An official warning letter

Dear Lolly,

We have unfortunately received numerous complaints about your behavior from various parties (family, mostly) and herby would like to issue an official warning, in which if you continue to behave like a thug, parties involved will...will...well, they will think of something.

Please find bellow a list of things which you do on a daily basis which annoy the bollocks of us :

1. You run to the phone when it rings. Fair enough that you want to be helpful, but you dont talk a single word.

2. And then you attempt to climb the table to retrieve the receiver, giving your poor ahma mini heart attacks.

3. You shout like a banshee in a confined area, like the car.

4. You steal people's garment (panties, bra, spenders included) and pull them along like a pull-along toy.

5. You refuse holding hand, walking lintang pukang confidently as though you remember the way home.

6. You are exhibiting narcissistic behavior by kissing your own reflection at every opportunity.

7. You treat the house like a nude camp, taking off your diapers and refusing clothings.

That said, we must give you credits for not picking up rubbish to eat anymore. And you have also showed much co-operations in the car seat and stroller. We thank you for your efforts in becoming a nicer toddler.

We hope you will reflect on your lifestyle and make changes where necessary to make this house hold Barney-like where everyone sings "Hakuna Matata".

Thank you.

"Toddlerhood is like a running blender, without its lid." - Jerry Sienfield

Yours sincerely,




Thai-girl Mom

Cuddle cuddle

I had the best cuddle moment with Lolly just awhile ago.

This is kinda silly, to begin with. I have thought that Lolly was a die-hard refused to sleep baby. Everytime i put her in her cot, she screamed! And i yelled, "Go to sleep" a few hundred times a night.

Eventually, i realised that she was a sweet bum whilst in Bangkok, and also in our new home. I began to analyse the bed time rituals, and durh! came to the conclusion that she just loves being held and cuddled prior to embarking on a dream journey. (my single bed and her cot arrangement at my mom's place was making me dump her into her cot to sleep on her own, resulting many reluctance on her end)

And so now, i tuck her in, in my bed. She puts her face really close to mine and smiles, a really really happy smile. One that shines through her eyes.

And then gently, she pulls me close to her lips, placing her hands behind my neck. Ah...sweetness oozing. And i say, "Yes baby, i Love you too."

Sometimes she climbs on my tummy, and rests her head on my chest, and hums a tune only she knows. No matter how old she is, her frame seems to fit my frame perfectly. Its like we are custom-made to stay snug.

She lifts her head to look at me in the eye, in the semi-lit room. Her pupils dance, I know she is happy.

She strokes my cheeks. And tries to pry my mouth open with her finger. That makes me laugh always.

When i laugh, her own laughter ensues.

Soon, her eye lids get droopy. She uses my hand to place it at her bum, and motions it up and down, wanting a good pat-pat session.

And so it begins...pat...pat....pat....pat....

..and she is off to Lalaland.

I love cuddling a soft bunny goochi baby. Its a privilege to have a chance to do that, really.

Ok, lights out..who wanna chat?

Father, the second time

To begin with, he didnt like kids much. During his probation period (dating-lah), never once i heard him cooing about babies. He never played with my nephews. In fact he looked at them oddly like they were ...well, odd. His lips didnt even curve up a bit when the babies did silly cute antics.

And then gooly came along. First time dad he became. Some-what awkward, i reckon. He fed him, changed him, but didnt know how to play or talk to him.

I admit i was worried. That gooly wouldnt grow up being close to his papah. But being thick skinned and all, gooly persisted. He would sit on his papah's lap uninvited. He would talk to him in his baby language. He didnt care there was little response from the old man.

As he grew older (Gooly, I mean) began to speak more to be understood, that papah began to really...really enjoy fatherhood. He likes listening to what his son has to say (papah is not much of a talker, he listens (to me) more). He laughs and is amused by the little guy. It took him a while to get here.

One day...looking at my niece, he said aloud that "A little girl is cute also hor." My eyes widened, my mouth formed an "O". Yes, a little girl would complete the family.

And so we had Lolly. Life is beautiful, aint it? We get what we wish, hope, pray for sometimes.

This time, i dunno..could it be age or experience or because she is the little girl that we waited(without realising) for six years, that he became the perfect father?

There are things that he wouldnt do still..ok..maybe with a little reluctance that he does it i.e washing her butt. But i do see vast improvements in his fathering skills.

Once in Bangkok, on a particularly bad bad day, i (who has the patience of a painting artist, ahem!) blew the top, while papah remained cool and smiley. That, i salute and applaud. If it was last time...aiyayayaya..his face would be black like your underwear.

