Back to 9 Dec...

Added meaning to my birthday... =)


.

Mischievous Adri...

Yup, as the title suggests, here are a few of what my lil' one has been up to of late:




Ascending her slide (the wrong way)...




Being off (instead of on and buckled up on) the car seat, fooling around on the mat throughout journeys...




whining in a heart-wrenching manner when things don't go her way...




Riding on Daddy's exercise machine (instead of on her rocking reindeer)...





Pulling charts off the wall!


What sayeth you? =O
.

New Toy...

For Mummy (not Adri)! =D

Mart bought an SLR yesterday (10 Dec) and i was happily snapping and snapping away.

.

.

Would u believe me if i say the fan was actually oscillating at full speed? =D

.

.

.

And this! i did not freeze the screen! =D

.

Am having loads of fun learning how to use the gadget.

Will put up some pics of ADri soon! =D

.

Sayang Pepper

Adri joins Daddy in expressing love for Pepper Doggie...

Adri tried to sayang the cats too but was more reserved. She seemed to know that the cats weren't as friendly as Pepper. =)

.

A Lil' Walk with Daddy & Mummy...

Yesterday was the very first we didn't carry Adri all the way to the carpark.

Though slow, tremendously enjoyable was the walk.

Stamp, stamp, stamp, went the tiny steps.

*BLISS*

=)

.

Adrielle's 1st Birthday Celebration

Given that little Adri often exhibits stranger anxiety, Mart & I were very mindful when we planned her little birthday celebration. We figured that Adri would prob end up bear-hugging Daddy or Mummy, or worse, wail uncontrollably should the majority of the guests be unfamiliar to her. Eventually, we settled for a dinner between our immediate families + some close friends. =)

We were glad we had a small crowd. Adri was all at ease and mingled well amongst the guests. An excellent host, she gibbered and giggled with the crowd, totally unaware that she was the reason behind their loads of laughter.

Things happen so fast after little kids turn one! just yesterday (@ 12.5 months), Adri took many steps unassisted, from Help to me, in an attempt to pass the little basket which she was holding to me. Boy, i simply can't wait to capture a few shots of that! =D

I suppose Adri will soon be chasing the cats and the dog around the house? =D

.

Adri & Snacks!

Watch Adri fiddle and fumble with her baby biscuits as she tries to feed herself. =D

My baby is growing up. =)

.

Impressed.

Strained my back yesterday and stayed home the whole of today.
Discovered that Adri was actually more intelligent than i thought!

Cover that Footie!
I had to make a trip to the doc's.
I held the scrunched up socks and muttered, "Wear your socks, Adri."
Apparently aware of my intent, little Adri proactively held her little feet up, one at a time, for me and kept each raised until i had put on the socks for her!
That was a mega surprise as Adri would usually dangle her feet while Daddy/Help carried her and I put her socks on her.
Now, the socks were scrunched. Was Adri able to comprehend what i had said or did her prior experiences prompt her to lift her feet for Mummy and only lower them after they were neatly covered? =D
I was simply thrilled and showered my little one with loads of praises and she too, broke into a mega-watt smile, showcasing her 4 teeth.
What a cute sight! =D

Trick or Treat?
Was waiting for my turn to see the doc and was seated at the coffeeshop near the clinic. Little Adri insisted that i carried her. Despite the pain i was experiencing, I did, as i simply couldn't turn away my child who was whining and who had her arms reached out for me (Which Mummy could?).
Help was good, she knew i shouldn't be carrying Adri as the 9kg load would be a further strain on my back and tried to carry Adri who simply refused to loose her grip.
Help then tried to lure Adri by showing Adri her latest favourite - her baby biscuits.
Adri stared hard at the biscuits for seconds.
i expected Help's attempt to take Adri away from me to be smooth as Adri never once lost gaze of the biscuits but alas, Help failed flat.
Adri turned away and for the first time, said no to her yummy favourites!
Now, was Little Adri aware that it was a trick or did she really choose Mummy over her favourite biscuit? I choose to believe that it was the latter. =)

1,2,3!
To carry her, i couldn't but to play with her, I could.
Adri's been trying to stand independently lately.
I was resting on the couch and Little Adri came and showed me her little stunt, dropping to the ground after a few seconds each time.
Sensing that play was what she wanted, i followed her directives, held her as she stood and at the count of 3, let go of her and grabbed her before she hit the ground.
Little Adri squealed as she enjoyed the game.
A few rounds into the game, Adri squealed and started stamping hard on the ground each time i counted '2', in anticipation of '3'!
Little Adri knew that '3' (ie, the thrill) comes after 2! =D
.

Joy in Lil'

I can't help it. Here's another SmileBox presentation:

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

.

Quick recollections...

