Sunday 28 August 2011

Isaac turns 4 on August 6th 2011

Isaac birthday 6th August fell on a Saturday this year, so we celebrated on 5th August, a Friday. We did a simple one, just a Thomas cake and party hats. But thankfully, at this age, that's enough to make them happy.
Above, Isaac and Neha. And Alycia and Macy :) This is also the first year that Isaac would have his brother and sister celebrate his birthday with him in school.
We managed to get Asher to sit with Isaac for the photo, but not Shawna. Being their first week in school, Shawna was still rather sticky to us, when we're around in school.
The kids lapped up the entire cake! Most of the girls had seconds, and so did some of the boys. Isaac was so slow in eating (as he usually does, says Teacher Lina) that he did not eat fast enough for seconds - coz everyone else ate up the extra cake before Isaac said he wanted another piece! :p
We decided not to give a goodie bag this year - the hassle of putting together a bag was a headache. Perhaps I had too many "prerequisites/qualifiers" - I refused to give candy nor silly toys, so that kinda ruled out a lot of stuff. hahaha... Apparently, we weren't the only parents who found that a hassle - this year, most of the parents gave other stuff. One parent just ordered a Macs Happy Meal for each kid - so each kid had the Happy Meal toy. Another parent just gave a Pooh & Friends ornament thingy - different kids had a different character (Isaac's was Tigger!). For us, we managed to find this kit, that can be used to make window decals kinda stuff. Unfortunately, we didn't get the chance to test it out though. The idea behind this was great, we thought. But the paint's kinda overly water, and not thick enough. As such, the decal thingy's really thin, and it was hard to do a nice design in the first place coz the paint was too runny.

But the kids loved it - well, at least, Becca, Isabelle, Natalie and Isaac loved it. (Yeah, we got extra sets to give them to the girls too). They liked doing the craft work. Pity the quality of the set wasn't better - yes, another made-in-china product. Ah well, now we know we better test stuff out in advance! :) But hope the rest of Isaac's classmates had fun with the kit! :)

Friday 26 August 2011

The twins start childcare!

Pictures taken on 2nd August 2011 - Asher & Shawna @ four days to 19 months. Isaac @ four days to 4 years old! :)
Given Isaac's positive experience in childcare, my original intention was to send the twins into childcare soon after they hit 18th months. However, 3 kids in an above average childcare is no small strain on the pocket, even after Government subsidy of $300 per kid - in fact, the childcare charges $1,000 per kid per month, so 3 kids is a minimum of S$2,100 total, after subsidy, but before extra lessons (like Isaac's Science lesson and Music lesson). Anywayz, seriously no joke - so hubbs thought of waiting till end of this year before sending them in. However, turns out that we had to send them in earlier... So, it came to be that, on 1st August 2011, the twins started childcare. They are 5 days shy of being 19 months old.
It's the school policy that for new students, the parent can spend the first three half days with them, but thereafter, they want you to leave the kids there. On the 1st day, hubbs had to work, so I had our helper come with us. So I didn't take pix, thinking I had another 2 days to do it. On the 2nd day, hubbs insisted that we leave them with the teachers while we went out for morning coffee at the cafe. And on the 3rd day - hubbs told me to go to work! *sob*sob* Yes, I'm trying to explain why I have so few pix of their first three days in school!!! hummphh!
Generally, the twins are coping well. I think it helps a lot that Isaac is around. It seems that Isaac would often pop by the twins' classroom to check on the kids. And Shawna would also ask for him pretty often. Shawna is very happy with the food, and tends to finish her meals. She would even feed herself. On the other hand, Asher doesn't seem to be taking to the food well, and tends to rely on his powder milk for main sustenance.

