New Playground

My one year old Ally started walking about 2 months ago, since then she has been exploring every part of the living room and my study room or "The Library" as Isabel calls it because I made a little reading corner for her with all her books she can access easily to.

But recently, her favorite part of house is the toilet...

She like to climb onto the toilet seat to dismantle the cistern push button, pull down my towel. Like the magician that pulls an endless string out of his mouth, she pulls the toilet paper see how long it can go.

Whenever she comes in when I'm about to brush my teeth, I'll make use of this time to introduce the toothbrush to her. Although she only got 5 teeth, I'll still brush her to let her feel how its like. She has figured out how to lift up the toilet seat, which means I have to find a way to lock it down.

I have a friend who found her Motorola"Razor" handphone in the toilet because a 18 months girl went "fishing" with it in the toilet bowl.

Ally is more attached to my maid than to me, but every morning she'll surely wants me to carry her around the house before letting me go to work. She's such a gem to me.

Well, her most recent check-up with the Cardiologist was last Friday, doctor gave her 2 thumbs up for her condition. Very soon, she will not need check-ups anymore.
If you look carefully at the picture, you'll see the scar on her chest... That's the result of a 6 hour open heart operation when she was 3 days old... Tough huh? Now you know why she's a gem to me.

She is the living testimony of God's goodness and faithfulness. Amen!

Picky Eater II

As my wife mentioned, over the weekend we attended a seminar regarding children being picky eaters. It gave me a whole new prospect of how children eats.

The expert gave us the rules of thumb: WWW

1) When to eat?

2) What to eat?

3) Where to eat?

All three points above are decided by the parents, but the child decides how much to eat. But of course there are many other factors that we have to control too, for example: there should not be distractions like TV during meal time, just concentrate meal conversations.

I now understands that children's eating pattern is not the same as the adult. As long as they remain healthy and active with no weight loss, I'll just have to let them be, because he said we have to have a neutral attitude. I just have to ensure she keeps chewing.

Another point he mentioned is to limit the time spent on taking the meals, 45 mins at most, after that, the plate will be taken away. The child will have to wait for the next meal, even if he's still hungry. But my problem is Isabel won't tell us she's hungry!

I'm taking his advise and now we're trying it out, one thing I notice is that I'm less stressful during meal time, and food seems to taste better now.

Picky Eater

Dinner time is always the most difficult time for Isabel. The 3 year-old will start picking her rice... Wretch at the sight of anything green, frown at anything new or unknown. She'll say she is full, or stomach ache, or very tired need want to sleep.

One time during new year lunch at my mom's place, (she seems to know that this grandma can overpower me) she took 2 mouth full, then calls it quit, claiming to be full. But in less than 10 minutes, she came to me saying: "Daddy, I hungry, cab I eat Bak-guah?" (BBQ pork)

I've tried coaxing her, bribing her, threatening her and even punishing her for being such a picky eater, but the message doesn't seems to be getting across.

I read from articles that on the average kids will refuse a new food for 15 times before they are willing to try it. But generally I've lost count how many food she has listed as "not nice"

One of the few occasions where she enjoys her dinner is at wedding dinners, where she can eat it at her own pace (2 hours) with a variety of yummy food. Her favorite? Abalone! She calls it "the very nice fish cake".

I wonder when will she out-grow this.

Anyone got any advise?

1st Photo Gallery by Isabel

All the pictures you see here are taken by my 3 year old daughter Isabel using my handphone Nokia 3230. They may not look as professional as from "Two Little Fellas" but its all taken by her own "artistic" sense.

Enjoy.

"Grandma say cheese"




















"Yeh Yeh! Look here!"



Playful Ally in the cab

Compare feet size

"""DURIAN TIME!!!"""
Isabel never liked durian














Thank you for viewing.

Indoor swimming pool
















My wife bought this inflatable pool for the kids, they were thrilled!!! Water play has always been Isabel's favorite since she learned such a thing from Child Care Centre.

But we don't have a back yard, neither do we have a balcony... then how??? Good thing it fits in the toilet.

Over the weekend, the weather was hot, a dip in the little pool was deluxe for them.
A few plastic scoops, a rubber ducky... they can have an hour of wet and wild fun.

But blowing up the inflatable pool took some effort as I haven't got myself the hand pump or foot pump, the only way to get it inflated was blowing it thru my mouth... I was seeing stars by the time the pool was ready. But seeing the kids having fun made it all worth while.

Taking Turns

Sing along with Christmas song,
"This the season to see the doctors,
Fa la la la la, la la la la"

I wouldn't mind if its just me, but my two daughters have visited the clinic a total of 5 times for the last 2 months.

Isabel earlier had fever and sore eyes, it keeps tearing non-stop. She hated it, especially in the morning cos the eye lid will be "glued" shut by the dried tears. She looked like the one-eye-willy pirate, really grouchy... Doctor gave eye drops for her, it got better 2 days later.





She couple of weeks later she had persistent cough so bad that she had to be brought to KK Hospital for blood test and chest X-ray. Well, doctors said there's phlem in the lungs so she'll need to start antibiotics. She really got me worried there for a while, but thank God she's ok now.



Early before Isabel's coughing drama, Ally had a week long viral fever. Temperature went up and down, she'll refuse her food, even her favorite cereal couldn't wet her appetite. Usually she's the most jovial in the house, but for that few days she was crying from the slightest irritation, refuse to let me carry her as if I'm the irritation.

Now... my wife is down with fever and flu with her nose running like Niagra fall, I advised her to stuff some tissue paper to stop the "leak", it may not look nice but it works for me.

