Things to do

* Search for a kindergarten for Jon and register him for year 2011 - checked

* Search for a location to host Jillian's first birthday - checked

* Invite friends for Jillian's first birthday - work in progress (WIP)

* Scrap decorations for Jillian's party - WIP. Lots of cutting going on the last two days.

* Shop for presents for Jon and Jill - bought a couple. still got a couple more to go, coz buying on behalf of my parents too

* Shop for birthday cake for the kiddos - Not yet. But I did buy the ingredients and materials for their cupcakes!

* Scrap a layout or cards - checked. did three cards: two birthday cards and a baby's full-month celebration

This photo was taken last Sunday at the cry room at church. We had a new friend called Kyala who's got to be the cutest 13month young baby. She walks so steadily and has such a sweet smile. Her mommy is Elisabeth. Jill looks slightly terrified being carried by a new person and hugged by a new friend.

PS: There've been comments that Jillian has a great personality or that she is very sweet. Well, these are from seeing her photos. Wait till you hear her! She screams as loud as Jon and cousin Mabel, esp when they're having fun. And should you take anything away from her hands....oooh, you'd better cover your ears. You have been warned!

What's up with Jonathan nowadays

Jonathan is turning three in a couple of weeks' time. He has grown from one cute boy into a..... super noisy monster! He was such a sweet boy and then the Terrible Twos came. And it looks like this will carry over into the Terrible Threes??

Cozying up to Aunty Annie who visited


* He shouts and screams at home when he's happy, when he really wants something and we refuse to give it to him, when he watches his fave Tom & Jerry cartoon, when he's having loads of fun with cousin Mabel. People say he's just being a boy, but it irritates his grandparents and those who are unused to noise.

* He is so FULL of energy that needs to be harnessed or used up. Bringing him out into the compound is one sure way to do so. Except he perspires a lot and I just pray that he doesn't get a chill!

* He loves his noodles and will never fail to ask for "mian" each day when he sits down for his lunch or dinner. I will give him his fave dry noodles, whenever I can.

* He loves to play with his cousin Mabel more than his sister Jillian. (Thankfully, Jill is too young to comprehend and will just follow behind them in her walker when they race in the trikes.)

* Whenever he hears the sounds of aeroplanes, he will want to run out to see them in the sky.

* Jon is really afraid of thunder. When he hears them in the living room, he will run to the back of the house, aka the kitchen, thinking he can hide from the thunder. Haha.

* He's undergoing potty training for since end June. He still makes it a major event going to the loo, shouting he needs to "shi shi" or "da pian". I still think it's farnee who he will get whoever who's nearest him to run with him to the loo!

* He will tell you earnestly to "Come in" when he wants you to follow him to the kitchen or the play room.

* I love it when he quietens down with an ice cream to watch Tom & Jerry.

* I love it that he goes to bed without whining or complaining. We're weaning him off the sarong by bringing him straight to bed, and he will take an hour or so to sleep (don't know exactly how long coz Simon and will always fall asleep before he does). And it has to be pitched dark without any night light on, otherwise he will carry on playing or whispering or talking.

* I miss sleeping with Jon as he's sleeping on his own bed. While it's placed next to ours (and we will find him very close to Simon in the middle of the night), he knows where our positions are ((Jill sleeps in the cot on my left while Jon sleeps on the right of Simon). If I try to sleep with him or talk him to sleep, he will tell me to not to sleep on his bed and to go to my side of my bed.

* But no matter how naughty or noisy Jon is, I still lurve my boy who is so BIG on love. Who will snuggle up to Simon or me when he watches telly programmes, who will hold our arms and wouldn't let go, who will still hug me after I used the rottan for pushing the mei meis in the home, or for crying and demanding his way.

However, I do wish he will be more obedient....sit still for slightly longer (esp in public, wonder where the REAL Jon went, my boy who would used to sit in the baby chair for longer periods when he was younger, not shout or scream (it can really gives headaches or raise one's temperature or temper), and lastly to kiss me like he used to last year.

And I do pray for more patience on my end, not to lose my temper and take it out on him, or shout at him, coz that's not the way to teach a child.

What am I up to these few days?

No posts from me for a while coz:

- I am doing my homework checking out which pre-kinder and kindergarten is suitable for Jon. Registration begins around now for enrolment next year. Thank goodness for maternal instincts otherwise I will only check out in Sep or so. Must go visit a couple more kinders and discuss with a couple of friends, and mom-in-law of course. I've grown to consult her as she is local mah.

- Planning for Jon's 3rd birthday celebrations in early Aug. This is initially easy, coz I wanted to buy cupcakes for a small celebration on Sun at his Sunday School class. And another round on his actually birthday at his nursery. Went to our usual bakery but it ran out on small Spiderman figurines. Until i went to another bakery and saw the figurines and snapped up all of them. Only 16 lah.

Then another brilliant idea popped into my head. The cupcakes are quite pricey....I could bake them at an aunt or friend's place and do the decor? Am I asking for trouble? I still have another week to think about it before I need to buy the ingredients (why so early, coz Prima Flour imported from Singapore is usually snapped up from this ONE store that sells it. and local flour just doesn't cut it. This is from locals yah, not me.)

- Planning for Jillian's 1st birthday. Checking out a couple of venues for her party. No nice kiddy places here. But this being her first birthday, it's more of adults gathering with some of their kids. Er...wrong. As I have been in Miri for 3 years, I've made more friends around my age and there're more kids to invite too. Hmm, do I opt for a small cozy do, or invite family and friends with kids & babies totalling about 50? Ah, go all the way for the first celebration and then the next few will be intimate ones lah. Just like we did for Jon.

I never dreamed

I haven't scrapped in two months. Busy with kids, went back to Singapore twice, kids were sick and parents were here for a week, and maybe not enough mojo.

Then I scrapped this layout about myself.

I never dreamed:

* that I would spend tons on scrapbooking (once I got started, I can't stop...the buying, that is!)

* that I would have two children by 37 (super traumatised after I helped my neighbour deliver her #2 at home when I was 19yrs old, started family planning late, some issues with conceiving, and super afraid of childbirth)

* that I would get my driver's license at 36 (never thought I would get behind a set of wheels, and all the procrastinating adds to the fear of driving. But being in Malaysia means I need to drive, coz I can't just get on the road to flag a cab, and buses come on the hour, and there's no MRT here)

* that I would move to Miri, Sarawak...and live with my in-laws (small city of some 300,000 with only 4 shopping centres, I speak enuf Malay to order ta pao, no friends then. Well, God spoke and we obeyed.)

* that I would be a stay-at-home-mom (In SG, we need double income to enjoy a decent standard of living. Well, I did pray that if I ever had a baby, I would love to be able to take care of my baby for at least six months. Guess that got extended)

* that I would work in an IT company (me, super IT illiterate and having worked more than 10yrs in corporate and consumer PR)

* that I would be able to dive (I fear the open sea, but I love to the photos and videos from my friends' dive trips. I liken my dive experiences to being in an aquarium...that's what I think when I jumped into the choppy seas and get to Simon before we dive down. Those few mins can be very alarming for me.)

* that 3 of my closest girlfriends and I would all deliver our babies in 2009 (nothing short of God's miracles, and blessings to us. I am blessed to join these ladies on the arduous journey of conceiving and childbirth.)

* that my husband would be get off work at 4pm (Simon hated his old job as a civil engineer, and constantly had to work overtime. Work was never ending.)