Do you still celebrate wedding anniversary?

Yes, we do. There are no romantic candle light dinner or roses as surprise gifts. We are contented with a meal celebration with the kids.

This year is unusual because Daddy had forgotten about this important day until Mom sms-ed him the day after the anniversary. Mom remembered on the important day itself but only at 8pm. Since it was a Tuesday and Daddy was working then, he suggested to have the late celebration on Saturday.

Each time whenever there is such celebration, the kids are the happiest. We ended up at a Japanese restaurant again.  We never get bored of dining at such restaurant, by the way. Mom does't really mind as long as the food is cooked! They are oriental anyway, Mom's favourite. Western is out! Mom doesn't have much liking to steaks, salad and its sauces and cheesy stuff.

We've never eaten at Sakae Sushi before. Last Saturday's was our first.  Strangely, we find the food not as good as Sushi King although Sakae Sushi originates from Japan which is supposed to be better.  What we like best is the 'self-service' ordering system where we picked our choices at a monitor screen at our table. The con about this system is the kids tend to order whatever they want conveniently without parent's approval as the monitor is just at the table, next to the water dispenser. The food is also served reasonably fast.

'Rong' (on the background), Wyng's Chinese name, the name of the Japanese restaurant

Self-service refill of water at each table, cool

Good for Hoe, he served our drink for us. This will make him 'contribute' his part for this meal.  Wyng, as usual, was so intrigued by the plates of sushi on the conveyor belt which is just right beside him.  He couldn't resist opening some of the covers of the sushis and at times, he mischieviously blocked the movement of the belt that he got a stern look from the chef working in the kitchen, just beside the belt.

'Bird-like' sushi ordered by Hoe

Sushi rice maker, discovered by Wyng

It was Wyng who pointed to us about this sushi maker in the kitchen.  Our table was just in front of the kitchen, next to the conveyor belt, as pictured here.  He was so excited each time blocks of rice dropped from the machine.  It was also an eye-opener for us.  We've never seen sushi being made by machine.

Curry Katsu Don for Hoe at RM15.90

This curry chicken rice which Hoe said was similar to the dish he had cooked before.

Soft crab sushi shared between Mom and Dad

Mom's Gyu Kinoko Don (beef) at RM15.90

Mom's rice tasted quite good although the presentation didn't impress us.

Sashimi, 5 pieces of them, at RM9.90

Emmm.. fresh and delicious.  Hoe and Daddy savoured their favourite salmon where Mom just observed.

Overall, Sakae's food lacks presentation, something we were surprised of.  The taste is reasonably good, so is the service.  However, we find that the variety of sushi on the belt cannot beat Sushi King.  At Sushi King, we were so enticed by some of the sushi that we couldn't resist and just picked them from the belt.  It's not the same here at Sakae.  We looked at the sushi, wondered what they were, put them back and didn't bother to try them.

I forgot my kid is lactose intolerant

I forgot he is lactose intolerant until he came back one afternoon and told me he had diarrhea at school.  And because of this, he missed copying down the lesson written on the board.

It was then only I remember that he has been lactose intolerant since a baby.  His condition is not so serious that he could only take soya milk. He can still take cow's milk provided it is of premium brand.  After checking with his nanny (who happened to be my sister), I discovered that every other day he would be passing watery stools. Whilst under my care on weekends and nightime, I noticed the texture of his stools. I could then confirm that he is mildly intolerant. In order not to spend so much on premium milk, I opted to mix normal milk with premium branded milk.

To save the hassle of the milk preparer, I even mixed the milk ready and have it stored in milk dispenser for the nanny.  And, I have been doing that until he was in Primary 1.  After Primary 1, his consumption of milk powder lessened.  He drinks fresh milk at times of which he does not complain.  However, I noticed he purged after a few days of consecutive consumption of 'normal' milk powder or fresh milk.

