So the last time I published a post was just over a year ago and oh my what a year of growth it has been! The month of October in 2014 saw me quitting the corporate life to become a full-time stay-at-home-Mom and what an a gratitude-filled experience it ha proved to be!
I wake every morning preparing my elder 2 for primary school, ensuring that they have packed lunches and also enough "in case" money to buy what they wish for at recess. Since it was A's first experience of Primary school, you can imagine that most if not all of his money was spent at the bookshop, being enrolled by the bookshop Aunty to buy this or that (because it was on discount). Much to Mommy's dismay, I have threatened more often than not to take away his pocket money if it was spent on wasteful items that really were NOT required! So 2015 was spent on laser pointers, erasers, Colour pencils (that you could assemble to look like a spaceship), mini globes and Geronimo Stilton (I approve) books, just to name a few!
In the meantime, L has been offered a ballet solo and was chosen to perform and compete at the CSTD competitions in Melbourne and 2015 presented itself with the opportunities for her to grow in dance and in competitive Gymnastics! My naturally athletic Daughter found herself stretching and growing like never before in her craft and obviously not with tons of sweat and tears!
K had also decided she wanted to take up dance again and is so focused and enjoying the craft right now. Blossoming under the tutelage of her Favourite teacher and also loving Kindy!
Baby A is now chatting and engaging in conversation. He is quite an entertainer with all the dancing and singing he has been spontaneously displaying! His current hit song is "Uptown Funk"!!!
How did I mark my year end of being SAHM? I went back to consult part-time and work 3-4 times a week in the mornings while the kids are in school! Just to feed my left brain a little bit!
Oh and did I tell you, we also grew the 7 Hummingbirds business!
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
What a YEAR 2014 has been!!!
Since my last post more than a year ago, my SAHM stint was short-lived. I had left Randstad, joined a recruitment company, Font, for 2 months and left again to go back to Randstad in an outsourced capacity, working for the #1 company in the world. Yup, you guessed it... Google. And what a whirlwind romance it had been! Engaged in a capacity that I never had imagined, working alongside an awesome team, while still embracing it all as Mummy.
In the last year, I survived Leia being in Primary 1, Aik graduating from K2, Kiera finishing N2 and Asher growing in a little boy. What a year it has been!
My precious firstborn in the year has become quite a star in the dance arena. This year alone, having competed in the Asia Pacific CSTD Competitions and won first prize with Jitterbugs, completed her first-ever CSTD tap & jazz exams, performed for an audience (including the President) at Child Aid's 10th year anniversary at MBS and not to mention, in between also getting extra coaching for her upcoming RAD ballet exams next year plus gym lessons! Plus... she also got promoted this year to Junior Modern Jazz and Bronze Tap, skipping one level due to excellent performance! Yes, she reminds me of someone I know and as mummy having to go through managing crazy CCA schedules again, just feels really special :)
My little court jester has still got his groove on! Wow-ed everyone at his graduation concert by breakdancing to his K2 performance... and of course, he cooly admitted to everyone that he knew he was THAT good. There had been a whole lot of stress (for me more than him) in placing him in the school of choice. All's well that ends well though, he will be going to SJIJ next year and as luck would have it (actually, he prayed HARD every night for this)... he ends up in the same class with his BFF Oliver! Imagine that?! Same class since they were in like 4 or 5, now they will grow into young men together for at least another 2 years!
My little princess ... well is a little princess. Preferring dresses over shorts or tights. Tiaras and letting her hair down, instead of tying it up neatly into a ponytail. Shoes are glittery. You will hardly see Little Miss K in sneakers. This year, she took on ballet, tap & jazz for Tots at Jitterbugs. She performed a ballet piece at the Jitterbugs yearly concert and won a Dedication Award 2014 for outstanding performance at dance school but... was too shy to collect her medal and certification when her name was called out. Soooo endearing. She quit dance immediately after that because it was too "boring" but come 2015 is having another stab at it! Oh... and she is such an awesome cook and a great help in the kitchen!
Baby A is no longer a little baby... Such a happy personality. He is friendly, often seen these days saying hello to strangers, he gets excited at the mention of "going out" - you will see him perched at the steps putting on his own shoes, he dances at the sound of music (any music) and sings songs! Yes, at this time, the Disney Frozen theme song, "Let It Go" is so popular and he has taken to mimicking his older siblings in belting out the song in gibberish but IN TUNE. Such a joy to be around!
Today marks 9 weeks and 4 days since I've left corporate to be SAHM.
