Sisterly love or not?

Sometimes, I wonder if RA loves her little sister. Because she always wants to take away the toy that Mei Mei is holding. A few times, she did give the toy that she snatched back to Mei Mei but need constant reminder or bribes for other things before she will do it. I will exaggerate my praises for her when she does it so that she feels appreciated. :P

Her Mei Mei is like a little puppy, will fetch RA's shoes for her, fetch toothbrush, water bottle for her but Cheh Cheh 不领情. Sometimes, RA will deliberately refused to take from Mei Mei or even take and throw away to spite Mei Mei. When RA cries, she will offer her own toy to Cheh Cheh, or even goes to sayang her hair or stroke her back.

RaeAnne gets her own time with us cos we pick her up after CC then go for dinner usually to Tampines Mall. Sometimes, we let her buy small stuff eg. stickers. I will always remind her that she gets to go out with us, eat her favourite foods, see fish/toys, buy stickers etc but poor Mei Mei is at MIL house, so she must be nice to Mei Mei and give in to her. Sometimes, when we pick her up from CC, she will ask us where is Mei Mei. And when we are outside, she will ask us to buy something for Mei Mei (usually things that she wants for herself ;P), but at least I guess it means she remembers Mei Mei.

But come bedtime, they are best friends. Play and hug and sing and tickle each other. Don't want to sleep till 1-2 hrs later. If I try to separate them, eg. ask hubby to bring Mei Mei to living room to sleep. RA will run out to rescue Mei Mei or whine and plead with me to let Mei Mei come back to the room while Mei Mei will be in the living room, crying 'Mamee Come, Mamee come, Mamee come'. Then I will get soft hearted and let hubby bring her back to the room. End up both of them sleep very late, 11+pm. -_-

Backdated posts - Aug & Sept 11

Whenever, both hubby and I didn't need to work on weekends, I will ask him to bring the gals out. Partly cos I feel guilty that I am spending so little time with them in the day, no quantity time so make up with quality time. And also because I didn't want them to become mountain tortoises cos Daddy and Mummy are busy. Poor hubby is always busy on weekends with markings and tuition and laundry so he is even more stressed nowadays.

Here are the backdated posts. Took me over 1 hour just to transfer and organise the old pics from camera to laptop. :P

8 Aug 11


RaeAnne's finally drew her first stick figure. Noticed that the stick man has no waist, looks a bit like an insect to me initially. But heard that it's normal for young kids to draw this way. Haha.

9 Aug 11

We had our first picnic at Pasir Ris Park. Both RA and RL didn't dare to step on the sand. But they polished off all the food that I brought, hard boiled egg, sushi and chrysanthenum tea. :)

8 Sept 11

We visited the Pasir Ris farm on 8 Sept during the schools holidays. It was the first time for me and RL, second time for Daddy and RA who visited the farm in Dec 09 during the PG year end outing after I had just given birth to RL. How time flies. Mei Mei was enchanted by the ducks while Cheh Cheh loves us to catch longkang fish for her. We got a total of 18 fish but only bought a fish tank 2 days later. By then, more than half of the fish had died. Then of the 5 fish in the fish tank, only 2 remained. :(

24 Sept
On Sat morning, cos hubby had to go back to school, I was alone with RA. We didn't bring RL back from MIL on Fri night because of that. I asked RA how to spell her name. And for the first time, she got it right. After R-A-E, she paused for a long time, then she said A-N-N-E. Yippee! I know it's nothing to shout about, considering some other Dec07/Jan08 mummies already know how to spell or write and even do K2 worksheets. But I never trained RA how to write, nor how to spell. The only thing we do every night is to read 2 bedtime stories to RA and sometimes 1 more for RL, so I'm proud of RA because she is able to do this on her own, without me coaching or rote learning. :)

25 Sept 11


It was supposed to be a playdate with 2 Feb08 mummies but the gals woke up late and hubby had tuition at 1pm so we need to leave at 11am. So, decided to go straight to Carpark C for Gallop Stables instead of meeting them at Carpark E & F for the playgrounds. The gals finally had their up close encounter with the ponies at Gallop Stables. RL sadly is the real 'gu niang'. After feeding the pony with hay for the first time with her outstretched hand, she was so freaked out with the slobbering tongue against her palm, that she cried and refused to feed anymore. She also refused to ride the pony, though we paid $10 for her ticket too. Luckily, a kind chinese family bought the ticket from us for their boy who wanted to ride one more time.

RA enjoyed herself feeding the pony. Proud of her, always thought she will be more 'gu niang'. She didn't enjoy her pony ride as much because her helmet was way too big (the indian/bangladeshi horse handler did not advise us at all on the size to pick and how to wear for her) and dropped off 4-5 times during the short 10 mins horse ride.

Crazy days

It has been crazy days since the maid left and I started work. My blog has not been updated for 2 months. Many times, I wanted to blog about the places we brought the kids but either end up KO with them at 11+pm (sigh, this is their new bedtime) or I am just too tired after catching up on SMH posts and doing prop research at night.

