Three already???

We have been quiet on this front as I have not been in the state of mind to blog with so many aspects of our life up in the air. Nonetheless, I'd like to report a major milestone of a certain someone - turning 3!

This year Craig got to celebrate his big day with his friends at his school as his past two birthdays coincided with the Chinese New Year and school was closed. Even days before his birthday, he had already his day planned: Buzz LightYear cake with his friends at school all wearing Buzz Lightyear party hats! (Little did he know that that was exactly what we had planned!)

So on February 10, Brian and I turned up at his school with his cake and birthday paraphernalia after naptime to surprise him. We doubt he was surprised as he was already aware that it was his birthday that day. In fact, the teacher said, in the morning he asked her if she remembered that it was his birthday!

Two days later, he got to blow some candles again when our church group got together for our regular meeting. Then again when his Godmother came by with his present and some cakes. So, here we are, our three year-old who got to blow birthday candles on three occasions. Happy 3rd birthday Craig!

Party 1:

Party 2:

Party 3:

A "self-reading" book

The long New Year's weekend was only too opportune for C to enjoy his Xmas presents - one of which was a "self-reading" book from Nana. Click the video for an instance of the fun he's having.

Long holiday weekends

We have been enjoying our two long weekends, courtesy of Christmas and the New Year's, quietly at home. The week preceding Christmas was challenging with Craig getting the flu which worsened into bronchitis. Thankfully he speedily recovered and was able to enjoy the company of Yiyi and two other dear friends, P and AK, when they visited from Malaysia. Despite the madness and sleep deprivation following a week of overnight sponging, we all had a wonderful few days of Christmas celebration full of good feasting and fellowship at home.

Christmas morning present-unwrapping was slow going with a certain someone sleeping in till almost 10 am. Trains, train character-related paraphernalia, shirts, pants and books made up most of C's reaping this year. Nana and PopPop also "joined" us for the gift unwrapping over Skype from MD.

It is already the second day of 2012 as we post this and here's wishing all of you and yours a wonderful hopeful year ahead!

We're still here

While it may appear like I've abandoned this blog, reality is that I've been consistently taking notes of the various adventures and misadventures of the Thomas family but just have not had the time to post them here. Now that my work schedule is slowing down for the year, I shall attempt to recount our days in the last six weeks or so which included:

1) Visit with Grandpa J and Grandma V in Williamsburg, VA.

2) Visit the the G's in Charlotte, NC.

3) Visit with Nana and Pop Pop in MD.

4) My brief work trip to San Francisco where I witnessed a gang/mob fight!

5) Hand, foot and mouth disease outbreak at C's creche upon our return to Singapore ...

As I write this I'm still basking in the lingering pleasant recollection of my visit to Turkey after having left the country ten years and three months ago (I left on September 11 itself!). Much has changed and the city I used to live in has developed beyond my recognition. Besides savoring the sweet memories of my life back then, I also made sure I reacquainted with my favorite Turkish culinary offerings - from sweet sesame paste pizza (Bursa tahinli pide) to fiery Iskender kebap. Photos of my trip will be up soon...

Another significance of my trip was that it was the longest I was away from Craig - ten days! Needless to say we missed each other terribly (notice I say, "we" as he's now old enough to express his feelings clearly). But thanks to modern technology we were able to "hang out" virtually and at practically no cost. But nothing beats the first squeeze-hug and slobbered kiss I got when I arrived home. Here are some screen shots of our "conversations":

Grumpy's day out

On one of the days during our second assignment on the Logos Hope, we decided to take an excursion to Kuala Lumpur which is merely a 45-minute drive from Port Klang where the ship is docked. I had the day all planned to the amusement of Captain Craig: first a visit to the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) Aquaria, then a brief stroll at the KLCC park to see the magnificent Petronas Twin Towers before adjourning to lunch at one of the fancy local restaurants at the KLCC mall. Next we would proceed to my sister's place where C could spend the rest of the day with his YiYi. Perfect? So we thought.

Hi, I'm Grumpy McGrump:

Against the Petronas Twin Towers:

On the morning of the day out, our little man woke up on the wrong side of the bed! He was mostly grumpy throughout the day - was not too interested in the swimming sharks, stingrays and beautiful fishes around him at the Aquaria; had a meltdown during lunch (rather out of character for him) and was not too happy to see YiYi. We don't remember him ever having such a bad day before and we attributed the foul mood to both his residual cold and homesickness. Thankfully, he woke up a happier boy the next day and when we returned home from the ship a few days later, he was thrilled!

P.S.Click here for pictures of our KL excursion.

