A trim

So we all know toddlers grow and grow at amazing speed... so does hair... Our Little One needed another trim (again) after the first part of our summer travels... so that he will look decent for part 2 when we go back to visit the other side of the family... The event (ordeal) was not without its trials and tribulations... though it did not quite start out that way... It was peace and (not quite) quiet at the beginning ... the good times lasted for about 10 minutes and then Our Little One decided to explode in rage, tears and fury... but at least the job got done....

PS: the only thing I don't quite like about Our Little One getting his hair trimmed is that he always ends up looking quite a bit older than his actual age... sigh... they don't kid when they say kids grow up overnight...

I am Toddler... Hear ME ROAR (Part 2)

yes yes yes we all know that the 2s are terrible.. just that as individual parents, we hear stories about kids how are 2 and then try to IMAGINE what it's going to be like for Our Little One... well imagine no more... the 2s are here (finally, eventually... whatever)... Our Little One is still lacking (sorely) in the speech department (though everyone around us says that when he eventually starts to talk, getting him to shut up will be quite a task)... but it's not like we have sounds of silence in the home just because Our Little One does not understand vocabulary... on the contrary, Our Little One is very well adept at letting us know what he wants through his vocal prowess and I mean PROWESS...  just check this out

Now maybe the next thing to buy will be set(s) of ear plugs...

I know it's been quiet but...

we have been on the road for 5 weeks!!! yes it was fun but to live out of suitcases for 5 weeks can grow old in a hurry (even if we do have more than adequate laundry facilities)... we just arrived back in the desert from a tropical island as well as a 2 week stay in a continent in the Southern Hemisphere... no, it was not the Antarctic... just the Great Oz and well we had more rain than we ever hoped for in Oz and in the tropical island (which, obviously, did not help much with sightseeing and travelling) but the change of scenes did help all of our state of mind... so I will post something soon (after I am done with everything, EVERYTHING)... :P

Sinus...

I never thought I would get it... honestly... seriously.. In my X decades of life on this planet, I hear a lot about sinus related headaches / pressures / whatever.. I would just shrug and say "Sorry" not knowing what it meant nor how it felt.. but usually life takes a turn and before I knew it, it was payback time!... for almost 2 weeks now, I wished I could pull out all my teeth (on my upper jaw) and that my eyeballs would behave like my contacts and therefore could be taken out... it was that bad.... I did not even drive anywhere save going to and fro Our Little One's nursery... I did not want to collapse on the road behind the wheel... Was put on antibiotics and when Our Little One went to the ENT (yes, that's another story altogether)... all the guy could say (after finding out I was on antibiotics and what not) "well, you are on the right track, it takes time." Case closed.... Heck, of course I know it take times... but when you have 2/3s of your head feeling like it has been put into the pressure cooker, a second feels like an hour!

It is the 2nd day since I have had to blow my nose out (and see gung and blood in 1 mess) I assume I am getting better and just went to get my prescription for sinus medication filled out again... fingers crossed, I will be able to be back in the gym in a few days time and not have to eat cardboard anymore (everything I put into my mouth felt like cardboard)....

Washing dirty laundry

well ok.. not quite the dirty laundry that most people understand but Our Little One has a collection of a certain Mouse toy that are his comfort objects... those toy get chewed, gnawed, hugged, pinched... and they have been as well travelled as Our Little One... so once in a (short) while, all the M toys get a good wash in the machine just to ensure the Our Little One don't ingest (quite) as much germs ... well today is one of those laundry days where ALL the M toys get a good rinse (well more than a rinse given that the machines does the centrifuging really well)... so its off to another week or two os chewing, gnawing, hugging, being dropped everywhere (and I mean everywhere)... the cycle continues....

When it comes to hair...