This can be addictive... =O

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Tug-of-War

Adri pulls,
Pepper holds,
Adri yanks,
Pepper growls (playfully)
Frustrated and determined to win,
Adri whacks! =O
.

Sweet Surprise...

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Yup, the above is a sweet lil' surprise from Daph.
Really caught me unaware.
I was so touched that i almost teared.. =)

Adrielle Wong Ke-en - an evidence of God's grace. =)
.

.
Thanks to Daph, I had fun too! =D

You may want to check out http://www.photofunia.com/ too! =D

.

Doddle...

Adri doodled this while i was preparing her porridge this morning.




I certainly hope she figured out how to hold the pen correctly; there were times she held it the other way round and the blank screen left her puzzled. =)
.

Rocking Reindeer...

I strongly believe that one cannot love without giving.

As parents, we are always giving - love, care, time, little gifts etc

A doting father, Mart has always been mumbling about the things he would love to buy for Adri and these are some that i can remember:

1) A huge doll house

2) A mu(4th intonation) ma (3rd intonation) [rocking horse]

3) A sports car (this one is strange, isn't it? =O)

We went to IKEA for breakfast last Saturday and lo and behold, we spotted this:

Adri didn't have to make any request.

Daddy didn't take long to decide that he would pack one 'mu ma' home.

Adri has been playing with her rocking reindeer daily and the way she rocks her reindeer is far more vigourous than her first attempt shown above.

No way would Mummy and Daddy take our eyes off her whenever she rocks. We do remember that she's one daredevil. =)

.

One of our favourite hang-outs...

The numerous (apparel) boutiques and mega Toy 'R' Rus aside, here's y we have been frequently Vivo City lately...

Video taken on last Saturday afternoon - 18 October 2008

Other than the waters, the breathtaking night view coupled with the cool breeze really help to make one feel rejuvenated. =)

.

3 Falls.

Much to Mummy's dismay + heartache, Adri fell 3 times yesterday!
No big deal about kids falling actually; it's part and parcel of growing up. However, Adri hit her head when she fell!

Upon the 3rd fall, i was jokingly telling Mart that the only part of her head that had not been hit were her two sides. =/

1) Adri was kneeling and trying to bounce. In the midst of so doing, she fell backwards and hit the back of her head. Mummy who was near (and attending to i can't rem what) didn't expect her to fall as she had been performing that stunt for weeks and had never fallen! Perhaps her muscles were strengthened over the weeks and the added thrill got her to try to raise herself to a greater height before landing?
A really loud thud followed by a crescendo of wails were what i heard. Adri had hit the hard tile.

2) Adri was with Daddy. It has been a routine for Adri to cling onto Daddy's pants and walk a little every day. She loves that. It's lots easier to cling onto Daddy's pants than to Mummy's skirt.

Daddy didn't expect ADri to let go of her grip (i guess she was trying to stand without aid). And yes, she fell. From an awful height backwards, hitting hard against the tile once again.

3) Adri was crawling around on the sofa. The little daredevil wanted to reach Daddy who was on the mattress next to the couch and decided to dive headdown...how strange!
Thank God for the cushion!


Mummy was glad that little Adri was a little daredevil; the repeated hits on her head didn't stop her from venturing; Adri cried for only a while each time and thereafter, resumed her stunts! =O
My little brave one. =)

.

Huge Milestones!

Yup, i wouldn't call the following achieved little milestones.
To me, those are great strides my little princess has taken. =D

Little White Throne
I decided to put ADri on her little white potty which i had bought many months back. After some immense struggle (that got perspiration trickling down my forehead), Adri successfully pee-ed and poo-ed in it! Just imagine that! My little one got it right at her first attempt! It wouldn't be hard for you to imagine how broadly i was smiling! =D =D

Put her on her potty on Tues and once again, she did her little business in it, and much to Mummy's delight, within a few short minutes and with greater ease. =D

Today, i put her on her potty again. Wanted to get that done before her grandmother turned up. To my dismal, my little one was terrible distracted when Granny and Daddy returned home. She didn't want to pee. The moment she got off the potty and sat on the floor (before i could put her diaper on her), she pee-ed!
Mummy was awfully amused. =)

Sip Sip!
Instructions on package wrote that an infant could start sipping from a straw at 8+ months. I decided to change ADri's spout to a straw and gave it to her last night. Adri resisted the straw a couple of times, liken to how she resisted the spout when it was first introduced to her, wriggling non-stop, just to set herself free from Mummy's grip.
The inevitable struggle ensued cos Mummy was rather persistent. Think u know the outcome - Adri finally realised what Mummy was trying to get her to do; she settled happily in my arms, sipping her water through the straw mug. =)

Gave her her straw mug today and my little Adri did not forget the skill she picked up the previous night! =D

For sure, the reinforcement (something that teachers strongly believe in) will continue.
i am looking forward to her (Adri) being diaper-free and to her drinking from a water bottle =D
. .