Don't say I didn't warn you corporate moms, this is no easy task! I am far busier than I have every been back then. BUT... I AM LOVING IT!
In the last year, I survived Leia being in Primary 1, Aik graduating from K2, Kiera finishing N2 and Asher growing in a little boy. What a year it has been!
My precious firstborn in the year has become quite a star in the dance arena. This year alone, having competed in the Asia Pacific CSTD Competitions and won first prize with Jitterbugs, completed her first-ever CSTD tap & jazz exams, performed for an audience (including the President) at Child Aid's 10th year anniversary at MBS and not to mention, in between also getting extra coaching for her upcoming RAD ballet exams next year plus gym lessons! Plus... she also got promoted this year to Junior Modern Jazz and Bronze Tap, skipping one level due to excellent performance! Yes, she reminds me of someone I know and as mummy having to go through managing crazy CCA schedules again, just feels really special :)
My little court jester has still got his groove on! Wow-ed everyone at his graduation concert by breakdancing to his K2 performance... and of course, he cooly admitted to everyone that he knew he was THAT good. There had been a whole lot of stress (for me more than him) in placing him in the school of choice. All's well that ends well though, he will be going to SJIJ next year and as luck would have it (actually, he prayed HARD every night for this)... he ends up in the same class with his BFF Oliver! Imagine that?! Same class since they were in like 4 or 5, now they will grow into young men together for at least another 2 years!
My little princess ... well is a little princess. Preferring dresses over shorts or tights. Tiaras and letting her hair down, instead of tying it up neatly into a ponytail. Shoes are glittery. You will hardly see Little Miss K in sneakers. This year, she took on ballet, tap & jazz for Tots at Jitterbugs. She performed a ballet piece at the Jitterbugs yearly concert and won a Dedication Award 2014 for outstanding performance at dance school but... was too shy to collect her medal and certification when her name was called out. Soooo endearing. She quit dance immediately after that because it was too "boring" but come 2015 is having another stab at it! Oh... and she is such an awesome cook and a great help in the kitchen!
Baby A is no longer a little baby... Such a happy personality. He is friendly, often seen these days saying hello to strangers, he gets excited at the mention of "going out" - you will see him perched at the steps putting on his own shoes, he dances at the sound of music (any music) and sings songs! Yes, at this time, the Disney Frozen theme song, "Let It Go" is so popular and he has taken to mimicking his older siblings in belting out the song in gibberish but IN TUNE. Such a joy to be around!
Today marks 9 weeks and 4 days since I've left corporate to be SAHM.
Don't say I didn't warn you corporate moms, this is no easy task! I am far busier than I have every been back then. BUT... I AM LOVING IT!
Aik's teething...
And it's the cutest sight! He's got the top 2 growing and another bottom 2 growing with a space each between. I will go get a picture taken of that. I love kids at this age, they say and do the darnest things and you cannot help but just laugh. Worst part is that when they actually do something that's making you angry, you can't help but go "awwwwwww"...
AIK does that to me ALL the time!
AIK does that to me ALL the time!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Humbled
As I write this, I am on my last week of work. Having resigned (made a conscious choice to) and kick starting my 1 year plan to live the life I have always imagined. I embark on a new adventure come 29th July 2013 and this possibly will mark a life change for my family and I.
People see me and often comment how they cannot imagine how I do what I do and have it all. I say, I do it with a smile on my face and never ever feel like I do it alone. I have an incredible amount of support and wonderful, loving & giving family and friends. I also have my constants - my husband, my mother, my brother. They keep me 'together' when I fall apart.
Today, I chanced upon a blog of a mother, who chose to be a SAHM to care for her daughter, diagnosed by a baby disease. While not entirely rare, the treatment of it involves a lot of western medication that has many side effects. As such, she chose to go the alternative route - use natural medicine. I applaude her tenacity but reading her story tugs at my heart strings for as a mother, I allowed myself to imagine for a while, what I would do if that happened to one of my children. See, her daughter was not born with the disease. She was inflicted by bad childcare, in the hands of a confinement nanny who had probably done something undesirable. Wow - I can only imagine, and my heart cries and goes all out to her.
Of the back of the conversation with my mentor, she remembers how different I had been as a career woman in my last long chat with her (returning from maternity leave). I had said that I now have decided I am a mother first, a career woman after. How I did not think back then how this was really my turning point and every action I carried out after guides me to one thing & possibly one thing only - complete freedom to be available for my children (24/7).
