Reading Aloud with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory #1

EV and AA are now 9 and 7 years old respectively. They read independently, and it is very obvious that they love it. I love to see them sitting quietly by themselves as they immerse in the wonderful world of whatever book they are reading. And it’s nice to sit or lie next to them doing the same thing. 

Often, EV and AA will still ask me to read aloud to them. I seldom say no, unless it’s really way past their bedtime. I love having them next to me, hearing me try to dramatise the story to them. However, I do wonder: do I still need to read to them since they now can read independently?

Recently, I read an article that told me that my decision to continue reading to EV and AA was right - 'Want your kids’ vocab to improve? Read aloud to them'.

This was the part that caught my attention: “Children may continue to enjoy and benefit from being read to beyond the early years. You should keep reading with your children as long as they let you.”

Which echoed my thoughts exactly. If EV and AA still want me to read to them, why would I want to stop this fantastic chance for us to bond and just enjoy stories together?

So I’m sticking to my decision of continuing to read aloud to them, to have this shared reading experience with them every night, for as long as they let me. At the same time, I can also use this shared reading time to have story-based discussions with them. I can also ask questions to nudge their understanding of the story content and also how the author uses language to bring across a point.

So I started with the classic story by Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The version I have is a very old one, which I bought pre-loved. As I read aloud to the kids, I would use different types of voices and intonation to try and bring the characters to life. I would try to use some action too where possible. It’s like putting on a one-person theatre show with only two audiences. Well, that’s not bad. At least, my ‘performance’ will always be flawless. :)

In between my ‘performance’, I might stop and ask questions to see if EV and AA understand the content, or what the writer is trying to convey. I think this is helpful in EV’s and AA’s language development, and I think, in the long run, better prepare them to answer comprehension questions in school.

What I will try to do is to share areas of discussion that I had with EV and AA, here on my blog. Feel free to use them in your shared reading experiences with your kids.

To start, I will begin with Chapters 1 to 5 of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. (Note: As I’m using a different version, the page numbers might be different.)

Chapter 1: Here Comes Charlie

Page 17 - Why was it ‘pure torture’ for Charlie to ‘see other children taking bars of creamy chocolate out of their pockets and munching them greedily’?

In the earlier paragraphs, Roald Dahl elaborated how poor Charlie’s family was, and described how much, or how little, the family had to eat each day because they could not afford to buy food. It was also highlighted that Charlie ‘went about from morning till night with a horrible empty feeling’ in his tummy. Hence, when Charlie saw other children who had easy access to chocolate, one of his favourite foods, and eating it in front of him, it was very distressing to him. Not only could he not eat chocolate as and when he liked, he also had to tolerate a hungry stomach all the time. The discussion could also veer to focus on the real world, and the plight of many different people around the world.

Page 17 - When Charlie receives a small chocolate bar on his birthday, why does he ‘treasure it as though it were a bar of solid gold’?

As Charlie only receives one bar of chocolate a year on his birthday, the chocolate was extremely precious to him, and he wanted it to last as long as possible. There can also be some discussion about the literary technique used here - simile. The way Charlie treated his bar of chocolate was being compared to how people would treat a bar of gold.

Chapter 2: Mr Willy Wonka’s Factory

Page 19 - Charlie’s grandparents are described to be ‘as shrivelled as prunes’ and ‘as bony as skeletons’. What does this tell you about his grandparents’ physical appearance?

His grandparents’ skin are extremely wrinkled and they are also very thin. The literary technique of simile was used to compare his grandparents’ physical appearance with that of shrivelled prunes and skeletons.

Chapter 4: The Secret Workers

Page 29 - What was ‘one of the great mysteries of the chocolate-making world’?

The mystery is who Willy Wonka engaged as employees to run his factory and produce chocolates and sweets. In the earlier part of this dialogue between Charlie and Grandpa Joe, Grandpa Joe mentioned that nobody knows who Mr Wonka is using. So the great mystery that Grandpa Joe is referring to can be referenced to this.

