The kids and lion dances

When the hols are over, I shall post up the pix of the kids doing their own “lion dance”. They have their mini lion dance head gear thingy that I got from tesco’s last year and this year I got them a mini version of the drum. So they’ve been practising hard at it, watching whichever lion dances they’ve seen and “trying” to imitate within their own abilities. It’s so cool! I need to figure out how to transfer my data from my vidcam to my pc etc. then you can see the fun for yourself. (and mummy’s bad vidcam taking lol).

Oh I forgot to mention in the previous posting that the kids dont know of the “bang”. they think my car’s just gone in for a repair only and grandpa’s just feeling under the weather. Its prob for the best cos it would only worry them unnecessarily, esp if we go out at night or by ourselves or something, they’d be worrying about us.

Gong Xi Fa Chai

Happy Lunar New year all and sundry! May the year of the Ox bring you joy, happiness, health, wealth, safety and no car accidents.

enough said. Rest assured, despite the “bang” ending of Day 1 of CNY, we are ok, Dad’s resting comfortable (cracked rib, slight tear in kidney etc) and he’ll be all healed up (provided he rests a lot and not “carry” or bend too much). Now for the rigmarole and headache of car repairs and the like. No kids were in the car. I’d post pictures but heck, that will be too depressing, no main structural damage lah, thankfully. Have to wait for the mechanics to be back from CNY break.

Oh well, these things can’t be helped in many ways, main thing is dad is ok, mum was ok and I was ok. the other party seemed ok, albeit in shock. I dont wanna go into details right now.

Im still positive for the year. I’m still going to be driving like I always do, I don’t take unnecessary risks anyway, esp with kids in the car etc.

Gong xi Fa Chai all! I’m looking forward to the year ahead

today’s imagination game

J1, k and I were playing restaurants. j2 is finishing up his homework.

J1 brought me his “menu” (a comic), a notepad and pencil. He proceeded to suggest meals etc. Later after a very delicious “meal”, he recommended the set dessert (goreng pisang-fried bananas). I said “oh I don’t know if I’m too full for dessert.” He then said “but if you ordered the set dessert, you’ll get 20% off the retail price! ” ( I had to smile here! lol)

So of course I had to have that! It’s so funny listening to them copy what they’ve heard and seen in other places (restaurants etc). J1 later announced that j2 had won the daily lucky draw, which is to be a waiter! J2 just said “I’m doing homework.” LOL

k is faithfully writing in his little notebook now, babbling away to himself about how we could use apple in this. Maybe some honey and banana over there. Like he’s writing recipes haha Although any writing is at the moment just plain lines or sticks. LOL

My only gripe with this restaurant thing is they actually keep tearing the pages off the notebooks and I end up with paper all over the floor HAHA

Although today’s drama has meant that monkey has been removed (acc to j1, she’s gone to stay with her mother and stepfather ??!!), I;m really not sure our lessons are getting through. sigh. Have to keep trying I guess.

The restaurant is now closed for renovations it seems. (Like for Restaurant Makeover, which they saw on TV once or twice LOL). Since its so hot, they’ve now declared that they are going to play in the desert (although k calls it dessert, saying his dessert will have camels and he will wear a red hat). haha

acc to k, some kid boxed him in the chin today so his chin bled. I can’t see any evidence of such a thing though. I asked him so what he do. ” I kicked him and then told teacher”. Aiyoo! I asked who it was. “Some kid whose name I can’t remember.” “Is he new?” “No, old.” “which class is he in?” “dunno, not mine.”

you can see where this convo is not going LOL He always tells me he’s forgotten what he’s done in school today when I pick him up. He waits till we are all at the lunch table and only tells j2. hahaha but I get to hear it anyway

Ok.. enough of these anecdotes. Time to get back to script writing.

So what was today’s drama?

Borrowing money again. This time to buy plastacine. When asked why, J1 blithely declares “Cos I wanted it.” His nails and hands are blue. His shirt has blue streaks. So does D’s. This time he borrowed from someone else, cos A said your mummy says you can’t borrow from me. Aieeeeee.

So Im going to ask his teacher to announce that J1 is NOT allowed to borrow money from anyone. He skipped his recess meal in order to go and buy this and play with it. He can also blithely tell me what he should or shouldnt do. I told him if you know all this, why you do it? “cos I wanted to and couldnt wait”. Apparently he scolded his brother cos J2 tried to stop him.

