MERRY XMAS & HAPPY 2009

Seasons Greetings!!

This will probably be the last post of the year as I will be on long leave after this. The girls are back after being away in Melaka - I have lined up a list of things to be done.

Dont really know what we will be up to for Christmas, but we are looking out for that great turkey dinner. We may have some friends over for the weekend, if plans work out. Other than that we need to get all these done before the stroke of midnight 2008:

• Confirm Harvynna's seat in the chosen govt school of our choice. Well, there's always private school, but we need to secure this seat fast as it is a popular school. Plus, who knows what will happen to the economy in 2011



• Confirm Rowena's place in her enrichment classes for next year. As we are confirmed a 5 day week employment now, I can happily take her for saturday classes. Have identifed 2. We wont be sending her to school next year.



• Pay up Harvynna's school fees for next year. - she will remain in the same school. Fees are steep but we dont have a choice.



• Settle my house repayment with EPF



• Return all outstanding books to the library



• Settle all credit card bills (which have piled up like crazy. Think i can get a Bangsar Village VIP card now, looking at the amount i spent at all their outlets). After that, cut up the credit cards. hehe



• Buy Harvynna's school bag and school shoes



• Trim both the girls hair

Am happy to have the girls back. So I can start squeezing them again, talking to them and screaming at them.

Merry christmas everyone!!!

Updates

What has been happenning? Plenty. Cant believe the year has gone by. Let's see what we have done or been up to......

A-Tishoo - brought the girls to see the show at Actors Studio 2 weekends ago. Was really debating if I should bring Rowena as well but I ended up bringing her. Well, she had to live up to her reputation of being Dennis the Menace. We were there early to get the tickets, so just before the show started (about 5 minutes), we went to the toilet and Rowena followed me inside the cubicle while Harvyna entered another one on her own. As usual, Rowena started fiddle with everything and she turned on the tap at the side. The water splashed at her and she was wet from head to toe. I was really speechless as the expression on her face was just just priceless. It was a cross between 'Oh, what just happenned?' and 'Oh Oh, mummy is going to kill me!!' So although I was really annoyed with her, it was quite funny. Luckily I brought some extra clothes. She was still in a state of shock througout the show that she remained quiet and sat on my lap the whole time.

What did I think of the show? - It was ok. No props and dialogue or music, a lot of imagination. I think Aesops Fables would be better.

Harvynna's Parent Teacher meet - Met with her teachers and everyone mentioned that she is a very fast learner and picks up things very fast. She reads well and grasps the BM 'sukukata' very well. She can count 1-100 and does addition and subtraction up to number 20. She is good at Mandarin as well. She prefers to do her work on her own and is quite independant. The teacher has t0 give her additional work to do as she finishes her work very fast. I feel this could also be because, the school encourages learning through play, so most of the activities are quite easy for her. Academically, she is very good but needs improvement in her behaviour!! She does not share with her friends.

Looking at the girls, I think that HArvynna will be the book smart, straight A student while Rowena will be the streetsmart, not interested in studies type of child. Her attention span is really short. She focuses on trying to do the naughtiest things or finding what she can break!!

We still have not confirmed her school as yet due to transportation issues. I better call the school now!

Shopping Woes

Everytime I take the girls to the mall myself, I end up kicking myself and wonder why I put myself through this kind of torture. Harvynna is quite easy to handle as she loves the mall. The only thing is she MUST have a drink in some café with cake. It cant be the mamak opposite as it has no air conditioning – it has to be a café. Even if she has a hearty meal before that, she will always say, ‘I did not eat much, I am still hungry’ or she will ask me’ Mummy, you haven’t eaten right? Better eat something’

Rowena on the other hand drives me up the wall everything we go out. She refuses to walk properly or hold our hand. She will hop everywhere or just run out of sight, touch and pull everything. Then she gets tired and insists on being carried. If she does not get what she wants, she will sit on the floor and scream ‘Mummy, come here now and carry me!’ I am already fuming mad and dead tired.

