Have love This totally floored me this evening.I'd never really seen Evan so protective of his elder sister before. Even if it was just Muffin who was the 'antagonist'.I've always known that Jordan's the one who has been the quintessential big sister to Muffin. But I've never seen her so expressive about him.Incidentally, it also drives home the point that the lines of interaction might be drawn in this manner.Evan and Jordan will always be in cahoots.Evan will be the clown that makes Muffin laugh.Evan will always try to protect Jordan.Jordan will see Evan as a playmate and Muffin as a brother.Jordan is enthralled that she has Muffin to cuddle and in future, spoil.Muffin will look up to both his siblings.He may be closer to his sister but will look up to his brother.My hope is that whatever it may be, the 3 of them will be close and will always look out for one another.Technorati Tags: sibling interaction Pacified When Evan and Jordan were a couple of months old, we decided to carry out an experiment with them. Both would cry when they were placed in their car seats and driven from West (where we lived) to East (where my mom and their Godmama lived). We needed something that would pacify them. And we'd heard bad things about using both their thumbs and the dummies as pacifiers.So we decided that since we had twins, we would try one of each. We encourgaed Evan to suck his thumb as a means of self-soothing and we gave Jordan the pacifier for the same reason. Actually, they pretty much picked it for themselves because Evan didn't like the pacifier much.Anyway, sucked they went. Sucking their way through stress, the first days of school, illness, being disciplined, falling over and bumping various parts of themselves, the thumb and the pacifier never failed to do their jobs.We came to the conclusion that both weren't ideal.Evan sucks his thumb so hard that he now has a permanent callus on the knuckle of his thumb.I also suspect that he caught HFMD from school because he sucks his thumb.Thankfully his teeth don't jut out. They have gotten away with being slightly crooked. I am assured by the pediatric dentist that we visited that there is no permanent damage.Jordan has sucked her way through at least 10 pacifiers.The pacifier was most helpful the first time she travelled and experienced cabin pressure.As a result of all the hours (which by any count isn't a great amount; she only used to to go to sleep and comfort herself in times of distress), her teeth are slightly wider spaced.She's also got a cute lisp that has resulted from it. But even so, that's disappearing as her speech becomes clearer.The same dentist told us that as long as she got rid of her pacifier before her adult teeth set in, we were fine.I have had more issue with the pacifier than the thumb sucking. This was primarily because on frequent occasions, Jordan would decide it was necessary to sleep with the silicone dummy in her mouth while Evan's thumb would fall right out once his mouth went slack.So the deal with Jordan was she could have the pacifier till her 3rd birthday (setting milestones help) and after that she was to throw it away.The day after her birthday, she valiantly tries to fall asleep after handing me her pacifier. She tosses and turns and cannot get herself to sleep. 30 seconds worth of sucking on the pacifier sent her into a deep sleep that had proved elusive for the previous hour.It was at that moment that I wasn't going to do it with her cold turkey. It was too cruel.In all honesty, I wished I could have done it then because the ensuing days saw her depend on it as a poor man smoking opium for his tuberculosis.But strangely enough, in the last week or so, she has successfully weaned herself off it. She would ask for it for a minute and gamely return it before settling herself to bed.I haven't done much except tell her that she is a big girl and a pacifier is not needed. So far, it looks like it's working and she actually seems ready to wean herself off it.Hopefully, I'm rid of it and can finally toss them all out.Technorati Tags: twins, pacifier Water bunnies The plan for today since the twins had no school was to go back to Marina Promontory where the YOG Kids' Carnival was. The problem was that it being a work day and the Promontory being smack in the middle of the CBD was impossible to get to.The alternative was the Marina Barrage since we were already in the area. And since it was a nice overcast day and the Barrage would be free from the regular weekend crowds, it wasn't a bad alternative.But we weren't exactly alone. The Chinese YOG track team were there and we were equally fascinated with one another. I couldn't stop gawking because the athlete most enamoured by the twins was about 6ft 2 and said she was a sprinter.At the end of the day, I don't think it mattered to the twins where we went. They generally find fun where ever they go. And the added bonus of being able to play in the water made their day.Of course, note to self. Don't just bring extra tops. Shorts are needed too. Initially they were careful about not getting their shorts wet and just wading around. But I could literally see the switch flip and their minds went "screw this! I'm playing in the water" and they submerged themselves fully.Technorati Tags: twins, Marina Barrage, YOG Left up to their own devices The thing about having 3 children with differing needs is that I can never pay full attention to all three at the same time. At the same time, I think it is good for them to learn to be independent and also know that even when Mommy isn't paying attention to them, they are still loved and they can still find things to do for themselves. I recently read that children from the developed world seem to be 'higher maintenance' than their counterparts in the less developed world because they are, at the same time, over-attended and under-attended.We are over-protective. We buy them BPA free bottles. We feed the organic foods. We supervise their playdates and make sure they don't put the plastic balls from the ball pit into their mouths. But at the same time, when we hang out with them, we are online. We are texting. In our defence of course, we are multi-tasking because playing with a child doesn't require much cognitive ability so while playing with them, we can do something else at the same time. That apparently leads to fiesty and frustrated children. Apparently.The suggestion was that the child's interaction with siblings and surrounding animals (provided you live somewhere with animals!) make for better and more natural play pals. And in that way, they are happier, well adjusted and stimulated.Of course, this line of thought isn't meant to make me feel less guilty when one or two children are left to their own devices. But then again, sometimes I don't have a choice.But it heartens me when I see them find ways of entertaining themselves.I brought home some old markers from work and gave it to the twins. I told them they couldn't draw on the walls but the glass doors of our bathroom and our kitchen were fair game. And while I was feeding Muffin, they attacked the glass with relish. Dots, squiggles, pretend drawings and pretend alphabets. Okay, in their mind, it was real. To me, it was just a bunch of glorious squiggles that could become part of a Rorschach test.Jordan 'draws' more. Evan just likes to do streaks and dots.And while I'm getting the children to eat and busy tending to them, we put Muffin on the mat with a whole bunch of toys and he happily attacks them without complaint.This was something we hardly ever did when the twins were babies. Leave them to their own devices and just keep a remote eye on them. Perhaps it will be better this way? We don't know. All I know is that our care givers were very tired of following the twins around and we've always wondered how our parents and parents' parents did it without so much help.A well-meaning friend told me I should occupy them with activities that help them learn. Yes, I'd like to do that but there are many reasons why I don't.1. I don't have all that much time to pay attention to them ALL the time. We play with