"Because I'm home"

She made lunch for ER despite me telling her that I will do it.

Go ahead.

But she cooked and then went back to "her" room. She didn't inform me to watch the fire (but because I'm not as nonchalant as she is, I saw when I went into the kitchen, more times than the one who was cooking!)

The liquid in the pot dried up and I heard sizzling. I shut the fire off and went to inform her what she was making for ER was dried up.

She rushed out to check and said she totally forgot about it.

But it's never her fault. She had to add: "I'm usually very careful. It's because YOU are home today."

My fault for being home?? You, not remembering to turn off the fire, my fault?

I swallowed that offending remark and added a little boiled water to the porridge. Always porridge. Only porridge.

She then commented that she hasn't added salt.

I was surprised because she advocates healthy food and boasts to her friends that she never added salt to food she prepares for kids.

She even commented once that the pasta soup I made was too salty. It was made with scallop. Tasty, not salty in my opinion. I never used salt in their food.

Hypocrite!

I showed my surprise: "Huh? You add salt in his food?"

You'll be amazed at her answer: "No! I never add salt!"

Shuts me up everytime she lies through her teeth.

Then she continued: "At most a little (touching her pinky to emphasis how little). If not, it tastes so plain, he won't eat."

So she does add salt.

I told her I usually make soup stock from chicken, pork, scallop, anchovies etc to make soup tasty. Salt is not necessary. 

I don't mind salt but I hate dishonesty. Can you trust someone dishonest? She claims impressive ways with your kids but then you have to find out otherwise.

No, she's not ER's caretaker. She just forces her way around. And till I pass my exam, I'm allowing her.

Beggars cannot be choosers.

I'm glad though she has grand plans to save the world outside on most days so I don't have her "help".

In case you wonder, I added cream cheese to the porridge. She asked if ER gets diarrhea eating "mixed-up" food like this.

He never did. At least there's protein and calcium together with sodium in his food instead of PURELY SODIUM.

And she so confidently boasts to friends how she handles kids, even mine now (that apparently are just sweet nothings, to impress)

Help?

"I have something on today. I'll help you tomorrow", she said.

Whatever. I don't NEED her convenience.

Suddenly this morning, she updated me that she will be meeting Mavis Hee (the singer) tomorrow and cannot help me with ER.

Her star friend that she's so proud to know. She'll drop whatever she's doing for that glam gathering, a boost to her already high status.

Whatever.

Help? What help?

It's more like a coincidence that she has no tai tai business going on that she's home and it's convenient for me to leave ER with her.

I'm not upset.

I just want to bookmark this in case she starts using "her sacrificial help" to claim credit after I pass, or shame me if I fail.

世上的妈妈不是每个好。

Proud Mummy Moment

Not in this picture, but after this picture was taken, at AN's music class today, Miss Lim asked to listen to the kids perform one of their 2 chosen pieces individually.

Being strict as usual, she gave pointers for improvements after each of them performed.

When she came to AN, my heart started pounding as if I was the one being checked on (reminded me of when I used to be the one preparing for exams..)

And AN has performance anxiety. So I expected some slips, although she did spend time to practice everyday, and played well enough (by my standard. My expectation very low. hehe).

This afternoon, she was confident.

She knew she did well too because she smiled after she was done. Lol. Cheeky girl.

Miss Lim gave her a pat and "Good!" and asked her to play to the speed of the same song in the CD and that was all.

Keeping my fingers crossed she maintain this standard during the exam.

Treasure Hunt for Stories

AN had been testing my creativity.

It was play-acting serving and dining in a restaurant few days ago, and story telling and checking books in/out library on Friday night.

Last night AN asked me what it would be but we ended up sleeping earlier than usual because the kids were tired.

Today, I drew a map of daddy's room (that we have invaded in his absence. I've not had time to update that he's been away to Phoenix for the past week and back in 4 hours. Yeah!)

I hid 3 quotes from 3 stories. And "astrix-ed" where I hid them.

Each time AN found one, I'll read one of the 3 stories to see if she could match the quote to that story.

She already enjoys listening to stories and this made her more attentive than usual (at other times, she usually does her own analysis of the story out loud as I tell it). The searching for hints just spiced up her anticipation more.

My baby asked if we could do it again tomorrow.

Hehe.

I'm happy she enjoyed it.

Because I really have little ideas what we can do with a destructive little boy lurking in the background as we play, if our activities are not age-appropriate for him.

Today, AN engaged him in searching.

I'll do the treasure hunt game again. Probably, the next time round, we'll hunt for words to piece up to make a familiar sentence.

Like AN excitedly told me after the game: "I feel like Jake and the Neverland Pirates!"

Whatever makes her happy :)

"How can you learn this way!?"

I teach AN chinese characters for 听写 in groups of 3-4 at a time, depending on her familiarity of the word or difficulty.

AN mastered 3 and is still unsure of the rest.

The grandma was lying down to rest when AN went into her room just to be have someone near her while I was in the toilet.

AN showed her the words she's currently learning and I heard her "testing" AN. When she saw AN had a whole page of chinese characters, she exclaimed "哪里有人这样学听写的?! 哪里学的会!"

The whole page is to expose her to those words that will come later. For goodness sake.

I don't need you to criticize how I teach my daughter, in front of her!

With a grandma like that, no children will have respect for their mothers.

I HATE HER! FOR INSTILLING IN AN THAT DOUBT THAT MUMMY IS USING AN INEFFECTIVE METHOD TO TEACH HER.

Everyone has their way of coaching. Even if I'm teaching AN that way, she has no rights to criticize that method. She's not qualified by her level of education, and also by the fact that she isn't even familiar with Adrielle's capability and what's effective for her.

Shutup! SHUT UP!

Somebody.....please.help.me.

It's easier to not care

than to be constantly worry about stupid things like hygiene, health,upbringing, foundation for education, cleanliness.

why care? nobody else cares, why should I?

she entered a house and turned that house upside down.

now she has peacefully invaded this household.

like what she's always inculcating, I'm going to be just like her daughter. I'm going to work like money is the most important thing in the world.

heck what values, what upbringing, what love and peace.

it's going to be all about me, myself and I soon.

soon in my world, I am not going to care about everyone else.

it's going to take time and training. I'm in training now. the trainer is doing a good job.

I'm getting there. soon.

"Mummy, Play With Me"

AN pleaded for me to play with her. I was busy and asked her to wait.

She then lamented: "Mummy, you never play with me anymore."

I tried to defend myself but I realized I have no track records lately to prove that I do play with her, so I asked: "You sure?"

She thought about it and said that I play with ER but not with her.

We went into a discussion with me explaining that she look grumpy everytime I played with her and her retorting that she doesn't like to be tickled.

How I really wish she is still a baby.... Cuddling and teasing was enjoyment then, like it still is with ER.

I'm quite an idea-less person. But I don't want to disappoint my baby.

Last night, we opened a restaurant!

We renovated the restaurant, she decided where to setup the dining table (ER's potty with a lid), where to place the cash register and where kitchen should be.

We took turns at role-playing server and customer. ER was the baby of the 'customer' and he did well pretending to be a baby.

We ended with a "Family hug!" suggested by AN, all of us went: "cheese!" for some reasons. Then the little boy hurriedly scrambled to the table to grab my phone and suggested "mummy take picture!"

Lol!

That was fun!

I must remember to play with my kids more, the way they want me to.