Teddy Bear

Adri woke up early today. As usual, she went "Whey!" to call for us.
Mummy was trying her utmost best to dress up and not be late for work and didn't have time to play with her. I then tried to get her to play with whatever she could lay her hands on.
Adri played with a remote control for a few minutes before bordoem slipped in again.

"Whey!" she went.
Mummy turned, smiled and asked, "Where's your teddy bear, Adri?"
Adri scanned the big bed, paused when she spotted her teddy, grabbed it and looked at me!

You cannot imagine how thrilled i was! It's amazing that she could actually understand what i was referring to.
I had neither prompted her nor activated her prior knowledge deliberately . =)

Proud Mummy. =)
.

ANITRAM

Read the title from right to left; that's what Mart called Adri today.

Adri chanced upon a packet of potpurri and was trying to open it. The loud rustling seemed to suggest Adri's success. In his attempt to stop Adri, Mart called her name aloud several times. Adri usually responses to her name after one or two mentions but this time round, she didn't. She was probably way too engrossed or perhaps, the rustling sound drowned Daddy's call.

Mart then mumbled to himself, "Hmph! Maybe i should call her Martina instead," and did just that!
Curious, i asked him why he wanted to call Adri "Martina". He replied, "Looks like me mah."
Seconds later, Adri responded, not to her new name, but to my outburst of laughter. =)

Is little Martin = Martina ?? =D

I Love Adri.

It's 6.30pm. I'm done with my work but i can't leave because the p.m. session pupils are being released and i'll have to wait for all the school buses to leave before i can drive off.
i can't wait to be home with Adri. i enjoy every minute i have with her.
ADri has grown to be more aware of her surroundings and is getting cheekier + cuter by the day.

Picked her up from Mum's early yesterday and these are some of the funny things she did during our hours together:-

1) Adri played catching with me!
While i walked, Adri crawled and tried to grab my toenail (because she was attracted by the flower print on it) ! Boy, she was persistent. She went some ten rounds around the house without whining or screaming! However, she did go "Whey!" - her verbal command of "stop". =D

2) I pretended to snooze and she actually lifted up my strands of hair, peered right up close and grin cheekily!

3) I went to the washroom and i heard knocks (or rather, pats) on the door after a few seconds. Adri wouldn't let me out of her sight and was asking me to open the door for her and she knocked until i opened the door!

4) Adri tried to grab the cat's tail! Not once, but a few times! She probably found the long swinging ''rope'' intriguing.

5) She tried to touch Genie's (my ginger cat's) face. Genie was sweet, he simply sniffed her fingers and didn't bite. =)

Hmm...I wonder how Adri will surprise me today. =)
.

What a week!

I think a good nite's rest is on the way, the first of the whole week.

Adri started running a temperature since Monday, all the way til Friday!
Despite the serveral dosages of Paracetamol + Brufen and Mommy's late night sponging, the fever refused to subside but kept fluctuating, ranging from 37.7 degrees c to 39.7 degrees c! How agonising and worrying!

While Mummy, Daddy and Grandies (Grandparents) were terribly worried, little Adri didn't seem at all disturbed; she remained as active as ever! That of course, added a toll to the physically fatigued Mummy and Daddy who were nonetheless thankful that our little babe was still smilin and crawling around.
Throughout the 4 days, Adri saw Dr Yeo twice. From one who didn't mind medication, she squirmed at the sight of the syringe! =/

Thought things were turning for the better when Adri's temp dropped to 37.5 degree c on Friday morning but alas, when i went to pick her up from my in-laws' later that afternoon, a rash-covered Adri greeted me. Numerous tiny red spots covered Adri's face, neck, body and back! We decided to rush ADri to KK hopsital. After a long two-hour wait, results of the blood test cleared Adri of HFMD, Dengue and... (i cannot rem).
Doc's diagnosis - Adri had Roseola aka false measles. Cool eh?
Many whom i spoke with didn't even know such an illness existed!
No medication needed. i could only wait patiently for the spots to clear and they sure did!
Today, ADri's crystal clear complexion returned. =)

Now, ADri is sound asleep. Not only will Mummy and Daddy sleep well, Adri too, will settle in heavenly peace; she's finally free from late night medication and sponging. =)