them, we do things with them but there are times, we need them to do things, including play, for themselves.2. Sometimes they aren't interested in what we want to do with them. They're old enough to have their own ideas on what is fun. Evan is even able to articulate very clearly, "This is fun, Mommy!"3. I suspect this is the most important. The children learn, through play. They learn to share, they learn to take turns and they create and imagine. And in my book, that's learning too.Technorati Tags: 3 children, child led play Carnival atmosphere Punishing Evan last weekend has been very effective. I gave him a heads up yesterday that we would be going to a carnival on Saturday morning where there was a HUGE trampoline. They *heart* trampolines and their eyes lit up when I told them that. This morning, Evan didn't want to drink his milk at breakfast. I warned him that if he didn't, he'd be left at home again. The alarm in his eyes was almost instant and then he drained the cup and showed me the empty cup. As usual, they created a grand mess, playing kitchen, colouring and playing with their toys cars. But once again, just suggesting that the toys had to be picked up was enough to send them scurrying round the house like little hoovers!Anyway, we managed to leave the house very uneventfully and the twins were both very proud of the fact that they'd been good children. And so, it was off to the YOG Kids' Carnival at Marina Bay where they were in sheer play heaven.There was, obviously, the trampoline. They were supposed to be harnessed but the silly YOG crew strapped them in and raised them far too high up off the trampoline, scaring them and scaring me at the same time. Even this evening, at bed time, the twins remember the harness and told me they didn't like it! But they were free jumping like jack rabbits till we had to drag them off.The other crowd-pleaser was a huge bouncy playground complete with a fake rock wall and slide. Back and forth the twins went, impressing the teenaged crew who initially tried to stop them from trying to climb back up the steep slide for fear that they would fall.It had been a nice overcast day when we got there but by the end of it, it got a little bit hot as the sun come out from behind the clouds. A very sneezy Packrat, something was and is still bugging his nose, begged for some airconditioned reprieve.There was a Meet an Olympian session going on so we went in so that everyone could have a breather. The Olympian in attendance Jani Tanskanen and what thrilled Jordan the most was when he taught all the little children how to do handstands and actually flipped them over.On one hand, I think it was really sad that the twins had a run of the place. For a Saturday morning, it was quiet enough for the twins to have a whole trampoline to themselves and a bouncy play area as well. On the other hand, being a former sports person who is totally envious that there is such a thing as the YOG and wishing that there had been something like that when I was still running competitively, I wish people were more thrilled about it. It is sad to see events that are not filled up and stands that are empty. I wanted to go to the track finals. But I only had one ticket and I couldn't go without Packrat or the twins. So what can I say? It's a confluence of factors, actually. Tickets that seem so preciously hoarded they're not giving it away to people, people not having the time or being let off to see the events and I think what bugs me the most, sheer apathy and indifference.So, I make up for it by taking the twins to the carnival and hoping that I can take them again before the carnival ends on Thursday.Anyway, more pics on the kids' Facebook if anyone is interested. A little plug here. If you haven't already 'liked' their page, please do so! Jordan knows to ask to see the 'like' symbol on the various posts.Technorati Tags: YOG, YOG kids carnival, Jani Tanskanen Having fun Muffin has begun to decide for himself what he wants to do and what he wants you to do with him.He loves going out for walks along the corridor, down to the void deck and round the estate.He gets very upset if his siblings go out and the gate shuts behind them with him still in the house.He is a playful one. He is at his most gleeful when he's up to cheeky nonsense that is most instigated by his older siblings.But 3 things he really loves a great deal of.1. Bathing.Thankfully, he never screamed when he was bathed. That meant bathing him was a fun thing to do because he would chuckle and kick around. He would cry only when he was taken out of the tub. In the last weeks, he's learnt to sit up on his own. And now, he has EVEN more fun in the tub. We've also made it a point to teach him not to fear water. Some kids grow up hating water splashed on their faces and it makes it difficult when they go into the pool. But obviously, it's not something Muffin is naturally fearful about. He thinks it's hilarious when you pour water down his face.2. Chewing on his toys.He's an easy baby to entertain. Give him chew toys and he'll just gum them to death while you're round the house doing other things (Yes, sort of like a puppy dog). Occasionally you hear him get aggressive with them. That's when he's fighting with them. Once again, the puppy analogy stands. You can imagine him being a puppy dog with the toy in his mouth, flinging it from side to side!3. Riding vehiclesThe boy is a boy. He loves his rides. Or rather, he loves his siblings' rides. Their scooter, their toy cars, their toy dump truck. Basically, anything that moves. He's also taken to hitching rides with his siblings when they are riding round the house. He knows that he can't go far on his own steam so he hitch hikes and his siblings, especially Little J oblige.I am constantly thankful that his siblings love him so much and bear no animosity towards him. In fact, Little J is outrightly protective over him and one yell from him sends her scurrying to get help.Technorati Tags: siblings, 6 month old baby Discipline without the cane Much as I fantasise about buying a cane, we're trying very hard to do without one. I was never caned, although I remember being smacked many times with the slipper and Packrat was caned so often that he's pretty much anti-cane. But the twins, especially Evan do drive us to the point where we wish we had something to brandish at them.Anyway, we succeeded in disciplining him on Saturday without the cane to much effect.Every Saturday, we go out somewhere. To breakfast, to the park, just the four of us. It's the twins' special time with Mommy and Daddy.Evan knew we were going out. While waiting, he got out his blocks to play with and his magnetic alphabet set. When we were ready to go (I marvel at home quickly children can get ready!), we told him to clear up his blocks. Over and over again, we repeated it while he merrily went along his way, doing his own thing. Jordan, hearing the increasingly stridency of my voice quickly sprang into action and started chucking the blocks back into the bag.The thing about Packrat is he's generally mild-mannered and leaves the disciplining up to me. But when he decides, enough is enough, even I get fearful.And at that point, he decided that. He told Evan in no uncertain terms that if he didn't get off his bum and help his sister, he could forget about going to breakfast at McDonald's (Evan was the one who requested for McDondald's, feeding the fish and jumping around at the playground in that order). Of course, Evan didn't know what was good for him and turned a deaf ear to Packrat as well.So we called his bluff. We got Jordan to get her shoes on and Evan, seeing that got his on too. We told him no. He was to stay home because he didn't do what he was supposed to. You could see the panic grow in his eyes. He knew we meant business when we stepped out and shut the gate in front of him, with him on the inside.There were tears. There was begging. But Packrat stood firm. Me, I was melting into a puddle inside but I didn't interfere.Apparently, he cried for an hour. And that afternoon, he woke from his nap, crying and moaning the fact