Helium Dad

After church last Sunday, we had lunch at Dan Ryan’s (Pacific Place) and TJ got a helium balloon as a welcome gift.

He was happy to get it but the novelty dissipated quickly and we were wondering what to do with the balloon when D decided to carry out a science experiment. Silly suaku (Singlish for “country bumpkin”) me had never seen it live till D decided on acting silly just for TJ.

Well, D enjoyed it and I was trying hard not to laugh too loudly while taking the video with my E71. TJ, on the other hand, was kinda tickled but mostly didn’t quite get the joke. Maybe when he is older…

TJ’s Video Updates

Just realised that as TJ gets older, us parents are not so crazy about taking photos or videos of him at every given moment. Not sure why, maybe the novelty is wearing off.  ;)

Although I must say, D is still the official PAPArazzi of this family whenever he takes shots of his son with his Canon 20D. He is currently waiting for his dream lens, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM, to be in stock. Expensive but is a worthwhile investment since it will be used to capture lots of memories, or we can used the photos to embarrass the boy when he is older.

For me, taking videos, especially these less than 2.5 minutes ones, are much easier. Reason being the kid doesn’t stay still and when using my E71 or the idiot-proof digital camera to take photos, they always come out blur. I do have a proper Sony videocam, but taking it out, loading the DV tapes and finding a time to edit them, just doesn’t make sense when I can’t preempt what TJ does. Hence grainy MP4 format for those short couple minutes can still be tolerated.

We were invited for a Xmas dinner last year and my friend’s daughter, R and TJ had fun drumming away. Of course TJ was very wary of R, who held onto the drumstick. It was funny to see him scurry away in the last couple of seconds when R seemingly raised the drumstick at my peace-loving son.

I bought TJ this MPR-Elephant thing in the hope that would expose him to the wonderful Chinese language and make me speak to him in Mandarin even if it’s for about 10 minutes.  My colleague had recommended this gadget to me, and could get further discount as she was also ordering on behalf of her Prep-Year department.

The MPR is pricey at a discounted price of about HK$680 (think the usual price would be about HK$800) but the books and flashcards are cheap. I just bought two storybooks and two sets of flashcards. The flashcards are on Animals and Modes of Transportation, the latter I didn’t like as some of the words used are location-restricted and PRC colloquial.

For the flashcards, the MPR, with its inbuilt speaker, will read aloud the words in English and Chinese, and when it is placed on the picture, the MPR will also describe the picture further. So TJ likes hearing the sounds made by the various animals and vehicles.

TJ does this silly dance in his Tripp Trapp when he is in the mood for some craziness. It tickles me too, and I continue to encourage him even though I don’t know all the words to the Knick Knack song or sing in my not-Beyonce voice.

And TJ’s Kitchen … not sure if bathing Teddy in the sink is actually just prepping him up as the main ingredient.

Babe, I Will Be Here

Some mornings ago when D and I were taking the train on the way to work, D said to me that he knows he isn’t the most important person in my life now, and that position has been taken over by our son.

As much as I tried to refute it, I know he is right.

And D continued by saying that I am still the most important person in his life. When asked why, he said that’s because I am and will be able to take good care of his children.

Obviously it’s hard not to spend all that time and effort on the little one, cute and defenceless and forgetting that besides our current role as parents, we are first and foremost husband and wife. For years, we have put in the effort to make this relationship work and should continue to do so.

Surely I hope that we are not too caught up with bringing up our children and talking endlessly about them, that we forget we need to get back to the basics… Us.

So babe, sorry for neglecting you at times.

And too bad, I’m in your life for a long long time.

Draw Me Close To You

By The Katinas

The words still my mind and the music touches my soul

When the day doesn’t seem to end

Or when I feel overwhelmed

Thank you Lord for sticking around even before I knew I need You.

Boys are boys?

I had been thinking of getting a toy kitchen for TJ for the longest time and finally found the one in the Ikea’s Duktig mini-kitchen.

I don’t like those really kiddish toy kitchens, too plasticky and well, it’s just doesn’t fit with the decor and my taste in design.

The design is comtemporary, clean lines, has a “induction stove” which lights up when the buttons are pressed, the goose-neck faucet is movable, the sink is large enough for TJ to bathe his teddy, the two cupboard doors are easily opened and closed and storage space is great.

