My kids asked me,”Why do you have to go for run events when you can run in the park by yourself?”
Even the hub could not comprehend why I have been waking up as early as 530am to attend run events on Sundays when I could have slept in or run on my own as the time suits.
I replied,”Kids, that’s because it is very fun to run with my friends. We motivate each other and it has become a healthy hobby for us.”
Approaching 40???
You know what? Maybe it is like a recent article that said it, as you approach 40, you begin to find new hobbies, exercise regimens, diet plans to keep minds and bodies in shape. And “as you reach your 40s, you settle down into your own skin and begin to feel comfortable in what you do, what you look like and what others think of you.” Haha! Maybe I am like this, as I tilt towards the wrong side of 35, I am beginning to feel comfortable in what I do, and being finally have some time to myself to do something I like and a new focus to stay fit and healthy.
So, together with 3 other mum blogger friends for a common love for our new found interest, we took part in Mizuno Ekiden. Mizuno Ekiden is a unique race of 4 friends completing either a half or full marathon in combined effort. We took part Continue reading “Mizuno Ekiden 2016 – Great experience”
June obviously flies by in a jiffy just like how we read out this mono-syllabus word. I even had problems writing this post on time and before I know it, it is almost halfway into the month of July!
I took several days off in June from work to be with the kids. One very tough mommy moment I experienced in June was separating from my girl for 1 week when she went for a cultural immersion trip. I was quite surprised by how much I missed her. Everyday seemed so quiet without her chatty voice. Each car trip seemed so empty without her by our side. I wonder if I am ready to face an empty nest when the time comes. Have you ever felt the same as me? When she was back by my side, I really hugged her tight. I can already foresee how it will go for my other 2 kids when they leave my side for school trips.
Pororo Park and Tayo Meet and Greet
While the sister was not with us, one of the days, I took off to bring my 2 boys to Pororo Park and Tayo The Little Bus Meet and Greet! It was certainly the little one’s day. My elder boy was a tad bored after some time but still kept his brother company and took good care of him. We drank Starbucks Matcha Latte while we swayed to Tayo song. Continue reading “June wrap up – what goes on in our lives”
My Missy 11 is not afraid or shy to meet her kindy teachers anymore. For 5 long years, she had refused to return to visit her childcare teachers while her brother visited them yearly. When I coaxed her to visit her teachers the first year she left the childcare centre, she shook her head and kept saying no, never providing a reason. I gathered she might be feeling shy.
While this may seem nothing much, it actually brings me to pause for a moment to think about how this little girl has gradually changed so much over the turbulent years. You might ask me what turbulent years when we are talking about pre-teen stage. Oh, if you do ask this question, then chances are that you might belong to the category of having kids below 7yo.
Recently, I met a 13yo sister of my son’s classmate who followed her mum around the guests when her mum hosted a playdate in her house. I was pretty impressed that at a tender age of 13, she was learning the ropes of mingling with adult guests. She stood confidently beside her mum and showed interest in our conversation. When we spoke to her, she looked into our eyes. Such confidence and good social etiquette, I thought to myself. Most kids this age would have shut themselves up in their room and immersed in technology. Most kids would have avoided your eyes when they speak. Yet, this girl bothered to spend her weekend afternoon to talk to adults. I marvelled to her mum on my observation. If only my children would grow up to be like her with a good set of social skills. Her mum whispered back,”She wasn’t like this just a year ago,” and winked at me. Now it is beginning to make some sense.
For those who have daughters especially, may face similar growing up pains that I encounter with my Missy. As a girl, she is fast in all her development from baby to toddler to 7yo to 9yo to now. The fast development includes talking back at early years, lying, being rude, confused and struggling to find an identity like a teen, except she is not yet officially a teen now.
The mid-year examinations are over and I seriously think that I am the happier one than the kids. Why is that so? Firstly, the children are not so stressed by us as compared to their peers, although the revision had increased in intensity. How could they be stressed if the revision is only at most 2 hours on Saturday and 4 hours on Sunday? Weekdays were for them to do past year exam paper or revise a couple of chapters and weeknights were for me to answer their questions. Secondly, I can come home to the kids, relax and talk everything except academic. Thirdly, I have so many plans on weekends to bring them to and none of the hours are for revision! Yeah!!