Hubbs is usually the one who drives them to school, and picks them up from school. He says that Shawna would usually be the one who instinctively know that he's about to leave, and she would hang on to him crying. Asher, for the most part would be happily wandering off to play already. Our guess is that Shawna, being a little more 'developed' than Asher, is more aware of what is happening, and hence is more sensitive. However, hubbs says that lately, Asher has learnt as well, and occasionally cries when he leaves. However, as of now, the end of their first month, they seem to be settling very well.
And here is Kor Kor Isaac and his N2 Flying Fish friends! Look how much they've grown since the time Isaac joined the childcare in March 2010. Isaac enjoys having his brother and sister at school with him, and he's been taking pretty good care of them.
In fact, I have noticed, that since the twins started childcare, the three kids seem to be closer. They'd play together more now than before. And their favourite form of playing together is to fall on each other and "tackle" each other. They also love to hug and kiss each other. I mean, don't get me wrong, they still fight and snatch and all that, but I do find that they're also more loving to each other. Look at this picture below taken on the evening of 4th August after school one night - Asher was just lying on Isaac and they were both watching tv, waiting for their dinner to be ready. So sweet, right!? :)
Let's hope Isaac keeps up being a good Kor Kor! :)

Thursday 25 August 2011

Now, let's do 2011!

Nope! Isaac doesn't wear specs! He's just trying them on coz I was at the opticians getting my glasses done. pix dated 18th July 2010! More than a year ago! :) I can't help it! I just must have pix with every blog post, if possible!!!
Right!!! Now with 2010 completed, we can start on 2011! Before you start to groan, thinking that this is The Forever Back-Posting Blog - fret not! I have decided to go about this concurrently - meaning, I'd start posting CURRENT news (hurrah!!!) starting with the beginning of August 2011, interspersed with backposts starting from January 2011.

Have I confused you already?! kekeke... Never mind, just come back often to catch up on The Tan Family Chronicles - that's what's important :) Yes, that's right! So, even before you go downstairs on 27th August 2011 to cast your very secret vote on who you want to vote in as your President of Sunny Island Singapore - you should come here to this blog to check it out for your dose of nonsense from Mrs Tan-Tan (yours truly!!!).

Now, as you can see, I'm in quite a mooood... so! Let me regale you with a shitty story! A nice one, I promise!

You see, Isaac having just turned 4 on August 6th 2011, has (since a few months ago) begun his "Why?!" phase in earnest. Why this? Why that? Why? everything! He asks questions about anything and everything. Thankfully, I'm one which has all along been in the habit of explaining things to him since he was born, so I am quite well... used to answering his questions. Though, recently, it gets a little tiring.

Anyway... so one of the more interesting conversations went like that one day a couple weeks ago...

Isaac: "Mummy, (he said in a very serious voice) why does food we eat become motion?"
Me: (*blink*blink*) "Erm... riiiighht... why does food become motion?"
Isaac:" Yes. Why?"
Me:"Okay, you see, when you eat food, the good parts of the food are nutrients. They help you grow your hair, your nails, make you grow taller... But the not-so-good parts of the food, become motion. That's why."
Isaac:"Oh.... like junk food?"
Me:"That's right! Junk food has very little nutrients in them, so a large part of junk food becomes motion. That's why you should not eat too much junk food. You should eat good healthy food with lots of nutrients."
Isaac:"Oh..." (pause) "Mummy, what is nutrients?"
Me:" Erm, nutrients is the good part of food lor. Like Vitamin C!"
Isaac:"Oh! And Vitamin A and Vitamin B?"
Me:"Yes, that's right! Vitamins are good!!!"

The first time he asked, it was about 2 weeks ago. Since then, about every 3 or 4 days or so, he'd ask me why food becomes motion, again :) But he does seem to understand, sort of. He just likes to hear me explain it.

Sunday 21 August 2011

2010 is done!!! yay!!!

Congratulate me!!! I'm done with 2010's posts! It only took me more than half a year, but it's done! Daph says my blog is the "Backpost Blog" but what can I say, it wouldn't be true Chronicles, if I don't chronicle EVERYTHING! hahahaha...

Trawled my phone pix to find these two below! Taken on 31st December 2010 - Asher & Shawna were bothered by the flash from my phone camera, hence the squinting. But I thought they look cute anyway :)

Enjoy the back posts - links below!!!
December 2010 back posts!

