Feeling special again

It is a Parents Back to school day. Hubby took a day off. After touring her class, we sent Ee Wern to her kindergarten. 

Ee Rynn shouts for joy! She said it's a special day because she wants to spend time with us. She said she misses it since 2012. Wow, we didn't know that she yearn for it. Yearn to have our attention all by herself. 

I remember, 2012 is a moving year for us. We moved to a new country. Hubby was busy with career, she attended a new school and Ee Wern was a few months old. I was juggling with a baby, a toddler and setting up the house, etc etc..

Today reminds me of slowing down and enjoy her present. Her responsibility in life will grow and we, as parents needs to slow down and catch up with them, their life, their thoughts and paradigm. That's the moment when we know where they are and meet them there. 

As she is expressive and a mind full of ideas, I truly enjoyed all her suggestion. All she asked for are ice cream and holding our hands. She said she feels special by holding our hands and walking in between us. Simple things in life. We can do it by sparing our time.

We will make sure that we spare our time together for this again. 

Independent and Caring

My soon to be 3 year old daughter melt our heart every day. With her bubbly  character, she chirp around the house with her ever growing new vocabulary and creativity. 

May be she observed her jie jie's growing independent every day. She picks up the habits of doing things on her own as early as 2++years old. She wears her own clothes every day, clean up her painting brush and palette, wear socks on her own, organize her shoes the way she wants it and brush her own teeth every morning. She helps me organize her clothes in the cupboard too.

I enjoy her every day. We chit chat like BBFF. She started going to school every Wednesday to Thursday. When I drop her off, she will remind me these:

Mommy, please remember to take care of yourself. Please remember to eat and don't rush. And don't be late today. I don't want to be the last one in the school. 

It's a wonderful experience. 

The funniest mommy on earth

My daughter told me that I am the funniest mommy on earth. I chuckled. I asked myself, since when?

There are many moments I am serious handling her request. There are tense moments throughout her growing up years. There are 'lecture' moments when I exert boundaries at home. And she said I am the funniest mommy on earth? 

I know. I have to loosen up in this parenting thing. A friend tell me to be chilled. I have learn to laugh out loud. I have learn to dissassociate embarrassment in public with my parenting ability. Kids are kids. Throughout 2014, despite a challenging year coaching a school going kids, I laugh. I learn not to react but laugh together with my girls. 

When she said she had ice cream at 930am, I laughed and giggled with her. When she said she misplaced her books in school, I giggled. When she said she doesn't like my cooking, I smiled. I know, a gesture of acceptance goes a long long way in relationship.

I am glad that I have chance to hear from my daughter that I am the funniest mom on earth. 

Self Navigation at 35 months old @ school

Ee Wern started school recently. It is 3 times a week. She was excited and look forward for it since jie jie started going back to school on 2nd Jan.

She was excited when I sent her on the first day. She walked into the school on her own. Her favourite teacher guide her to take off her shoes, line up her bag, wash her hands and queue for temperature check and applying moisquito repellent. It's the same routine every day. One of the teacher will welcome her upon her arrival to school. 

The second week is entirely different. There's no dedicated teacher. She is required to perform the same routine all on her own. I was watching her from far today. I felt for her. In my eyes, I feel it's too young to allow her to navigate on her own. She is only 35 months old. End of the first day at second week, she told me she doesn't want to go to school.

This is a Montessori school. The children are train to navigate on their own based on their own capability. The children is train to be proactive and inform the teacher when they completed their work. The children are expected to go to toilet on their own when they need to and eat when they are hungry. At 35 months old, she is expected to do all these on her own.

Deep in my heart, I know she will be able to do it. She is Miss Independent at home. She has to remind me that she wants to do certain thing her way daily. So I told myself to give her a few more weeks.

 

Wait, Ee Wern, what did you say again?

It was painting day. So we rolled up our sleeves and you were focus creating your masterpiece. From using a fork to create pattern, you venture out, to fingers printing. It was unusual. This is because you don't like dirty hands. However, you were happy and contented doing thumb printing. I enjoyed the moment. You started to explore and messy, messy and messy. I think I winked my eyes with displeasure. Eventually, I had to say times up and time to clean up. You followed me to clean up. As I was focus cleaning the stain on your dress, you whispered, 'mommy, is shhh shh st.. (this is what I heard).

I stopped. I asked, what did you say again? I learnt to slow down to notice. You gave me a big smile with sparkle eyes and said : Mommy is the best! Wow, you have blown me away. Here I am, cleaning grumpily and chasing the next items on the to do list, you simply slow me down so I can enjoy the moment.

