Arranger Extraordinaire!

If there is one thing that is very peculiar to Matt, I would say is his love to arrange things. He arranges ANYthing that is arrange-able. He used to arrange these. His repertoire has expanded.

These days, before he sleeps, he has added to his routine to put all his books into his book trolley, then he will painstakingly put the Sebamed baby lotion, the facial cream, his water bottle, the remote control, and the mopiko, side-by-side, too.

Interesting.

Last of Milk Teeth

Think Matt's last four molars are making their way out. He has been drooling endlessly for the last 2 weeks.

Matt's teeth grew in an "unusual" sequence. Apparently, most baby cut their bottom 2 central incisors first, but Matt's upper 2 were out first. Same for the lateral incisors and canines. His teeth grew very nicely side by side, which makes me wonder sometimes if they'd get crooked since these teeth can only get larger.

Brushing his teeth can get quite nightmarish. We have progressed though. When we first started, he wouldn't open his mouth. He soon opened his mouth but would bite the bristles hard. But it was progress nonetheless. These days, front teeth no problem, but the molars are hard to get to. Work in progress.

Mozzie

I hate it when Matt gets bitten by mozzies. He'd scratch until they bleed, and they'd take forever to heal. Went home yeaterday to discover some mozzie had been feasting on my son during his nap at my in-law's place! EIGHT BIG hearty bites!! Damn you mozzie!

Heritage Boy

My hometown in Malaysia is very well-known for ONE dish - bah kut teh. So when I brought Matt home some time back, I had to do the customary induction to the dish. He walloped it. Truly mama's boy! :)

Yesterday, we introduced him to another important food heritage of his. Hainanese chicken rice. My little Hainanese boy walloped it, too!

Okay. So I am exaggerating. He just ATE them normally.

But given his lack of adventure with food, opening his mouth for a few spoonfuls means eating, and eating a lot of it means walloping. In both instances, he whacked a whole bowl of rice and shredded meat.

The chicken rice has a story that we will tell to embarass Matt when he is older. We ate at Wee Nam Kee at Novena. We chose to sit outside near the bus stop so he can see his favourite buses, as a form of distraction.

BIG MISTAKE.

He didn't protest that much to the chicken rice. But he protested badly that he cannot BE at the bus stop to board the bus. Towards the end of the lunch, after hubs was done with his, he had to carry Matt to and fro between the bus stop and me in a bid to stop the boy from struggling. It also helped Matt ate better because he knows that after he takes 2 mouthfuls, he gets to go to the bus stop.

Poor hubs. No bus stop next time, he said wearily at the end.

I couldn't agree more.

But we were both elated, nonetheless. Another sort-of-successful eat-outside episode.

Safety First, Finally!

After months of trying, we finally managed to coax Matthew to wear his helmet! By threatening him that if he doesn't wear it, there will be no cycling! I was over the moon by both the fact that he finally has his protective headgear on AND the fact that he is SO FREAKING CUTE in it! :)

Safety first, my boys!

Tram Ride!

We brought Matt and my parents to the zoo. Matt loved it that we went out somewhere every day when my parents were in town. He seems to enjoy the zoo more and more these days. He'd point out the animals, and stop sometimes to look at them curiously. He remained cautious at the Rainforest Kidzworld.

He was elated when we went on the tram ride for the first time! He could hardly stay still for us to take a good shot, until he was suitably tired ..

Christmas 2009

Somehow, we were very busy this Christmas. A week leading to Christmas, my parents were in town. That made it special for us. Plus sis-in-law also returned from Canberra for Christmas. But amidst all the hectic schedules plus a super-busy-at-work hubs, we managed to squeeze one cozy family dinner on Christmas eve, just the 3 of us!

We love this place since our two-some days. When Matt was very little but old enough to sit up, we brought him there, too. And he enjoyed himself flirting with the other guests and the waiters! By some sheer coincidence, we would get the same table whenever we visited!



This Christmas eve, it was made even more special cause Matt liked the food there!! You know how Matt is not too adventurous with food ... So I had little expectation when I let him try the pizza, expecting him to spit out as usual. BUT he gave a big grin and exclaimed "NICE!" and asked for more! And he liked the fresh bread with herbs, and the beef, and was even adventurous enough to drink the red red cranberry juice! Hah! We were elated!