By the way, I assembled the entire kitchen 99% on my own in about 1.5h. D arrived home in time to help me to tighten some screws and seeing TJ’s excitement and glee after the kitchen was presented to him made my day.

Why a toy kitchen for TJ? He seems to enjoy playing with them, whether at people’s house or at the indoor playrooms. Perhaps it’s all the interesting things like knobs, buttons, movable doors etc that keep his attention, or maybe it’s cos he sees me or my helper cooking in the kitchen regularly that gives him the inspiration to imitate us.

Or maybe it’s just that I didn’t have such toys growing up, and now I can afford to kinda live my childhood through my kid.

I like to observe TJ at play and his interactions with others, and wonder if I am shaping the correct experiences for TJ as he makes sense of this world.

I thought about some of the unsaid expectations for a boy (or a man for the matter) and wonder if I actually exposed him to “girly” stuff, does it mean the chances of him being gay would be higher? I wouldn’t do such an experiment on my son, but if nature has already given the kid some set character & personality traits, how many environmental and societal experiences will influence and change the kid?

It’s like there are some things we just don’t introduce to boys unless there is a real innate talent. Example, it’s very rare to see parents signing up their sons for ballet classes, but for daughters, it’s like “But, of course”. Or boys end up doing some kind of physical activities or sports (soccer? rugby?) but not so much for girls, except maybe swimming which is a neutral sport. This is pertaining to when the kids are still very young, the preschooler age group and not so much in their teens.

Well, I know I will not buy Barbie dolls or Ken dolls for TJ, although he had shown some interest in them and requested that I took some of these off the shelves at Toys’Rus. However after inspecting these dolls, TJ would want me to put them back. He is interested in the Thomas and Friends collection and buses, but doesn’t quite enjoy kicking his soccer ball. Maybe he would throw it around once in a while, but he is happiest just rolling his trains and buses to and fro. His gal pal, E, 20 months old, on the other hand, loves playing balls.

During TJ’s three-times-a-week playgroup @ YMCA, there would be playtime and my helper says he is happy to play at the toy kitchen or just run round and round the room. I reckon he is hoping for some kid to chase him. Sometimes, a kid will come along and snatch the toy that TJ is holding, and unlike the other kids in his class who would cry and death-grip the toy, TJ would just let the kid snatch his toy and go off elsewhere to find something else to play. I’m glad that TJ isn’t the confrontational sort, and hope that he continues to be like that.

But I’ve seen and heard parents who want to teach their kid to fight back, to get what they want at all costs ‘cos no one will present it on a platter for them, to be at the top of the queue and not lose out. And I definitely don’t want to be like those parents, but does it mean I will put TJ at a disadvantage in this dog eat dog world in the future? I feel meekness is a virtue and it doesn’t mean cowardice or being weak, but the world has a different code by which it lives by and the general populace conforms to it.

When watching his cartoons, TJ doesn’t like watching his cartoon characters getting into trouble or looking sad, and his reaction would be to turn around and not face the screen. And if any of us are seated with him, TJ would quickly climbed onto us and hug us tight, or bury his face into our bodies so that he doesn’t have to see that particular scene. My boy has developed some kinda sensitive side and I like to know that we are still the ones he goes to for comfort and reassurance.

And if his classmates cry, TJ would frown and feel upset too. Not sure if he is sad for them or just upset that their cries are disturbing his concentration. ;)

But on the other hand, he can be quite a boy. My two boys are starting on a “Burping” contest, with the older boy, D, burping after drinking coke and making TJ laugh all the time. And TJ, he will mimick his dad by drinking from his Munchkin bottle and make the burp sound. It is funny to see them doing this repeatedly, and I know more of these boys’ stuff will come along as the years progress… gosh, hopefully no stoopid buttcrack jokes from both of them.

And now with his latest toy, TJ has been doing some “cooking” with his toy food in his skillet. But mainly TJ has been practicing washing his hands under the faucet, bathing his teddy and doggy in the sink, putting Thomas & James in the cupboard and getting excited to see his trains through the glass door, and his favourite, repeatedly opening and closing the cupboard doors. When he first laid his hands on the kitchen, TJ was slamming the doors shut even though we told him not to. And when his fingers were caught on one of his slams, he finally learnt to close the doors gently.

So I guess TJ will not actually play with his mini-kitchen like girls would, but it’s interesting to see how creative he gets with it.

