Tag Archives: baby diaries

Oh, The Places You’ll Go! 小学校4年

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I wanted to keep our tradition going, so I bought us a new copy of our tradition book.
The good thing this year, and especially with this new book, is that you’ve come to appreciate this yearly tradition. Plus your English reading skills has recently significantly improved (you’ve already read all our Dr Seuss books!) and you can read it now.

You’ll be starting joining clubs from this year. And you chose Theatre Club at that! I know you wanted to join Drawing Club, and Computer Club more than Theatre Club, and that you only joined it after seeing a video of what the club is about and learning what I’ve been saying is true. But I hope you’ll find a place to nurture your love for voices, singing, and performing. You’re already having extra classes for Drawing and for Programming, hence I am glad of the choice you made so that you can work on your other talents.

God bless you my baby. Spread your wings.

life with a grade schooler: silkworms

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After the golden week, you’ve been gushing about how in a few days you’ll be receiving eggs. Silkworm eggs that you’ll be taking care of. Fast forward a couple of weeks and they’ve grown. You’ve been heralding us of your silkworms’ antics and how the two seems to have different personalities. And yes, they have names: Shiro and Kumo; and that you can tell them apart because of the little black marks on their body.

And then, for over a week, you’ve been praying for a sunny Friday; apparently they could die in the rain hence you can only bring them home when that Friday is a sunny day. Told you I’ll pray in turn for a rainy day.

But your prayers were heard.

Thankfully they need to be housed in a closed box with some holes on, I wouldn’t be seeing them always. I feel like shrieking whenever I see them, my heart feels like it’s being squeezed.

Come Friday night however, my heart is being “squeezed” by an altogether different matter: your thanksgiving prayer.

After your evening prayers and you getting tucked in for the night, you suddenly bounced up, positioned yourself in prayer, and with sincerity in your voice, you prayed with gratitude on how your prayers were answered. And that you look forward from now for more answered prayers.

Such faith. Such gratitude. My work is done. Love you baby.

Life with a grade schooler: Mommy’s priorities

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I was trying to finish off a task before leaving the office for the weekend when a senior colleague dropped by to ask me how I was. I have so many conflicting issues nowadays that I shook my head to say, no, not really fine. Then he asked how my daughter was. I snapped. But I know he is such a kind person so I had that very difficult feeling of trying to explain why I find it discriminating (he’s also a father, why is he still in the office?!?) while saying sorry.

I felt guilty for snapping at him when I know he had good intentions but I also am annoyed at him because now I also feel guilty with Yui.

And so this evening, while tucking Yui in the bed, I sat down by her bedside and looked at her in the eye:

Me: is it ok with you that I work late?

Yui: Yes!! I understand (with much enthusiasm)

I hugged her and said thank you and that I love her so much.

Yui: I understand Mommy have to take care of kodomo (children), work, cooking. Doing laundry, cleaning……

With how she arranged it, I am confident she knows she’s my top priority.

our first duet in public

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We often sing together at home. We dance. We act. We make up stories. We imagine stuff together. But mostly we sing together.

Last Saturday, when I received our choir director’s email for the Sunday mass’ songs and saw “Once in Royal David’s City” was on the list, I asked you if you’d like to sing solo the first part. Surprisingly, you said yes. On the condition that I sing with you, and that you’ll be standing as far away from the crowd as possible so they wouldn’t see you. I promised you I’ll sing with you, but that I couldn’t on the latter part.

As if teasing you, when we arrived at Church the following morning, the choir chairs were rearranged such that everyone in the choir is facing the congregation. Tough luck. (For the record, this is that time when our masses are held at the basement because the church is under renovation) Thankfully, you forgot this “hidden away from the crowd” condition. While we were practicing another song, you went ahead and sang the first lines of Once in Royal David’s City, reminding me that you were determined to sing. Hence I informed our director. Hats off to him though. He still pushed with our idea even when the two times we practiced, you can barely be heard. He just told me to sing louder in case you still get shy.

But I needn’t sing louder though. Because as always, you are so much better during actual performance compared to practices. I’ve noticed this even when you were still in kindergarten. It’s quite tricky though, because the one who gives you the job needs to have faith in you first for you to have the job. But what a performer you are. You stood erect, looked really confident, and you even had the presence of mind to turn the page. You were marvellous. I couldn’t turn the page myself because half of me was performing and the other half was the “stage mom” looking at how you are doing; quite a feat I tell you.

Now you see, you’ve been quite notorious as the one who always sleeps at church during mass. So everyone was quite surprised to see you sing. People came to you to try and talk to you and compliment you. Unfortunately, we didn’t practice yet on how you should deal with “fame”. You clung unto me like jellyfish and hid your face from everyone else. Well, that would be another day’s lesson, dealing with “fame”.

For now, thank you for taking the leap, and for taking the leap with me. It made my heart full.

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.