Lice

We had some 'excitement' with lice just before the durian trip.  My sis discovered lice in her girls' hair.  So I checked my girls and oh-oh.... lice! Someone must have brought lice home from school! Ended up lots of people - Ah Kong and Ah Mah included - had to go through the process of dousing hair with lice shampoo and combing with a fine-toothed comb onto a piece of white paper (so that can see the lice and eggs).

This happened when the maid was combing out JE's hair.  I was watching the process.

Maid:  See this one? Got blood inside. It was sucking your blood
JE:  What happen when people got no more blood?
Maid:  Hahaha got no more blood, DIE lah! Hahaha.
JE: ....

After a minute, head still bent for kakak to comb....
JE:  WaaaAAAAA
Me and Maid: Why? Why cry?
JE:  Dowan no more blood... WaaAAAAA

Hahah this kiddo. Thought she was going to die from a few tiny lice.

Stop laughing at me, Mummy!

Anyway, it was only the girls and one maid who had lice, the boys and the other adults were fine.  SE had it mild as her hair is fine and not thick - cleared up after one application of shampoo.  JE's cleared up after about 3 times.

Durian trip

This trip to my uncle's durian farm in Bentong had been on our list for a year at least!  Finally made it last weekend...

First up, a stop at Kow Po for ice-cream. I didn't enjoy this though. Thought that only the durian ice-cream was nice. And why bother with ice-cream when you're planning to binge on the real thing? Heh.

Chocolate for the big girl, strawberry for the small girl

After the ice-cream it was supposed to be only a short trip to my uncle's farm. But due to a whole series of miscommunications that saw us making umpteen u-turns, it was a couple of hours before we made it! We did make a stop for a noodle lunch and to check out uncle's new house.

The place has old-fashioned charm, no?

OK we're city folk, let's pose with durians!

Kids messed around on this weighing scale

There are actually bedrooms upstairs

Take a pic of this before I polish it off

The durians were very good - bitter, creamy, packed with flavour. We ate and ate.  After that, one more attraction.... a walk to and around uncle's various fish ponds!  The kids had a blast running around and throwing fish food (more onto the grass than into the ponds!)

Fish food, we need more fish food!

SE refused to eat durian.  But agreed to pick up this 'baby durian' for a photo...

Hold like this, mummy?

My uncle packed us off with containers of durian to take home.  Thanks, uncle!

Open more, more

Get lost

Last month, I had to go to a dental specialist. So I was telling my maid that I had to leave early the next day for my 9am appointment.  That this dentist was far, located in the city centre.  And that I hoped I wouldn't get lost driving there.  We were all in my car heading home at the time.

When we reached home, JE asked me why I had to go to this dentist. I was mindful not to frighten her with horror stories (in truth I was shivering in my shoes in anticipation of the visit, and the bill!). So I told her this dentist is better than the one I usually go to.  She said, "but so far!".  I said I HAD to go to this one.  She said, "but you can get lost.".  I just said "never mind, should be ok" and went upstairs to put my stuff down.

A while later, I heard crying.  Volume got louder as the 'cryer' came upstairs.

It was JE.

Me:  Aww why are you crying?
JE:  WAAAAAA
Me: Did you fight with SE?
JE:  No.... waaAAAA
Me:  Then what happened?
JE:  WaaAAAA I don't.. (sob).. I don't want Mummy... (sob) to get lost.... waaaaaAAAA
Me:  Ohh you thought Mummy going to get lost forever?
JE:  WaaAAAA then (sob) I have no more Mummy....

HAHAHAAAA the kiddo had taken my comment literally!  Thought she was going to lose her Mummy.

Had to secretly wipe away my tears of mirth.  I should be thankful that she was so distressed at the thought of losing me!

This mummy is laughing at me... hmmf

Picnic at Kiara Park

I can strike two things on my to-do list... 1) go to Kiara Park and 2) have a picnic! Plus this was with the extended family which is always more fun for the kids.  Hubby had gone off on holiday so I depended on Waze which eventually brought us there. I had gone for Taman Rimba Kiara (Kiara Forest park) when it should have been Taman Lembah Kiara (Kiara Valley park)!  Oh well, fortunately they are very near to each other.

We're going for a picnic!

It was a good setup - shady grassy picnic sites along a long stretch of stream.  SE decided that lying down to eat would be nice...

Who's a lazy bum? That one!

This picnic was a bit last minute so didn't have much time to shop/cook.  Still, not a bad variety: Egg sandwiches, ham-cheese sandwiches, fried beehoon, ikan bilis sambal, cupcakes, sausage puffs, salad, green bean dessert, fruits, various snacks.  :)

My dad taking photos...

Part of the party...

After the food, time for 'fishing'!  There were tiny fish and prawns in the stream - my maid caught quite a lot. But later JE complained she couldn't catch anything... next time must make sure kakak doesn't hog the fishing net!

Let's see what I can catch!

After fishing, the kids wanted to go to the playground.  We thought there was one near the carpark and walked the 15mins back.  But that was merely an exercise area.  JE really likes playgrounds though, so what the heck, walked all the way back again. It felt VERY far under the scorching hot sun!  The things I do for my kiddos, heh.  The playground was decently big and well-maintained.