Into A New Decade

“The days may be long, but the year flies by.”

I can’t remember where I had read this from, or who had said this, but this line has a knack of reminding me during the rough and tough times in 2009.

I had meant to blog the final entry of 2009  in the last 30 minutes of the previous decade, but procrasinated. Guess it’s doesn’t matter anyway, time doesn’t stand still, it goes on and sometimes depending on the situation, slows down or speeds up. I think Einstein’s Theory of Relativity is so true, the concept of time, given all the different types of calendars, horological devices and the atomic clocks to keep time accurately, is just relative to you and I.

My life is pretty mundane since the birth of my firstborn, the same routine repeats itself each day. Wake up, feed TJ, spend a little time with him before going to work for the next 6-7h, grocery shopping on some afternoons, back home early on others, take TJ out for a little walk around the neighbourhood if the day is good, playtime with TJ, dinner time, bedtime. Some days, I would squeeze in a short gym session or go to the pool when the temps aren’t this low.

Even at work, I just want to finish all that is necessary on time, teach well and get ready to leave school on the dot so that I could get home and spend time with my two boys. 

My priorities have changed, my work/career doesn’t define me and therefore I am no longer ambitious to climb up the career ladder. I know I have missed the boat in 2004, if D hadn’t gotten the job in HK, I would have met the school supervisor in Aug 04 and be a IT HOD by now. Not that I really wanted that job, but I was grateful to have gotten the opportunity to try my hands managing that department for half a year and know if I had it in me to do so.

There isn’t any regrets really, since I reckon the exposure that D has with this overseas opportunity is more important than me staying on in the civil service. And besides, I could always return to MOE, even if I would not be on the same grade/salary level as my peers, but D would not have gotten another opportunity if he missed it.

One thing that is specific to us humans is that we have the ability to look back into the past and play God a little by thinking about what could have been.  I can’t believe 10 years have already passed me by as I went through life, sometimes happily and other times with complaints and grumbles.

Here’s a list of major and minor milestones in the last 10 years of my life.

1. Newly graduated  as I had to delay graduation for half a year cos I had to retake the darn Math module… no thanks to the Probability lecturer whom I learnt lots about lousy teaching (somewhere in end ‘99)

2. Started teaching in a mainstream neighbourhood school for 2 yrs (Till Dec 2001).

3. Got a posting in GEP and continued specialising in Math for the next 3 yrs (Jan 2002 – Dec 2004)

4. Baptised by sprinkling (somewhere in 2001)

5. Helped out in church’s Sound Crew Ministry cos I was fascinated with live sound mixing (about 2 yrs between 2001-2003)

6. Got married on 8 Jun 2002 after 7 years of dating

7. Rode from Sgp to Northern Thailand for two weeks (Dec 2002) and fell feverish sick after the 100+km of endless corners and bends enroute to Mae Hong Song

8. Went through a period of uncertainty (D’s work issues) in end 2003

9. God cleared things up for D and gave him this overseas opening (Early 2004)

10. D moved to HK in Mar 2004, while I stayed on in Sgp for the remaining 9 months. Those were very long and lonely 9 months and I didn’t enjoy it.

11. Left for HK end 2004 and started teaching again in my current school the last week of Jan 2005.

12. Those 6 months, from Jan 05 to Jul 05, were really relaxing… mainly relief for 4 months and took over a teacher’s P3 class till the end of the academic year.

My last climbing trip in Dec 06 before TJ came along in 07

13. Got into “extreme” sports, sports climbing & scuba diving and travelled around.

14. Lived the life of a DINK… Double Income and No Kids. Life was good and fun, but after awhile, it felt empty. Well, at least, I know I felt my life was becoming empty and superficial.

15. Decided to complicate our lives with our spawn (Dec 2006). Not sure if it was ‘cos of the winter cold that drove both of us to make this decision, but it was a mutual one.

16. Firstborn on 16 Sep 07, and came back to Sgp to give birth… I don’t trust HK medical care and the private ones are way too expensive.

17. Stayed in Sgp at my mum’s for TJ’s first 5 months before moving back to HK after CNY 2008.

18. Took 10 months off to take care of TJ and figure out how to be a good first-time mum. (Sep 07 to Aug 08)

19. Hired our first helper when it was time to return to school (end Aug 08)and thank God she is a blessing.

20. TJ turned two in Sep 09 and we are thankful for everything, our health, our jobs, our lives as a young family living overseas.