Matt had a great Christmas Day at church where my FIL got baptised (hallelujah!), followed by a lunch reception at their place. Matt loves the joyous atmosphere of a place with many people. At home after nap, he did not object when we said "lets go yeye's house" when he'd normally protest (because it means mama's going to work.) For days after, in fact, he asked to go to yeye's house!

Celebration for Matt "continued" on Sat and Sun. We brought him to town to see Christmas lights, and bought a replacement for his little Tomika bus that plunged down the drainage in the bathroom. Plus another decker bus, much to his delight. We also went to Botanical Gardens to see the many Christmas trees, and to test out his Thomas the Train bubble machine and cool adidas mini football Christmas gifts.


Christmas gifts - I think I have another year or two of him being somewhat ignorant about that aspect of Christmas. This Christmas, though, he learnt the concept of presents under the tree. When we opened one for him on Christmas morning, he took another to ask us to open. Sure learns fast ...

As for me, I now join the ranks of those owning a cool iPhone .. :)

But, really, above all, Christmas was great because I celebrated it with my favourite people! Couldn't ask for more!

Blessed Christmas!

May the reason of Christmas fill your heart with joy, hope, peace and thankfulness. Merry Christmas everyone!

Things that Maketh Me Happy

It's Christmas eve, but I am somehow feeling negative for MANY reasons. Probably trivial and will seem silly in hindsight, but at the moment, they are making me feel down.

One of them is dealing with hubs busy at work. I know he is tired. But it doesn't stop me from making some demands out of my own frustrations. I try not to, but I fail miserably most of the time. Still, they don't get heard, or the message gets across differently (I am guilty of the women-don't-say-what-they-want problem). Today, for once, I did not make any demands. I went about my own way. But I feel down.

But it's Christmas eve, and I choose to think happy thoughts, to give thanks this Christmas.

For God has blessed me with a son who calls me "mama" with such tenderness when he is sleepy, and with such excitement when he sees me arrive home after work;

who gives me hugs and kisses, and shouts "I yove you!";

who never fails to smile in the mornings if it is me waking him up from his slumber;

who laughs and giggles so hysterically when I give him a mega tickling session;

who makes a dash to jump into my embrace whenever I open up my arms (and killing my bladder, my womb and/or my chest at the same time with his powerful lunge);

who somehow knows mommy is feeling down and gives the biggest hug and kiss!

Matt Loves Ah Ma and Ah Gong

I have been extremely busy lately with my parents in town. It was lovely having them over, and for Matt to hang out with them. I thought Matt would resist them since he last saw them when he was relatively young, but he surprised me when he happily toddled over and gave them hugs when they arrived.

Everywhere he went, he'd make sure ah gong and ah ma went along. He'd watch tv, go for evening walks, eat, and play with them. He'd hold their hands when we walked in malls, much to the delight of my folks. I was surprised by the affection he showed them as he hardly sees them. But I am proud of him. Naturally, my parents are head-over-heels in love with him.

He stared at my mom when she spoke hokkien to him. We tried to teach him a few words, and being the kentang that he is, he said them with an English twang.

Wish my parents could be around us more often. Miss them loads.

Christmas Time

I love Christmas. It is just a wonderful time for thanksgiving, for looking back over the year (years, sometimes), to give thanks for all of God's blessings. I look forward to the smell of pine tree in the house, the blinking lights on the Christmas tree, to friends coming together for a great time, the gift exchanges.

This will be Matt's third Christmas - He was only a month old his first Christmas, and I remember dressing him in pink pants for our Christmas party which theme that year was "pink or green". This was after winning a 'scissors, paper, stone' game against hubs who is rather imposing on his "no pink" fashion statement. So happened we had a pair of rabbit brand pink pyjama pants that came pre-packaged in half dozens of yellow, blue and pink.

Handsome in pink, 2007

Preferring the box over the presents, 2008

When I was small ...

... and Christmas Tree was tall

Babies Prom

We brought Matt to SSO's Babies Prom on Saturday. He was his usual mischevious self, runnning along the rows of seats before the concert started. When the concert hall started filling up, he went up and down the aisle instead. Non-stop.

