Monthly Archives: August 2008

Of one-armed bandits and midnight pees

Posted on 30 August, 2008

For the past few nights; enough nights to make me forget exactly how many, my two kids wake in the middle of the night, a few times. One cries, the other cries out; sometimes one starts the other going. One … Continue reading →

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Raising girls and daughters :: Part 1

Posted on 27 August, 2008 | 3 Comments

Caitlin’s recent medical condition (it’s not as serious as it sounds, really) has made me become aware; or at least reminded me again, of the magnitude of the role as a parent.

As parents at this point in their lives we are their only reference. Medical conditions, physical safety, social behaviours, questions on these all have to be answered by us parents; at least in my household. Other times it will be their maternal grandparents, since they are in their care during office hours.

I can already see this as a first in a series of “events” in raising a girl.

  • Boys
    That they are different in that they have an appendage where girls don’t
  • Boys
    Can be rough, dirty, bullies in school, perhaps even uncontrollable
  • Boys
    Are such strange creatures of (or so *they* claim!) simple-mindedness
  • Boys
    Are such interesting creatures, when I am in my teens
  • Boys
    Can make interesting friends; but I gotta be careful of their hormones
  • Boys
    Can make good friends, too
  • Boys
    Can be so easily manipulated
  • Boys
    Not all boys (men) are pigs!

Heh.

Sorry, my fellow men, for betraying our own man-kind. I gotta be thinking in their shoes in order to be of any help to my daughter!

I will probably follow up soon with a similar list for my son!

Have I missed anything, ladies??

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Posted in A father's POV, Caitlin the heiress, Parenting musing, The future

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Daddee’s first big lesson in raising a girl

Posted on 26 August, 2008 | 5 Comments

For a few months now I have been having this pain when I pee- it’s not all the time, it’s only sometimes. I told Daddee about it, but he looked like he didn’t know what to do. He said to just make sure I continually washed after I pee; it’s usually Daddee who washes me at home after I pee.

I think now he thinks he hasn’t been washing me properly. Poor Daddee, I think he feels sad and, what’s the word- Inadequate?

So last Saturday Daddee took me to see TuaKor (Eldest paternal aunty, or Dr Pixie) for a few things: That I have (still) been having hard stools, that I don’t go poo-poo everyday, and also for this pain when I pee.

So TuaKor examined me. I was so scared and I didn’t let her touch me. Daddee said it was okay; TuaKor needs to see why it’s been pain-pain when I pee.

They were right; TuaKor only opened me up a little and that was enough to see some, err, inflammation; I think they called it, that it is pinky-red. They started talking about me, saying that to make sure I am washed inside and not just outside my skin area. Also, sometimes using only toilet paper to wipe is not enough. Daddee used this big word to say that he wasn’t familiar the girl body.. ana.. anatom-something. I think that first big word is how he feels about touching this ana-thing.

So TuaKor asked Daddee to go buy this wash called Lactacyd, and to use it after each time I pee, for 3 days straight. TuaKor also said my no-poo-poo has something to do with my inflammation, but I think Daddee can’t see the connection either…. But I will continue making sure I eat lots of vegetables still.

First few times he washed me it was so painful I cried. I don’t know why- it could be that the soap or it could be that Daddee was too hard. After a few times, Daddee thought to ask me to wash myself. That’s a good idea Daddee. He stood by with the shower head running and made sure I washed inside before spraying me while I continue washing.

It’s been 3 days of use now; except when I went back to school after the holidays this morning. I think Daddee will insist I am washed with this wash tomorrow, and then that would be enough. I think NaiNai (paternal grandma) was also teaching Daddee that this wash is quite drying, but suggested to still use it once a week to ensure.. hy… hy… oh I give up.

Daddee forgot to ask Dr Pixie what the adult-name is for my pain-pain.

After the visit to TuaKor’s clinic, as promised, Daddee took me to the big underground aquarium at the twin towers KLCC to check out the sharks being fed… I think he felt bad to miss his friend Auntie Kathie and her 2 boys!

:)

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Posted in A father's POV, A toddler's POV, Ailments & cures, Caitlin the heiress, Dr Pixie says

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Adding some colour to this blog!

Posted on 22 August, 2008

Sharing some still shots from the videos taken… Teeth, anytime now! And no- that’s not a caterpillar crawling out of his head! Snapped just before that drop left his chin! Daddee with his no-chin (as opposed to double-chin) Heh….

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Toddler’s first movie..

Posted on 22 August, 2008 | 4 Comments

It’s the school holidays this week. I had taken Wednesday and Thursday off with plans with Caitlin.

We were going to include the following activities, initially in no particular order:

  1. Go watch the fireworks (it’s not a very well designed website, by the way, so if you are keen do be patient)
    Caitlin’s always been quite excited watching fireworks. When it used to, we could watch it from afar from my parents’ house on weekend, when they were letting it off at Titiwangsa after launching Visit Malaysia Year. This was when I started explain to Caitlin what “expensive” means, when they eventually stopped it!
  2. (Re) Visit Genting Highlands.
    For obvious reasons
  3. Go shopping.
    She likes to just window shop; be out of the house.

We managed the third and first item on Wednesday day and night respectively. The fireworks event was an adventure in itself. Wyluxx had wanted to try his hand at photographing fireworks this time, so given Caitlin’s likely interest to watch too, we went along.