So there.. Some ideas for your discussions as you read aloud Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with your kids. Hope this helps!

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Thank you for a blessed life adventure

This was how our wedding invitation began. Time passes so extremely fast, when we made a vow, a decision to love each other and look after each other, come what may, six years ago. 

What an exciting life adventure we have had so far. We became parents very quickly, exactly one day after our first wedding anniversary. Yups, I spent my first wedding anniversary in pain and screaming my head off. But nothing could beat the feeling of holding our first born EV in our arms. AA quickly came two years later.

It's been an eventful adventure with ups and downs. We didn't just have to look after ourselves, our relationship, but also our kids, our family and our home. We spent days agonising whenever EV or AA fell ill, and that period when AA was admitted into hospital several times, that was tough. We witnessed our little baby go through a series of tests, from MRI to lumbar puncture, trying to figure out what is the trigger. It was painful watching his tiny body hooked up to machines. But we went through it, together, and came out stronger.

This adventure wouldn't be the same without DaddySay. It's because of him that the adventure is what it is. I'm eternally grateful for this man, my pillar of strength, my soulmate. Someone whom I've known for more than half my life.

Especially in the last three months. It has been an extremely difficult time for me. On the surface, I seemed fine. I face my kids with a smile, I take extra effort to teach the kids since I couldn’t get out at all, I blog as normal. My supposing chirpiness is enough to fool everyone that everything is fine and dandy. Because well, I have to be strong for her kids, family and relatives. The only person who has any idea of just how depressed I was feeling is DaddySay. He's the only one who has seen my tears.

The first life changing event that happened to me was the freak accident, which I shared here. I still do ask why it happened to me, and I'm still afraid of going to bus stops, especially that particular bus stop. But overall, it's slowly getting better. Or so I hoped.

Just when I thought things were looking up a bit, another devastating totally unexpected event happened. My beloved grandmummy suffered a stroke on January 10 (exactly four weeks ago), a very serious one that required me to rush back to Hong Kong despite my ‘bai kar’ (or ‘injured leg’). Ok, so I had preferential, priority treatment at the airport, being wheeled direct from the check-in counter to the plane. but this was not the way I wanted to go back to Hong Kong. I wouldn’t travel this way if I had a choice. But I had to go back, had to go back to visit 嫲嫲, before it was too late. 

I stepped into the flat that she had been staying alone in for the past 25 years or so since granddaddy passed away (she has always been a strong and independent woman), and I spied the photo that me, DaddySay and the kids took with her when we went back in 2012. Tears welled up, but I stopped myself from crying, because my mum and sister and brother were there. In fact, for the next few days, I kept my tears to myself, never allowing anyone to see them whenever they fell as I stood next to my grandmummy’s hospital bed. I am the oldest of my generation, and I needed to be strong for my parents, siblings and relatives. I wanted so much to have DaddySay by my side, to hug and to hold. He wasn't there physically, but was there in spirit as he sent me encouraging messages and pictures of the kids. He sprung into action to be both daddy and mummy during this period and I'm grateful.

I left Hong Kong feeling sad, but comforted that I at least saw my grandmummy, held her hand and massaged her. Then at the Hong Kong airport waiting for the flight back, I received another shocking news. A secondary school junior had passed away the day before, after being admitted into hospital three days prior, leaving behind three young children. It was a utter shock. We were not close, but we do have some similarities, like how we were both in public relations, and how her two younger kids are the same age as mine. It made it so much more depressing. What if it were me? Would I be ready to go? How would my family handle it?

Receiving two sudden and tragic news within the span of a week was enough to get me emotionally off track. Depressed, devastated, the thoughts that went through my head were of how life is so fragile and unpredictable, why must things happen this way, why must loved ones be taken away so suddenly, without warning? Even if one tries to live life to the fullest, a sudden illness or passing of a loved one can render one so extremely helpless, and feeling hopeless too. 