Profound? Not really, for many mothers have done so before me. The profundity lies in being able to experience this first hand. LAKA can look forward to having mummy to themselves real soon. It also means DD and me will also have all the time together building an organisation together, working for ourselves and then leaving a legacy for our children.
People see me and often comment how they cannot imagine how I do what I do and have it all. I say, I do it with a smile on my face and never ever feel like I do it alone. I have an incredible amount of support and wonderful, loving & giving family and friends. I also have my constants - my husband, my mother, my brother. They keep me 'together' when I fall apart.
Today, I chanced upon a blog of a mother, who chose to be a SAHM to care for her daughter, diagnosed by a baby disease. While not entirely rare, the treatment of it involves a lot of western medication that has many side effects. As such, she chose to go the alternative route - use natural medicine. I applaude her tenacity but reading her story tugs at my heart strings for as a mother, I allowed myself to imagine for a while, what I would do if that happened to one of my children. See, her daughter was not born with the disease. She was inflicted by bad childcare, in the hands of a confinement nanny who had probably done something undesirable. Wow - I can only imagine, and my heart cries and goes all out to her.
Of the back of the conversation with my mentor, she remembers how different I had been as a career woman in my last long chat with her (returning from maternity leave). I had said that I now have decided I am a mother first, a career woman after. How I did not think back then how this was really my turning point and every action I carried out after guides me to one thing & possibly one thing only - complete freedom to be available for my children (24/7).
Profound? Not really, for many mothers have done so before me. The profundity lies in being able to experience this first hand. LAKA can look forward to having mummy to themselves real soon. It also means DD and me will also have all the time together building an organisation together, working for ourselves and then leaving a legacy for our children.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Working Mom. SAHM.
I figured for as long as I maintain this - working and being away from my kids (only seeing them after work), I will always be in a constant battle. Do I wanna be a SAHM or do I wanna be a working mom. The reality is, being a working mom outweighs any perks of being a SAHM for me... well, for this moment at least!
It's week 4 back at work and the kids are just about finishing up their school week before they embark on a month-long holiday starting Monday. Which means, Mommy is thinking up ideas on what to do and how to entertain them when school's out. Holidays means, our little girls are on dance break as well.
It's just mid-week and I am already looking forward to the weekend!
x
It's week 4 back at work and the kids are just about finishing up their school week before they embark on a month-long holiday starting Monday. Which means, Mommy is thinking up ideas on what to do and how to entertain them when school's out. Holidays means, our little girls are on dance break as well.
It's just mid-week and I am already looking forward to the weekend!
x
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Of Chickens, Ducks and Other Things
After close to 2 weeks of being quarantined in a separate room, with Mommy so looking forward to having DD around the kids again, Aik started showing signs of the pox. A trip to the doctor confirmed it and here I am baffled at how a kid can get it even though he was vaccinated!? Little Aik happily joins DD in the room (like as if it is a holiday) and starts his quarantine period watching YouTube and hogging the rest of his tablet. At this point, Mommy is like "Thank-God-It's-Just-One", right? Wrong. The very next day, Little Miss K joins them.
Poor baby had it bad (she wasn't vaccinated) but we are so proud of her for sticking it through! With the trusty Valor EO (that's all she decided she wanted) and sometimes Lavender EO (just for another purple label variation). So in the meantime, DD head back to work and Mommy has 2 sick patients to care for in the day.
#heng ah... baby hasn't showed any signs of anything...
2 weeks passed and both A and K get cleared for school! How wonderful! They return to school to go for an excursion to the Bird Park with friends. Just fab! A perfect end to their school week. Of course by the time A and K had the pox then, it was virtually impossible to separate my brood because they were missing each other so much. Daddy and Mommy "surrendered" and mixed them up. They might as well catch it now if they are gonna have the chicken pox at all.
#so we thought it was all over. NOPE.
We are mid week into nursing Baby A. Yes. 3 months and down with chicken pox. We are by now veterans in treating the pox with EOs. Such a blessed and happy baby he is! Smiling and gurgling still. No sign of fever and small blisters (he is still breastfeeding so he has the antibodies from me). Here's our EO protocol...
Every hour...
For the blisters - Melrose, Purification, Valor
On his body - Gentle Baby
Soles of feet - Lemon (to keep his body alkaline), Thieves, Immupower
Mommy drinks NXR a lot and it all been good so far!
What a way to spend my birthday and the last few weeks of my maternity leave! Best news I have heard so far though is that my mommy is staying for a month! Oooooo yeah!
