"Isn't she the cutest baby in the world?"

Every day I say this to S about 3 or 4 times.

When Matthew was a baby, I asked my friends (at a party) if they didn't think he was the cutest baby in the world. No, really, objectively, didn't they think so? I'm not saying this as a proud parent but wasn't he evidently the cutest baby on earth?

My friends kind of looked at each other and then said well, there are cute babies and not-so-cute babies, and Matthew was definitely a cute one, but there's no such thing as the cutest baby in the world. I raised my eyebrows at this, but decided not to push the issue since they were all obviously hopeless.

Then Sarah was born and when she got to be about six months old or so, I thought SHE was the cutest baby in the world, even cuter than Matthew.

Today, I think that Sophie is way cuter than Sarah and Matthew ever were, even at the very epitome of their cuteness.

But all of this is not my fault. It's been scientifically proven (we saw this in a TV documentary) that when you're in love, the feel good receptors fire away, plus, the analytical/judgemental regions actually get suppressed! How cool is that?

So this is the only logical conclusion my brain is capable of arriving at, and it's got to be the only conceivable one, because how on EARTH can ANYONE possibly NOT think that she's the cutest baby in the world???

8-minute meal

Sophie usually finishes her bowl of food in eight minutes flat. She loves it! We give her rice porridge or multi-grain cereal, mixed with a variety of ingredients selected from the group comprising chicken, fish, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes. She always eats strapped down in a seat, either her bouncy chair or stroller. Besides her lunch and dinner she also has milk four times a day. Getting nice and plump.

The little darling is often to be found standing in her cot holding on to the rails, calling out after her nap. We've stopped rocking her to sleep at nap times since she's been able to go to bed on her own for months now, just laid down in her cot after nursing, with the lights out. I decided to end the rocking because last Sunday our helper was out and it was no fun at all doing it while I was reeling with influenza. We now just lay her sideways and hold her down until she falls asleep. Such a tractable little baby - she only protested the first two times and now goes down without a fuss.

She also crawls! We laid down a large rubber mat in the living room, and she crawls around on it to get to her toys and sits there absorbedly mouthing them when she succeeds. She especially likes to make her way over to the sofa to pull up and stand.

Sophie's big brother and sister love her to bits. They pull faces to make her laugh, and are always trying to kiss her and carry her. Matt sets the tone for this - Sarah copies him in everything so we've been spared rivalries and jealousies with the baby. I was very worried about this for Sarah at first, since she's been the baby for the last 3 years, but she has risen way beyond my expectations.

The Right Conclusion

While browsing a grocery store after lunch one day at Port Dickson, Sarah picked up a plasticky doll set and asked her Daddy to buy it for her. He said no. Then she turned to her Grandma, who also said no. Finally she came to me and pleaded, "Mommy, can you buy this for me?"

"No, Sarah, I'm not going to buy that."

The little girl went, "Huh? Nobody is going to buy this for me??"

Her grandma said, "You have come to the right conclusion."

What's your watery favourite?

While we were holidaying by the seaside at Port Dickson, Matthew told us that his favourite sea creatures were sharks.

S said his were killer whales.

I told Matt that I liked dolphins best.

We turned to Sarah and asked her what she liked most in the water.

Sarah replied, "I like Little Mermaid."

Sweet Child Of Mine

Rains have washed the haze away. The school year is drawing to a close. And it is only now that we realize what a sacrifice Matthew has been making ever since Sarah joined him at kindy. He confided to us last night that he actually prefers it when she doesn’t go (she’d stayed home sick recently), because then he gets to play with his friends during recess. Otherwise, she always wants him to sit by her. And he has been patiently complying all this time! I’m so proud of him, although my heart sort of broke to learn how he had been giving up his own fun just to accompany his little sister. Funny how much love and care they lavish on each other in school when they certainly get into tussles enough at home.

And when it comes to Sophie, oh boy. Matt’s voice goes all high-pitched and sugary sweet whenever he talks to her. “Sophie, you like kor-kor right? You like kor-kor? Chya! Chya! You’re a happy baby, right?” And he’ll squeeze the squeaky cow for her, snuggle his face in her tummy, hug her, kiss her, while Sophie chuckles and kicks and bangs her fists about.

