Hello! Welcome to my blog! My name is Laura &
i'm a proud mummy of my only precious gal named Melody. As a mum of one,
i would like to share through my writing, the up & down of motherhood as well as my happy & difficult moments...
Kai-Kai Cycling Dancing
baby brandon ♥ baby angel ♥ simply caleb ♥ baby jadon ♥
They say kids are great imitators. They tend to copy what other people do and say.And I completely agree.
Melody carries her bear just like how we carry a baby. She rocks her bear to sleep sometimes, give the bear her pacifier. And, she can even took out her ‘cooking utensils’, pretend to mix and feed her bear!
Ah. Melody, without her realising, constantly reminds me of how I should go about doing my everyday things. The words I use. The things I do. The way I treat other people. It’s an added ‘burden’ of course. You know. Having watchful eyes and ears following you around most of the time.
But I have to say … such a constant training is a good thing.
bong~bong @// 31.10.08
bong~bong @// 30.10.08
I always find it interesting, how a small child can make a big mistake, receive a serious scolding from the parents, cry, feel very sorry about it, and be full of laughter again minutes later.She can pretend as if nothing much has happened earlier, and can even start to play or start a casual conversation with her parents again.
At times like this, however mad I may still feel inside towards Melody’s earlier misbehaviour, deep down I know I need to learn from her : to not let my head get too ‘hot’ for too long, because it’ll only ‘negatively’ affect the way I deal with everything else afterwards.
Yes. Without her realising, my 2 years old is giving me a lesson on life.
bong~bong @// 28.10.08
A cousin of mine’s been working in China for the past 2 years, and when we met up recently, we talked about how children generally are behaving in China. He said that so far the Chinese kids he’s noticed are very spoiled. They’re generally allowed to do ‘anything ‘ that they wish. Even disrespectful or negative behaviours are tolerated by the adults. Like, when a kid is impolite towards an adult (eg. snatching food from a stranger’s plate without saying anything), the kid’s behaviour would normally be excused and the adults will say something like, ‘Ah, they’re just kids. They don’t understand what’s proper and what’s not as yet. When they grow up, they’ll learn.’To me, that’s a big worry. And I’m not sure if this parenting approach is due to China’s only-one-child-is-allowed-per-family policy. I don't know how the future generation will be like years from today, especially if that’s how they’re being brought up there. I sure hope not all the kids are like that.
One thing I can say, kids are much smarter than we think. They can understand what we teach them though they’re still very young. They observe, absorb, copy and learn from their surroundings real fast. And, I strongly believe that it is our calling and responsibility as parents to teach our kids what is right, while we still can.
bong~bong @// 23.10.08
I brought a new pair of sandals for Melody on last Saturday at Isetan Tampines, after the payment, she wants to wear the new pair immediately. And she just throw the crocs shoes aside & simply ignore.
Now she has 10 pairs of shoes at home. I'm a self-proclaimed 'Shoecoholic', will she follow my shoes-steps?
bong~bong @// 20.10.08
Her hair is messy in this photo. And I don’t quite know why, I like this shot. Maybe it’s because it speaks of how a captured moment does not always have to be perfect. And how kids are kids, and being all messy but happy IS part of childhood.
bong~bong @// 19.10.08
My aunt who had a 15-year-old son & a 12-year-old daughter came to my house the other day. When she saw Melody, she went, ‘Aaawwww, I still remember the time when my kids were still at Melody’s age!’. She then said, ‘Now my children are all grown up and they don’t want to be close to me anymore. Really, you should cherish the moments you have with your kid. Especially the time when your kid still want to be close to you, hug and kiss you. Now I have to beg my kids to give me a hug! I would say to them … ‘come on, please give mommy a hug, mommy really needs one now’. Even then, they’d reluctantly give me a half-hug. It’s kinda sad, really.’ I do realise how time will pass, how I’d look back one day and miss the times when I can still carry Melody in my arms, the hugs and kisses, even the times when she gets cranky and all. And after what my aunt said to me, I think I’ll try to enjoy every moment together with her even more than before …
bong~bong @// 16.10.08
YES, She loves this Barney car ride. Whenever she see one at the shopping malls, she will insists to ride at least once, if not, she will let out her best screaming performance again.
bong~bong @// 15.10.08
I feel most parents are kiasu nowadays, sometimes i really don't know if i'm one of them.
Most parents expect their children to think and behave more ‘adult-like’ BEFORE they’re developmentally ready to perform them, they’re in a way threatening their sense of emotional security.
