Shiloh wants to be a boy

In Angie's latest interview with the Vanity Fair, she revealed that Shiloh is very tomboy. "She likes to dress like a boy. She wants to be a boy. So we had to cut her hair. She likes to wear boys' everything. She thinks she's one of the brothers."

I get it, confusion happens.

This is going to be mega embarrassing, but I didn't know that i was a girl till much later. I guess my mother never bothered getting the facts right at the beginning. I always thought i could choose. I weighed the pros and cons everyday.

Boy: Get to play rowdy rough.

Girl: Get to wear skirts and dresses.

Boy: Can pee standing. A real plus point!

Girl: Long hair is pretty.

What a tough decision!

I can't quite remember the details now, but i know i consciously chose to be a girl and told my dad of the decision and he was like, "Hello, you ARE a girl." I think i felt mad that no one told me earlier.

Once i stopped being confused about my sex and sexuality, the others became confused. I grew up with an aunt who refused to let me grow out my hair. And then my sister wanted me to have short hair so that i could look like Zoe Tay, something like the picture below but of course i did not look half as good (Jie if u are reading you should feel very guilty!). So i had shiloh hair all the way till i was quite old, maybe 12ish?

Puberty came quite early for me, i had to get one of those triumph mini-sets to accommodate my new *ahem* figure. So i walked into an underwear shop and this lady told me straight up that she didn't sell boys' briefs. By then i was old enough to protest so i shouted at the top of my lungs that I AM NOT A BOY.

So yes, i've had really humble beginnings.

Friends are made of these...

A fellow stepford wife has been posted to Shanghai. We mourned over her move by finding excuses to meet up almost every single day during her last week.

Seriously, friends have made motherhood bearable/pleasurable. They are not just the icing on the cake, they ARE the cake. Most of them have kids older than Mountain Boy so it's great that i can take a cue and learn from their successes and "mistakes".

All the best in Shanghai. Thank you for being so genuine and caring, you have been such a great company for the past year. I really mean it when i say that i look up to you as a mother. I miss you already.

XOXO

When the school closes...

Mountain Boy's babygroup reported a few positive cases of HFMD a couple of weeks back so all music and babygym classes have come to a stop until further notice. YIKES!

Not good news at all cos that means i'd have to find other ways to entertain my little energizer bunny. Here's what we've been up to lately.

Artist at work:

We've finally tried hand painting last week. Looks like a major project but believe me the painting lasted not more than 5 minutes before Mountain Boy got bored and started chewing on the paint tubes- which is non-toxic not to worry. The cleaning took another 30 minutes.

His entire leg was covered in paint. It reminded me of those heavily tattooed yakuzas.

2 Second tent:

A friend bought a 2 second-tent (takes 2 seconds to erect, but 2 hrs to fold back together) and a group of mommies and i decided to hold a ceremonial picnic just to break into the tent. I think Mountain Boy likes it. I am considering getting one for the camping trip that will never happen.

小熊 (Teddy)

Mountain Boy and his lovely. I can't be sure which Auntie gave this kingkow bear to him but i thank her from the bottom of my heart. He rubs his face on Teddy's tummy and chews on his ears and limbs. Sometimes i whisper secrets to Teddy and Teddy tells me how good Mountain Boy has been. It always makes Mountain Boy beam with pride.

Now i just hope that i don't lose Teddy cos i don't have a back up! In fact i haven't washed his in a month and it smells like salted fish.

If you happen to see the same bear from kingkow, will you buy one for me please?

A healthy appetite

We're very lucky that Mountain Boy has an extremely good appetite. I'm still learning the ropes of preparing and experimenting with baby food so sometimes i do screw up his meals, but he finishes them like it's the most delicious delicacy in the world.

I have been slowly introducing finger foods into his diet. Not only will it improve his hand-eye coordination, it also encourages self-feeding and discourages over-feeding.

