What Jo said today

Over dinner..
Jo: Mum, you know when I'm grown up, and a lady and all.... you know, when I can buy my own house and drive my own car and all..you know?  Well..I decided mum, when I'm grown up, I won't buy my own house, so I won't have to pay for this and that and this. I'll live with my mummy (she says mummy, with  a sweet baby voice) and I'll drive your car mum.

Me: Oh really..live in my house and drive my car. Hmmm....then, who pays for everything then?

Jo: (after pausing a little) Well mum, I'll work, and every month I'll give you ALL my money. Money comes, I give mummy. Money comes, I give mummy (she continues using her hand gestures to demonstrate giving) and you can do all the hard work of paying this and that and this. All I want is to be close to my mummy, and I'll look after you when you're old. I'll give you water, feed you, make milo and ribena for you.

(sweet wasn't she? haha...)

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Jo: Mum, I'd like to do lots and lots of workbooks today. I want to study hard, so when I grow up, I can go to university and then rule the city.

Me: What does it mean to rule the city?

Jo: Well..paying for lots of things?
Me: Well..not just that, it means running the schools, the road system, listening to people's needs and complains etc etc.

JO: wow...that's difficult job. Mum, I think I'd like to be like the queen or king, and everyone will have to feed me cherries and grapes, like pharoah.

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something I posted on FB:

I was standing in the lobby of KLCC amongst very grandly dressed people, waiting for the Vienna Boy's Choir, when this wild child with messy hair, ran from the glass window towards me shouting "Oh gosh, I discovered I have a fear of heights." As she continued running in circles, talking to herself loudly, I discovered that she was wearing black, dirty, outdoor spiderman slippers! I was tempted to pretend that this child was not my own, but decided in the end to pray "Oh, God, please let us in the concert hall." Well, they let us in. Good concert. :)

Jo struggling with self doubt

Jo's been struggling with self doubt. Yesterday she asked "What am I good for mum?"

I replied "You're good at running, drawing, singing, dancing, cooking, story telling...lotsa things Jo."

She chose not to believe me and said angrily "I'm NOT! Lu can run faster than me, my drawing is lousy, I'm lousy lousy, lousy at everything!!! Mum..what am I good for?"

I went on reminding her of her strengths, but her answer came back the same "I'm lousy, so  lousy!!". It ended with her, folding her arms, stomping off to my room, slamming the door. From the outside, I heard a loud burst of crying. Lil Jo crying in the room because she thought she was lousy at everything, good for nothing.

I think what sparked it off was that she couldn't write cursive like her sister yet, her older cousin beat her at running and she started "beating" herself up over these things.

A few minutes later...she came out and asked "Mum, do you think I'm good at cooking?"
I replied "Yes, you are, and you're good at many many things."

"You think so mum?" asked Lil Jo. Then she brought me a diagram she made by herself. While watching TV, she'd actually taken notes in the form of pictures. All the steps were an illustration of how to make your own chocolate!!

So Lil Jo sat there and taught her mama about cocoa beans, how they need to be opened, grinded etc etc. She concluded by asking "Mum...can you please buy me some cocoa fruit, vanilla seasoning, sugar etc? I REALLy want to make my own chocolate."

Now somebody tell me...where can I find cocoa fruit?  Also as I write this, she woke herself up very early today coz she wanted to go to the market with her daddy to look for ingredients. I can imagine them having a good time at the wet market. :)  (Where is Nel? Fast asleep..it's the weekend, time to catch up with her sleep! haha...)

Jo's been doing a lot of copying work by herself. She took a pic from Dora and drew it.

sorry this is so blur..but she's also into drawing picture stories

Here's something else she copied..and I thought, pretty good for a 6 year old?

Here she is again. She actually stalked and caught a lizard

Conversation with Jo my little gal

This evening after Nel left for her swimming class, Jo (aged 5+)and I sat down for dinner together. As we ate, her little inquisitive mind started wondering as usual. She asked "Mum, what year were you born in? I mean, are you a horse, mouse, pig, whatever?"

"You're talking about the Chinese Calendar right Jo? Those are just to remind us what year we're born in." I replied.

"I know mum, but what are you??" she asked impatiently.
"Well, I'm actually a mouse."
"Oh that's not fair mum." replied Jo. "I wish I was the mouse, coz I like Repicheep from Narnia. So what am I mum?"

"well Jo, you were born in the year of the Rooster."

"But mum, I came from your womb right? right??" she asked, with lots of hand gestures as usual. "Well, if I came from your womb, then, I'm supposed to be a mouse right? But...but insteadddd...." she said while dragging that last word, "instead, I'm a CHICKEN!"

She said that last word with a high squawking voice, eyes wide open, hands up in the air in horror.

I had a really good laugh!!!
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Yesterday for devotion I talked to my children about the meaning of contentment, about being happy with what we have. Just a few minutes into discussion, I asked "So who can tell me the meaning of the word "content"?

Jo's hands went up and she said "Me! me! ME! I know! I know! I know! Well, FIRST, you take a book alright? You take the book, turn the cover, turn a few pages, and there you see "CONTENT!"

haha...her response took me by total susprise!

A few Disastrous moments during extracurricular classes

My girls are usually obedient, but like all kids, they have moments where they go with the  “no holds barred” rule especiall when they are with their closest cousins. Then, they can become very  , a little rowdy.