20 minutes of straight booms and bangs and flashes was quite worth the ride all the way to Putrajaya, and the 2 hour wait- we went early, to secure good parking and viewing spots, but mainly cos we weren’t sure exactly where the venue was going to be. Anticipating the crowd (very likely learned from past experience) the local police had set up clear directional signs for the traffic, and had areas properly cordoned off for orderly parking.

I think Caitlin enjoyed it.

But because of these activities on Wednesday, Caitlin didn’t manage to get any afternoon nap, and also that the fireworks only finished at 10:20pm, we got home quite late. So I had wanted her to sleep in as late as possible on Thursday morning.

I had planned on doing item 2 on Thursday. But wouldn’t you know it, it rained. And rained, and rained and rained. Caitlin must have been psyched about going to Genting too, cos she auto-woke early.

I had to let her down by saying we cannot go after all. So, Daddee’s Plan B was to bring her for a movie. Her first ever movie experience. The only suitable one available was WALL-E.

And how did it go, you ask?

We went to Midvalley. After checking online the showing times I aimed for the first session of 11:45am; with the 12:30pm one as back up. I mean, I knew it is the school holidays, but wouldn’t the teenagers be more interested in Star Wars than WALL-E?? Why did I have to get the 12:30 one?

So, we got the tickets, and hung around for just over an hour and a half. It was ok; we ate our prepacked lunch, checked out the nearby pet store to talk to some parrots, went to the toilet before showtime.

Also, I didn’t know it was a 2-hour movie. But that’s not the “bad news”. 20 minutes into it, Caitlin asks: “Is it finished yet?”

She also has a slight runny nose, and the cinema was quite cold even for me. We left the cinema for a while just to get her a nice jacket to wear (she doesn’t have a nice one anyway). I got her a Pooh Bear World of Cartoon denim jacket which I do think is quite nice. It’s dark denim with orange stitching, straight cut buttons all the way like a shirt pattern and shirt collared. I got her a size 6 knowing it will fit her for a few more years.

Went back in, and time for another leave-the-cinema for a toilet break. Soon after, she didn’t like it, and we left the movie completely.

So that was my first experience with her on her first movie experience.

Few things I noted:

  • Toddlers have no sense of time.
    While she understood that the movie will start “when this hand reaches here where it says ’30′ on Daddee’s watch”, I had trouble explaining to her how long 2 hours was. I tried saying “It’s as long as 8 episodes of Jo-Jo” but it really didn’t work.
  • Toddler have no sense of length of time.
    Again, only 20 minutes into it, she was getting bored.
  • Toddlers can be prepared, somewhat.
    She was made to expect the dark hall of the cinema. She was made to expect the potentially loud sounds from the movie. She was made to expect not to talk too much. But she wasn’t told not to be fidgety, she wasn’t told not to lean too close to the seat (the patron) infront of her, she wasn’t told not to exercise the folding chair by folding it repeatedly.

So for tomorrow, being the weekend before the kids go back to school, I may bring her to the Aquaria with Moomykin and her boys. Anyone else interested?

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Posted in A father's POV, A toddler's POV, Adventures, Caitlin the heiress, Parenting musing

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Cardboard kitchen, finally. Or is it?

Posted on 18 August, 2008
kitch_inbox_head

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Almost a year ago I had visited this blog and saw this prototype, and declared (to myself, mostly) that I would attempt this myself. Here’s the finished product of that prototype, by the way, by the very talented Anna. Bit … Continue reading →

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Mini milestone in the pool…

Posted on 17 August, 2008 | 3 Comments

Today I took Caitlin for a swim. Long story short, it had involved going out of my way just to keep my promise to her that I would bring her for a swim, particularly this morning.

Anyway. A short proud note to my friends here, that she achieved two small feats in the pool:

  1. She held her breath and went underwater for a peek; with goggles.
    What’s the big deal you ask? It’s because she’s never gone underwater intentionally before. Which means she was both fearful of the “unknown” of “going under” as she calls it, as well as subsequently freaking out and take in some water. Unintentionally of course means the times when she’s jumped in too eagerly and had gone under for a while, taking in water especially through the nose.

    Apparently there is a whole new world underwater….

  2. She took off her floats for a while in the adult pool, wading in 0.5m deep of water (in the shallow end)
    What’s the big deal you ask? It’s because again of conquering fear, but not as explicit as it sounds. Other than the first time getting in, it’s never been an issue with the adult pool anymore while wearing the float. Taking it off however, was more like a real excitement for her and more like concern for me! I know, it was my idea, but I just wanted to try it out, let her touch the floor with her feet on her own, wade around for a while.

    floaties.jpg
    Picture taken Sept 2007, ankle deep in the baby pool.

These events actually happened in reverse. You see, at the condo poolside there is also a jacuzzi thing that we sometimes also visit when I bring her for a swim. It’s a round pool, with “steps” which act as seats all round the pool. It’s the deepest in the middle; and today I measured it at Caitlin’s chin-height.

I actually took her floats out at the jacuzzi, wanting her more “freedom” in her play in there. It was then that I asked if she’d wanna try going under with the goggles, to see the bubbles underwater. It was then after that that I braved going (back) into the adult pool without her wearing the floats in her costume.

On the way back to my parents’ after the swim at our condo, I had the opportunity to “teach” her that the bubbles she saw underwater are actually just air, and very different from the bubbles that she’d get from blowing through the loopy thing that comes with the bottle of soap from Toys’ R Us; even though both are called bubbles.

I think she got it.

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Posted in A father's POV, A toddler's POV, Adventures, Caitlin the heiress, milestones, Parenting musing

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