Money

We're trying to teach Azalia about money. How to earn it, its value etc. She's been earning some by not crying to school, help me with little things around the house and I let her spend it on anything she wants. Asa is trying to make her save them but I think its too early for her to grasp that. But she's come to realise that she can't afford much with what she's getting. We told her she needs to save up and she's not too happy about that.

So yesterday I got Azalia the wallet she's been asking for awhile which I promise to get her hoping to encourage her to learn about the value of money. She asked for some money to keep it in her wallet. I gave her RM5(the smallest note I had at the time. If not she would have gotten RM1) After a while she gave it back to me. I ask why? She can buy things with that money I said. And she said " I don't need it mummy. I have you. You get me stuff."

Erkk....Still a looonnnggg way to go.

Loud

Azalia has become a bit unruly these past few days. She would scream at people whenever they tease her or speak very very loudly and brashly. So I decided to have a talk with her when it was just the two of us in the car. I was very calm, spoke to her very softly, explaining to her that we are both very similar, we have very loud voice and people like to tease us because of our animated reactions towards being teased at etc. but we have to try and keep calm, respond properly etc because people don't like it when you scream at them.

Guess what she replied.

Azalia: Mak, I am very special you know. Allah gave me this voice and I can speak so loudly and it will never break. So I have to use this special voice. No one have this special voice. Only me. I am special you know mak?

Me: *Silence*

GOBSMACKED!!!!

But later I told her about how people don't like being screamed at and its disrespectful and asked her if she wants to be a special girl that everyone likes or a special girl that no one likes and she she said the former.

Relieved. But this is going to take awhile. She won't change that attitude overnight.

And I suppose I have to watch what I'm doing too.

Sigh.

On Arfan.

Arfan is 2 months plus now. Or 66 days to be exact. And I've started work already. BOOOOO

Haven't written much about Arfan because.. well.. he's a baby. And what do babies do? Eat, sleep, poop and sleep some more. But lately he's awake time is slightly longer so he would insist on being help upright in front of our face and chat. or cooed more likely. I love the sound of babies cooing.

Anyway.. he's growing like a champ. Last we weigh him using the home weighing machine (ie by minusing my weight with him and my weight without him.. haha not so accurate but boleh lah) he was slightly more than 5kg. That's my big boy!!.

When he's awake he looks like Asa with that big wide eyes and chubby cheeks. But when he's asleep or his eyes are half open, People say he looks more like his sister.. and some would say me. But I still think he looks like Asa most of the time.

The first few days, I thought he would be a crier because he cried.. A LOT. Turns out he was just hungry. I suppose baby boys do drink more than girls. Once we got him on the bottle (still on mummy's milk of course) he cried way less.

Arfan is to a certain extent a fussier baby than Azalia. He likes to be clean. So we have to change his diapers quite frequently. I noticed that he uses up almost a pack of diaper a week because even when there's a tiny amount of poo (as in a light streak of poo) he would demand to be changed. And if we don't change him he would become restless and will not drink his milk which would lead to a baby tantrum. I considered cloth diapering him when I calculated the cost of disposable diapers used but when I think about the amount of time that needs to be spent on cloth diapering I just can't. The image of a huge pile of cloth diapers to be washed at the end of the week just scares me. Too much work for a maidless working mom who can only be home from work earliest by 6.45pm.

Arfan has a less cheeky expression on his face compared to Azalia when she was his age. I foresee him being more like his father. Merajuk pun mcm bapaknye. He's also less chatty. Azalia was very chatty. She cooed all the time when she's awake. Arfan's more of an observer. He would just look around for awhile.. and later on ask to be picked up and play with. But even then..he makes less noise. Put him in front of your face and he would just stare at you. Like really stare.

Arfan loves being in a moving car. The first time he was out and in his car seat, he was quiet when the car is moving but as we approached the first traffic light he starts crying. And then when we moved... he stopped. And as we approached the second traffic light, he cried the moment we slowed down. And cried louder when we stopped. He did the same thing when we approached a junction, another traffic light.. etc. I jokingly told everyone he has a motion detector.

Everytime I look at Arfan I feel so blessed. I was this close (thumb and pointer finger close together) to giving up. But Allah knows best. Both he and Azalia are my miracles.

2 kids

I've always known that having a child is not easy. And just because you had one before, the next one does not make it any easier. Handling two kids, despite what ever age gap, is not easy. Although having one that can follow instructions is more helpful but it depends if she's in the mood to obey them. Oh well..

Living with parents certainly help. Especially retired ones. No I don't expect them to be available for the kids at all time but having an extra pair of hands most of the time certainly help in making things more manageable.

I did have my share of having both kids all alone when my parents went on holidays and Asa is away at work. And there were days when everything goes as planned and there are days when your baby just clings on you and you can't get much done and you eat with a screaming baby beside you. Having Azalia around sometimes help. She would help me fetch things, keep a look out on her baby brother while I bathe although sometimes she would take it upon herself to soothe him which I do not encourage becuase she is five and does not know her limits. Karang ada budak tu kene angkat mcm patung.

I caught her trying to pick him up when he was crying and decided to teach her the correct way of picking him up because I know she would do it again the next time I turn my back. No amount of scolding can change that girl's mind... she wants what she wants so better teach her the correct way.. yes? But of course with a lot of warnings.. A LOT!!

Anyway...waking up in the middle of the night is expeted when you have a baby around. But its worse when you have an ill toddler too. And I had to go through it alone without hubster. I'm amazed at myself for holding up the next day without any naps. That was last night by the way and we'll see how tonight goes.

Despite all that, nothing beats the feeling of having both kids in your arms, dozing off at the end of the day.

1st Olympiad.

Azalia had her first Olympiad on Sunday 6th May. I went alone because Asa had to go to Kuantan and man it was so hot and humid. I almost pitied the kids for having to wait and stand at the stadium's track and do their march pass but then I remembered I went through it too when I was their age and it was an experience so yeah... I stopped worrying.

I underestimated Azalia's abilities sometimes. You see when I'm around she can be really clingy and whiny. But what I observed yesterday was that she is independent and a trooper when she's around friends. I should really loosen the leash and let her explore the world more on her own because she can do so much more if I just sit by the sideline and observe from a far. Which I did yesterday and I enjoyed every minute of it.

When some kids were already crying due to the waiting and the weather, Azalia just stood there and make funny faces to her friends. When the song played while waiting for the VIP to come, she wiggled her bum and persuaded her friends to join her as well. She followed instructions very well and had so much confidence in her and was not overwhelmed at all but the huge crowd. She was also very focused in completing her event (she had to make teh tarik and ran..) and was a very good sport too.

It rained heavily in the middle of her event so her group couldn't complete their run but at least she completed her run which is awesome because I got it on camera.. woohooo!!! But they couldn't do the medal ceremony in front of us and had to it under the tent. She was so proud of that medal and wore it the whole day that day. Even to sleep. And she get to play in the rain because we had to go through it to get to the car. It was raining cats and dogs... kesian.

But over all she had a lot of fun. Although I think today she's paying for the rain. Terrible flu and cough.. oh well.. life is tough. Treated her to a fun day at Kidzania on Monday (yesterday) since school was closed. Will write more about this trip.

Today I think I have to let her stay in because I think she had too much excitement and need a lot of rest and recover from her flu. Hopefully it doesn't escalate to bronchitis like before. Did I say I'm proud of my girl?? hehehe wished her father was there to see her first Sports Day.