D just mentioned that he had actually known me when I had the digit “1″ in my year of age.  And now, the digit “3″ has creeped up on me. Soon, it will be “4″ … maybe I should seriously consider botox and some enhancement surgery on some of my body parts before the next digit comes up.

If the last decade is anything to go by, I am looking forward to the next 10 years. We are now in the stage of our lives that kids’ education plays a major part in our decision making. The thought of moving back to Sgp is becoming more enticing given the high costs of a decent English/Putonghua education in HK (something we will take for granted if we have been in Sgp), especially since D isn’t on an expat package.

Friends have been telling us not to wait too long to have another kid since the thought of being a parent from scratch will dissipate with time. We know we will have another, and that the family is complete with 2 kids, but we weren’t sure if we should jump into the 2nd babywagon too quickly without thinking through our future plans. We stopped ourselves in our tracks when monetary, job and personal issues enter our decision making.

TJ never likes to have his face cleaned ... scrunched his face & made me laugh

I know I have been wanting another kid for awhile now, not sure about D. Unlike D who thinks alot, I tend to be more impulsive and don’t like to think too far or think about things that may not happen. To me, it feels like a waste of time to think about all kinds of scenario, I tend to go with my gut feeling but it is a good thing that I have D to counter my seemingly crazed “Let’s Do It” character. He puts things in perspective for me, but never forcing me to think the way he does, and I suppose my “go by instincts” trait does rub off him too.

A thought suddenly came to me one day in Nov 2009 and I told D while on the way to work. Not sure if it was from God, or just my pathetic self trying to rationalise and convince D of my desire for a second kid. And the weird thing was that D had a similar thought, but his cautious character quickly stiffled it.

We had both thought that perhaps the one thing we are most afraid of isn’t actually the scariest thing to be afraid of. And perhaps if we just go ahead with the thing that we want (i.e. the 2nd kid), everything else will fall in place. Because God is waiting for us to relinquish the control back to Him (we are working on the premise that if He gives us a sign like a job opening back in Sgp, we will take it to mean it’s ok then to have a 2nd kid). I like to think that He has been waiting for us to just trust Him and go ahead with our initial plans, and be obedient to follow through whatever wonderful plans He has for us.

Seriously, this is a hard thing to do, relinquish our control. In fact after the decision has been made, subsequent sermons had reaffirmed the thought that had been planted in our minds weeks before and validated our decision. But frankly, I am still fraught with doubts at times, whether we are doing the right thing, whether the finances will work itself out especially if I will not be working for a few months again to take care of the new spawn, whether TJ will be a great brother and role model for his sibling, and gasp, whether twins would be a good idea. Ok, the last bit was just imagination, not from God really.

So it has been decided, after much discussion of possible scenarios that whether we stay on in HK or back home in Sgp, it should not be the determining factor of us having another kid. And if we are still staying put in HK, I have decided to go back to my kampung and deliver in TMC. Even the low cost of delivering at the HK public hospitals (about HK$500 altogether) isn’t enough to make me go there.

I’m not sure how things are going to play out in 2010 or the next 9 years for the matter. But I know things will be quite exciting, for all its good and bad. And more importantly, what we have learnt from the past decade is that God is faithful and knows what’s best for us, even if we don’t quite see it all the time. Faith, trust and love, three gifts I hope we continue to give and be given for many more decades to come.

It’s Christmas Time

Time sure knows how to sneak up on you and before you know it, it’s already gone. Christmas has always been my favourite time of the year and it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling and I feel somewhat more tolerant and loving towards other people.

Maybe it’s all the reminders we get from commercials, huge and brightly lit decorations in the malls, the general feeling of relief that the year is coming to an end and the hope that the new one will be better.

Particularly in HK, since it’s winter during this time of the year, it feels a lot more like Christmas  except that there isn’t any snow. But still, putting on thick jackets, scarves and beanies do make Christmas in HK feel alot like those in the West.

I decided not to organise any party or get-together this year and just wanted to enjoy this time with my two favourite boys. Besides we tend to lose the true meaning of Christmas when we busied ourselves with parties and gifts.

On Christmas Eve, we attended the 6pm church service, since this was the only service which provided childcare. And so we trotted off to church, TJ was doubly surprised to be dressed up around 4.30pm and was really excited when he realised we would be taking a bus and the train.