The first few tries were rather "gripping" because he almost choked on the larger morsels, but he has so far managed to spit them out without us having to physically intervene. He now has chopped up pears, avocados, banana and small teared up pieces of bread, usually for breakfast and teatime.

Useful tip: if you find the pieces too slippery, dust them in baby rice cereal or crushed up cheerios before serving.

Here's a video of him gobbling up his afternoon pear. We've also been teaching him baby sign language, so he does a sign of "more" (doing a baby five with both hands) towards the end of the video.

Momma's so proud of ma boy.

Caution: If you are thinking of introducing finger foods to your baby, please make sure u watch him at all times. If he chokes, don't put on a panic face, try to hit him on the back somewhere in between the shoulder blades and neck to help regurgitate. Read up more information on Baby Led Weaning before proceeding.

Why Father's Day is potentially huge-er than Mother's Day in my household

...because Mountain Boy idolizes his father. Of course he comes to me to play and nuzzles for comfort, but his Dad is the real rock star. He would stand RIGHT INFRONT of the amplifier to support his Dad. He even peed on that particular spot he was standing on to mark his territory, as if only HE can have the best seat in the world. (I know u're wondering what kind of mother am i to let my son run wild without diapers but he had a rash on his you know what).

Shake shake, shake that cute lil bouncy booty.

Mountain Boy practicing on his Xbox drums.

Mountain Boy: Dad, can you slow down.

To celebrate Father's Day, a bunch of Mommy friends and I planned a surprise "Daddies Only" visit to the pub to watch the Japan/Holland match, front row seats and first 2 drinks included. Mountain Man was honestly surprised when i announced at 630pm, in the midst of a massive housewarming party, that he could stay out as late as he wanted and not worry about cleaning up, bathing and putting Mountain Boy to sleep.

I think he was so touched he may have cried on the way to the pub.

Anyway, a father's day is not complete without tacky gifts. Here's a pair of matchy-matchy father & son water bottles. Mountain Boy was quite the trouper when he waited almost 40minutes at the kodak shop to develop these photos. He was so exhausted that he fell asleep on his stroller afterwards.

Letter to Mountain Boy: The lessons i learnt from television

Just a few days ago i wrote about The Art and Science of Discipline. And then Bham! i saw an episode on Desperate Housewives that further proves my point.

Preston (the son) wanted to marry a Russian girl whom he had just met for 6 weeks, she was also quite apparently a gold digger. Lynette and Tom (the parents) wanted to stop their son from making a mistake for life so Lynette tried to talk sense into him but of course Preston wouldn't hear a word of it. Lynette turned to Tom but his advice didn't hold any weight because he was always the good cop.

Dear Mountain Boy,

When you become a teenager or a young adult, there will be times when you think that i nag/repeat something until it irritates the crap out of you. When that happens, it will probably be because u didn't follow my advice, if not i wouldn't have to repeat myself so many times. So the best way to stop me from nagging is to simply do what i say.

OR...

You can think about what i say objectively, pretend it came from your favourite person. Maybe even consider the fact that i have lived almost 30 years ahead of you so i may have been around the block a few more times than you did. Times may have changed but as a chinese saying goes "the older the ginger, the more potent it is".

Granted, mothers are not always right. So I promise to listen, IF you talk. I promise to see things from your point of view, IF you make me. Just don't ever shut me off.

Love,

mom

Running errands

Poor Mountain Boy fell asleep on his stroller while running errands with mommy.

The Art and Science of Discipline

The issue of discipline will start bugging parents when a child learns that he is free to do what his will wants. When God created us in our mother's womb, we were supposed to be born with a new clean slate, but somehow that clean slate includes a capacity for rebellion, a natural inclination towards dangerous objects, and a strong instinct to create havoc. I don't ever remember my mother giving me proper guidance on the most convincing way to tell lies, i figured that one out all by myself and boy was i goood.

