My iPad

Posted on | January 6, 2012 | 3 Comments

Says the 2.5-yrs-old.

We just got done eating breakfast this morning when Jovie said, “Mommy, please get my iPad.”

No, I haven’t lost my mind and gave the toddler an iPad BUT as far as she knows, the iPad is hers. She loves that thing and operates it like a pro. She’ll do her ABC, puzzles, shapes (she knows what a trapezoid is), audio books, numbers and movies (Peppa Pig and Ice Age) on it. She’ll play Emma’s games too — she knows which one she’s capable of playing and which is too hard for her. She’ll draw, colour, etc. on the iPad.

Before, I’d read the news while I drink my tea/coffee. Now, I sit next to the toddler WITH the iPad and help her learn while I read the news on my phone or something on the Kindle (which I am soon to loose too because the oldest is begging for it).

Do you have an iPad an a Pinterest account? If yes, do you know you can pin in iPad Safari? If not, follow my tutorial.

Laters!

M’s Day

Posted on | January 4, 2012 | 3 Comments

Maybe 2012 will be another great year for Emma. I hope so!! But, whether it will be or not, the first week of 2012 has been surprisingly wonderful to her!

We went to ballet today. First day back since the break. We got there a tad bit late but they haven’t started. I thought maybe they were doing a little chit-chat about what the term has to offer these little girls in pink leotard.

There were clapping. I did hear that. But I figured it was just excitement over a new (fun) dance they’ll be learning.

Ballet ended and the door opened to let us parents in. M was there, not hiding behind the radiator as usual, and said, “Mommy, I got a gold.” Me, all smiles (and most likely with a blank look), said, “That’s nice, Emma. What’s a gold for?” And Emma said, “For my ballet exam, I got gold, a distinction!!” Finally it clicked and (with most likely a shocked look) with excitement I congratulated her and told her how proud I was.

As we were leaving, after I spoke to the teaching assistant about purchasing M’s character skirt, the assistant asked the main teacher if she was going to tell me. So I smiled, thinking that she was going to officially tell me that Emma got a distinction, and while she did do what I thought she was going to do she also said, “and I want to also tell you that Emma got the highest score.” To that I answered, “Oh, that’s great! So the highest for her class?” And the teacher said, “No, for the school. She got the highest score amongst all the girls who took the exam.” So there was M and I, both in shock, since Emma wasn’t informed of this little bit of detail. We thanked her teacher and off to the car.

After we got in, here was M:

(SHRIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I got the highest grade in ballet!!! I got an 87!! (SHRIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEKKKK!!!!)

I had to laugh. That came out from a little girl who never acted competitive or wants to be above and beyond everybody else (although my good friend said, many times, that M is competitive). It’s great that she did so well because M never got the highest of anything, at least when it comes to scoring/exams. It’s a memorable experience, especially since it’s not one we expect (merit was Emma’s goal).

Next stop, gymnastics exam. THAT I’m not so confident in. She just learned her routine yesterday and the exam is next month (where ballet she prepared months before the exam date). Plus, she’s only been in gymnastics, properly trained, since August, and one needs to be realistic. As much as that girl has improved (she’s about an American level 3 now), gymnastics exam will be a tad bit more challenging for her compared to the other girls.

Ok, that’s what I want to share today.

Hope you enjoy the scrapbook page too. The photo’s old but I just did the page using November’11 Scarlet Lime kit. PRETTY paper!!!

Me Time

Posted on | January 2, 2012 | No Comments

I am writing a tiny bit of this post in advance. I hope that this post gets published because if not then well… I never got my me time.

BUT, since you all ARE reading this, today I got to go shopping on my own without kids OR husband. I love the guy but you ladies know what it’s like to shop with the man, right? So yes, that’s why I wanted to get some me time {::SMILES}.

I wasn’t sure if today would be possible since we’ve all been sick, in turns, since after Christmas. Jovie threw up first and after washing two blankets, and more to go, I got the bug. Then when we thought all’s clear, M threw up new year’s eve right before our friends were scheduled to come. Then hubby got it and well, we think the bug went home with our friends too. Damn bummer on that part!!

Hubby did feel better and I got to go out! I was soooooooo happy that I literally did a very bad version of the ‘Grand Jete‘ from my back door to the car. It was sooooooooo relaxing going out alone. I was so relaxed that I was completely fine standing in a full bus (the Cambridge park and ride bus has never been full each time us girls go), I happily waited for the cashier to finish up with all her customers and I smiled when the waitress lost my order – longer time to sit back and relax. I was fine, fine, fine!

I didn’t shop for myself. I was content with just having time to myself. But I did have lunch and tea ALL BY MY SELF! And oh, I could read AND have everything symmetrical (see, it’s not just a scrapbook/card making thing, everything needs to be in some order if I can have it my way).

Who knows when my next outing will be, maybe after Easter when Jovie goes to preschool, but for now, I will just remember this one.

Before I go, let me share a picture from Christmas day. One of Jovie’s most favourite gift. And if you’re outside the UK, you probably will not understand the whole Peppa Pig deal — I swear there are subliminal messages in each clip. EVERY child Jovie’s age LOVES LOVES LOVES Peppa!!! Subliminal I tell you!!!