I'd really better remember all these about Matthew whenever I feel inclined to come down on him like a ton of bricks for his minor misdemeanors. First kids have it so hard, sometimes. It also doesn’t help that he’s a boy and somehow boys just don’t get to get away with nearly as much as sweetsy little girls. I'd better remember all this.

Timber!

It's been nearly six months. She's started cereal. I'm still giving her "chance" - if she doesn't sleep through the night by 7 months I might consider doing something about it.

I've had some crashing news. Someone close to me has just found out she is seriously ill. The shocking thing is how far advanced it is and she's had no clue all this time. We're all praying and hoping for the best. She's young, and strong, so with God's grace everything will be all right. Please pray.

Paper C was really quite evil. I won't be surprised if I don't make it (again - what a bore). But we won't know until next April. In the meantime everything's hazy, in every sense of the word. I really miss our outdoor activities with the kids. No beach, no parks, no running, jumping, climbing... it's really too bad. I don't see why we can readily write off $1... billion... dollars... (here's where we bring the little finger up against the side of the mouth) in bad Shincorp shares, and why we can't just as readily pay $1... billion... dollars... (little finger again) to buy nifty little aeroplanes that scoop water from lakes and seas to put out forest fires. I think $1... billion... dollars... (ok you get the idea) can buy quite many aeroplanes. The Indonesian forests can't possibly put up a fight against such superior fire power.

Or I could just wash the car more often. That the ultimate raindance, if ever there was one.

Help us, God! We need all the showers (of blessings) we can possibly get here.

Roll To Me

OK Sophie has taken the rolling thing beyond cute. She actually wakes up at 1am to practice. Every night. From quietly sleeping on her tummy, she'll make like a stranded beetle and wail until I settle her back onto her tummy again. She's supposed to be able to do it herself, but the cot is not infinitely wide and she can only roll one way, so when she ends up against the side, she's as good as stuck.

It's really ironic how anxious we all were to have Matt hit his milestones as early as possible, and now here I am, wearily plodding along behind Sophie as she zooms ahead.

Other news:
- my 3rd attempt at paper C coming up in 2 weeks' time.
- Matt and Sarah swap seats in the car so that each gets time up front between the parents. It's rather quieter this week since Matt's behind now and doesn't natter away nearly as much as when he's right beside us. Sarah and I have a little love thing going on where she strokes my face and I cuddle her back. I'm so glad we decided to swap. Poor girl has been getting neglected sitting all alone behind, on our way to school and work in the mornings. Thumbs up for the 3-in-a-row front seating configuration in the Honda Edix!

SG: SK II?

It recently struck me that Singapore is getting rather like South Korea. High level of industrialisation, government-driven R&D, intense materialism, more plastic surgeries, lowest-common-denominator public entertainment... the similarities scream out. But South Korea also has snowy mountains and public protests, spiffy national costumes and Kimchi. What do we have? Mee Siam?

Anyway, the kids are off to school again. We enjoyed ourselves at the Bird Park last week, during their holidays. Matt and Sarah had a blast feeding bloody fish to the pelicans. Sophie was the best behaved of the lot, sitting/sleeping happily in her stroller all the while, except when it was time for her morning tea and lunch. She's four and one-third months old already, and very keen to roll over onto her tummy, beaming everytime.

Production Package

Chattering and slamming,
Overall donning,
Teeming women
Throng the locker area.

Another bus pulls up
Outside, another load
Spills into the plant
Yet more assembly-liners.

Darkness embraces the
Light-flooded lot all round.
Strange shadows cast no fear
In the hearts of these earners.

Production pays, and
Night is no barrier to
Industry which must go on,
Sucking them into its endless wake.

Factory Flocking

Quietly waiting, watching; obediently
Answering, asking; anxiously
Hoping and wondering,
Excitedly women.

What shift do you want?
Come back on the twenty-ninth.

Baby is crying, others take turn.
Small children see Mother
Find a place, resolute on
The dual income from need.

Can you wear a jump-suit?
Don't wear makeup.

Equal opportunity, no distinction.
The posh lobby is swarmingly full of
All colour of woman, prole line,
Factory flocking to apply.

