School's Cool!

We survived week 1 of play school! It wasn’t without it tears but thankfully only for about 5 minutes on the 2^nd day when she refused to let her teacher feed her lunch.  Other than that, I am told our daughter is doing great!

Admittedly, 16 months may be a little young to send her off to playschool since the norm is usually 18 months especially amongst my friends who have some form of home care support.  And because we have my mum who has been helping us take care of Jules since I went back to work after maternity, finding a playschool/nursery wasn't going to be on our to-do list till she was 2.5-3 and ready for pre-nursery.  But as we observed Jules over the past months sometime towards the end of last year, we found her getting increasingly restless and bored with staying home.  If she wasn’t on the phone talking to her imaginary friend, she’ll be busy pulling out the tees in grandpa’s wardrobe.  If not, she’ll be in the pantry, pretending to drink up the cans of coke light and grandpa’s beer.  Otherwise, you’ll find her pulling tissue from the tissue box and helping grandma clean the floor.  It was all nice and cute to watch but not exactly the best form of stimulation I’ll like to give her at this age.   

The husband and I thought it may be a better idea to send her off to playschool just for a couple of hours, a few days a week.  That way, she got to interact with other kids, pick up some new skills, be introduced to Phonics and more importantly some form of Mandarin and be on her own to hone her independence.  It also gave my mum a few hours break in the morning to run her own errands and take a breather (because looking after Jules the entire day while we’re at work is can be like running the half marathon because our daughter is this energizer bunny who runs on adrenaline and doesn’t believe is slowing down to rest – she’s very much like me in that aspect) – something we figured she’ll appreciate. 

We had some simple criteria as far as choosing a school was concern.  1^st – Distance.  It shouldn’t be too far from home, ideally within walking distance so that mum or my helper could pick her up at mid-day since we could do the drop off in the morning.  2^nd – A good mix of learning from phonics and Chinese class to more fun music and movement, art and craft, sensory play kind of activities.  Our first choice was the Little Skool House located in a semi-detach house just 10 minutes walk from home but when we called to make enquiries, we were told they were relocating and handing over the place to another operator.  I also called up Pat Schoolhouse which is also within walking distance but was put off by their arrogance over the phone.  I appreciate that they have won numerous awards for their programmes but if arrogance is something you’re going to be teaching my daughter then no thank you.  With all the schools near home exhausted (there ain’t many, just 2 – or so I thought), we were introduced to a development centre about 5 minutes drive from home.  We went for a trial class and Jules seemed to enjoy herself but I was a little concern with the distance and the curriculum.  The distance wasn’t something we couldn’t work around but just not the most ideal since it meant getting my Dad involved in sending her to school and my Mum taking a bus out to pick her and hailing a cab with her after school rain or shine.  I also wasn’t entirely comfortable with the curriculum (or lack of).  They were housed in a row of shophouses which means no open spaces for the kids to run or for outdoor activities.  But my folks convinced that since it’s meant to be playschool, we didn’t have to be so concerned with the curriculum.  We were all prepared to place a deposit since we couldn’t find any other schools nearer home.  Thankfully – call it mummy's intuition – I kept procrastinating about putting a deposit at the school as I just felt we haven’t tried searching hard enough or doing enough homework in getting Jules a reasonably good school.  And so with some prayer, God led me to one of the connecting streets near home one day when I accidentally missed my usually turning and had to turn into the next street.  A signboard caught my attention and I of course did the next best thing I had to do – call to make enquiries.  The teacher on the line was warm and friendly (unlike my experience with Pat’s Schoolhouse) and suggested we went down to the school for a viewing.  And the rest they say is history.  The husband immediately liked the school, he was so eager, he wanted to write out the cheque to make a deposit there and then.  That was before the Chinese New Year but Teacher S was nice enough to say she trusted us and that we could make the payment after the New Year and perhaps bring Jules down to the centre as well to take a look.  The montessori takes in children from 2 months to 6 years.  They’re housed in a huge bungalow with a big garden (with slides and pretend play houses) for the kids to play and run around.  They also have water-play sessions messy art and craft sessions outdoors.  What I like also like is how they appreciate the needs of different parents and so have flexi programmes available to suit individual needs – half days, full days, 3 times a week, 5 times a week.  You choose what suits you best.  And because I still wanted to keep Jules home for her naps and didn’t want to ‘stress’ her with having to go to school every day, we decided to put her on a 3 mornings a week programme.  So today, the arrangement is for my mum to walk her to school (about 15 minutes) in the stroller and either myself or the husband will try to drive back during lunchtime to pick her up (to spare them from walking in the scorching sun at mid-day).    

