Slow & Steady

Kids

Weekend Feb

does not really Spark Joy
average only.
just trying to keep my expenses under wrap

 Spark Joy (level 6 of 10)

 Kids say the darndest things, especially Kiki.

 Spark Joy level 6

Smooth Tracks

Sunday morning, it poured right after we'd left the house.
So we took shelter and waited for the downpour to subside.

Colin made a conveyor track that is so smooth, I thought there were wheels underneath the carriage.
He's really good at Legos...... hope it helps keep his mind creative.

 Sneakers everywhere.

 He chose the Donut + Coffee pack.
There were many designs, I would have bought them all if I had lots of money to spare. ($16 per pack) Why not.

Kids say the darndest things.

I wonder how she knew to counter dementia
She told me she knows more than I know she knows.

Big Words

Random

 Friday night and I was trying not to fall asleep.

Gingerbread Man died and his Dough came out. 

I forgot how it felt to have a friend..... until now. 

We've got a new (music) friend. 

Sunday: November 12th

Kiki & I were invited to a concert. 
The performing children were amazing, they were absolutely smooth on their strings, they are as good as any adult, professional orchestra.

We were walking a distance to the bus stop at the main road when we passed by a slope.
Kiki, as per usual, likes to run up and down whenever she comes across a slope.
Suddenly, she exclaimed: "Oh my goodness, Mama! Someone died here!"  (pointing to a slap of cement sticking from the grass slope). I said it wasn't a tombstone, but she wouldn't hear of it. She was so alarmed that I found it funny, made a detour and took a photo.

 we were hungry, went to the nearest shopping mall (Vivo) to have dinner.
visited the RSN50 exhibition also.

This girl

One week school break.

I'm too lazy to be doing anything extra. I have a big packet of worksheets that I've not completed with her since she was in K2........................ totally un-kiasu me.

There was once, a fellow mommy in the chat group, sent a message by error to the chat group. 

She listed the stuff and pages for her child to complete on dunno what worksheets. Other mommies were confused. That mommy later clarified that her message was meant for the Math tutor....... 

Everyone fell silent (in the chat group). cos no one knows who sends their kids to extra tuition. 

Well, for one, extra classes for Chinese is rather norm. Other classes like music, swimming, ballet, art, etc. etc. etc. are also rather normal. However, I'm unaware of children in P1 or P2 taking extra tuition classes other than the ones offered by the school for students who need assistance. 

Anyway, I'm just too plain laid back. All I really care about is for violin. But still, it's tiring.

Kiki asked for Monopoly (Jr.) past few nights which I had postponed. So last night finally we got down to it. While setting up the game, she remarked--

"Mommy, I thought I wanted to cough, then I felt like yawning, but in the end I burped."

LOL. This girl. Quite corny.

Colin, on the other hand, was preparing for the next morning's visit the Zoo.
School's excursion but this time, not involving parents.
K2s already....... he's still puny.

Our version of Pokemon Go!

Look at KiCo's collection of Pokemon Go! 
The non-virtually augmented version.

Who's Yours?

last night, as i was doing a last minute revision with her on English, one of the sentences mentioned about a teacher named Mrs Tan. Kiki told me that her class teacher- Ms. Tang, is her teacher's side kick. LOL. what side kick? I asked. She said that Ms. Tang is her form teacher's helper, an assistant teacher, hence a side kick. 

i warned her not to use that term with her teacher because her teacher might get offended. 

Kiki asked what the fuss was about. she said that every superhero has a side kick, and that if someone were to call her a side kick, she would not be upset. (perhaps even feel proud to be a side kick). 

i guess kids are not as mentally complicated as adults. adults get offended over small stuff because ego is in the way.

so today, i made a sketch. --

Every superhero needs a side kick; who's yours?

About Dogs

Kids say the darndest things.

Conversation 1:

So, our conversations about dogs go something like this-

Me browsing FB and put a "like" on this post (below FB post), laughing a little to myself.

Kiki asked how and why the dog looked like that.

I explained that the groomer left the head as is but trimmed the fur on the body.

She was not happy.

I said, how could she be unhappy with me? I am laughing because it's funny looking.

She says that I shouldn't laugh AT the dog. And that she's angry at the owner and the groomer.
And all the people who had "liked" the post. 

Damn serious man, this girl. Cannot joke when it comes to dogs.

Conversation 2:

Kiki:  When I grow up, when I am a mother, I will buy myself a Golden Retriever.

Me: Are you sure you want to do that? When you are a mother, you will be very busy; you have kids, you have work, and what's more a dog is a life time commitment, you can't go on long holidays. You will have to find a pet hotel or find a friend willing to look after your dog when you go on holidays. I don't think that's a good idea. (looks like her dog plans had been brewing).