Christmas Traditions

Posted on | December 13, 2011 | 10 Comments

It’s the last week of school for M this week and we both can’t wait! Activities are winding down too with gymnastics being the only thing still going until next week. Presents have been trickling in too and hopefully by early next week we’ll all be ready for Christmas and Santa.

Did I tell you that Christmas is my favourite holiday? I love Christmas for all sorts of different things but while it might sound very materialistic, the best part of Christmas day for me has always been the glow on M’s face on Christmas morning. There’s something very magical that warms one’s heart when a child who believes sees what Santa had brought her. I think it’s that special feeling that makes parents work extra hard to be Santa’s best helper. We don’t want our children to loose that magic and we don’t want that magic to leave us too.

I didn’t grow up with the Christmas that I try to have with hubby and the girls, the girls mostly since hubby’s at work through most of it. When I was still in Indonesia my paternal grandmother would celebrate Santa Clause day around December 5th. She’d take us to see Santa and I remember being terrified because Zwarte Piet might take me away (I am not sure why I thought I was naughty). We’d then stop at a Dutch pastry shop and we could get whatever we wanted. After we came home, she’d serve Spekulaas and other goodies. Then come Christmas eve and we’d go to midnight mass and that’s pretty much it. There’s no waking up to presents. That was my Catholic Dutch-Indonesian Christmas.

Then we moved to America and while I did have a Christmas tree, received Christmas presents for a couple of years from Santa (even though they were never what I asked for), the tooth fairy came and I think we went to a friend to do some Easter egg hunting, we never did anything at home as a family because my parents were (still are) Muslims. And to be fair, none of the western traditions were done in Indonesia. There’s no Easter egg hunt on Easter Sunday or a huge increase in spending before Christmas, just Mass. The one big thing that Indonesians did when I was there was Valentine’s day.

Before I go on, if you’re a tad bit confused, I grew up in a multi-religion family, Christian/Catholic + a smidge of Confucius (ancestral respect and that there’s a chance of an before/after life) from my dad’s side and Muslim from my mom’s. My parents gave their children free reign on who/what we want to follow since they don’t believe in forcing a belief onto another person, even if it’s their child. I was introduced to the Muslim religion but just never had the interest and I grew up mostly with my dad’s family and always attending Catholic school.

Because I grew up with so little holiday tradition, I told myself after I got pregnant that our family will have some sort of a tradition and if I only have the energy to do one, Christmas is it. I chose Christmas because of all the holidays it was the one that was somewhat celebrated when I was little sans the magical feeling. I think I chose Christmas because I selfishly want to experience the feeling that I never got when I was a child via my children (or M back then).

But I suck at keeping the tradition flowing.

Prime example: The Advent Calendar. It was a lot easier when it was just M. I’d stick a piece of chocolate on each date and M (who doesn’t like sweets) would move the star one date at a time and get the right amount, ONE, of candy. With Jovie, I have to fill the calendar one day at a time. Jovie LOVES sweets and if I put 24×2 chocolates on the first of December all 48 pieces would be gone that day. So to not torture my last born, I put two pieces of chocolate inside the right date and Jovie survives. There is one slight problem. This mama is forgetful and so there had been many times where I had to run downstairs after the kids were awake. Actually, after day three M would ask if mama elf went and filled the calendar each and every morning and 80% of the time I’ve had to run downstairs and refill.

Another example: Christmas cards. I think I might just win that world cup for the biggest Christmas card mailing looser. It’s not that I don’t have any or that they’re not filled out. They just never leave my desk to get posted.

Despite my inability to be on top of things we have Christmas traditions and I think, for now at least, it’s all that matters!

A summary of our Christmas tradition: We do the advent calendar. We stay home on Christmas day. We each buy and/or make a Christmas tree decoration. We bake. We eat ham. We erect the now (sometimes crooked) 13 yrs old tree. We use blinking white lights on the tree.

I want to do the Elf on Shelf but for now he’ll just be Elf on Tree. Elf on Shelf would end up like the Advent calendar if I try!

I am hoping to see a gigantic ‘OH’ from Jovie on Christmas morning. She’s a more animated little being and I can’t wait to see which expression she’ll use. Jovie wants two big things, Peppa Pig and a kitchen. She loves to cook and M’s old kitchen fell apart earlier in the year. Jovie still cooks but her stove top is currently the couch.

I wish you all a great weekend and I hope you find Christmas fun and magical too!

Our Tree

Posted on | December 9, 2011 | 1 Comment

This is the view from my room. It’s my $20 Sears tree that I bought after Christmas in 1997 with decorations that I’ve collected since 1995. I have debated about getting a real tree, and I do this almost every year, but I decided to erect this one again for the sheer fact that it’s still a great tree, I’ve own it for ages and I am just too cheap to spend money on something I already have – even if it’s fake.

My friend argued that there’s nothing like the smell of a real (environmentally friendly) tree and I told her that if I get the right (Yankee Candle) spray I can get a similar effect. HA!!

I think I might just keep this tree for at least another seven years. It’s been in service for the last 13 that if it goes to 20 years I can say my tree cost me $1/year.

Have a great Friday all and until tomorrow!!