Quiz: what is your interior design style?

I chanced upon this while doing research for ID for our new home. It's a simple quiz by Stylish Homes to determine your designing style. Quite fun.

I am suspected to be "Modern Eclectic" and that apparently makes me soulmates with Andy Warhol, Scarlett Johannson and Philip Seymour Hoffman. What's your style?

Raising a high energy boy

"Hi, my name is Kim and I have a high energy child." You know how people at support groups introduce themselves? Well, seems like I need to join a support group to raise Jonathan.

Not sure if you have heard comments like "Wow, your son has lots of energy" or "He will surely sleep well at night". Or you have attracted wide, gaping mouths or irritated stares, or a glance of sympathy like it's a bad thing. Well, I have, lots of times. I worry if Jon has ADHD, or did I allow him to watch too much violent cartoons like Tom & Jerry or Ben 10. It's hard not to worry when I have a tornado running through people's homes or a very vivacious boy who will shout at the top of his voice when he's happy.

Lots of times, I think if I have failed as parent or will I be able to maintain my sanity in raising this ball of energy. How do I embrace Jon without constantly gripping his hand tightly at public places, shouting at him to stay by my side and not to run?

Sure, I would like to think that I have a passionate, loving, imaginative toddler and use positive adjectives to describe Jonathan. To build him up rather than tear him down, to allow him to grow rather than control and restrict him, and to focus on his positive traits and not what mess did he create. It's difficult when most kids will listen to their parents and stay by their sides, play nicely with others, and run at slower speeds.

Just the other day, while MIL was adjusting a car in the car porch so I can drive Jon in the usual one, Jon decided to run towards the car! Shouting and running after him, I gave him a beating when I caught up with him. MIL could hear my frantic shouting and had already stopped her car. Tried to tell Jon about the danger of running and the possibility of being hit by a car. He smiled nicely at me and said, "Tong, tong (painful coz of the beating). Wei sian (dangerous) or...cannot pao (run) coz bang and tong tong." I just hugged him and told him I beat him coz I was so scared he will get hit.

Later in the morning, after putting Jill down for her morning nap, I spent time thinking. How do I embrace Jon and all his qualities,, not to fight them or to change him? He has such a huge love and zest for life, and I don't want to take that away. He plays, eats, loves with such energy that I have to learn to channel that energy somewhere. If I have only one child, sure I can harness and point the energy to one direction. I have two and another one in my oven!

I am thankful for this ball of energy, Jonathan. I think and say to people what a great kid Jon is, how much love and joy he gives to me, how cute and cuddly he is, and how I love his hugs and kisses. He doesn't pretend and he wears his heart on his sleeve - his likes, his dislikes, his loves, his passion. To him, no one is an enemy. I tell myself there's nothing wrong with Jonathan, he just needs to be loved a different way.

Then there are days where I forget all the above and have my battles. My feelings of being overwhelmed come from people telling me I need to discipline Jonathan or what I am doing wrong in disciplining him. Its when I am out and about that I feel insecure. At home, I tend to be more patient with him.

I have read books, exchanged notes with other parents, found a few ways to work with him, instead of yelling at him. I pray that given the situation should he misbehaves, I would be able to remain calm, and talk to him, that he will listen and channel his energy that will not irritate others. Sometimes, I have to ignore him and give him and myself time-outs. But that is difficult when in public.

Having said that, Jonathan has enough personality and humour to fill a whole room, and that's a joy. I found a few coping techniques like taking walks, looking for bugs, playing with Duplo pieces, helping me with simple errands and lately, building his house with the sofa pieces and cushions (but that drives others up the wall). It would take abundance patience and lots of love and cuddles on my part. And I hope I can do it.

Having Jillian is a totally different story. She is a leg attachment and a koala bear, stays by my side, constantly talking to me, sitting on my lap and holding my face with both hands so she has my undivided attention, and wanting to play with me. They are similar in that they love to talk and they love hugs. But that's for another post.

Happy Chinese New Year

So sorry for the long absence. Busy preparing for CNY, and busy with kids....and also busy stuffing my face. I have been meaning to upload posts after the kids go to bed. But when I lay down on the pillow to accompany Jon to sleep, the bed is just so inviting that I can't get up up. Usually, I would wake up to feed Jill before midnight and it would be my own time on the Internet, But for the last two weeks, it had been feed Jill & changer her diaper at 12am, feed again at 3am and then at 6am. Not even wishing to go online save to read a couple of updates on FB or emails.


No long stories so I can complete this post....otherwise la-la-land beckons!!!

Family reunion dinner - early coz Stanley and Grace were going off to JB for CNY. This is our first CNY in Miri, the last three were in SG

The kidlets in their new PJs on CNY eve

Jill was not afraid of her first lion dance encounter

Jon in so into Lion dance his year that he would run to the window each time he hears the drums. But no, I am not buying him the toy lion dance...too many toys and he doesn't play with them for long. Thankfully, he was willing to return this one to his new friend

Jill all sweet in her CNY get-up

I celebrated my birthday on the 2nd day of CNY and I scrapped a mini album about my friends' son's first birthday. Will post photos after I recharged my camera.


OK, now the BIG news...of which some of you may have already known from my update in FB. I am pregnant with #3! Yup, you read rightly. I am pregnant and about nine weeks into my pregnancy. Found out in late Jan coz firstly, I was hungry quite often. The whole family was down with flu while i had blocked nose and body aches. Then the hunger pangs hit so often...but MIL said it could be meds as in the case of my FIL. But panaflu didn't make me hungry when I took it previously. Then it hit me! I could be expecting.


I was meaning to test myself and hoping to give myself a birthday present, but this time, I knew instinctively I was expecting. So it was an early birthday gift to me. BTW, I found out about Jon on Christmas eve 2006, Jill just after New Year on 2008 when I returned from SG.

EDD is in Sept. I am still early in my pregnancy, so please pray for healthy and complete development of the little one. And the good thing is, I don't have to suck in my belly anymore...haha!