We finally had our playgroup session with a better structure. Ever since the kids started walking and going extremely mobile, our circle seems to be facing some kind of crisis. The kids just wondered aways to the alluring toys and doesn’t bother about the singing. I am sure they had enjoy those times, but it just seems to be getting too disorganised.

We have a big name for the circle time, Rhythm and Movement. More action songs, more repetition of familiar songs to engage the kids to move their bodies to the songs.

We also had our first craft session, making party hats. Frankly speaking, the moms did most (maybe all) the work, the children only look on or pasted some papers. I was a little disappointed initially, because the kids couldn’t participate more. But Littly had put it very positively, just let the young ones observe the parents folding, cutting, pasting, stapling and they will get an idea and form a concept on those actions. Always so wise and patient in nurturing the children.

We had almost all the toys kept away which turned out to be extremely useful in minimising distraction. However, I made a terrible mistake by bringing out their snacks before they finish their hat making session. The moment they saw the food, they started running after the snacks and refuse to do anything else except to eat!

….drum roll : Caucasians! We had a new mom in our playgroup today. She is such a nice and soft spoken lady, but the moment I tried to sit nearer to her, Yauyau started her loud crying show. She was so afraid that she decided to hide in another room, isolating herself from the rest.

I thought our Paris trip had done her some good and she is less afraid of angmoh now. But apparently, we are very wrong. I was so embarrassed about it and was worried that would make the new mom felt uneasy. I guess only Cecelia knew about Yauyau’s terrible phobia of angmoh, because Yauyau displayed the same crying show when she saw Cecelia’s British in-laws.

Maybe I should try to get some big pictures or poster of these westerners, paste them beside her mattress and make her look at them before she sleeps. Hehe.

By the way, if you are reading this (the new mom), please forgive Yauyau for her anxiety and give her some time to overcome it. It took her about two months before she dares to go near my sis’s boyfriend, hopefully it would be shorter this time.

The 1st month: Easy like a breeze! I was lucky, the kid had been most cooperative. She just latched on and suckle and doozed off into her dreamland. Felt blessed.

The 2nd and 3rd month: Months of uncertainty and frustration. Why was the kid always demanding to latch on!? Loosing heart, I thought I might as well quit and save myself from all the agony.

The 4th - 5th month: Things were getting better. Starting to regain my confident in continueing. Maybe I would be able to hit my goal of breastfeeding for 6 months.

The 6th - 12 months: Feeling really proud of it. It is like an accomplishment. I did it and I want to spread the good news.

After the first year: Oh my God, when is she going to stop suckling the poor mama dry?! Proud? No more, just feeling it becoming a chore. Bonding? Feel more pain then the warmth of love when she plays with her food as she latched on. Just praying she will magically self wean tomorrow and stop physcially abusing me.

Sometimes, the kid just scare the shit out of me when I least expected to see her, especially when I thought she was already sleeping. I was quite sure that she was soundly asleep, because she didn’t stir at all when I opened the creaking door. So off I went into the toilet to relieve myself, well, have painfully hold on to the urgent nature’s call just because the kid hasn’t fallen asleep.

When you thought you are the only person awake in the house, then started to hear funny noises coming from the living room, like someone was searching something from a pile of books, it was kind of spine-chilling. Then came the creaking sound from the door. The bedroom door has been pushed open and footsteps was heard walking towards you. Well, I was totally terrified and hate to see a burglar or some strange beings appear in front of me.

Of course, that strange being always turned out to be Yauyau. Damn, why wouldn’t she just make some familiar noises, like calling out mama or just cry loudly like she always does, instead of making my heart lost a beat again.

It was so engrossed with my gaming that I didn’t spring to any action when the kid happily showed me her triumphant loot of credit cards from Jame’s wallet. I only exclaimed loudly something like “Oh, naughty girl, playing with papa’s cards. Put them back into the wallet.” And I really expected her to return the cards to the wallet.

Later in the evening, we realised the cards were missing when we needed to withdraw money. Tried asking Yauyau where she put them, she just stood there staring at us blankly. Argh, she can’t even talk yet. Gave her a few expired credit cards and we tried to observe her. She walked around trying to put them into some boxes. Oh, that’s clue number one. secret boxes. But no cards in sight.

The father needed the card urgently for his air tickets. Man can be so unhelpful. They kept reminding you that it is very important to find the card, then walked around the house, trying to search with their eyes. For goodness sake, how to find a well hidden object without using the hands to ransack the whole house.

By the way, I just happened to recover our lost items. They were found under the fax machine. Wonders how she managed to get them underneath.

The kid’s demand for attention is going to drive me mad soon. Oh man, why do children require so much attention! When she watches her kiddie show, I have to sit near her and watch with her. When she plays her toys, I also have to engage in the session with her. It won’t do if I just sit around and do something else, she will make those whinning sound until I play with her. I can’t even steal that time to read some newspaper.

Sigh! Why can’t they just sit alone and play alone for a while. I would appreciate even if it is just 15min or so. When kids seek our attention, it is so difficult to turn them down, especially so when they grab your hands and want you to follow them. It is too cruel to turn down their innocent hands.

I know she is not the most demanding kid in the world, so I wonder how some parents could manage to survive this kind of attention seeking stage if their kids are on the extreme end. I am trying hard to be as patient as I can, but this is really irritating. Maybe I should seriously start looking for some playgroup for her to attend, to keep her very occupied and also grant me some peace. I think she is getting very bored at home.

We had another outing again last Thursday, this time to the Animal Resort near Jalan Kayu. It was a school holiday, therefore we were spared from busloads of school children that always visit this interesting place. The children has a blast of their time, especially the older preschoolers who had so much fun patting and feeding the animals.

The main attraction at the Animal Resort is probably the horse. It is big, tall and friendly, coming up close to visitors and trying to sniff out some food. Much more impressive then the little horses we see in the children’s zoo.

Birds chasing will always be one of Yauyau’s favourite fun activity when she sees them.

All the children enjoyed feeding the fishes and ducks. Okie, the adults had fun too.

The kampung like Animal resort, with loose pebble stones, trees, fish ponds and chickens running wild.