Then thoughts turn to my accident and I’ll ask again, why me? Why was it me who got hit? Why couldn’t the wheel just roll by and mind its own business instead of homing in on me? Why must I go through the extremely painful experience (worse than giving birth) of the A&E doctor pulling my leg straight to try and set the bone. Why must I spend agonising months to learn how to walk again?

Then I remember, oh gosh, I am so blessed. If the wheel had hit anywhere else, I might not be here, typing this. Something sudden and unexpected did happen to me, but I’m here. Hobbling with crutches, yes, but blessed to be hobbling around. Blessed to be able to hold DaddySay and tell him how much I love him. Blessed to be able to hold my kids close, to love them, play with them and laugh with them. 

I’m so blessed to be alive. I'm so blessed to have DaddySay right beside me during this difficult part of our life adventure.

I know the next few months will not be easy either, as long as grandmummy remains in a coma. The doctor says that on a range of 1 to 10, her recovery chances are absolutely slim, at 1. I’m fearful of receiving a Whatsapp message or a phone call, because I’m scared of the news it will bring. I so want to go back and see her again.

I know I have to be strong, because life will always be fragile and unpredictable.

That’s why I have to treasure the people around me even more. I’m so blessed to be alive and be showered by their love.

Thank you DaddySay, for all your love and support. I love you.

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Mummy, you cannot marry my daddy!!!

Ever had your kid declare that to you?

Mine did. Recently, EV has been preoccupied with our wedding photos. At first, it was simply 'mummy, princess!!' (which I absolutely love to hear), then it was 'mummy, why are you with daddy?', before the absolute 'mummy, you cannot marry daddy!'.

In my explanations to EV, I always tell her the same story, that mummy loves daddy, and daddy loves mummy, so we got married, and then we had her and AA. I knew she was trying to understand the concept of marriage. And perhaps, being a daddy's girl, she felt that daddy was exclusive to her and that no one else can love daddy. Perhaps she felt I was 'stealing' her daddy from her.

Whatever it was, she must have thought about it for a very very long time. One night in bed, she looked up at our photos, and began mumbling to herself... 'Mummy loves daddy, daddy loves mummy, mummy marry daddy, mummy marry daddy.... Mummy marry daddy???!!!!!???'. The last phrase was tinged with understanding and realisation. She then turned around to look at me, and said 'mummy I love you!'.

She now understands why DaddySay and I got married, and how we were blessed with her. Today, we heard a church bell ringing in the middle of the day. She asked about it, and I told her that it was the church's way of telling Jesus that a couple had gotten married, and to bless them with children. Just like how we were blessed with her and AA. After hearing it, EV gave me a big hug and said 'I love you mummy!'.

So really, kids may be kids, but they do spend time trying to figure out the real world. And when they do, as in this case, it's a very pleasant experience to see the spark of realisation in their eyes.

Now EV loves hearing about our love story, and often asks me to play the song that we played as I walked down the aisle on that wonderful day in February. 'The Prayer' is one of her favourite songs, a reminder of her parents' love for each other, and for her and AA.

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EV's letter on prams

Dear Uncle Jeremy,

Can I call you Uncle? Mummy says that it’s important to be courteous and polite, and being a nice girl, I think it goes without saying that I call you Uncle, even though you may not be of ‘uncle’ age.

Mummy was a little upset today when she got home. I gave her hug and asked her why. She said she read an article, where the writer lamented about how parents’ overuse of prams is a social ill. Mummy says you wrote something about how prams are getting really huge and taking too much space in lifts, how prams end up carrying shopping bags instead of cute toddlers like me, or babies. That writer is you Uncle Jeremy. You’ve made mummy upset. You are a very naughty boy.

I don’t know what ‘social ill’ means, but I can sense that it’s not something good. And based on what mummy said, her friends aren’t too happy about what you wrote either. You’ve made mummy and her mummy/daddy friends upset. Very very very naughty, Uncle Jeremy.