that he'd missed his pancake breakfast (Of course, he didn't know that we didn't actually go to McDonald's without him. We ran other errands with Jordan in tow.)Asking him now why he didn't go with us, he'd tell us he hadn't kept his blocks and Papa was angry. Ask Jordan why Didi didn't go out with us, she gives the same answer.Hopefully we've succeeded in teaching BOTH kids that we mean business and they will quietly do as told next time!Technorati Tags: twins, discipline, 3 year olds Live the dream Sher asked if there really was hype and excitement about the YOG in Singapore. I told her I wouldn't be able to represent the non-sporting population in Singapore and their interest/ disinterest.That is because if I were between the ages 14-18, I would have loved to be competing at the YOG. No matter how much of a 小姐 I have become, there was once a time when I was dark as night and was extremely proud of the fact that I had all four quadricep muscles defined. There was once a time when my life revolved around how fast I could sprint the 400m and how I could shave off milliseconds off my best time. It was a life time ago but I don't have to dig deep to find those memories.Anyway, when we had kids, both Packrat and I hoped that our kids would take after us respectively. Play basketball, be a tech geek, be a jock/ jockette, dance, run track... the list goes on. We have been amazed at Evan's ability to run in a straight line and how his form looks quite nice. We chuckled and shook our heads at how Jordan haphazardly runs with arms and legs skittling all over the place.Then yesterday, the twins were introduced to the shuttle run. Our helper fashioned the game to distract them from the fact that they wanted to watch television. I refused to believe her when she told me that each time they ran, Jordan would win and Evan would exclaim most comedically "Not again!". I couldn't quite understand how Evan, who has been able to chase me down could lose out to his uncoordinated sister whose running style reminds me of a little puppy who runs in one direction but has his butt not quite following after!Today, I saw for myself.Jordan is not exactly fast. She false starts all the time. But she knows exactly where she is going and what she needs to do. Evan looks like he's sliding into home base all the time and occasionally forgets that he's got to pick up his shoes and run back with them.Unfortunately, they're quite winded here having raced up and down about 15 times prior to this. But if you watch carefully you can see Jordan skittling around and Evan bounding off. The other little girl is our neighbour and their partner in crime.Packrat hopes their running style improves as do I. But when I actually think about it and think about the fact that I have literally every muscle from waist down injured, whether I really want to have any of my children follow in my footsteps and run track seriously.At the end of the day, it's really up to them and whether they really want to. As of now, I think Evan would be scared motionless by the starter's pistol and that's not good if the aim is to see who ends up first at the finish line!Technorati Tags: twins, YOG, running A matter of ethics I am teaching ethics at school now. I made the students think about what was considered ethical behaviour. I even made them come up with what they thought was unethical behaviour for various groups of people in society, including parents.I have been an unethical mom. I have gone against what I believe and what I strive to teach my students.Jordan has been febrile for days. Panadol was just a pink placebo for her, doing nothing but making her feel slightly better just because it was pink but not doing anything for the fever. Nurofen barely controlled the temperature. At wits end and at the encouragement of my mother, I thought to try the TCM version of Nurofen, something innocuously called "Ling Yang".Unfortunately, "Ling Yang" goes by a more sinister name- the rhinocerous horn. And as a rule, I am anti anything to do with animals, especially when it supports cruelty to animals and illegal poaching.The only problem was this "Ling Yang" was supposed to work to break the fever and when a child has been febrile for ten days and on a second course of antibiotics, it calls for desperate measures.My guilt comes from various things.1. I am not setting a good example for my children, to grow up to be socially responsible people who will make it a point, regardless of how difficult it is to not indulge in these illegally acquired goods that are supposed to work.2. I worked very hard over the years to convince my in laws that they shouldn't eat shark's fin and it was a cruel thing to do. By allowing rhino horn to be fed to Jordan might, in their eyes, may mean that I am revisiting the issue and perhaps finding it more palatable to eat the tasteless shark appendage. This would mean for them that they can finally peacefully order the stuff at dinner without me making a fuss on my soap box and causing them to feel uncomfortable while eating it.3. I genuinely feel sad and sorry for the animal. I also feel extremely guilty because I know I wouldn't like it very much if some alien race thought it was greatly beneficial to eat my knee caps or something.Dear Rhino,Please accept my apologies for having been part of the reason why you no longer have a horn and have a bloody stump in its place. I would, if possible get you a prosthetic one to make up for the fact that I am party to the cruelty inflicted upon you.For that I am greatly sorry.Addendum : Many people have informed me that "ling yang" is apparently antelope's horn and it is okay because the horns grow back. But when I checked, apparently, the antelopes are gravely endangered too.Technorati Tags: ethics, rhinocerous horn, sick children Time out wonders It's been a most harrowing week or so. Jordan's been sick since before National Day. As has Muffin. And it's been draining on me. This was especially so over the long weekend because there wasn't school to send Evan, the non-sick one to.I am not a good Mommy when I am stressed and stretched and that was the case over the long weekend because of the illnesses, the whininess associated with the illnesses and the constant ploys for attention. This made me short even when I knew I shouldn't be. It is times like that, that remind me that I cannot be a Stay At Home Mom.Even Packrat suffered the wrath of an overstretched and as a friend coined "tensional" mom.Today, I met up with 2 very good friends and we sat and had tea, despite the fact that I had a sick girl at home and a baby boy that I missed. But I was glad I chose to indulge in that instead of going home. Despite the guilt I felt at choosing to do that, I knew that Jordan was in good hands and Packrat was home with Muffin and he would be fine as well.So I sat, drank tea, indulged in pretty, delicate foods, laughed a lot and looked out at a pretty waterfall watching the koi swim around in the rock pool at the bottom of the waterfall. The only child related thought I had while gazing out was how much Evan would have been plastered to the glass window watching the waterfall cascade.It was a strange sight as we made our way out of the coffee house after; what with my two friends being in somewhat advanced stages of their pregnancies. And how we must have looked, each driving off in a 'Mommy-mobile' back to our respective broods. I don't know about them but I felt wonderfully recharged after that 2 hour sojourn away from the realities of motherhood. Enough for me to be happy to see the twins, chat with them all the way home, get them into bed, play with Muffin and get him settled too before sitting back and writing this.And even now, as I begin to fade and the fatigue of the week blurs my eyes, I am still filled with the residual endorphins from my afternoon out.I need to do this more. Technorati Tags: twins, motherhood National Day Tan style Packrat and I aren't all that patriotic. We have so much issue with the government it's hard to draw a line between government and country. But both of us have realised that with children, it gets