A lot of parents have an idea of what they want their child to be like. Well-mannered, intelligent, friendly, cheerful, not fussy, not picky, not irritating etc etc. Well it's good to have a goal, but how do i get there? So i have embarked on the a mission to find the best way to discipline Mountain boy. I do what i do best, ask, consult, read, attend courses maybe.

Before you think that i have cracked the code of discipline, think the opposite. I'm confused. To spank or not to spank, to let him cry or to soothe him, frankly my guess is as good as plucking flower petals to decide.

I've been reading The Happiest Toddler on the Block (by Harvey Karp) and he likens kids to little cavemen, i can't help but agree with him. Mountain Boy would fare way better if he lives in a cave, away from electric sockets, cars on the road, toxic cleaning agents and he would very much prefer to run wild barefooted than put on his funky nike sandals which cost me a bomb!

So this brings me to the first insight i learnt while chatting with my cousin who is a fellow parent (AAA's brother actually). He said not to underestimate the role of the father as a disciplinarian, especially for boys. GENERALLY speaking, when boys grow up they will think their mothers are nags (if you are male and you are reading this, daresay u disagree). But boys are GENERALLY more receptive if the advice comes from a male authority.

Of course you may think that not every child is the same, mine is unique bla bla bla. But Karl Marx will tell you differently. If we've all been through similar education systems, more or less been exposed to the same media, spent our lives in more or less similar progressions, we're just products from the same factory line and we really are more alike than you think!

2 cute videos

It's been a while since i've posted videos of Mountain Boy. So here's 2 quick ones.

He finally clapped!!! I have been teaching him how to clap since 2 months old and he finally did at 9 months. He is definitely making up for lost time because he now claps while he eats, when he is happy, when he wants to get your attention, and when he wakes up in the middle of the night!

Mountain Boy dances in this 2nd video. Check out his grooves, it's quite funny!

Guess what?

We've hit our 100,000 visitors milestone! Thanks for tuning in.

Cheap Good Fun

I remember making myself a resolution some time ago that i wouldn't spend too much money on toys unless it's necessary, or a special occasion. It's so tempting to just pick up a toy at the department store to entertain Mountain Boy, especially when things are so cheap. But i really don't want to spoil him too much so I've been thinking of creative ways to have fun without spending and accumulating too much barang barang.

We've been making an effort to reuse some household items and turn them into DIY toys. Mountain Boy especially love "playing drums" with his used milk cans. My latest project is a cardboard house carved out of an air-filter box. It's not perfect, he can barely stand in it but it was fun doing this together.

Mountain Boy's bachelor pad has 2 windows, front and back doors and 2 makeshift sofas made out of styrofoam.

He held a housewarming party and invited the Nanny and I.

He is almost as tall as the box! He prefers crawling round the box looking through the windows rather than actually being IN the house.

Another good way to have fun is to window shop at toy department stores and play with the display sets. It may sound very cheapo but trust me, kids somehow prefer something they can't have. Same reason why Adam and Eve only wanted the forbidden fruit. It's also very bonding for the family because we make an effort to take Mountain boy out and spend quality time together.

This sunday for example, we spent an afternoon at Decathlon (a department store selling sporting goods) and tested out all the different gadgets and balls without spending a single cent!

Mountain boy enjoying a makeshift ride in the shopping cart.

Faster faster!

We love doing our part to preserve the Earth. Share your tips with us too!

The day he called me Mama

My 9 month old acknowledged me verbally for the very first time this morning, it happened twice actually. He wasn't just practicing a syllable, he called me because i ignored him while making milk. The nanny confirms.

If you could see my heart, it has melted into mush. My head is spinning and i am on cloud nine.

Mountain man is not admitting his jealousy, but he's been going "call papa, call papa" to Mountain boy all morning.

9 (updated photos)

Mountain Boy turns 9 months tomorrow. How time flies.

Expressing his feelings...