Uncle Jeremy, you are not a daddy yet right? So it’s hard for you to understand.

1. Prams, or strollers, are getting bigger. In fact, my pram, which I share with my di di, is a McLaren. Despite its name, it bears no connection to the F1 team. And it’s rather small compared to some others that I’ve seen. But it’s sturdy, easy for Mummy to keep and carry, and most importantly, I can sleep comfortably in it. Don’t parents get prams/strollers for those reasons, no matter how big or small they are?

2. I’m a toddler, I can walk, but I still love my pram. Nothing stops me from sitting or sleeping in my pram when we go out, except of course, di di. Because being a good jie jie, I have to let him sit on the pram, as he gets tired more easily than me. Sometimes though, I just don’t want to let him have it, so we fight, and give mummy and daddy a big headache.

3. Sitting on the pram can get quite hot, you know Uncle Jeremy? I’m sure your body also gets really tired when you sit for too long. I know my mummy does. So do we, you know? So we get out and walk or skip merrily beside the pram. So mummy puts her bags on the pram. Have you tried pushing a pram, and looking after kids and carrying bags at the same time? It’s not easy, you know?

4. Prams are comfortable to sleep in, but nothing is more comfortable than being carried by mummy or daddy. And when di di or I want to be carried, I assure you, we can kick quite a terrible fuss, that will make the whole world stare at us. What should mummy and daddy do? Leave us in the pram while we scream till the roof drops, or carry us so we can settle down and fall asleep, even if the pram is empty? Which would you choose?

5. Mummy always teaches me about being kind, sensitive and respectful of others, to always think of others. Your article, which generalises and assumes that all parents with prams behave in a certain way, tells me that you are not being very nice. That is very disappointing.

I don’t understand why you say children nowadays don’t walk. We do, heaps of it. We walk, run, hop, and have limitless superhuman energy, that mummy and daddy always surrender. Our mission in life is to make mummy and daddy collapse before we do, and have fun doing it. But we do get tired, you know. When that happens, if we are not at home, it’s the arms or pram to the rescue.

Of course, Uncle Jeremy, you are not yet a parent, so you cannot understand how hard it is for mummies and daddies. But please, at least be nice to them. And….

Wait till you become a daddy. *cheeky grin*

Always having fun with prams,

EV

PS: You might be glad to know that when mummy brings me for my music class, she doesn't bring the pram. We take the train and walk.

On a rather crowded MRT. Mummy tries to park the pram as close to
the pole as possible, so we cause minimum inconvenience to other people.

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Review: Tee-Pee-To kids swim wear

Which kid doesn't love swimming? The Say family kids are absolutely water babies. I like to think that they take after their mummy. EV first got into a pool when she was 4 months old, and AA did so too when he was about the same age.

Nope, I didn't bring them to those places with the bath tubs. I felt it was a waste of money. As long as the kid's chin is kept above water using the neck float, with an adult on strict supervision, any place with water will do.

How about chlorine? Well, as long as the baby is not in the water for too long, it's ok. I mean, my dad threw me in the water when I was about my kids' age, I've grown up perfectly fine.

One thing that I really believe in guarding against is UV rays from the sun. Having worked with beauty clients and knowing the effects of UV rays on skin, I know that protective against it is extremely important. Without protection, UV rays can trigger the production of melanin and cause pigmentation and discolouring of the skin in the long term. So while I want my kids to be active in the great outdoors, I also want to educate them about protecting themselves against these rays. And starting young is the key, I think.

As parents, we can apply sun block with UV rays on our kids, and eventually teach them how to do it themselves, and why they should do it.

But imagine wearing clothes that have built-in certified UV protection (UVP) of 50+ and above. Swimming costumes to be exact. Wouldn't that just be awesome!!!