Blue Building

The radio is softly playing
And late-stayers are some working,
Some bumming, boldly displaying
No fear of darkness lurking.

No one comes and no one leaves
As daylight silently removes
Its disregarded presence. Then conceives
Another world with other grooves

As each one
Carries on with confidence
Which used to set together with the sun.
Now lamps have their permanence

And time is created
To work, when we were meant
To rest; but time and light are such-wise related
Though no one asked from Nature her consent.

Hidden Away!

After they've brushed their teeth, the big ones run back to their room for bedtime prayers.

Sean goes in and doesn't see them anywhere. "Hmm, where are the children?" (loudly)

Lots of giggling, then a little voice from under the bed goes, "The children are not here!"

1984

Holding You

Feeding You

Sophie's Song

by Matthew S.

Sophie, Sophie,
You have chubby chee-eeks!
Sophie, Sophie,
You have co-old fee-eet!

*when singing, to squeeze her cheeks or feet where appropriate

She's home! Thank God.

After a week in hospital, we finally came home yesterday. We took Sophie to KKH around midnight last Tuesday when her temperature was over 38. They warded her immediately because of her age, and drew blood and spinal fluid and also tested her urine, to check for stuff like bacteria in her blood, meningitis and urinary tract infection. An IV was sited on her right wrist and antibiotics given intravenously even though the cause of fever was still unknown. Her temperature went up to 39-40 and stayed there for 3 days or so. They gave her panadol once a day and it would come down, but go back up again. One of her bacteria cultures came back positive and they took another blood sample to confirm. Because of the re-test, we had to stay another two days because the cultures take 48 hours to grow. It turned out negative. They even found that her potassium level was too high, and took another blood sample to check. This turned out to be a false positive, probably because the red blood cells broke and released extra potassium into the first sample.

Anyway, we first stayed in a B2+ ward with 4 other inpatients, but the visitors were really too much and we got no rest. Thankfully it turns out that Sean's company insurance covers so we moved to a single room. The nurses were so kind as to replace her big cagey cot with a regular hospital bed for me and a bassinet for Sophie. After two nights sitting up and nursing every 2 hours or so, it was a blessed relief to get to lie down. They came in to check her temperature every 2 hours, blood pressure every 4 hours, and give the iv antibiotics every 6 hours. Round the clock. We tried to get what sleep we could. Even in the single room, noisy visitors were still a problem because they hang around outside making noise. I had to come out and tell off a mother who was letting her toddler run around shouting, at 9:30pm! SO annoying.

Anyway, I still think the whole thing was viral because she came out in a rash after the fever went off, but they don't take chances with a baby this young, so she's now still on oral antibiotics until Sunday. Oh well. Better safe than sorry. We're just really thankful now that she's home. Her baptism and first month party have been moved to next month.

Good thing is, her jaundice seems to have disappeared and she's pinky now. But the cradle cap is still there, with rashes coming on and off. Can't wait for everything to settle down.

Sophie stuff

Sophie's exactly 3 weeks old today. She entered this world uneventfully. Labour started with "show" on Sunday morning (30 April) when I got out of bed, with contractions some 15 minutes apart. They finally got to 5 minutes apart early Monday morning 2 a.m. so we set off for the hosital. Found to be 4 cm dilated on arrival. Besides periodic checks on baby's heartbeat, and a couple of trips to the bathroom, I simply waited it out on the bed, with Sean sleeping in the reclining chair beside me. No shaving, enema, epidural, or anything. I reached 6cm 2 hrs after admission, and near 6 a.m. I was starting to think I couldn't take more of this, and tried moaning to take the edge of the contractions which were about 4-5 min apart. When the nurse next came in, I told her I was feeling slight urges to push, and she checked and found me at 9cm! It was the best news ever. She kept her hand on the cervix to wait for the next contraction, and when it came she managed to get it to 10cm immediately. Then came the bustle - calling the doctor, bringing in the instrument trays... Thankfully this was all happening before 7a.m., the cut-off time for my own doctor to do the delivery because he was leaving on a trip that very day. The nurses said there was bulging - the water bag being squeezed down cos it hadn't broken yet, and told me to push whenever I felt the urge. When doctor Paul Tseng arrived 10 min later, I told him I was scared to push. He told me to push by bracing my leg against his hip, but I found it easier to brace myself with my hands on the bedrails, and keep my hips slightly off the bed. Pressing down on the tailbone reduces the pelvic opening and was actually more uncomfortable. Doctor was gently stretching my perineum as baby descended. Doc and nurses and Sean were all encouraging me to push, and I really tried to "push past the pain" as doc put it, but my body just did it all itself when another contraction came and her head cleared. With the next push she was all out and they let me hold her immediately. She was bright-eyed and all slippery and grey with that protective coating of vernix that they eventually washed off. I sustained a little tear which was taken care of with two stitches, and got jabbed in the leg to get the placenta out. Sophie weighed in at 3.145 kg, head circumference 33cm and length 48cm. We went home 2 days later.

