All that jazz in 2 months!

Has it really been almost 2 months since my last blog post? Am tempted to say that time really flies (nothing new) and in these two months, so many things happened:-


1) My baby sister isn't really a baby anymore because she just turned 14 in June (sob sob). I can't even lecture her about the big bad world because she's way matured than I was at her age!
2) I began to sprout a wisdom tooth which needless to say, made my head ache like mad. Why didn't anybody warn me that wisdom hurts??
3) I came down with the worst food poisoning episode in 28 years in July. Just my tummy taking revenge for years of processing junk food. After one week of moaning like a banshee in pain and endless trips to the loo, I can confidently say 'Lesson learnt!'.
4) I discovered that Penguin Literature classics (and you thought the literature genes died after college!) retail for just 4 SGD each. C'mon, I pay 5 SGD for 2 litres of milk!!

I also figured that my little boy is becoming taller, that I can't carry him as easily as I could last year and that he is getting more independent by the day. This little brat of mine doesnt even let me give him a kiss. Instead he lectures ' No kissing on the lips ok? That's chee chee. Only kiss on the forehead or on the cheek!'. Am thinking I should have kissed him heaps more when he was a baby and wasn't strong enough to fight his mother off. These days, my little one has discovered the power of running. And running fast..

After 3 years of parenting, I can tell you that being a mother is so much tougher and fun than it appears. I wish my mother had handed me a few books on how to be a great mother instead of an worn out copy of ' What to expect when you're expecting'. But then again, why should words of wisdom from an expert apply to children all over the planet? After all, isn't each child different in his or her own way? So, it's with plenty of confidence that I can tell you:

- Kids imitate you all the time. My son has imaginary conversations with my sister on his cell phone (yes he has a cell-phone with no battery or sim card, a Nokia which I was only too happy to get rid of!) and when I ask him who he's talking to, tells me ' I'm talking to Nikki chech. Can you please go out of the room?' Someday when he discovers the magic of a real sim card, I can imagine what his conversations will be like and having a heart attack every month when I pay the bill.

- Just when you're in the middle of a nice nap, your kid has to go to the loo. And he will pester you till he gets his way. On second thoughts, it's better to get up and do the needful because who likes cleaning a mess?

- You reluctantly agree to watch spongebob squarepants although you're dying to know what's cooking up on Wisteria Lane in your favourite show. What's better? Hearing spongebob yap or a non-stop tantrum for 5 minutes? No wonder, am becoming a desperate housewife myself!

- Forget about watching a movie non-stop for 2 hours. Because that's the time your kid will most likely want to watch You Tube videos, play football, or of late, play angry birds!

- They are the little masters of manipulation. Real life example: My kid was running a high fever one day and of course I said no to giving him ice-cream. The next day he comes to the kitchen, gives out a fake cough and says ' Mummy, I need cough medicine. I have cough'. And I spent the next 5 minutes reassuring him he did not need medicine because he did NOT have a cough. To which, the little brat asked' Ok, then can I have some ice-cream please?' He's already learnt the art of beating round the bush and confusing his mother!

It's no wonder then that so many moms I have spoken to actually feel like they come from the dinosaur age. I completely echo that sentiment. I've learnt the hard way that if I have to discipline my child, I not only need to prove who the boss is but I also have to think 20 steps ahead of him!! Just like my parents did, am blinking when I hear my 3 year old say a witty liner and am wondering how much wider the generation gap is going to get. Through all the confusion and fun moments, am glad to say that I'm learning to be a mom the other way round- one day at a time. :-))