Playing games & puzzles with Isaac

Here's hubbs and Isaac doing this puzzle thingy. Actually, it's not even a puzzle really, it's just some shapes which you can use to piece together pictures of dinosaurs. Really cute. We got it at the gift store at the Texas dinosaur park place we went when we were in USA in December 2008.
We enjoy doing puzzles and play boardgames with Isaac from an early age. Due to my own boardgaming interest, I am determine to introduce boardgames to my kids from an early age so that they can play with me next time! HAHAHA!
But seriously, I find that playing boardgames is very educational, and is very beneficial for kids development in more ways than one. So am very onz for spreading the love for boardgaming amongst my kids, nieces and nephews.
I've been very pleased that Isaac takes to the games very well. We started when he was about 17 months old with simpler games, and games meant for young kids. Then there was a brief hiatus when I was pregnant with the twins - my brain froze and I temporarily lost my enthusiasm for games. Also, I was physically too tired (my state of pregnancy took quite a toll on me, I guess) for me to actively engage Isaac in playing games. But now, I'm back in full swing! :)

pix taken on 6th June 2010
Isaac @ 2 years 10 months

Every night, after dinner, we would play games with Isaac before going to bed. A typical conversation goes like this:

Isaac: Mummy, I want to play game!
Me: Okay! Switch off the tv then! (Isaac watches tv while he eats)
Isaac: Okay! I want 3 games!
Me: 3 games?! Can we play one? It's late already.
Isaac: 2 games?
Me: okay! Which games do you want to play?
And Isaac goes to pick out the games he wants to play...

Unfortunately, due to my work demands, I usually pick him up right on the dot at 7pm. By the time we make it home, it's like 7.45pm. By the time Isaac and us have finished our dinner, it's usually about 9ish (bearing in mind we have to take turns to eat dinner coz we have to watch the twins). So by the time Isaac has taken his bath and we can play some games, it's almost 10pm.

But am happy to say we always manage to squeeze in at least two games every night, before we all go off to bed, where Isaac will insist we read him at least one book before it is lights off. Now that he's 3plus years old, he can really play quite a few games now so we have more choice than before.

What games do we play? kekeke... Most of it would not be the usual games that you have heard of or usually see. I'd tell you more about them in future posts. For now, I'd like to share with you two websites that does video reviews of boardgames by gamer families. I'm thinking of doing video reviews of games with Isaac as well! :)

Go check these websites out, they rock!!!
The Boardgame Family - Families that play together, stay together! (Hear! Hear!)
Games with Hayden

Click on the label below that says "GAMING" to see past posts of Isaac in action! :)

Kidzes with E.T.!

Pix as of 6th June 2010! :) My kidzes!
Asher below biting on my pinkie knuckle. Both Asher & Shawna enjoy doing that from a few months ago coz they were both teething. Now that both their lower two teeth are out, it's quite painful for me when they bite my pinkie knuckle - but better that than... erm, ya know!!! :p
Ooops, Shawna "zhao gng"?! Hehhehe actually, NO. She's wearing two layers. I make the babies wear two layers at night coz I don't give them a blanket. That's what we used to do with Isaac as well. Only recently did Isaac stop wearing two layers when he goes to sleep.
E.T. !!! So sorry, we've neglected you!!! Picture taking nowadays is really dependent on mood and how much excess capacity we have. Challenging. You'd also notice that all our pix tend to be at home? That's coz when we go out with the kidzes, we all have to handle a kid each - no hands for the camera!!!
Look how Isaac has grown! He's really shot up this year, I think. He looks like a big boy now and confirm no more BABY Isaac! :)

pix taken on 6th June 2010
Isaac @ 2 years & 10 months
Asher & Shawna @ 5 months

Hubbs singing to Asher!

Oh I have a story about singing as well! Haven't had time to write though. In this post however, you can hear hubbs singing to Asher! :) It's not one of his usual songs that he sings to the kids, but I happen to have this on vid, so, there.
Hubbs and I both love singing to the kids. But the major difference is, I sing English songs and he sings Chinese/Teochew songs! ;p So typical us, right? hahahaa...

pix & vid taken on 5th June 2010
Asher @ a day to 5 months

The kidzes!

