Of bedtime, stories and the concert

Good day!

The flower is really blossoming. 😆

Ooh last evening wasn't too bad.

Managed to make her nap for about two hours, but with some rocking because she kept whining with her eyes closed and couldn't settle on her own.

I think our helper managed to make her sleep by 830pm while I was reading to Clarissa.

But the house phone rang at 850pm.. And woke her up.

I took over from my helper after making Clarissa sleep. Luckily it didn't take too long for her to fall asleep.

I have this conversation with my mum almost every other week.

She would call at nearly 9pm to tell or ask me about something, and then she'd ask about the girls.

Usually Clarissa would run to pick up the phone, but if we are doing bedtime stories when the phone rings, she would not. (And she'd keep hurrying me to hang up and continue the story. 😂)

I'd always tell my mum, oh the Big one is reading her storybook and the Small one is about to sleep.

And my mum's standard answer would be:

酱早?!

(So early?!)
🙄🙄🙄

So I'd remind her again that, erm, 9pm is not that early for kids.

And yes I'll give them milk before they sleep.

And then she'd say okok, and we say goodbye and hang up.

A week later, she calls at 845pm again. 😂🤣

It's already better than the earlier days when she used to call us on the house phone after 10pm. I think I'll just have to remind her for another 28 times. 😅

I think my mum has forgotten that when we were in primary school, my dad used to make my Dajie and I sleep by 9pm.

Which was too early for me to finish my homework. 😂

I remember creeping downstairs to the living room some nights to do my homework.

There was once I got discovered because my dad woke up. I was caned and left outside the front porch with a big mongrel dog for most of the night.

I always attribute my fear of dogs and anything furry to that fateful night. 😂

What I couldn't remember was why I was the one caned and chased out of the house, when my Dajie was also with me that night? 😂

But it was my fault lah, I could and should have finished the homework during the day but I think I went out to play instead?

My mum didn't even know about it until the next morning?! 😭

I *think* she scolded my dad?

Hahaha #mychildhoodstories.

She's clearly blocked it out of her memory.. And I wonder if my dad remembers. I dare not ask. 😂

My non-Singaporean colleagues always gasp when they hear about Clarissa's bedtime.

9pm??

Hahahaha.

For them, bedtime is between 7-8pm. They say good night, close the door and see their kids at 7am the next day.

So whenever I'm on business trip and rushing back to the hotel to video-call Clarissa, they'd be like, oh my kids are already sleeping. 😂

I've given up on explaining to her why the girls need to be in bed by 9.

Especially the baby.

Our elder folks seem to not know or believe that babies need at least 14 to 17 hours of sleep? 😣

And no, they don't drink milk and go to sleep on their own.

Ironic. 😂

Almost every weekday morning after her short nap, we'd do some exercises lol.

Here I was trying to let her exercise her hands and grip with the rattler.

But obviously decided that taking photos was more fun. 😅

Tummy time, as usual.

Today's the first time she had these piggy socks on, because the newborn size socks are too small and tight for her.

She kept staring at the pigs like she didn't know them. 🤣

(Which is true, what am I talking about.. 😂)

Erm, Mummy, can I rest already?

See, I can already hold myself up with one hand? 🙄

Hahahaha sorry baby.

She'd also try to stuff her fist into her mouth?

And then she'd make a yucky face and take it out, as if she's saying, why so difficult to eat and why not nice one huh?

But she'd do it all over again. 😂

Show and tell in school today.

The topic is "My favorite item at home".

No prizes for guessing what she chose to bring. 🦆

I tried persuading her to bring something else but she said, "but my favorite favorite is Mama duck!"

Hahaha. So I kept reminding her, like a broken record, to remember to bring Mama duck home.

When I picked her up from the school bus, the first thing she said was, "Mama duck is in the sleeping bag! I open and check!"

😂😂😂
Sorry, I just didn't want to deal with the dilemma of whether I should go back to her school to get it for her or to let her deal with the consequences, if she were to forget to bring it home.

I asked her what she told her classmates about Mama duck.

She said, "I told them Mama duck is my favorite and I hug her everyday!"

Lol.

So the pep talk to prepare the little boss for tomorrow evening's arrangement continued tonight.

I told her the plan.

I'll shower her before we leave, and then Da-yi will play with her, read to her, and watch her sleep. And when she wakes up the next morning, Daddy and Mummy would be at home.

"Why I cannot go to the concert with you?" She asked.

"Mmm because it is for adults. It'd be very loud and you won't like the songs," I tried to explain.

Huh.. they not singing Twinkle Twinkle?

She asked, looking genuinely disappointed and puzzled.

😅😂🤣

I laughed and told her, "No, they won't sing Twinkle Twinkle. It's going to be an uncle called Jacky Cheung and he's going to sing something like 我和你吻别在无人的街! Would you like it?"

She laughed sheepishly and said, "Yes!"

So I repeated the plan again, but she intercepted and said, "That's not the plan! The plan is, I will come home, shower, eat dinner.. And I will go to the concert with you!"

Hahahaha oh man.

Daddy tried to help. "Next time when you are bigger, I'll take you to the Peppa Pig concert ok?"

It clearly made her very pleased, because she smiled and said ok.

And then she turned to me and said, "Mummy you have to stay at home. You cannot go to the concert because it's for children only. I'll shower you and then go out. You can ask Da-yi to watch 小人物向前冲 and then play toys with you. Da-yi will tell you stories and make milk for you. You can ask her to hold your hand to sleep."

Hahahaha I kid you not.

She actually launched into this very long speech without pausing. Basically repeating what I said to her.
Yeah, longwinded Mummy is me. 😂

So I said okok please do all that when you go to the Peppa Pig concert in future.

#thingsclarissasays
#chitchatwithclarissa

Aye I hope it won't be too tough leaving the house tomorrow. 😂