Teething problems in school? I guess so. I know other mums have been through this but yeesh.. I told him he can’t play in the shower. He says “If you don’t let me play in the shower, I wont do my homework.” I was like this is a time where you have no right to negotiate such a deal, young man! He stomped off.

I have a feeling he’s playing in the shower now. Sigh. He’s having adjustment issues I guess. Another week off next week, and then back again.

I guess you could chalk it down to this is how life becomes more interesting? That’s one way to look at it haha.

I wanna just take a nap and hide under the covers for a while!

Using your imagination

The boys are good at this. J2 esp likes to escape into his imaginary world more often than his brothers (unfortunately he tends not to notice whats around him either, a bit odd in the shopping centre or carpark LOL).

They’ve developed a world around their soft toys, There’s “Monkey” Force (J1’s crew) who work with “Dino” Force (that’s j2’s) and “Bear-Bear” force (k’s). So the soft toys have adventures, are related to each other (some I believe got married or something).

Listening to them play-act as it were, you can find out what’s worrying them or what’s on their minds etc, esp with j2. Bear (his most fav creature in the world) is the one who does the things j2 doesnt dare do,although he’d like to. Bear travels the world, drives a car (and a supercar at thatall right! lol), all at the age of 14. LOL

On the one hand, I really love their imaginations….but on the other, I’d like em to be a weee bit more self aware.. esp j2. He’s the quintessential absent minded prof. Bless em.

I’ve seen the HUGE pile of laundry on my bed. EEK I wish I could magically wish that folded and put away. haha I’ve been clearing some things, esp among my books. There’s a building pile for the Charity guys to come and take away, gotta get the clothes sorted etc too. I’m sure they’ll be coming again hehee.

I’ve put up TWO decorations for cNY woohoo.. only cos Min gave them to us hehehee I really do need to get the rest done LOL

Time to attack the fridge for inspiration for dinner!

Inspiring speech.

I finally listened to obama’s inauguration speech.

If only our country leaders were as inspiring.

Obama Inauguration

Meal plans and belt tightening (no, I’m not on a diet haha)

I’ve been trying to figure out meal plans, or trying to get my head into thinking them out, planning shopping accordingly. It probably save me a headache, save money, healthier etc.

It’s been slowly b/c a habit, once this festive season is over, scaling back on all manner of things would be a good idea. Little tricks here and there, eating out way less, choosing where to eat out etc, getting the kids to help out more at home so they appreciate how much work it is, less hours for the part timer I have.

Im getting back into baking more, cooking more often, it’s good and the kids are better for it. Having had to think of school “lunches” etc has helped in this score and I’m slowly “training” myself not to go and grab breakfast somewhere else or go tapau lunch etc. This comes from the meal plans.

CuddlyDaddy also has been packing lunches from home, it’s prob healthier and economical. We’ve been exercising most days and we’ve been motivating each other. Certainly feels better.

I definitely will be glad for the festive season to be over so some vague sense of normalcy (for us anyway lol) can come into place and we can carry on our “lifestyle change” as it were. (wah, sound like a BN politician hor).

I think one of the hardest things for me to give up or trim back on is my hp bills, in particular my SMSes I’m such a fiend at SMSes. I only SMS certain people regularly but heck it’s a lot. LOL must behave

with this in mind, we’ve decided not to buy any new bags for the Js. We are going to go through what existing backpacks we have (or maybe Say Ku has) and see what can be used. They can just lump it. No point pouring more money down the drain!

The further destruction of bags

Good grief Js bags are in terrible shape! I think the trolley bags arent going to help at all and I think I have to replace them with shoulder strap bags, in plain colours. Forget the designs of their fav superheroes/characters. UGH. I guess its the way they drag it all around and pull it here and there. And we walk to school, so they drag it along the road, up and down the drive ways, despite the number of times we’ve reprimanded them.

Their other classmates also bags are wearing thin, despite being brand spanking new only just over 2 weeks ago. Don’t bags last very long these days?!

K’s is pristine. But then he doesnt drag it everywhere, have races with it or toss it about. And he goes in and out of the car.

So shopping we go. No more Ben 10, Marvel heroes, Transformers bags for you mateys!

CNY fast approaches

I’ve been terribly disorganised this year’s CNY (as well as Xmas).I haven’t even decorated yet (must do today). With the Js new school and other things, it’s slid by the way side. Now Im almost in panic mode haha. I don’t tend to panic but I know it’s going to be a hectic week!

