Creating fun on weekends

For many the weekend is a time to catch up on sleep, leisure and even work. Though what I do requires me to work on most Saturdays and Sundays, once in a while we find a reasonably flexible weekend on our laps. Last weekend was one such. Though I had to work for a few hours on both days, we were able to put in some fun family activities (which unfortunately did not include my favorite form of fun - naps!).

On Saturday, we pulled out the Playdough. Craig's idea of "playing" with Playdough is him dictating what he wants us to make for him. Requests span from a swimming pool to a bee and a plane. When Yiyi was visiting two weeks ago, he was able to cajole her creativity to produce a sailboat, a bee and a swimming pool. No such luck with his mommy - she's creative elsewhere. B's skills were tested last weekend and he rose to the occasion producing a few pieces that won the approval of the other two members of the household.

Acting surprised to deflect responsibility: "Oh, a big mess!"

Both C and I were impressed by B's white-eyed dog:

On weekends, too, it is hard to predict how much we can do in the evenings as it all depends on a certain someone's inconsistent nap. (It still baffles and frustrates us that he would nap easily at the creche but not a home) Last weekend was perhaps a fluke as C napped on both days! As a result, we were able to accept the invitation of some dear friends, S and K, to dine at their place. We all had a wonderful time in different ways: C loved the supply of Dr Seuss books Aunty K keeps and was extremely impressed by Uncle S's fancy motorcycle; B could not get over the amazing view from their 24th floor balcony while I learned a new and simple, but oh so delicious, recipe for pork.

Bad pix but notice the glee on the men's faces when in close proximity to a fancy Ducati bike:

Happy Memorial Day to all our friends and family in the United States!

P.s.: Check out some new pixs here.

Yes! to a No

Last Wednesday morning saw me waiting impatiently for my turn at the Indian High Commission in Singapore to plead my case to the officer - why he should approve my visa within three days instead of five - as my flight was scheduled on Sunday evening. To my dismay, he said, "No" before I had a chance to explain to him how I got into this visa-pickle i.e. too frequent travel coupled with poor planning (can you imagine me poor planning???!!!)

As a result, my scheduled work trip to India was canceled. While I felt sorry that my colleagues in Chennai had to scramble and find a substitute to teach my classes at the very last minute, I was secretly relieved that I was granted an unexpected break from traveling. The last few days were spent in the office catching up on writing, planning and office lunches with friend-colleague, D. In fact, today, we took off for an early break to lunch at a favorite Japanese restaurant that offers a respectable buffet spread. We realized that though favorite, our last patronage there was three years ago before I was pregnant with C!

My hotpot soup - Japanese food presentation is so delicate:

Speaking of C, here's a conversation that has taken place three times now and I think we've to do something about it:

C: Mommy, I need a new bed.

Me: Why do you need a new bed - this one is fine.

C: This bed is too small. I want this bed to go away.

Me: This bed is too small for you?

C: Yes. I want a big bed. I want Mommy to buy me a car-bed.

Me: Car-bed? What car-bed???

C: I want Mommy to buy that car-bed in the store.

Me: Ok - let's talk about this tomorrow (My attempt to digress... as I wonder where in the world did he see a car-bed???!!!)

Tomorrow we're doing a role-reversal where Brian would be traveling to Shanghai to teach while I get a few good mommy-toddler bonding days. But this is only half the fun. The other half is the fact that my mom is still around and my sister would be joining us here for the long weekend ahead. It will be three gals, a boy and a blast!

The unstoppable force

Craig is quite the unstoppable force in our home nowadays. His language development has been most impressive for a boy his age where he speaks mostly in sentences now and makes funny remarks of all sorts. Recently at bedtime, despite a temperature, when Brian offered to read him a story from his Bible Storybook, he responded by saying, "I want a happy book. The Bible book is an angry book!"

This ability to communicate also means he makes his will and preferences known more forcefully - from what to do, which book to read, to where to go and what to ride. And we noticed that in just the last two days, he is behaving so much more like a preschooler than a toddler. He would play pretend - running around the house saying that he is either a helicopter or a plane flying; or he's a doctor dispensing medication to his exhausted mother.

Imagination coupled with creativity - building a crane:

In memoriam: Edna Radcliff

Brian's paternal grandmother passed away yesterday morning (April 13, 2011). She was 94 and lived a full and purposeful life. We are glad that Craig got to meet her twice and we know that this is not our final goodbye.

Annica personified

Annica is an essential Buddhist doctrine that expresses the belief that nothing about existence is permanent. While I may not agree with it entirely philosophically, as parents to a two-year old, we can certainly identify with the idea of impermanence.