That's what the swimming costumes from Tee-Pee-To have. The built-in UV protection has gone through stringent testing and certification by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency’s (ARPANSA). Now we know what a sunny place Australia is, with summers hitting a high of over 40 degrees. UV rays there are also awfully strong, so it's no wonder that having adequate UV protection is a serious matter there. As such, it goes without saying that a certification from an authority that specializes in ensuring products truly have UV protection is no laughing matter. The local creators of Tee-Pee-To are serious about it, and they make sure their swimming costumes have it.

And to a parent like me, I'm comforted by the fact that Tee-Pee-To actually bothered to get their products tested, rather than just say it. This tells me that they are serious about ensuring kids here have adequate UV protection, and hence, I can trust my kids to wear their swimming costumes.

I mean, I am always concerned about applying sun block with UV protection to their exposed skin. True, skin under swimming costumes have less chance of being exposed to UV, but that doesn't mean it doesn't. After all, how can I assume that UV rays won't penetrate the costumes?

So with Tee-Pee-To's UV-certified swimming costumes, I'm absolutely assured that not a single UV ray will penetrate between the fibres. EV and AA are absolutely protected.

Here are EV and AA are in their Tee-Pee-To costumes, making a fool of themselves, happily looking forward to a swim. We chose a thinner costume for EV and a thicker costume for AA, since AA tends to get cold easily. For EV, she's her usual happy self when she knows she's going swimming, but I also think she's especially proud of her new shocking pink costume.

For AA, he seems to be having lots more fun, because the costume kept him warm. He was so comfortable that he climbed on to the ledge, and jumped back into the pool, all by himself, with mummy watching him closely. He was definitely happier than usual, and he's definitely more daring than his sister.

For me. I'm just happy to see them both so ecstatic. Watching them, I am assured that they have complete UV protection, from head to toe.

Tee-Pee-To's range of kids swim wear.

Disclaimer: EV and AA were provided with a set of swim wear each by Tee-Pee-To, for the purpose of this review. All opinions and images are my own, unless otherwise stated.

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Why I breastfed for EV for 14 mths, and AA for 24mths (and still going)

From the moment I knew I was carrying EV, I knew that I wanted to breastfeed her. No question about it. I guess having read about all about it, it was a decision that came naturally. After all, as a soon-to-be mother then, I want the best for my child right?

I must count my blessings. I had a rather smooth and successful breastfeeding journey, with EV then and now with AA (who by the way refuses to wean). Even then, it was not without its ups and downs. One of the key challenges – family.

That’s right. Family. What? You may ask. How is it possible?

Mind you, I’m not referring to the hubs. He has been extremely sweet and supportive about it. He once said that the decision to wean EV was totally up to me, as he understands that this breastfeeding thingy, it’s more than just about feeding the kid. It’s a special bond between me and EV too, a unique experience that I might never have after I wean her. Also, it saved him money, so he wasn’t going to complain about it. Isn’t he awesome? *grin*

The family I’m referring to is the older generation. No, it’s not that they do not support the idea of me breastfeeding my kids. Far from that. They do. The challenge is, they have never breastfed, and hence, are in no position to offer me any advice or guidance in any way.

You see, during my mum’s time, formula milk was the big thing. Not many women breastfed then. She associates milk with ‘how many ounces’ a baby drinks (she comes from Hong Kong, which uses ‘ounces’, not ‘ml’). Can you imagine, how I answered her when she ask me how much EV drank. I didn’t know how to. She totally did not understand anything about breastfeeding.

Then there’s my mum-in-law. She went to work about one month after giving birth to DaddySay, so breastfeeding? You could say it didn’t really happen.

So I was somewhat embarking on this breastfeeding journey alone, the first person to do so on both sides of the family, with no knowledgable person whom I can go to for advice.