Well Our Little One finally did it (erm... ok the Mommy finally did it)... he was brought to a salon for the very first haircut by a professional (the rest were home made remember?).. So as the Mommy packed the ALL IMPORTANT MM toy, the portable DVD player with Our Little One's FAVORITE T Engine dvd, water, munchies, extra diaper, wet wipes and extra clothing, off we went to the salon... and well there was fussing and you know the usual lot ... but Our Little One did impress me by staying still for the first 20 minutes... so not SO BAD.... here's Our Little One with his NEW LOOK!

It's been a while...

and all because we (seriously, all THREE of us) have been down with something (ear infection, cold virus, something in the air...) you know the sort yeah... so ALL THREE OF US (Our Little One, The Mommy, The Daddy) are just not quite chipper right now ... The Mommy, in particular, experienced for the first time in her life, sinus induced pressure and headache... I mean how is that possible? for X decades (I still do not want to let the world know how old I am) The Mommy has never had a sinus-induced something... to the extent that the Mommy does not even know what sinus was! Like is this payback time?

Anyway last Wednesday was BAD ... like BBBAAADDDD!!!! Having just put down Our Little One in nursery, the Mommy (being her efficient self) went to get some groceries to stock up inside the fridge. Just as her car pulled into the driveway, the daily monotony was interrupted by her cell phone, showing the nursery number!!! OMG!!! what happened? Did Our Little One fall / break his head / break his nose / break something / lose something? With 1 million thoughts running inside the Mommy's head, Our Little One's teacher (on the other line): "Hi, Darwin is running a slight fever and has been crying non-stop since you dropped him. Can you come by and pick him up?" SURE, well OF COURSE!!! So after unloading all the groceries into the kitchen (onto the floor and the perishables into the fridge, it is summer here in the Arabian Gulf after all), the Mommy dashed back into the car and headed straight for the nursery... and of course being her efficient self again, she called The Daddy and got him to wait for her and Our Little One in the clinic in 15min.

After collecting the precious cargo from the nursery (not to mention dashing back into the car so that Our Little One got as little of the HOT sun as possible), the Mommy and Our Little One were on their way to medical attention. Well, it turned out that Our Little One has infection in BOTH ears (with the right one really bad)... like Doctor asked: "Did he not cry few days ago?" well of course the answer is NO! not even a sign that Our Little One was having any infection... I mean Our Little One does have a HIGH pain tolerance (takes after his mother I suspect) and with no sign of discomfort or even fussiness (though that the Mommy will have to concede that she may have been negligent since toddlers nearing the Terrible 2s are usually ignored when they whinge) how would we know that Our Little One's ears were infected? Anyway all said and done, Our Little One got ONE HUGE dose of antibiotics and some other stuff ... Fingers crossed, Our Little One will be up and running (with both the Mommy and Daddy panting after him) in a day or two...

So that sums up the last few days the Household had... pretty sick / boring / mundane ... erm ... did I just sum up life in the nutshell?

The new place at home (II)

Here we go again... first it was the cupboard now its under his desk...  next time... well we'll see...

It's not much of a hiding place... but it the place he chooses to be most comfortable in... don't we all do that sometimes?

Have I Told You Lately...

that I Love You (Our Little One).... he is such an angel ... sometimes... when Our Little One is in the mood, he can be the sweetest thing on Earth and of course being the Mommy, I can be the BIGGEST SUCKER on earth for moments like these as well... I forgot since when Our Little One learned to put his arms around my neck when he gets changed (clothes, not diapers, thank God for that)... but it is such a surreal feeling. A feeling of total contentment, being loved TOTALLY and being needed in TOTALITY... that feeling is just SURREAL... lack of vocab I know but I honestly don't really know any other word for it! Other than being hugged by little toddling arms, I also get the Huggy-huggy ... where Our Little One just puts his head on my shoulder / chest and rests ... never knew something other than diamonds / shoes / clothes / bags / ice-cream (you get the idea) can make the Mommy feel so happy ... not only happy but contented... such a sense of fulfillment... I guess all mothers live for moments like these and I am lucky enough to get little nuggets once (or more) a day... The Daddy... erm... still in the queue... I am sure he will get there someday....