Empathy Vs Sympathy
Through this short one-week ordeal, i experienced a clear distinction between empathy and sympathy.
Friends who aren't parents will never be able to empathise; only those who are could identify with the heartache and worry that i was experiencing. Needless to say, the words and advice that they offered truly comforted.
Her daughter had Roseola too, but that colleague of mine surfed the internet just to find out more and the bits (the assurance that Roseola was common amongst children from 6m to 2y) really helped. Thanks, HC.
My Sis-in-law's fren dropped me an msg and spoke from her personal experience, just to assure me that things would be fine. Thanks, Meiling.
Of course, Daph, constantly flooded my mobile throughout the week with "How's ADri?". =)

Truly, at a point of distress, what i needed wasn't tonnes of information and knowledge, but the comfort and support.
Somehow, mothers and girlfriends are good at that.
Men (other than V.T), esp male bosses are terrible! Not that i expected anything, but the two experiences i had (once while i was carrying Adri and the other just on Friday) with two different male bosses are enough to confirm that men are just task-oriented creatures who place work above relationships.
Utterly disappointing.
.

Frustrated Mommy...

Mommy had to cook for little Adri today cos helper had left. Why? Will answer that in my next entry.

The simple meal of fish + carrot + scallop + white rice porridge (instead of her usual brown rice porridge) took me reeeaaal long, something like an hour?! *Faint* The race with time and baby's rumbling tummy was no joke!

Firstly, I could not find my grinder! Spent some 15 mintues looking for that. Thought Helper was using it daily as i had instructed her to grind Baby's brown rice to bits daily. Didn't expect that to be chucked aside, right at one hidden corner of the cabinet. =(
Secondly, Mummy took rather long to prepare the fish. Adri had cod fish today cos her usual "ngoh" fish was sold out. It has been months since i last cooked for Adri as Help and Mum had always been the ones preparing my little darling's meals. I had to take great care in removing those tiny bones from the fillet...
Thirdly, unsuccessful grinding. Put the diced ingredients into the grinding but spotted chunky remnants after the process! It was then that i knew why the grinder was chucked aside. =/
Fourthly, the seemingly long boiling process. Cooked over stove. Took quite some minutes cos the chunky carrots remained hard.
Finally, The blending. Put everything into the blender and that helped to bring about the consistency i desire.

Thankfully, Adri loved the porridge. It turned out naturally sweet. That made all the turmoil worthwhile. =)
.
.

I Miss ....

ADRI!

I miss my little Adri terribly and i wonder why.

I miss Adri's smile
I miss Adri's hugs
I miss Adri's whining
I miss how she would rest her head on my shoulders and pat my back
I miss how she would gaze into my eyes when she tries to process what i am saying, with her mouth slightly opened
I miss how she would peer over from behind my shoulders and give me a cheeky grin
I miss her clapping her hands
I miss her patting my hands
I miss her patting my chest
I miss her patting my face and accidentally slapping my cheeks
I miss her climbing up the coffee table
I miss her crawling around
I miss her gibberish
I miss her waving goodbye
I miss the sight of her reaching out for items that are way too high for her
I miss the sight of her chuckling heartily whenever she plays with Daddy
I miss how she would cling onto my clothes and not let me out out her sight
(and the list continues...)

Is it because she bruised her little finger while she was trying to open the baby gate and Mummy's heart is bleeding? Hmmm...
.

10 months old...

Adrielle turns ten months old today.
Curious and adventurous she has been, young as she is.

I AM PROUD OF MY LITTLE BABE.

Last Wednesday - 170908
I trudged wearily at the end of an unpleasant long working day (It was one of the days where we had to rank teachers..) to Mum's and the fatigue vanished the moment i was greeted by little Adri.
With the broadest smile she could ever offer, Adri excitedly moved her hands, brought one palm to the other that was held upright and stationary. How smart! She was clapping! =D
Affirmed by my uncontrollable laughter and praises, she went on, countless of times, looking for further affirmation by my mum and helper!
And amidst all that, my helper was saying "Give applause!" to Adri.
Now, not only was ADri smart enough to associate the action of clapping to "give applause" (which i thought were rather tough for a 10-month-old), i thought my help was smart too, to be able to pick those words up from those Sunday services!

Some time last week
Adri was spotted climbing our coffee table! She attempted to climb up the TV console too, but was detered by her seemingly short legs.

She ceased Mummy's and Daddy's worry of her tumbling off the bed and sofa by carefully crawling backwards, past the edge of the bed (and sofa), leaving her two legs hanging in the heights while holding tight to the bedsheet (and sofa covers), lowering her legs an inch at a time and eventually landing with a little jerk. =D

Yesterday & Today - 220908 & 230908
Adri awoke early. Instead of watching Daddy and Mummy get ready for work quietly, she went, "Whey!"
Extended repertoire of words to "Da Da, Ma Ma, Mum Mum, Neh Neh, Eh, some other gibber + Whey!" =D
.
Now, don't i have every reason to be proud of her?
I am sure you are proud of your babe too. =D
.

D is for...

