Return of the 'CANE'
The cane has been conspicuously absent from my home for the past year as my hubby was all for alternative punishment (see earlier posts on corporal punishments). I remember times when my temper went amok that I went combing through the whole house for something even remotely similar in its function to a cane. For a short while, I found a substitute using the balloon sticks but atlas, it usually could not withstand the force of my anger. And the kids are not SCARED of it as the pain inflicted is too minimal!!
Of late, I found the need for one again. The Duo are getting way out of hand; not responding when called, taking their own sweet time eating their meals (and everything else), fighting (verbally and physically), throwing temper tantrums and being disrespectful at times. My endorsement came from another mom with 3 daughters. Her cane RULES!
Actually I have been threatening to buy one for the longest time but each time, my hubby will talk me out of it. Finally, last Sun, I bought 2 but lost one even before I reached the house. That cane which costs 50cents only lasted 1 use. Either I have super strength or they don't make canes to last nowadays.
I explained to the kids the 2X rules. If I call them and they do not respond by the 2nd call, they will recieve one stroke. If they play with and do not 'respect' the cane, they will also get 1 stroke. I hang it in the kitchen where they can see.
The next morning after I bought the cane, Kyle tested me out. He was to be given 2 strokes. However, when it was time to be caned, he bargained with me on how it was to be executed (how many percent strength i was going to use, to have his pants on, not wanting to pull his shirt up etc) It was really testing my patience and I added 1 stroke each time I counted to 2 and he was still not by the wall. It totalled 8 when he asked me to 'Shut up' and that made it 9 and then the 10th stroke was when he hit the wall with a massager. I really saw red by then and as much as I wanted to keep my cool, I lost it. The cane broke into half on the 1st stroke. The rest of the 9 strokes came in quick successions using the other half.
The next day, I stumbled on a medicine shop which was selling all kinds of stuff and bought another 4 this time (not taking any more chances with flimsy canes). That night, Kyle got 2 strokes ( in his underwear) and this time, he did not dare to bargain and stood by the wall for his punishment. He cried and I told him that I only cane using 10% of my strength and that this will increase with each punishment. My girl recieved 1 stroke but did not cry. Thankfully, all 4 canes are still intact!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Kyle's Accomplishments
Kyle's Accomplishments in JuneKyle has taken up roller-blading and cycling this June holidays. His interest started with blading when he spotted the blades on one of our grocery trips to Giant. He insisted that he can blade and promptly tried a pair on and showed me on the spot. It looked promising. I ended up with a pair that costs $69.90 which can be expanded from size 32-35 (I can also wear them!).
He picked up blading pretty fast as he was not afraid of falling. This interest was shared by another friend of his, who also got her parents to get her a pair of blades. She was even better and became Kyle's 'teacher'. Now they blade together downstairs or during badminton nights.
Earlier on, I had ask Kyle to learn how to cycle on 2 wheels but he was not keen. He started out by cycling on 2+1 ( i removed one side of the training wheels) and became quite dependent on the 3rd wheel. The breakthrough came last Monday 22nd June.
It was their 2nd Art lesson at SKCC and I wanted to pillion the 2 of them there but Kyle insisted on cycling. I gave in as I did not want to waste time arguing with him (nowadays he likes to bargain and argue about stuff which usually end up in me getting angry and him, upset). I did not realised that his 3rd wheel was spoilt (it was bent and unable to support the bike). In his headstrong attempt to prove to me that he could cycle, he actually did, on 2 wheels!
I could see halfway that he was struggling as beads of perspiration were dripping from his brows and his shirt was drenched at the back. Even though we were running late and I was on my bike with Meryl in front, I tried to give him last minute instructions as patiently as I could. Amidst shouting at him to watch out for pedestrains, I also had to apologise to some of them who were strickened with fear as my son tried to manouvre his bike as best as he could, without banging into them. Still, he did a great job on 2 wheels for the 1st time! I was also totally exhausted, but thankful that I did not have to push the 2 bikes and 2 kids to their art class.
The next day, he practised some more along the corridor and on the 2nd level. His confidence was greatly increased by the success of the previous night. On Wednesday, he cycled to AVCC without much fanfare this time and he is now able to brake and turn smoothly. Hurray!!
As for my girl, I have been telling her that I want her to learn to cycle on 2 wheels soon. Her answer to me was, " Mummy, I will cycle on 2 wheels when I am 6 years old, ok?"