Sigh, this morning, RL's diaper leaked onto her bed and RA merlioned her whole milk feed all over the bumper mat and floor cos she coughed. Hubby also late for work cos helping me to clean up. Everyday is a morning rush. Brought RA to school but forgot that it's RA's CC year end photo taking, so forgot to bring white socks. Got to walk back home to take and deliver to CC again.

This morning, just washing clothes, bedsheets, mopping floor, hang out the clothes, I'm all hot & sweaty till I got to shower at noon. All clean, lazy to go out for lunch and sweat again plus I want to sun the clothes till they dry, so decided to order pizza in. Will eat that for dinner also since tonight got to work.

Really thinking of throwing in the towel and hire another maid sometimes. But hearing all the Jan08 mummies maids' woes, reminds me of all the inconveniences I have to put up with. Sigh, 3 months plus of maidless life and counting. Tahan, tahan, tahan...

I will do a backdated summary of posts now while waiting for pizza or I'll never get to it. :P

FTWM

It's been more than 2.5 years since I quit my full time job. The last few weeks I have finally transitioned back to being a FTWM. It have been crazy after I join the project teams for 2 condo projects. One is Arc@Tampines, an Exec Condo and the other is The Luxurie at Sengkang. Burned so many weekends and weekday nights camping outside the site or outside MRT station giving away flyers and explaining to passerbys on the condos. RaeAnne thinks my full time job is a flyer distributor. When she saw Arc@Tampines flyers on the floor in our estate, she told me: "Mummy, your flyer". Had to tell her that that one is not Mummy's face so it's not my flyer. haha.

Today, was selected to join the team to serve walk in customers at The Luxurie. Very lucky to get the chance since I'm not experienced like the rest of the old timers. It's a good experience serving walk in clients especially when I was one of those visiting Baywater showflat long long time ago.

Finally closed my first deal for rental today. Record price of $2700 for a 4rm unit in Tampines. But most importantly, I got the tenant profile that my landlord wants after answering more than 40 calls, shortlisting only 9 tenants for viewing and he only liked 2 tenant profiles. Finally, signed the tenancy agreement with the one who was renting at the next block. Talk about fate. haha.

Feel guilty towards hubby and especially the gals cos I really hardly have time with them since I started doing projects. Mei Mei gets it worse cos she will be at MIL place whole day from 11am till 9+pm. At least, for RA, we spend the evening with her after picking her up from CC at 6pm. Still working hard to find work life balance cos I have just started out on this career so got to be more 'piah' to expand my network. :P

Happy birthday to Maa Mee

Last night, while at ILs house, RaeAnne was calling me, then I heard a lower, muffled Mummy. Wondered why RaeAnne's voice sounded so low, and turned around, then I heard it again. It was Raelynn calling Maa Mee. The first time since last year when I heard her call Mummy... Before this we have been trying for months, but when either Hubby or I ask her to call Mummy, she will point to me instead to indicate that I am her Mummy but she has never opened her golden mouth to call me. :P Asked her to call Mummy again last night and this morning, she said Maa Mee, Maa Mee repeatedly. Music to my ears. And it is really a timely birthday present for me. :)


My birthday morning started early at 5+am, with RaeAnne peeing on her bed but hubby helped to wash and hang the bedsheets after I rinsed it. But she did redeemed herself, by doing a flower artwork for me as present. It was actually supposed to be homework for her show & tell tomorrow. But since it's a flower, asked her to do it for me as my birthday present. Glad to say that she did it all by herself, from colouring to cutting and pasting, with a little bit of help from Mei Mei, who helped her to colour the shortest flower.


In the late morning, hubby brought the gals to ILs house. Hubby and I had a peaceful buffet lunch at Carousel, Royal Scotts on Plaza. Hubby even arranged for them to surprise me with a birthday cupcake. :) We had Curry fish head dinner at the CC foodcourt for dinner cos needed to buy a cake at Prima Deli and bring to ILs place. Bought a cake and brought it to ILs place for cake cutting with the gals cos we had forgotten about MIL's birthday last week on 31 July. Asked RA to sing a happy birthday song for Nai Nai first. Both RA and RL loved the cake though it was chocolate mint, keke. A relaxing and rewarding birthday indeed. :)

On course

First day on course at ERA, delayed by 1 month. The course was enjoyable, learnt more tips from the trainers. :) Bad thing is that I need to take cab and rush there after sending RA to class and lock the door after MIL brings RL so taxi to and fro costs almost $30. :(

Good thing though is that ILs did well for the first day, MIL picked up RL at 11am then RA at 530-6pm. Both gals napped well (thanks to the cold/cough med ;P) and they had eaten and showered by 7pm. MIL has to leave for her karaoke lesson at 730pm so hubby and I went early after quick dinner at coffee shop to pick up the gals. We were home by 8pm so had ample time to shower and put the gals to sleep. Both of them slept before 10pm for once. :)

RaeAnne is 3.5 years old

RaeAnne is 3.5 years officially today. Sigh, yesterday she refused to sleep after 1 hr. she slept on mei Mei's cot bed though I told her that Mei Mei will be coming back to sleep on it later. She moved back to her own place but was defiant, tried beating me or beating the bed beside me. When I tried to leave her since she wants to beat her, she fake cry and whine. Then she started to cough and vomited 1 small mouthful by the side of the bed, kept telling me never mind. I ask her to wipe herself so that she realise that someone has to clean up the mess she created. But she wipe the floor then wiped her mouth with the dirty wet wipe. So I hit her leg, how dirty can you be? She started to cry again. Told her to hush and drink water. Went back to sleep again, still sniffling, coughed again and this time she vomitted all over on the bed, dirtying the bedsheets again. Lost my temper at her and grabbed her from the bed roughly so that she won't vomit again on the bed. Feel guilty now. Sorry, darling. Mummy was feeling tired and grouchy but couldn't sleep cos you refused to sleep.

