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.

Year End Assessment

Below are her results:

Bahasa Malaysia 92%
English 96%
Mathematics 100%
Mandarin 100%
Science 96%
Moral 76%


EXPECTATIONS
The first results she brought home was Moral. Being a typical kiasu Malaysian parent, I wasn't very pleased with her result. However, I didn't make a big fuss out of it. Deep down, I started to worry about her other results.

One day, I told hubby that when she brings home her results, it gives me cold sweat. His reply was "What is there to worry? She won't fail." I was quick to response that it isn't my expectation for her to just pass her papers. I expect her to excel. Do all mothers have higher expectations from their kids than the fathers.

When I picked up Jerilyn after school, I started the conversation by asking her about her test (which happened to be English) for the day. She said it was easy. However, she made a mistake. The picture was fish but she circled the word blanket. I asked her:

• Why didn't she change her answer? She said that she did not understand why her teacher did not erase the answer. Apparently, her teacher holds the eraser.
• Why didn't she tell the teacher? The teacher was busy doing other things.

I assume that she does not understand what a test is. Most probably, her teacher will correct her if there is a mistake during normal circumstances. That is why she is confused why this time, the teacher didn't take any action. I wasn't unhappy that she did not score full marks for English but I am dissatisfied that she accepts mistakes just as it is. I taught her that she should not accept things which are incorrect and must voice out.

Latest Development

Jerilyn has moved from playing the piano with 1 hand to 2 hands . Below is the first piece she plays.

It was taken from the book below. The book is the first piano book I purchased. I find this book really helpful as it teaches from the basic, thus easier for her to grasp the techniques. There are also theory parts for her to write on.



Jesslyn can solve 40 pieces puzzle in less than 20 minutes without much help. She has tried this puzzle less than 10 times. I am surprised she can solve it.

The power of makeup

If you have heart problems, do not look below.

I warned you!

Eng in the Spoon

Johnny English

Took the kids to the Johnny English today. This is the 2nd show after Shrek more than a year ago. I had been reluctant to bring the kids to the cinema after the not-so-happy 1st experience. Just to recall, Jerilyn was afraid of the green monster and Daddy carried her out about half an hour after the show started. They never returned.

When my favourite cartoon, The Smurfs was shown in the cinemas, I didn't take them there for 3 reasons. Firstly, I wasn't sure if they were ready for the high level of noise. Secondly, the wizard might scare them off. Moreover, they are more interested to watch action-pack movies than animations. Thrillers can grab their attention from beginning til the end. With animations, they get distracted by other things half-way watching them. Ironic isn't it? People who love action-pack movies cannot stand high level of noise.

So, next comes Johnny English. I thought comedy might calm them and distract them from the noise. We bought a twin-seat for RM25. Apparently, the twin-seat or better known as couple seat is spacious enough for the 4 of us. The moment we went in, the dim lights weren't soothing. Jesslyn kept complaining that "It's scary." I quickly took out some cotton pads and stuck them in Jerilyn's ears although the movie hadn't started yet. On top of that, Jerilyn covered her ears with her bare hands. Jesslyn didn't want the cotton pads. When the commercials and previews began, Jesslyn started crying and people in front of our row turned back. Nothing helped. Not even lollies. Daddy took her out. Jerilyn continued covering her ears.
After 10mins, they returned. Jesslyn was quiet but she peeped through her fingers. Daddy covered her ears the whole time til the end of the show. Jerilyn let go off her hands slowly after about 20mins. Next, she complained that the shops would be closed soon. She wanted to leave. I distracted her by explaining what was going on in the movie. Explanations are good as they usually follow with 'Why'. At certain parts she laughed along. At other parts, she questioned with curiosity and excitement. She was loud enough for 2-3 rows around us to hear her. I had to shut her up a few times.
Overall, she likes the movie because it's funny. When I asked "Which part", her answer was "Every part".

Who's the Boss?

Are most kids (if not all) nowadays vocal with their feelings?
Mine are super expressive so much so that I wonder who is in command here. Sob! Sob!
For example:

1. This is what Jesslyn (2y8m) said when I scolded her. "I am not happy with you." After a minute or so, "Next time, I don't buy toys for you." I remembered Jerilyn saying "I don't give you angpow." when she wasn't happy with me.
2. Jesslyn (2y9m) woke up on the wrong side of the bed one morning and wailed. In fact, it happens at least 2 times a week. I said something; a joke maybe to make her happy and Jie2 was also babbling but this was her response "I don't want to listen (to) this!" She repeated twice so I was sure that was what she said. I laughed actually.
   