easier to get excited about National Day because they are excited about it.Anyway, I do like parts of the National Day parade- the military bits. I push to the back of my head the roots of where all this military show off originates from though.So, this morning, having heard that all the military vehicles involved in the parade were in a holding pattern at a huge open air carpark near the parade grounds, we take the twins there. And there, lined neatly and looking all spit polished and buffed were what our tax money paid for. Lines and lines of tanks, Howitzers, troop carriers and bridge laying vehicles.Both of them greeted the sight with a big "WOOOOWWW!"Things we noticed.1. The Howitzer was pulled by a vehicle with wheels taller than Evan.2. The troop carriers looked remarkably claustrophobic.3. Naval divers had bad dress sense. Short shorts, tight Ts with their Gortex boots does not make a pretty sight.4. Both children commented that there were a lot of leaves on the vehicles. We tried explaining the concept of camouflage to them but it got lost in translation.5. The NS men guarding our nation's military hardware really didn't care that kids were clambering atop the vehicles.Jordan wanted to get into the boat. When I said she had to ask the Navy soldier she told me straight off that he'd said yes. Should I be worried that the girl can lie without batting an eye to get what she wants?Evan wasn't particularly interested after a while, wanting to duck into the nearby shopping mall to ride the elevators.Jordan's interest was sustained a little while longer.She was thrilled that she could read the letters on the speedboat. And when I told her that it spelt Navy, she repeated it a couple of times. She had tired of it when I videoed her and the video shows her exasperation at Mommy for making her repeat a task she'd already performed to perfection.But what disturbed and tickled me the most was this. 4 NS men in full number 4 attire were walking towards us and she waltzes up to them and declared loudly "I like soldiers!"Wait till Papa hears you say that Jordan! He'll lock you up, forever!Technorati Tags: twins, National Day 2010, Singapore How a mommy can drive herself crazy It is that time of year where the parents of six year old Singaporean children go stir crazy. It is the season known as Primary One registration. A rite of passage. And some believe where the child goes, will set the child up for life. It is the time of year where friends with kids of the same age suddenly view one another with suspicion and as enemies. It is a dog-eat-dog P1 registration world out there.And it sends shivers down my back.I have some friends who are in the thick of it now. And the stories from the front that I am hearing have sent me into a stressful frenzy. For the first time in years, schools that didn't have to ballot, had to do so. Accidents have happened. Failure to change addresses to put one closer to the school, failure to locate evidence of alumni status (lost report book- who keeps those things!!?) and failure to actually understand which damn phase to register the kid in. And then the walking on eggshells while waiting to hear back about balloting.Then there are those who aren't citizens and balk at the injustice that in the event of a ballot, being Singaporean gives one an edge. I've seen anxious parents sit at cafes feverishly banging away at an appeal letter to the school citing the kid's extra curricular achievement even though the poor child has only been around for 6 years and one has to wonder what a 6 year old can have done to make his or her resume impressive.If I had to write a resume for the twins, Evan's would go along the lines of "has great interest in anything tech. Is able to identify cars by their insignia. Is learning to identify type of helicopter by the sound of the rotor". Jordan's would be "is able to draw very meticulously. Knows that it is improper to display her belly button in public and tsks anyone else who does. Is able to hold her dress and curtsey prettily. Can copy ballet steps by sight and is able to perform in front of a crowd".Not very impressive. No Mozart level piano playing ability. No ability to read Pride and Prejudice at age 3. And definitely no ability to speak Latin. How I have failed my children! They will have to go to whatever school deigns fit to admit them.Technorati Tags: twins, Singapore, Primary One registration Half a birthday Muffin is six months old today. He has grown and changed rapidly. From a wee babe to a little boy who can sit up, yammer and make his needs understood. He is cheerful but knows exactly what he wants and will not give up until he gets it. Thankfully it's only been just milk and sleep demands. Everything else, he's quite easy going.Now, the 64 million dollar question is how has my life changed in the last six months?I have been able to consistently get Muffin to sleep even though my helper is with him most of the day. This was something that I couldn't do with Jordan and constantly felt like I failed her as a mother.Even though I spend my time exasperated and exhausted, I have pockets of time that I truly enjoy my children. Of course that is peppered with increasing instances where I fantasise about running away from them and checking into a spa for a week.For the first time, I miss my kids while I am at work. It wasn't so acute when the twins were younger but having taken time off and going back to work now, I miss them. Especially Muffin. Possibly because I am trying to relish all his baby moments.And.For the first time in my life, I feel like I have aged. Perhaps not by him alone but the combined effort of being a mother to three.But then, when I look at him doing his growing repertoire of funny things, I laugh and cuddle him and wish he could stay this size always.Technorati Tags: baby, 6 months old Surviving a wedding with 3 year olds The twins attended their first wedding today. They had very little idea what was going on although we tried to explain it to them. Obviously Jordan was a little bit more enthralled than Evan. Evan was downright bored and couldn't understand why he was in a church but couldn't sing "Jesus Loves Me" or "Read Your Bible, Pray Everyday". Thankfully, we did at least sing Amazing Grace which he wast familiar with.So I had to find ways of entertaining them. And it was eventually how we got through the entire wedding.1. Feed them something they like.I brought a box of cereal and I offered it to them. I also suggested they feed one another.2. Whip out a pen and suggest they draw what they see.Jordan tried to draw a bride but gave up. Evan just demanded I write Chinese characters for him. That took me a while. 3. Send them off to sit with their grandparents, grandaunts and whoever else found them endearing.4. Actually play around with them although with the caveat that if they spoke louder than a whisper, we'd stop playing.Thankfully it wasn't a long wedding. I also brought threading beads for them but they got bored quickly with that. But all in, it was a success and no one gave us angry glares for ill-mannered, ill-behaved children. And for that I am grateful!Technorati Tags: twins, 3 year olds, wedding Muffin's milestones This has been a week of firsts for Muffin.First, he can now officially travel. Collecting his passport thankfully was a breeze. The secret? Go first thing in the morning when there is no crowd. We were in and out in 5 minutes. Muffin, who had to be present to collect his passport dazzled all the staff by his big eyes and toothless cackling.And later in the day, Muffin sits up. On his own. While driving home the point that children don't really need us to buy them toys, he spend half an hour playing with a jar of balm and ends up sitting up on his own.He is growing up so fast!Technorati Tags: baby, developmental milestones, passport Fun with goop I was on leave today because Muffin had a really congested nose and that meant he couldn't sleep and couldn't feed very much. But I ended up also taking the opportunity to do messy play with the twins. For a while, I've been wanting to make goop for them. I've always