Trying to meet parents’ expectations but not yet ‘ready’ to do so is commonly experienced by all kids. Drinking from a cup, eating with a spoon and tying shoes cannot be done before brain and muscles are ready. And sometimes they may simply be genetically and developmentally unique and special.
As much as parents expose, teach and help a child to grow and develop, it is possible that he doesn’t ‘perform’ as we ‘hope’. He may not yet start cruising at 10 months, nor as tall as his peers at 2 years, and not yet know his alphabets/numbers at three years of age. But despite all that, he is just as special as others who seem to be ‘more advanced for their age’. Each child has their own unique timetable for developing, as well as their very own personalities, abilities and ways of learning.
Our child is unique and we have to accept him just the way he is created, while at the same time positively encouraging him to continually explore and develop his potentials and letting him see our unconditional love and acceptance of him.
bong~bong @// 11.10.08
Someone asked me about whether or not I’ll put Melody in a child care centre, since she’s already 25 months old anyway. On this matter, I agree that once children start going to school or child care centre, you can never filter all external influences any longer. While there are positive influences from teachers and friends whom they spend hours and hours with nearly everyday of the week, realistically, there will sure be lots of not-so-good ones too. So to me, while i still can educate and discipline Melody myself, teaching what i believe and value as righteous, i should take on the challenge and privilege of bringing Melody myself as long as i can. Kids will normally start their Nursery classes when they’re around 3 years old. So, really, we ONLY have those first 3 precious years of a kid’s life to teach the kid ourselves. We can’t keep our kids constantly with us forever. There will be a day when she will walk out of the house and mingle with the outside world all on their own, for hours and hours at a time too. AND if you ask me, I would like to have already taught my kid all the important lessons and values that she needs to know by then. Kids grow very fast and however much we want to turn back time and re-live those cherished sweet moments with our little ones, we can’t. Our kids can’t stay little forever. They grow, become increasingly independent and they’ll one day go and live a life of their own with their own family. That’s the way it is, and that’s the way it should be. And with this in mind, I’m glad I’m here today to spend those precious growing up ‘bitter-sweet’ moments with my Melody. 
Well anyway, this is one of the reasons why I never look down on my role as a mom. I feel it’s such a privilege to have been entrusted with a life, a soul. And, not only to care and nurture physically, but also spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, socially, morally. And while I still have the time, while I still can, I want to do it with all my heart.Motherhood. An honour. A privilege. A joy.
bong~bong @// 10.10.08
We had such a nice time at Vivocity on last Saturday. Weather was nice. Melody enjoyed the waterplay at vivocity level 3, she hopped & held on my hand, went on playing & running around the ankle-deep water. I’ve got to say it was a nice dayout for all of us (went with my sister & brother in law).Ah, really. It’s refreshing to be able to break away from our usual daily busyness and just … enjoy our day together. Something all families should strive for, I feel. However busy we normally get during the week.
bong~bong @// 7.10.08
It is not easy being my husband.
He wakes up early in the morning to go work. When he comes home LATE from work, he faces his very "yellow-faced" and grumpy wife. If he tries to argue, he gets into a debate he can never win over. I want him to be a bigger role as dad, it’s not just about being the one who brings home the bread & butter. it's about spending quality time, having fun, reprimanding misbehaviours, even disciplining the kid. YES, I have lots of expectation & demands. And when he stares so much at the PSP or LAPTOP or even TV on a non-working day, he gets zapped by hot stares from his wife. YES, I'm the scary wife that my husband gripe about.
On good days, we are happy like love birds. On bad days, there's a bone to pick on almost everything. There were times when sparks flew, when we would finish off each other's sentences and laugh ourselves silly over nothing much. Then there were times when obstinacy clouds over our souls as harsh and hurting words were thrown around and neither wants to give in. To make things worse, I think I am the most stubborn person in the world. Sometimes I wonder where the sweet O'wifey me had gone to. Have the responsibilities of being a mother demanded so much of my life that they start to eat away my commitment as a wife bit by bit? At some point in time, we both know that we have to put in an extra bit of effort to keep the marriage going. We're far from perfect. At the end of the day, I think it's about learning to put each other's needs first. And it's learning to let go of the ego and not pick on the trivials.
Like what others say, the woman behind the successful man. If you ask me, I really prefer being the woman beside the man, not behind.
bong~bong @// 3.10.08
