling her, but failed miserably. "En, mommy's here. Try to orh-orh, ya?" Upon hearing my voice, she quiet down... 30 seconds later, her whining starts again. I signal to Ya-Ya to pass the poor gal to me. As usual, in my "half-dead" (sleepy) mode, I started singing nursery rhymes, followed by hymns & choruses when my "engine" (vocal chords) warms up. A good 10 minutes later, En knocked out. What a great relieve for Ya-Ya, Di and I. ^.^

But our joy was short lived. En woke up again at 5:55am. We reckoned the discomfort or pain from her emerging molars must be rather unbearable. Paracetamol was administered, and the gal was smiley at last. But the first ray of sunlight had also emerged by the time things settled down. With that, we said "Hola" to new year's day.

New life in a new year? Nah... Looks like things will pretty much remain the same for now. But we sure look forward to more challenges ahead. And for me, personally, I hope to be able to say of the same as Rick Warren in his "Call to Radical Commitment".

"When times get tough, and I get tired, I won't back up, back off, back down, back out, or backslide. I'll just keep moving forward by God's grace. ...

... To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I say: However, whenever, wherever, and whatever you ask me to do, my answer in advance is yes! Wherever you lead and whatever the cost, I'm ready. Anytime. Anywhere. Anyway.

Whatever it takes Lord; whatever it takes!"