Not wanting to stop his milk intake, I am forced to buy a tin of Pediasure. Mind you, a 400g tin now costs RM35 (about USD11).  For two teaspoons of Pediasure, I added another teaspoon of normal milk to his Milo drink in the morning.  There was no complaint after two days.  Come the third day, he came back and complained, 'Mommy, I don't want milk anymore.'  Mom was perplexed with his condition.  I may have to space off his milk consumption. Instead of daily, he may have to just take milk the most for two days, have a gap of a day or two and later resume.

Introducing soy milk or other kinds of milk may just puts him off.  Already a picky eater, the last I want is for him to detest milk.

Lesson from this is for Mom never to lose track of the kids' eating habit or 'disorder'. It may just really cost them serious consequences.

How to teach your kids to be tidy?

Wherever he goes, his 'tools' are following him. 

Toys, toys.. a big headache. He never knows how to place toys properly in their boxes after playing

Read books are seldom put tidily in their original place

A very common sight..books and stationeries strewn on his desk

His arts work chucked behind the computer monitor

Can mothers train their kids to be tidy if they themselves are not? I am not a very tidy person,actually. Yet, I cannot tolerate mess.  Talking about mess.. they are abundant in my home, some made by me, some by my kids, Wyng is the culprit, most of the time.

The thing is I clear my own mess but who are going to clear those made by my kids? Mothers? No, absolutely not! If mothers continue to clear for them, when are kids going learn to be tidy themselves? Then, what are mothers, who stay at home, supposed to do with these mess?

Wyng is a mess-maker. The pictures tell a thousand stories.  There is worse mess than these. If only my eyes are my camera as I'm greeted with mess everyday, at his room.

I don't clear these mess unless it's one of those once-every-few-months 'cleaning up'. And when I do that, Wyng is going to be in for great trouble.  There will be flinging of stuff, useless most of the time, in the air as Mom will be sieving through bits of papers, empty boxes, pieces of broken erasers, pencils and other stuff which are not supposed to be where they are found.  During these times, I will make sure he puts those books back at their proper shelves.  Certain stationery stuff is in toy boxes or what not will be dug out and placed at appropriate places.  At times, lazy Wyng will just simply place an item and he will be reprimanded if ever Mom goes through that place and finds the same item he is asked to put it.

I will make sure Wyng clears his mess or untidy desk and shelf once every few weeks. If Mom is not so preocuppied, he will be reminded sternly to tidy them up quite frequently.  He seldom does it on his own without any reprimand.

I have done these reminding and reprimanding countless times and I will be doing these countless times again until this guy knows how to stay tidy. At least, he should learn to clear a mess after making it.

Lesson to learn for Mom is to be tireless in reminding and reminding even if reprimanding has to follow. Kids don't learn fast enough in this aspect, sadly.  So, this just means stress and follow-up for Mom.  Who says being a Mom is easy?

The kid's favourite food

This is what happened when he is taking two of his favourite food together, chocolate on ice-cream, Kit-Kat ice-cream.

Each time we go out, he never fails to ask us for his ice-cream. He doesn't like soft-drinks or french fries, just ice-cream.  It is not uncommon for him to ask for another one although he already had one earlier.

I have a bigfoot kid

He had worn out two pairs of sandals in less than 6 months.  Didn't I say he is a terminator? I didn't exaggerate.    After ruining a rather good quality pair of sandals,  the casual Bata sandals I bought him aren't durable enough for his rough characteristics.  In fact, I bought two pairs which received the same fate.

With the second pair of ruined Bata sandals, he was still able to 'cling on' to them as he wore them.  So, Mom went hunting for another durable pair hopefully, a value buy.  To my surprise, Wyng' feet have grown so much that he is now close to outgrowing shoes of kids' size.  If I were to buy kids' size shoes for him, they would not last him two months as they fit just nicely, with no space to allow for 'expansion'.

So, off we went to the adult section at Jusco.  We were quite glad that we found a pair of size 5 adult sandals with rather small cutting.  The length of his feet fits the sandals but not the width.  Being barely 9, his feet definitely lacks the meat to fit the sandals comfortably unless he wears a pair of socks.  How funny to be wearing socks with sandals?  Feeling 'loose' and uncomfortable in that pair of sandals, he persuaded me not to buy them which I agreed, of course. He had to endure another couple of days wearing the 'torn' sandals.