Kiki: I will have an Aunty.

Me: What Aunty!?

Kiki: Aunty! A Helper.  A helper can help me take care of my dog when I go holidays.

Me think: You win liao lor.

A commentary on my receipt

I found a receipt on the floor. It has commentaries made by Kiki, written all over it.

Firstly, there is a doodle of a ... cat? fox? at the back.

The rest are oh so funny.

circled date, she commented - "Today"
circled size of my yogurt dessert - "So small"
circled price of my purchase- "Wow, that's a lot!"
circled website - "Long word"

All Powdered Up

Friday evening I returned home to me bedroom and saw these dolls freshly powdered.
LOL.

Go Hide! I'll Count To A Million.

LOL.

Comics created by Brian Gordon (Greeting Cards Artist) inspired by his two, real life children. 
You can view him via FB- Fowl Language Comics or website FowlLanguageComics.com

Seculded does not mean disappearance

We were on the Math website, doing sums (yes, on a Sunday night).  that is me holding my phone, staring intensely at the problem sum.

She had to draw that secluded mole of mine.

I  protested- I don't have a mole! 

Kiki- Yes you have. You have half a mole. 

Me- Colin, you be the judge! Do Mama have a mole?

Colin- (Looks carefully at my face)  Verdict- Yes, you have a mole. 

Me- (Mock cry).

Colin- A little bit mole. 

Haha ha. 

Kids say the darndest things

I love you Mummy and Papa. Sometimes Maricar.



Haha.

Last night Maricar told me that Grandpa kept asking Kiki what toy she wants (because he has bought Colin several toys but never once for Kiki). Kiki says she wants Cars. Grandpa says No, cars are for boys, what Doll does she want. Kiki says she doesn't want Dolls, she wants Cars. So the conversation went in loops and ended up Kiki still hasn't have any toy from her Grandpa.

The Road Chip

GV member's price on Tuesday $6.50 

I became a movie buff all over again

Colin watched with Bren on a weekend.. $25 for two tickets. 

That's almost double the cheapest, possible price.

See, for five of us, we could save $30 when we watch movies on Tuesdays.

We can go eat Xiao Long Baos at Din Tai Fung you know. 

photo from: IMDb

Themes:-

About non-traditional family. 

About kids mayhem. 

About feelings of abandonment leading to bullying and terrorizing behaviour. 

About parenting, screaming, and over-reacting. 

After the movie, while walking home, I suddenly remembered that I had left the water bottle at my seat in the cinema...... As I lamented that it was careless of me to have left the water bottle behind, I commented that it was well,,, no loss because it was a free water bottle from the bank. But Kiki exclaimed (face-palm exclamation)- "But you have just wasted water!"   referring to the unconsumed water in the bottle, presumably being discarded by then. Ever since the Papa gave her a whole lecture about water conservation, she's big on water conservation. She's always tell me to - Save the Earth!

Kids Say The Darndest Things (Again!)

Last Saturday, as I wrapped some presents, I asked Kiki to help me write some greetings on the gift cards, she added some doodles on her own. When we got to the card for Stephanie, she asked who Stephanie is. I explained that Stephanie is Papa's ex-colleague, a colleague is someone you work with at work / office, some colleagues become friends. I also added that Stephanie is my old classmate and that she had introduced Papa to me. Kiki said - "But she gave you the wrong guy, right?"   Astonished, I asked what made her say that. She said - "You said that you don't love Papa anymore".    Oh............ the things I had said when I was very upset. Ya.   I explained-- "Yes, I was very angry sometimes. Especially when Papa goes out drinking with his friends and come back so late. It makes me worry, and worry and worry and I hate it. He never texts, he never calls, he's just making me worried."  "But it doesn't mean I don't love him."    So confusing it must be.   Then she said- "Ya, you can't change (a husband) after you get married".      I paused for a second before saying- "Well, you try not to change (a husband) after you get married. But if you really can't work it out, you can separate. But you have to try to work it out, many, many times. But you have a choice although it would be very sad especially if you've got children but separated."   Kiki- "Because they will have no Papa". Me- "They still have their Papa but separated."       

There was once a colleague, congratulated another colleague who just got married. The groom replied in jest, he said-- "to be happy in marriage, you've got to do it twice." Everyone laughed off the awkwardness because it was his second marriage. 

I recently came across a TED video about marriage. The counsellor said that for every of her patients that goes to her for marriage counselling; she says this to them: "Your first marriage is over." (Because most were already almost emotionally divorced by the time they seek counselling)

The counsellor continued- "Now you have the choice to decide if you want to marry (each other) again."