He was all about and suddenly stood fixated, staring at the musicians on the stage when they started playing. He was completely mersmerized.

This was him responding to a more interactive piece.

A First Family Tradition

We would visit the nursery to get a Christmas tree every year! Yay!

We went yesterday, and excitedly pointed out to the rows and rows of pine trees. He didn't like the prickly leaves. And the wet grounds. Hopefully, it will be better next year. Ha ha!

We set it up while he was sleeping. No deco yet though, couldn't find time or energy last night. This morning, when he came downstairs, he exclaimed "Cwismas twee!" I am quite amazed by his memory these days. I believe we said that only once or twice at the nursery yesterday.

Papa, me and our chosen Christmas Tree ..

Big Big Big Big Bus!

Matt's first love in the realm of vehicles is the bus. It was his first word, too, if not, one of his firsts. They just somehow fascinate him. Even after being initiated to all the other heavy duty vehicles, he always returns to his favourite bus.

So we gave him a treat and brought him onboard the "big, big, big, big bus" ala SBS bus. Unbelievably lazy as we are, we drove to near the main road and walked to the bus stop.

Needless to say, he loved it. He held on tightly to our ezlink cards and watched intently as the bus pulled in into the bus stop. Inside the bus, he looked all around, studying every detail, looking out at the passing vehicles, observing people getting on and off, and staring hard as passengers flash their cards and the machine goes beep!

It has been such a long time since either hubs or myself took the bus, we forgot to tap the ezlink card when we got off. Oh well, small price to pay to see an excited, happy boy!

Eating Out

Maybe I am to blame for Matt's fussiness when it comes to food. From day 1 of solid food, Matt has eaten only home-cooked food, thanks to well-meaning advices, from my old folks to internet to books to friends, that home-cooked is best. I have no doubts about that. Freshest ingredients, no salt, no sugar, no msg! What more could be better?! So even when we went out, I would cook at home and bring along home-cooked food to feed him outside.

I go out and see kids about the same age or younger polishing up pastas and deep fried food and I thought to myself, Matt's got home-cooked food, that's so much better than the food those kids are chowing down.

These days, though, I wish I hadn't been such a sticker to the rule. I wish I let Matt try outside food when he was younger. Maybe it would have been easier for him to adapt to any types of food. At two, we are still rushing home after a morning outing to let him eat lunch at home. Or an evening in the park to be ended earlier just so he wouldn't be late for dinner at home. I wish that we could just play on and on and then just pop by into a restaurant to eat together.

It's not that I like him eating outside food that much. But I wish that when we do eat outside, he'd eat whatever we ate. But he wouldn't.

Except for fries. That, he loves.

We are now on a mission to let him try everything we eat when we go out. We'd still bring his food out - I am not cool enough to let him not eat. But we will start him out on what is served in the restaurant first. If he eats that, then I will gladly eat his stuff from home!! Afterall, it's home-cooked leh!

Hort Park

On the topic of the outdoors, another great place that we have been to is Hort Park. It was on one of the week days in October when hubs was able to get off work early - what a mid-week treat for everyone!

Matt enjoyed the swing, the slides. He also seemed to enjoy pushing his own pram. I especially love the Hort Lawn, a wide-open, flat patch of very well-maintained carpet grass that we ran and ran all about! I felt like a kid, but looked like a mad woman on the run! :)

Photos taken outdoor are just so much lovelier! Photos turned out great despite an overcast.

The Great Outdoors

Little things make us excited as parents. Good weather is one of them.

It has been drizzling or outrightly raining cats and dogs, so we have been mall-ing a lot. So on Sunday evening when hubs and I saw clear blue skies, we excitedly prepared for an evening in the outdoors. We headed straight for the Botanical Gardens the moment Matt woke up from his nap!

Matt ran about happily, returning to the "base" often to chow down on strawberries and Gerber stars. He spotted a Thomas the Train belonging to another kid which turned out to be a bubbles machine which churns out Thomas the Train tune while letting out loads of bubbles. Matt loved it, and was swaying to the tune.

The weather was excellent! Windy, not humid, and not too sunny. It was a really great evening, and I think we ALL had fun!