EV at 9 days old

The first few days after EV’s birth was terrible. She was desperately hungry, I was extremely engorged and the milk was not flowing at all. On DaddySay’s insistence, we had a tin of formula milk on standby, just in case, when all else fails. So we did feed her with some formula milk while I worked at getting the milk ducts unblocked. I wasn’t very successful. My boobs were getting as hard as stone, and I was tearing at the pain of it all. I tried to look on the bright side and think positively, hoping that would help, but in those early days, my boobs were refusing to budge. I was almost on the verge of giving up.

Then we got a lady from this Postnatal Home Care service that the hospital I gave birth in had. Now, this is a service by a group of retired midwives, and my goodness, the lady who came was a godsend! (I didn’t get any confinement lady as EV was born during the Chinese New Year period.) For three days, she showed us how to bath EV, which is so much better than the hospital where they used a doll. She gave advice on how we needed to reorganise the way we store the sterilised bottles – in a covered box. She says, drying racks are useless because the bottles will still be exposed to the environment. She taught us how to feed EV, and helped us look out for excessive jaundice, giving us advice on what to do. Not just EV, she also looked after me, by advising me on the care of the perineal would.

Most importantly, I found out that she was a trained lactation consultant!!! Brilliant!! It was really awesome to have her around. She massaged my breasts and taught me the various positions to feed EV. She patiently stayed by me while I expressed, first barely 5ml, then 5ml, and gradually more. I gained more confidence in feeding EV and expressing. Really, no amount of training with dolls in the hospitals could replace an actual lactation consultant. In my opinion, more lactation consultants should be trained so that new mummies can visit them for a designated number of times after child birth. This will help ease them into the breastfeeding journey – with proper guidance and advice.

Still, it didn’t mean that immediately after, I was overflowing with milk. My milk production was still rather low. At first, it was just enough to feed EV. Then, she was demanding more, and we had no choice to supplement with formula milk. Ok, so some say formula milk is not as good as breast milk. Well, I grew up on formula milk. So did my siblings. And we are perfectly fine. So there!

Back to my journey. Like I said, I was starting to struggle with milk production. I became really stressed with trying to think of ideas to increase my production. I drank papaya soup, I ate more fish, I even drank sacred tea, but well, these ‘solutions’ barely helped. Sacred tea seemed to help, but then I soon realised that perhaps it was not the tea. Rather, it was the amount of liquids I took. The instructions for sacred tea required me to drink it about three times a day. My milk production increased somewhat. After a while, I didn’t drink it religiously every day, but instead just consumed water. It had the same effect. So out went sacred tea.

Another thing I did to overcome my stress was to make a silent personal commitment – that as long as I breastfed EV a full six months. I’ll be satisfied. Not one year, not ten months, but six months. Just a simple goal to make myself take one step at a time.

After about three months, I headed back to work. The other challenge I faced during my breastfeeding journey was having to express during working hours, and having to carry the pump everywhere I went. My office didn’t have a nursing room, so the only option? The conference room. Other than the times when I had to vacate the room so colleagues can hold their meetings, that arrangement was fine if I was staying in the office for the whole day. But on days when I had to go out for meetings, I had to either time the meetings to fit my expressing times, or opt for a meeting place where there are nursing rooms nearby. It was not easy. My bag is always heavy, and there are times when I have no choice but to express in the toilet. Though colleagues knew what was happening the moment I enter the office conference room alone, and everyone was really understanding and accomodating about it, I felt there was always the question of whether my expressing would interfere with my work, especially towards the later part of my journey. I would be asked ‘are you still breastfeeding’? *subtle hint* But I know they mean well.

Lo and behold. The six months mark came and went, and I was still breastfeeding. I have no idea how it happened. Maybe it's because I drank lots of water. Maybe it's because I stopped stressing myself about having to produce more milk. So I continued. I saw no reasons to stop. EV started on solids and she drank less. Then the breast milk started piling up. Then I had to find ways to use it up, by making steamed milk. EV liked it so that solved the isse of oversupply.

