Send my babies to school!

Ocassionally, Isaac would tell me about the going-ons in school. He doesn’t tell me everything all the time, just mentions bits and pieces now and then. So one morning, in the car…

Isaac: “Xinrui bring her baby to school. Teacher Siti bring her baby to school. I also want to bring my babies to school!”
Me: “Huh send our babies to your school? Cannot lah, Mummy got no money, very expensive you know.
Isaac: Ung… send my babies to school!
Me: No money lah. Next time okay, when they are older, they can go Toddler Class, then not so expensive.
Isaac: I want money!
Me: Okay, then you have to earn it.
Isaac: I want money!
Me: Okay. So how are you going to earn it? It doesn’t drop from the sky you know.
Isaac: Drop from the sky? Okay!
Me: No, no, I say it does NOT drop from the sky – you must earn it.
Isaac: I want money!
Me: No, Isaac, it’s “Show me the money!!!”
Isaac: SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!
Me: hahahahaah (cheap thrill)
Isaac: I want money!
Me: Okay okay. Then you must study hard, then do well in school, get a good job, and earn lots of money, okay?
Isaac: I study hard already. I want money!
Me: You must study harder, and longer. Why you want money huh?
Isaac: Because I want to send my babies to school
Me: Ohhhh....
Isaac: I WANT MONEY!!!
Me: Isaac, you’re a very good boy, you want to earn money to send your babies to school. You’re a very good kor kor. Good boy.
Isaac: I want money.

This went on for quite a while, with Isaac asking for money, and I was basically repeating and rehashing the above conversation... so it went on and on, till hubbs couldn’t take it anymore, so he searched his pockets, found a 20 cent coin, and gave it to Isaac.

Hubbs: Here’s some money.
Me: Say thank you.
Isaac: Thank you Papa.
Hubbs: You’re welcomed.
Isaac: Mummy, look, I have “two” and “zero”.
Me: Two and zero is??? Twenty! Twenty cents, you have 20 cents! You’re rich!
Isaac stared at the 20 cent coin in wonder. Then a look of extreme relief and happiness crossed his face.
Isaac: Mummy!!! I have 20 cents! I have money! I can send my babies to school now!!!
Me: Hahaha… yes, Isaac, you do have money… but I don’t know if…
Isaac: Yay!!! I have 20 cents! I can send my babies to school!!!
Me: Hahhahaha okay, later you go to school and tell Teacher Sharm and Teacher Surinder that you want to send your babies to school okay? If they say 20 cents can send them to school, I also don’t mind! ;p

What a sweet big brother he is! And notice how he calls Asher & Shawna “my babies”? He always does that :) I would refer to the babies as “Our babies” when I talk. But Isaac will always call them “my babies”. He would always tell me proudly “Mummy, Xinrui only have one baby, Teacher Siti only have one baby, but I have TWO!”

My Isaac! :)

Singing ABCs

More singing!!! ABCs this time. My Isaac loves his alphabet. He enjoys watching those educational dvds which teach him the letters of the alphabet as well as phonics and other stuff like shapes, colours etc.

At first when I got the PrepSchool dvd series, I thought it was kinda boring - but Isaac loves it and would watch it repeatedly on end. *shrug* at least that money didn't go to waste :)


vid taken on 18th June 2010
Isaac @ 2 years 2 months plus

Too Bright!!!

No, I am not a Twi-mum, but this is the vampire I swoon over... kekeke... my Izaak ze Vampire! He's afraid of the sun! hiak hiak hiak...

He's usually alright out playing in the sun. But in the car, he would usually avoid the sun. Like in this vid, the sun would be annoying him. Hence the sunglasses...

And hence the reason why he has off late, chosen to sit in the back seats rather than up front with me. He used to want to sit up front with me so that I can hold his hand while I drive. Or he'd hold my arm, when I "need my arm back". Nowadays, he'd want to sit at the back coz "at the back no sun."

Hahaha... my Izaak!!!


vid taken on 18th June 2010

Chicken rice Isaac

Have I ever told you how stubborn Isaac is? When he wants something, he'd be bent on getting it, and he is very persistent and insistent about it. Well, yes, most kids are. But for most kids, you'd be able to distract them with something else. For example, if a kid wanted a sweet, you could distract him with a sticker, a new toy, or a new dvd, or compromise by giving him some fruit or biscuits. But not Isaac. In the words of my Mum, "Isaac's not easy to bluff."

So just this Sunday evening, we were on our way home, trying to decide where to go for dinner. We usually eat out for meals on weekends since we eat all our meals at home on weekdays. Hubbs and I were discussing, and we decided to go to Jurong Safra to the Hanis Cafe, which we kinda like. They had a good range of food from chinese dishes (like beef hor fun, fried rice etc) to like 10 different 'flavours' of spaghetti, to sandwiches and western food. East mix West - perfect for us.

Isaac was making a bit of a fuss over something else, and so in trying to distract him from THAT, I said...