The Xmas Eve service reminded us of the first gift that God gave to us on that first Christmas Day and that we could wait on God with trust and thanksgiving knowing that He has already given us the BEST gift, Jesus.

Together with last Sunday’s sermon, D and I are once again reminded of God’s grace and reassured that our immediate future plans are still in His Hands.

And to remind myself of the gift that God has given us… As we walked towards the MTR station after the service, TJ wanted me to carry him. Soon after I picked him up and whispered “I love you” to his ears, TJ suddenly kissed me on my lips, turned away momentarily before kissing me again. This went on seven times and besides the shock of receiving so many kisses, I actually thought, “I don’t deserve it.” TJ beamed and this was the best Xmas gift ever.

D was amused by his son’s sudden outpouring of love. When TJ still didn’t want to walk when we were in the MTR station, I passed him over to D as the weight was bearing on my weak left knee. As I walked ahead of them, I heard D laughed behind me and found out from the very happy dad that TJ had kissed him 5 times on the lips. Oh well, I thought, I still had more kisses than D.

Apparently the score was tied as we walked back to our apartment. The boy had kissed his dad two more times.

On Christmas morning, TJ got to open two presents that we specially kept aside for Xmas day. I bought another Lights & Sounds Thomas (TJ already received the Lights & Sounds James couple of weeks back from me) and my helper got him a scale- model ATV/Rescue Dinghy (which makes an authentic engine startup sound) and more Thomas stickers.

Click on the photo slideshow here.

As part of the Tans’ Xmas tradition, I got a Playmobile Deep Sea Diver Figurine for TJ to give to D, so that TJ learns to give and not just receive.

Did I get anything? Nope and it’s ok.

It was a quiet Christmas that we spent at home… didn’t think it was necessary to splurge on Xmas meals and besides today was heavily polluted and smoggy. So it was a good thing we all stayed home and just chill.

PLAY!

Play is such an easy concept but people tends to make it complicated with expensive hi-tech toys. It’s hard not to be wowed by the smart toy designers who market their toys so well that kids recognise those toys and parents just have to get them.

I must admit, I am still crazy about toy shops and gadgets, that it’s hard to remind myself that money don’t grow on trees and that it isn’t something that TJ needs (tho’ the truth is it’s something I want). D plays his Xbox 360 every night after TJ has gone to bed. And if we have a bigger place, I would have gotten myself either the Guitar Hero combo set (with the drum kit etc) or Rock Band… and now, there is the Deejay version. It’s just so hard to keep up with all these interesting toys.

But with TJ, we are very clear that play needs to be done outdoors as much as possible. On good days, my helper will take him out in the morning, either the park or the playground and just let him “loose” … much like walking a dog I suppose. ;p And I would try to be home early and take him out for another short walk round the neighbourhood after his nap. He likes to watch the buses and cars go by and doesn’t mind just walking along the pavement, getting all excited over those vehicles. Sure, I do get bored of the same old routine, but it’s not me that matters. What matters most is that TJ still enjoys it, everything still looks different and new to him even though we have been to the same places all these months, since he started walking.

So I suppose the same old places don’t matter to TJ. Perhaps what matters most is the company and I think he is just glad to be out. It’s an adventure of sorts for this 27-month-old boy.

And now that Xmas ‘09 is just a couple of days away, we didn’t especially get him a Xmas present. D and I buy him toys throughout the year and the most recent was Edward the train which I bought him last Saturday. The name “Edward” is the only one he will say out loud, while he gets extremely excited over James, which by the way, would be the toy he takes to bed with him  each night.

For now, his Thomas & Friends collection include: Thomas, Percy, James, Edward, Toby, Bertie and the Musical Caboose which plays part of the theme song. TJ would kinda sing the tune and look to either D or I to continue with proper lyrics.

We aren’t very good with creating traditions in our family, perhaps we should seriously consider implementing some kinda Xmas tradition. Maybe our tradition is just this: Giving gifts shouldn’t be limited to just birthdays and Xmases…. it should be anytime anywhere.

I enjoy observing TJ at play, whether it’s out in the playground, indoor playgym or at some playdates. Especially at the playground when there are other lil’ humanoids like him. To me, the playground is a battlefield for these wee ones, and it gives him the opportunities to learn some conflict management and handle unpredictable situations. We do keep an eye on him and pre-empt any crap that unruly and rude kids (whose parents obviously don’t think they are) would dish out on TJ, so that we would be prepared to “protect” him if he isn’t able to.