I was so relieved I got what I wanted from this shoe shop at Wangsa Walk.  The adult sandals are also available in size 3!  Though they are priced at RM39.90, I didn't hesitate.  I've learnt my lessons for buying him sandals under RM30, I ended up spending more as those wore out faster than I can imagine.

Let's see how long this new pair lasts.

My digital dictionary is the best

Before I went hunting for a digital dictionary for my kid, in the market, the features I'd like to have in it are:

* meaning of words in English explained in Chinese
* meaning of words in Chinese explained in Chinese, English and Bahasa Malaysia
* a speaker so that words in Chinese can be pronounced and learnt by my kids
* inclusion of words (in all the 3 languages) found in dictionaries with the highest number of words

I'd done a simple verbal research on the type of dictionary available and their pricing.

Games is the last thing I want but as the promoter was showing me the features of the gadget, I was told that those in the dictionary are actually 'educational' Math games which stimulate the mind.  I'm left with no choice as those games are indeletable from the gadget.

The short demo of the gadget is an eye-opener for me.  Apart from the fundamental explanation of words in the 3 main languages, little did I know that digital dictionaries nowadays are equipped with so many additional features:

* meaning of words for 24 other foreign languages
* translation (of phrases) from English to Chinese and vice versa
* proverbs (English)
* idioms (Chinese)
* antonyms and synonyms (Chinese and English)
* English phrasal verbs (with explanation in both English and Chinese)
* picture dictionary (of certain words only). There are also pictures of particular items such as market, city, school, occupations, parts of body etc identified by the 3 main languages with pronounciation
* scientific and technology as well as mathematical terms
* learning modules where academic questions in the 3 languages are also loaded together. So far, I've discovered that there are the language papers but yet to explore further to discover more.

I was pleasantly surprised that one can even watch a movie and play songs using this educational device.

All the above functionalities are available at the price of below RM800 (USD258) for an Apple Tree's Xplain.  I have no regrets buying this.  I told my other half not to let both the kids know about the device's multi-media capabilities.  Though sooner or later they will discover, I prefer to keep this a secret for as long as possible to avoid headaches.

How many times do we cry?

Wyng : Do you know that we cry 250 trillion times a year? Because our tear glands at the bottom of our eyes release a bit of water droplets to keep our eyes moist, that's why we cry so many times.

Mom : What's moist?

Wyng : It's like moisture. I mean, to keep your eyes from being very dry.

Mom : Where do you read this from?

Wyng : From my book, 'More,Tell Me More'. It's not like those encyclopedia.  All those things about why? why? why? Like, why do people...

Mom : I see.

Lesson learnt : 250 trillion times? Did I hear it wrong? I can't even comprehend this figure. Could it be that when the eyes are moist, it's also considered 'crying'? Yet to know the truth of this new found fact from Wyng.

IT gadgets, a boon or a bane?

Here are the scenarios....

In the company of the wonder gadget

The iPad is a toy to these enthusiastic kids

Gone are the conventional toys, picture cards, cars, Lego puzzle, even the favourite toys for boys, the guns are not seen anymore.  An iPad seems to be the must-have now, in most households.  We now see kids engrossed in playing Angry Bird or other digital games on either an iPad, iPhone or any smart phone or laptop/Netbook.

I often see preschool kids in front of such gadgets in public places such as restaurants while the parents are busy chatting away. No communication with the kid while the kid's eyes are glued to the small monitor.  So, this IT gadget has replaced toys? Is it going to limit communication soon?

3 fighting for a laptop, to Facebook, of course!

For most teens, Facebooking has become a daily routine for them.  I doubt they will pass a day without updating their status on Facebook.  If this gadget brings these teens closer together, this seem to be a good thing.  What if one of the become an evil and start to dominate the laptop? What will ensue? A fight for computer? Well, this happens when there is only ONE of such gadget around. So, is less better so that they learn the meaning of sharing?  Imagine, a laptop to each kid. Each will be in his world, no interaction among them.  They may probably be 'talking' in the cyber world, but not in person.You know what I mean? More isn't necessarily better.