Rock rock rock

Slide slide slide

It was a good day out!  Kids already asking to go again haha.

Potty training

The first round of training was a complete failure.  The second progressed MUCH better!  It helped that we started off with a 5-day stretch at home - my parents went for a short holiday so I took leave. The kiddo didn't have to travel to/fro my parents' place meaning the potty was always within easy reach.   

First were quite a few episodes of 'accidents't and then her gleefully 'skating' around on her own pee. And doing a poo then continuing to play.  She'd get lots of "Why you pee-pee/ugh-ugh on the floor?  That is yucky.  Next time must tell kakak or somebody first ok?" talk after that.  Especially from kakak who had to clean her up hehe.

This my new hat!

After a week, I decided some motivation was in order.  One small M&M if she pees in the potty, one big M&M (peanut version) if she poos.  Ahh that worked much better.  Well actually... that worked so well that she kept going to the potty every 10mins!  Even thought it was just a few drops of pee, she'd have earned that M&M!

Anyway to cut the story short... look at her now!  A month on, she can go to the potty, pull her pants down and sit down all by herself.

Ta-daahhhh

I'm a clever girl!

There are still 'accidents'  But it shouldn't be long before we can say bye-bye to diapers.  :)

(Yes this is an extremely small potty.  The one JE was using was apparently mine yonks ago and had become brittle with age.  This blue one was lying around so got commissioned to do the job.) 

Of kindy and stationery

It has been half a year since JE started kindy and she has regularly been losing stationery. I once gave JE a princess-themed mechanical pencil.  The very next day, she reported that a girl called Rainy had taken it.  And told her, "Ask your mummy to buy another one."  I wasn't happy but decided not to fuss over a small thing.  A few days later, she came back with a hair clip which Rainy had given her. Hmm fair and square I suppose?

Worst-hit were mechanical pencils and erasers - apparently a few kids in her class threw them around until they were lost or broken. How does an eraser get broken, you might ask?  Well this particular red one got stabbed in the middle with pencils until it became 2 pieces. I don't want to be replacing stationery every other day. Yet my heart ached to think of my child always having to use broken things or having to borrow from other kids. And yes, I also worried that she was being targeted as someone who could be bullied.

No no I'm fine, Mummy

Initially I just agreed that so-and-so was 'naughty' and shouldn't be doing things like that. Later I started asking her to get the item back from the person who'd taken it. Eventually I shifted the burden onto her - she must take care of her things and not let other people take them.  And I bought extras just in case.

The worst perpetrator was a girl named Chloe. At one stage, JE was telling us, "I don't like to go to school because Chloe always tear my book/take my pencil/throw my things/etc".  Hubby went for the parents-teacher meet session (I had training and couldn't make it) and I got him to request for a change of seating position. The teacher also conformed that Chloe "liked to tease others" - which must be merely a diplomatic way of putting it.

Chloe proved a tough nut though. Seating was changed but Chloe walked over to JE and tore her book again. And took an eraser. And broke a ruler. She was clever enough to time these when the teacher wasn't around. I pressured JE to to take that eraser back. Chloe was brazen enough to shout at her. JE backed down, told me it was ok and she could use the red half-eraser (the one that got stabbed hehe).

Sigh. What to do right?  Latest development.... JE asked Chloe if she wanted to be her best friend. And Chloe said yes. Ah haha... twist in the tale, no?

Told you I'm fine, Mummy!

I'm skeptical of course. Still, let's see what happens next!

Human furniture II

Yep, the little girl who likes human furniture is still at it! Whenever I'm in the living room, it won't be long before she comes along...

Oh good, here's a sofa

Ahh nice and comfy

While the pictures look nice, having SE there isn't entirely pleasant.  A warm body stuck to you isn't that welcome when it's a hot day and everyone is slightly sweaty.  Then there's the other matter that she doesn't sit or lie still.  She wriggles, squirms, climbs up and down, and generally digs her elbows and knees into you while constantly changing position.

Sit up a while then I will lie down again

But I suppose that one day I'd look back and wish she was little enough to still be doing this. 

Mannequins

We go to the mall every other weekend or so.  Somehow the kids will find things to do.  Like suddenly showing up behind this sheet of glass...

Welcome! Hehehee.

We take Mastercard! Heheheeee.

Kids.  Heh.

Without TV

Gahh what's this behind the sofa??  A walrus?  An alien??  Got 'shoes' too!

Look, mummy! Heheheee

When Mummy says no TV (again), the kids find ways to entertain themselves.  Like with these balloons...

Come, let me help you

Look, mummy! Heheheee

Then she moved on to making a variant of the first creature. This variant has a hairband and different type of mouth balloon:

Make make make

SE's hairband has fallen down though!

Ta-dahhh!

Hehehe these kids.  I do think going without TV some parts of the day is good for them.  JE might first ask me what she can do if she isn't allowed TV or complain that there's nothing to do.  But after that she often masterminds SE so they find things to play with, or chase each other around etc. And I get a laugh when they do things like this!