Just Horsing Around

Today's the first day of the lunar new year and we entered the year of the horse. Chinese New Year, or CNY, has never been my favourite festival and it remains so till today. In fact, after being married and having a family of my own, I've come to loath it even more. The amount of effort and money that go into preparing for the festival are just too much. Many argued that it's a good time to catch up with relatives. But my point is this: if you're really so interested in catching up with your relatives, you can do so even without CNY. So that reason goes to boot, as far as I'm concerned. But tradition and family obligation made me go through the annual ra-ra. And besides, having the bro back from Shanghai is definitely a plus point. 

    Our first lo hei of the year.

    Little Lester wants to 拜年 too!

    Mum struggling to carry a very heavy Dayen... Haha

    The 1 family I'm sure mum misses tremendously.

    Off we go to grandma's place.

So I survived the first day and I'm guessing things will only get better from here onwards.

The Sentiments of a Parent

When I went back to my parents' place yesterday, I found both of them hard at work, cleaning the house. The entire place was in disarray as they wiped and cleaned. After a while, dad started to comment that his back was hurting. So I told him to take it slow, there are, afterall, still some days before CNY is upon us. What he said next gave me no need for reply: "Your brother is coming back tomorrow. How can the house be dirty? How can I clean when they're around!" 

Well, there's nothing more I need to say or do. I simply bought lunch for him.

Bro has been working in Shanghai for more than a decade, coming back only about twice a year. And when he comes back, it's no wonder the parents want to give him the best. But he wouldn't know the anticipation they feel, or the hard work that goes into making his stay as comfortable as possible. As soon as he returns, his laptop and phones and what-nots will litter the dining table (which dad took pain in clearing as there were quite a lot of stuff on it). The Chinese has a saying: 养儿一百岁，长忧九十九 (when you have a child for 100 years, you'll worry about him for 99 years; which means you'll never stop worrying about your child). This is absolutely true. My brother is nearing 40 years of age. My parents still "serve" him like he was half that. And I do believe I'll do the same myself. 

The beauty of parenthood.

Another One Down

Following Dayen's hospitalization, Dallen also started to cough and these couple of days saw his condition getting worse. It's no longer enough just putting him on the inhalers. So after making sure I have enough medicines to last till Monday (Dayen's follow-up appointment), I put him on the nebulizer too. With the date of the hubs' departure being so close, the last thing I want is for Dallen to get admitted too. Better take action before the hospital beckons. 

It's Friday!

Its Friday and I'm spending it the way I like it. That is, as much as I possibly can, since the hubs is out of town. 

Usually, I get the night off (I don't have to cook!) and we go out for a nice dinner on Friday. But when the hubs is not around, we skip eating out and just stay at home. I don't relish the thought of struggling with the boys in a crowded restaurant all by myself. So tonight, I shelved the food I actually prepared to cook for dinner and ordered in instead. And we spent Friday night the way I like it: the junkie way. And to reward myself for the 10kg I shed, I opened a bottle of beer which I'll have to work off later.

Health is Wealth

The past week saw me accompanying Dayen in the hospital after he was diagnosed with pneumonia. It was gruelling staying in with him but we know it's a necessary evil. He was gasping for air and coughing real badly. When the fever kicked in, the doc sent us straight to the hospital for an x-ray and a blood test. 

I'm always thankful for nice nurses in Mt. Alvernia. For both my deliveries as well as Dayen's current hospitalization, they have displayed professionalism and a spirit that is in line with their motto: serve all with love. As an added bonus, the food is kind of delicious too. But the constant eating and lack of movement has sent my hard work to boot. My tummy is once again a "united nation". The "borders" that I worked so hard for have all but disappeared. 

After being put on drip and round-the-clock nebulizing, Dayen is finally well enough to be discharged. 

But the treatment continues at home and I can't wait for the nebulizing to be completed. It's such a hassle and struggling with Dayen is definitely a pain. 

New Beginnings

It's the boys' second week of school and the first week passed without much resistance. 

In fact, both of them enjoyed their new school and even Dayen did not shed a single tear. There was some reluctance for the first couple of days as he went through separation anxiety. But he quickly assimilated and needed no encouragement after that. 

To be frank, I wasn't too worried about him. I was more worried about Dallen. He had a very strong relationship with his school in Jogja and was displaying signs of resistance for his new school. But all was well and before long, he started telling us about his new friends and what he was doing in school. 

Even Dayen started singing songs he learned in class and speaking in phrases that could only come from the classroom since we don't speak that way at home. What's more encouraging is, he's singing Mandarin songs! One of my failures when it comes to the boys is my lack of persistence in exposing them to their Mother Tongue. I'm glad the school has made inroads in that avenue and I've made a mental note to speak to them more in Mandarin. 

So, all's well that ends well. My worries are unfounded and I pray they continue to enjoy school and learning. 

出去走走吧！

星期六早晨的东海岸，人少天气好。心情也好了许多。孩子们嗮嗮太阳，玩玩水。跟大自然拉近了距离。

New Addition At Home

Dallen's turning 5 this year and we decided it's time to introduce the idea of "pets" to him. So we started small and got a fish tank for the library. 

Hello 2014!

We have entered a new year and the boys will be starting their learning adventure in a new school soon. Before that happens, we decided to do something we don't do very often with them: bring them for some outdoor fun. 

The plan was to bring them to East Coast Park for a MacDonald's breakfast before we do some cycling. So we loaded the car with their bikes and took off. Our spirits were high as we left the house and looked forward to an exciting morning ahead. 

But when we reached MacDonald's, it was closed! On a public holiday! Several families, like us, planned to spend some time with their young ones the way we did. So together, we left the premise, disbelief written all over our faces.

Met with such a disruption of our plans, we thought of an alternative and headed for a nearby Burger King outlet. They sure ain't ready for a big crowd. With Mac closed, those who wanted to have breakfast there naturally diverted and made their way to BK. The outlet was crowded and the queues at the counters long. By then, the boys we're getting a little restless. 

So we prodded them through breakfast and just as we were finishing, it started to drizzle! Oh my! The disappointment emanating from Dallen was so strong I felt a little sorry for him. We stayed a little while more and lo and behold! The rain stopped! So we made our way to the cycling tracks and started our morning of sun, sand and sea. And what's an outdoor trip without some time on the beach, right?