More pix of Shawna smiling! There is definitely no intention of taking more pix of Shawna than Asher or the twins than Isaac, nor vice versa (had to state it for the record ;p) - kids are kids, you just have to take pix when the timing is good - as in, they're smiling!
That's the key to good pix really - in my opinion. You just have to have your camera on standby, and be ready to whip it out to take pix when the kids are in a good mood. But, the kids are no necessarily in a good mood at the same time! So, that's why you end up with more pix of certain kid sometimes.
Shawna's a sweetie. So is Asher. He is smiley most of the time as well and he has this laugh-out-loud laughing gig that's really a joy to see and hear. Isaac - his school teachers have it best - they get to see him when he's well slept, well fed and all - so he'd be in a good mood. After school, when I pick him, he tends to be tired and cranky. But in his element, he's as smiley and cheerful as he's always been since young. Just that now, he's an attitude of his own. Cheeky!!!
Asher's sitting!!! A few days ago, I saw him sitting. And I heard that he's been pulling himself into a sitting position from a flat down position. Good job, big boy! :) He's also learnt to "recognise people" as well. But he's still not as particular (as Shawna is) about strangers carrying him.
Here's Asher below - cool shot, I thought - even though he's not smiling. This is his favourite proning position. He likes to prone like that and can do so for pretty long periods of time. Shawna prefers to sit.
My cheeky Isaac. The just wake up look! Been awhile since we took some of those pix.
People we meet have commented that Isaac looks like he'd put on some weight. He has, after he started drinking milk when he started childcare in March 2010. So in like a few months, just coz he started drinking milk (currently, UHT packs of chocolate milk) he's put on some. He's not fat, but more meaty.
The twins pix - always gotta have some pix with the both of them side by side, right? :) I try to take some of this (got to!!!) but always make sure I take some of them individually as well. This pic below with their hairs the same length - they look similar huh. Some people would say "See! They look alike!" But those of us who can tell them apart would like at these same pix and say "See! They look so different!" Which camp do you belong in?
My mum, my sister and my relatives all claim that Shawna looks EXACTLY as I did last time. hubbs' relatives also proclaim that Shawna has eyes unlike any they have seen in their grandkids that side of the family - indirectly saying that she has my eyes. So I have full claim on Shawna and hubbs has full claim on Asher (no contest either - everyone agrees that Asher's a photocopy of hubbs).
This is quite a contrast to the time when Isaac was born and everyone was trying to lay claim to him, hubbs relatives saying Isaac looked like hubbs while my relatives saying that he looked like me. Okay, good, now, give you 2 babies - don't fight :p

My three babies!!! Isaac's been saying he's a baby :) You know, the funny thing is, since he was born right up till now sometimes even, people call him Baby Isaac. Always with the prefix "Baby". But with Asher and Shawna, they've always been Asher & Shawna. Not Baby Asher, not Baby Shawna. Odd huh. Hahaha. I always tell Isaac "Yes, Isaac, you'd always be my baby :p"5th June 2010

Isaac @ 2 years 10 months

Asher & Shawna @ 5 months

Kisses, lots and lots of kisses!

Pictures as of 30th May 2010...

Totally behind, I know. But since late June, we've been falling "a round of sickness" - where one person gets sick and passes to the rest - at almost once a month! Not funny! This time, I hope it starts and ends with Isaac. please please please don't pass to anyone else... So, at 4 months, the twins were shaved - like in these pix. On Friday morning 10th September 2010, the twins @ 8 months, I shaved them again! Why? Coz Shawna's hair was growing kinda unevenly, and Asher's hair... er, there wasn't much. So... shave lah... :p
Look at my Shawna, so sweet, right? Even without her hair, she looks so sweet. She didn't cry when I shaved her hair, not at all. Quite a contrast to Asher, who started whimpering when I started shaving, but Asher didn't struggle much. Isaac, last time, use to struggle big time, and cry frantically as well.

Only just last weekend, Isaac finally allowed me to cut his hair for him using the shaver (aka hair clippers or hair trimming shears). Looks good, hehehe okay okay, will post some pix of him in his new hairdo soon.

Since we had all these rounds of sickness, I've been rather paranoid about Isaac passing his germs to the twins. Last time when he coughs, I'd tell him to please cover his mouth. So he did, but then, he would use his hands (which he just covered his mouth with when he coughed) to touch Asher & Shawna! :( sigh He also used to cough into their faces. So I told him to "look away" when he coughs. Which he does... but ends up looking away from one baby, only to cough into the other baby's face. Or he coughs into the mattress - where the babies sleep :( sigh
Then... remember that first major 'round' of sickness when we all fell sick, in late June? Isaac, at that time, I realised, kept on kissing the babies' face, hands and feet. Which is very sweet of him, this nice big kor kor to do that, but but but he's spreading his germs to them!?!?! sob sob!!! I told him not to kiss their hands and face, and (thought I compromised) by telling him that he could continue to kiss their feet. But then I realised that the babies also put their feet in their mouths. sigh. But anyway, Isaac refused to listen to me that he shouldn't kiss their face, hands and feet, and he continued to do so. Which is probably how the twins got infected with the virus...

