JASOPHELEB

Recently during an English class at IDEC, the teachers organized a trip to a greenhouse nursery and it was really fun! I was so motivated to plant though I do not have green fingers, I think plants needs lots of love just like human and animals do!
Do you know it takes 3 years for a pineapple to grow to its full size and be ready for consumption? When I am back in SG I am going to try planting a pineapple! Hopefully I’ll still have the motivation!
Anyway, I chanced upon some tiny planting pots from Target for only $1 each!
Hopefully its gg to teach Caleb a little science and teach him a little about responsibility- he has to water the plant every day! (provided mummy remembers to REMIND him!
We learned some new words today!
Plant, soil, seed, water, syringe and pot today!
Am going to cross fingers that the plant will sprout!

Uh hmmm, potty training! Well if you remember a long time ago, Caleb and his buds, were all sitting on their potties at 9months old. Then all the mummies started to give up coz the babies became mobile and thought that the potty was not such a fun place to be after all… And there was one period where I allow Caleb to go “commando” at home so that he knows he has to go (that works really well by the way) until I frightened myself by thinking that he was going to protest against wearing bottoms before we go out and I stopped.

But if I were to have persevere, we may have gotten him out of his diapers even sooner! Since after going commando for a day or two, Caleb had been aware of his ability to control and to say when he wants to poo or pee but once I stop, he enjoyed the comfort and process of being able to pee and poo in his diapers where ever and when ever. To a point where he knows he is going to do it but refuse to sit in the potty, and stand at a corner performing his business into the diapers, FRUSTRATING!

So what makes me wanna try again you ask-our current place being carpeted and all, kinda scary what if there are accidents? Well, its all because of school! He is now in the 18months to 3 years old class, they call it the toddler program and you can see that he is one of the older kids in class. Because of this, he picked up loads of bad whining habits from the little boys and girls from his class! I made up my mind that this had got to stop so I went to ask his teachers how can we bump him up to the next level? She told me that even though if he is 3 years old but he is not potty train, he have to still stay in the same class! My gosh, that definitely takes my determination up to the next level!

Anywayz, the boy has obtained his certification of being potty trained by mummy and daddy. He has been wearing his undies for the past week and so far zero accidents. When we are out, he is not in diapers too, he definitely knows how to control very well now. And you know he is potty trained when he chooses his undies instead of diapers. Good job my boy!

So any advice for potty training, I say… go commando if you can, and in 3 days, I think you should be able to see some form of results really soon! I must say I am proud to say that Caleb’s been helping us save on formula as well as diapers! Yipee!

Note: He is still in diapers when he goes for nap and night sleep, urm I dun wanna risk having to change bedsheets all the time you know!

Very often, we always take little things in life for granted. Until you start to miss it, crave for it… Hmm, say for example my two dollars plate of chwee kuey back in Singapore- its relatively easy to get a decent plate of it. My favorite, the Tiong Bahru ones and the Bedok ones, oh how about the ghim moh market ones, just around the corner of our old place, not forgetting the coffee shop right below my parents place, where I grew up… But now, when I’m far away in the US of A, I have to slog for 2hours just to satisfy my craving for this yummy savory rice cakes!

And how about my bottle of precious sambal belachan? My one and only bottle of Nonya Sambal, one which I tucked safely in my luggage, hoping and praying, it will survive unbroken from the arduous journey when we flew from Singapore. And yes, it did arrive in one piece but is fast running out, I accidentally tipped out one third of it yesterday because I had oily fingers.

So anyway, I have a rough couple of nights, Chace has been “successfully” weaned from the pacifier (certified free for two weeks now) and now the boobies (free for 2 nights!) but he seemed to be having either night terrors, or terrible withdrawal symptoms from the nursing. He wakes up at least 3 times in the night wailing, unable to be pacified by anything, but I guess we will get over it soon. I guess I am so used to waking up so many times in the night now, it really doesn’t make any difference anyway, other then those loud piercing screams which are so high in decibels, I swear my eardrums are still vibrating. (BTW, It’s amazing how the husband and the older son can sleep through the ruckus.)

So now we are awake, Chace and I, at 6am in the morning, dawn hasn’t even broken, yet another cold morning. I am just comforted by the rice cakes Jason and I slog to make yesterday (he had to look after the kids you know, I have to give the husband some credit in my chwee kuey). And its even better with a nice warm cup of tea, my sambal and yes, an interesting book and a calm baby feeding himself cereal… It’s little things in life that reminds you, that you should never take things for granted, even the tiniest drop of water.

Ok do I make sense?! I thought it does?! It doesn’t gosh, it has to be my lack of sleep. Thanks for reading this post anyway. Now go! Go tell your love one, “I Love You”, say, “I miss you and have a good day…” and smack them with lots of kisses. Its a brand new day and I know it’s going to be good. Oh wait, whats that smell? “Di di, did you poo??!”