As I write this, Craig is in the hospital being treated for high fever and dehydration that left him debilitated last evening. However, if you saw him this morning, you would not imagine how sickly he was just mere hours ago. Nor did we expect his mild fever that began on Saturday evening would take such a radical turn on Sunday that saw us rushing him to the hospital. A persistent high temperature and his inability to keep any fluid down gave the doctor reasons enough to admit him.

By this morning, his fever had stayed at a consistently low level and he was asking for food and getting bored in his room - all good signs that we are praying will lead to his discharge soon.

Happiness of a Breakfast Happy Meal:

Great start to the weekend:

Waiting to be admitted at the hospital - we hate bad endings:

Full life, full sentences

Between a full schedule of work trips, house guests and plain toddler mirth, I realized that we had completely skipped March here! The month of March began with our travel to Malaysia for work. As we were required to be in Kuala Lumpur and then immediately in Bangkok, we decided to have Craig spend the week at my parents. It was a milestone in that it was the longest he was away from us - 8 days. And boy did we miss him! While he loved his PohPoh and GungGung, he was ecstatic when he saw me. The sentiment was mutual.

In just the week we were apart, C's expeditious language development was quite evident to us. Not only was he picking up Cantonese (Yay!), he is speaking in full sentences most of the time. Two weeks ago, when we woke up to a wet morning, he looked out the window and muttered, "Cannot go out there because it is raining."Along with this ability, emerges the chatterbox who comments and asks about anything and everything. He is definitely the household source of endless entertainment when he is not the fount of tantrums and whine.

Work also took me to Beijing for two days. However, for C, my departure was sweetened by Yiyi's extended weekend visit with her friend, AK. Needless to say, cuddles, kisses and toddler amusement were in abundance!

Favorite activity with any friend - a Curious George book:

Yiyi's goodbye banner:

Summer during winter in Perth

A family-wide influenza infection that began on the last day of our Lunar New Year holiday did not stop us from embarking on a plane again a few days later to the beautiful city Down Under that's experiencing it's hottest ever summer. With work commitments for both Brian and me scheduled, it was impossible to cancel our trip at the last minute despite our feverish fatigue. Thankfully one of the friends we stayed with was a Pediatric doctor. This came in handy when C developed a fever on the evening we arrived.

"G'day, Mate!"

Despite our sickness and the 37 C (99F) degree heat, we are pleased to announce that we fulfilled our work obligations albeit losing our voices at the end of each day! During our six days there, we wished we saw more of the beautiful city but alas. On our last but one day, we decided to rise above our exhaustion and hit the highlights the city has to offer - the Botanical Garden (King's Park) and the beach and rounding the day out off with fish and chips at Fremantle. Our hosts, A and C, were wonderful in every way - took wondrous care of us three sick patients and took tonnes of pictures for us.

"Thank you, God, for chips!"

C, I believe, had a GREAT time. He loved the space and the new friends he found in our hosts and their son, J. He was, by the time of our return, the healthiest among us three! We are all still sickish at the time of this posting but we're definitely on the mend. For more pixs, click Perth.

Wordless Wednesday

The terrific two year old

Two nights ago I tried to relive what it was like a little over two years ago when I was all bloated and ready to burst followed by some intense few months after Craig was born when Brian and I had to manage being first time parents all by ourselves. But it was difficult for me to imagine those challenging days anymore as they are like vague memories now compared to the joy that we have since experienced.

C turned two yesterday and parenting this little sweet kid continues to be a ball. Everyday brings us new surprises as well as new scare. Hard to believe that the tiny bundle we could once hold with just one arm is today a big boy with a big vocabulary and an even larger heart.

As his birthday falls right after the Chinese New Year weekend, we decided to celebrate the occasion earlier when most family members are still around for the holidays. Unlike last year, we opted for a store-bought cake set to the face of C's favorite book character - Curious George. He loved it! The only thing he loved more was when we sang him the birthday song. Having celebrated a few friends' birthday at the creche, his turn finally came.

Our new year break is soon coming to an end but we are determined to enjoy our last few days here in Malaysia with loved ones. See some pixs of our time with family here.

Year of the Bunny

I'm still in Chennai as I write this but I wanted to go ahead and wish all a wonderful start to the year of the rabbit before I head home to Singapore tomorrow and then the next day to Ipoh for the Lunar New Year. As with previous years, family traditions will ensure that we will be feted to feasts throughout our visit and we cannot wait!

Meanwhile, C's creche held a Chinese New Year party/concert today. Unfortunately I missed it being here in India. Nonetheless, Brian was able to get us some pictures from the performances that C took part in - the toddlers are all SO cute! Click CNY to see the pixs.