All huddled together, just to get a glimpse of the iPhone and other smart phone

From this picture, the gadget seemed to draw them together. How often can you see such closeness among cousins other than to browse the ever amazing things on the net?

Wyng has been in this squatting position for a good few hours, using his aunty's Netbook

Wyng, as seen here in Aunty Flo's house, enjoying hours (at least four) of games without any interruption and restriction.  Yeah, this can only happen during family gatherings.  During this time, we didn't see him visit the toilet. Understandable as he didn't drink much.  Guess what? He suffered cramps after this indulgence.  What an unhealthy pastime? He will never get to do this at home!

Here are how kids behave without the wonder gadget..

Without an iPad, restless and frustrated?

Since there were no toys around, these kids seemed restless in the absence of the gadget.  Nothing said, just sulking.

A 'hostile' kid, walking away after the iPad was dominated by an older cousin

Let's take a good nap since there is no iPhone

I hope they were indulging in some kind of cousin talk. At times, it is better to be free from the wonder gadget for a while.  Afterall, it's always the 'personal touch' which is better. Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting the physical aspect of it but the personal sharing of thoughts and ideas.

Mom contributes to potluck for the first time

Onion (10 cloves) chopped finely

Garlic (8 cloves) chopped finely

Marinate with the seasoning sauce,onion and garlic overnight

Bake in oven for about 35-40 minutes

Mom's oven baked chicken for the party



I like this dish because it is simple enough to bake and it doesn't need a lot of ingredients.  Lots of onion and garlic, that's all that are needed for the flavour.

I have to thank my electric oven for this oven-baked chicken.  As I'm not a pro in the kitchen, I hate grease as time is the last thing I want to part with to clean my kitchen from the grease.  When my sisters suggested a potluck and each sister was to contribute at least a dish, I was glad at least I had something to contribute that time.  I've learnt up this dish so no more tapau-ing (packing) of outside food.  It was not the best chicken but Mom was filled with contentment as the chicken emitted pungent aroma (from the onion) and browned in the oven.

By the way, I don't follow the exact recipe given.  For the seasoning, I have used at least a third of a small bottle of soy sauce, 8 tablespoons of honey and a little bit of sugar (optional if you are health-conscious). I used a little too much of the soy sauce so that the chicken would not be too dry.

Voila! I cooked up two casseroles of chicken.  The feedback was good and not bad for a first-timer like me.  Ha...Ha.. at least my food can be served at parties..not just for my kids. 

Do you teach your kids to use chopsticks?

I don't.  I don't see the need to really teach them as they will sooner or later pick up the skill.  Wyng is a natural at it.  He surprised all of us when he used the chopsticks like a pro during his pre-school years.  In fact, he may be using the correct method even better than Mom.

He doesn't like a fork for his noodles.  Whenever he eats out, he will be handed a fork, much to his annoyance, as most kids don't know or don't prefer chopsticks. A pair of chopsticks will be requested as I have to explain to the hawker or food helper that he CAN use the chopsticks.

At 4 years 2 months, eating his favourite dried noodle.

Barely 4 and a half years old then, savouring his favourite food

At Poh Poh's (Grandma) house,he accepted a challenge to pick a small piece of meat using the chopsticks . He was 5 years and 5 months old.

As far as I can recall, Hoe didn't use the chopsticks properly until he was in middle primary school.  Anyway, compared to Wyng, Hoe's motor skills are weaker.

Simple chicken recipe for busy Moms

I tried cooking this simple oven baked chicken recipe for lunch. Instead of marinating for 1 hour, I marinated them overnight and I've added more spoonfuls of honey for sweeter flavour. I've also omitted ginger since I couldn't find any in the kitchen.  It still tastes good.

It's so fuss-free, you don't have to worry if the chicken overcooked, too much of oil or smoke and grease everywhere in your spotless kitchen. And because my kids love gravy to go with their rice, I've concocted my own gravy.  The potatoes and carrots are used as these are the only types of food that Wyng like and has no complaints about.