Diet!

Introduced a few new foods to Adri during the past week.
Other than the usual fish + vege + carrot porridge, i started to add chicken, pork, scallop and sweet potato into Adri's porridge. On top of that, i also gave her potato and a little cheese! =D
Adri took each of her meals well! =D =D

You know right? i have never been this diligent when it comes to cooking. =p
.

Chirp Chirp!

I discovered yet another place that makes me feel like a complete idiot *sigh*.


The first is a forest, or for a matter of fact, any greenery filled with lots of plants. All plants look the same to me and i really can't tell them apart.


The second is the Bird Park!!
Throughout the our whole outing (last Fri, 5 Sept), the question "What bird is this?" repeated countless of times in my mind. Emu? Snow-billed? Pelican? Peacock? xx-crowned pigoen? falcon? vulture? eagle?

I give up.
.


I prefer the zoo! =)
.

B and W

"B" in this entry stands for "Botak",
"W" then stands for "Worry".

I have always been blessed with a thick coat since i was a kid. I never had to worry about hair loss.
BUT
I've been dropping lots of hair!!!
Finger-comb thru my hair and i'll find myself holding on to a couple of loose strands.
A slight tug by Adri and there goes another few.
One shampoo and the drainage will be half-covered!

Pregancy guide books clearly state that hair loss after pregancy is inevitable. For some, hair loss starts shortly after 3 months and last til 6months. For others, hair loss doesn't start til one stops nursing. Mine's the latter. No cause for W then?
But the excessive loss IS worrying!
It's been almost 2 months since i stopped nursing ie, i've been dropping hair for a good 2 months.
Is my hair loss due to pregnancy or is it due to stress caused by a change in job scope?
I don't know.
Am i going to be B like Adri? My hair is getting lesser and def thinner... *sob*
.

Snapping Fast & Furious

I've never gone this fast with my camera!
Why?
Adri simply dislikes having something put over her botak head and i had to work fast to capture the shots of my pretty lil' one.
A great challenge! Each time i put the newly bought cap on her, she pulls it off almost immediately! I certainly hope i've not wasted my money. The cap was way too cute, i couldn't resist, though i knew that Adri really didn't like to have her head covered...




.

Rubber Duckie Time! =D

After her first trip to the pool, ADri's been really comfortable with water being splashed at her face (she didn't use to be)! =D

An extremely happy Adri during yesterday's bath time!
Watch her pat water, try to catch soap suds and hug the rubber duckie head! =D



=D
.

Fearless Girl...

This was Sat (30 Aug)
Sent helper back home to drop something. Little Adri decided to be acrobatic during our short wait.



She's so active!
.

Adri loves books?

Hang in there long enuff and you'll see Adri dig for books, figure how to flip a book and conscientiously remove her books (yes, many bookS) from a box!



Was amazed that she actually perservered for quite a while with one of the books and tried to flip it, but alas, her leg was in the way! Guess she soon realised there were many other books for her to explore! =D
.

ADri at the nursery gym.

Here's Adri's share of fun.
Watch her explore the nursery gym! =D

Adri tunnels...



Yet again! =D



Adri wanted to reverse but got stuck! =D



Adri pats the tunnel..



She's so cute! She's been a lot more inquisitive and surprising me with her little acts every now and then. What a joy! =D
.

A Memorable Teachers' Day Celebration - 290808

I woke up feeling really tired. I had an eventful Teachers' Day.
Now that I feel more rested, I shall try to blog.

Eve of Teachers' Day Celebration (280808)
"Mrs Wong, Chester is still not home! He told my mother that he was staying back in school to finish up his Science corrections. It's past 6pm and i can't find him anywhere!" an anxious parent ranted, all in one breath.
You guessed it, Chester lied.
What followed was a series of calls to names that i could remember and frantic but futile search attempts on the part of the parents.
Cut the long story short. Chester returned shortly after. He had been playing with his friends.

"Mrs Wong, Chester told me that one boy in the class ganged up with some other kids in the school to beat him up! I want justice for my Chester! He had been bullied!" the same parent called up (yet again) shortly after and spouted
Unbelievable. Cos Chester isn't exactly an angel but the "bully" is an extremely timid boy.
Still, it was part of my job to investigate and be accountable to Chester's mum who demanded a meetup with me the following day - 290808 (Teachers' Day celebration)

Was terribly puzzled. didn't sleep well. How could i have not detected anything if what Chester had said was true???

290808
Arrived at school with tonnes of questions in my mind. Curious, yet dreaded the thought that such an incident happened and worse, instead of my well-deserved rest, i had to work extra hard on Teachers' Day.

It was still too early (7am) to catch the boys so i decided to work on my SA2 paper. Wanted to get that done before the day ended so that i could pass it to my HOD for final vetting. U see, if i hadn't, i would prob have to return to school during my one week break.