3. My dad complained the very same day that she said this to him "I don't want to listen you. I listen to mummy."
4. She negotiates with you. (A) I told Jesslyn not to take any chocolates because Jie2 has a cough. She said "Jie2 don't eat. I have no cough. I want to eat." (B) I tell her to colour faster for example, she answers "I am writing fast already what?"
5. At night when she wants to sleep, she orders like this "Shh... shh... I want to sleep. Don't talk." She repeats until you are quiet.
   
6. Some of the complicated phrases she uses are "What is happening?" "I don't believe you." "
   

For the record, Jesslyn learns to

• put on and take off her clothes
• button her own clothes
• writing a few small letters of the alphabet at 2y9m old
  

Favourites

These are their favourites:

Jerilyn
Colour: Pink
Food: Spagethi, Premium chocolates, anything sweet
Drink: No preference
Song: Nobody, Nobody but You
Cartoon: anything goes
Programme Fort Boyard

Jesslyn
Colour: Blue (the pic is the evidence)
Food: Chocolates and anything sweet, fruits like pineapple, orange
Drink: Coffee
Song: whatever Jerilyn likes, she likes
Cartoon: anything goes

Both of the kids are not sporting when playing board games. Both want to win and they insist the game to be played in favour of themselves. If they lose, they sulk. I think Jesslyn learns it from her sister again. She used to be cool about losing but not anymore.

Read on to know

I just came home from attending a colleague's wedding in Kampar. It was the first wedding I attended alone after my marriage. You must be wondering why am I blogging now? What is so important?

This is why I blog (before I forget):

Jerilyn: Mummy, Mummy, Mummy. Last time Po Po* and Gong Gong push the car.
I was flabbergasted. Yes. I remember my parents telling a similar incident but she couldn't be anything more than 2yo when it happened. How could she recall? I asked more to know how much she remembers.
Mummy: Where were you?
Jerilyn: In the car.
Mummy: Why didn't you help Po Po push the car?
Jerilyn: Because it is dangerous.
Mummy: Where is gong gong?
Jerilyn: Inside the car.

The whole conversation took place in the car while we came home. I was astonished why and made her bring it up out of the blue. Hubby and I looked at each other. I told him this is not the first time she talked about my mother. Moreover, at most of the time, she would say something err.... weird.

* At this point, I said to myself. There she goes again. Talking about Po Po. I paid particular attention when she came to this word because she would say something err... weird. :D

That night, in the bed, I provoked her to talk about it again. She added more information such as Po-Po pushed the car slowly and she didn't know why the car didn't move, something was wrong with the car.

Proud Mother

After the food poisoning incident, all of us gain weight instead of losing. What is happening here? Did all the diarrhea and vomitting left our stomachs so empty that opens up our appetite? The kids are finishing their meals faster than before. Sometimes, Jerilyn even gobbles up her food as if she has been starved. They also take food that they used to puke. Food like beans, sizable meat, onion etc... Going out for meals are much more fulfilling for me. Happy am I to see them eat without fuss.