I am off the pacifier and I am drinking fresh milk from my sippy cup, which is real fun!

Oh and I learn to clap and give hi-5s!!! Dat’s really cool!

Plus I go to kindermusik and I love to play with the instruments!

We went for a photo shoot yesterday because Chace is turning one next month! The photographer Cara Brashier sent us a sneak preview of the boys! We can’t wait to see the rest of them!

Chace is turning one next month and we have a little party planned for him! The family will also be making a trip to Orlando Disney World for a celebration-all thanks to Daddy! It’s going to be an exciting month for all of us, Yipee!

With love from us in Montgomery.

I submitted the boys photos to the Pediped shoes casting call for fun since we are in the USA. I don’t know if Chace is eligible but I know Caleb should be since he is a USA citizen? Lol…

Anyway, whenever you are free, do vote for the boys! It will be a bonus if they win anything! Spread the word!

Instructions, go to Pediped Casting Call
Under Child’s Name- Type “Caleb” or “Chace”
Under City of Residence- Type “Montogomery”
Then click Vote! Easy peasy. And you can click one vote everyday! Vote away peeps! Thanks much much… XOXO

Caleb is 2 years 8 months and thats 32 months old.
Chace is 11 months old.
They are 21 months apart,but only 1 academic year shy of each other, which means one will go to sch first and the other the next year…
(Laughing out Loud)- I am suddenly obsessed with numbers! This paragraph doesn’t mean anything anyway. Ok I am confusing you.

Hmm, what did I want to blog about? Oh the title is, “Different stage”. Right, I wanted to say that although the brothers are at different stage of their lives, they are still similar somehow…
So here goes…

Introducing Caleb to the chopsticks, since we are chinese right?

It’s all trial and error and he had fun…

Well he still get food inside his mouth, that’s what matters!

As for Chace, I was hoping he will be able to self feed coz I remember Caleb was really good at it when he was his age…

It wasn’t all that bad, he was quite ok with the spoon…

Oh but not only did they make a huge mess, in the end…
The use of fingers is still the easiest method… definitely cavemen!

Loving Kindermusik classes…

Finally I know how to come down with both legs down first hopefully less accidents now…

Baby Chace is not so baby anymore. He is soon graduating from the baby club to become a walking toddler. He is 11 months to date and has been cruising for a month or more now? Terrible mommy doesn’t seem to be recording his milestones diligently!!!

The day he pulled himself to standing position and cruising starts…

He seems to have something in his mouth all the time…

Including dirty golf baskets…

He has 7 teeth now, 4 on the top and 3 below…

Is a super smiley and cheeky little fella…

definitely a walking time bomb… always in the way and completely fearless, (other than the being separated from mummy part)

I need to hide my glassware somewhere higher…

Pondering and deciding what he should be up to next…

Maybe climb a mountain rather than a kitchen set or the back of a bike?

Or raid the kitchen fridge when I think no one’s looking?

Oh I have a terrible temper too and can be a fiery little tiger when I do not get what I want and when I get over tired!

but no matter what my family loves me every single second and more and more each day!

Happy 11 months to the baby in our family!

Tada! I am back. I know it’s been a while but I thought with whatsapp on our smartphones these days, there isn’t a need to blog anymore! I am able to send out pictures and photos of the kids to our family and friends using the application and they are being updated about the kids more than ever!

But I guess I was wrong! There are still people who reads our blog! I have readers emailing me and asking us how we are, how I am coping and handling the boys. And recently even the group whom we whatsapp all the vids n pics to, back home said we should blog! Why? Coz their friends and family read our blog too… I guess they miss the boys (and they probably need some entertainment while sitting on the toilet bowl- psst papa r u reading this?!) So hey and hello! I am sorry we’ve been missing for a while!

So I need to start sorting out what I wanted to blog about. I guess people wanna read about the boys right but my photos and vids are in a mess. I need someone to help me sort out these mess!

Anywayz, so here are two videos of Caleb reading books to you guys while I sort out the mess! He really loves to try and read books these days all by himself, these are books which we borrowed from the library and have never read to him before!

Potty

I can Help

Remember the last dental visit I mention about teeth flossing? Well here it is, if your child is already comfortable with your twice a day teeth brushing regime, its time to introduce him/her to teeth flossing! I think its really important especially when your child has crowded teeth like mine has…LOL.

I used to use the old fashion dental floss until I found this here in the States, the handheld ones, I am not sure if they have it in Singapore made for kids but I distinctively remember they have it for adults and I am sure it should be the same-well just the design. What you can do is to get them in different colors and I am sure it will do the trick!

Tip: Give your child a choice of what color floss he/she wants before you attempt to floss that might break the ice and get your child to think its a game!

So far I only floss Caleb’s teeth once a day before we go to bed and I think that should be enough! And its really quick after you establish it as a routine! He totally enjoys it now…