Good Habit or Bad Habit?

On the way home from ballet yesterday, Sarah and I got to talking about habits. She had spoken to me rudely in the car, and I warned her that if she didn't check herself, it would become a habit.

"What's a habit?"

"A habit is something that you always do, and it's hard for you to change. Like, sucking your thumb! That's a bad habit, right?"

"Ya..."

"There are also good habits. Like brushing your teeth. So if you keep talking rudely, it'll become a bad habit and you'll always talk rudely."

"Okay..."

-----

At bedtime prayers that night, as the conversation went around to the concept of Heaven, Sarah declared that when we die, we'll go to heaven. Then she asked,

"When will I die, Mommy?"

"I don't know, Sarah. Only God knows."

Matt added, "But it's wrong to shoot ourselves so that we can go to heaven faster, right? Mommy?"

Sarah declared, "That's a bad habit!"

What Money Can Buy

We had gone to Long Beach at East Coast to pick up our Chinese New Year reunion food, and spent some time lazing about on the beach: Matthew playing alone in the warm sand, Sean and I reclining a distance away, enjoying the sound of the waves and the balmy breeze. On our way home, Matt, nearly 7, sat in the middle between us while we drove down the ECP, all sunny and blue and palm fringed.

"How much is it to join Raffles Town Club?", Matt asked.

I paused.

"I'm not sure, Matt. Why? Do you want to join?"

"Just wondering. I really like the bowling and the swimming pool there."

"Yes, it's very nice, isn't it. But I think it's around twelve or fifteen thousand dollars, or maybe even more. But you can always go to Raffles Town Club again when Jia Wei or your other friends invite you next time for their birthday parties."

"But how much is it, really? Is it really fifteen thousand dollars?"

"I don't really know, I'm just guessing, but it's probably about there. I'm not sure. I can check."

The subject dropped and we continued our drive in silence while the sky grew golden.

We had a great reunion dinner that night (of course, Long Beach black pepper crab!!), followed by all the family (aunties, uncles, cousins etc.) plonked in our living room watching American Idol until 11 p.m. At one point during the show we heard Matthew shouting, "Get out!" to his cousin and sister because the two little girls were sitting on his bed in his room refusing to let him sleep. The poor boy had had a long day!

>>Fast forward to the 3rd day of CNY>>

After counting out the kids' angpao takings, we decided that instead of banking everything for them, we'd let them each have a small sum to buy something they'd like with. Especially for Matthew who has started school and grown to be quite independent, what with having to take care of his own lunch before coming home, packing his own school bag, checking for homework etc., and generally being a trustworthy, lovable boy.

I went to him and said, "Would you like to buy anything with your angpao money, Matt?"

"Buy what?," he replied.

"Anything you like. Maybe some toys?"

"Do I have to buy toys?"

"Well, you don't HAVE to buy toys, but if there's anything you want, you can use some of your angpao money to buy it. If not I'll put everything in the bank for you. So, do you want some of the money now or should I bank it all?"

Matt thought for a while.

"Can I have two dollars?"

"Of course! What do you want the two dollars for?"

"To buy my lunch?"

Lazy to post about San Diego.

I should write something about our trip but haven't really felt like it.

Before I forget I'd better put down these words:
- St. Joseph's Cathedral on 3rd Ave and Beech Street (up 5th Ave from Hard Rock)
- Horton Plaza
- Hornblower
- Mary Jane's restaurant at Hard Rock
- Rite Aid drugstore
- Without A Trace
- Project Runway
- cheap cameras
- Aldo, GAP, Wet Seal, Banana Republic, Macy, Ritz
- Bourne Identity
- Never Let Me Go

Photos are available at Sean's facebook profile.