liked letting them muck about with mixtures of things. And this time, it was cornflour and water. Corn flour on its own already feels different from flour which they've played with. According to Jordan it was 'nice' and 'cold'. When I poured in the water and started to mix the 2, she commented that it looked like vomit.Evan claimed that the mixture felt 'funny'. I gave them spoons and they tried to scoop the mixture and some how it stretched and streaked. He was hesitant to get it on his hands although he was very fascinated that it dried up and caked almost instantly.For good measure, I put in colour and they had fun watching the food colouring dissolve into the mixture. As with each time that we let them muck about, it soon became an event of pouring everything onto the ground. Flour mixture and water. It drove Ee-Por crazy because both of them thought it hilarious to just run through the puddles of goopy muck. They realised on their own that the goopy much was much more slippery than just the bits that were just water, so they slid through it, jumped and splashed through it; basically making us fearful for them.Someone told me recently that with children, just giving them something to do entertains them. They don't really discern yet between 'work' and 'play'. So towards the end, I gave them a pail of water and a brush and told them they had to clean up. I suspect that was the most fun part of the activity because they started a water fight. When Evan 'accidentally' dumped a whole container of water onto Jordan, we could see how Jordan was trying to work out whether to be annoyed with her brother or to find it funny. Thankfully she chose the later. And she also decided to take the mickey out of it by wetting herself thoroughly.Soon it became a case of let's see who could get more wet.Of course, the older generation would baulk at the fact that they were dumping cold water onto themselves in chilly weather and would catch a cold from it. I hope not though because they really seemed to have so much fun and I didn't really want to have to stop them.For those who want to know how to make goop-1/2 cup cornflour1/4 cup water.Food colouring.Apparently, if we add white glue to it, it becomes slime like ectoplasm. I totally forgot about that bit of it but I think it was okay because the twins had enough fun with what they had!Technorati Tags:twins, messy play, goop, water play Gratitious love Half of my Facebook page is filled with updates on the kids and their pictures. I do that because of people who know the children but don't get to see them very much. Bue I also know that some of my friends who do not have kids find it a tad obsessive and too 'mommy-fying' for them.So I thought about creating Facebook pages for them. But upkeeping another 3 FB pages that perhaps one day they might be keen on continuing just felt like WAY too much work. Aunty J, who is now honourary Godma suggested a Fan Page. That way, I would have a license to be as obsessive as I want in my updates.It was funny, when I set up the page, to be asked if it was for A) a local business B) a brand, product, or organization C) a public figure. They are none of the above.The twins love looking at the page because their pictures are plastered all over the page. And Jordan's learned to look for the 'like' button on the page. She will announce that there is a "很好" on the page. She associates the thumbs up with "很好" because when we say that to her in Chinese, we show it to her visually with a thumbs up.So anyway, be a fan of the kids and make Little J's day by 'liking' a couple of things along the way. She checks, by the way. Talk about Big Sister.Technorati Tags: children, Facebook Grape Run Inspired by Sher and Joel, I decide to do a marble run as well.I pull apart new boxes of cereal. This was akin to pouring out the whole packet of cereal so that one could get to the toy at the bottom of the box. I'd decided that today was the day I would make the marble run because they were giving out grapes at work and as discovered by Sher, grapes make a great replacement for marbles and there wasn't the concern that anyone would swallow them.Of course, it led me to the realisation that I was no engineer and for once in my life, I thought about how useful it would be if I actually understood an ounce of physics. What was the most time consuming was making sure the slopes were steep enough for the grape to roll down.And then after trialling the slopes and eating many grapes in the process, I realised I needed barriers so that the grapes wouldn't roll off the sides and go squish onto the ground.Eventually, I got it all to work and the twins were thrilled. They were thrilled that they could roll the grapes down the slopes and at the end of that, they could eat the grapes. They played through an entire bunch of grapes.Of course, the gender thing once again showed itself quite clearly. Evan was curious as to how to work the slopes. He'd tilt the box in all directions. He'd go onto all fours and try and look at it from below to see if he could work it out a little better. He'd stick his fingers into the holes and wiggle them around. Jordan just clapped her hands with glee when the grape barrelled its way down. And she was happy to pull the grape out from below and eat it at the end.I wanted to try to give them different sized round objects and see if they could figure out which ones would fit and which ones wouldn't. But we didn't have enough time. Perhaps tomorrow!Technorati Tags: twins, home made toys Flattery gets you everywhere. I have this book at home.One day, I saw Evan flipping through it. I asked him who this person was.He said Mommy. I was most flattered.Sometimes when we are in the car, he would suddenly quip "That's Mommy!" And I would have no idea what he was talking about.Then one Sunday, on the way to church, a bus whizzes past us.Evan yells: "That's Mommy!"Mommy: " Mommy's here!"Evan repeats: "That's Mommy! On the bus!"I look at the bus. It has this ad on it.I am confused. "Where's Mommy?" I ask.Evan (irritated that he has to explain something that is obviously clear to him) : There! On the bus! Mommy wear red!Ah, he thinks the Special K girl is me. How nice that my son thinks me so slim!A few minutes later, Jordan chimes in.Jordan: "There's Mommy on the bus!"Once again, I crane and crane. I wonder if there really are that many Special K buses around.In the distance, I see this bus.I ask which one I am. She says ALL.Once again, I am flattered but I cannot help but worry about what strange body image ideas they have about me and how that is going to affect them when they grow older. Will Evan demand his girlfriend to look like Cindy Crawford? Will Jordan want a Special K body?I'm a bit neurotic when it comes to weight and how I look but I make it a conscious point never to say anything about it in front of them lest they develop strange body image ideas. And yet, they seemed to have me pegged to look a certain way.Technorati Tags: twins, Mommy, Cindy Crawford Jordan's little mouse Jordan likes animals. Her favourite animal is the elephant because she has a very bedraggled and sorry looking stuffed elephant that she takes everywhere. She also loves giraffes because they have long necks. She stunned Aunty PY by identifying a giraffe as a 长颈鹿 before saying that it was a giraffe. She also likes dogs, cats and mice. All three she learnt in Chinese class recently.This morning, while everyone was rushing about getting ready to go to church, she sat quietly with her etch-a-sketch and drew this. After she was done, she showed it to Packrat who promptly yelled for me to see it before she erased it. I told him to take a photograph while I wrote down what it was (I am trying to get her interested in reading words). When I wrote Jordan's Mouse on top of it, she specified that it was a 老鼠 and I had to write that down too.It took me a while, but I finally managed to come up with it.We're very proud of her. It looks like a mouse that I would draw and I am 30 and some years older than she is.