beginning to learn math

KJ 3 yrs old 1 month

did this yesterday









at this age, he still doesnt like STICKING/GLUEING

hence we moved on to dot-a-dot markers, given to him by his uncle. thank u! :) ive been lusting for this for over a year!






he did 0-7 and that was all. he didnt want to do number 8. we? definitely need to work on your concentration young man!

TODAY! he did this









please note that the arrangements of the numbers are incorrect.
they should be cut and arrange in order.

we are just staring on numbers.

he can count 1-10 easily in both english and mandarin, as well as recognizing the numerals.

next, we shall work on the quantity.



funny conversation:

2 nights ago, kj didnt want his playmate che che (sister) to go home. so the aunty tried to explain that she must go home, because she has tuition class. FYI, she is 6 yrs old.  yeah tuition! O.O

anyway, then KJ replied that he wants to go for tuition too! so i said yeah KJ, mommy will tuition you. we will do it tonight in our house ok? ;)

the aunty smiled! haha

kj nodded!

dialogues that i must remember

i had a workshop and came home near 6pm today.

found hubs in the kitchen and our conversation went like this:

let me warn u first, dont say that i did not. being a housewife aint easy!

i knew! that is why i said i needed a maid as well! "

thats not considered a housewife!

then i'll be the babysitter.

then you are becoming the tai-tai

-_______-

well, but deep inside i was elated because it meant that he knew housewife is not an easy job, as how this occupation is commonly portrayed.

nevertheless, at this very minute, i just wanna be me. i feel so freaking tired. :)

oh! another story that i need to immortalize here.

happened just last week in the car.

i admonished KJ for jumping out from his car seat while the father is driving.

he quickly sat down and wailed " dont be angry at me mommy. dont scold me. im saddd.... "

???? did he say he is sad???

instantly i apologized.

then, at night the father mocked me "so, how did u feel when your son did that in the afternoon?"

erm, i did not expect him to say that, but well, if he was really sad, i would feel bad. but i wasnt sure if he was faking it. heh

Activities after a 3-month break!

kj : 1 week shy from his 3rd birthday

im feeling pretty well today hence i must blog!

dh went for futsal comp, yes on a sunday, which is should not be the norm.

after his noon nap, we did some 'school'.

that is our language.

i use the term play school :)

i wrote the alphabets while making prodding him to recite the sound.

then we used the cotton bud to trace the alphabets with the paint.

i showed him letter 'a' and 'b' while he did the rest

after 1-2 minutes, he did this!

-________-

then he got up again and did a bit more.

some alphabets were done with aid.

the moment i did that, he wanted me to hold his hands all the way.

hence, it was a bad move!

well as u can see, at the end of it,

he went the opposite way and admired his artwork!

he self-praised " wow, so very beautiful o! "

which is great!

this is very montessori!

the child should stop and admire their own work! =)

next we quickly proceed to this activity !

the pouring activity.

after attending the montessori practical workshop last month,

im more geared to conduct lessons.

i just love this jug!

aint it cute!

he did this pouring activity with average accuracy.

did a couple of rounds and interest waned.

then i decided to show him the new 'toy'!

 Knobbed cylinder!

this is set 1.

they differ by diameter and height.

he could do it 90% the first time!

 second round he began experimenting.

tries to stack up...

tries to put a small cylinder into a larger hole and vice versa.

muttered to himself "this is big, this is small"

this merely shows that Maria Montessori is not a scam :)

that was all.

3 rounds in a sitting.

i hope we can go far with these.

during dinner tonight,

he asked for chinese mustard (sawi) !!

O.O

im thrilled!!!!!!!!!

keep it up young boy!

love your greens as much as mummy n daddy do!

and bless me that i will perk up soon!

cheers

healthy sleep habits!

this is a timely article shared by a darling friend of mine, KK :)

Healthy sleep habits

Dr. Carol Lynn Rosen, medical director of the pediatric sleep center at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, says she sees a lot of parents who complain that their child has daytime behavioral problems. Lack of sleep could be a culprit, she says.

Below are some easy checklists to follow.

Young children, 2-5 years old:

• Wake-up and bedtimes should be consistent every day of the week, with no more than an hour difference for school and nonschool nights.

• Naps should be geared for each child's individual needs, but remember that too long a nap can affect sleep at night.

