Yay! We have finally decided on a school for both boys. It`s Hello Kids. They will start on 1st June, every Monday & Tuesdays from 10am-2.30pm. And Gabe will still attend special school Wed, Thurs & Fri. Since Lucas is still so young, i don`t have the heart to put him there everyday.
I was already very reluctant to send him to school at such a young age, but i felt i didn`t have much choice if i wanted time to study Japanese part-time. And with him being so so sticky, i felt perhaps he needed this...and yes, for me too largely. I have dedicated nearly everyday of my life to these 2 boys since they were born. Through sickness, happiness, mucous, phlegm and tears I`ve stuck by them. I just feel it`s time i needed some ME time. Yes maybe unfair to Lucas coz he`s so young, but i went through it over and over, and in the end he`d probably learn more from his friends in school than at home with a recently angrier-shoutier-frustrated mum.
Yeah i guess I have reached that point in life where i just don`t have it in me anymore to deal with them for the whole day. Trust me, i love them with all my heart. But it`s time for us to be apart slightly...
So yes, I`m excited about getting 2 half days alone. Not much, but i think good enough for me to study abit, and go to the gym and have some nice alone lunch.
Boys, grow up. Mummy loves u both, but I`ve decided enough is enough. Go to school and do ur stuffs!!
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
BLISS
The weather in Tokyo is turning GLORIOUS...with that i mean it`s warm n sunny, but not too hot, even with the afternoon sun. But it lasts only for a month or so, with July & August being the extreme worst. Stay in the sun for an hour and you`re toast.
So of course, I`ve been wanting to bring the kids out every weekend. Morning sun is the best, but of course their Father is always so lazy and keep saying in the afternoon only we go. By then, the kids are cranky and sleepy. And some wonder why it`s so hard to bring kids out..of course what, you wait till they are all tired n sleepy. Geez.
So out of the many weekends that we had, last week was the best. We went to the riverside green, where they had a small stream with running water for the kids to play. And i loved it. Lucas LOVED it..Gabe well, not at first, but yes in the end he LOVED it. Freezing cold water though. We ate our McDs and Lucas even had his choc milk shake.
Needless to say the kids were wayy tired on the way home and after their bath, fell straight asleep. BLISS. I am so going for more of these outings. Otehrwise all Gabe does is watch IPAD at home.
i say this is wayyy more fun!!
So of course, I`ve been wanting to bring the kids out every weekend. Morning sun is the best, but of course their Father is always so lazy and keep saying in the afternoon only we go. By then, the kids are cranky and sleepy. And some wonder why it`s so hard to bring kids out..of course what, you wait till they are all tired n sleepy. Geez.
So out of the many weekends that we had, last week was the best. We went to the riverside green, where they had a small stream with running water for the kids to play. And i loved it. Lucas LOVED it..Gabe well, not at first, but yes in the end he LOVED it. Freezing cold water though. We ate our McDs and Lucas even had his choc milk shake.
Needless to say the kids were wayy tired on the way home and after their bath, fell straight asleep. BLISS. I am so going for more of these outings. Otehrwise all Gabe does is watch IPAD at home.
i say this is wayyy more fun!!
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Looking For School..It`s TOUGH
The past few weeks I have been actively trying to search for a school for both Gabe & Lucas. I want them to be in the same school so that it`s easier for me to drop off & pick up. And yes, Lucas is young at barely 18months, but i need to start my Japanese Language class and also selfishly have some ME time. But not if i can`t find a great school. You see, the thing is most do not want to accept Gabe. I am trying to understand from their viewpoint:
1) If any teacher falls ill or takes leave, there will not be enough teachers to handly so many students, plus one who has special needs
2) The school policy just says they can@t accept Special Needs students
3) The teachers are not equipped with special skills required to handle Special needs
But as a mother who loves her son so very much and wants him to have the very same exposure and experiences of other kids, i can`t seem to fully understand. If only they could see past his Down Syndrome label and take a good look at him. Which pasrt of GAbe looks disabled as in he can`t walk or talk or feed or dress himself? He can, if only they could really look at him and give him a chance. Which kid would know how to do those things without being taught?? Some are just slower than others.