In-N-Out

No, not the burger joint - though we miss it very much - but us! We arrived back from our long work trip which included Penang and Bangkok (detouring in Ipoh) last week but we're packing to leave again this week for another assignment onboard Logos Hope.

Our time on the ship was delightful - we enjoyed both the work we were assigned onboard and the experience of living on a vessel as a volunteer family. We were checked into a family cabin which meant we had two adjoining cabins to ourselves. This is a luxury considering how little space singles on the ship get. Most volunteers are on a two-year contract and we can imagine how hard it must be to live in such confinement for that long! The sacrifice they make to serve onboard is admirable.

As a family, we also had the privilege of having a table to our name at the dining hall. This worked out great as it meant we will always have a table during the oft busy mealtimes. As the ship was docked in Penang's central Weld Quay, we also took the chance to reacquaint ourselves with the island's local hawker food. Click here for pictures of our time on the ship.

A visit to a stud farm when we detoured in Ipoh to see PohPoh and GungGung:

 How special is that? Our very own dining table:

On the day we arrived, we were given the grand tour of the ship including the bridge. While taking pictures of Craig on the Captain's seat, the officer who was watchstanding could not resist but offer the Captain's hat as prop. It's Captain Craig from now on...

  S, who's German-Swede, a new-found friend on the ship:

We board the ship again when it's docked in Port Klang near Kuala Lumpur. Port Klang will not offer as much as Penang did in terms of accessibility to the city but a kind friend offered us a car to use - so that's a big plus. We look forward to catching up with friends and family there - some of which have yet to meet Craig!

Ship Ahoy!

As the weekend approaches, we are counting down to our boarding the Logos Hope ship, aka World's Largest Floating Bookstore, as she docks in Penang, Malaysia. Brian and I have been invited by the organization that runs the Logos Hope (Operation Mobilization - read all about it here) to conduct a series of private and public talks on board the vessel. During our ten days there, we have been offered accommodation in one of the family cabins. (Watch this space for more pictures!)

The last time I sailed with an OM ship (the now defunct Logos II) was in 2000 when it sailed from Albania to Turkey. Then I was invited to do a series of workshops on the Turkish culture and language. The experience was unique in so many ways - one being the interaction of so many different cultures within such a limiting confine. And now, eleven years later, I have the privilege of serving on an OM ship again. I anticipate another memorable episode but this time shared with the two men of my life.

I broke the news of our impending adventure to C a few nights ago before bedtime and his response was that he wants to stay on on the ship and not come home! But as certain as the sun's rising in the morning, he would be asking to go home after a few days.

Back to the routine

When Craig was in utero, whenever I'm in the presence of my sister, he would somersault excitedly - especially at the sound of her voice. And then when he saw his YiYi when he was 9 weeks old, he gave her the broadest smile we've seen from him. We knew then that he has a special attachment to her:

From his fondness for eggs to his love to talk, he resembles her in ways that we didn't expect. Though they only see each other once every few months, he asks about her often and a day last week commented that he hasn't seen her for a while. The situation was immediately rectified when YiYi drove down from Malaysia after work to see the little boy. He was a happy camper all weekend with a house full of family.

Face of endearment:

After more than a week at home, Craig is finally fit enough for the creche today. So off he went and though he was reluctant to go, we know that he will have a good time with his teachers and friends there - he always does.

Little Trooper

The day finally came:

We are grateful to all of you, friends and family, who sent good thoughts our way and prayed for us today. After an early start at the hospital, we were finally discharged to go home at 3pm. The little one handled the surgery like a trooper. When he finally got over his anesthesia, he was back to his normal happy self and asked for lunch (rice, specifically!). However he was advised to refrain from a heavy meal till much later. This led to some fuss but nothing a little distraction wouldn't help.

Post-surgery exhaustion:

A few hours later:

We are so pleased and thankful to our doctors and the staff at Mount Elizabeth Hospital for their warmth and professionalism. Our wonderful doctors even gave C a new train set! Our little trooper will now have to be brave as he endures some initial discomfort and pain during this recovery period. Needless to say, we are relieved that the operation is over and we can now focus on helping the little one heal.

Getting theological

The few minutes I spend with Craig before he turns to his side and falls asleep at night are precious mommy-son bonding moments. I'd ask him about his day at the creche and he'd sometimes sing and rattle on about a story he read or something he saw ("the grasscutters were working hard today, mommy").