Yesterday, we had to go to the Megamall as Harvynna’s school needed a white t-shirt for t-shirt painting. Its really difficult to get a plain white t-shirt nowadays. Even all the cheap ones have cartoons on them. We went to Carrefour, but could not find one, then we went to Kamdar and they only had a long sleeved one. Rowena ran really fast out of my sight and I ran after her and dragged her by her hands, while she yelled and cried and everyone was staring at us. I don’t care what people think but I was so irritated. Harvynna kept saying ‘Rowena is really irritating. Next time don’t bring her’.

Then we went to MNG. She sat on the table where they displayed some blouses. She lifted each one, shouted ‘Stupid, ugly shirt’, threw it aside, picked up another and another and did the same thing. Then we went to the changing room – she opens the curtains of another cubicle.

After that, we went to Seed Café for my dinner while the girls had ice-cream. Rowena did not like the waiter and started fighting with him. ‘I don’t like you. I pinch you and push you’ ‘ I push you in the freezer’ (the cake display). Then she talks at the top of her voice. Luckily, the waiter did not mind so much. Not sure about the other customers though.

As we were walking out, there were some perfume promoters promoting their packages. There was one errr he / she approaching us. Immediately, Rowena said loudly ‘ Mummy, is that a man?’ I said yes. ‘Why he looks like that? Why so ugly? I quickly grabbed her and Harvynna and walked really fast out of that direction. I think she is going to get me beaten up some day!

Vicious Rowena

I blogged earlier about Rowena a.k.a Dennis the Menace. She really has so much pent up energy that she releases it in weird ways. Now she whines non-stop for something she wants, and just yesterday, she was sitting on the sofa asking for cake or something, and when I refused to give it to her, she started pulling her hair out - literally.

And she bites and pinches and scratches and leaves nasty marks. Harvynna now has a nasty scratch on her face - courtesy of her sister. When I question Rowena, she will just fold her arms and say, 'Always angry with me, never sayang me'. 'I dont like mummy anymore. Yucky mummy' and then i get a nasty pinch.

We went to Asha's place over the weekend. The girls love going there as they think Asha and baby Rekha are their cousins and love spending time with them. Plus, they get to feast on Coke, Chips, nuggets to glory. Somehow, Rowena finds competition with Asha who is only 1 plus and has pushed her many time. Yesterday, she left a really bad scratch on her face and it is so obvious. I scolded her and asked her why she scratched Asha? All she said was' I did not scratch her. I just pinch her only'. I told her she wont be welcomed at their house anymore and she says' 'Never mind, I can go my own self'. Aagh!

Am hunting for some martial arts or gymnastics class for her for her to burn all those energy and channel it towards something useful!!

Kindergarten Hunt

My kindergarten hunt is almost over as I have finally narrowed it down to 2 kindergartens in Damansara Heights. I did a complete check and visited all shortlisted schools and asked them in detail on their curriculum, methods used, whether it is more academic driven (which I dont want),focus on rote learning (which I dont want too), bridging classes for Primary 1 and of course the cleanliness of the place especially the toilets as Harvynna will never use a dirty toilet. Fees is also an important consideration as kindergartens in this vicinity is definitely a lot higher in price. It does not mean, you pay a high price, you get the best when it comes to preschool education.

Some of the schools have a lower price, but when asked in detail, I realise some of the areas are not covered and instead get the students to go for after school classes, which in the end works out to be more. Some with lower fees also look very run down. After being in Beaconhouse that is very well maintained, I dont think I want Harvynna to go to a run down place as Ms Snob will definitely have an issue with that.

One of the schools is very old. My cousins who are now in their 20s used to go there, but they are very established and have a very dedicated set of teachers. I am also impressed with their curriculum and classes. Character building is also emphasised there. Plus, the teachers at my school mentioned that kids from this kindergarten have a strong reading foundation.

The second school is handled by a new management. Its in a huge bungalow with a pool (with swimming lessons). Its a smart kindergarten and their methods are pretty similar to what we offer at my school. What attracted me is that they offer a mix of montessori with emphasis on English , Bahasa and Mandarin and have bridging classes for the 6 year olds. The best part is they have a fixed extra enrichment class programme daily till 3 which includes Speech and Drama, IT, Swimming, Keyboard.