Thank you for that compliment! I am sure 'the best'. *Grin*

Our caterpillar experience

It has been a months we observed caterpillars outside Ee Rynn's school. It fascinate us. They eat non-stop. It fun to observed the girls reaction. My eldest daughter touch the caterpillar. She has seen caterpillar crawl on her teacher's fingers. Ee Wern will say: caterpillar eating. This is my first experience, learning caterpillar's life cycle.

I gathered my courage to adopt a caterpillar. I kept the caterpillar in a box with lots of holes (for air) with leaves I gathered from another plant. We were fascinated with their wonderful digestion system. They eat a lot. As a result, they poop a lot too. The last 2 legs will open as they pass motion. The poops were in green, similar to the colour of the leaves. The first night was a disaster. The caterpillar refuse to eat leaves in the box. He was trying to escape! It was the same night that I wasn't feeling well. Stomach flu. It was heavy rain too. With a heavy heart, we have to send the caterpillar back to its home so he don't starve to death. We did! Standing under the rain, we gently transfer the caterpillar. From this experience, I learnt that caterpillar eat leaves from the same tree or fresh leaves from citrus plan or curry leaves.

The next morning, one of Ee Rynn's schoolmate's mom adopt 2 caterpillars from the same tree. I told her my experience. She was hoping it will turn out well. A day after her adoption, both caterpillars turn to cocoon. She was kind to donate one for us. It's hibernation period. No activities and the cocoon is not moving. Ee Wern said the cocoon is sleeping every day. She would point at it and said : cocoon! cocoon sleeping! So cute.

The cocoon was broken this morning. Today is Wednesday, 20th November 2013. It's the cocoon's 13th day. I was so sad and thought the cocoon didn't make it. But when I was trying to look through the box, I saw an insect! The colour on the body was so dull and I was confuse. With first look, I thought it was dried leaves. With second, I saw a moth! We shout for joy! But it was not moving at all. Is he dead? All of the sudden, the moth moves its head. Then, we knew it's alive. 

We brought the moth to the park. I opened the box. The moth flap its wings. We thought it will fly away. But it remain in the box. Ee Wern was observing and said moth! moth! no more cocoon! As it was windy afternoon, we placed it under a big tree. A few hours later, we went back and the moth is still in the box. We learnt that moth will fly at night instead. After saying 'bye bye', the girls continue playing at the playground.

When the moth breaks away from the cocoon, it has to flap it's wings to gain strength. This process is similar to a crying new born. The first cry will open the baby's lung and starts breathing. The lung will continue to gain it's strength daily, similar to a moth's wing. When the moth breaks away from the cocoon, it was wet and sticky. When we gave birth to a baby, it's wet, sticky and bloody. God has beautifully made all the creatures on earth.

It was a fun journey for us and we hope to adopt another caterpillar with hope it will turn to be a beautiful butterfly.

Another Priceless Conversation

As usual, we chat a lot over our meal. Unassumingly, we are in this conversation tonight.

EeRynn : Mommy, when I grow up, I will have my own family. Will Ee Wern stays with me when I have my own family? 

Mommy : When Ee Wern grows up, she will have her own family too. Both of you will stay in touch and travel together every year. Daddy and mommy will come along. Ee Rynn and Ee Wern will take care of daddy and mommy too. 

EeRynn : Mommy, when I have children, are they your children too? 

Mommy : Your children will be my grandchildren.

EeRynn : Like we are grandchildren to po po and gong gong?

Mommy : Yes!

EeRynn : When Ee Wern has children, her children will be your grandchildren too?

Mommy : Yes.

EeRynn : How about daddy?

Mommy : Same, your children and Ee Wern's children will be daddy's grandchildren.

EeRynn : Are we going to stay in the same house?

Mommy : May be or may be not. 

EeRynn : I want to have a 4 bedrooms house.

Mommy: Oh, what is the 4 bedrooms for?

EeRynn : One for me and my husband, one for my children, one as my office if I am working and one for you and daddy.

Mommy : 'very touch' wow! Such a thoughtful plan.

EeRynn : I want you to stay near to me because I don't want to miss you.

Mommy : - smile from ear to ear - 

To be able to have the time to communicate without rushing through a conversation, allowing her to lead the conversation and see the way she express her thought is priceless. This is why I stayed home for.

- Conversation on Monday, 18 November 2013 ~ @ 6 years old ~