Me: Isaac, are you hungry? Wanna eat dinner?
Isaac: Yes, I am hungry.
Me: Great! Do you want to eat spaghetti? (Spaghetti is one of Isaac's favourite food.)
Isaac: Nope. I want to eat chicken rice.
Me: (muttering to hubbs) Oh shit. Down there got chicken rice?
hubbs: (muttered back) OH. Think dun have.
Me: Er, Isaac, eat spaghetti lah. Very nice, you remember? That time you ate it all up!
Isaac: No no, I want chicken rice! I want to eat chicken rice at home!
hubbs: Maybe we should go Jurong Point... food court.
Me: Hmmm... okay...

Isaac sees us turn towards Jurong Point instead of turning into the road that'd lead to our house and he said: "Hey! You go there! Not here! Go home! I want to eat chicken rice at home!"
Me: There's no chicken rice at home darling. We have to go Jurong Point to buy.
Isaac: No! Go home! Buy, then go home and eat! I want to go home and eat!

There was a long queue getting into Jurong Point and so hubbs changed his mind and headed for Jurong Safra once again.
Isaac could see the change in direction, and that it wasn't going back to his house and started again: Hey! I want to go home to eat chicken rice! Go home! Go home!
Me: We eat at home everyday darling, let's eat outside during weekends okay?
Isaac: NO! I want to go home!
Me: Isaac, you very good boy, next time when you get married, then you come home to eat more often okay?
hubbs was chuckling at this... (hey, don't think I dunno, k :p)

hubbs turned into Jurong Safra carpark and started to cruise around for a lot... and then it came...

Isaac: Why are we here?! Are we going swimming? We are NOT swimming, right?! Then why you drive me here?! I want to go home to eat chicken rice!!!

It was hilarious. hubbs and I were laughing and yet trying to keep a straight face - coz Isaac was very serious...

We went up to Hanis Cafe, and we tried to get Isaac to order spaghetti. He was very adamant about his chicken rice. So much so that hubbs gave up, and we left Jurong Safra. In the end, we managed to convince him to eat outside - we ate at Pioneer Mall's foodcourt where there WAS chicken rice ;p

Isaac, my Isaac! :p

The Isaac rendition of "Jesus Loves Me"!

Pix & vid as of 17th June 2010! Shawna looks big huh?! Think it's her face that looks broad - my mum says "Shawna has a flat face - like you lor. " :p Like my Popo!!! kekeke...
Look at Isaac in his Ah Pek singlet. He sees hubbs wearing a singlet you see, and so he proclaims that he wants to wear a singlet as well.
Come hear my Isaac singing "Jesus Loves Me!" :) He's been listening to the CD on and off, and I didn't even know he knew how to sing it until I heard him singing to himself one day! :)

For those of you who know the song, you can hear that he gets some of the lyrics wrong. But that's okay - he substitutes it with something! Innovative, that! :) Something that I would do, totally! HAHAHA!!!

pix & vid as of 17th June 2010
Isaac @ 2 years 10 months plus
Shawna @ 5 months plus

Dinner with #3 Tan Family

When people find out that we go to hawker centre or coffee shop for meals, one of the more common questions we get asked is: "How do you cope?!"Well... one of the "tricks" we employ is... we have meals with friends and family! kekeke... that way, we have extra hands to help us hold the babies or entertain Isaac, while we eat. At the same time, we engage in one of our favourite activities - to meet up and catch up with friends and family! kekeke...
On this evening on 13th June 2010, we managed to arrange to have dinner with my cousins and my 3rd Uncle. My 3rd Aunt was out with my parents, travelling... hmmm can't recall where, China somewhere I think.
So, we get to eat with both hands while we get to see our relatives, talk, chit chat, catch up, and they get to see the babies and talk and play with Isaac.
And, best of all, we stay closely knitted as a family. Perfect!!! :)

pix & vid taken on 13th June 2010
Isaac @ 2 years 10 months plus
Asher & Shawna @ 5 months plus