My only problem now is transport. Transport from Bangsar to Damansara Heights is RM250 a month! So I may have to send her in the mornings and arrange for transportation back. If I really cant find proper transport, I may have to consider letting her remain in Beaconhouse. Sigh! Living in the Klang Valley with no support is really difficult. You just have to pay for everything!

So what do I do with Rowena - decided to sign her up at Kidz Sports and some music classes. She needs to do some activity that will use up her energy as she has a lot to spare! Some of the schools for 3 year olds are more of playgroups with only about 1 and a half hours of structured activities. So I have put her schooling on hold.

Happy Halloween!

The girls have been looking forward to Halloween this year. The experience Harvynna had at the party last year was great, that she insisted to attend another one this year. This year, Rowena came as well as she looked really adorable in her witch costume. As it was the same costume Harvynna wore last year (and won), I decided to bring them to the Mega Kidz party instead. The costume is really nice. It was a gift from my sister in law. Have to find a different venue next year, if Rowena were to wear it again!

Mega Kidz Halloween Bash is really packed with activities. The 3 hours went by very quickly. Thank God!! or I would have had a heart attack, handling the 2 girls on my own amidst 50 other kids. Most of the kids that came were about6-10 years old as Mega Kidz groups everyone together. Unlike Kidzspots that breaks the groups into 2. So, some of the activities were too much for the younger kids. Both Harvynna and Rowena came out crying from the Haunted House. The trick or treat session was quite fun. The girsl collected lots of sweets. Rowena took the opportunity to do her usual running round inside the stores hoping to collect more sweets.

I knew Rowena would win a prize as her costume did stand out and everywhere she went, the 'judges' stopped her to ask for her number as they were selecting the winners. I was starting to get worried as it would be a disaster if Harvynna did not win. It is really getting quite difficult now, as Rowena gets a lot of attention when we go out. strangers just stop and comment how cute she is, while Harvynna just stands there next to her. I feel so bad for Harvynna as I dont want to cause competition and sibling rivalry. I am sure she feels it.

They called out the winnners from 10th place upwards. Harvynna was happy to be the 5th place winner. She did not know about the placing - to her she had won a prize. Then Rowena was upset, as she did not get a prize and was whining away. I was confident that Rowena will win and true enough, she was the runner up for the contest. So both the girls went back happy and contented. Its difficult having 2 girls as the competition level can be really high!

Harvynna had a Halloween party in school yesterday, and wore her pumpkin princess costume again. Rowena threw a fit, 'why Harvynna wearing like that? I also want. I also want pretty. Where is my dress? and starting rolling on the floor with the biggest tantrum. I put on an old party frock for her and told her it was a princess dress! That kept her quiet.

Trip to Kota Kinabalu

This is a long overdue post.

We went to KK last month in september to celebrate my father-in-laws 70th birthday. We actually purchased the tickets a long time ago, when Air Asia was offering their free flights. It was a real good deal. The only thing was one month after we had purchased our tickets, MAS announced their cheap flights as well. :( We were preparing the girls about the trip and they have been looking forward to it. the last time we went back was a year ago for my sister-in-laws wedding.

We arrived on the actual birthday, but it was quite late as we took the 7pm flight. We still managed to cut the cake, which of course Harvynna was happy to participate in. Rowena was a little shy at first but Harvynna was excited as there were other kids to play with. She likes being in KK as there is always lots of people in the house and kids to play with - its like there is always something happening. The girls dont have any cousins in KL, as they are in KK and Australia.

The actual party was on Saturday, in the meantime we had to give the girls their shopping fix and we headed to 1-Borneo. We had a day trip to Pulau Manukan as well, arranged by my sister in law and her husband and it was fun. The girls really had a good time playing in the sea and sand. It was the first time Harvynna played in the sea.