Which is why I'm now quarantining him at my parents place now. Really not funny if the twins get HFMD. So anyway, I was kinda perplexed with Isaac's new (then in June) practice of kissing the twins' face, hands and feet. Especially the hands and feet, coz he would like not just kiss once, but many many times - reminds me of the father in The Adams Family kissing his wife on her arms. So I was complaining to hubbs...

Me: Dunno where he pick this up from - keep keeing the hands like that.
Hubbs stared at me with an unbelieving look on his face.
Me: What? what?
hubbs: He learn from you lah!
Me: Me??? Learn from me meh? No lah, I dun think so.
hubbs: It is lah.

I wasn't quite convinced... until one day... Isaac was doing his kissing thing, then he looked at me, beamed a bright Isaac-ky smile and said:"Mummy, see I kissing Asher and Shawna, just like you!!!" Sigh. "Yes, just like me, Isaac..." was I ever groaning within... I quickly said:" Yes, but Isaac, when Mummy has a cough, Mummy will not kiss Asher and Shawna, and even you. So now you coughing, you don't kiss Asher & Shawna okay? When you're better, then you can kiss them, okay?" He quickly dropped Asher's hand as he looked at me in horror. Since then, whenever I reminded him that he has a cough and shouldn't kiss the babies, he usually stops. Except when he's in a disagreeable mood... then he protests:" NO, I'M NOT SICK!" then he proceeds to keep kissing them... (which again, is why I'm insisting on the quarantine now...)
Kissing, kissing, oh I love kissing the kidzes! Everyday, I'd hug them and kiss them and smell them. Don't think I'd ever get sick of it and wanna stop. Except maybe next time, when Isaac and Asher just book out of army camp and come home extremely stinko-ish. Hahaha this reminds me of my Popo - my maternal grandma, who would always hug, kiss and smell us, to say goodbye, when we leave after visiting her. While hugging and smelling us, she would say "busuk busuk" which means "smelly smelly!" in Malay! :) So, I think I will still kiss my stinko boys!
In case you were wondering, the five pictures above this para is Asher :) The others before that was Shawna.
So yeah, coming back to this kissing thing. I didn't realise that Isaac has seen me kissing the babies, coz I am careful not to do it right in front of Isaac as I was afraid he would get jealous. Well, looks like my fears were unfounded - on the contrary, it taught Isaac to kiss and love the babies!
The only "side effect" is that he'd be spreading his germs when he is sick. Ah well. But Isaac is usually quite reasonable, as in, you can reason things out with him. When he is in the mood. hahaha. So yeah, that's our kissing story. *muakz*muakz* :) I wanna kiss my loyal readers too!!!

pix taken on 30th May 2010
Isaac @ 2 years almost 10 months
Asher & Shawna @ almost 5 months

Isaac's got HFMD! (London Bridge vid)

My Isaac's got Hand Foot Mouth Disease! sob sob sob!!!

We saw that he had a mouth ulcer on Wednesday morning, and so we didn't bring him in to school. The ulcer was on the side of his tongue - near the canines, so it was possible that he bit himself - that's what we were hoping - rather than it being HFMD.

Brought him to my parents' place where my mum helped take care of him for the day. I didn't want to leave him at home - just in case it really was HFMD. On Wednesday, he developed fever, but his hands and feet were clear of spots.

But on Thursday morning, when I inspected his hands and feet, I could see some small spots already. Heart sink. Sighz. Hubbs brought him to the doctor who confirmed that it was HFMD. The ulcer on Isaac's tongue has also grown a lot bigger. We didn't spot any other ulcers though.

I was very paranoid about him passing it to the twins. And so I told hubbs that it was best he and Isaac stayed over at my parents place for a few nights. Isaac cried last night, wanting to go home. And he did so just now as well. Am now at my parents' place, accompanying my darling Isaac. Later at night, I'd go home to my other two darlings.

