Ethan & his hair

I remember vividly how I used to trim Ethan's hair when he was young.

It was a weekend and James was traveling. His fringe was getting long and I didnt know where to bring him for a hair cut, we were living in Sri Lanka then.

So I thought, well how hard can it be cutting a child's hair. And Ethan was a rather easy subject, one who would sit quietly and obediently for me to cut his hair.

So I started, make my own newspaper cape for him, sat him on a stool in the loo and got to work.

It wasnt as easy as I thought it would be.

But it was too late to stop. I had to grit my teeth and continue.

The end result was a super short and nerdy fringe. Ethan was oblivious to how 'cuckoo' he looks and thank me profusely for his hair cut. He was happy and raring to show James his new hair style when he got back from his work trip.

Needless to say, I got an earful from James and told never to touch the boy's hair anymore. Which I wouldnt anyway after that incident. (His hair took a long time to grow out)

Thereafter, every haircut would be done by the professionals back in Singapore whenever we are home for the holidays. Thankfully he is in international school and they are ok with his hair being longer than usual.

In fact he liked it, he liken it to being the hair style of Japanese pop star.

Now that he's older, he is more aware of how he look and his grooming. Just a few weeks ago, we brought him to have his hair cut. He absolutely enjoys these sessions as he loved having his hair washed in the salon.

Then on a normal school day, he decided that his fringe is still way too long for his liking and went on to trim his own fringe (all these without telling us). He cut too much and too high up, resulting in a small hole. He tried to cover it up but we found out in the end.

We had to bring him to the nearby salon to have the professional save as much of his hair as possible.

Now my son is sporting a crew cut which according to his fan-club chief (James) its fantastic and cool and just right to survive the hot summer in shanghai.

Sigh, I am just feeling a tinge of sadness that he went to cut off his nice soft hair and now he look even more scrawny with such short hair. I know I know, hair will grow back. I am just worried that he might like this so much that he will keep such hairstyle for a long long time like his 舅舅 (Uncle).

A movie treat

7 years of living in various countries and we have never gone to the cinema.

We werent brave enough to jostle with the crowds in Colombo. In Yangon, it was unimaginable to go to a local cinema when there's not alot of new English movies.

So the kids could only go to the cinemas whenever we travel on holidays to Bangkok, Melaka and when we are home for the summer holidays, cinemas would be a regular haunt.

For once, we are living in a real city and we could comfortably and safely bring the kids to a proper cinema here in SH. So last night we brought the kids to a mall near us where they were showing the latest Kungfu Panda 2!

The boys were excited! We brought our beloved popcorn holders out. I am just happy that I get to use them after lugging them back from our overseas adventures. James is just happy that his money is well spent.

We had popcorn, drinks and comfortable seats. On a whole, it was a pleasant enough experience though I think it is much better back home. I think we make a better audience than the locals here. Then again I could be biased.

Well we are just happy that we are now able to bring the kids for movies whenever we like to.

Summer Holiday

I am always in a dilemma when Summer holiday comes around.

For one, I am really looking forward to escaping the intolerable summer here in Shanghai and going back home to the more manageable humid weather. There are always more places to hide from the sun than here.

I am also excited to be home with my family and dearest friends, a chance to spend two whole months with them. My family will have their chance to spend time and bond with the two boys whom they have missed so much.

My parents has missed them for months, getting by with the photos we post on Facebook. They are eager to have them back by their side, even if its just two months in a year.

Dates have been planned with my dearest and closest girlfriends to paint the town red. I am thankful that they always put aside some days in their busy schedule for me. Its always great fun to be with them, friends who have known me all my life and I can be my true self with them.

Been able to walk and wander on the streets back home without worrying much about safety.

Been able to be on MRT trains / taxis and buses is a treat for the boys. We have the freedom to go wherever we want anytime we want, without feeling guilty that someone is waiting for us.

There are just so many places we want to go whenever we are in town... trips planned with friends awaiting us. Ethan is already feeling the excitement being able to be home with his BFF Benjamin.

Food is also fantastic! There is always a long list of food that we truly miss and crave for. Off my mind now, I am craving for F&N's Water Chestnut drink among others. A place where I can get fresh milk and have a peace of mind serving it to my kids.

And YET

We cant help but feel a tinge of sadness for we know our family wont be complete for the two months. James will have to be back to work while I am in Singapore with the children.

And that is perhaps the most heart-breaking decision that he has to make every year.

James cant stand being away from the children for too long a period. He is happiest when he is home with them. And he has to cope with being apart just so that we can all have fun back home.

Its is gonna be worse for him than for us, for we are always surrounded by our loved ones in Singapore, weekdays are filled to the brim with activities and friends and weekends are when we get pampered by our family with good home-cooked meals and playtime with the cousins..It will be a sacrifice but one that will not be

made in vain.

The children and I will have loads of fun everyday. And soon we will be together again. :)

Till then, I am counting down... 30more days.... Yippeeeee

We are Singaporeans!!

We wore our national colors with pride recently, having the chance to attend Singapore Day 2011 held in Shanghai and a smaller scale International Day at school.