So yes, I`m abit sad and disheartened though i prepared myself for this. Anyway, not all schools rejected him. Just that there are some major cons that seem to bother me greatly, but at the moment it doesn`t look like i have awide variety to choose from. Here are the schools we looked at and the outcomes.
Bilinga International in Deenchofu (high class area)
They can`t accept Special Needs student. End of story.
The school is great with a stand alone building in a great neighborhood and has it`s own large compound..dream haven for kids.
Tamagawa International
Stand alone house next to a convenience store. Lovely quiet neighborhood. Lovely teachers. Lucas quite loved it. Unfortunately, the owner does not want to accept Gabe as they may not have enough teacher capacity.
Hello Kids
I sat in the class for 1 hour and the teachers were great, the students seemed to enjoy it, and were really smart. Small building but that seesm to be the case for alot of neighborhood schools in Tokyo. Price is a tad bit pricey, but still OK. Gabe & Lucas would probably be in the same class for the first year or so. I have a friend whose daughter is there and she loves this school. Thing is,t he parking is terrible. All of the nearby coin parkings are ALWAYS FULL. I can@t park at the side of the road, and anywhere nearby is off limits due to the narrow roads and busy traffic. So it`s the main problem i have, oterwise i`d enrol them in this school immediately. And Lucas had fun that day in class too. I`m still thinking hard about this school coz i honestly like the teachers alot. And there is a park nearby for them to play.
Three Stars Intl
So near our place just 3mins by car. Perfect...only thing is they don`t accept GAbe. So, not so perfect after all. And Lucas needs to be at least 2 yrs old.
Pan Mie Intl
Very near our place too, but drove past, saw it was in an apartment block on the ground level, so so tiny! Not impressed, never bothered to make an appointment, but now am rethinking.
Cambridge Intl
Convenient parking area, but the school is located on the 3rd floor with NO LIFT. I climbed it and wonder how on earth are they going to bring kids up & down everytime they go outside to play. I can alreay imagine how hard it`ll be for Gabe to climb it and even for Lucas I`m so afraid he`ll trip and fall! Nope, no way.
And there are actually a few other good schools international nearby, but the thing is, these are more formal types of school with hefty prices, like costing JPY 1.5mil per pax. I don@t think we`re at the stage of going for these cause we are still unsure of the kiddos paths. Gabe may very well go to a Japanese elementry school, so there`s no point in even thinking about it, and Lucas well, he`s young and we just want him to learn and sing and dance n be happy until we decide which path he takes be it fully International or maybe Chinese education.
So yeah there`s that, and I`m still searching. I know in the end something good and meant for us will turn up, I`ll just have to wait & pray hard that it`ll be the right one.
1) If any teacher falls ill or takes leave, there will not be enough teachers to handly so many students, plus one who has special needs
2) The school policy just says they can@t accept Special Needs students
3) The teachers are not equipped with special skills required to handle Special needs
But as a mother who loves her son so very much and wants him to have the very same exposure and experiences of other kids, i can`t seem to fully understand. If only they could see past his Down Syndrome label and take a good look at him. Which pasrt of GAbe looks disabled as in he can`t walk or talk or feed or dress himself? He can, if only they could really look at him and give him a chance. Which kid would know how to do those things without being taught?? Some are just slower than others.
So yes, I`m abit sad and disheartened though i prepared myself for this. Anyway, not all schools rejected him. Just that there are some major cons that seem to bother me greatly, but at the moment it doesn`t look like i have awide variety to choose from. Here are the schools we looked at and the outcomes.
Bilinga International in Deenchofu (high class area)
They can`t accept Special Needs student. End of story.