I have another few days to prepare Jesslyn (2y8m) for kindy next year. For the past 4 weeks, I haven't taught her much other than writing letters. She can actually write very fast if she puts her heart into it. Today, she wrote N, O, L, I, H. Yesterday, was P, T, R, Z. But, when she is not listening, she cannot even draw a line. Yesterday, I used more than 10 minutes to force her (I know I shouldn't) to match a picture with its word. Her reading skills are as follows:
lion, cat, car, cup, dog, mummy, daddy, door, fan, fish etc...
This kid is an audio learner where she learns through listening. According to research, less than 20% of the people are audio learners. I guess this is why until now, she cannot identify animals. She can recite Multiplication for 3, 4 and 5 in Mandarin after listening to Daddy for not more than 10 times each.
She is also a Tell-tale. She can recall and convey her experiences easily. For example, when we fetched her from MIL's house, she told us this "Small go-go (age 8) cried like this 'weh weh weh... because he fight with the big go-go." I asked hubby to confirm with MIL if it really happened. She can create stories, reasons, excuses in split second. I wonder if she needs to think at all. Most of the time, she will provide reasons without being asked. For example, "I don't want to eat this because it is lat-lat." "I want to go swimming (shower) because I am smelly." "Eee... I dont want that (insect) because it will bite me like this armm... armmm.... armm..."
We are used to her authoritarian style too. She would be the one who tell us what to do esp her sister. Today, she saw a scribble on the book. I told her that it was Jerilyn's doing. She asked "Why did you draw this?" No answer. "Tell me. Why did you draw this, Jie2?" She'd ask til she gets an answer.
She is selfish as she doesn't share. When JErilyn peeps to see what she is doing, Jesslyn would stick her face to the book and push her sister away. THese are the things she would say: Do your work. You haven't finished your work. Go go go, quickly. Don't disturb me. Mummy, you see. She is disturbing me." She doesn't defend her sister when I beat Jerilyn. She will stay away quietly and then come to you in a very affectionate manner. Instead, she helps me to reprimand her sister "I told you. Don't ... Mummy will scold." or "Don't cry. Nah, tissue paper."
She is the keh poh in the family. "Aiyo! Look at the floor. There are so many ants." "Aiyo! What have you done?" "Aiyo, don't touch my .... You are spoiling it." When I scolded her dad, she copied what Jerilyn would say "Don't scold Daddy. If you scold Daddy, you go out. I don't love you anymore. I love Daddy. You love Jie2."
She is the honey of the family. Honey because she attracts attention in the public. People like to tease, play and talk to her as she has a beautiful smile and face, she talks interestingly and simply attractive.

Jerilyn, on the other hand, is a Thinker. She likes to solve puzzles and play with tools. She is more discipline. I am much tougher on her as compared to Jesslyn. I make her sit and do her work. She is the peace-maker. When an argument breaks out, she will be the first who reminds us not to argue. She shouted back "Why you shout at Daddy?" or "Don't talk to Gong-Gong like that." That usually makes us cool down immediately. She is nostalgic. many things remind them of my mother. Yesterday, I was telling them about a dying dog. Jerilyn said immediately "The dog is dying like Po-Po? Is the dog going to stay with Po-Po?"

The kids complement each other. Through Jesslyn, Jerilyn is more chatty and brave in public. Before Jesslyn learned to talk, Jerilyn was quiet and although she was playful. Now, she talks like an adult. On the other hand, Jerilyn taught Jesslyn to be more kinetic and creative with her hands.

I am proud of them. For their age, they are very mature. More so when I compare them with other kids (I know I shouldn't). I don't have to worry when we go shopping. They do run around but I still love shopping with them. They are independent eg wear their own shoes, carry stuff for us and get up and down the car themselves. They seldom cry in public. They never argue or fight in public. They stop other children whom they think are not behaving correctly. They reminds me of important things.

• When I give Jerilyn milk, she reminds me to add medication.
• When I forgot to lock the gate, Jesslyn reminded me.
• When I left out a clothe from Jerilyn's school bag, she reminded me.
  

They make me proud.

Pre-Food Poisoning

I was looking forward to this semester break (27 August - 18 September) long before the holiday started. Actually, everyone in my field would be looking forward to sem break the moment a new semester starts. :-) However, this time is special. It's special because it coincides with the Raya and Merdeka celebrations which means that the whole family is on holiday! Yahoo!
I had planned to go to Penang. Why Penang? The last time I went there was 3 years ago. I have always wanted to go back there but there is no reason. Reason? Do I need a reason? Yup. Because hubby does not like Penang. We always have issues in Penang. The trips to Penang usually ended up in arguments. So, anyway, this time, I persuaded him to go because I wanted (the kids) to meet The Smurfs. They were going to Penang from 27-29 August. I love(d) the smurfs. The kids know them, not like them. I booked a room at Berjaya Hotel 2 weeks before the event. Everything went smoothly until the night before my last day of work.