• A child's bedroom should be comfortable, quiet and dark. A night light is OK.

• A child's room should be at a comfortable temperature at night, which is less than 75 degrees.

• Children should avoid caffeine, such as sodas and chocolate, for at least several hours before bed.

• The hour before bed should be quiet time, no rough play or watching exciting TV shows or movies.

• Children should spend some time outside every day and be involved in regular exercise.

• A child's bedroom should not be a place for time-out or punishment.

• Avoid putting a television in the child's room.

Older children, 6-12 years old

• Wake up and go to bed at about the same time every day of the week.

• No naps during the day.

• Establish consistent daytime routines, including regular meals and activities.

• Try to make the hour before bedtime a quiet time. Finishing homework earlier in the evening will allow for more "wind-down" time before bed.

• Avoid stimulating television, music, video games or phone conversations right before bedtime.

• Avoid caffeine for at least several hours before bed.

• Make the bed a sleep-only zone, no homework, television or computer use in the bedroom.

• Wake up no more than two hours later than your normal schedule on weekends. For example, if you normally wake up at 6 a.m. during the week, get up no later than 8 a.m. on weekends.

• Try to get some sunlight in the morning

Laneige in Sabah

Laneige was launched in Kota Kinabalu this year! i was ecstatic! since they are new, the SA loaded me with many sample packs! isn't that awesome?

previously, laneige can only be found in VERY limited places like Sunway Parkson, Midvalley Jusco and a few other stores. however, many counters are beginning to emerge.

to date, I've finished one bottle of Laneige White Plus Renew Essence RM 175 and I'm now on the second bottle.

i am also using the Water Bank Moisture Cream RM135 as my day and night cream. Running out of my third tub and i shall source from Hong Kong instead of Malaysia since beauty products there are  dirt cheap  cheaper.

my colleagues have been complimenting me on my complexion ever since i started using Laneige. they asked if it was the motherhood glow or if im using any special creams on my face. *beams*

hence i've decided to continue my current beauty regime.

i wash my face with water in the morning and use facial wash at night. using Laneige Foaming Cleanser. it makes my skin taut after cleansing which i dont quite fancy. i surmised that it will dry my skin but i'm still continuing it because none of my family members are using facial cleanser! no one to donate to.
since im using only 2-3mm each time, that is per night, i can convincingly announced that i can only change cleanser after 3-4 years? this coming CNY will be my second year and i doubt ive used half of it. darn!
nevertheless, it isnt that awful that i totally need to chuck it aside. as long as i quickly slather my hada labo toner followed by face cream, my skin feels good.
i am a very lazy person. with no maid and one active toddler, most of the time i would just live with the tight skin and after a wee while, i would not feel a thing.

i have learned from my mistakes. never to fall prey to the SAs before checking out on the products somewhat thoroughly.

in the olden days, i will have many facial cleansers, toner, creams and whatnot. not that i have problematic skin, but i think that is simply bad attitude.

now that i have a family, i should practice frugality and only buy what is NECESSARY. *pouts*

therefore! laneige is one brand that i swear by would stay loyal to, until (if) i find a better one.

also, i have this hypothesis that Asians should use Asian products. not because we should support them -_______-
it is because they would, well they should! be more appropriate considering the condition of our skin and the environment that we live in.
another bonus is that hubs likes SUng Hwa Kyo hence he supports me using Laneige! *twirls*

birthday at Supul

 the hubs brought us to a korean restaurant on my birthday this year!


 

 child-friendly restaurant enjoying his mickey mouse cutleries
 





 yay! tucking in because we havent had korean for eons!

 cuttlefish

 

the notorious chicken ginseng soup

 barbecued pork. they did it for us because it would be safer that way ;) we did not want to bbq on the table with a toddler around.

 



 surprised me with two slices of cake.
 

KJ looks quite funny here.



looking at bats!

 

Goodbye bats! we are leaving~

 



 which kid does not adore blowing the candles?