The school is great with a stand alone building in a great neighborhood and has it`s own large compound..dream haven for kids.
Tamagawa International
Stand alone house next to a convenience store. Lovely quiet neighborhood. Lovely teachers. Lucas quite loved it. Unfortunately, the owner does not want to accept Gabe as they may not have enough teacher capacity.
Hello Kids
I sat in the class for 1 hour and the teachers were great, the students seemed to enjoy it, and were really smart. Small building but that seesm to be the case for alot of neighborhood schools in Tokyo. Price is a tad bit pricey, but still OK. Gabe & Lucas would probably be in the same class for the first year or so. I have a friend whose daughter is there and she loves this school. Thing is,t he parking is terrible. All of the nearby coin parkings are ALWAYS FULL. I can@t park at the side of the road, and anywhere nearby is off limits due to the narrow roads and busy traffic. So it`s the main problem i have, oterwise i`d enrol them in this school immediately. And Lucas had fun that day in class too. I`m still thinking hard about this school coz i honestly like the teachers alot. And there is a park nearby for them to play.
Three Stars Intl
So near our place just 3mins by car. Perfect...only thing is they don`t accept GAbe. So, not so perfect after all. And Lucas needs to be at least 2 yrs old.
Pan Mie Intl
Very near our place too, but drove past, saw it was in an apartment block on the ground level, so so tiny! Not impressed, never bothered to make an appointment, but now am rethinking.
Cambridge Intl
Convenient parking area, but the school is located on the 3rd floor with NO LIFT. I climbed it and wonder how on earth are they going to bring kids up & down everytime they go outside to play. I can alreay imagine how hard it`ll be for Gabe to climb it and even for Lucas I`m so afraid he`ll trip and fall! Nope, no way.
And there are actually a few other good schools international nearby, but the thing is, these are more formal types of school with hefty prices, like costing JPY 1.5mil per pax. I don@t think we`re at the stage of going for these cause we are still unsure of the kiddos paths. Gabe may very well go to a Japanese elementry school, so there`s no point in even thinking about it, and Lucas well, he`s young and we just want him to learn and sing and dance n be happy until we decide which path he takes be it fully International or maybe Chinese education.
So yeah there`s that, and I`m still searching. I know in the end something good and meant for us will turn up, I`ll just have to wait & pray hard that it`ll be the right one.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Oh You Fickle Heart
Oookaayy, you all know Lucas is highly attached to 2 things....His pacifier and bolster. He thinks and asks for these 2 things every time and especially in the evenings he HAS to have these. Want him to be quiet? Give him the pacifier. Wanna see him smell and hug something like it`s so precious and wonderfully smelling? Yup, his bolster.
And the thing is, in Japan it is quite impossible to find a bolster, let alone a small one, with a cow like cover. So if we ever lost it, i think that would be the ultimate tragedy..or so i thought.
A few weeks ago, yes TRAGEDY happened. In that i mean, we were leaving a park from our playdate that afternoon and i was pushing Lucas in the stroller. It was drizzling, so i was going pretty fast but i clearly remembered bending to adjust the stroller`s cover and saw the bolster. Then, few minutes later we crossed the traffic lights and took the lift down to the subway station. Then, after passing throough the gate, i realised his bolster was MISSING. You betcha i panicked. ALOT.
So i went to the information counter but they didn`t see it,then i traced back my steps to the traffic lights....NOPE, no bolster in sight. Asked the police if anyone retuurned it, NOPE..nothing...TRAGEDY...so there was nothing left to do, it was truly gone. And yes, Lucas got a good scolding for losing it. Sigh...anyway off we went to pick Gabe and went home. And yup, he went looking for his bloster which he now calls `bao`. So what did i do? I threw him the matching pillow in a form of a cow...that was used by Gabe when he was younger. I expected some big drama meltdown....guess what..no drama, he took it, analysed it, then went on to SMELL it and there and then decided he had a new found best friend. I tell you, the way he smelled it and hugged it and then smiled was pure sweeter than what he did with bao....