On the way to 1-Borneo,we stopped at the Aquarium at University

Malaysia sabah, where my SIL lectures. They had some really huge fish there which the girls were impressed with.Harvynna was sad to leave and we promised to send her there during the next holidays.

Lil Miss Trouble

I am convinced that Rowena is related to Dennis the Menace. She is really naughty and she enjoys being naughty. Her eyes always light up after she has done something naughty, then she gives you the cutest smile, which makes it hard to get angry with her for long. I recall Harvynna going through the terrible 2's, but she was never as naughty as Rowena. If you scold her, she just glares at you, like its your fault!

Some of the things she does / did are:


I sent her bottle of Ventolin to the babysitter last week, which was supposed to help clear her lungs. she took the plastic bag, banged it on the floor a few times, till the bottle broke and passed the bag to me. I asked her why she broke the bottle and she calmly replied, 'because I am naughty'


She still pulls the toilet paper from its holder.



Whenever, we go to public toilets, she will open the lock or pull down the toilet paper or flush the toilet while i am sitting on it.



She loves to pull Harvynna's hair, pinch her or poke her eyes.



She loves to open the dryer or change the settings when nobody is looking



She has broken half my make up and toiletries.



Switches on, and then off, and then on again - the air-cond in her room



She demands for water ' I want water, I so thirsty' in the most pitiful voice. Then when you give it to her, she pours it on the floor.



There are so many more, but I cant recall. All I know is that she is such an imp!

Sick days

Both the girls are sick, sick, sick. I dont really know how it started. They were both fine on Friday. Then on saturday, they were still fine. We went out to Mid Valley, and Rowena started coughing and kept asking to be carried. I could hear her panting whenever she talks. So we went back home for her to rest. Once she woke up around 6pm, she cried non stop and was breathing very fast. No fever, though. Gave her some cough syrup and tried to put them to sleep by 8. Harvynna also self-claimed to be sick and started coughing on purpose. By 10, Rowena was really miserable. She cried non stop, did not eat and kept pointing to her mouth, saying it was painful. I looked inside and did not see anything. so she stayed up the whole night - sleeping for 10 minutes, waking up, then sleeping again. This pattern carried on the whole night, so I was awake with her, while everyone else slept peacefully. sigh.

Next morning, she still kept on crying and was extremely clingy. I was at wits ends thinking of a doctor that might be opened on a sunday. I did not want to bring her to a normal GP, as I knew she was quite sick and needed proper treatment. I called my friend who is a paediatrician at Prince Court, and she said that Rowena needed to be put on the neubolizer immediately. Any hospital would be able to do that. Luckily I remembered Dr altaf in TTDI and called them up by chance. Looks like they are the only paed I know opened on sundays. rushed her there, waited for almost 3 hours, as the queue was horrendous. He finally saw her, and confirmed that the passage in her lungs had narrowed and had difficulty breathing. All the phlegm made it worse. She got better almost immediately after the neuboliser. And she said ' Aunty put on my mouth - Nice'. I want go again'.

Early this morning, Harvyyna was coughing non stop and breathing fast as well. She woke up in the morning and got ready for school. After I got dressed, I saw her sitting on the floor, looking so weak. Poor girl. I told her forget school and take a rest at the babysitters house.

Rowena is not happy now that Harvynna is sick, since all the attention has shifted to harvynna. she told her ' NO!, You not sick. I am sick, ok, I went to doctor. You dont take my medifern (medicine)' Poor Harvynna was too sick to reply her.

Time flies

Time has just slipped by. Its almost October and soon it will be Christmas. But I am glad all the busy, busy times have passed and we can all finally breathe. Things have slowed down a litte where work is concerned as all the major events for the year are over. We went to KK to celebrate My dad-in-laws 70th birthday,plus had a break and fun. We went to Pulau Manukan and it was beautiful. The girls enjoyed themselves in the sun and sea. Its the first time Harvynna actually enjoyed the beach. Normally, she stays away as she thinks the beach is dirty. Rowena enjoyed building sandcastles (or some what) but did not like the water much as it kept going into her mouth. 'I dont yike the water, so yucky, taste like poo poo'.