I’ve put aside sorting etc for now, I’d better get budgets/biz plans reworked, I really need to get myself together, eek!

K’s learning new words/phrases in BM and Mandarin each day now (he’ll start with the Js again after CNY in their exra class, which he’s thrilled about), he was telling me what ‘waist” meant, well I wasn’t sure what he said, till j2 told me, I was like oooo, and this morning, he told it to CuddlyDaddy, however he followed that up, by saying to me” Mummy, you have the biggest waist!”. I just cracked up!!!!!!

Ahh kids and their tact. If my self esteem was at a low ebb, I may feel miserable.. but he promptly followed that up with a BIG hug and said you are nice and cuddly, Mummy. Cheeky boy! lol I gotta laugh lah. After all, I do have the “Mummy Curves”.

j1’s bag is full of holes at the bottom and now his trolley is stuck in one position LOL I dunno what they do, barely one month already in bad shape. I’m wondering whether to give him a plain, nondescript, cheap trolley bag or give him j2’s and get j2 a new one. but I think he deserves a plain, nondescript bag. Tough if he wants a HSM3 bag (blady expensive!!!!).

Ok folks, time to get on with the business of the day!

got the Js timetable

So this is their timetable for the next term (not sure if for the year or not).

12 periods of BM. 8 periods of English. 7 periods of Maths. 6 periods of Moral. 3 periods of Science. 2 periods of PE, Art, Music respectively, and Kesihatan (health) 1 period. Oh and two periods of BM tambahan (extra) which the non Muslim kids do.

Forgive me if my memory is wonky (entirely possible), dont remember so many periods of agama and arabic for primary school. Even secondary, not as many. But then I’m old. haha.

J2 salam my hand the other day (admittedly it was the left hand cos my right hand had k’s water bottle in it). I asked him where he learnt that. He has noticed all the kids in school (they cant tell muslim from non muslim and thats good all the same hehe) will salam teachers or parents etc. He wonders if he should be doing the same thats all. I explained that its a Muslim sign of respect but we don’t use the left hand to hand things over etc (asian thing).

So I said I’d show him how to shake hands and bring the right hand to the heart, which is what most Malaysians do. I told him that it was what I was taught as a polite way and also to symbolise that you mean good will to the other person. He seemed satisfied with that, and exclaimed that he didnt really wanna smell my hand anyway. Im sorry folks, I tried not to giggle!

We’ve been practising our BM, saying good night etc. K’s been trying to follow as well, and they are teaching him little things in mandarin and he’s enjoying that. He’ll be joining his brothers in mandarin “classes” after cny (more like songs etc, which he loves, he does love to sing. Jonas brothers and High School Musical mostly lol).

we plod along. Tomorrow is another early day, since they have replacement class, we are taking k swimming at the club (doesnt that sound sooo posh LOL) after swinging by the BURA room to write out receipts, hand over things and grab a check etc. Then lunch after school with godma and Auntie T and grandparents and then probably more activities haha

the Js want to learn badminton, I think we can try and teach em in the evening. Im glad they are inclined to try all these things its good for them also hehe.

J2 has declared he will go for the Winter Olympics since J1 wants to go for the Summer Olympics. I had to point out we dont have snow or ice. He corrected me to say that I had told him there’s an ice rink at Sunway. Dang their good memories! lol

I told him he could always try out BMX since it was at the olympics in Beijing and there’s a track of sorts near us. (I think the grandmothers will be cringing at this point haha). So I told them when they learn how to ride their bikes without training wheels WELL etc, we may consider letting em try skateboarding. Eyes lit up. (I found “cheap” kids skateboards at Tesco for under RM30 btw hehe). J1 asked what does consider mean?

told him well, it means I will think about it. then j2 said aww man that means NO! hehehee So I said they have to be good, do chores, be good in school and learn how to ride without training wheels. J1 of course promptly said I dont want to skateboard.
I told him oh, thats such a shame, cos his cousins were learning over in the UK and such and such a friend also does it (oh dear Mummy’s using peer pressure). j2 told him yeah and its so cool!!! J1 says he will “consider” it. haha

I told Cuddly Daddy what transpired. He had to close his eyes in horror cos he will imagine broken bones, hosp bills etc. hehee I just let them try whatever lah

k wants me to take him back to Camp 5 and wall climbing again (But this time with daddy). my little cat burglar HAHA He’s also picking up the habit of “negotiation”. Oh dear. Two lawyers to be in the household is too much! (sorry, uncle S).

Have a good weekend folks