Life with a soon-to-be 2yr old

It's been good and I know it will get better over the long haul... (you know how the graphs always show an upward trend even if the line itself is jagged with little ups and downs?) The family has had incredible fun with Our Little One since the day he was born and he continues to bring joy and love to all of us as we grow together and live under the same roof (and just those few times that we do like to think the other person will just disappear from the face of the Earth even just for 5 min)...

These days, its been rather trying (just to say the least) to get Our Little One to respond quickly to instructions... as we all know (or try to at least pretend we understand) toddlers have a mind of their own and live mostly in their own worlds till like maybe.... God knows when .... Let's face it, even as adults we have come across or are guilty of living in our own world sometimes (for those lucky enough to get away with it, all the time)... but with Our Little One... my patience is learning new heights all the time..

Recently however, the Mommy has learnt some new tricks (who says you can't teach an old b****new tricks?) to most effectively get the attention of Our Little One.... it all has to do with a certain toy train that Our Little One has become very infatuated with... no names here since I don't get advertising revenue but using the T toy train in every of The Mommy's instructions has been very effective. For example, "If you don't come here and wash your hands right now, I will take T away from you." And lo and behold, Our Little One just scoots up and runs to the bathroom and readies himself at the wash basin.... I mean how effective is that! It's a miracle!

Empty vs No More

.... when do we start to understand that those 2 terms actually mean the same thing? for Our Little One.. it began today I guess!

It's been almost 2 years....

since the day Our Little One was born.... ok not quite terrible 2s yet, but we are getting there... as I type and think back fondly (or rather selectively chosen to forget some of the not-so-glorious and dewy moments), I am struck by:

a) the number of photos of Our Little One that exists in my HDD and not in print
b) the extent to which memories have been captured and, mind you, only the happy ones (human beings doth love to forget don't we?)
c) the sheer amount of money that has been spent to make Our Little One look ever so good, from the clothes, to the toys,  to the food that he eats (nutrition promotes good skin and healthy child yes?)

As I track Our Little One's progress on the digitised photos, here are a few to share:

from this:

to this:

then this:

 
somewhere along the line, it became this:

and now this:

is it me or does time really fly? I have tonnes of photos to prove that Our Little One has indeed grown (in ch by inch and gram by gram)... but he is still MY BABY!!!!

Reasons I like CHEAP sunglasses

Rarely does having a toddler in the house not affect every decision (including the retail decisions made by the Mommy)... The Mommy is a retail expert in the areas of retail therapy... any cloud in the day is usually swept away with the right purchase (most of the time at the right price)... but of course since the arrival of Our Little One, there is no such thing as a retail therapy session without taking Our Little One's needs into consideration... including his need of playing our his curiosity as well as imitation... That has in effect become one of the biggest tempering factor in every retail therapy session the Mommy engages in... why you may ask... well take a look:

It is public knowledge that Our Little One is rather aware of his public image and will always try to be on his "best" behaviour as well as being "best" dressed (thanks to The Mommy)... and with each passing day, Our Little One is also keen to try on things that do not belong to him to see how they fit on his growing frame ... one of his favourites at the moment is the pair of sunglasses that is permanently perched on The Mommy's head (outdoors)... one of those reasons why I LOVE CHEAP SUNGLASSES....

I am Toddler ... hear me ROAR!!!

Yes, we are getting there ... the infamous Terrible Twos...

Today's episode revolved around an emptied tissue box. Our Little One had meticulously emptied the tissue box so as to created the effect of snow by tearing up bits of tissue paper. As soon as the Mommy came into the living room and starting to tidy up (stuffing tissue paper that has not been shredded into the already emptied box an dputting the box onto the dining table) Our Little One revved up from 0 to 1000 (decibels) in 1 second .... ONE SECOND!!!! Not only did the lungs kick into action, the tear sacs and nose also joined in... so I had a screaming, teary and yucky-nose toddler lying on the ground all in a matter of ONE SECOND!!! And to his "credit" Our Little One kept up the drama for 1 hour!!! Heck, 1 Hour!! Anyone passing our house would have thought we were abusing him!!! Yes, as soon as I saw him lying on the ground and screaming at the top of his lungs, a voice in my head went "Welcome to the Terrible Twos!"

