I am TIRED...

ok so who isn't.. but do let me whine here for a bit... I am tired.. and I am VERY TIRED and I am VERY VERY TIRED... so tired, I can't even walk around without a heavy feeling in my head... the GOOD NEWS is I went from "I am tired and I don't even think/know/feel I am hungry" to "I am tired and I am VERY HUNGRY" courtesy of a 30min nap... so yes I am tired and I will continue to be tired for quite a while...

I Lost My Wallet...

One of those things you hear of and never thought would happen to you... and it did... and like most people who lost their wallets, I actually still DO NOT KNOW how I lost it... but it's not in my purse when I returned home and the truth is that nobody has called me saying they found it... so it's LOST... and so began the journey of:
- calling all banks to block ALL MY CARDS (I am officially penniless till I get my repalcement cards, though I can still do internet banking)
- Going to the police to make an OFFICIAL report and getting the official LOST REPORT Certificates
- Getting the IDs replaced

The last of which was really not all that bad... and even going to the police station was NOT all that bad... but it is a hassle and one that caused me ONE sleepless night (identity theft, fraud... the worst case scenario)....

Today, I FINALLY got my driver's license replaced and can be behind the wheel again. That is SUCH A RELIEF.... I did not drive in my home country and has only been driving for 4+ years... still I felt really boxed in without legal permission to drive.. many a times I had harbored the thought of just driving out to get something with or without my driver's license... I didn't obviously since I am too much of a chicken to do something illegal...

I hope this little episode will come to an official close by the end of the week (when my replacement cards are supposed to have been couriered to me)... SIGH...

I am grateful...

For Our Little One, who when carried to bed, turns around and tells me "Good Night...."

One of those >_<" moments

You know how sometimes we really want to kick ourselves for wishing for something we thought will be so superb? But when reality hits, they hit HARD.....

So Our Little One not so great on the speech department... hardly saying anything .... being the over protective and over achieving parents that the Mummy and Daddy are, the Parents sent Our Little One for therapy, Occupational, Speech... you know it, Our Little One probably has done it... and then this is what happens:

The Mummy: It's time to go to bed
Our Little One: Why?

Yes.. one of those moments that you have to kick yourself and say just be careful what you wish for....

Ok so... it's been a while...

But the Mummy has been busy and I mean really busy... Like working full time (think about 50-60hr week) plus away-from-home assignments, trying to come back on time to put Our Little One to sleep and then having to try and graduate... so you get the idea yeah?

Anyway that said, the Family still manages to have some fun, like when we put Our Little One to bed every night or like when we go out to the Park (like our recent FIRST visit to a particular park) ... and of course having a particular fruit company's media player means photos and videos wherever we go... ah the convenience of modern technology ... here are a few precious moments:

In the wink of an eye, its .... OMG 2011!

Ok... so the Mummy has not been prompt on all updates... but hey... the Mummy is now a Working Mummy and trying to juggle Studying and Work and Family and Our Little One... so well you know we all get a little behind on some stuff and this blog was on the short end of the stick... but I shall (well try) to make a change since this is after all the New Year... here is my first post for 2011 (ok so somebody else wrote it, but heck it's the thought that counts yeah?)

Happy new year Everyone!

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Dear Family and friends,

Happy New Year!!  We want to begin by wishing you a Joyous holiday and the best of luck for 2011.  The Daddy is sorry that this letter is late, but it was delayed by the passing right before Christmas of the Daddy's Uncle.  Instead of writing this letter, then, the Daddy penned a brief eulogy on Xmas day itself.  The Daddy should add that the Mummy’s grandfather died in March and in thinking about a holiday letter, the Daddy felt that it was only appropriate to note that these events—neither completely unforeseen—punctuated our year.  The passing of family members and friends is a normal part of life and in our case will certainly frame our view of 2010.

Our Little One’s growth and maturation in the last 12 months has been impressive.  He really enjoys his mornings in his School, achieving the promotion from the Koala to the Wombat.  Having made the transition to Wombat, Our Little One spends a good part of his time at the school in active play: he loves to run, dance and climb.  No less important, he engages any toy which has wheels.  At home, it is safe to say that Our Little One has introduced his parents to the world of T the Tank Engine. While his first encounter with a battery-powered T toy was sheer terror (in fact, with his feet stomping up and down, it might have been a hit on YouTube), he soon fell in love with the program and its world.  Not surprisingly, watching the videos and collecting tank engines has become a priority (especially when the weather is hot) in our house.  Our Little One is starting to speak and we anticipate that he will begin music classes in January.

The Mummy has had a very interesting year.  She has recently completed her course work for her MA program at Leicester University.  In the meantime, she worked for a particular publishing firm during the first quarter of the year.  While we were in Australia on vacation, she was recruited to work for General Electric, where she now does public relations.   The Mummy was able to start her job in mid-September; despite two 75 minute commutes each day she really loves this job.  More important, she loves being a Mother and treasures the time that she gets to spend with Our Little One.

2010 has been a very fast-paced year for The Daddy as well. In September The Daddy began my 4th year as HOD of the Department, which was up for Re-Accreditation.  This process which is now nearing completion has demanded a great deal of work, but it has gone well and taught me much.  In addition, The Daddy have managed to get several articles accepted for publication—one of which will be translated into Danish and the other into Korean.  In March The Daddy participated in a Research Cluster devoted to studying how Southeast Asia has been understood.  As such, The Daddy was recruited to join an international team to come to Seoul and present our findings.  It was a great trip, in which The Daddy learned a lot and it will not be my last to Seoul.  The Daddy also delivered two more papers in Singapore (which The Daddy hopes find publication) and great thing about those events for The Daddy was watching a healthy number of my former students present papers and organize events.

Happily enough, this followed a nice long summer holiday for all of us in which we spent nearly three weeks in Singapore.  We then went to Australia (which might just become a ritual event for us) where we rented an apartment in Brisbane and just relaxed!  Afterwards, we went to Sydney and Melbourne, enjoying those cities as we visited family.  We returned to Singapore and then the UAE and rested for a couple of weeks before we went to the U.S.   We spent time in Bethany before embarking on a trip to see family.  We went to HS College in rural Virginia (where The Daddy's brother  was recently made chaplain) to then to WV, where we saw a good number of relatives, including the now deceased Uncle.  From WV to Chautauqua, New York, where we visited Dad and Anne; we were able to enjoy both Lake Chautauqua and Lake Erie—and both of these experiences were treats for Our Little One.   We then hustled across upstate New York to return to Bethany.  Finally, we returned to the Desert in mid-September wishing that the long summer, could have been even longer.

In closing, we want to wish all of you who read this letter a Happy New year and success in 2011.  We also hope that our paths cross so that we can see you.
Happy New Year!

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!"