 






bliss.


we dined at Korean BBQ Supul, City Mall.
the bill was astonishingly cheap! :) we had 5-6 dishes that night and i thought the meal would cost more than RM200! but i think it was barely RM100. madness!
nevertheless, the food was satisfactory but not genuinely korean.
i missed the korean restaurant in Api-Api.

when a child is under the weather

when a child is ill,

we must keep them hydrated!

and since they wouldn't have much appetite,

this is the time where the mother has to close one eye and give sugary-high energy drink to the child.

that is me.

im the type of mother who will try my best to reduce, i wouldnt say avoid, unhealthy food in my family. 

hence i will try to model what i preach.

well, but in this case, these photos were taken during CNY 2012. KJ was ill.

that is mug of ribena!

and potato porridge.

he wants to eat the porridge with the crunchy fried crabstick.

*close one eye*

this tells us that he has recovered.

whether or not a child is TRULY ill, you observe him. if he is still active, then u can sleep in peace.

you should only worry when he is not.

this is our yearly practice.

on the second day of CNY, we will have a coffee break in our car with these take-away before departing for granny's at Sitiawan.

piping hot egg tarts and Wu Kok (yam puff).

the mandatory drink at Nam Heong,

old town white coffee!

yes, this was the second day of CNY, and the crowd was terrifying.

KJ @ 2 years old

perineal massage how-to

YOUTUBE PERINEAL MASSAGE


perineal massage is not only useful for delivery, it also helps to strengthen the muscles for those intimate moments.

so do it mommies!

this stretching exercise can be carried out for mommies like me, who have had their first vagina birth.no harm done, more to gain ;)

read the techniques here on how to do it.


as for episiotomy, some mothers shared that an episiotomy done is better than a natural tear. some said otherwise.


EPISIOTOMY video

i almost had one (episiotomy), but my midwife suggested not to as we (the baby and i) could cope. phew.

i did not checked on the wound though. neither did i enquire which grade of tear i had (grade 2 tear, grade 3 tear) but according to hubs, he said it should be a very minor grade. 

however, i remembered i was in pain, and also maybe i was just afraid of the wound hence i was particularly careful. i walked around the ward and behaved like i had a c-sect. pretty embarrassed when i was questioned.
the other veterans could sit cross-legged on their bed, wolfing down on their meals right after delivery. *gasped*

it took me almost 3 weeks to a month to completely heal and not feel any strange sensation at the bottom. 

life is like that. there will always be contradicting stories so the decision is yours. my good friend shared that she was given salt bath to speed up the vagina wound. Means u sit in a pail of salt water, daily.

Meanwhile my nurses in SWACH (Sabah Women and Children Hospital) advised that salt water is not recommended. it would instead promote infection and delay healing.

i guess i would put in episiotomy in my birth plan  in future.


updated apr 2013: this is a new link which explains more about episiotomy. ive changed my mind! NO episiotomy this time around please! never! :D 

Refining motor skill with play dough

made play dough using tmx this morning.

this was our second time using tmx.

our very first home made play dough was cooked on the stove.

hence without having me to tell you, i will not cook it on the stove ever again.

i accidentally poured oil in the first step (instead of the last step) but thankfully they turned out beautiful.

the whole process only takes 7 minutes!

Copied the recipe from somewhere but i dont remember the link.

Thermomix Playdough
Ingredients:
250g Water
100g Cooking Salt
1 Tablespoon Cream of Tartar
280g Plain Flour
15ml Cooking Oil
Food Colouring or Powder Paints (to colour)

Preparation:

Put the water, salt, cream of tartar and food colour into  . Heat for 5 minutes at 60o on speed 3.

After cooking, add flour and mix for 40 seconds or until mixture is combined and thick.

Set dial to closed lid position.

Add oil and knead for 1 minute on  

Tips/Hints:

If you wish to make several different colours from the one batch, leave out the food colour in step 1. Then when dough is made, divide dough into balls and add a different colour to each ball. Knead the colour through the dough.  Store each colour in a separate airtight container to keep dough from hardening.

Encourage your children to be creative and make play dough models, characters, animals etc.

I have written this recipe as I now make it, which is the "tried and tested forum recipe"!!   Thanks everyone for your input.

He still does not fancy playing with the dough.

he only wants to make them into balls.

Gave him a plastic knife to cut but...he is still not quite *there* yet

toothpicks to poke around. he did not, i did!

cookie cutters to cut.

well, he only wants balls :(

i get discouraged easily.

im gonna brush it aside and get motivated to introduce other activities!

KJ @ 2 years old 8 months