Food... Glorious Food...

This is going to sound like an advertorial I know.. but heck.. Good Food is Good Food and give credit when credit is due... we ALL had a JOLLY GOOD TIME at a great steakhouse today and here's the proof!

Even though I have not mentioned names here but I am sure you would know where we went...

Sunglasses

Tis' the time when vanity strikes... Our Little One has discovered that he LIKES to wear sunglasses to look good...

What's next in store for Our Little One I wonder....

This is the way we take our temperature...

Our Little One was not very pleased that I had blocked his view of his Mickey Mouse cartoon while taking this shot... sigh... kids...

This is the way we brush our teeth!

The New place at home

Well you know how toddlers love to have places (nooks and corners) in the house that they go back to ever so often... well Our Little One just found a new One today.... he is slowly but surely making the house his home!

Happy Mother's Day

Well.. when we were in the sunny island, Mother's Day did not happen till May but what the heck.. and I am 1 happy mother today... Our Little One made something in his class (ok I fib, it should be he had A LOT OF help from his teacher and put his hand print on the present) to celebrate Mother's Day. So the sucker in the Mommy just lapped it all up and was showering Our Little One with heaps of hugs and kisses... maybe even presents over the weekend!!!

I know, Our Little One probably does not even know that he is doing this to celebrate a day dedicated to appreciating mothers... but oh well, we have to start somewhere yeah?

It's been a roller coaster ride

Never experienced such highs and lows in a short span of 2 weeks... really weird.. But then again, who said life was predictable?

I lost a very important person in my life most recently and the emotions have been very mixed. Sad, of course, at the loss, but the sorrow has been tinged with relief and some sort of happiness. Relief in knowing that the departed will not be subjected to any more ill-health and indignity, and the living will not be subjected to witness such circumstances; happiness in knowing (or rather believing) that the departed has moved on to a better place. Such is the mechanism of coping.. we (all human beings) have been socialised and educated to expect such departures in our lives (think of even your science lessons that explain to you the seedling which eventually grows into a plant that ages and wilts) but the mechanism of coping has not been extended to us accepting the departure... As much as I expected it to happen, I was still stunned when I finally got the news, and found it hard to accept.

But still we made our way (you read right, all 3 of us) out of Stepford to the sunny island I used to call home to be part of the final journey for the dearly departed. It was so strange to be making travel arrangements in the middle of the night (over a weekend no less) for a trip that would essentially total 36 hours (travel time included). And did we hit the ground running. The trip was stressful and tiring but we are glad we did it. Nothing in the world would probably have stopped me from making my way back ...  nothing.

That was on the familial end. My professional side of things also led me on a ride that was so tumultuous, I probably should write it into a book and make it into a movie. At the end of that episode though, I do believe, there is justice in this world and yes, sometimes justice does come swift.

On the educational note (you know how Stepford wives are, we are always busy doing things)... I am proud to say that I have finally completed my first year into my post-graduate studies... and now as I embark on my second (and hopefully, final) year, I can safely say I am looking forward to the day I submit and graduate. It did seem a LONG road when I first started.. but which journeys did not seem that way at the beginning?

Grandma came to visit....

Yes indeed, the household has been very busy cause Grandma came to visit...

 

Happy Lunar New Year

Roar!

Here's wishing one and all Good Health and Good Wealth in the Year of the Tiger!!!! Gong Hei Fatt Choy!

Treading the future

The road ahead for new footwear has just begun for Our Little One .. check out the new shoes that the Mommy bought him...

2 mickeys!

Our Little One's bedfellows... His day (or rather night) is so made when he climbs into his crib and sees not 1 but 2 mickeys... has to be the 10" mickey, not bigger, not smaller.. the ones that do not match the specification actually get thrown out of his crib...sigh.. when did they ever get so choosy?