Most of the time, TJ doesn’t get into any trouble, hit or bite anyone, but if things get a lil’ too much for him, he would show his frustration by whimpering. Usually TJ would walk away from the crowd and find alternatives to play and still enjoy himself. If it’s too crowded at the slides, he would not push his way up the stairs, even though he really wants to and would listen to us when we tell him to play elsewhere. If there are kids around, TJ would just break into a run round the playground, always looking behind him to see if any kid runs after him. If one of them does, my son will be shrieking with joy and excitement.

While at playdates or the indoor playgyms, TJ is still at the stage where he acknowledges another human being like him, and will play beside them, but don’t expect him to engage in some interactive play with the other little person. Basically he does his own thing, and as long as the other kid doesn’t come and take his toy before he is done with it, TJ is a happy boy.

We were at Wisekids Indoor Playroom this morning and he spent the bulk of his time playing at the kitchenette. Later while the rest of the kids were having circle time, TJ asked my permission to play elsewhere, by holding my hand and wanting me to accompany him but I didn’t budge, and that resulted in a little tantrum throwing. It was only after he had calmed down a little then I let him hold my hand and take me to wherever he wanted to go. And the train set was where he wanted to be.

Although deep inside me, I prefer that TJ has the entire playground to himself, so that he doesn’t need to be in a “dangerous” situation with some gangster kid, or that he has his own set of toys that he plays with without having it being snatched away, life is never like that, definitely not a bed of roses. I don’t think D and I will be good parents if we shelter our children that much, and it’s not that we enjoy to see them struggle with life, but I suppose we need to equip them with the correct values and skills to tackle life. And it is never too early to start, hence the playground/battleground simulation.

Last Sunday was our second time back in church, and TJ’s second Sunday School session (he’s in nursery session) while D and I attended the service. The first time we took him to church, D wanted to stay with TJ during his sunday school service, thinking that he would have some kinda separation anxiety. We had worried about this the few days leading to that first Sunday, and wondered how our boy would react with new faces and new environment.

But we had underestimated TJ. He went into the room on his own, said his byes and sent us flying kisses before keeping himself occupied with some toys the teachers had placed on the floor. When we returned to pick him up, I had a quick chat with the teacher who said that TJ has been well-behaved. That’s all I needed to know, it would be a bonus if he came home to sing us the songs or told us the story he heard, but all we are interested in is that our son has behaved well and not given anyone any trouble.

That my son has good manners and proper behaviour are two very important things to us, and frankly, if my kid is some rascal, I can’t place the blame on him or say, “I can’t do anything about him, he just doesn’t want to behave.” Because the truth is we are the parents, and we can’t be that liberal and think that the kids will learn manners and good behaviour indirectly or learn them later in school.  Parents are the first teachers and it doesn’t mean teaching them the academics, but proper values and discipline.

Boundaries need to be drawn and kept small while they are still this young and as they grow older, boundaries can be redrawn and enlarged but the boundaries are still there. I believe in tough love, and as much as it hurts them and hurts me more, discipline needs to be enforced and there cannot be any inconsistency. Likewise, if promises have been made, they need to be kept.

I want to keep the black and white of life as long as possible so that TJ grows up to have a good sense of right and wrong, so that when the time comes for him to experience the various shades in between and when we are unable to come up with the answers, TJ will still be a level-headed man who is open-minded and respectful of different perspectives.

Super Quick Post

4.5 days more to the Xmas/End of ‘09, Welcome ‘10 break.

So not much mood to work

TJ is recovering from his cold, no more wiping of his sniffles on his sleeves but still coughing into our faces.

Hoping we the parents will not kanna his bug in time for the year end hols.

Had fun trying to keep Xmas pressies to within HK$100 each… it’s not too difficult to find good quality and good-to-look-at stuff. These gifts are for a small group of friends and the wee ones.

TJ got a PlayDoh BBQ set from me, but will not get to use it until maybe next year?!?

He is still crazy over Thomas & Friends, especially James… not sure why. Told D that maybe he knows James is his middle name.