"Julia!!!!!!!!!!! Amelia injured her fingers!!!!! She's crying and bleeding very badly!!" my train of thoughts was interrupted by this beginning teacher who literally ran to my work station, screaming for me. Expect me to leave my workstation immediately and rush to the sick bay? I didn't.
"Should be another of those small cuts," i thought and closed the soft copy of my SA2 paper at leisure before moving over. Not that i'm not sympathetic, but i wouldnt risk leaving an important document unattended, revealing its contents and end up resetting the paper.

I FROZE. What greeted me was a pair of palms covered with fresh blood. Blood was oozing out from and trickling down Amelia's fingers. Amelia (who was usually a toughfie) was wailing, my principal was shoulder-hugging her and trying to comfort her and an EAS was trying to stop the bleeding and pain with a cold compress. I just froze at the entrance of the sick bay. I have never seen that much blood. My Principal caught my look. I guess i was pale.

"Julia, could u get a pail and try and clean up her palm?" my principal instructed.
i reacted.
"Pail? pail? what kind of pail?" i forced myself to think.
Believe it or not, the first kind of pail that appeared in my mind was those that the cleaners would use to mop the floor! =(
The next imagery was then a smaller bucket that the cleaners would carry around when they need to clean the classroom windows! =O
Almost wanted to run off and ask them for one!
How silly right? how could i be thinking of using a dirty pail to dress a wound?!!
I wanted to slap myself for even having those stupid thoughts.
Amazed at my thought process.
Tried to be calm and rummaged through the shelves in the sick bay.
Come full circle and finally found this silvery tray.
Steeled myself to face the pair of bloody hands and clean them up.
i winced at the sight of the wounds. my hair literally stood and i had goose bumps but still, I had to act strong (though my face was prob pale) for the sake of my traumatised Amelia. Now that i recall, i was trying hard to control my fingers, to prevent them from trembling! =O

So what exactly happened?
Amelia's poor fingers had been slammed by the AVA control room door. Unlike the normal classroom door, that was a really heavy door. some boys didn't want her in the control room (God knows why...) and decided to close the door on her. They didn't notice her poor fingers and wham, went the door. She screamed. The boys thought it was all play and continued to press hard on the door, with all the force as they could muster.
When they finally opened the door, what greeted them was what had greeted me.
Even though i am an adult, i froze, what more the kids?

My Principal then decided that we had to take Amelia to KK Emergency. I drove. my colleague accompanied Amelia. Throughout the journey, yours truly tried hard not the get lost (i'm really an idiot when it comes to directions), keep safe during that peak hour (7.10am) jam and at the same time, comfort Amelia.

Reached the hospital, followed the nurses' directives and zoomed from one room to another. Each time they removed the cold compress to examine Amelia's fingers, i wanted to squeeze my colleague. The sight of the badly swollen, bruised and bloody fingers was too much for me to bear.

The diagnosis after an xray, after two doctors' and one orthopedic's examination:-
Amelia had fractured two of her fingers. They suspected cuts and blood clog under her nails. Those could be the cause of the unbearable pain.
Remedy?
They would have to remove Amelia's nails, put in some splinters, examine the fingers for cuts and clog and then put the nails back (to protect the flesh).
OUCH!
I almost flipped when i heard that!
Tried my best to comfort Amelia who was literally crying non-stop.

After some 2 plus hours at KK, Amelia's mum arrived. She took over and we headed back to school. The whole time i was there, my phone rang non-stop. Amelia's parents called, school called and Chester's mum called too! i obivously wasn't in the right frame of mind to talk to her about Chester's case. I had an emergency on hand!

By the time we reached sch, we were dead beat. It had been only 3 hours since the beginning of the day but we were already exhausted. just imagine the mental processes that we had gone through!

Lesson learnt? Realised i cannot be an EBO. Thought i was strong but i was all wrong. literally cringed at the sight of blood. i wonder if i would have fainted if there was more blood and hence become an emergency, a hindrance instead of a help! =O

10.10am. It was supposed to be class party time. I didn't have the mood.
Still, i smiled and thanked my pupils for the surprise party they had organised and the gifts that they had so thoughtfully prepared.
Didn't have much time to mingle. Cut the cake and got down to Chester's case.
Heard from both boys.
To me, it was a pure case of miscommunication and mis-management of emotions. wrong notion of play.