She's nursing well and generally doing fine. Still yellow, but paed said it's alright. Some nights she's done 5hr and 4 hr stretches. I'm still trying to get her onto a routine. It always seems to be getting there and then will get messed up because we had a break in it by going to the doctor or to my mom's place. Maybe we should just avoid going out for a while...

From the mouth of babes

Matt, he can't stop verbalising his thoughts. He recently brought up God again, asking, "How does God do things for us?" We discussed it for a while, explaining how God mostly acts through the other people He has placed in our lives, and sometimes even directly, like giving us nice sunny days when we ask for them. Somewhere along the way, he suddenly declared, "God went up to Heaven so that He can be with us all the time."

I was stunned. We didn't see it coming because it doesn't seem related to his original question. Almost gives me goosebumps just thinking about it, even now. How does a little boy not yet five arrive at a profound truth like this, on his own, with such complete faith and simplicity? Is the "Force" extra strong with this one?

The Bump

is not yet out. Less than a week to go! Hope she hangs in there until we've celebrated Matt's 5th birthday tomorrow, face paints and all. I don't want to miss it!

Like the rest of us, Sarah calls the bump Sophie. But I didn't know her true understanding of it until she saw a round cartoon daddy pig on TV and told me, "He has Sophie!" Oh dear. But she never forgets to kiss my tummy when we're all saying goodbye in the morning, following up in her tiny gleeful voice, "I kissed Sophie - so cute!!"

I'm still trying to decide if she means the "so cute" for herself, or the baby now.

Fat One, Skinny One, Two By Two

Sarah’s off! We had a good start on Thursday – she woke up early and finished her sandwich before we even left the house, Matt didn’t dilly dally getting ready, and for us habitual late comers, we even managed to arrive 5 min before school started! And with me driving the new car too, being extra careful not to scrape anything. Sean’s on reservist these two weeks. Poor Daddy, missed her first day.

I got a mild scare when some teachers at the car line said she should be there only 2 hours later! Apparently new N1 kids start off on half days. Good thing the administrator confirmed our exception. The little one happily trooped off to have her temperature taken without even looking back – I had to literally grab a goodbye out of her! Big brother had long disappeared among his friends already.

Apparently she cried today (second day) because she wanted me, at least that’s what Matt said the moment I got home. I can imagine – they start off high, but then realize it’s going to be a permanent arrangement! But no tears or protests when I asked her just now if she wanted to continue going to school. She actually said “yes”. Phew. So they’re both going to school together now, just like that. Matt actually declared on the first day when we were going to the car that he was very happy that Sarah’s coming with him. I thought that was so sweet of him.

I only have one regret – I forgot to take a photo of them in their uniforms on each of their first days!

As for the two of us inhabiting my this one body, hai, not so good. I don’t know what she’s really up to in there but since Wednesday night, walking has been killer for me. Full squats to sitting and standing in a both-feet-planted-on-the-floor manner are a breeze, but shifting just one leg or foot feels like my pelvis is being prised apart! The right leg especially. I’m bringing forward Monday’s gynae visit to tomorrow morning, the earliest possible already. Hope the doc has any solution other than a wheelchair. I honestly feel like I could really use it now. Thank God we have such a wonderful helper at home to do so many of the essential things, while I get what I can done in a painfully slow shuffle like an old woman with severe arthritis. This had all better be worth it.