*Beam*Technorati Tags: twins, drawing, three year olds In all honesty There are not enough mums out there who are as honest as Tofu Nation and Project Subrosa.Why do I say that?Tofu Nation is honest about not being a perfect mom by modern standards.A perfect mom by modern standards would only give their child organic food.A perfect mom would find ways of stimulating the child and there will never be silence.A perfect mom would relish and revel in her perfect child's existence.A perfect mom would not let her child watch too much television.A perfect mom would not admit that some days, she just wants to chuck it, give up, check into a hotel and sprawl onto a bed, eating ice cream.I know mums who would try to do that. I think some days, when I have the energy, I set out to be such a mom. But when I'm very tired and cannot even form a coherent sentence, any attempt at trying to be a perfect mom goes out the window. On days like that, I'd settle not to have throttled one of my kids in a bid to create some quiet.And I admit that I send my children off to their grandparents on the weekend just so that I can have some decent sleep.I look forward to the nap-less days because then, they fall asleep by 7 and Packrat and I can have some precious hours out of the house at dinner or at a movie or be able to have conversation without having to keep a ear out for crying, coughing, vomitting and falling off the bed thuds.I send them to Chinese class because I don't have enough brain cells in me to try to relearn Chinese so that I can converse with them and teach them the language. Let someone else do it.I have given them hot dogs for lunch because it is something they will eat and the rest of the day follows with a hot dog grin on their faces.Project Subrosa is honest about being bored trying to entertain a baby. About feeling guilty at wanting to complain. She admits that some moms just aren't cut out to be stay home moms and that's okay. She drives home the point that a happy mom makes a happy kid.She resonates with me because I feel the same way and my most notorious battle is with guilt. It also drives me crazy when I meet moms who wax lyrical about motherhood and look at you strange when you complain about being sleep-deprived, bored from playing the same repetitive games with the child, have brain cells disappearing from only chatting with the baby the whole day and realising that the only other conversations you have with other adults revolve around the kids!It is the start of the weekend today. The house is now quiet because Muffin is asleep and the older two have made their way to their grandparents.What I intend to do with this quiet?Lie down, close my eyes and just sleep, uninterrupted.Technorati Tags: motherhood, parenting Baking Banana Bread I was very saddened one day when the twins came home from school ravenous. I asked them what they'd eaten in school and they told me Milo and biscuits. My poor children had nothing to eat all morning apart from that. Because they leave for school so early, I don't give them breakfast. They have a hard enough time prying their eyes open and getting changed. I doubt their guts are up at that time. I bank on the fact that they have milk in the early morning and I send them off with tuck boxes filled with bread or cereal.Most of the time, I buy the breads from various bakeries. Evan's favourite is the chocolate bread from Sun Moulin. I like it too but the health nut in me does not feel comfortable giving him chocolate bread every other morning. Jordan would be in heaven if I gave her tiny cocktail sausages every morning. But I've seen the Jaime Oliver TED video where he rants about the evils of processed food.So, when I have time, I try to bake for them. I usually try to bake a big enough batch to freeze. And I usually try to involve them. The last time we baked banana bread, the twins had a great amount of fun helping. The only problem is having to make sure two children aren't toppling flour onto the flour.This time, I worked with each twin individually. The tough thing about having twins (and a baby as well!) is spending individual time with each of them. But yesterday when I decided to bake, the opportunity presented itself. Jordan was still napping while Evan was up and wanting something to do. He was a great little helper and he loved all the mixing. In particular mixing the flour and transferring it into the banana mixture. I think he liked the cool texture of the flour. When Jordan came about, she helped me with the second batch and was very busy whisking the sugar and egg mixture.It occurred to me that this was a wonderful recipe. Not so much because the banana cake was exceptional. It was yummy and divine when hot and had Nutella mixed into it but it was wonderful because it was an easy enough recipe that I could do with the children without being stressed. There wasn't the need for complicated equipment and the ingredients were generally safe for them to 'accidentally' put into their mouths barring the egg mixture.Anyway, the ingredient list is as follows.1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas) 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup (120 ml) low-fat yogurt 1/4 cup (60 ml) canola or corn oil 3/4 cup (175 grams) light brown sugar ( I cut this to half a cup of brown sugar and I suspect it can actually be reduced further) 1 large egg or 2 large (60 grams) egg whites 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour 1/2 cup (60 grams) whole wheat flour 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon saltAnd the instructions are quite straightforward too. All you need is a whisk, a couple of large bowls and some measuring cups.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Spray an 8 x 4 inch (20 x 10 cm) loaf pan with a nonstick vegetable cooking spray. ( I used a basting brush to oil the pan and both twins loved 'painting' with the brush)Bowl Number 1. Mix the mashed bananas with the baking soda and yogurt. Allow to sit while you prepare the rest of the batter. (Evan liked doing this because he got to eat the bananas and one of his Youtube Phonic videos has got the line "I got yogurt and bananas!") Bowl Number 2In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla.Bowl Number 3 Whisk together the flours, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt. Then combine the banana mixture with the oil mixture and then add to the flour mixture. Stir just until all the ingredients are moistened. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 45 - 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. The twins found sprinkles, cranberries and Nutella in the fridge and proceeded to make variations of that. Both of them and Packrat liked the Nutella one best, especially when it was heated.The sprinkles ones, they just liked playing with. Me, I'm a purist. Just plain ol' banana bread for me. Technorati Tags: twins, baking, banana bread Where no baby has gone before It is true that by the time the next baby comes a long, parents are a lot more blase about them. With the twins, we were terrified about taking them out, let alone travelling with them. By the time Muffin came about, Packrat and I were quite adept with managing the twins on our own and I was quite happy to look after Muffin on my own. It helped that he was cheery, a creature of habit and easy to entertain.All this built a certain amount of confidence in us as parents. So much so that we started toying with the idea of taking them on vacation. All the lofty and somewhat condescending comments we had made about other parents travelling with young children duly went out the window as we became one of those parents, keen to travel with two 3 year olds and an infant in arms.It helped that Singapore Air had cheap fares for the weekend. We decided almost on the spot to bring the entire family to Perth. The only thing we were short of and realised just as we were going to click "Proceed with Payment" was the fact that little Muffin had no passport.So there was a race to get a mugshot of Muffin and then an online battle with the passport service to actually submit the application.I'm not sure if it is finally in because the screen froze at the payment