Amazing...kids, fickle minded creatures they are..and so i think Lucas will probably be a player next time...old gf gone? No problem, new girlfriend come.
I`ll leave you with pics of his old fave and new fave...
And the thing is, in Japan it is quite impossible to find a bolster, let alone a small one, with a cow like cover. So if we ever lost it, i think that would be the ultimate tragedy..or so i thought.
A few weeks ago, yes TRAGEDY happened. In that i mean, we were leaving a park from our playdate that afternoon and i was pushing Lucas in the stroller. It was drizzling, so i was going pretty fast but i clearly remembered bending to adjust the stroller`s cover and saw the bolster. Then, few minutes later we crossed the traffic lights and took the lift down to the subway station. Then, after passing throough the gate, i realised his bolster was MISSING. You betcha i panicked. ALOT.
So i went to the information counter but they didn`t see it,then i traced back my steps to the traffic lights....NOPE, no bolster in sight. Asked the police if anyone retuurned it, NOPE..nothing...TRAGEDY...so there was nothing left to do, it was truly gone. And yes, Lucas got a good scolding for losing it. Sigh...anyway off we went to pick Gabe and went home. And yup, he went looking for his bloster which he now calls `bao`. So what did i do? I threw him the matching pillow in a form of a cow...that was used by Gabe when he was younger. I expected some big drama meltdown....guess what..no drama, he took it, analysed it, then went on to SMELL it and there and then decided he had a new found best friend. I tell you, the way he smelled it and hugged it and then smiled was pure sweeter than what he did with bao....
Amazing...kids, fickle minded creatures they are..and so i think Lucas will probably be a player next time...old gf gone? No problem, new girlfriend come.
I`ll leave you with pics of his old fave and new fave...
Friday, March 13, 2015
We.Are.Back
The blog has been dead for like months..sorry about that. We`ve been kinda busy with the migration back to SIngapore for 2 whole months to escape winter here. ANd now, we have settled down back in Tokyo again, i think i can start to blog again...if i find the energy to.
We had a super duper time in Singapore, though maybe Grandma has some objections to using Super Duper since she developed a series of migraines while we were there???
Photos of Lucas` birthday photos will be up soon, once i get my hands on them from the lazy, slow motion Fat Yi Yi.
2 months....and Lucas has grown so much, he is walking so steadily now. Gabe, sigh a series of new problems, which i will touch on in coming posts.
As usual, the 2 rascals are fighting everyday, over everything and nothing. But they do seem happier seeing their huge stash of toys to play.
Gabe has gone back to school, so it`s just Lucas & I, struggling to get through the half day. The rascal is too naughty and is now always asking me to bring him out, by pulling my hands and leading me to the door, where he will sit down and point to his shoes. If I am so silly as to not bring him, he will just cry and whine n whine and lie on the floor to protest...Cute huh..
But the weather has been delicious past few days, so i did bring him to our nearby park for some cycling and sunshine. And here he is in Full Sunshine Glory
If you look at Picture #7, you notice him staring at the group of kids playing in the sandbox..yes, tons of fun, for them but it`s a total headache with all the sand. And he was actually staring at them for a long time, i could see that he wanted to go play, but i dragged him away before he actually made the move of going into the sandbox and then we will be having one of those mom-drags-screaming-kid-away scenario.
We`re happy here in Tokyo, spring is around the corner and so are the Sakuras.
Till next post, see ya!
We had a super duper time in Singapore, though maybe Grandma has some objections to using Super Duper since she developed a series of migraines while we were there???
Photos of Lucas` birthday photos will be up soon, once i get my hands on them from the lazy, slow motion Fat Yi Yi.
2 months....and Lucas has grown so much, he is walking so steadily now. Gabe, sigh a series of new problems, which i will touch on in coming posts.