Edit Six

I have sometimes wondered about our collective fixation with certain magic numbers, such as the golden ratio for ‘A’-sized paper, or on a less logical level, the number 13. Even when it comes to cars, it seems that this same inclination prevails. Take, for example, our tendency to think in terms of five- or seven-seaters. For regular cars, five seems to be the default choice. But throw any number of children into the mix, and Family Man starts to panic and think in terms of MPVs, which in this day and age usually means seven seats, in a two-three-two formation.

Now, when was the last time you saw two adults and five children in an MPV? Or two parents, a maid and four kids? How many families here even have four kids? Not many, judging from the looks of astonishment I get when I tell them that we’re expecting our third. So why the fascination with seven seats, especially with the obvious drawback of having to settle for either passenger or boot space? If I needed to transport seven humans, I’d want space for their things too.

Short of going mega-size a-la the Americano Grand Voyager, some lateral thinking was needed to address the seemingly-contradictory needs. Well, that’s exactly what Fiat did (quite literally) with the Multipla in 1999. Its novel three-plus-three seating arrangement allowed for six adults plus a decent boot. The compromise was that it was as wide as the new S-Class, but I guess one could excuse its girth. What was inexcusable, and the main reason for its sales failure, was its looks. It has been called lots of names, many of them amphibian-related, and almost none complimentary. A 2002 facelift failed to redress the situation, and instead actually rendered it boring. Still, the basic concept worked, so who could turn things to their advantage?

As usual, it would be the Japanese, who have a habit of churning out copies that surpass their originals. But surprisingly, the Multipla wasn’t the inspiration – an American car was. Honda’s Masaaki Tsunoda took his two kids for a ride in an old Cadillac, and thoroughly enjoyed the way all three could sit out in front. And in their press releases, Honda continually stress the importance that family communication played in the design of the car. In typical Japanese fashion, the car’s name was an amalgamation of two words that describe its nature: Edit Six – flexibility for six occupants.


Like the Multipla, the Edix (or FR-V, as it is called in Europe) features two rows of three seats, allowing six people and their luggage to fit, while keeping the body length down. At the same time, it manages to avoid being excessively wide. At 1810mm, it has exactly the same exterior width as the Renault Scenic, which in turn happens to be 61mm less than the Multipla. Still, it is 110mm wider than the Civic whose chassis it shares, and not many manufacturers have the know-how to make such extensive adjustments to a single platform. This could go some way to explaining the dearth of other similarly-configured competitors.

Styling-wise, the Edix steers clear from the bread van template of most MPVs, without succumbing to the Multipla’s willful wackiness. Its wedgy profile is accentuated by a rising waistline, which in combination with the wide stance, tight wheel arches and steeply raked rear windscreen makes for a distinctively sporty shape, by class standards.


This tapered profile stands in contrast to the flat and almost upright side windows, necessary to liberate the maximum amount of interior room. As a result, the Edix looks its oddest and squarest head-on, especially with the relatively narrow 15” wheels that come standard. Fortunately, the bodywork itself is interesting enough to break the large expanses of sheet metal. Convex and concave surfaces interact with sharp creases in a way that visually guides the eye to see the fundamental form – I know that description sounds suspiciously like Bangle-speak, but trust me, here the end result works.

Of course, Honda saved most of its ingenuity for the interior. The six independent seats – each with their own three-point seat belt - can be folded and slid in a multitude of combinations with an ease that the firm has become known for. The front middle, in particular, is especially interesting. In addition to being able to slide back an impressive 270mm, it folds flat forward to act as an armrest cum table top, has a split squab that folds out to reveal a tray, and features a pull-put drawer underneath. As the Dark Lord himself would have commented: “Impressive”.


Taking the cue from the Jazz/Fit, the three rear seats also fold into the floor with just a single pull of a catch. No arduous removal or even tumble fold required. The rear middle can move back 170mm, like the seat in front, to improve leg and shoulder room. So with six on board, you can expect the seats to be arranged in a double-vee configuration.

In all of this, the boot remains usable – 439 litres (larger than a Corolla’s, by the way) available with six occupants, expanding to a gargantuan 1049 litres with three passengers. More than anything else, it was this factor that convinced us of the Edix’s value. In a little over a month’s time, our traveling family will consist of two parents, three children in their space-consuming seats, as well as a maid. Throw in a stroller, groceries, swimming things and other barang, and it becomes obvious why a ‘normal’ three-rowed MPV wouldn’t do.