Singapore Day 2011

It was fun! The weather was great! Food was fantastic! Even though we have lots of choices when it comes to cuisine from home, nothing beats having the real thing with chefs flown in. Being entertained by our homegrown celebrities. And special D24 Durian. Now, THAT is a real treat!

We went early in the morning, received our goodie bags with glee, set up our mat on the field and the fun begins

There was so many Singaporeans. I felt so at home hearing that familiar Singlish.

We were treated to yummy food like Casuarina Roti Prata, Old Chang Kee Curry Puff, Chicken Rice, Nasi Lemak, BBQ Sting Ray, Hokkien Mee, Chili Crabs, famous 328 Laksa and even combat rations. Unfortunately we didn't get the chance to try all of them as the queues were simply too long.

Ethan and Jonathan had fun with balloons and of course the balls pit set up in the Kids' Corner.

The rest of us simply take the chance to enjoy the entertainment, music, food and just 'relax in one corner'...

It was especially heart-warming when Kit Chan appears to sing us 'Home' reminding us that we are Singaporeans and to remember to go back home someday... My eyes always well up with tears and pride at this song.

(Right) Ethan all decked up in our national colors with pride all over his face literally with the 'tattoos'

(Left) Jonathan enjoyed a jolly good time in the balls pit. A pity each kid was only allowed in there for max 10mins. Thereafter we have to come out and wait for another turn.

(Right) A group shot with the kiddos

(Left) James & Ethan both proud to be Singaporeans!

Dont you think Jon looks so much like me, even his pose. My friend Ashley thinks so too! :)

The crowd went super high when we realized that the organizing committee actually flew in D24 durians in for us. We didnt manage to get our hands on any but some Singaporeans beside us was kind enough to share theirs with us. It was good! I am usually not a durian lover however its a taste and smell of home that I truly miss. The whole place smells of durian and it was intoxicating!

Jonathan was so tired that he eventually fell asleep so he missed the durian episode though I don't think he will enjoy that as well. (Above) A shot of the precious durian taken with James's Singaporean colleagues..

We stayed right to the end. We then took a leisure walk around the park. It was so nice to see all things familiar to us.

(Left) Ethan asked what are these? The old bus tickets of the past.

(Right) One family photo for the day before we make our way home!

(Left) Cool! We are in Pasir Ris Park!

(Right) Yay, I heart SG!

International Food Festival 2011 at School...

There aren't many Singaporean students in school compared to ISY in Yangon. As such, we were grouped together with our neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Thailand just to name a few.

In the name of raising funds for the charity, each representing country will prepare food for sale. With two young kids in tow and no help, I couldnt do much except to help in preparing condiments for one of the Nasi Lemak dish...

There were lots of stalls, food and games from all over the world. The kids had fun fishing for prizes at the Japanese Stall, buying snacks at the Hong Kong stall and more...

(Left) The various stalls

(Right) Ethan fishing for a prize at the Japanese Stall.

But I think they had the most amount of fun at the playground...

A simple day out of fun for the brothers....

Jonathan

Jonathan, 徐乐, my youngest boy, the baby of the family.

He's Jon or 弟弟 to us though he would much prefer for us to call him Jay Chou.

He's a dynamite, a chilli-padi, small but potent!

I cant really figure him out.

There will be days when he's an absolute gem and a sweetheart to be around, where everything is wonderful and he's the perfect gentleman and companion.

But on bad days, he can be grumpy, grouchy, disagreeable and I just want to either pull my (or his) hair out or dig hole and bury myself.

Everybody melt at his handsome, pretty-girl face. They want to touch him, hold him and play with him.

He, on the other hand much prefer to be left alone and usually wont respond.

He's most comfortable with family where you will be treated to his real cheeky and playful self.

He's quieter than Ethan. He's not as sociable. He is more impatient. He's stubborn as a mule. At 4, he knows what he wants and how to go about getting it. He knows how to pull at daddy's heart-strings to get what he wants. He doesn't think he's young, he thinks he's equal with Ethan and wont back down in an argument or dispute unless the judge (Mr Cane) is out. He finds it hard to say sorry. He dictates what you should ask and how you should answer.. He is persistent! He is particular about cleanliness and keeps track of his belongings from toys to stroller. He doesn't care about what he wears as long as he's clothed.

He has an asian palette when it comes to food. He would rather go hungry than to eat spaghetti and any western meal with the only exception of pizza which he would eat when he's really starving. Give him rice and noodles everyday and he's as happy as a bird.

He dislike milk, loves ice-cream, cheese & yogurt. The only milk he would drink is soya bean milk. Other than that, he lives to eat. He gets excited at pictures of food. He can eat at anytime of the day, the whole day, snacking throughout. His eyes lit up, gets all excited, goes WOW when he steps into a food-court eons ago when we were back in Singapore. A foodie just like his daddy.

He sleeps on his own lower bunk of the bed with Ethan. He chases us out of the room at night, pretending to go to sleep only to run out of his bed to sit on the window sill to sing, dance and play once the door is closed and our back is turned. How did we find out? He seems so tired in the morning and of course we asked and Ethan told us all about the 'concerts' his brother gave at night.

