Category Archives: parenting

life with a kindergartener: thirsty

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We were waiting for our turn on a shop to pick up your bags that we’ve order-made for your grade school. Thankfully, there were couches around, so we could lounge while waiting. At first you said you wanted some gumi candy at the neighbour drug store. I’ve been teaching you some independence recently and so I gave you my PASMO (for our future reference: essentially this is a train pass. But you can charge it so that you can use it to pay your purchases or pay your meals. On hindsight, I should really stop giving you my pasmo but give you bills/coins so that you’ll learn more about counting.)

After finishing off your pack of gumi, and just when we were about to leave the premises, you then complained to me that you’re thirsty. And so once again, I gave you my pasmo. It took you a lot longer though to get back. So I headed to the drugstore and saw that you were already at the counter. I rushed to get back to our sofa because the point was for you to feel some independence and it definitely will not help you if you see me lurking around.

Then you came out the drugstore with plastic bag and looking like you’re carrying something very heavy.

Before you reached us though, you announced that you bought me my favourite milk tea and daddy a bottle of green tea, and water for you.

My thoughtful and perceptive baby. I thank God for his goodness. I pray you grow up well.

Hatsuhinode 2019

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Welcome beautiful 2019!!

I usually do the countdown and the cleaning thereafter. So never, in my entire life, have I tried to catch the first sunrise of the year.

Hence I was surprised with the well of emotions I felt, seeing the beautiful orange rays of the sun shining through dark, ominous clouds. Suffice to say I was moved to tears.

Thank you, Lord, for this beauty and for this new year!

PS

Didn’t have any difficulty waking Yui up and from making her walk for thirty minutes so early in the morning. She was so excited! Grateful for this beautiful start of the year, and with good friends at that too!

Waiting by Kevin Henkes

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This award-winning book was the first English book that you were able to read by yourself. How you giggled when you realised you could actually figure out the words by yourself. And of course I was proud, your sole main contact with English. I could not take credit with your Hiragana and katakana because your daycare teachers helped you with it. But the English……proud of you babyiii

Baptism anniversary

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It’s been exactly 6 years since you were baptised. We were looking at your photos earlier, the ones posted on Facebook and you yourself were giggling at your chubbiness and was laughing how in all your photos you seem to be only either asleep or drinking milk. You were looking for your photo of the actual baptism, when the Priest poured the Holy water on your head. You then kept on asking “why” when I answered it was not posted and was in our computer. I remembered only now why we didn’t post it; because a friend took the photos and the ones I posted were only the ones from my camera.

Anyways. You seem to be almost always asleep that day. But another remarkable thing happened that day too. After your baptism, we had coffee with your Ninang Maj. And in that cafe, you smiled for the first time, to someone other than me or your Dad. And yes, it was to your Ninang. We were so surprised and happy we laughed hard; which got your surprised too.

Today, 6 years after, we had a milestone too. Today, for the first time, you sat away from me (just a pew behind me, nevertheless) and yet behaved and stayed seated for the whole hour. You sang with the choir, and you passed around the offertory basket and laid it at the altar. I was very proud of you and told you of it again and again.

My baby, how much you’ve grown and I am ever thankful to the Lord.

Mom, where’s the glue?!

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Yesterday we received yet again one of those do-it-yourself crafts freebie from your daycare; more often than not, they actually come with advertisements. Nonetheless, the free crafts are worth it.

I was busy in the kitchen, preparing dinner when you asked me where the glue was. I couldn’t spare a hand (and eyes and feet) so I asked you to look for it yourself. You couldn’t find it so you just tried to do something else.

A couple of hours later while I’m cleaning the kitchen, you happily announced you found the glue (of course I was happy to see you were persistent).

And then you called me.

And with beaming eyes, gave me this.

It’s already 11pm but with your gift, I feel like I could work yet another full day; energised as I was with your sweetness.

Thank you my dearest.