Just when i was about to catch a breather and a bite, "Mrs Wong, Wang Yun is crying," someone reported. i then spotted my girl crying. Wang Yun is one unique kid. She's extremely quiet and reserved at school. She prefers to be alone and doesn't really speak. However, back at home, she's just like any other normal kid who chats readily.
Went over to her and after much coaxing, i realised she was tearing because she had been praised by the teacher who relieved me in the early hours of my absence.
I gather my excited class was too noisy and the teacher took Wang Yun as a positive example.
Wang Yun didn't like to be singled out.
Have always felt that we teachers have not been using enuff of positive reinforcement but have loosely been putting pupils down and reprimanding them way too frequently. It was then that i realised that not everyone respond well to praises. There are sensitive kids who may think otherwise. Very appalling.


290808 - Afternoon
My ex-pupils came to visit. i quickly tidied up my SA2 paper so that i could spend some time with them. I really miss them. They were such a sweet bunch. Three of them came over to my house for a short while and it was a good meetup. Miss them sooooo much, one of my best batches. Have been thru so much with them.

290808 - Evening
Had my Teachers' Day dinner. Honestly, given a choice, i would really have preferred to rest at home. Was so tired! Had to function and participate in the group games that i didn't really enjoy. Not my personalilty to be so "rah rah".
But the good part of it was, took a lift from my ex-boss. Glad to be able to catch up a little.
Still miss his presence. He's a fortress. =)

By the time i reached home, Adri was already asleep. I watched her and felt sad that I didn't get to spend time with my Adri the whole of yesterday!
One thought struck me:- I will never want to be in a position where i'll have to work all day and be available to my kids at an hour whereby they are supposed to be and/or are already asleep. I didn't even get to say good morning or good night to Adri yesterday! That bites...

I suppose Teachers' Day 2008 would be the most memorable.
Keeping my fingers crossed, I certainly hope there won't another like this.
.

KS...

Been asking myself if i've been KS.
.
Like it or not, Kiasuism is one of our (Singaporeans') trait. To me, Kiasuism has its place, it definitely helps to define us (Sinaporeans) but too much of it is repulsive, portrays us as an ungracious and ugly society.
.
Parents, have you thinking about your child’s education - which playgroup/childcare to put him or her, when to do that, where to for Primary school etc? I’ve been hearing so much of these lately, prob cos it’s the time of the year where parents eagerly register their kids for Pri education.
Am I KS? Honestly, I know the importance of having a head start in life but I really pity the kids of today. To me, it’s so hard to be a kid in Singapore! Kids in Singapore are expected to play little and study lots! Even when they play, parents prob permit only educational games, games that will value add to the child’s academia, if not, none! How sad!
.
Isn’t the scene of an educated parent eagerly trying to stuff the contents of flashcards into their infants’ mind familiar? Some start as young as 5 months!
.
In a typical primary school, kids sit at their desks with much rigidity and only get to let their hair down during that short 30min break (recess)! At times, they really look so deprived, liken to caged animals let loose. After school, they go for endless tuition and/or enrichment classes. No wonder our kids don’t enjoy school! So much monotony and drills!
.
So, where to for Adri’s pri education? (I admit I have given it a thought, but nope, no conclusion as yet.) Say, if I have a choice, I would love to put Adri in an International School. I want Adri to have a happy childhood and find joy in learning. The Singapore educational system is simply too stressful and the stress level seems to be increasing over the years. To me, knowledge can be acquired over time, characterization of a person is of utmost importance.
.
Break is over! Back to class (Routine, routine and more routine…)!
.

Cheeky Adri! =D

Adri made me laugh non-stop yesterday!

It was time for her last feed, 3.5 hours after her previous. I told her it was time for her milk milk and settled her on my lap, cradling her.
My little one traced her bottle of milk, eagerly reaching out for it. Just when I thought she would drink her milk and thereafter settle into slumberland, my cheeky one examined her milk bottle, then held the bottle real tightly against her belly. Each time I tried to put the bottle into her mouth, she cleverly exerted a push, of strength just enough to restrain me and yet not push the bottle away! And upon seeing the expression of shock I had, she grinned super broadly!
Tried a few times thereafter but the attempts were futile, i just couldn’t move the bottle at all! Boy, she was strong! Baby was obviously hungry, but decided to be cheeky. My little one was obviously rejoicing over her little triumph and at the same time, delighted that she had successfully tickled Mummy. And me? Of course, I couldn’t help it, I laughed. Just imagine that, I really couldn’t move the bottle at all!
That spark in her eyes and the cheeky grin really tickled me. =D
Hmm...is my baby girl learning to be cheeky? =)
.

To The Pool! =D

We took Adri to the pool yesterday! =D
Wow, it's quite some preparatory work prior to the trip!
Other than the most important, ie, the swim wear, there were other things i had to get ready:
- baby float
.this one is interesting! I didn't know there were so many dif types!
.Floats for infants come with an attached seat, obviously for baby to "cruise" in the water! =D
- arm floats (is this wat u call them?)
- sunblock!
.I didn't know i need to get this until my colleague told me! Not cheap!
.