Over the last month, Mountain boy has become more expressive with his wants and demands. Frankly I'm a little worried that he may be becoming too boisterous. When he doesn't get what he wants or if something doesn't go the way he desires, he will wail like the ambulance complete with tears and a flushed face, sometimes he even trembles (i must remember to take a picture when that happens). I'm quite worried to the point where i've been seeking advice from fellow parents and reading up on child discipline & communication books.

Mountain boy fake crying because he can't get the camera. It's so hard to take a decent picture of him nowadays.

Lucky thing he also expresses his love with the same intensity. He'll crawl over to me enthusiastically when he sees me in the morning, snuggle into my jelly belly and sometimes try to give me a big slobbery kiss. He'll follow me around the house like a little puppy when i'm busy so that he can "be with me".

Becoming more active...

I've been bringing him to babygroups and i've come to realise how active he is compared to the other babies. Some mothers actually asked if i get any respite at all at home. His actions are really faster than mine these days. Once i was chatting with a mommy in the group and he came back dangling a cleaning rag in his mouth. yucks!

The activeness also means that he injures himself quite often. Only 9 months old and i think he has had about 7 bruises on his face, all in the last 3 months.

I think i add too many crabs when i was pregnant because he touches everything he sees! Leaves, vegetables, clothes, he nearly pulled down a rack of cabbages at the supermarket once. He loves opening and emptying drawers and cupboards. Here he tries to steal some cheap tequila from Mountain Man's liquor cupboard. Mountain Boy, go for the single malts!

Flair for music

He takes after his dad. Other than "singing" while pooing, I often hear him "play the piano" for a long time in the morning. He bangs on every surface and experiments with the sounds they make. It's very cute watching him hang around Daddy like the biggest fan while Daddy plays the drums.

Actually, Mountain boy is so much like his father that it freaks me out sometimes.

1. Likes to shake leg. He does it all the time during milk feeds and bedtime stories.
2. Thinks farting is funny. Mountain boy laughed after he made a huge one yesterday. Sometimes he also laughs when Daddy makes a huge one. And i checked with friends and confirmed that their babies didn't find farting funny.

One Little Two Little Three Little Indians...(updated photos)

Red indian chief in full costume.

Cannot sit still as usual.

We love costume parties! Today we attended a friend's 2nd birthday party and we came fully committed to the Red Indian theme. Mountain Boy's costume was hand-sewn by the nanny and decorated by yours truly. And he won the Best Costume award!!

A decent family picture at last.

Probably the only time you'll see Mountain Man with long/so much hair.

Mountain Boy: Hey lady, we meet again.

Mencia: Oh what a pleasure to see u again my gentleman.

Mencia: Get your filthy paws of me!

Mountain boy: come on just a peek.

Luckily Mencia's chaperone came to her rescue.

On our way to babygroup

The big move

I haven't been blogging because we've moved house, AGAIN. It has become a yearly affair for us. This time is quite different than the others though because we have a baby, and that really changes everything.

Moving with a baby is no simple feat really. I think it's toughest on Mountain Boy because he doesn't quite understand the concept of moving house yet. So he must have thought that we were at a "friend's house" and got really cranky when we didn't take him home.

The first 2 days were rather sleepless. He kept feeling insecure in his new room despite us not changing the sheets and sleeping bag to maintain the so called "familiar scents". He was so tired and kept falling asleep during mealtimes. Its funny but also quite heartbreaking to watch.

Mountain Boy fell asleep during lunch.

Familiarizing with the new "terrain" was also a challenge. He used to rush to the bathroom when he hears water sounds (signaling bath time), but he couldn't find the bathroom the first few days and got frustrated getting lost.

Today is our 5th day in the new pad and i think we've finally settled in properly. A new routine, a different place for marketing, shortcuts to beat the traffic and getting to know new neighbours, which unfortunately isn't working out as well as i imagined. I've met a grand total of 2 people and 1 of them is 3 yrs old so i'm not sure if that counts.

But i'm confident that this new place will create new and wonderful experiences for us three.