Water (quantity is up to your preference), oyster sauce, a little soy sauce are all I used. Just stir all these in a pan until it boils. Add the cut potatoes and carrots and simmer for at least 20 minutes or longer if you prefer your potatoes and carrots to be softer.

Wyng gave me a rating of 8 whereas Hoe said it's good for a first-timer. I'm satisfied with my performance.  Not of chef standard but the kids love this nutritious and simple home-cooked chicken dish.

Is it too late for the kid to learn up multiplication table?

I started Wyng with his multiplication table about two weeks ago, he is already in Standard Three this year.

I could recall I drilled Hoe on his multiplication table when he was probably 9 or 10.

Actually, I've had complaints that Wyng was not familiar with his multiplication since last year from his Maths tutor. I didn't take any action then.  Then, lately this year, I got the same feedback from the Kumon facilitator that he isn't very good at it.  It was then that I've decided that I should not leave this boy alone to master this important element in Maths.

So, since early this month, I started this boy to recite the multiplication table from 2 onwards during his car journey to school in the morning.  It was painful at first.  He was not familiar and it took him quite a while to complete until multiplication 6.  There was a lot of struggling going on in the car which is just about 10 minutes drive.   Today, after only about 2 weeks, on a daily basis, he is able to memorize the table from 2 to 7 with no problems.  He started 8 two days ago and today, he even did until 9 without any pushing from Mom.  Can you believe it when he told me his classmate can recite until 12!  Come to think of it, it may not be surprising at all.  Maybe, Mom is late in drilling Wyng.

With this positive behaviour of his, Mom promises to buy him McFlurry after lunch, much to his joy!

Do you ground your teen for hacking?

His previous acts
Is your teen a computer hacker?   
Does your kid hack into your computer account?
My kid did it again!

He's an opportunist when it comes to hacking. He wouldn't forego any opportunity to hack my computer.

Just when Mom is reminded to be extra vigilant, she has forgotten again to shut down the computer after a late night, oh..it's actually in the morning 1am... completing some last minute preparation for her classes the next day.  When he wants to do it, he will try all means. The saying "When there is a will, there is a way" can never be truer for this effort of his.  How does he know when to wake up in the wee hours of the morning and access the PC to see if it's accessible?  He has to pray real hard for Mom to keep forgetting to shut down the PC.

This time, he was smarter than his previous act.  Instead of removing Daddy's password, he changed the password.  I had earlier told him that I had checked if he's done anything to my PC clicking on Daddy's user account icon and it'll be fine if there's a password request. By just changing the password and not removing it, Mom may just stop at clicking the user account icon and not proceed to type the password.

I was smarter than him this time, I'm glad that I was but I was not glad that this guy never gives up with his notorious act.  Sigh.. I said I was smarter because I discovered his deed in about one day.  I proceeded to type Daddy's password (I set the password for Daddy and will give it to him. The password that Daddy sets are too easy even Wyng has no problem with it.) and lo and behold!  Incorrect!

What on earth is he trying to prove? He never tires!  Just when I had just the night before denounced that he would have his mobile phone confiscated for one month if he continues with his 'crime', he did it again. I am beginning to get a little adaptive to this intelligent and secretive deed of his.  I tell myself that each time I turn on the PC, I will click on Daddy's user account icon and type the password to make sure Hoe has not meddle with it.

He derives thrill by hacking the computer.  He doesn't see anything wrong with that as long as he gets to use the computer, even without his Mom's knowledge.  And by the way, my Mom is one of the first few persons to discover his 'date' with the computer at unearthly hours of the day and decided to keep mum about it for a while.

It's not that Mom does not know the root of the problem but this guy must be made to understand what he does is not right.  It's not uncommon for him to defy my instructions but until he learns obedience and discipline is the rule of the game, he will not get any computer time. He has committed too many 'sins' that he had yet to repent and giving him this 'must-have' (computer time, of course!) is not a priority yet.

Is your teen a computer hacker?