He loves to dance and sing. His favorite artiste is Jay Chou. He wants to be Jay Chou, he makes facial expression likes him, dance like him, sing like him, he wants to be strong like him so he tries hard to eat everything we give him now.

He loves watching Jay Chou's MTVs and concerts DVD, he can sing a few songs very well.

He even sings to his 阿姨 in school when she tends to him.

He's a mummy's boy. He showers me with praises, compliment me on my dressing. He calls me a beautiful princess. He thinks I have nice shoes, bags and clothes. He says I am pretty all the time. He hugs me all the time. He sticks to me like superglue. He wails when I don't send him to school somedays. He only wants me to push his stroller.

He is a very cautious boy. He's doesn't like swimming or washing his hair, anything that gets his hair and face wet! So its been a struggle having to wash his hair daily especially now that its summer. He can soap up on his own while I just have to hose him down thereafter.He is finally toilet-trained for the day after so many failed attempts where he just refused to be off diapers. He cant be forced to do things, he has to agree to doing them in his own time and speed. You can encourage him, tempt him, convince him, but force him and he goes the other way immediately.

He loves Ethan to bits! Though they fight and squabble from time to time, he looks for Ethan in the crowd and feel secure and happy when Ethan is around. He's happiest when James is home in the evening, he will always run straight into daddy's arms and that always melt daddy's heart.

He is a home-body. He enjoys being in the comfort of his home among his toys and shows. He only wants to be out for three things #1 Cars seeing or buying #2 Supermarket shopping for food and #3 meal-times... and once these are done, all he wants is to go home.

He loves cars... loves pointing out the different brands and makes of the cars on the road. He has crates and crates of cars at home. We have to bring cars out everywhere we go. He plays with them all the time. He knows the cars he has and those that he doesn't. While other kids his age loves the playground, he loves sitting by the porch looking at the cars whizz by.... pointing out Toyota, Bentley, Beemer, Mercedes and many more.

He is the least singaporean among us, having been out since he was 6 weeks old. He only spends summer holiday back home. I hope he remembers that he has many loved ones, cousins, families and dear dear friends who adored and love him just as much. I hope he will be able to enjoy the same bond that Ethan has with his cousins and little friends.

Jonathan couldn't be more different from Ethan. He's more challenging to parent though just as fun to be with. He is the brother that Ethan has always wanted and prayed for.

With him, I am praying for more wisdom and patience.

He has brought us so much joy. He's the baby I prayed for, argued with James for (when he wanted to stop at Ethan). James hasn't stopped smiling since the day he was born.

We couldn't imagine our family without him now even as he has his quirks and all.

弟弟, please know that we love you very very much! Be good ok?

Ethan is 8!

Ethan is 8!

He's kind, sweet, tender-hearted, responsible and has a wicked sense of humor.

He loves dancing, cycling, blading and swimming.

He enjoys sashimi (loads and loads of them), beef & Ice-cream.

Favourite shows includes I-Carly and cartoons on Nicklodeon...

He is full of ideas (both good and silly, funny ones)

He is now 1.2m tall and has finally reached 20kg at last check.

He has his own sense of style, now that he's older, he decides what he wants to wear when we head out.

He is super proud to be a Singaporean and he wants to be an Architect.

He has his own facebook account which he updates and uploads regularly.

Girls enjoy his company and many still chase him around the school. Lots of applications to be his girlfriend though he is not interested and finds kissing disgusting.

He has as many pairs of shoes (almost) as mummy and likes to wear them to achieve different looks. He is still over the heels in love with his Lego, Transformers & X-Box/Wii games..

He enjoys his daily grooming session in the bath-room by himself.

He enjoys reading.

He is rather untidy much like any boy.

He is independent and can now look after his brother.

My son has grown by leaps and bounds in the past year. And not just in the physical aspect.

He has grown taller and has a rounder face now (I hope after all the food stuffed into him). He is fast becoming his own person. He asks questions, expects answers and reason with us from time to time. He speaks up when he feels a need to voice out his concerns.

He enjoys sitcoms. There are now moments where we would disagree but even as he begins to grow and be more vocal and my parenting style has to be adjusted accordingly, he is still very much the sweet, kind and funny kid.

He has brought us so much joy, been very understanding when he has to pack up and go, leaving his friends behind. He still ask for them. Yet he has been so brave in adapting to new homes, schools, cultures and making new friends. I can always depend on him to take care of himself, complete his work on his own, prepare his own tea break so that I can have more time with his little brother now that we have no help. He has been extremely patient with his little brother even though Jon can drive him nuts somedays...

For his birthday this year like every year, we had a small simple celebration in class with his friends. Little Star Wars Cupcakes & Flower Cupcakes (as the man requested), a big football cake, party bags & juice packs! Followed by dinner at his favourite restaurant.

We got him a bike this year. He is now waiting to be home in Singapore during the summer holidays where he can party with his best friend and more pressies awaits him from our loved-ones.

Blessed Birthday precious son! Have a blast and a great time! May the good Lord bless you and keep you safe and happy everyday of your life. Thank you for bringing us such joy! We are so blessed to have the chance to be your parents.

Daddy, Mummy & 弟弟 loves you very very very much....