Actually, RA's been quite guai recently, even ILs said she was more guai than Mei Mei. Yesterday evening, she kept all the books and toys on the bumper mat (anyhow stuffed in though) cos I told her she needs to keep all the books, if not we are not bringing her to Ikea. Ikea's her fav place now. Every night, she wants to go to Ikea play area. But after we checked her in, she stays in for less than 10 mins. She would cry when I'm out of sight or not paying attention to her even though I am just outside the glass walls. Think the Ikea aunties must be getting impatient with us.

Sigh, I think what adds to the stress is not having a maid. But having a maid is a problem cos the gals become so reliant on the maid to do everything for them, the maid gives into everything they want too. Managing the maid is a different set of problems all together, can be different drama on air everyday. But not having a maid is also a problem, PT cleaners can't come everday, we can't afford them everyday anyway. End up the sofa, kids' toys and bumper mats are pertually dusty. I get tired of the endless wiping and cleaning up everyday esp when they are sick and vomitting.

Oh well, let's see how things progress after next Tues when I start my course and work 'full time'. Maybe if the kids and I are not in the house, once a week cleaning by the PT cleaner will be sufficient. :P

Belated post

Long time no post. Busy looking after RL and running errands on my off days. Every Fri, I try to go for tuina cos my backache is really bad after 1 long day of looking after the kids and cooking.

Passed my exams and got my CEA license. I am already a full fledged real estate agent but still need to go for the internal ERA course from 26 July to 29 July.

RaeAnne caught a cold and runny last Wed after sleeping too near the fan. Brought her to see dr this Wed after she developed a cough. She vomitted on the bed twice this week due to coughing after drinking milk. When we had to change and wash her queen sized bed bedsheet, mattress protector, mattress cover for the 2nd time at 5am in the same week, I wished Filamie was still around. :P

Anyway, I also caught the cold bug from her, started a runny nose and sneezing 3 days ago. Didn't accompany hubby to town today cos think I need more rest. Tom got to start cooking and looking after RL again. :P

Wonder when I should hands off and let MIL bring RL back everyday after school. by right, I should start on 26 July but my team leaders seem much more eager than me. So, we'll see. Maybe I should start easing MIL in this coming week since I'm sick. Not keen to pass the cold bug to RL so it makes sense to let her handle RL more. :P

Raelynn is 19 months old! ;)

Just realised that Mei Mei is 19 months old today. She is 10.6 kg n 79cm tall. The biggest change for this month is that we started sending her to PG at the The Learning Train PG at blk 702 since mid June. She is getting better and better, just cry a bit when she reaches school and when we start to take out her shoes and before I leave her to the teachers. When I pick her up at 11am, she is usually smiley and not crying. But, yesterday we have a setback cos her fav teacher Chris (also RA's fav Teacher) has just resigned. I spoke to her and found out the reason. Dun blame her for leaving but wish timing could have been better ie. wait till RL is more settled in school. Oh well, things are always changing and even a 19 mth old is not spared from learning to adjust. :P

Brokenhearted

Was reading Tarzan story to RaeAnne, a bedtime staple since we came back from HK Disneyland. When I read that Kala was brokenhearted that Tarzan spend more and more time with the humans and less and less time with his gorilla family, RaeAnne said, "Mummy, I also brokenhearted because I go school, 我等很久你都没有带我回家。

Sigh, felt so guilty and brokenhearted when I heard that. Looks like it's almost 2 weeks but she still doesn't like full day CC. Every morning, she is still crying and whining that she doesn't want to go to school, she doesn't want to sleep in school, want me to bring her home, want Nai Nai to bring her home. But her cc teachers said she is fine, as in she sleeps in school n does not cry after I leave so maybe she is trying her luck.

Sending her to full day CC is the cheapest and easiest solution for us as adults since the maid refused to come back from home leave, Nai Nai cannot handle 2 young tots at home and I am going to get busy once I get my agent license, but is it the best solution for her? Even when I reminded her that she's the one who asked me to go to work when I said I got no $ to buy toys for her, even when I promised to earn $ & bring her on hotel room stays or buy a bathtub for her, she still say she doesn't want me to work.

Sigh... The dilemma of a SAHM going back to work. Will the extra $ (assuming that I do make $ as an agent) be worth putting her to full day CC though she is unwilling & the sacrifice of less time with the gals esp weekends? I don't know...