Another battle won

Joy has just recovered from another round of a battle with a nasty virus. Her voice started to turn hoarse exactly a week ago last Tuesday and then she started having a runny nose and fever on Friday morning. The last few days have been rather messy since my children have the tendency to puke when they cough.

Experience is the best teacher. We walked around with the chui kong and empty ice-cream boxes are strategically placed all over the home.

In spite of the many battles, she has grown - a LOT!

On Saturday morning, she threw up some gross-looking yellow stuff which I later learned to be stomach acid.
We took her to see Dr Ling Shih Gang (all the way in USJ) because I knew that if we were to go to Dr Koe's, it would be a whole morning spent there and we could not afford that time.

She weighed in at 17kg (95cm tall) at the paed's and Dr Ling said that she grew 4.5kg in the past one year (based on past records, she weighed 12.5kg a year ago) and that was A LOT! But he said she didn't look fat so it's all good.

Last night was the first fever-free night after a few nights of having to wake up to feed her medicine and sponge her.

This princess has grown a LOT not just physically but in every other aspect as well. Even while sick, she exasperates me!

The night before, she gave me a whole lot of nonsense from 1.30 - 4.00am!

I was awoken by her laboured breathing and felt she was feverish. When I asked her if she wanted her medicine through her "mouth or buttock???" she said, "MOUTH!!!!"

So she obediently took the medicine herself (this round - no more crying and fighting), from the little cup, like how we take Holy Communion. I then sponged her for about half an hour till she felt not-so-hot. When I tried to go back to sleep, she started to climb on top of me, clap her hands, sing some songs, make funny faces, turn upside down, pull my pants and in her words, "bla bla bla" - a phrase she learnt from Veggietales' The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything Movie.

For the next hour or so, I tried to ignore her. But she persisted...

Mama, can you geli my leg.
Mama, I want to go outside.
Mama, I want water.
Mama, I want some more water.
Mama, can you put lotion here.
Mama, scratch her.
Mama, I want to shee shee.
Mama, can you check my temperature.
Mama, another ear.
Mama, can you sponge me.

Then when I was totally exasperated, she hugged my arm while sniffing it and went, "Hmmmm......"

Frame for Joe's Class Photo

Joe brought home his class photo taken some time earlier. It costs RM6.00. I asked his teacher why it's so expensive when I can get a 5R photo printed for just RM0.50 at eoe online store. She replied that they engage a professional photographer who is familiar with taking class photos. So they have to factor in the professional fee and also for all the touch up.

Joe told me, "Next time you go out to pak tho, please buy a photo frame of this size for my photo."

Nana suggested we make one instead. So I found a box that I was going to throw out, which was an exact fit. It even had a window that was the perfect size for the photo.


So I cut out the sides of the box, folded it in and glued the back flat against the front. Added some ribbons to the top and bottom and stuck on some stickers.

He's quite happy.

And as I anticipated, he stood at the back so it didn't matter whether he wore white shoes (as instructed by the kindy), black shoes or no shoes!

Our Mini Lantern Parade

Last night being the mid-autumn festival, we brought the kids down to the poolside for a mini lantern parade last night. I'm not the kind who observes these traditions and not crazy about mooncakes (except in particular the 5-nut variety that my mother-in-law makes) so it was just all for fun for the kids.

I did ask them if they knew what the lanterns were all about and to my surprise, Joy told me, "when the moon come out then we all carry lanterns and walk walk walk.... like Kai Lan!!!"

So thanks to Kai Lan (Lan should be prounounced with the eh sound as in apple and not ah sound) they were pretty excited about having their own lantern parade.

The moon was very big and round and bright!
I had to take the shots without the flash to see the moon. But children naturally have this inability to hold still so most of the shots came out blur.

Evan and Marissa joined us in the lantern parade. I think they were all quite happy to have company. The more the merrier!

After sometime, the candle in Nana's paper candle burnt to the bottom and burnt the lantern itself as well.

I tried blowing out the flame but it was too big and my very cautious son started to panic and almost wanted to call the fire brigade.

I'm quite glad I bought the lanterns even though I didn't intend to earlier.

The blue dinosaur one was a last display model so the guy kindly discounted it for me from RM6.90 to RM4.50.