Two nights ago, whilst explaining to him that we're talking to God and he should try to keep still while we pray, he asked the million dollar question which we didn't think would surface so early: "Where is God?" Of course I should expect no less from a boy who is constantly in the inquisitive mode! So, backed by my investment in Christian Apologetics studies, I tried to engage this age-old universal concern only to be asked, "Where is God now?"

This engrossing conversation went on to discuss the identity of Jesus ("Jesus is an uncle" "No, honey, Jesus is the Son of God.") and ended with C exclaiming, "I love the Son of God!" While we doubt he fully comprehends all these, we are thrilled to be having such conversations with our little boy and look forward to a future of theological-philosophical talk at the table during mealtimes. Good stuff!

The Waiting Game

From the time when Craig was born, we had been informed that he would need a minor corrective surgery before he turns 3. After consulting the pediatric surgeon, we decided to schedule it for December last year. But a few days before his scheduled surgery, C caught a cold - deeming him unfit for the operation.

Since then we have not been able to find another suitable date until a few weeks ago. And again, he caught a cold a week before the scheduled date. We postponed it - this time to week later which was to be today. We were sure that this time was going to work. I was so confident that I had him pre-registered at the hospital so to spare an hour of waiting in the morning when we arrive.

All systems were set to go but on Friday evening we received a call from the doctor's office. The procedure has to be postponed yet again! This time, it was at the request of the anesthesiologist. Since she's our preferred specialist, we decided to accommodate her availability. So, the new scheduled date for the surgery is August 1.

All this waiting has not only increased our anxiety but also our impatience - we just want to get this episode over with! Consolation - my mom arrives in two days' to the render moral and domestic support that is very much coveted.

A few weeks short of two and a half, we are running out of time!

Avifauna adventure

A week ago, Craig's class at his creche organized an outing to the Jurong Bird Park here in Singapore for both the little people and their parents. Brian and I took a day off from our work to join the jaunt. Lots of fun on many fronts - especially when we got to meet the parents of C's few girlfriends! Click here for more pixs.

Birthday week

We celebrated two birthdays this week: Brian's dad and my mom's. On Monday evening, we surprised B's dad by calling him on his cellphone (it was Monday morning at where he is and he was at work) and had Craig sing to wish him happy birthday.

Then, last evening, immediately upon arriving after a long coach ride from Malaysia, my mom was greeted by a party of singing toddler, cake with candles and pizza as we celebrated her birthday. My mom's visit also signals a work trip for me - this time to Indonesia for a week. It will be an intense week for me as I would be conducting ten seminars during the week for university-level students.

Till then, a toast to the birthday boy and girl - may they live long and prosper!

The face of mirth

A candidly shot expression of Craig captured our joy this weekend. We did nothing spectacular - we simply played: Duplos, Playdough, trains; we read tons, we cooked and enjoyed our meals; and we took strolls around the neighborhood as the weather was surprisingly co-operative. We caught a glimpse of mirth this weekend and we love it!

In good hands

For the past year since I started back at work, it is almost predictable that Craig would fall sick either before I leave or when I'm halfway through my trip and at least 500 miles away. My trip to Chennai this time was no different other than the fact that Brian was home alone with him i.e. minus the maternal wisdom and hand of my mom who could not make it to us this time. Both did wonderfully over the weekend which was packed with amusement of every kind: breakfast at McDonald's, meet-and-greet Thomas the Tank Engine at the mall and a pizza party at a friend's.

But come Monday evening, I received report that C was down with a fever. The news did not come to me with great surprise for many reasons - one being, it is just the way things almost always go (mommy gone, baby's sick); and two, it is almost about time for another bout of cold to hit (BabyCenter informs that a child C's age gets at least 9 colds/flu a year. This works out to be one every 5-6 weeks. The last time C was ill was 7 weeks ago).

While some of our friends and family expressed concern that C is falling ill so often, his teachers at the creche had warned us about this phenomenon - kids fall sick frequently in the first 6 months of them being in a creche. And in checking with mothers of C's peers affirmed that toddlers falling sick this frequently is indeed normal (Phew!). Besides, we noticed that C's health has been slightly more stable in the last 3 months. Shout out to C's strengthening immunity!

At the conclusion of my meetings in India, after a grueling red-eye flight, I arrived home to a bleary-eyed little boy who was up early at 7am. I was greeted by smiles that portend victory against the viral onslaught. Sure enough, after another day of heightened temperature, his appetite and zest for all things fun returned. So off to the creche he went today...

Through all of these, I greatly applaud B who so confidently and patiently cared for C all by himself which meant little rest and sleep in the first 48 hours after the onset of fever. Yet another milestone is set - not by C but by B who is looking like he will bag the Daddy of the Year award again this year in our books!