10 Habits of Happy Moms

Was logging onto my Yahoo Mail when this article's title just seemed to cry out for my attention.If you want to remain a Happy Mom, then read this. Take note of no. 2, a common mistake for me sometimes and no. 3 makes me laugh!

This Mama ♥ Quintessentially Yours

My little cousin, all grown up and embarking successfully in a career she is passionate about.. and blogging about it too! Check out some of her cool stuffs at http://quintessentially-yours.blogspot.com/

This Mama's Chocolate List

It’s the rainy season and it has been forecasted to rain lots here in Penang. The perfect time for a cup of hot chocolate! I mentioned before somewhere in this blog that I discovered recently that I actually like chocolate more than I know. Let’s see, there’s:

This Mama's mini chocolate cupcakes

hot chocolate
moist chocolate cake
brownies
Haagen-Daaz Belgium chocolate ice-cream
Cote D’Or dark chocolate
Pocky Almond chocolate coated biscuit sticks
Lotte chocolate filled biscuits
chocolate eclairs


Hmm... not that bad.. doesn’t look like I live on chocolate yet!

Mama, please...

Baby O has been signing 'Please' and 'Thank You' all these while.

Recently, she has been 'demanding' for things - (biscuit) ket, ket, keT, KET!!! That happens when you don't respond to her quick enough. So I have been 'instilling' some manners into her asking her to ask for things properly - Mama, more biscuit, please. She started signing 'please' but because she is able to speak quite a number of words now, I encouraged her to say the word instead. After a few reminders, she will actually say 'Mama, pease.' by herself. And when you acknowledge it - do you want more biscuits?, she will give you a nod together with an oh-so-sweet smile that melts you and makes you drop everything immediately to get her what she wants (caution: the second part of this sentence is exaggerated.). Well, she is finally able to express so much more now including pain which is such a relief especially at times when we don't know why she is crying! It is so cool to watch her string her words together now and be able to 'chat' with her! :-)

This Mama is back!

Been missing in action as we were away. Subsequently had to have a vacation after the vacation to recover from it all! Lots to update as well but I left my camera cable behind in Ipoh so there won't be pictures until later. Anyway, it's good to be back!

Travelling with a one and a half year old toddler is quite challenging versus when Baby O was just a baby! Although it was only a 4-hour long flight (thank God!), it felt as though it was three times that!

On the way there, we were on a 777 Boeing. The flight attendant was extremely kind to get another passenger to exchange seats with us so we could have a row of 4 seats all to ourselves. The weather was probably not great as the seat belt sign was kept on the whole time and we were advised to keep ourselves strapped most of the time to our dismay. I really wanted to tell the nice flight attendant, who managed to keep her smile on for us each time she passes to remind us to keep Baby O's seat belt on, that it is impossible to keep a one and a half year old strapped! We thought an option to stop Baby O from fussing was to carry her and walk her up and down the aisles but our hands were tied. I have never paid so much attention to the seat belt sign before in all my previous flights!

Baby O was given a little book which helped to keep her occupied for a little while. The on-flight entertainment also managed to distract her a while more before she finally retire for a short nap. Unfortunately, we were on a full 737 on the way back with only one short aisle to traverse made even shorter by the long queue of passengers waiting for one of the two toilets.

Anyhow, we somehow survived and this is a little reminder for future travels:
1. If given a choice, fly around nap or sleep times to minimise upset to child's routine.
2. Bring lots of healthy snacks and activities (eg. crayons, activity books) to keep child occupied before the fuss begins. I will rather over- than under-pack for this one.
3. During take off and landing, allow child to drink (eg. water/ juice/ milk) from a bottle or with a straw, or snack on something chewy (eg. raisins) to reduce discomfort of increased cabin pressure.
4. Don't expect to be able to rest on the flight so have enough rests before!
5. Choose a window seat which allows some form of distraction.
6. Check-in online if option is available.
7. Bring a lightweight and compact stroller that is also easy to carry around at the airport, through customs, on and off public transportation....
8. If flight is not full, try asking for a free row of seat for a more comfortable flight.

Quote of the Day

"Some women are lucky. They gave birth to babies. I gave birth to teenagers."
- Erma Bombeck (American newspaper column humorist and author)

Gustav Klimt's Mother and Child

Are You Ready For Toddlerhood?

Read this article in a baby magazine some time back before Baby O was even one! Managed to find this piece and thought I would share it with you. Baby O is now 17 months old and I see some signs of what's to come!

Shopping with toddlers
Go to your local supermarket with a goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goat out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys.

Getting used to messes
Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains. Hide a fish finger behind the stereo and leave it there all summer. Stick your fingers in the flower beds, then rub them on the clean walls. Cover up the stains with crayons.

Getting used to messes in cars
Buy a chocolate ice cream bar and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there. Get a coin. Stick it in the CD player. Take a family-size bag of chocolate biscuits. Mash them down the back seats.

Getting ready to go out
Wait outside the toilet for half an hour. Go out the front door. Come in again. Go out. Com back in. Go out again. Walk down the front path. Walk back up it again. Walk down it again. Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes. Stop to inspect minutely every cigarette butt, piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect along the way.  Retrace your steps. Scream that you've had as much as you can stand until all of the neighbours come out and stare at you. Give up and go back in the house. You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.

Getting ready for arts and crafts
Take an egg box. Using a pair of scissors and a can of paint, turn it into an alligator. Now take a toilet paper tube. Using only sellotape and a piece of toil, turn it into a Christmas tree. Lastly, take a milk container, a ping-pong ball and an empty box of cereal and make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower.

Taken directly from the Pampers Village Magazine UK (Month 8)