Food Poisoning

On Wednesday, 24 August night, Jerilyn started vomiting after 9pm. After the 2nd time, Daddy took her to his panel clinic. In fact, the reason she was sent to the clinic was not because of the vomit but because of her bleeding nose. Blood wasn't dripping but there were stains of blood in her mucus. They came home with some medications. The first thing I asked Daddy was about her nose which dr said that it was not something serious. She vomited the 4th time before bedtime. We went to bed.
At about 1am, Jerilyn vomited again. And again after about half an hour. And again. And again. And again. I lost count how many times she threw up. By 3am, we couldn't take it anymore. Daddy took her to the clinic again where the dr advised us to give her medicine each time she threw up and wrote a referral letter in case we want to admit her. The ordeal continued 'til 5am I guess.
The next day, I went to work like Zombie while Daddy took the day off. I came home at 2pm, praying for good news. Unfortunately, Jerilyn threw up twice that morning which means we had to take the last resort. Hospitals, the place I hate the most. Don't we all?
We gathered whatever necessary and headed for Pantai Hospital an hour later. This was the first time Jerilyn was sent to a hospital. As we knew no pediatrician, a Dr Lee HT was recommended. The doctor diagnosed her as 'suspected food poisoning.' She was on drip. The first night was 'relaxing' for me. Imagine doing nothing other than making sure that Jerilyn was comfortable in bed and looking out of the busy traffic outside the window. To my relief, she only vomited once and her condition stabilised towards the night.
We snuggled together in her bed for the 2 nights. I tried sleeping on the lazy chair but there was no way I could have a good night sleep with a mosquito (or 2) hovering over my feet. At one time, a nurse jostled me but what I came face to face with was a heavy leg on my chest. I wondered if the nurses laughed at that embarrassing sight. While I took care of her for 2 nights, Jesslyn was sent to my ever ready MIL.

Post Food Poisoning

After spending two nights at the hospital, we were out on Saturday. I had new hopes of going to Penang. In fact, I had written a list of things to bring on the previous night. You see, I am the type who like to jot down what I want to bring for holidays. There is nothing more fun than planning for a holiday.
However, my hopes were dashed when I heard that Mei2 threw up 4x the night before and Daddy himself didn't look good. He plonked his head on the hospital bed himself while waiting for the bill. At home, he practically dropped dead on the living room floor which he hadn't done before. Thank God Mei2 was tough. She was bubbly as usual except for her poor appetite.
On Sunday, we were still undecided whether to go on with our plan or not. Went out for breakfast. Coincidentally, we bumped into my dad and aunts thus we had dim sum together. Hubby's appetite was back. Jerilyn's was ok. I, on the other hand, couldn't eat.
It was after 11am when we finished our breakfast. I couldn't stand mulling over whether we should go or not. I told my driver that we would pack our bags and go . We packed our bags and left by less than 1pm. Before we left, I had diarrhea.
We reached Berjaya Hotel at 3pm. Everything went well. It started to pour when we opened the room's curtain. The room however was a disappointment despite paying RM220/night. Another lesson learnt: Never trust what you see online.
We rested and headed for Gurney Plaza by 6pm. We did not know how far is the plaza but were pleasantly surprised to see the magic word (Gurney) only 2 blocks away. Our mission was to meet and take a photo with The Smurfs. So, we searched high and low for the event venue the moment we stepped out of the car. I thought it would be easy to find. How big can a shopping mall be, right? It took us half an hour to spot it. I hurriedly grabbed 2 clothes at Voir for the kids for RM71. In order to take a photo with The Smurfs, we need to purchase a minimum of RM50 worth of merchandise in any outlets. Thank God the line was not long and every photo shoot only took 30 secs.
After the photo shoot, I suddenly felt wobbly and breathless. I had to put down Jesslyn who suddenly seemed a few kilos heavier. I thought the virus must be attacking me, just like how it attacked Daddy. I needed to sit badly. We quickly looked for a cafe and ordered our dinner - 2 plates of rice for 4people. Half the plate was left uneaten. Jesslyn and I didn't touch the food at all. I turned in early that night.
The next day, it was raining when I woke up. Did it rained the whole night? I felt much better. I even managed to finish half a plate of fried keow teow. Only Jesslyn still distant herself from solid food. The rain and the uncomfortable bodies made us not very adventurous. We shopped at Queensbay Mall til we were tired, which did not take long to happen and came back home in the late evening.

Short comments

One night, after a good cry, Jerilyn confessed "Mummy, I don't want to cry. But, my eyes don't want to stop. My eyes tell me to cry."

A week or two back, I uploaded a video of Jesslyn reciting Multiplication of 2. And now, she can recite Multiplication of 3. Hubby was just reading in a sing song manner for 6-7 times and before we knew it, Jesslyn could recite herself.

Jerilyn was doing some colouring exercise. When it came to radish, I asked her to colour it white. Her immediate response was "This is white, alright. So, leave it!" with both her hands held high, in sarcasm. You see, the paper has a white background. Thus, the unnecessary extra work to colour the radish white.