I pity the Chinese teacher (a young man) who had a disastrous class with them (the famous 5) yesterday. Before class began, Ld started toying around with the radio there, changing stations, causing unnecessary static and white noises, alternating with Tamil, Malay and Chinese music/news.

The teacher got very annoyed and began barraging Ld with a long lecture on how to behave. To the amazement  horror of the teacher, my Little Jo (a 5 year old fast becoming a 25 year old lawyer), stood up and said,  “Teacher! You Are wasting my time!”

The teacher glared at her, full of anger and said “How DARE you speak to your teacher like that! I’m not wasting time, I HAVE to scold Ld! If you think I am wasting YoUR time, you may WALK out now!!”

This led to laughter from several others, which sparked further anger in the teacher. Disaster. *shakes head*

(Later I asked Jo why did she speak in such a manner and explained to her that it was rude to speak like that. She explained “I meant that the teacher was wasting his own time because when the time is up, he will not be able to finish teaching and will have to add time. He was wasting his own time." Then she added " Please don't scold me mum for talking to teacher that way...pleaseeee...pleaseeee" she said with an innocent voice. I burst out laughing, we all laughed. (then i reminded them that this was no laughing matter!) hahahaha...

­Pottery class.

We again went with the gang of 5, Fabulous Five, Fearsome Five or whatever you call em 5 cousins, for pottery lessons. At the pottery class, there was a dear Japanese lady in her 50’s making a very beautiful vase. She’s a regular student there. She smiled widely when she saw our children and said “oh, such adorable children. So clever, you come and learn? Good! So cute, so adorable.”

Unbeknownst to her, little L's had quietly placed scraps of clay in her beautiful vase, still in the process of drying. *gasp* When she turned around to look at her vase and to add finishing touches, she let out a scream of anger! That poor lady threw her arms up in anger, and started muttering expletives (I’m sure it was) in Japanese language. "@@!!##&&&##***" she went on and on and on in a fit of anger.

Our kind pottery teacher, Mr. Cheah, merely stood in front of her, listened and smiled and laughed (laughed sympathetically). That was a disastrous moment. I hid my face and thanked God I don’t understand Japanese.

Let me end by quoting something my daughter Nel said while she was still in Chinese Primary school. “Mum, I have 2 angry teachers. One’s a Malay who teaches English, and the other is a Chinese who teaches Malay. Both like to say the “S” word. One likes to say  SHUT UP, and the other likes to yell “STUPID.” 

 These teachers must have had difficult/disastrous days in school to use those words. Five children can cause so much havoc, imagine handling 50 in one class!
(most local schools have between 40-50 students per class.)

Girl talk

Overheard this while driving my gals and their cousin (8yr old) to a class.

Lyd: Do you know when we're older we have to wear bra??

Nel: Really, why?

Lyd:  My mummy said if we don't, the things on our body will droop droop droop.

Nel: Droop? really?

Lyd:  Ya, my mummy said it will droop soo sooooo long, it'll be so ugly like boing... (making an action with her hands.)

Nel: ewww..so long, and bouncy?

Lyd: Ya!

-at this point, I checked in the mirror and spotted both girls frowning with that "ewww" look, while I the driver silently grinned from ear to ear! haha..
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the imaginary, pretend friend

Recently on one of our field trips to a remote village, we found a vending machine which dispenses toys. All you have to do is to put in 50cents, and walla, a brand new toy (a tiny one!) is dispensed. So I gave my 2 darlings some money and they each tried their luck.




a drawing of Sneaky.
 (too lazy to grab my
camera now)

 My dear Nell put in her coin and out came jewelery, a pretty piece of necklace. My little Jd put in her coin next, and out came..a tiny plastic mushroom with eyes that look kind and a mouth that's always smiling. Then we walked down to the pier to watch some fisherman fishing. After a while, Jd got bored a little, so we sat down to play with her mushroom, which she named "Sneaky."


Naturally, I had to become Sneaky's voice. Then Play time over, field trip ended, we went home.


The very next day, she brought out Sneaky and asked if she could talk to him. I obliged. But the following nights, she'd do the same, bringing Sneaky out to talk to him, and I admit I began to get tired pretending to be Sneaky, coz Sneaky's got a high squeaky voice, and I've created him in such a way that he's terribly caring, loving and patient.


That's hard to be when this mum here gets overworked and cranky some days. And once Jd misplaced Sneaky and went crazily searching for him while wailing on top of her voice. I began to regret creating Sneaky and told her (in a very loud, frustrated voice) that it was JUST a TOY!


She replied "no mum, he's my friend. He's patient, he's kind and he never scolds or shouts."  I kept quiet, realizing how impatient I can get on some days.


So we hunted around till we found Sneaky.   Once found, we sat down and I resumed the personality of Sneaky. I found it interesting how I can sometimes get information from my daughter about ME, through that little toy. I learnt that my daughter needs more one on one time, a more gentle way of talking from me and more patience.


Sometimes patience is hard, especially on days where I teach piano half day, do house chores and cook. It's hectic and piano students who've not practiced can drain my patience faster than anything else, and leave me little for my own children . I guess, I've just to either cut down working time, or pray that God, from whom I draw my strength will give me more patience for my own children who are dearest to my heart.