Harvynna has a long break next week due to the Raya break. It will be her final 2 months at the school as we are planning to withdraw her and send her elsewhere. Where? I still dont know (but have a few in mind) Several reasons why we plan to withdraw her from Beaconhouse is

1. they have increased the fees by 30% which we end up paying about RM700 a month (main reason)

2. their method of teaching is excellent but may not prepare the child into primary school - if you intend to go to some of the better schools, you need to come in prepared and should be able to read well as most of the other kids would come in with a headstart. I have been speaking to a few preschool principals, and I can see so many of them already preparing their kids for Primary 1. 5 year old kids can read books meant for 9 year olds etc. Harvynna can read at the level a 4 year old should, but after speaking to these principals, I feel so inadequate.

3. Beaconhouse has instilled a love for school with Harvynna, so she would be sad to leave her friends. She has made quite a few friends and they love to share stuff in school. She makes me pack her extra food so she can share with her friends. But she is very selective whom she shares with. Only those that share with her gets her share!

Looking around, finding the right school is really a challenge,there are some with a good system, but the facilities are pathetic or look run down, while others have excellent facilities, but the system is not very good and some are just far too expensive. I am not willing to pay RM1000 a month for a preschool education. So the hunt continues........

Also, I think I need to send Rowena to school as well. She has really started to believe that she goes to school. When I pick her up from school, she will tell me,'today i do painting in school, eat noodles and drink rowena, hee hee hee (ribena)'. Everynight, she will ask me' i bring my chocolate to my brokenhouse tomorrow ok. I share with my friends' or sometimes she tells me 'tomorrow I got gym, My gym on Monday and Friday'. Sounds funny, but is quite sad actually. Poor gal.

A Blog Break

ON A BLOG BREAK

- so many thing to do...... so little time -

Things they say....part 2

The girls are back and they house is full of life again. No more lonely car rides. I am once again, entertained with their chattering.

They love playing, Spot the Petrol station. Everytime we pass a petrol station, they will shout 'Petrol station, I saw first' and we pass another one, and it goes on and on. Both cannot look at each other's side or they will be subject to some hair pulling or pinching incidents.

The other day, they were playing grown up and Harvynna told Rowena:

H: I be the mummy, you be the daddy
Rowie: No, I be mummy
H: No, you be the daddy, because daddy does nothing, just sit down, so very easy for you
Rowie: Ok

(haha)

Rowena's favourite song now is:

5 little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell down and bumped his head
Mama called the dr
No more monkeys jumping on the bed (I think she missed out a line here, but I cant figure what it is)

She sings this while jumping at the edge of the bed.

Things they say...

It's the school holidays now and the girls are not here. They have gone on their holiday while I have mine here!!! The house and the daily car rides to work are so quiet. But I am kind of enjoying the quiet time. I think they too, need a break from me - have been so stressed out and screaming at them a lot!! Can't wait for them to be back and hear they things they say.

Rowena's famous lines:

Mummy's office is in Koto Sarasara (2 guesses where that is)

I pinch you, i bite you, i push you (agressive girl)

Dont give Awa (Harvynna) cake ok, she fatty girl

Surrprise, say please (when she wants something)

Tomorrow you buy for me this ok, dont give Awa

Haha, mummy washing your soap off (when I bathe Harvynna)

I dont want this one, very ugly (when she does not get what she wants)

Harvynna's famous lines:

Please, please dont bring Rowena!

I going to ask Aunty Kuldeep to bring me to my Beaconhouse (when I tell her I am going to change her school next year)

Mummy, just say this, just bluff her ok. (when she does not want Rowena to find out something)

I accidently ate the last cake (when she brought 3 cakes home, one for me, 2 for her, and daddy asked her why she did not bring for him)

Can you just feel the sisterly love!!

I bought them one of those sets where you can bathe the baby from Toy's R Us and they love it. They can play with it for hours. They are into dolls right now. Anyone knows where I can get a walking doll?