Category Archives: Parenting

Things my boys do that make me laugh

3 Replies

Over the past 5 months, I have had the great fortune of spending a considerable amount of quality time with my sons L and C. While the nature of that quality has not been all pleasant all the time (frequent arguments, occasional tantrums, random mayhems), I am very proud to say that they have been extremely well-behaved most of the time.

“L, I know you said they are ninjas, but which one is the REAL ninja? Tell me, tell me”!!!

What I have also learnt is that whenever I need some comic relief, all I need to do is closely watch my two sons as they go about their usual business. Without ever intending to, they can genuinely make me burst out laughing with their indiosyncracies, mannerisms and just the way they interact with each other. Continue reading →

Unforgivable gifts

6 Replies

My elder son L had his 6th birthday party back in September while my younger son C enjoyed his 4th last month. Children’s birthday parties are always fun to be involved in and fun to watch. Unlike adult gatherings, there is no pretension in kids’ actions, nor tension in their conversations. It is just unadulterated pleasure of going absolutely crazy over simple little things like lolly treasure hunt or bashing the proverbial out of pinata – and all without any alcoholic assistance!

This will take longer than a marathon.

There is, however, one thing I dread about my boys’ birthday parties. It is the gifts they get. Teddy bears and Ice Age DVDs I don’t mind. But whenever my boys tear open the wraps to unveil a 500-piece Optimus Prime Transformer lego set or a 200-piece science laboratory extravaganza, my heart skips a beat while my chin drops a bit. The boxes from which these toys materialise from may say they are suitable for kids aged 4 to 8. However, they are only suitable after parents aged 30 to 40 have spent countless hours on the toys analysing and assembling. Continue reading →

Perils of breaking routines

3 Replies

I have a  favourite running route, one that meanders along a river, through several public parks and stretches out almost 30km to a bay. At the 5km mark of this trail, there is a water dispenser to quench the thirst of anyone in need of hydration, be they joggers, riders, dog-walkers or just those enjoying the art of La Passeggiata.

Over the past 6 years running this route, I have religiously stopped at this water dispenser to have a drink, both on the way out (5km mark) and on the way back (5km from home). It has become such a  habit that my whole hydration regime on this course hinges around this little water dispenser. Not only that, it is a refreshing pit-stop on-route to a long run, and a reinvigorating one that I look forward to on the way back.

No water for you!!!

Recently, the unthinkable happened. The water dispenser broke! It was taped off limits like a murder scene – a fitting picture given the shocking and disorienting effect it had on me! I just didn’t feel quite right the rest of the run that day, nor in any of the subsequent runs since (it is still not fixed, despite many agitated calls to the council). It is embarrasing for a grown man to feel such a way over a little water dispenser but, you must understand, I depend on that thing for more than just a drink. Continue reading →

Attachment anxiety

Leave a reply

My younger son, C, is almost four years old. A cheeky and loveable rogue, he is rapidly redefining the meaning of the term “Mommy’s Boy”, such is his attachment to his number-one fan a.k.a. my wife.

However, there is one thing that C loves more than his mother. It’s not a fancy toy or a tasty treat. It has nothing to do with any animals or digital gadgets. It is … a shirt! Just a plain, boring white (and often filthy from his drool and spills) cotton shirt – a shirt that not only has no logos or cute robot prints, but has more wear and tears than it has threads. What’s more, he doesn’t even wear the shirt, as it is my wife’s old shirt from the days of B.C. (Before Children). It was given to C soon after he turned one, as a sort of comfort blanket to help him settle during sleeps. Continue reading →

School holiday blues

Leave a reply

I have just spent the past two weeks caring for my two boys (aged 6 and almost 4) over the elder’s school holidays. I can honestly say there was nothing “holi-” about the period, and the “-days” certainly seemed to stretch way beyond the normal 24-hour cycle.

Actually, I am not being fair to the two princes. The first week was, in fact, quite enjoyable, doing things they were not allowed to do by their mother (eg watching TV in the afternoon), going to places frowned upon by their teachers (eg amusement parlours, toy shops), and eating stuff all mothers and teachers guzzle down themselves but preach moderation to their underlings  (eg donuts, ice cream, chocolate). Continue reading →