Isaac's been a good boy, he cries in between mouthfuls of food, but at least he eats. He cries out now and then to say that his mouth hurts. He allows us to put the medicine on his ulcer even though he knows it will sting for awhile. Just now, he was so pleased to see me, he said he wanted me to put the medication on his tongue for him.

Isaac: Mummy, you put medicine for me, okay?
Me: Okay :)
Isaac: You put medicine, then I will cry.
Me: Oh, yes, you will cry because it is painful for awhile, right?
Isaac nods.
Me: But you're a brave boy, you still want Mummy to put medicine for you, even though it hurts.
Isaac nods.
I put the medicine on his tongue, and he howls in pain.
Isaac: Mummy! You hurt me!!!
Me: Yes yes, you knew that would happen, right?
Isaac nods.

Sigh, so good boy lah hor?

Come, see him singing London Bridge circa late May 2010 :)

Isaac used to go "Lon and Bridge is falling down... my friend lady." I kept trying to correct him to say "London Bridge ... my fair lady." which took quite awhile before he registered it. In this video, if you listen carefully, he says "Lon and Bridge is falling down... my fair lady." - managed to correct the my 'fair' lady :)

pix & vid taken on 30th May 2010

Isaac @ 2 years almost 10 months

A walk downstairs

Our estate - nice right? hahaha... hubbs and I first saw it at like 10.30pm one night - less than 48 hours later, we were at HDB trying to book one of the flats. At that time, we were lucky coz there were 10,000 surplus flats, and so we could literally walk in to HDB and buy a flat - no need to queue for 3 years or ballot for flat. That was back in 2004 when we got the flat.

When Isaac was a baby, we would bring him down for a walk almost every weekend morning. Usually, we'd go for breakfast and spend a little time walking downstairs, taking in the fresh air and getting to know our neighbours.
It was interesting that we hardly met any Singaporeans - all those we met who brought their babies down for a stroll, were all from China. As a result, we knew (by sight) quite a few babies around Isaac's age, and the babies' grandparents or parents.
Those china babies were huge! Most of the babies who were born in the same month as Isaac all looked at least 2 months older than him. Conversely, those who were younger than Isaac for 2 or 3 months, all looked the same size as he was - and Isaac was quite big actually! hahaha
This time with the twins, as we have Isaac to take care of as well, they're quite a handful for us. And hence we haven't had much chance to bring them down for a walk. But on this fine day on 31st May 2010, we did! :)
Hubbs and I managed to bring all three down on our own. First I made sure to feed both Asher & Shawna. Then, we put Shawna in the Baby Bjorn, and Asher in the stroller, and down we went! Lucky Isaac wasn't crankly and was happy to walk on his own.
We bumped into quite a few china grannies and grampies with their grandkids, and even a few from "Isaac's time" - who now have younger siblings too! :) As always, they were very congratulatory when they found out that we have dragon-phoenix twins :p
Everyone still looks a lil puffy from having just woken up not too long :p Asher and Shawna are still quite botak from their shave.
Nice pic of Asher and I! :) My Happy baby!
Isaac was very sweet, he wanted to push the stroller, and was doing a great job though he could hardly see where he was going!
Yep, the twins switched position - now Asher's in the sling and Shawna's in the stroller. We often have to swop them around - depends on their mood ya know. Sometimes one baby is fine in the stroller, and then starts to cry - so we swop them around and they'd be okay. Usually. hahaha. If not, we end up carrying them.
Sometimes Isaac is the one that acts up and wants to be carried, or insists on sitting in the stroller. So that's why, after some trial and error, we figured that we need at least 3 adults to bring all 3 kids out, and one stroller is enough. No need two. Having two is often more a hindrance than a help coz we'd have too many things to handle.
See, Shawna fleshed out nicely, though she is still lighter than Asher (which is fine with me). Though interestingly, even though she is smaller in size, she sometimes look bigger than Asher does in photos.
I told Isaac to pose for me and for once, he did! :) Nice pic!
He started doing this kawaii pose with the two fingers. Hilarious, coz we didn't teach him and we wondered who did. After much asking, he revealed that it was Teacher Lina who taught him to pose with the peace sign like that :)
Isaac kept 'sticking' his peace sign to his face that I had to specifically tell him not to do so! So he was quite conscious to hold his hand apart/away from his face :)
pix taken on 31st May 2010

Isaac @ 2 years and a week to 10 months

Asher & Shawna @ a week to 5 months