Oh, and then there’s my fear of getting rear-ended. Anyone who’s seen a fairly serious accident will know that the boot can crumple all the way to the rear wheels. Which is fine for normal sedans because the passenger compartment is left intact. But the last row of a seven-seater resides in the boot itself, so you can imagine the consequence of a hit from behind.

We have also discovered some unexpected benefits to having two rows of seats instead of three, besides having all the kids within smacking range. For one, the aircon reaches the passengers more quickly without the need for piping vents to the rear. The middle vents have a split function, which directs air towards the front occupants as well as over their heads to the back. A dial allows you to control how much of it goes where – clever.

Moreover, parking is surprisingly stress-free, as the Edix is some 97mm shorter than my previous Focus sedan, despite boasting a 65mm longer wheelbase. And another thing – as the turning radius is compact-car small at 4.9m, U-turns can be taken with disdain. There’s just the extra width to contend with, so some extra convex mirrors can come in handy!

Dynamically, it’s no Focus though. Inheriting the ES Civic’s platform also meant getting slightly under-damped suspension, which takes a while to settle after running over a speed hump. The springs are a little soft, and the steering a tad light, which should be expected from an MPV. But the Mazda 5 shows what can be achieved, given a decent chassis. Well weighted steering and fine body control contribute to a drive that puts many sedans to shame. Although the Edix resists roll well in corners, it doesn’t show quite the same poise. After a while you realise that the limits of the car are actually quite high, they just aren’t very well spelt out. And ultimately, that extra precision makes the difference in the amount of confidence you have in the machine when you’re really going for it.

However I can’t complain about the engine. Sure, the D17A is old school as far as Honda units are concerned, but 125bhp from 1.7 litres is hardly a disgrace by any standard. And it revs cleanly through its almost linear power band, allowing you to fully exploit its potential. Too many engines I’ve come across have decent on-paper specs, only to come across so gruff and boomy that you’re not really interested to use it, rendering the exercise redundant.


Coupled to the motor is a simple but effective four-speed automatic gearbox. No, it doesn’t offer Tiptronic-style shifts, but the gear changes are jerk-free to the extent that only indications you are likely to notice are the dip of the engine note and tachometer needle. Still, my left hand and leg are starting to feel atrophied from non-use. At times I’ve even been tempted to step on the foot-activated parking brake just to get some exercise! Give me a stick and clutch any day, especially one of Honda’s noted slick shifters, and I’ll be over the moon.

Which is not to say that I’m unhappy. Quite the opposite, in fact – the Edix seems almost tailor-made for a family with our circumstances. The cabin is wide enough to take three child seats abreast; the brilliant seats are flexible to handle just about any configuration we can throw at them; the boot is well shaped and sized; and the engine revvy and frugal at the same time. Oh, and for the $67k we paid, it’s also a veritable steal. If perfection ever existed, it would be endowed with that manual gearbox, plus the Mazda 5’s chassis, steering and sliding doors. But nature has a way of saying you can’t have it all, and I’m just glad I don’t have to face an amphibian at the car park everyday.

Done and doner

Just like that. Our helper has moved into her new room while we've been going around in the new car for the last 2 days already. After all that anticipation, arrival has been typically anti-climactic.

I should add that the IKEA deliverymen were very kind to assemble the drawer frames for us at no charge. I'd given up after haplessly trying a few times to knock in the rails myself, on our parquet floor padded with old towels, while they were expertly assembling the high loft bed and bookcase for the children's room with their industrial strength power tools. Next thing I know, I hear ear-splitting hammer blows coming from outside - they'd taken the frames into the corridor and were putting them together at lightning speed! Many thanks indeed, IKEA men.

But we're not through yet. Still got the middle room to get ready, i.e. dismantle single bed, move wardrobe, assemble cot, make up double mattress... We better get it all done before I go off on seminar and Sean to reservist in early April. By the time he comes back, it'll be just 2 weeks to the day - I'd much rather not push it so late to get things set.