It makes my blood boil, he gets on my nerves, I'm going to kill him!!!!! Sights of this guy stealthily 'in action' at my PC appeared in my mind as I clicked on Daddy's user account and discovered that no password was required to access the PC.

My kid removed the password AGAIN after being caught in less than a week ago.  What was in his head! Why did he have to do it after so many rounds of harsh lecture and grounding? I wonder, I really wonder what he is trying to prove.

Not thinking twice at all, I went into Control Panel and set a password for Daddy's user account.  Next, I went hunting for his hand phone with Wyng's help and confiscated it. All this was done without Hoe's knowledge as he was still at school.

"I knew it, I knew you would set the password back, I'm just testing if you will do it."  That was the reply which came out from his mouth when I told Hoe off for hacking the computer again.  Of course, he wasn't going to 'escape' so easily.  A very stern warning that if he is ever caught hacking again, his hand phone will be confiscated for one month.

Why hasn't Mom learnt?  I HAVE to log off whenever my kid is around, especially with Hoe's presence. He is an opportunist when it comes to hacking.

Does your kid hack into your computer account?

He never gives up.  It's not the first time, I believe he did it for not less than 5 times.

This time, he removed the password for his Daddy's account which we have for access to our home PC.  How did he do it? You may wonder.. Well, most of the time, I would leave my PC on while I do my other stuff at home.  As our study room is just next to his room, it's not difficult for him to walk in and access the PC (which is left idle) to meddle with it while Mom is downstairs busy attending to other things.

Using Daddy's account which is obviously free from any parental control, he could be sneakily surfing (though it may just be for a few minutes) without Mom's knowledge while she is preoccupied with other things.

This may not be the best way to overcome his hacking but as a temporary measure, Mom has to keep reminding herself to LOG OFF before leaving the computer.

Lesson from the kids : Log off from the computer, there may be some hungry 'thieves' waiting to hack it. Do this only if you believe in parental control. Otherwise, don't even bother to read this post.

What pests can you find in your house?

Can you imagine this creature in your home?

First, the relentless mosquitoes. Then, come the cats. (Well, if they are not welcomed, I will consider them pests though certain households treat these kinds of beasts their pets). Oh, I shouldn't forget the ever mighty termites.

I was in for a shock when one fine day my neighbour next to me told me the neighbour living beside her found a poisonous snake in their toilet.  According to her, The Fire Brigade had confirmed that it's a rare kind of poisonous snake and it had been sent to the zoo.

I've had cats coming into our car porch. Once, the irritating feline walked into our house and finding its way upstairs until my other half yelled and threw a newspaper at it.  Now, a snake is really hard to comprehend! Where the world did this kind of creature come from? And, we are residing in an urban area... Nothing seems to escape these slithery creatures? I can never imagine finding a snake in my house.. and worse still, a poisonous one. So, after this incident, I will surely take more precautions just in case this creature find its way to my house. My windows, at the kitchen and toilet, would be shut more often.

If there are snakes in the neighbourhood, I will not be surprised to find spiders (not the tiny ones ah) and other creepy crawlies in the future.  Eee....

Pests, pests, go away and never come back

What do you think this looks like?

Not an air freshener.Certainly not a special-purpose power point as no wires are visible.  Is it some kind of hi-tech sensor?

Something I never knew existed until we went hunting for something to ward off mosquitoes from our home. Mosquitoes are found in 'abundance' in our home.  Unfortunately, they mostly prey on me, not my other half.  They love my 'sweet' blood, it seems.   Once in a while, my kids fall victims to them and my Mom too.

They attack me when I'm washing dishes in the kitchen, when I'm hanging the laundry at the car porch and of course in the study room and bedroom.  I can even find them in the toilet while taking my shower.  My most torturous moments with them are when I am enjoying watching television in the living room.

This repellent here is the second one that we bought. The first one is one of those that come with a UV light.  It is supposed to chase away mosquitoes instead of the UV light ones which attract the pests before killing them.  Equipped with a buzzing sound (only audible to mosquitoes), it will only be effective after being turned on for 1 month, it seems and works the best for rooms with area of something like 2,000 square feet.

