Hot & Cold

I am sure you would have watched this video in Facebook.

I am so proud of my girl. I didn't expect her to dance so well. I mean , it's full of omph! There is so much power in her dance. Before the dance, hubby and I were quite anxious. Although my girl has always shown potential in dancing, many questions were on our minds. Would she have stage fright? Would she be robotic and dance like a puppet? Would she forget her steps and stand like a statue? Imagine the glaring spot lights and the hundreds of pair of eyes on her!

After that night, I am confident that my girl will have lots of opportunities on the stage in the future. She will always stand out in a crowd and make me proud.

On that day, she was sent to kindy in the morning as requested by the kindy. I was worried that she would freak out for spending the whole day in the kindy. You see, she had been asking me many times if we would fetch her from school after the dance. She hadn't been left with the kindy for the whole day before and the idea didn't please her. She was worried that we might just dump her there. So, we didn't see her the whole day 'til the dance. There were 10 different dances and hers was one of the fastest paced from the beginning til the end.

Jesslyn @ 3yo

Jesslyn... Jesslyn... Jesslyn....

There is so much to talk about 'til I don't know where to start. Let's start with what she can do and can't do @3:

1. she definitely stopped using pacifier and nappies since 2. The only thing she hasn't been weaned is her bottle. The reason is drinking from cups give me the extra work, which I don't need.
   
2. she puts on clothes herself but she needs help when it comes to zipping the back and buttoning her pants.
   
3. she uses the toilet herself. Yup. From settling herself on the bowl to flushing it. She may forget to flush sometimes or worse, doesn't wipe after a big business. No, don't get me wrong. We don't allow her to wipe herself for we know she couldn't have done a good job wiping. The problem is she doesn't inform us after a big business until we see it in the bowl.
4. she can write and colour. She stops often when colouring and she would pass me the pencil to colour. I think it's because her fingers are tired as she tends to press the pencil very hard onto the paper til you can see marks at the back of it.
   
5. she can recite 'San Chee Ching' and multiplications of 2, 3 and 5 in Mandarin.
   
6. she can read about thirty 2 to 3 letter words but it's not consistent. However, if you are English illiterate, she will fool you by looking at the words, narrate the story slowly and steadily as if she is really reading from the book.
   
7. she can't recognise colours.
   
8. she can talk and talking is her expertise. She gives very fast, cheeky answers. She is (a) pampered - does not accept 'No' for an answer. (b) cheeky - has excuses for everything she does (c) confident - speaks so loud and firm that you just give up arguing with her. Here are some conversations I can recall:
   

• She forgot where she put her bag and pointed to her. She answered "Eh? I thought I put it here?"
• She was interested with who was that on tv and asked "Mummy, who is he? I couldn't recognise him."
• Daddy didn't allow her to bring her Sesame Street umbrella during an outing and she immediately answered "Hey, it will rain afterwards!"
• We were on our way to my in-laws for dinner yesterday. She said "I want to go to Tesco." I said "Ok... when we are free." "I am free now, Mummy."
• She wanted to eat chocolate. I said "No. Daddy will scold if you eat." She said "Where got? (Manglish) Daddy is not here."
• If I scold her, she complains to her Daddy the moment she sees him and vice versa.
• I seldom beat her. One day, I was so pissed off I beat her while teaching and the next day she negotiated with me before we started our lesson. She said "Mummy, don't beat me ar? Don't beat me and Jie2."
• 
  

* What's that dot for? It's in case I can recall any other memorable quotations.

heart to heart talk

Being a typical kiasu, Malaysian mother, I am stern when it comes to studies. Whenever I teach the girls, esp Jerilyn, something possesses me and I am not myself anymore.

So, as usual, things turned ugly. Coincidentally, it's time for bed thus, I sent them to bed and did some mopping. When I went into the room, Jerilyn was weeping on the bed.

Jesslyn: Say sorry Jie2. Jie2 is so sad. Say sorry Jie2.
Me: (Puzzled) Who? Me or Jie?
Jesslyn: You. (pointed at me)

I was amazed by her persistence and maturity in handling this. I apologised to Jerilyn, kissed her and continued my mopping. Outside the room, I could hear Jerilyn sobbing even louder. I was about to open the door but I heard this:

Jesslyn: Huh? I can't hear you.
Jerilyn: (Mumble in between sobs)
Jesslyn: You don't want Mummy ar?
Jerilyn: (Mumble, mumble)
Jesslyn: I can't hear you. You don't want Mummy?
Jerilyn: I want Mummy to sleep with me.
Jesslyn: You want Mummy to sleep with you? Mummy is working already.

I opened the door after that and lied down next to Jerilyn. Jesslyn came and sandwiched me. After 5 short minutes, both of them dozed off.

It's so touching to hear them sharing a private moment together. So mature of them. I feel 10 years older. This is like a scene in the future - my girls have a heart to heart talk where mummy is not allowed to hear and I have to eavesdrop.

Jesslyn's 3rd Birthday

I am not one of those who would spend time brainstorming for a birthday celebration. For me, the best way to celebrate a birthday is to eat out and buy a cake. Hassle free.

Firstly, Daddy took the initiative to take a day off from work to accompany the birthday girl. Both of them went to McD for breakfast while Jerilyn and I routinely do what we had to do. They spent the rest of the morning at granny's place who gave her an angpow. Oh! My dad gave her an angpow too on the previous day. When I returned in the evening, we prepared for our simple yet satisfying outing.

The moment we climbed into the car, Jerilyn bugged me to get a cake immediately. Dad and I didn't give in to her whims and pleas. We headed for Momo Cafe in Greentown. The reason why we chose this place is because we have an expiring RM10 voucher and i don't want to waste it. We sat and ordered our favourites: Me-lamb chop, dad-fried rice and the girls-spaghetti. All come in sets. Nope. Not going to elaborate about food.










I was ready to forgo the cake if the girls didn't mention. Unfortunately, Jerilyn said it again the moment we stepped into the car. It looked like we couldn't escape from it.

At the bakery, I was scrutinizing the small cakes (approx 500gm) while Jerilyn was eyeing the big ones. I asked Jesslyn to choose one of the small ones. However, Jerilyn was fast to comment that they are too small. After a minute (which seemed like a long times esp the salesgirl was standing next to us) of negotiation, Jesslyn finally chose the choc cake. Jerilyn again gave her precious opinion. She wanted the fresh fruit cake. Since it was Jesslyn's big day, Daddy said it's Jesslyn's choice (only the small cakes pls). :) Jerilyn continued that the cakes are too small and that there is no space for candles. We confirmed our purchase. Surprisingly how kids can forgive and forget so easily. One moment she was complaining, the next, she was as happy as a clown. Both were skipping happily and sang the undue birthday song.

We cut the cake at Ah Mar's house as Daddy wished. By the time we reached home, it was almost 11pm. Below are the pictures:

Daddy and I only spent on the food. We didn't get her a gift or angpow. How unthoughtful of us. :p Most importantly, she has our blessings and love all year round. [excuse to make me feel better]. Ar... just remember - Ah Yee too gave a handsome angpow.