Weainng

Exactly four days back, which was 12 July 2011, Jesslyn was forced to sleep without gripping our fingers. Daddy thinks that it is high time she learns to sleep independently. She whined and sobbed, moving between our bed and hers for maybe half an hour. She finally dozed off sandwiched between Daddy and Mummy. In the middle of the night, there was a loud thud and I knew our dear Jesslyn had landed on the floor. Daddy picked her and put her in her bed. From that night onwards, we did not allow her in our bed. In fact, she herself would climb back to her own bed after tossing on ours for a while.
It was a historical night for me because weaning off the fingers means freedom for me. Imagine having to let your fingers being twisted and squeezed every night til she falls asleep? Other times, she pulls your nails til it cause pain. Now, I am a free sleeper!
MERDEKA!!!

This is so easy

Don't know what has got into Jesslyn. She is so confident with her work. She returned this paper to me a few seconds after I gave her and asked me to print another exercise for her. I asked why. "I don't want this. This is so easy."
Nope. She didn't get it 100% right.

More about Jesslyn... opps

We have always been entertained by Jesslyn's mischievous answers. She is a language person. Her PR is also very good. She has a way in avoiding reprimands and beatings by looking at you sweetly, hands clasped at her chest with her head tilted slightly and darting eyes. Sometimes, she grins so hard that her eyes become a line only.
She is also an expert in avoiding working on her books. To buy time, she'll ask me numerous questions (to confirm the answer) before she draws on the paper. For example, "Mummy, is it like this? Mummy, I draw here? I use this pencil?" I must say that I am bias for not being tough on her as I would be on Jerilyn for wasting time. Normally, she would say that the exercise is difficult. One day, she completed a maze within seconds and said "Mummy, you see? This is easy." However, I did not tell her that she got it wrong. Look at the far right. At first, she used a pencil. Then, a red marker.

She does not like her sister to touch her stuff. This includes her Sesame Street schoolbag. One day, she scolded her sister " Wei... wei....wei(in Chinese)... don't spoil my school bag.... Always spoil my school bag." and snatched the bag away. Same goes with many other things, the moment her sister holds an item, she snatches it and claims "I want to use it."

A mini fun-fair has been set-up recently near my in-laws place. Upon seeing it, she said "Wow! Look at the merry-go-round. It is so big. I want to go to the playground." I told her "It's fun-fair, not playground." She replied immediately "I THOUGHT it's playground?" I was surprised she knows this bold word. Other than that, she used 'actually' as in "ACTUALLY, I want that. " when I asked her "Do you want this?"

I don't think attending school next year would be a problem for her as she loves to send Jerilyn to school every morning. Leaving her in the car means tantrums from her. She loves to see the teachers; calling them and waving at them. One day, she said to her Jie2 "Be careful" at the school gate and turned around. How touching! I swear I have never said that to Jerilyn before while sending her to school.

She adds SILLY to reprimand anyone for doing the 'wrong' thing. For example, "Daddy didn't take this, silly boy." "Mummy, you silly girl. You ...." "Why you turn here? You silly boy."(Daddy used another route instead of the usual route.

In addition to her list of cheeky answers, she knows 'Sam Chi Keng' (something to do with Chinese proverbs), and a few 'adult' songs. The songs are: You are my Sunshine and Sealed with a Kiss. She only needs to listen to a song or anything melodious a few times and 'snap', she can sing. She is the one who corrects Jerilyn singing.
The video below shows her ability to read multiplication(x2) in Mandarin.


The picture below is her work. When she uses the pencil, the lead easily breaks. I do not allow her to use the 'magic colour' because she will end up pushing the sticks in. 2 unusable magic colours is too much for me! As you can see from the left picture below, she is quite detailed when colouring. She chooses the spots to colour. Unlike Jerilyn who just sweeps the colours across the pictures. Moreover, she has better control as she doesn't colour out of line as badly as Jerilyn.

Jesslyn on the Piano

Although Jesslyn cannot play any music piece, but I see potential in her. First of all, her feminine, good look gives me the 'I am a musician' impression. Excuse me for being superficial. Secondly, she has quite good control of her fingers when she taps on the keys. She can press from one key to another with her thumb, up to the fourth finger without overlapping. Thus, the clear, distinct sounds. She is only 2+ years old.