Separation Anxiety for me
This month also saw my separation anxiety for the very first time as a mum of 11 years. I was surprised that it affected me quite a bit. I had been to business trip, on couple trips, but nothing like knowing my girl was overseas and I was not by her side. I didn’t even have the mood to blog.
Separation anxiety is for mums too…
Leading up to the days when my girl was going for her first overseas trip without her parents beside her, I had already started missing her.
She doesn’t know so much about how I felt. Being her mum, I needed to put on a brave front so that she would not feel worser than what she was already feeling in leaving us for a short while.
She cried when she thought of leaving for the trip the next day. I comforted her and told her that she would have such a great time that she would feel that the trip is too short.
Come the day when we sent her to the airport, I thought I would cry and she thought she would too. Thank god we did not as the merriment of being with friends and teachers forbade such outpour of emotions.
Then it was my turn to feel sad and I really miss her so much. But then I looked at my younger ones and decided that it would be a good chance to spend more time with them now that my time is divided by 2 instead of 3. We went to the beach after the sent off. The car did seem somewhat less jovial and a little too spacious without my princess with us. When we reached home, I decided to check if her flight has landed. That was when my heart sank when I could not find her flight. All possible thoughts flashed through my mind and I felt a icy cold shiver. When my hub heard me mumbled, he quickly searched in a different website and announced that the flight has landed safely. And I began to cry. Cried with relief!
For the rest of the day, I could not really function until she finally called during dinner time! Whoa! Hearing her voice and seeing her face in the mobile phone took away all my worries instantly. I am not sure how other mums do it, but I am probably not so brave when it comes to my own children leaving my side. Maybe this is a prep for me when they grow older and move out of our family love nest.
So this wrap up of the month was only written after she came back. Yeah Yeah!
Despite the exams, we still did quite many things within the last 2 weeks in May.
Cold Storage Kids Run 2016
We went for our 2nd year of Cold Storage Kids Run. 2 days before the run, Master 4 and I were spotted on the poster for the Run! The funny thing was that although I had received this mailer in my inbox and had referred to it several times on important information for the run, I had never really took a good look at the picture beside it! A friend snapshot the poster and sent to me and that was when we had a more than pleasant surprise! This photo was taken during last year’s Cold Storage Kids Run when Master 4 was 3yo. Isn’t he such a cutie?
While I dreaded my examinations in my school days and celebrated the end of it after going through 16 years of being a student, and more than a hundred of examinations, big or small, I have never thought I would be going through it again. Many of you should know by now that I used to be a laid back mum, learnt my lesson, and become a not-so-laid-back-mum. So, naturally, I am doing what many other parents are doing: mugging for examinations along with my children. Ok, maybe mugging is a strong word, let’s just say, reinforcing the basics but at a more intensive pace.
So, April is about preparing the kids for the examinations. Primary school students are too young to know how to prep for exams, aren’t they? I remembered I did not really study for my examinations prior to PSLE. With my wealth of experience, I decided to go through the process of this preparation with the kids, hoping to slowly let go, and let them learn how to revise on their own gradually. As much as I hate it, in this aspect, I belong to the helicopter parent for now. You will be surprised at how at Primary 5, the English examination paper is really quite tough. I need to check the dictionary or sometimes google up the word when the dictionary hasn’t got the word! And we are talking about the Oxford dictionary! And yes, we are talking about primary school standard!
Because of the exams prep, I have been neglecting my toddler as my short hours after work are totally consumed by teaching the 2 elder kids. I know it affects him because he has not been looking at me when I leave the house for work and when I come back home in the evening. All these gestures make my heart ache. I feel so guilty and really hope to make up for it after exams. Bear with Mama ok, baby?
So, while exams are important especially for my gal who is doing PSLE syllabus, I still try to strike a balance on revision and play. I don’t believe in mugging for the examinations for every waking moment. So, we brought the kids out for our usual weekend routine.
Safra Punggol – Little Explorers
Perhaps I am one of the rare parents who give the kids an exam break. On the weekend before the exams, we brought the kids to Safra Punggol for a day of fun.