THANK YOU MOM!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Daddy Down... How?
So it is almost a given that as parents we become so good at diagnosing ailments, predicting that our kid is about to get down with something and we can also anticipate the possible sleepless night from attending to our sick babies... now what happens when it is the parent that comes down with something?
Welcome to the ONG household... Daddy is down with chicken pox. Yes, at 36, Mr Ong has got a case of chicken pox... oh oh... thank you God that our kids are all vaccinated, the helper and Mummy has had chicken pox before and hopefully baby has immunity as I am passing my anti-bodies to him through his milk.
So what does this all mean?
While trying our best to keep the kids away from Daddy, Mummy assumes some of Daddy's roles and stretches herself a little bit more than usual. Yesterday, I sent Kor Kor to Aikido, Mei Mei to Dance Babes, Jie Jie to Ballet and had lunch with the SIL, all while Daddy saw the doctor, had some rest and Di Di stayed home in a room diffused with THIEVES!
It'd be like that for a few more days at least... hopefully, until Daddy regains a little more strength and comfort from a bad bout of the pox.
Welcome to the ONG household... Daddy is down with chicken pox. Yes, at 36, Mr Ong has got a case of chicken pox... oh oh... thank you God that our kids are all vaccinated, the helper and Mummy has had chicken pox before and hopefully baby has immunity as I am passing my anti-bodies to him through his milk.
So what does this all mean?
While trying our best to keep the kids away from Daddy, Mummy assumes some of Daddy's roles and stretches herself a little bit more than usual. Yesterday, I sent Kor Kor to Aikido, Mei Mei to Dance Babes, Jie Jie to Ballet and had lunch with the SIL, all while Daddy saw the doctor, had some rest and Di Di stayed home in a room diffused with THIEVES!
It'd be like that for a few more days at least... hopefully, until Daddy regains a little more strength and comfort from a bad bout of the pox.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Of Playdates and SAHMs
So I've been up since 2am. I went to bed when I was putting the kids to sleep...
Today was such an eventful day... wait, it has been an eventful week! Mommy decided to experiment... This week, I organised playdates on every day after school (meaning the kids skipped their naps) - for a few reasons...
1. Kids have claimed how boring it's been since I've been home and they keep doing the same thing... School - Home - Lunch - Nap - Play - Bedtime
2. There are so many people I have been meaning to catch up with and I WANT my kids around me
3. I wanted to see how differently my kids dealt with naps or without
It's Day 4 (actually Day 5, given the time I am blogging this) of the week, so far it's been good... They come home, and they go play... they tire themselves out and then after a shower upon returning home, they crash without whinning about how they still want to play, to draw, to talk... But... am I going to keep this up? Nope! DD and I are still old school that way and totally believe that NAPS are a crucial part of a child's upbringing. They are simply better behaved, less cranky and wonderful after rest. Kids do need to be constantly entertained and half the time I reckon that is the reason why some parents struggle with their kids --- they need to get creative to think up awesome activities to get themselves and their kids involved in!
So Day 5 brings on a Day in School. Grandma comes back for a night before flying off again. So it's playdate with Grandma after school and then perhaps an early dinner before DD and I get some quality date night - chillaxing in front of the TV. A movie perhaps?
x
Today was such an eventful day... wait, it has been an eventful week! Mommy decided to experiment... This week, I organised playdates on every day after school (meaning the kids skipped their naps) - for a few reasons...
1. Kids have claimed how boring it's been since I've been home and they keep doing the same thing... School - Home - Lunch - Nap - Play - Bedtime
2. There are so many people I have been meaning to catch up with and I WANT my kids around me
3. I wanted to see how differently my kids dealt with naps or without
It's Day 4 (actually Day 5, given the time I am blogging this) of the week, so far it's been good... They come home, and they go play... they tire themselves out and then after a shower upon returning home, they crash without whinning about how they still want to play, to draw, to talk... But... am I going to keep this up? Nope! DD and I are still old school that way and totally believe that NAPS are a crucial part of a child's upbringing. They are simply better behaved, less cranky and wonderful after rest. Kids do need to be constantly entertained and half the time I reckon that is the reason why some parents struggle with their kids --- they need to get creative to think up awesome activities to get themselves and their kids involved in!
So Day 5 brings on a Day in School. Grandma comes back for a night before flying off again. So it's playdate with Grandma after school and then perhaps an early dinner before DD and I get some quality date night - chillaxing in front of the TV. A movie perhaps?
x
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)