Past the one year mark, I was surprised myself how I had done it. I struggled with the decision to wean EV. I wanted to do so, but knew I would miss the bonding with her. I finally did it, with the help of DaddySay, at 14 months. Maybe because she's really a daddy's girl, it was fairly easy to wean her. Thinking back, I still miss that special moment with her. I like to think that she does too. Sometimes sfter she sees AA latching on, she would climb into my arms so I can cradle her.

Why did I breastfeed EV till 14 months? I wanted my boobs back.

AA at 5 days old

For AA, I'm not about to get them back anytime soon. My dear boy refuses to let me (read: boobs) go. We're down to only just latching on at night, and the end is no where in sight. He's fine when I'm not around, but once he sees me, he'll go 'uckle mummy'!! I think it's more for the comfort than for the actual milk, for I don't think I'm making any.

Our journey at the beginning was rather smooth. He loves to latch on directly though, which explains the huge stockpile of breast milk I had in the freezer. He just refused to drink from the bottle, to the extent we had to spoon feed him. So the milk stock dwindled slowly. Supply was more than demand (which is rather small) so after a few months, I threw them away.

That's not all. My new work place doesn't have a fridge, so how can I keep the breast milk? I didn't. I threw them away too. Yes, I threw away a lot of 'liquid gold' during this time. So! It's my life, it's my milk, it's my choice. Would you want to put breast milk in a cooler bag for 12 hours, even though there is an ice pack that's slowly melting? Would you want to feed your child frozen breast milk that's been in the freezer for months? That's why I poured away my freshly squeezed milk. That's why I threw away the frozen ones.

Here's what I gathered from breastfeeding two kids.

1. Hydration is important and does help a lot in milk production. Drink lots and lots of water.

2. Always keep an open mind. If you're facing difficulty at any point of the journey, no fret! Just relax, take one step at a time. No point stressing over it. If there is enough, great! If there isn't, there is still formula or fresh milk.

3. Think positive. It's not the end of the world if you decide to wean, or if you're not able to breastfeed for whatever reasons. Like I said, there's always formula or fresh milk, and in my opinion, both are perfectly good substitutes.

Even if you're not successful in your breastfeeding journey, don't ever ever doubt yourself as a mum because of that. It is ok.

Every mum is a good mum, in their own ways. Whether they breastfeed or not.

I hope you've enjoyed reading my very long account about why I breastfed my two kids. Oh, which pump do I use? Here are two reviews of my Philips Avent pump (here and here). It was the best mummy-hood investment I made. Thank you for reading!

Tomorrow, Nadia from Itchyfingers will share about the joys and woes of her breastfeeding journey.

Nadia of Ichyfingers

About Nadia

Nadia is a mother to two boys, both in their very young and early years, and is a full time stay-at-home mother who takes three nights off her mothering job to pursue her passion in early childhood studies. She is also a freelance photographer who loves putting a frame onto memories she holds on to endearingly. On her blog, she writes about advocating play for all young children in their freedom of pursuit for their childhood expressively and naturally, and she also advocates breastfeeding as part of her idea of bringing up her children in a raw and natural environment. Not an easy task, but read all about it tomorrow on her blog!

This post is part of a Blog Train hosted by Madeline at MadPsychMum. Head on over to read the other breastfeeding stories by Singapore Mom Bloggers!

Thank you for reading. If you like this post, please do connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, so I can share our fun adventures, thoughts and exploits with you. 

A very special family reunion

I like Chinese New Year. It is a time of reunion, get togethers and catching up with family and relatives, some of whom I only see once a year.

This year's CNY was extra special, a true reunion for my family.

My brother has been living in Australia since 2009, and my little sister has been studying there since 2011. As much as we wanted to, it was not easy to get everyone back together in Singapore; everyone's different schedules meant that everyone came back at different times. It was a challenge, but I'm elated that this year, we overcame that challenge, and brought the whole family together again.