A Contradiction in Terms...

Yes.. indeed.. check out the battery operated Ferrari.. which goes from 0 to 100 in 4sec and the battery will last you a good 60 miles... now... all they have to do is set up charging points on every lamp post on the road and this car will be in business!

A day of running around

This has truly been a day of just running around... like realy running around... morning.. we were told that we would be able to pick up our new car.. (hurray!!!) and so we set off to the showroom at about late morning (so as to get come lunch as well)... Our Little One's nanny comes along mid morning to relieve us of parental duties so we thought our minds are at ease.. well for the moment since Our Little One had a bit of fever last night.. but after a dose of generic fever and pain reliever for toddlers, the fever was kept at bay.. so we thought.. all was well...

All WAS well till we picked up the car and drove home... Our Little One was awoken by our triumphant return.. and was really excited to see us.. and because (or so we thought) he was still recovering from his fever, was a little sticky and fussy... but oh well, what is a little more hugging and carrying him around anyway? But before we could carry Our Little One to see the new set of wheels, blood starting streaming out of his nose!!! Oh My GOD!!!! The Mommy flew into a panic and galvanised the troops and calvary (the Daddy and the car, not the new one, just the regular SUV), had the nanny pack the going out bag and once the SUV was loaded, off the family went to the hospital...

The Mommy's organisational mode kicked into action.. Once in the car, she began to quick dial the hospital's PD ward to inform them of Our Little One's impending arrival. She was given instructions to visit the Easy Access Clinic so that she can bypass the crowd at the Emergency Room. Once the entry was made clear, the Daddy drove as fast as the law and traffic allowed him and the whole family was in the hospital in good time. Unloading Our Little One was a routine that was well-rehearsed and in no time, the Mommy had registered Our Little One at the clinic and all the whole family had to do now was wait their turn. They did not have to wait long.

The nurse came along and took Our Little One's weight and details of his symptoms.. then the doctor arrived and did the usual checks, back, chest, ears, throat.. AH HA!!! the throat... as soon as the doctor's torch shone into Our Little One's throat, even the Mommy could see why Our Little One had been so cranky and fussy... little white-ish boil, appeared on a really red and angry looking patch on his throat... The doctor smiled and said that everything was all right, its a viral thing and the body has to clear it (well fight it and gain the immunity).. so Our Little One was prescribed more pain reliever and The Mommy and Daddy was also informed that Our Little One's fever might spike.. but he should be all well and good in a matter of a few days... and no school in the mean time .. so Our Little One is going to miss his R Brigade after just settling down last week...

But at least now the Mommy and the Daddy know what was wrong with Our Little One.. what a scare to see blood on his nose!!!

The Mommy has a new toy!

Yes, another post about the Mommy... the Mommy has a new toy.. a new Laptop!! After a full 2 years!!! yep, pretty proud of myself for transferring all the mail from the Old one (outlook) to the new one (that I still remembered how to do it..)... (deep breath).. I truly feel the distance I have traversed in my IT journeys and perils... it was not too long ago (ok.. I fib) that I only used Word (exclusively) and no other program (save for surfing the Internt).. even then Word was just not scratched on the surface when I used it (to write my thesis mind you).. now, I can transfer mail from inbox to pst and load it onto another laptop... GASP!!! I have indeed come far (from my personal point of view)... maybe I should really get to know Photoshop and other applications and maybe... just maybe.. even think about playing games on my laptop... but wait.. I don't think I will go that far.. even Captain Kirk may not want me to go that far...

The joys of a soft landing surface

Happy New Year

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy New Year! With the start of a new decade, it is a pleasure to send this letter to family and friends. 2009 has been a very fast paced year for all of us, but one that was good to the three of us.