page but tickets are bought and the little Muffin will be off on his first trip at a tender age of 7 months.I'm quite thrilled that we're actually doing this. I think we'll probably need another vacation to recover from this one but I feel a ridiculous amount of fuzzy happiness knowing that all we're taking all of them on a vacation to a country with blue skies, lots of space, water, clean air, cool weather and good food.Technorati Tags: travelling with infant, Singapore passport Speedster One advantage of having hand me down toys is the ready access to toys that Muffin has. He doesn't need to wait till his birthday, Christmas or when his Mommy has money for him to have new toys. And we have discovered that the boy has a penchant for vehicles. Toys that not just move but move with him in it. We discovered this when we bought his pram and put him in it. He was happy to sit in there and be pushed for hours on end. This was useful for us because even though he is a small baby by all accounts, he still weighs a hefty some.Now that he's strong enough to hold himself up, we're not so fearful that he might smash face first into the front of the toy cars that he loves to sit in. Even then, our helper creatively fashioned a harness for him to hold him back, just to make sure.Up and down the house he would be pushed, screechingly thrilled moving. The minute we stop, the little Speedster is angered.He watches his siblings. They play with these vehicles on a daily basis, chasing one another and I suspect he wants to be added into the fray.The minute the twins came home from scootering, he made a go for the scooter and even though his wobbly legs couldn't hold him for long, there was sheer thrill on his face.Our most ingenious creation for him was to strap on a sports bag strap onto Evan's dump truck and put Muffin into it. The twins were more than happy to drag him places while he sat behind, his diapered butt fitting snugly into the back of the truck.Everyone says younger siblings pick up things faster because of the older children they model. Good or bad, right or wrong, they model. And my 5 1/2 month old obviously has figured that his siblings have more fun than he does and it's time he followed suit and have some fun for himself.Technorati Tags: baby, toy cars A Simple Life 7 This is the last "A Simple Life" installment. It's got to do with white clothes, fabric markers and one bored Mommy.Little J's gotten into a Little Mermaid obsession. She loves The Little Mermaid. Primarily because Ariel exposes her belly button to the world. My daughter is at the same time scandalised and fascinated. Packrat downloaded some of it to show her. And as with all Disney franchises, The Little Mermaid has many spin offs to it.Today, Packrat puts on one the sequels. I have to sit through it while carrying Muffin because Packrat, whose usual job is to sit and watch stuff with the twins, decides to run some errands. Half way through, I decide it's a terrible sequel. Ariel doesn't seem to do very much more than swim around and want to sing and King Triton for some reason does not allow singing in his undersea kingdom.I get bored and start examining closely what Muffin is wearing. And he is in white pyjama pants and a white onesie. Very dull. Like the video. I remember I bought some fabric markers a while ago because I wanted to involve the twins with Muffin and I thought a great way to do so was to allow them to decorate his clothes.Both children descend upon the markers but are puzzled that I haven't provided them any paper. They stare agape while I write Muffin's name across his belly. When I hold him up and tell them they can draw on his back, they are hesitant until I start doing it and they follow suit. Soon, the little Muffin is squirming because both his siblings are clamouring over the little canvas which is his back. Made worse by the fact that I actually stipulate that they are not allowed to draw on his pants. Of course, Evan doesn't listen and tries to push his luck. That results in me drawing a nice line down his favourite pyjama pants and the minute half a whine escapes his lips, I point out to him that how he upset he is, is probably how his little brother is feeling.By the end of it, Muffin has a beautifully graffiti-ed top, very much like our MRT train. And if I stared hard enough at it, a dog pops out at me. See if you can spot it in the third picture.Everyone had a great time including Muffin. He kept screeching and screaming in excitement as the twins pulled out marker after marker. To the point that he got over-hyped and had to have a good cry before he fell asleep.Technorati Tags: twins, siblings, drawing A Simple Life 6 Muffin is quite a poor little boy. His siblings were such a novelty, being twins. As a result, they got loads of stuff. And as a result of that, Muffin has had loads of stuff and none of them his own. The only things he has that are really his are his diapers and his milk bottles. Everything else is old.There is a lot good with this system.1. Hand me down clothes are more comfortable, having been worn.2. We don't waste. Others don't waste. I hate the fact that I have to throw away stuff because of what it does to the environment. I feel downright guilty. With Muffin around, things have had an extended shelf life and they aren't dumped.3. The toys get a new lease of life. I just watched Toy Story 3 and cried like a baby when the toys thought Andy going to college was the end of things for them.4. We save a lot of money. Even when we do buy things for him, my first stop is the "want to sell" page on the forum pages. Why buy something new when I can re-use something that still has some life to it for a fraction of the price. That was how we bought him a pram.5. We intend to pay it forward. When he's done with it, I'm handing it down to friends who don't mind taking it. Some people do mind; they think their children shouldn't suffer the indignity of using other people's things. One word. WASTE.What's not good about the system.1. Nothing really, except Muffin doesn't have much to call his own. His cot used to be his sisters. The mattress was hers too. His little bean pillows were made with sprout shells that were used in the twins' pillows. We unpicked the pillows, washed and sunned the shells and made new pillows out of it.2. Sometimes the things that he inherits don't work too well. Toys that don't make noises and replacing the battery doesn't help. But then, what he doesn't really know can't really hurt him.In my more frivolous moments, I want to shop for him. But I know he doesn't really need much and he really is a happy baby despite not having anything spanking new. But considering that some of the clothes he gets from his siblings still look new and he doesn't go out in rags, it really doesn't matter at all.Technorati Tags: siblings, hand me downs, Saving the world A Simple Life 5 Saturday mornings are we do something fun with the twins. Everyone's not in school and both Packrat and I have had a little bit more sleep than usual. It ranges. It could be hotcake breakfasts. It could be a visit to the park. It could be an outing to somewhere more significant like the Singapore Flyer.But generally, we try to do something that doesn't cost a lot and doesn't involve shopping malls. Packrat's mantra is 'if it was good enough for us when we were kids, it's good enough for our kids.' As a result, we end up at the park a great deal.It works out for the twins because they like the open space. Evan loves the water features; he loves the water fall and is obsessed about the pond. Is it deep? He asks. Is it cold? He wants to know. I warn him and his sister again and again that they are not to go so near that they might fall in. And Evan is extremely wary of falling in.We brought their bicycles this time round to the park. Evan was adamant that he didn't want to ride it. On further probing, we discovered it was because he remembered the time he saw a boy careen into the pond. The boy was unharmed but hysterical, wet and covered in mud after that. Evan witnessed the whole thing and has remembered it since. Mark, who came with