Just waked up kidzes :p

Just waked up kidzes!!! (yes yes I know that there's no such word as 'waked')... pix here as of 13th June 2010...
The twins both having fever now! Seems like they're teething again... and... seems like they'd develop a fever every time they sprout some teeth. sianz! We lucked out with Isaac - he doesn't have fever when his teeth emerges. But not so lucky with Asher & Shawna. Ah well :p
Oh and you know what? They've been speaking gibberish for some time already :) And Asher started going "Papapapapapa..." some time back, just as Shawna went "Mamamamama..." So fair, right? :) And then lately, Asher started going "Papapapa mamama..." and Shawna started going "Mamamama papapapapa..." REALLY!!! NO kidding!!!
Asher, as you know, started sitting up later than Shawna did. But he loves to stand! Even now, he is either on his tummy, or he tries to stand up, with us holding him up by his shoulders, or he would use furniture to pull himself to a standing position.
Shawna, now, she is power! 2 days ago, I saw her trying to stand!!! As in, she is sitting up on the mattress, and with no support from us nor from any furniture, she tries to use her leg power to stand!!! *eyes*popping*out* She is one fantastic baby!!! Trying to stand on her own at 9 months!?
Here's my Asher drinking from me :) hehehe... I remember taking pix of Isaac in this exact same position :) Can you see my hand pump nearby? It's usually on standby as I pump when I latch on the babies - if they're not both latched on at the same time.
And look at what Asher is doing below? He is biting and pulling on my nipple!!! OUCH!!! ASHER!!! CANNOT BITE MUMMY!!! I always say to him, and Shawna, who also does that to me. Sob sob. When Isaac hears me say this, he would always look over, and say to me in a very concerned voice:"Mummy, Asher bite you?" and when I say "Yes, he bite me." Isaac will lecture Asher/Shawna:"Asher (or Shawna), you cannot bite Mummy, very painful you know." :)
Shawna having her drink below ;p
Isaac's wall of stickers is being enjoyed by Asher & Shawna now. They love looking at the stickers!
These are "sleeping bags" that I bought from Carters in USA, when we were there in Dec 2008. At that time, I wasn't pregnant, but I knew we would be as we were trying. I couldn't decide between a long sleeve sleeping bag and a short sleeve one - so I decided to buy two, one each. Also, I deliberately chose neutral colours so that whether boy or girl, also can wear.
I remember at that time, in the shop, hubbs frowned at me and asked me why I was getting two when one was sufficient. But I waved away his queries with a "But you see the material so nice and soft!" Doesn't answer his question, I know, but, hey, I'm the one paying! So he just shook his head, rolled his eyes and let me be :p Well, now I know why I bought two!!! kekeke...
My Isaac, the big kor kor!!! :)

pix & vid taken on 13th June 2010
Isaac @ 2 years 10 months plus
Asher & Shawna @ 5 months plus

I have two pairs of twins!

This is my first pair of twins!!! kekeke... Isaac & Natalie!!! :) My son and (god)daughter! kekeke... How time flies, they're 3 year olds already! They do look rather alike in this picture, don't they? :)

Did I mention before? Isaac actually looks exactly as I did when I was young. And Natalie looks like my sister when she was young. So, growing up, people always commented that we didn't look like sisters coz we looked so different - i was so fair, she was so dark... etc amongst other things.
Seeing Isaac and Natalie side by side now, we can totally understand what everyone was saying - we didn't look alike at all! hahaha! My mum had always attributed the Milo drinking as a reason why my sister was so dark. And me? She drank soybean milk :p
Oh! I forgot to update you guys on the HFMD episode! Thanks Melvin and Shups for the comments :) Isaac got well within a week. So when he went back to the doctor for the follow-up check, he got the all-clear to go back to school.

He didn't actually get many spots on his hands and feet, just like 3 spots in total we spotted. Instead, his biggest bugbear was the huge ulcer on his tongue. And I mean HUGE - it was like a 20 cent coin in area. Very painful I can imagine. Thankfully, it was on one side of his tongue, so he would need to use the other cheek to chew his food.
We actually "quarantined" him at my parents' place, with hubbs staying with his overnight the first 4 nights, and me for 2 nights, then hubbs again. I was really paranoid and afraid that he'd pass the hfmd to the twins you see. So far, every time he gets sick with flu/cough/runny nose etc, the twins would get it. But this HFMD is more onerous in my opinion, and I truly did not want them to get it. Hence the quarantine.
It was tough on us all. Isaac having HFMD made us burn our weekend plans - we missed out on the gathering at J & PY's on Friday night, Emmeline's wedding on Saturday, and another gathering with friends. In the end I went to Emm's wedding alone, with my parents. Felt very "empty" without hubbs and the kids.

Hubbs had a tough time sleeping at my parents place - not used to the unfamiliar surroundings. I missed having hubbs at home as my redundancy help with the kids if and when I needed him in the middle of the night. Thankfully most nights Asher & Shawna were fine and I could handle them alone.
However, the one who had it the toughest was Isaac. He not only had a huge painful ulcer on his tongue - he also couldn't go home for a week! He missed home terribly and constantly asked to go home. He also wanted to be with both hubbs and I at the same time - when I went home and hubbs stayed with him overnight, he cried for me. When I stayed with him overnight, he cried and asked for his Papa. So fair, right? :p

After a week, on the Wednesday he went for the doctor's appointment, he was given the all-clear to go back to school the next day. But on Thursday morning, he proclaimed that he wanted to stay home and did not want to go to school! We figured he really missed home after being away for a week, and we allowed him to stay home.

And thankfully, think thanks to the quarantine and tons of praying - Asher & Shawna did not get HFMD! phew!!! :) Praise the Lord!!!

My other pair of twins: Asher & Shawna! We brought them all to the pd on Saturday morning 2nd October 2010, and hence had their weights taken! :)

Shawna @ almost 9 months - 7.8 kg
Asher @ almost 9 months - 8.1 kg
Isaac @ 3 yrs & 2 months - 14.2 kg
Gotta run - leave you with some pix of the kids having fun with bubbles! :)

all pix & video taken on 11th June 2010
Asher & Shawna @ 5 months
Isaac & Natalie @ 2 years plus
Isabelle @ 5 years
Rebecca @ 6 years plus