Theory: Jesus' body

I have some little knowledge of reproductive biology, and have a theory about how Jesus' body could have come about (Him supposedly having been virginally conceived).

My theory is that instead of meiosis during oogenesis in Mary's ovary, mitosis took place to give rise to a complete cell having 46 chromosomes (23 pairs), instead of the usual 23 chromosomes contained in a human egg. Mutation also took place in this complete cell, on the 23rd pair of chromosomes, such that XX became XY.

This complete cell was then released like a normal egg into the fallopian tube, implanted into Mary's womb, and from there grew into the baby born at Christmas, named Jesus. No need for further fusion with a sperm to get the correct number of chromosomes.

Jesus' body is thus simply a male clone of Mary's female body. Plausible?

Theory: Bread

OK I really have to record some of my theories so that I can stop repeating them to S every now and again, driving him nuts.

To start with, bread. Ever wondered who invented bread? It's mind boggling to think that someone could have looked at ears of wheat growing in a field, and seen bread at the end of it. How would he have thought of grinding the seeds into a powder, mixing the powder with water, heating the mix to make bread?? The chances of a completely serendipitous sequence of events causing ears of wheat to end up as bread are simply too infinitesimal to be possible.

It's such a quantum leap that I believe the process of making bread MUST have been infused knowledge given to Adam and Eve before the Fall. From what I know, they had infused knowledge, so bread-making must have been part of the infused knowledge given to them by none other than God Himself.

It's just too inconceivable otherwise.

And it just occured to me, is that why God chose that the Body of Jesus should take the form of Bread when left to us after the Ascension, because bread is the one heaven-wrought food that has been nourishing humanity from time immemorial?

Ai-yah!!!

I almost made it! This time, I passed 2 out of the remaining 3 papers. The one I didn't get, Paper C, the very last one, not a single person in the whole of Singapore who took it passed! Is that a scandal or what. Anyway. It means I don't qualify to register as patent agent, yet again. Oh well. Like it matters. I've still to get this little living creature that's been growing inside me for the last 7 months safely out, and routinized, and that's already going to take up the rest of the year. Career options? Huh? What's that?

But other things are moving along. There's a good chance both house and car will be really, properly, settled this weekend - keeping fingers crossed. And little miss Sarah will be starting school on 6 April. I'm very excited for her! We've got everything she'll need, including the school uniform, which she tried on and promptly started prancing around in. Hopefully she'll adjust quickly to later lunch and nap times than what she's currently used to. We're really thankful big brother Matt is such a sweet role model (he's certainly well named, going by his Chinese character 楷), so bringing up Sarah has been relatively easy since she quite hero worships him, despite all those 'hey's.

Footnote: (haha, pun intended) I just went for the second pedicure of my life! Pink laquer and all. First was during our honeymoon in Koh Samui, what, 6 years ago! No nail colour that time. Mmmm... I could really get used to it. Happily, pedis last a month or two, so with some careful management I can probably still scrape together enough to treat myself and keep up nice-looking feet.

Hey!

Our latest challenge is getting Sarah to stop saying "Hey!" when calling out to others, especially Matt. We reminded her last night before putting her to bed, and she sweetly agreed: "Cannot say 'hey'".

This morning, while the rest of us were getting ready for work and school, she took out her little pad of ink stamps and began stamping away happily. Until Matt noted: "Hey Daddy, Sarah's pressing her thumb onto the ink!"

Indignant, the little girl retorted, "Hey! Don't 'hey' me!"

The brainwashing continues...

Kidtalk

Overhead conversation between Matt (nearly 5) and Sarah (nearly 3). Background: she's supposed to stop sucking her thumb and everyone's constantly reminding her.

Matt goes, "Sarah, don't suck thumb!"

Sarah promptly pulls it out and asks, "Is it... cute?"

"No!"

"Is it... funny?"

"No!"

"Is it... dirty?"

"Yes!!!"

House, car, baby.

No, we’re not starting out all over again. Just another cosmic thing that they’re all happening at the same time, once more.

4th bedroom is nearly ready. They just need to install the door and window and paint it all up. We need to get the furnishings (IKEA, where else) and put them in place. The living room has become a lot smaller but the layout somehow still works. Can’t believe our 5-room flat now has four bedrooms! Even when we stop needing a helper next time, the fourth room will be a real bonus to have. Makes me even more reluctant to think about moving now that our place is so optimized.