Sigh... I think I'll have to make everyone to take tonics and vitamins soon.









Isabel took this pic with my phone

Valentine's Day.

How are you spending this overly commercialised lovers day / evening? Candle light dinner? 999 roses for someone special? A walk in the park to find the darkest spot to make-out?

But really it doesn't have to be husband and wife or boyfriend girlfriend. This day is meant for anyone that you love and cherised. It should be anyone that you love... Family, siblings... Anyone.

Happy valentine's Day

Happy 1st Birthday to Princess Ally

So of course a big celebration is inevitable...

That morning, I couldn't wait to put up the decorations, so immediately after breakfast, I started with the banners and balloons. Isabel helped to keep the balloons from flying all over while I keep pumping up some more.

Me and my 2 princesses

Friends and families all came and shared this joyous occasion with us.










As more friends came, the mood for party was picking up... Food was served and ate (Catering from Fourseasons Catering) Conversation were strucked up, kids ran about with their own invention of games with rules only they know.


What birthday wish I made for Ally? Its the same as every other wishes and prayers I made for her... for her to be healthy and strong, clever and socially acceptable, helpful and compassionate, be a useful person to the society and the Kingdom of God.






( Cake from Sugar Inc).
Everybody loved the cake we bought for the Birthday Girl, they can make it in 2-D or 3-D. Visit the link above.


















Ally with Isabel and friends.
All kids like to blow out birthday candles, even if the candle is not meant for them. Ally of course doesn't have a clue what's going on, but the older ones are very well aiming for the candle and can't wait for us to finish the birthday song. Every kid wants to be the one to blow out the candle, in the end dunno who is the one who hit the target. There was a moment of silence when the flame disappeared, dunno whether to re-light it and blow again or what. Then everyone started cheering... ha ha might as well...




My lovely wife helped Ally to cut the cake. It seems only yesterday that Isabel just cut her first cake, now it Ally's turn.












The bunch of Mommies with their own bundles of joy. So far nobody has more than 2 kids. I really want to see who will be the first to hit the third one. I'll bet its one of the stay-home-moms...

Here I would like to thank all those who came and spent the time and shared the joy with us.

God Bless.

Well... The 15 days of Chinese New Year celebration is coming to an end soon, people have got their well deserved super long weekend with lots of feasting, rest and gained a few pounds... Next of course is to drag back to work, whether you like it or not.

The most obvious change is of course the traffic jams in various parts of the island, especially in housing estates where there is only one or two exits to the expressway. it will be bumpers to bumpers for a good half hour to travel for a kilometer.

I miss the times when most people are on leave away from work, I can walk into a train with seats to choose. Now I'll be lucky if I can stand at the train door with my face stuck to the door, and I don't know who touched my behind.

Gaming-Mama

Today's Digital Life featured girls in the gaming world.

I didn't even know there are gamer-clan set up by these felines. The gamer's world has always been dominated by the boys wants to be men and men who still acts like boys. Nothing wrong with that of course... I for one, not so much of a gamer but I do ever own a few platforms before (Game & watch, Gameboy, Playstation1, Xbox).

The obvious fact that girls are more sensible than boys is again clearly demonstrated here as more and more girls leave the virtual world behind to face the colder harsher reality of the real world, to start building their career on life and not on-line. And so its the boys who chooses to stay in the Neverland, refusing to grow up. Hanging on to the dream of US$40,000 gaming prize.

Back in my home... I have 2 hot gaming ladies I have to challenge everyday. My lovely wife loves the sports games. She like challenges... Soccer, Fishing, Racing...

This "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005" allows the 2 of us to take a swing at each other without the real black-eyes.

This is Isabel's favorite game too. She can hit a "Hole-in-one" upon tee-off.
Then she'll say "Power"!



"Need for Speed: Most Wanted" is my favorite. It has a story-line...(Win the race... get the cash... save the girl)

The interesting part is during between races, it has video clips of real actors playing the characters in the story, it helps to push the story along.

The best is of course being able to test drive a series of Ah-Beng cars.
My wife may be a better driver than me in the really world, but she can't beat me in the virtual one... I rule...



I'm still looking for this "Bible game". I don't remember ever seeing it in Singapore. I may have to purchase it online.

But it would be fun the test the knowledge and also more fun for the kids to learn the bible thru such interactive manner.

In fact, studies have shown that people who play video games react faster to problems than those who don't.

Happy Gaming.

New Year house visitation is a whole new meaning for Isabel this year as she understands better of what this tradition means... sweets, bak guah, cookies, soft drinks...

As for the younger of the two, she is all about acting cute and cuddley


My parents are just happy to see the two princesses giving them the oragnes.








You see the dog at the table? He came to my glass of orange juice and was soon slurping happily from it.

Happy New Year to everyone

"Isabel here wishing every Aunties and Uncles looking young and beautiful everyday, money flooding in to your wallets faster than you can give away."

"Gong Xi Gong Xi"



New Year celebrations has never been the same since the arrival of the kids. For one, at least its not a total lost by only giving out Ang Baos, we get to take back some thru them... (Mauh ha ha ha ha)

This year, so far I already "捞鱼生" 3 times in 2 days.
I saw on the news, some restaurant using beef to replace fish. Like that it becomes "捞牛生". But using fish means abundance, beef means what? Stock market go up? Then for people who don't buy shares? Healthy as a bull?


First dinner was steam boat, I was not feeling so well that night, down with cough and flu. So I was very careful not to dip my chopstick into the soup and only use the other end of the chopstick to pick up the raw food, always remember to wait for the soup to boil before scooping it.

I may be sick, but I'm still a responsible person.