TJ’s favourite line, “I see a bus” that he rattles off excitedly each time he sees one, does the Bus Dance (stomping his feet happily and turning around). And worse, he makes sure we react at that same level of excitement too.

Nothing against the honest work of a bus driver, but I prefer TJ owns a whole fleet of buses instead and hires others to drive.

Just asked D what would TJ’s reaction be if he watches the movie Speed… and we will carry out this experiment when we get the movie. It could be major bus overload for him. LOL

Thinking of the iPhone 3GS… dammit, I told myself not to fall for the hype and to resist the APPLE, but it’s so hard, especially now that M1 & Starhub sell it. But there are so many cool Apps for the iPhone.

Trying to persuade D to watch New Moon with me next weekend. He is thinking about it…

Trying Not To Be Taken Over By The K1 Madness

Haiz… TJ received his first rejection letter last week. Rejected from Think Intl… bloody hell. Reason given on the letter “Due to overwhelming response from parents…” Blah Blah Blah.

I kinda had this feeling that he will not get in anyway. We had the interview at 9ish in the morning that day, and there were already loads of eager beaver parents and kids. Well, interviews were conducted for all levels, pre-nursery, K1, K2 and maybe K3s, and the interviews went on till 4ish in the afternoon, so I supposed out of the many “thousands” of applications, we were just one of the many.

D asked me if YMCA doesn’t accept TJ, then how? I told him, I don’t know, seriously. I don’t want him to travel too far, and definitely not take the school bus. I get these paranoid thoughts of him alone in the school bus and it just gives me a major headache. So maybe he will not go to school at 3 years old.

Nowadays, I am just spending my time checking out different kindys/preschools websites and see if (1) application for K1 is still opened and (2) what my instinct tells me about the school, and getting stress each time. I am thinking if he doesn’t get a place in K1, it’s not the end of the world, but will I be shortchanging my son?

I want TJ to have a good childhood, and I know they learn best through play at this age. But on the other hand, I do think I need to expose him to some school-like routines to prepare him gradually for primary education.

I am thinking perhaps he would actually say more words if he is in a place where he needs to, unlike at home where we all understand him without him having to say much. And since I am not that consistent with using Mandarin at home (English is TJ’s native language now), perhaps putting him in school will get him to pick up the language much more effectively than from me.

I intend to sign him up for the YMCA “Toddlers World” when the next 11-weeks class start in Jan ‘10. Can’t remember if it’s twice or thrice a week, and it’s about 2 hours each morning.

The main reason I am signing him up for the playgroup  is that YMCA Intl Kindergarten gives priority to those who have gone thru’ its Toddlers World programme. The only thing I don’t like is that it’s mainly in English, so no Chinese, which means, I have to maybe put him in Mandarin playgroup on a weekend?!? I think I better force myself to think and speak in Chinese than to have him attend classes on a weekend.

And the second reason  is that I can’t keep TJ at home all the time. As it is, he does watch a far bit of  TV during the day (I’m not that anal about TV prohibition) and there is only so much playing at the park/playground each day. I can’t expect my helper, nice lady that she is, to give him the extra simulation from an educational perspective.

Physically, our place is far away from the choiced kindys/preschools, so it does limit our choices, especially since I don’t want him to spend too much travelling time. Think Intl would have been the best, as TJ would only need to walk to school. He wouldn’t have to wake up too early, and I could take him to school first.

Unlike back home in Sgp, I wouldn’t have that much problems with deciding on a school… a KINDY/Preschool for the matter, this is really crazy. Now, I am becoming one of those stressed out HK parents. Here, it seems more important to get a place in the school of your choice first then move house. Different for Sgp parents, since you wanna move first so that you can be within the 1km radius and have a higher chance of getting into the school of your choice.

And all these kindys/preschools are privately run, even though they are registered with EDB, so different schools have different types of curriculum… British, NZ, French, Montessori or a mixture. So I have to think carefully and ahead to see if the school will be ok for TJ as it sets the foundation for his next stage of education, which will obviously be the S’pore curriculum, even if we aren’t back home by then, he will be attending SISHK.

Perhaps God doesn’t think TJ need to go to school yet, so I shouldn’t push for it. Darn it… I am going to stop being one of those crazy HK parents, and just concentrate on TJ’s toilet training (he’s still only telling us after he has done his pee and poo), transition him from his cot to a bed (major project during the Xmas break) and just making sure TJ has good manners.