us to the park this time, was full of praise that Evan was 'learning from someone else's mistake'.I was more concerned that I had to drag his bike round the park if he didn't want to ride it. We eventually convinced him he was safe to ride the bike and promised that he wouldn't go near the pond on it. Unfortunately, the wheels of the bike had no air and that made it difficult for him to ride. This meant, we still had to drag his bike all over.Some time back, while at the supermarket, Packrat picks up a bottle of fish food. He decides to buy it because it's cheaper than the little cannister that the park sells for $1. So we generally practice BYO fish food. Sometimes we bring bread but I'm less enthused about that because sometimes the twins decide they want to share the bread with the fish and often we give them stale, expired bread to feed. They, of course think that if it's good enough for the fish, it's good enough for them.They become hot, sweaty and dirty after the whole experience. Sometimes they kick off their shoes and wade into the little streams that are all over the park. We warn them about slippery rocks but generally we hold on to them and let them do what they want. They also discovered the joy of finding dried leaves and letting the flowing water carry them down stream, thanks to Uncle Mark!It's a nice way to start off the weekend, as long as it isn't too hot. Everyone has fun. Everyone is ready for lunch and a nap.Uncle Mark teaching Evan to hold fish food in the palm of his hand with his fingers closed.Tossing the food in and watching the terrapins, swans and fish make a scramble for it. He claims the swans are the most 'poor thing' because 'they have no feed to eat'. I disagree but keep my views to myself.Peppering the pond with fish food. Being warned not to drop the bottle in as he once did. Once again, he remembers that incident and promises he won't drop it in because Papa has to 'swim to get it'.No more food. His next request was ' Can I catch a bird?'. I told him he was free to try. And off he went.Note: It sounds like Muffin doesn't get to do any of this. I wanted to bring him. But he'd been put down for his nap when we were ready to leave. Next time.Technorati Tags: twins, Botanic Gardens A Simple Life 4 Thursdays are long days for the twins. They have school in the morning, come home for lunch and they go off for Chinese class after that. They skip their afternoon naps in order to accomplish that.As a result, I always feel bad for them and everything that happens the rest of the day is a treat for them; they get to do things that they don't get to do on a regular basis. They get bottles of ice-cold milk straight out of the supermarket chiller. They get to watch television and have dinner (something I generally disapprove of) and a nice long bath. After that, it is off to bed in our bed. All this is also in a bid to gently hurry things up because the bedtime clock is ticking away furiously and the closer they are to bedtime, the more uncooperative they are.Part of today's treat was by sheer accident. A bottle of shower gel was spilt on the floor. Clearing it up meant pails of sudsy and nice smelling water. I thought to myself what a waste of some relatively clean water. So, rather than throw it away, I kept the pails and presented it to the twins to play with after their dinner.It was great fun for everyone. It kept them busy while I fed and played with Muffin. They were thrilled because they got to strip down and play with water and bubbles. All we had to do was to makes sure that the non-stop chattering didn't actually stop, occasionally pop our heads in to help make more bubbles for them and stop fights if they broke out.Because it was such a fun activity for them; scooping water from the pail with a spoon into either a bowl or a bottle, there was minimal fighting and some sharing going on. Little J would pour some of her suds into Evan's pail when Evan whined that he'd run out and we'd pretended not to hear his whining. Evan's big sister indulges him more than we do!This made me think of how my mom used to make coloured soap bubbles, by adding food colouring into the water, and basically set me loose at them. I'd play till my fingers wrinkled or I ran out of water, which ever came first. But it kept me busy and I didn't need to be entertained because like myself, my mom had 3 kids to keep an eye on.Another no-frills, low cost activity to keep on the books. These are the best.Technorati Tags: twins, bath time fun A Simple Life 3 Both Packrat and I are great fans of durian. We love the stuff. I would eat more of it if it wasn't also the most fattening fruit around. I was also able to eat it all through both pregnancies and thankfully, did not gag at the slightest whiff of it. One of our greatest wishes for our kids was for them to enjoy durians the way we and their grandparents did. We saw it as a family tradition to like the stuff.Packrat and I have fond memories of our fathers coming home with thick brown paper bags with the durian scent emanating from it. We also have fond memories of trying to figure out the logic behind holding the durian husk under the tap, allowing the water to run through it and then washing our hands with that water. It is supposed to remove the durian scent from our fingers and magically it does. I say magically because we haven't quite been able to come up with a scientific explanation for why it is so.Anyway, till now, we haven't had much success with the twins when it comes to durian. Evan has ordered us every time we put the fruit under his nose to throw it in the bin. Jordan has resisted and would delicately shake her head when it was offered to her.Until today.Both of them love picking off our food at the dinner table. It tastes better even if they'd be given the same thing an hour ago. Jordan eyes all of us suspiciously as we sit, after dinner and enjoy the pungent fruit. Gingerly, she takes some. Thankfully for us, the bit she pinches off is sweet. So she pinches a little bit more. And more. All the while telling us that she's only eating a bit.She does concede that it tastes good although she tries very hard to wipe the taste off her tongue and drinks copious amounts of water after that (as well she should). Evan, in the background, is just happy drinking chilled water from my glass.Both are pleased as punch after that. And they seemed to also be thrilled to have been included in our grown up activity of sitting round the table after dinner and sharing styrofoam boxes of durian.Technorati Tags: twins, durians, childhood memories A Simple Life 2 It's been blissfully cool lately with the rains. Instead of contributing to a growing carbon footprint to stay cool with air-conditioning, we've taken to sleeping with the fan on and the windows wound down in the car.I never realised how we'd been depriving the twins in a bid to always keep them cool and 'sterile' in a non-polluted car environment.In their 3 years, we've apparently never driven with the windows down while they were in the car. This morning was the first time.And the utter joy they felt was heartwarming and ticklish for us.Incidentally, they've been learning in Chinese class about wind and rain. They are sent home with flash cards and craft they've done to illustrate the words.But there is obviously much to be said about experiential learning. Yesterday, they stood with umbrellas in the rain and it is unlikely that they will ever forget that 雨 is rain and 下雨 is raining and when it is raining, 雨伞 (an umbrella) is needed.And this morning, in the car, Jordan was shrieking excited that 风来了 (There's wind!). This phrase was just a phrase she'd learnt in class till this morning when she was flapping her arms in the wind, apparently like a bird.It was a reminder for us that we sometimes are so infatuated in the stuff around us that makes life easier and more comfortable for us that we forget what sheer joy there is in the natural and the simple. And at the same time, so much we could show our kids, by example and by experience if we just expose them to it.Technorati Tags: twins, memories, Learning Chinese