Jerilyn too has the potential as she knows how to improvise. The Happy Birthday piece I downloaded begins with G note. However, after I removed the letters on the keys, she started playing her own way. She uses C note. Very creative.

Graffiti

Guess where this was drawn on?

TA-DA!!I was shocked to see that when I stepped into the house. But, surprisingly, I didn't scold them. In fact, I was quite pleased with the drawing. It decorates the otherwise dull, empty wall. I was surprised how Jerilyn could draw such a big picture. As you can see below, the picture is so much higher than her. And the details, how long did it take her to draw it? Where was my dad when she drew? What was he doing? Did he scold? These were the questions running in my head.

I asked her 2 questions:

1. Where was Gong2? She pointed to the couch. My dad must be engrossed in a drama while she was at her mischief.

2. Why did she drew it? She answered "BEcause I want to make the wall pretty."

Filial Girl

Jerilyn has always been a filial girl when it comes to respecting the oldies. Much so after my mum's incident.
For instance, recently, my dad's blood pressure shot up because of the stress from baby-sitting the kids. I told her that if she continues to be naughty, Gong2 won't take care of her. Her eyes were red when I said that. Since then, she has been 'less naughty'. She also told me that she is good and hasn't made Gong2 sick lately.
Because of this too, I have requested my in-law to take care of the kids once a week so that my dad can take more rest. Other than that, Hubby and I have taken turns to apply leave from work more often. Actually, hubs company is experiencing a slowdown in business, thus, the forced leave. Anyway, it's a blessing in disguise. So, one day, while my dad was driving her to her grandma's place, she asked "where is Mei2?" When she knew that her sister was already in the grandma's place, she didn't want to go. My dad was curious why. She explained "Ah Mar is old. She cannot take care of two kids." Dad was surprised. So was I. I thought, if my late mother knows how filial her grand-daughter is, she would surely be very pleased.
'Til now, my mum is still very much alive in my household. The kids often talk and sing about her. Birthday songs are dedicated to her, gifts are often said to be presented to her etc...
Last week, she asked again "Why do you cry Mummy? Why do you always cry-Po2, Po2?.... I also always think about Po2 but I don't cry..... Dont cry Mummy. Po2 is not happy if you cry."
I had given a journal topic to my students, which I myself wish it happens "If I could turn back time..."

Threats

My girls are beginning to threaten me if I do not do as they say. For instance,
1. Jerilyn wanted to play with something but I did not allow. This was what she said "Don't play... don't play. Next time, I don't want to give you ang pow." I assume that she won't give me any 'allowance' when I am old and frail.
2. they wanted to use the tub for bathing which I did not allow. Jesslyn said "Next time, you don't swimming(bathe) me. I don't want you to swim me. I want Daddy swimming me." I was more than happy to hear that. haha.... However, hubs was still in the office. So, they were forced to bathe with me.

This morning, Jerilyn looked dull so I tried to lighten the mood "Hello, pretty." Her answer "Hello, ugly woo..man." Not angry.

New Song

Jerilyn's first song.


After playing the same song for two weeks, I have tried to introduce a new song to Jerilyn - Rain, rain, Go Away.

After struggling for a few times, she went back to Happy Birthday because that's the song she can play. She boasted that she does not need the notes anymore. It's amazing how interest can motivate her so much to play it by heart. Yes, she can play the song by just looking at the keys with 1 or 2 wrong keys.

So, we turned back and forth between the two songs. I tried to teach her fingering and reading notes. When she could not use the right finger, I started to raise my voice and when I did, she began to shut off from me. Looking down, not listening, no response.... I knew that we(to be exact, I) had to stop. So, the 2 of us sat quietly for a moment. After 1 minute, I encouraged her to try again. She did.

I was wondering why she had to use finger 1 and 5 (she should use 5th and then 4th)to move from G to F notes. The most possible answer is that she could only coordinate her fingers this way. Thus, I told myself to let her use any fingers at the moment. I reminded myself that she is only 4. Therefore, I only taught her how to read notes. Not bad for the first day, she knows and remembers which are F and D notes. She is able to memorise 40% of the song too. i think she prefers to memorise playing than to learn reading the notes. Whichever way, I am happy she is playing.

Bossy

I was busy googling when this caught my attention:
"Jie2, I said thank you to you." After a while, she repeated again. This time louder. The same sentence was repeated 4 times and each time, it was louder and more firm. I could not take it 'til I had to call out to Jerilyn "She is talking to you." to which Jerilyn said softly "Ok Mei2." Jesslyn was not satisfied with the answer "Jie2, I said thank you to you." This time, Jerilyn too raised her voice and that shut Mei2 up.