The Daddy:
Serving as HOD for the Department continues to demand most of his time. Despite the recession, which has not hit the desert as hard as many in the world press might have liked, we were able to significantly expand our department and add some new programs. He finally enjoyed the chance to teach a course devoted to modern Southeast Asia, while also doing the Senior Seminar which explored the politics of Heritage in the Middle East. Additionally, he was able to near his manuscript for publication, attend some interesting conferences in Brisbane and Jordan and get a few articles published along the way. One of the nice surprises that 2009 had for him was that he got invited to publish on baseball: he wrote about 6 pieces about the Atlanta Braves draft and farm system for a blog devoted to the Braves (for those who follow the Braves a post just two days ago: http://www.chop-n-change.com/). All of that said, his day is made when he return home to the Mommy and Our Little One and the latter, now nearly 18 months, comes to the door carrying a ball for us to play with.

The Mommy
Her professional advances neatly framed the calendar—with significant developments at both the beginning and end of the year. In January she resumed her education: She began Leicester University’s MA program in Mass Communication. This is an online degree program and at this point she has completed 5 modules and she will take an exam for another in about a week. With the end of 2009 on the horizon, the mommy joined a commercial publishing company located in Dubai—as an editor. She assists with the publication of one magazine and is the editor for another magazine. She has been tasked with taking her magazine from bimonthly to monthly so this is a terrific opportunity, which guarantees that 2010 will be fast paced year for all of us. The daddy is very proud of her: instead of appearing on the covers of magazines (which she did back in 2006), she is now editing them. The Daddy would not rule out the possibility that one day she will do both! In between, She has enjoyed being a devoted and loving Mother. Her frequent updates about Our Little One on Facebook have brought him many new fans.

Our Little One
Predictably, Our Little One gets the lion share of attention. In terms of development, he has had the biggest year: after all, he learned to walk and he is now working on talking. Our 6 weeks of travel in the summer gives you the snapshots: his first birthday party in July in Singapore; his first real attempt at a conversation (with another baby/toddler) on the ferry from the Taronga Zoo in Sydney—this event was cute until Darwin continued to babble loudly at length without saying anything. Clearly, this moment could be a harbinger that he will follow in the family tradition and become an academic—or even a politician. Darwin crawling over our apartment in Brisbane and learning to look out of the balcony windows from the 21st floor were new experiences as well. The flight from Brisbane to Singapore which we enjoyed because of the wonderful view of the outback, had many babies, but one parent told us after the flight that “your son has such strong lungs”! Our Little One in North Carolina competing with his uncle and aunty’s dog Rio for his bowl and ball; these episodes were followed by Our Little One learning about lawns and grass in Connecticut. A month later, he was walking in Sharjah and soon practicing his newly found abilities in some of the desert’s lesser known malls.

Yet, he had one more transition ahead of him: Our Little One enrolled in the nursery program in November. Someone asked if the choice of school meant that we were preparing our son for a career of beer drinking and I could only reply that this was an outcome which we would have to ‘track and measure’. In any case, he quickly made his presence felt—in fact, he appeared to be getting ready for a visit by George W. Bush, as he got so angry that he took his shoes off and threw them at this teacher! Eventually Our Little One got over the shock of being at school without his parents and eventually he made the transition and began to benefit from interacting with many other children.

As 2009 recedes from view, we know that we have been very fortunate. Like so many, we watched with dismay as so many people lost their jobs and struggled to rebuild their lives. Again, the passing of the Daddy's uncle (and the incredibly frustrating inability to get to the funeral in West Virginia) was a reminder that good years are normally followed by ones which are more challenging. 2010 beckons with promise, but five decades of experience has taught be that there will be shoals ahead—many of them completely unforeseen.

More important, perhaps, in sending this letter to you we want you to know that you have already enriched our lives. After all, Cicero was at least partly right about the importance of friendship: friends divide our grief and double our joys. We may not be able to see you in 2010, but it is a privilege for the three of us to know you because as our friends you have helped us when we needed it or added more happiness to our lives. With some luck, our paths will cross in 2010, but if they don’t we hope to be able to catch up with you. We also wish that as this decade dawns, you will find that it proves to be a wonderful one for you—complete with many achievements, joyous moments and great memories.

In closing, we want to wish you and your family the best for the New Year.