Honda Edix is being processed. We’re waiting for the bank to approve the loan, the Ford Focus to be sold, and the Edix to get kitted up according to our specifications. Hopefully delivery will be mid March. It’s a little unnerving to be buying from a parallel importer, after hearing so many bad things about PIs in general. Horrors from our first-time car-buying experience come to mind, but I don’t think we could ever get it nearly as bad again.

Baby is growing: last checked 1.1 kg at 28 weeks, nice average size, and kicking lots now, mostly when I’m trying to go to sleep. 10 more weeks! We pray she’s normal and healthy, and a great nurser and sleeper to boot. Nothing seems quite real in this waiting time. It’s rather nice actually, to feel so remote from the usual annoyances. Oh they’re still there, but they’ve lost their effect, somehow. We’re just coasting along...

U-Turn

D'you often have to make U-turns on what you said?

I remember many instances openly declaring in the past that we will / won't be doing this or that (esp. regarding the kids), but even in these few short years we already see ourselves changing our minds and doing the exact opposite.

One U-turn is the “kids no go school until 5 years old” one. We eventually sent Matt at N2 – 4 years old. In a few weeks, Sarah’s going in at N1 – a whole year earlier than Matt.

Another U-turn we’re right in the midst of navigating now is the “change car waste money only” one. In a couple of months we’re going to have to move 3 child seats and 3 adults around on weekends. We’ve considered getting a 2nd car on an off-peak licence, to catch the spillover from our current Ford Focus. A Kia Picanto has been on the cards since end last year, when we calculated that it actually works out cheaper to run 2 cars than to sell the Focus and get say a Mazda 5.

Amazingly, prices of >5 seater cars like the Toyota Wish and Honda Edix have fallen by over S$10,000 since we last did our sums. All things considered, we’re actually going to save money if we swap the Focus for an Edix now. Incredible! or should I say Providential?

All the more when a big chunk of the cash top-up just got wired over to me for a scholarship I won way back in 2000! Did somebody upstairs know that we’d have blown the scholarship money on a holiday or something, and so wisely withheld it until now, when we really need it?

Chinese Zodiac - year of the ...?

Matt often gets distracted and keeps food in his mouth during meal times instead of chewing and swallowing. He just did it again, so I said, rather tersely, "Matt, chew your food. You're not a hamster."

His reply: "I'm not a hamster because I'm a snake, I'm born in the Year of the Snake right? I'm not born in the Year of the Hamster."

I managed to continue looking stern for about 2 more seconds.

3, 2, 1, Zoo!

Matt informed us last night that his teacher told him he should bring his own pencil case containing 3 pencils, 2 erasers, and 1 ruler instead of using school stationery. I was skeptical about this since the school hadn't mentioned anything when he came up to K1 this year. I told him I'd check with his teacher. I called the school and the administrator told us that at K1, he's expected to be able to communicate certain messages himself, and indeed they're supposed to bring their own pencil case! I felt rather bad after that for doubting him. But also proud that he remembered every detail, right down to the fact that the 3 pencils should be six-sided ones. I went and bought the items just now. They're exactly the same as the ones I used when I was little! Maybe I should buy shares in Staedtler and Pentel.

As for Zoo Tycoon, we're all obsessed with it now. S and I take turns playing it late into the night fixing up our own zoos. We thought it was hard to put down because we only had the trial version at first, and couldn't save each game. However, now that we got the full version, it only opens up more options and we're getting even less sleep. Yikes. Matt can play it too, with just the littlest bit of help. Definitely recommended for great family and individual fun.

Pome-pome

Pome-pome is a common Singaporean phrase for taking a bath, normally used with little children. I still haven't figured what language it originated from.

Matt saw S washing the dishes the other day and remarked, "Daddy, you're pome-pome-ing the plates right? You have to pome-pome the plates because they're dirty right, like I have to pome-pome when I'm dirty right?"

"Yes, Matt."

"Like pigs and lions also have to pome-pome right, because they get dirty?"

"Yes, Matt."

"But you cannot pome-pome clocks right, because they have electricity?"

"That's right!"