This is Jesslyn. The loudest, firmest person in the family. I am not sure if I have jotted this down but when
1. she was on the phone with Daddy and she could not hear him, she put up her index finger over her mouth "SHHH... SHHH... SHHHH.... I cannot hear.", walking around as if she was having a million dollar business conversation. Sometimes, she complains about either one of us not letting her take the call.
2. I asked her not to take out all the books from the drawer. She replied angrily "I just want to see."
3. I asked both of them to keep their toys before we went out for dinner. Jesslyn ordered her sister after a while "Jie2, you keep. Quickly before Mummy beat you. There, another one. Quickly." Jerilyn did not utter a word while frantically put everything in a bucket. All she wanted was to go out.

Little Mozart

Last week, I took Jerilyn for a haircut. While waiting for the busy hair-dresser, I went next door to check out the music academy. The first impression put me off. I rang the bell twice and an unwelcoming lady greeted me with "Mut Yea Xi". I felt like a salesgirl all of a sudden. Anyway, we went in, asked about piano lessons etc. She said as Jerilyn is only 4yo, she has to start with Little Mozart. The books looked easy yet complicated. I asked if she could start with classical music instead. 'No' was the answer. This made me even more uneasy with her. Most importantly, I just do not like her, thus I do not like whatever she said.

We left, determined not to take any music lessons from this academy. From then, I was also determined to teach Jerilyn to play a piece. :p Thanks to the teacher, my kid is playing her first song after 2 weeks of practice. I want to prove that she is wrong. Kids at 4 can play. Some argued that the basic knowledge of fingering and keys are important and one should start with that. They may be right but without the interest, it will take double the time to learn that. Therefore, I started my kid with a song she is familiar with.

Initially, I only gave her one of my old books and never bothered to really show her how to play - which key, which finger. Then, I realised without a purpose, she would not learn. Now, she has a purpose to play ie that is to play for her Ah Yee and grandma.

This will make fingering lessons easier. Gambateh!

1st song

I had tried introducing piano to Jerilyn for quite some time but there was not much progress until recently.

I got the idea of writing the notes on the keys after watching a friend's video in FB. After 2 weeks, this is what Jerilyn can play.

I am quite satisfied with her progress although the timing is not accurate. The very next day after this recording. she practised on playing without reading the notes.

She is very motivated to learn this song after I told her that her Ah Yee's birthday is fast approaching and she can play the song to her. (Hope Daddy is not offended as his birthday is half a month sooner than Ah Yee's). Other than that, she is more than happy to play for her grandma. At first, she complained that the piano is too big and heavy to bring to her Ah Ma's house to which I replied that we could record it down instead. Thus, working hard on the keyboard since last week.

Enjoy the not-so-perfect song.

2nd Chance

Can you see the cross? Jerilyn was marked wrong for 'wrong' match for BM paper. There is an extra line from the picture yoyo to the ball.
As a lecturer, I might have done the same to teach the student a lesson so that they would be more careful in their test. But, as a mother, I felt that I have to fight for my kid's interest. More importantly, she got the answer - drawing a line from the picture to the word. If the line was from 1 picture to 2 words or 2 pictures to a word, it's wrong. In this case, it's just a picture to another.
Hubby told me to let it be. If I were to let it be, I don't think I can sleep for nights. So, I wrote a note to the teacher. After two days, the teacher returns the paper with the amendment. No more complaints.

First Assessment

Jerilyn had her first assessment a month ago and I have been anxious with her results. Below are her results:
Bahasa Malaysia 96%(100% after amendment)
English 96%
Mandarin 100% (this is questionable)
Mathematics 96%
Science 100%
Moral 100%

When she showed me her first paper, which was the Science paper, I was overwhelmed with delight. Although I expected her to do well in all her subjects but seeing the red '100' on a test paper has a magical effect on not only me I believe but on all parents.

I have a feeling I am going to be one of those 'kiasu' Malaysians even though I do not wish to be like them. I do not want to compare who scores higher marks, who has more 'A's, who is in the 'smart' class and who is not and who is number 1 in the class. Competition is good only if parents do not demoralise any kids. There are parents who compare and condemn their own children for not doing as well as the cousin or friend.

Ops... there I go again judging other parents.