And he is so natural with Lolly. And she, in return is so drawn to him. No man can carry her, except papah.

And what was i thinking about Gooly not being close to him? He idolises him! Well, not really...more like, he likes to make fun of him. Yeah, when i rule the kingdom with an iron ('s fist), he brings the kiddo out for chocolates and ice creams.

There was this other time that he played some silly game with gooly and Ada, and hearsay, INTENTIONALLY fell on the ground and rolled over like JAmes Bond. Geeesh! A Klutz just like his son. But i never imagined him rolling on the the ground, playing with kids.

What would I do without having him around to neutralise an otherwise communist-like family?

The man I loved is growing up to be a father I love even more.

Happy father's day, papah. Your son is out in the park while the little one is taking a nap. They dont know its fathers day. Bet you didnt either. And thats what I love about you too - always nonchalant about commercialised celebrations....like our wedding anniversaries...eh wait. I dont love that nonchalance so much. But i will give you a break. Lets discuss diamonds and pearls tomorrow.


;-)

Saying hello after 10 years

Recently, i received an email bearing a super bad news - a uni friend has lung cancer stage four.

Now, this friend is not someone whom I was close to during my four years in uni. We graduated, got married, worked, had kids - without contacting one another. But i was sad to hear that piece of news.

So i picked up the phone and called her. Awkward it may seem, but dialed, i did. A simple, hello, how are you doing? And most importantly, "I'd like to help. If you need errands done, tell me. If you need transport, call me."

And she graciously accepted the offers.

Sometimes, we are shy, awkward, embarassed, cynical etc. We wonder, "What if she is not up to it? What if she needs rest? What if we are disturbing?"

Well, then let the person tells us. And we just wait till we are needed.

Sometimes we are too busy to help or offer kindness cos we have family, work, tv, dog, cat,etc.

Well, then life sucks. But life sucks generally.

Hence, a little compassion, kindness and love help. Spare some, why dont ya?

Chut chut

This is not the first time - she chucked her chutchut, we cant find it, we panicked, she's cool...that is till her bedtime!

D'oh! She cant sleep without her chut chut! So i rushed out to buy a new pair but they ran out of 6-12 months size in pink. Damnit, you silly advent chut chut! Had no choice but to get the smaller sized ones..dont think theres much difference.

Double d'oh! Of course there is a diff, mom! The colour, taste, length, picture are all not the same, mom! She took a look, smiled politely, and threw it on the floor.

Maybe its time to quit cold turkey...

But i did shove it into her mouth, regardless. She ptui-ed it out. And then she tossed and turned, and writhed with agony, white foam appearing at the corner of her mouth (my imagination). And the she started her pitiful cries....


Weeek...wek....wek..

I picked her up. Cuddled her a bit. Put her next to me. 3,2,1.. She was asleep!

I am so important in her life, aint it? Much more important than the silly pink silicone thing.

I picked her up again. Kissed her three times. Gosh, she is so cute when not shouting (in her car seat).

The new chut chut remains out of her mouth.

Is that it? Bye bye, chut chut?

Hmmm....

Musical fountain

The other day, we went to Promenade, a new place not quite near town for lunch. We ate some kick ass local food dadedoo...*fast forward to musical fountain outside*

I can't remember if I have ever seen a musical fountain. I'm over thirty years old, I gotta have, right? But somehow, there isn't any distinct memory of ever visiting one.

At the first sight of the fountain, I wasn't particularly impressed. It was in a circular shape, water sprouting from little holes on the ground. And then I saw some teenagers running into the centre of the fountain ring, shrieking when their uniforms got sprinkled. I remember thinking, "Crazy kids."

After walking round and round and observed a bit, I realized (duh) that people were running in and out of water when the music tempo was slow. Hey..that was pretty fun. So I grabbed gooly's hand and made a dash when we deemed it was safe to do so.

Right at the nucleus of the fountain, it hit me....that it was indeed beautiful. I twirled..kinda...or rather turned around around and around, watching the water shoot 10 feet high (or more)all around me, totally in sync with the classical music, which boomed even more clearer inside the circle.

I looked for gooly only to have heard his boyish laughter obviously tickled by the droplets of water threatening to pour on him. The water teased us joyfully, shooting high when the music tempo escalated, and then low as the music slowed. I imagined the hands of a conductor busy conducting the orchestra.

I imagined living in the sea.

(I imagined being a mermaid.)

It was a magical experience. To have danced with the water and my son, to the music of Bach and Bethoven, giggling to no end.

Yet another wonderful memory of Bangkok.