Drum roll please...here's my Honey Bunny wishing you,

"A Hop-py New Year!"

Of Dim Sum and Wantons

A mere few days before our long anticipated visit to Hong Kong and while I was concluding my work trip to Indonesia, I received a call from home that Craig has the stomach flu again and has to be hospitalized for dehydration (he wasn't keeping anything down - poor guy!). I hate getting such calls but I also knew he was in good hands as we have a really good pediatrician (we have come to accept his thrift with words and appreciate his wisdom in diagnosis); and PohPoh was in town to lend her maternal instincts.

After three nights C was allowed to go home as he was getting so bored in the hospital and was driving us nuts! A day later, we found ourselves on the A380 enroute to Hong Kong for our first family holiday (though the first part was a work trip for me). Friends there treated us to Dim Sum, beef noodles and all kinds of Cantonese delicacies. It was also very easy to please C as he is so Cantonese in his eating habits - soup and rice are all he'd ask for. And in Hong Kong, both are in abundance.

We spent a day at Ocean Park and the highlights there for C were the cable car ride and the Chinese drums that were on display. When he saw those drums being played at a lion dance in Singapore recently, he was mesmerized. So, to finally get his hands on one, it was an unforgettable experience for him. Click on Hong Kong for pictures from our trip.

With the Lunar New Year just round the corner, I have two more solo trips to make before we head to my parents' for the festivities. I look forward to that as with my parents and other relatives around, C's parents can take it easy, plus it will be the little boy's SECOND birthday!

Jamming

Christmas and New Year's both came and went. And before we knew it, we are smacked right back into the thick of work, studies and, well, life in general. We had an unusual Christmas this year where we played host to relatives who came to visit from Malaysia. We have never had so many stay over at our small apartment before but despite the squeeze, everyone had a jolly time.

This year Craig was more interested in what he calls, "prenens." Days prior to Christmas he was already pestering us to open the "prenens"! When it was finally time, he was thrilled to discover what were behind those nice wrappings. In fact, he had so many presents, he took a few days to finally open them all! His love for musical instruments led to his receiving a set of baby drums and a toy guitar. His passion for trains, especially Thomas, got him several Thomas engines and numerous Thomas and Friends books.

Christmas morning jam session:

Joining the rest of the world which thronged the Singapore Zoo on Christmas day:

New Year's was a great contrast to Christmas where we three spent the day at home contemplating and planning the travels for the year ahead. It was a good day of rest as we prepare our body and soul to launch into another year.

Wordless Wednesday (well, almost)

We could not justify spending $20 on C's modest volume of thin and fine hair at a popular toy store that also offers haircuts for little kids. But he needed a trim badly. So we decided to take matters into our own hands. Not too bad, you think?

We're back

The past few weeks since we got home from our month-long visit to the US had been a blur to us. Between jetlag, a hectic travel for work schedule (for me) and a mysterious bout of fever (for C), we simply lost track of time. It just occurred to me that we've been absent here for a month! And Christmas is already knocking at our door!

I just finished my last speaking assignment for the year and am looking forward to being home-based until mid-January before the traveling picks up again. It is time to start thinking about Christmas presents for the little boy and getting the house guest-ready for family members who will be visiting over the Christmas holidays.

Meanwhile Craig has been keeping us entertained with his expeditious verbal communication skills. He sings, tries to speak in short sentences and even attempts to say big words like escalator, elevator and watermelon. Loads of fun!

Here's the face I get when I say, "Smile for Mommy":

Ticked off

We have been enjoying the vast expanse of Brian's mom's home here in Maryland the last five days. The weather that has been mostly cooperative with lots of sunshine complemented by the crisp chill of Fall has enabled us to run and roam in the yard in close encounter with barn animals like horses, emus and donkeys. It has been a joy to see Craig enjoy the indulgence of space.

However along with blessings of the great outdoors come some not so pleasant disadvantages. In our case, ticks. My last trauma with such pests was when I was 10 when there was a lice outbreak in school. This time it came rather unexpectedly. The nightmare began two days ago when we noticed a tick climbing up C's face after we took an evening walk. Then as we were brushing his teeth before his bath, we found one on the sleeve of his sweater. But we doubt any of them had a chance to feed on the little boy's blood. We made a thorough check to make sure he's clear of the arachnid. So far so good. But guess where who was sucked on? Me! We found one latched on the back of my right shoulder - horrors! B managed to dislodge it carefully and kill it. Now we are keeping our fingers crossed that the sucker brought nothing else to me.

Today we finally could bring ourselves to take a walk in the yard again but we are careful not to tempt the arachnids with any exposed skin or else we'd be really ticked off!