Friday, June 19, 2009
June Holiday
June Holidays so far
Our 12-day trip to Australia was cancelled as the hubby did not want to run the risk of the kids getting infected even though we were heading for Cairns and not Melbourne. My effort at planning an alternative trip to either Redang or Tioman fell through as ALL were fully booked! The hubby was not keen to go Vietnam or Kuching and hence we were all STUCKED in Singapore. These are some of the things I did, with and without kids. Some are totally self-indulgent but justified .(Hey, I missed out on my holiday okay! I deserve a break.) BTW, I'm blogging all these while sitting through a 3-hr hair perm in JB..haha
Not in sequence, just what I can recall.
Our 12-day trip to Australia was cancelled as the hubby did not want to run the risk of the kids getting infected even though we were heading for Cairns and not Melbourne. My effort at planning an alternative trip to either Redang or Tioman fell through as ALL were fully booked! The hubby was not keen to go Vietnam or Kuching and hence we were all STUCKED in Singapore. These are some of the things I did, with and without kids. Some are totally self-indulgent but justified .(Hey, I missed out on my holiday okay! I deserve a break.) BTW, I'm blogging all these while sitting through a 3-hr hair perm in JB..haha
Not in sequence, just what I can recall.
- Work review
- English remedial (2 days) and prata outing with students
- Oral exams
- Tree-top walk with 2E6
- Picnic cum kite-flying, frisbee at Anchorvale Link
- Children Art lesson (New)
- 7th wedding anniversary celebration
- Downtown East Explorer kids
- Playdate with triple E sisters, Double Q sisters and Zac
- Zoo outing
- JB shopping with Meryl and QQ
- JB day shopping with girlfriends
- Massage at the spa
- Foot reflexology
- Bowling at SICC
- Morning cycling sessions with Q and Q
- House viewing
- Grand nephew's 1 month old celebration at East Coast
- Swimming date with Chin Min's kids
- Swim Date with Victoria and Velarose
In the pipeline
Night Safari
One night hotel stay at Waterfront Copthorne
Too funny not to blog
Too funny not to blog
It was bedtime for the kids and I had just spent 5 minutes with them and then left them to sleep on their own in our bedroom. It was expected that they would talk and play a little before they go to sleep. But after a while, my hubby and I could hear a heated argument going on and he went to give them a scolding. This was what I heard after he went in:
M: Daddy, kor kor hit my head.
Kyle tried to explain and then burst out crying as he had also been hit. He had hit his head while they were playing.
M: Who asked him to play the Jedi, fighting and fighting. If you want to play, then don't cry. You are not 1 year old okay...so shameful...I also never cry when you hit me..
Kyle continued crying while trying to describe to their daddy what happened. Meryl continued to lecture him in her most righteous voice while I was doubling up with laughter outside listening to her.
It was bedtime for the kids and I had just spent 5 minutes with them and then left them to sleep on their own in our bedroom. It was expected that they would talk and play a little before they go to sleep. But after a while, my hubby and I could hear a heated argument going on and he went to give them a scolding. This was what I heard after he went in:
M: Daddy, kor kor hit my head.
Kyle tried to explain and then burst out crying as he had also been hit. He had hit his head while they were playing.
M: Who asked him to play the Jedi, fighting and fighting. If you want to play, then don't cry. You are not 1 year old okay...so shameful...I also never cry when you hit me..
Kyle continued crying while trying to describe to their daddy what happened. Meryl continued to lecture him in her most righteous voice while I was doubling up with laughter outside listening to her.
Kyle's 6th Birthday
Kyle's 6th Birthday
This is going to be Kyle's last year in Ascension. This is also likely to be the last year he can celebrate his birthday in school with this classmates as he'll be progressing to primary 1 next year. Moreover, his birthday coincides with the Primary and Secondary mid-year exams which makes it even more difficult to celebrate in future. So despite the fact that I had 6 classes of papers to mark I decided to throw him a mini party at home on top of the one in his school.
I took leave on the big day and rushed down in the morning to Golden Landmark hotel to get some party supplies, kids' toys/games. tattoos, decorations etc before heading to Bugis to get his cake, some mini donuts from J Co and Chewy bites and cheese sticks for his party. After that the hubby came and picked me up to his school.
We arrived early and waited for his lunch break. The party packs, all 25 of them for the children were already delivered to school earlier on by the school bus. (cannot remember what went in to it except a packet of milo, a box of cereals, wang wang rice cracker and some other stationary. But definitely no sweets!) We took the chance to peep into Meryl's class and saw her sitting right in front, watching a video oblivious to the surrounding and our presence. We informed her teacher that we will 'borrow' her for her brother's birthday celebration later.
At about 1, Kyle and his class returned from the library and the teacher started organising them for photograph taking and then singing of song and cake cutting. Then they were seated in their various groups except for the birthday boy who was tasked to give out the cake, together with the jelly and donuts. After their lunch they had computer class. Instead of whisking him off like last year for a movie or some outing, Kyle chose to stay. Apparently they all loved the computer class. So my hubby and I left for lunch and then I headed home to prepare for the party in the evening.