Nothing seems to be different in the first few weeks.  I still find mosquitoes in my room. However, they do not seem to 'bite' me. After having this in my room for a few months now, (I still find one or two of these creatures flying in my room), I can say that the mosquitoes seem to be made 'less active' that I don't get attacks from them.

What is Encarta encyclopedia?

One day, while I was working at the PC, Wyng pestered me to google this word 'encarta' encyclopedia.  He said I can search about the animals that appear on his text book.  So, to satisfy him, I googled 'Encarta' and true enough it's a kind of digital encyclopedia.

Why we shouldn't trust the nanny?

Hoe with his Frankenstein-like forehead, after the rubbing

This was what I got when I entrusted Hoe, my only son then, with his nanny.

It all started with a mistake Mom made.  In the midst of busy house chores and wanting to place Hoe at a safe place while Mom was busy, Hoe was placed in his crib.  Nothing was wrong except that Mom had also erroneously placed an adult-sized pillow in the crib.  Just like any normal child, Hoe curiously stood on the pillow (which was placed by the side of the crib), raising him a little higher in the crib.  Not long later, Hoe was found crying on the floor.  After some self-blaming and coaxing Hoe, Mom carried on with her work. Nothing very serious except for the slight bulge (thank Goodness! falling from that height didn't seem to leave very serious impact) on Hoe's forehead.

A couple of days later, Hoe was playing and somehow the mischievious him stepped into a plastic box big just big enough to seat him.  Just as he was standing up,trying to step out of the box, he tripped and fell flat on his face.  The impact was the greatest on his already bulging forehead.  His forehead ended up slightly more swollen by then.

Anyway, he was sent to the nanny's house as usual in the morning. Nanny was told not to rub his forehead.  The shock came when I went to pick Hoe up after work.  Who or What greeted me was not Hoe! It was little Frankenstein ! Just look at the picture above.

Overwhelmed with Hoe's pathetic condition, I didn't expect any further explanation from the nanny.  She had already been written off from my mind at that moment. I would never send Hoe back to her.

What followed was visits to specialists.  Hoe's regular pediatrician who advised us to take Hoe for a MRI scan. Hoe was taken for an MRI scan at a medical centre in Malacca.  Thank Goodness! We were relieved to know that there was no internal bleeding.  The bulge would take a few weeks, a month to two to subside.

Hoe had a tough time coping with his 'new' forehead.  He was grouchy most of the time, easily irritable and would cling to Mom for no reason.  Uncomfortable with his condition, he turned into a 'sad' toddler.  There was no smiles on his face, even TV didn't seem to attract him.  After about a month, the size of his forehead started to return to normal.  Hoe was his old self, happy and adorable child.

I never took him back to his nanny.  I sacked her.  The reason was obvious.

Lesson from the kid:  Never, ever leave your sick child with his nanny unless you have no choice.   They may mean good but a sick child under his mother's loving care is always better than being cared for by uneducated and those with a lackadaisical attitude.  This was what happened to me. The nanny actually meant good. She wanted to reduce the swelling but used the wrong method.  Instead of rubbing with ointment, she should have used ice.  And, she didn't even want to notice the dramatic change in Hoe so as I would not make a fuss or condemn her.

Look who are helping to springclean

Having no maid at my disposal, maintaining the house can get really challenging.  Thankfully, I have two guys who can give me a great helping hand in such times.

Spring cleaning can be really backbreaking for a house like ours.  After some delegation with clear instructions and the compulsory follow-up after a chore, we have a reasonably clean house to usher the Chinese New Year.

Wyng taking out the bulbs from the Christmas tree

Back into the box until the next year

Cobweb..you can't go anywhere now.

Magic wiper does the job better here

Lesson from the kids - When Mom gets too tired from her endless chores, get the kids involved. Sometimes, the kids, especially the younger ones, will be too happy to be part of what we are doing.  If they get too reluctant or lazy bones start to appear, 'bribe' them.  Do the job together with them, not just sit back.  At the end of a chore, the kids and you will feel a deep sense of satisfaction, having accomplished a tough job together.