This year, for the first time since 2009, my bro and my sister-in-law came back for CNY, together with my little cute and awesomely adorable nephew. In fact, they were back way before CNY, since November last year.

What was even more meaningful for me was that for the first time since 2009, my two younger siblings and I were together once again.

For the first time since 2009, we went on a family trip together to nearby Malaysia. Not an extravagant trip, but the most important thing was, the siblings were together, and we spent time with our parents, spouses and kids. We had joy, we had fun, and the kids gave us a bit of a run.

Here is a photo of us on that trip, our first photo together since a long time ago.

For the first time in years, we took out our family Christmas tree, and the kids helped to decorate it. We had our very own 'Secret Santa' gift exchange, and the kids received a lot of presents, and I mean A LOT.


Bro and I brought our kids to the SEA Aquarium and we had a great time 'swimming' with the fishes and eating ice cream.

We missed squabbling with each other, so we did a lot of that, and always in a tag team. Bro and me versus little sis, bro & sis versus me, sis & me versus bro. It's sibling fun that we have not had for a long time.

Time passes especially fast when you are having fun, and before we knew it, little brother had to go back to Australia. This is another photo of us at the airport.

Littie sis will also be heading back to Australia soon to finish her studies.

We siblings three will once again be separated by the seas. I can't wait for the next time we are together again.

To me, this is what family means. It's about loved ones coming together, caring for and looking out for each other, no matter how far apart you may live. Distance does not change anything. And through this, my actions and my love for my own family, I hope that EV and AA will learn the importance of family and the need to look after each other. Even if one day, in the future, they may live miles apart from each other. 

Our love adventure

Five years ago today, DaddySay and I made a lifelong promise and decision to start an adventure of a lifetime.

And boy, what an adventure it has been.

Barely four months into our marriage, I found that I was pregnant with EV. Then on the day of our first anniversary, I was in labour pain and delivered EV the next day.

It was a beautiful experience being first-time parents. Tiring though it was to juggle family and our work commitments, seeing EV at the end of each work day brought warmth to our hearts. It’s really true when they say that the moment one lays eyes on one’s child, all thoughts of tiredness and frustration go away. EV’s bright eyes and smile as she toddles towards us melts every ounce of negative feelings away. That is the power of a child.

Soon, AA came along to add more joy to our family. It was tough to look after two bundles of endless energy who are so close in age. Both demanded for our time and attention. At first, we had to constantly make sure that EV was not too rough on AA. Then as they grew up, we had to make sure they do not bite or pinch or hit each other and turn the house upside down. One minute, they can be the best of friends and another, a fight can begin. We had to be on our toes constantly, at home and at work. Our energy was zapped, completely to the point where sometimes, we don’t even want to talk. We just wanted to lie back and rest, or simply sleep. We have also been having really early bedtimes, usually falling asleep with the kids.

Our adventure in recent times has not been without its challenges. We can be more irritable at times, and our conversations tend to focus more on the kids and their needs, rather than on us. And it has been harder to find time out for our own couple time. We always have to ensure there is someone to babysit them, before we can make our own plans. That alone is not easy.

Despite these challenges, which I don’t foresee to end anytime soon, I feel very heartened that DaddySay and I do try to find love opportunities whenever we can. A little peck before we sleep. A touch of the hands in the morning when he drives me to work. Or even hugs in front of the kids to show them that Daddy and Mummy do not just love them, but we love each other. And of course, with a bit of planning, some time that we can call our very own.

Our adventure currently is a four-wheel-drive adventure, complete with kids in tow. It may be a little bumpy and rough, but it is filled with fun, play, love, hugs and kisses. The important thing is we are together as a family, and as a couple.

As a couple, most importantly. Without us, without the love that we have for each other, without making that promise and decision five years ago, our family would not be what it is today.

To my husband, friend, soulmate, partner in love.

Happy anniversary! I love you.

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Thank you for reading. If you like this post, please do connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, so I can share our fun adventures, thoughts and exploits with you. 

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