As usual, the 2 rascals are fighting everyday, over everything and nothing. But they do seem happier seeing their huge stash of toys to play.
Gabe has gone back to school, so it`s just Lucas & I, struggling to get through the half day. The rascal is too naughty and is now always asking me to bring him out, by pulling my hands and leading me to the door, where he will sit down and point to his shoes. If I am so silly as to not bring him, he will just cry and whine n whine and lie on the floor to protest...Cute huh..
But the weather has been delicious past few days, so i did bring him to our nearby park for some cycling and sunshine. And here he is in Full Sunshine Glory
If you look at Picture #7, you notice him staring at the group of kids playing in the sandbox..yes, tons of fun, for them but it`s a total headache with all the sand. And he was actually staring at them for a long time, i could see that he wanted to go play, but i dragged him away before he actually made the move of going into the sandbox and then we will be having one of those mom-drags-screaming-kid-away scenario.
We`re happy here in Tokyo, spring is around the corner and so are the Sakuras.
Till next post, see ya!
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Jump, Gabriel, Jump
Little Gabriel, well, still walks like a blind bat. But now, he is able to walk up stairs and down, though you need to help him by holding his hands coz his knees are still not quite strong to do it on his own.
And for sometime, Terry has been teaching him to jump...and yup it`s quite a funnt sight, but well he does sorta get it in a clumsy funny way....enjoy
And for sometime, Terry has been teaching him to jump...and yup it`s quite a funnt sight, but well he does sorta get it in a clumsy funny way....enjoy
Friday, November 28, 2014
Too Much!
November has not been very kind to us at all. It`s the kind of month you wanna forget.
Lucas has been so so hard to manage both awake and asleep, and it`s all because of his teething. Few months back since he was 5 months old, i kept checking every now and then whether he had any teeth coming out. Nope, none. Then wham...November starts and the boy is in great pain and drooling like a fountain.
He had not 1 but 4 teeth coming out that i could see. Poor boy no wonder he was so miserable. At nights he would toss and turn n wake so often, i was totally exhausted. And the inevitable happened, Yup, i got sick. And it`s no joke when i get sick coz mine lasts for a month. Yup, another miserable person. Then Gabe got it n subsequently Lucas too....So, we were all miserable.
And then, to top it off, Lucas was going thru a major milestone..walking...he could already stand firmly so i was just waiting for his to take his first step. And now, as of today, the boy can walk like up to 8 steps. So proud of him..yes of coz this part is the good stuff....but then again, they say once babies walk, TROUBLE looms ahead.
So as of end November, my baby can walk, clap hands, say papapapap, wave bye bye, `love` his pooh bear when u ask him too, and knows how to search for stuffs eg phone, pooh bear, bolster when u ask him to.
And here he is, walking...
Lucas has been so so hard to manage both awake and asleep, and it`s all because of his teething. Few months back since he was 5 months old, i kept checking every now and then whether he had any teeth coming out. Nope, none. Then wham...November starts and the boy is in great pain and drooling like a fountain.
He had not 1 but 4 teeth coming out that i could see. Poor boy no wonder he was so miserable. At nights he would toss and turn n wake so often, i was totally exhausted. And the inevitable happened, Yup, i got sick. And it`s no joke when i get sick coz mine lasts for a month. Yup, another miserable person. Then Gabe got it n subsequently Lucas too....So, we were all miserable.
And then, to top it off, Lucas was going thru a major milestone..walking...he could already stand firmly so i was just waiting for his to take his first step. And now, as of today, the boy can walk like up to 8 steps. So proud of him..yes of coz this part is the good stuff....but then again, they say once babies walk, TROUBLE looms ahead.
So as of end November, my baby can walk, clap hands, say papapapap, wave bye bye, `love` his pooh bear when u ask him too, and knows how to search for stuffs eg phone, pooh bear, bolster when u ask him to.
And here he is, walking...
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