Adri donned her cousin's swim wear. So cute!
Tried it on her before we set off for Sengkang Swimming Complex. Heard that that newly opened pool has some landscape features! =D
.

Check Adri out! =D =D
Thankfully the costume fit! =D
.


.
I love her belly! =D
Adri seemed so proud of herself!=D
.




.
Some warm-up exercises before we set off...
(Actually, Mummy was busy with packing....Adri played on her own, under Daddy's supervision.)
There were moments when Adri admired the little baby in the mirror! =D
.


.


Baby's irresistably cute!
Some pics with Mummy before setting off!
.


.


And pics with Daddy! =D
Hee, thought i caught her in some ballet stances...
.




We tried a family pic!
But didn't turn out too well.
Possibly, Adri was saying,

.
"Let's go, Daddy! I dun want to wait any longer!"
.


.


Here are some pics of Adri in the pool!
Adri was rather fearful at the beginning and wanted to get out of the water. refused the float and clung on to us rather tightly. But after some coaxing, she soon warmed up...
.

Daddy attempted to get Adri into the float...

.



At the end of the trip, Adri was sooooo tired (prob cos she really worked out) that she fell asleep, as soon as we were done with changing her, even before we left the complex! =D
.
.

.

Boy, not only was Adri tired, both Mummy and Daddy were exhausted too!

And we wondered why. Prob cos we were really focused on her.

Hmm...I wished i could take a dip and swim some good laps at the olympic pool....Mummy loves to swim! =D Next time perhaps...

We went for chilli crab (yes, again) at Punngol Marina. Baby was still asleep!

Now, where to for the next trip? =D =D

.

National Day Outing!

Today's one rare Saturaday where i don't have to work. Hubby and i wanted to bring Adri to somewhere special.

Our definition of special: somewhere dif from the usual; a trip significant enuff; a place where u won't visit like every other day

After some quick elimination of the many choices, we were left with two:

1) To the zoo!

2) For a swim! =D

We went to the zoo! We weren't sure if Adri was old enuff to understand what was going on but we decided to give it a shot! =D

Swelthering weather, but it was real fun! =D

Perspiration aside, Daddy, Mummy and little Adri got to see many animals!

Mummy hadn't been to the zoo for years so she was terribly excited! =D

Daddy + Mummy were excited, but how was Adri?

Hee...she slept! =O

But not throughout the trip, she awoke, half an hour into the expedition.

Here are some pics.

I simply love this animal! Soooo majestic! But Adri missed it. Zzzzz...

.

Adri puzzled at where she was. Or was she puzzled by the kangeroos?

Oh, since we were going to be in close contact with nature, we decided to dress Adri in Safari green. =)

.

Here, Mart was explaining what the elephants were doing to Adri and trying to get her to focus at the humongous greys...

We were trying to get a shot of the numerous trams that were constantly passing by...The zoo was especially crowded!

Went to see the rainforest show but soon left cos' it was extremely crowded and Adri wasn't quite appreciating it. There were too many distractions and given that the stage was rather far from where we were, Adri didn't know where to focus. She got bored so we left (thou i wasn't!) =)

Saw an Orang Utan in the pic?

.

We decided to catch a little rest by a beautiful lake.

Went to the children's amusement area. There was a huge playground and a water play area.

My, there were loads of children in their swimming costumes! I didn't think that was a right place for swimming. It was more like a wading pool. Didn't expect to see that many children in swimming costumes.

The kids were having loads of fun running around and spraying water at each other with the gigantic spraying machines provided. Mart and I didn't want Adri to get wet so we chose a super shallow yet quiet spot. Decided on a prelude to the actual swimming trip.

Adri standing in the shallow waters, rather puzzled. Not sure wat she should do. She watched others play...

.

Then she took a look at the water...

.

Daddy lifted her off the water a few times...

And she actually wanted to sit in the water like the other kids did! Perhaps she thought it was another "pong pong" (bathing) session?

.

Saw the only horse carriage in Singapore! =D

Yet another of the majestic species - the jaguar!

Moment before it took a bite of its meal?

.

Adri admiring the big cats! =D

Perhaps little ADri loves cats, just like her mummy? =D =D

Spot the girraffs!

.

.

ADri looking at the polar bears...

.

.

.

Then Adri got tired...and it was time to go home. =)

.

.

Before we left, we browsed the gift shop. Showed Adri this polar bear stuffed toy and she refused to let go of it!

.

.

Did we get the toy for her? We didn't! =)

.

It seemed like Adri did appreciate certain parts of the trip afterall!

Daddy and Mummy sure did! =D

We are looking forward to our next outing! Perhaps to the pool? =D

.