And the little pink fish lantern cost RM3.80.

So they walked round and round and round the pool and I kept having to replace candles and relighting the flame.

But they had fun, and slept very quickly and soundly last night!

Doctor in the House

Joe skipped school on Monday. He had fever since Saturday night and still had it in the wee hours of Monday morning so I decided he should stay home.

We didn't make a visit to the doctor. Instead, we had a 'doctor' check him at home.

Joseph was a very compliant patient.

And after that, he felt much better and had a round of golf with the 'doctor'.

Notes from the past

I've been busy packing. A little here, a little there. A box or two each day.

As is always the case with packing to move house, I find 'treasures' that have been long-forgotten.

Two days ago, I came across a notebook I kept while I was doing my Paediatric attachment with Hospital Kuala Lumpur, back in 2004.

I have seen plenty of patients in the past seven years since I graduated. But this case of Wong Loon Ming is still vivid in my memory.

I wonder how and where he is now.

This next case of Adam is not as vivid. Nevertheless, I recall how I tried to put myself in his mother's shoes.

I remember Chong Pui Ying. We had to be cruel to be kind.

Life is not fair.

Be thankful for what you have.

Taman Jaya

With the Ramadan traffic jam gone (until next year but I won't have to endure it....YAYYYY!!!!) we brought the kids to the park. Twice in two consecutive days.

And both days, they slept before 10pm without a fuss.

They were so happy..... the park was like a breath of fresh air. Not that the air is very fresh.

Makes me miss the wonderful parks in Melbourne - with fresh air.

I've told Joe that we will be able to do this more often when we move to our new place.

He's delighted!

The Alternative Underwear

My princess has been potty trained for about 7 months now. But she has never worn panties.

Even so, when I mention 'underwear', she will tell me, "Hey...it's not underwear. It's panties."

So what does she wear under her dresses?

Gymboree shorts. She has about 5 pairs of these shorts (all hand-me-downs from USA) which are something like bicycle tights but not as tight. The elastic has no gathers so it leaves no marks on the tummy. It just fits really comfortably like a second skin.
Knowing how samseng she can be, these shorts look much more decent than panties while providing larger coverage.

So YeeYee, you know what to look for when you go shopping at the outlet stores. She will need size 5T next year :-)

New dresses to twirl in

The two dresses I ordered for Joy from KidsIslands finally arrived last week. She loves the pink one better because well, it's PINK!

But she kindly obliged me by wearing the red one as well. I had thoughts of her wearing this for Christmas or Chinese New Year but looking at the length, I think it will be too short by then.

Made from good quality Japanese cotton, I like it for being iron-free!

Sept 11, 2010

Today is Ah Ku's birthday.

I know.

It's also the anniversary of 9/11 tragedy.
But it was Ah Ku's birthday way before it was the anniversary of 9/11.

We had an early celebration last Wednesday. It was a surprise for Ah Ku.

The kids made the cake deco for him and helped him blow out the candles.

We had the 'usual' birthday fare. I think it's become our family tradition to have dominos pizza and coleslaw for birthdays.


In addition, we also had rendang chicken, fried chicken and just 2 pieces of Ah Ku's favourite steamed chicken with all the cartilage part for him to chew.

The chicken boys.... they love chicken. Happy Birthday Ah Ku!

More Posing for Pictures

I think I need a better camera and a less cluttered home.

Playing with the 3D glasses that came with The Sun.

Joe trying to look cool.

I like Joy's 'new' hand-me-down jeans that I dug out while packing and clearing the cupboards. Guess jeans. Size 4Y. I fold it up a bit, and I love the way her butt fills out the jeans.

Joy : see my bum bum!

Joe : stay away from my sister's bum!

In fact, on 2 occasions, I've been asked why she's still wearing diapers when she's so big...

I don't wear diapers. I just have a big round bum!

I'm gonna get her smiley photos printed and pasted all over my new home!

Aren't I photogenic...?

See how I keep Mama busy when she's not working... I happily pose for her to snap pictures.

Actually Nana is the one who's more vain - she got me liking her sunglasses that YeeYee bought 3 years ago when she came back here.

Mama would have been very happy if only I had smiled and posed like this for Aunty Grace.