Wednesday 17 August 2011

November 2010 backposts

Here's the last of the November 2010 backposts! Woohooo!!! Just December and I'm done with 2010!!! Then can blog2print 2010 already!!! yay!!!
Enjoy!!! :)

Tuesday 16 August 2011

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Pang!!!

The congratulations are way overdue! My sister-in-law (hubbs' sister) got married last year on 20th November 2010 - just did this backpost on that. The pix below, stolen off her facebook, are pix of their honeymoon in Greece mid-December 2010.
Welcome to the family, Ashley!!! :)

Sunday 14 August 2011

Cheese Snatching with Isaac

This is Cheese Snatching by HABA. I'd gotten it sometime back, and didn't manage to break it out until recently. I had read about it off a fellow BoardgameGeek (Mark Jackson's website http://akapastorguy.blogspot.com/) and so I wanted to try it out. Mark's tried many of HABA's games, and often, his opinions are mirrored by mine, so I was keen to try this game since he'd given it a positive review.
pix taken on 13th August 2011
Isaac @ 4 years

It was a neat little push-your-luck game which had dice-rolling and one picking up cheese slices - you decide when to stop, which you should, before the cat catches your mouse. Simple, a nice one for the kids :) risk management, counting. My only complaint is that you didn't really have to think much so play the game - but that's just me, I like "thinking games" but I know of lotsa people who like games which you didn't have to think too much.

In any case, looks like this game is out of print. Thus, I'm glad I got hold of it when I did :)

I enjoyed the game quite a bit, actually, despite it being quite "non-thinking" in nature. I was also glad to note that Isaac did not make a fuss when he had to lose his cheeses when the cat caught up with his mouse. He was very calm about losing his cheeses, but thereafter, he kept a close eye on my turns - to make sure that I would lose MY cheeses when the cat catches up with my mouse! Hahaha! This is definitely good progress for Isaac has always been a very competitive boy, and quite a sore loser ;p

Backpost is about a game too! Viva Topo with Isaac! :) That's a much longer post - enjoy!!!

Thursday 4 August 2011

Breastfeeding, Dr Seuss style!


I have decided that I shall not mourn my end of my breastfeeding journey... instead, I shall celebrate the fact that I have breastfed my kids for so long! I just came across this from an email Andrea sent me some time ago, and I love it, coz I love Dr Seuss! Enjoy this poem, obviously spoofed off Green Eggs and Ham!

Breastfeeding, Dr Seuss style!


Would you nurse him in a park?
Would you nurse him in the dark?
Would you nurse him with a boppy?
And when your boobs are feeling floppy?

I would nurse her in the park.
I would nurse him in the dark.
I'd nurse with or without a boppy.
Floppy boobs will never stop me.

Can you nurse with your seat belt on?
Can you nurse from dusk til dawn?
Though she may pinch me, bite me, pull,
I will nurse her til she's full.

Can you nurse and make some soup?
Can you nurse and feed the group?
It makes her healthy strong and smart,
Mommy's milk is the best start!

Would you nurse him at the game?
Would you nurse her in the rain?
In front of those who dare complain?
I would nurse him at the game.
I would nurse her in the rain.
As for those who protest lactation,
I have a perfect explanation.
Mommy milk is tailor made
It's perfect food, you need no aid.
Some may scoff and some may wriggle,
Avert their eyes or even giggle.

To those who can be cruel and rude,
Remind them breast's the perfect food.
I would never scoff or giggle,
Roll my eyes or even wiggle!
I would never be so crass or crude,
I KNOW that this milk's the perfect food!

We make the right amount we need,
The perfect temp for every feed.
There's no compare to milk from breast-
The perfect food, above the rest.

Those nursing smiles are oh so sweet,
Mommy milk is such a treat.
Human milk just can't be beat.
I will nurse, in any case,
On the street or in your face.
I will not let my baby cry,
I'll meet her needs, I'll always try.
It's not about what's good for you,
It's best for babies, through and through.

I will nurse her in my home,
I will nurse her when I roam.
Leave me be lads, leave me be ma'am
I will nurse her, Mom I am.

Source: Unknown. (Let me know if you know who wrote this!)

Maybe I should write a poem too... titled Green Milk and Pam!!! kekeke...

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