My Daughters « JEWELLE TAN

Dancing Queen

My 7 year old had danced, sang and played music as part of her schools activities more times than I could count with my 2 hands. My second child is going to be just as active and so will the youngest too I am sure, when she starts school.

Accommodating their practice sessions and performances are exhausting but I take it in stride because I want them to remember school as fun too. And at this point, performing in school means putting on striking costumes, fancy hairdo, make-up and they simply adored it all!

Of course it helps that they are talented – which I used to think came genetically from me (because it can’t be from their father).

Until the admittedly tricky (but one which I was so confident of getting the hang of) Magunatip dance stumped me recently.

While she, despite being her very first try, took to it easily.

I wanted to blame my uncooperative legs on that glass of wine I had at that time but it sounded lame against my husband’s explanation : my daughter is a dancing veteran and “How many times have YOU performed on stage?” – he asked me, pointedly.

Yes, I shall do just what he told me to do next time : leave quietly when she is dancing and let her take the spotlight.

14Jul

Two-Legged Tyrants

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A typical morning which starts with child number two pronouncing, loudly, that she “Will NOT eat that! NO WAY!” when she saw what’s on her plate, 10 feet away from the dining table.

Tension was cooled somewhat when child number one jumped happily, proclaiming “THAT’S what I’m talking about!” when she saw what on her plate.

As for child number three, she just had to join in the like/dislike bandwagon so early in the morning with an enthusiastic “I LIKE anchovies!” – never mind that anchovies are nowhere in any of the breakfast menu.

When breakfast is all done, it was on to preparing their school snacks – another trip to the kitchen barely 1 hour since breakfast.

Now it was child number one’s turn to exclaim, “You know I HATE that!” when she saw what’s on the chopping board. And child number two’s turn to, seeing what finally filled her tea break container, sneak bites out that I had to rescue it from being eaten up before she even reaches school!

Such is the difference in their taste that breakfast and snack is always a hit and miss – depending on how indulgent I am feeling. On not so typical days, they will get what they like to eat even if it meant having to face the stove and more preparation that I care to do on normal days – not to mention having my hair scented with all kind of fumes and it was not even half way through the day.

These are days when I wish that I can fast-forward to the times when the only headache I get is deciding what to buy as their gift for college graduations and what to wear for their convocations

And start shaking my legs, waiting for them to indulge ME in my all my fussy demands.

13May

Kids And Technology

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Have you notice how at ease kids are these days with technology?

My youngest daughter (read : 2 years old) got my handphone to play videos in mere SECONDS – while it took ME at least half a minute of several steps to get the same thing going.

Then there was that time when I caught her sliding her finger across the screen – something I did not know was possible – until I saw HER doing it!

My second one practically mastered and managed to have several records of herself in my laptop – in less than 2 days after it arrived. My eldest, on the other hand, told me that she wanted my old laptop for her birthday!

Handphones, computers and cameras – there is nothing kids these days (at least, my kids) cannot figure out within a few minutes.

I am pretty sure that at least one of them will pursue an information technology degree – which is a good thing too because there was an article that lists this degree as one of the best for the coming decade.

09Apr

Competitive Moms

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One thing I like about my daughters’ school is the competitive spirit among the mothers.

Not competing in the ways of whose kids were taken for the best school holiday trips or being women, who looked like they are ambassadors of programs like click here or sported the most expensive handbags as they walked their kids to class.

But competitive in making the most of the opportunities offered by the schools for their kids.

Just yesterday, a fellow mom updated me on where to get the materials for a competition. That reminded me of this competition which I was actually trying to forget. Another mom told me that her daughter has completed hers and advised me to get mine started on hers soon. That reminded me that I should not let my daughter miss out on this activity just because it involves a lot of helping out from my side!

For my other daughter, another set of mothers reminded me how important it is to grab whatever learning opportunities are available. A fellow mom confided how she regretted not pushing her daughter for one activity at the time when she saw that mine was involved in two.

But it was one mom words I bring up to mind whenever I feel overwhelmed with all the demands of getting my two school-going children to be exposed to as many learning experiences – which meant a lot of driving to and fro school, coming in early to get a parking spot and most times hanging around in school for hours.

“Telan saja” or just accept whatever inconveniences there are, for their sake and for their future.

08Feb

Short Escapade

Filed in Brunei Life | My Daughters 2 Comments

There was a line in Adam Sandler’s movie “Bedtime stories” where he said that if a hotel is too much like home, one might as well just stayed home.

And I understand that perfectly.

It’s not that we want to escape home – but home comes with many responsibilities and there are times when we just want to forget those responsibilities for a short while.

Apparently, my daughter understands that part of me well too now as she explained why our recent Miri holiday was a good thing – “Mama will get to rest and she can watch TV or read her books. If she wants anything, all she has to do is call Housekeeping“.

But she was right actually – to some extent. There were many things I did not have to do although it also meant that I had to be extra vigilante about making sure that their physical and verbal energy and exuberance do not get us kicked out – and that probably did not happened because both rooms besides us were vacant…

So it was not some fancy Branson getaways in the USA but this short break over the Brunei border was enough to recharge my energy to face all that I need to handle as a mother to 3 handful children.

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