We invited about 15 of his friends living in our 'kampong' (realised they were mostly girls!). I decorated the place whilst my maid cooked dinner. We prepared beef stew, beef bolognaise and cream sauce to go with pasta, thai dessert of glutionous rice with mango, hotdog stick with quail's eggs and marshmallow, jelly, fruits etc. The kids had fun with the tattoos, foam aeroplanes, helicopter toy and sand art. As usual, the birthday boy was the last to finish his dinner. We had to wait for him to finish, play a bit then cut his cake. The whole party ended at almost 9. I was dog-tired but was glad I did it. At least he can look back and say that he had his share of birthday parties even though it was not done on an elaborate scale like his sister's (whose birthday happens to fall in Dec and one week away from Christmas).
This is going to be Kyle's last year in Ascension. This is also likely to be the last year he can celebrate his birthday in school with this classmates as he'll be progressing to primary 1 next year. Moreover, his birthday coincides with the Primary and Secondary mid-year exams which makes it even more difficult to celebrate in future. So despite the fact that I had 6 classes of papers to mark I decided to throw him a mini party at home on top of the one in his school.
I took leave on the big day and rushed down in the morning to Golden Landmark hotel to get some party supplies, kids' toys/games. tattoos, decorations etc before heading to Bugis to get his cake, some mini donuts from J Co and Chewy bites and cheese sticks for his party. After that the hubby came and picked me up to his school.
We arrived early and waited for his lunch break. The party packs, all 25 of them for the children were already delivered to school earlier on by the school bus. (cannot remember what went in to it except a packet of milo, a box of cereals, wang wang rice cracker and some other stationary. But definitely no sweets!) We took the chance to peep into Meryl's class and saw her sitting right in front, watching a video oblivious to the surrounding and our presence. We informed her teacher that we will 'borrow' her for her brother's birthday celebration later.
At about 1, Kyle and his class returned from the library and the teacher started organising them for photograph taking and then singing of song and cake cutting. Then they were seated in their various groups except for the birthday boy who was tasked to give out the cake, together with the jelly and donuts. After their lunch they had computer class. Instead of whisking him off like last year for a movie or some outing, Kyle chose to stay. Apparently they all loved the computer class. So my hubby and I left for lunch and then I headed home to prepare for the party in the evening.
We invited about 15 of his friends living in our 'kampong' (realised they were mostly girls!). I decorated the place whilst my maid cooked dinner. We prepared beef stew, beef bolognaise and cream sauce to go with pasta, thai dessert of glutionous rice with mango, hotdog stick with quail's eggs and marshmallow, jelly, fruits etc. The kids had fun with the tattoos, foam aeroplanes, helicopter toy and sand art. As usual, the birthday boy was the last to finish his dinner. We had to wait for him to finish, play a bit then cut his cake. The whole party ended at almost 9. I was dog-tired but was glad I did it. At least he can look back and say that he had his share of birthday parties even though it was not done on an elaborate scale like his sister's (whose birthday happens to fall in Dec and one week away from Christmas).
May-nia
May-nia
May was a month of frantic activities, from mid year exams to Kyle's birthday parties to mother's day celebrations etc. I was so busy rushing from activities to activities, day to day chores to get down to any blogging. So here's a summary of what happened, as far as I can remember since it's been almost 2 months now. Would have posted up pictures if not for the sad fact that I cannot download the photos from my nokia phone to my Imac.
May was a month of frantic activities, from mid year exams to Kyle's birthday parties to mother's day celebrations etc. I was so busy rushing from activities to activities, day to day chores to get down to any blogging. So here's a summary of what happened, as far as I can remember since it's been almost 2 months now. Would have posted up pictures if not for the sad fact that I cannot download the photos from my nokia phone to my Imac.
- Velarose birthday party at Park green
- Busy marking exam papers - 6 classes of Sec 2E compositions and 3 class of Sec 2NA History paper
- Preparation for Kyle's birthday celebration at home and in school (this itself requires a new post which I'd update later if time permits)
- Celebration of Jon's birthday at SICC - dinner cum bowling
- Mother's Day celebration at Waterfront Copthorne buffet lunch
- Ascension Kindergarten Open house
- Hotel Stay in Orchard
- Ah Chor's Birthday Bash
- Kyle's roller blading stint
- YH Wedding lunch with Meryl
On top of these were our weekly routine:
Tues - Drum and Chinese ink painting
Wed - Kid's swimming lesson
Badminton session
Fri - Kid's swimming
Sat - ballet and abacus
Grocery shopping at Giant
Sun - Dinner at Fil's place
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