Jules is with the 12-18 months old class now.  Come May, she’ll move on to the toddler class.  But being the ‘I have a mind of my own’ girl she is, I got feedback from her teacher this week that she keeps wanting to join the toddler class and even opened the door to the toddler class session wanting to go in and join them.  She also won’t eat her lunch because she refused to be fed by her teacher with the rest of the 12 -18 months old kids, much preferring to eat together downstairs where the big toddler girls and boys have their lunch on little kiddie tables.  On my day off yesterday, the teacher asked if I could go by during lunch to feed her so that they could observe any particular feeding habits she had.  So we put her with the big kids at the table and I fed her and she ate perfectly.  I think it’s a combination of not being used to a stranger feeding her and wanting to be amongst the “action” where all the bigger kids are.  Plus there actually only 3 of them (including her) in the 12 -18 months old class so I think she wants company and be amongst the crowd.  It probably also has to do with the fact that as far as playing with children is concern, she is most familiar with playing with Sophie who is older than her and a big Che Che.  Which probably explains why she wants to be with the toddlers.  My dad was convinced she was looking for Sophie amongst the crowd!

Well but the not eating lunch and wanting to be amongst older kids aside, I think Jules has done great for the first week! I was half expecting her to cry when I dropped her off yesterday but she didn’t and happily opened her arms for her teacher to carry her.  Even blew me a kiss as I said bye!  When I picked her up the past few days, she was all ready with a big surprise smile (as if wondering “Eh – where have you been the past 3 hours Mama?”).  I’ll carry her up and plant a big kiss on the sweaty, sticky face!! But this time, her uniform will be all out of her oversized boomers, she would also have misplaced her hair clip so her fringe will be all over her tiny face.  Still adorable!

My little pumpkin is all grown up now and off to school.  I felt both proud and a tinge sad when I left her behind on the first day of school.  Proud that she was big enough to be on her own for a while now but at the same time a little sad that my little girl is perhaps not so little any more.  The house was also unbearably quiet for that few hours without her at home - haven't been like that since she discovered her voice!   

Well, new phase for her and for us.  I'm just happy she’s embracing change like a real trooper! Atta girl!    

Playing happily in the playhouse at school

                  

Letters to Julianne #21

Dearest Julianne,

No I didn't forget to write you on 1 Mar.  But because today was quite a special day, I decided to delay my letter to you by a few days.  I love writing to you.  On your 21^st birthday, I shall print out all these letters and gift them to you.  I also hope that when you’re 21, I will still find it within me to write you letters just because you are so special.

Today is a very special day and it’s not just because you turn 16 months (and a few days).  Today, you and I together with Papa, we held your hand and walked through the gates of your very first school where I left you for the next 3 hours and thereafter felt like a proud Mama when your teacher told me what a delightful child you are playing with your new friends and enjoying your new found independence away from Mama and family.  That’s you, Little Miss Independent, just the way you have been and like to be.  I’ve nothing to be sad about you being so ready to be on your own and not needing us around – it’s a personality we’re glad to see you carry because one day, when Mama is old and frail – that’s just what you need to do, be on your own.  While I’m sure you’ll enjoy playschool, I should also let you know that you’ll only be at Montessori school for the rest of this year.  We have secured you a place where you’ll start your Nursery and Kindergarten journey come next year.  

We had soooo much fun in February – I say a little too much fun actually! You partied your way through the Lunar New Year.  You tossed yu-sheng, collected ang pows, charmed the hearts of your uncles and yiyis, wore pretty cheongsams, monkeyed around with your cousins and received lots of hugs and kisses all around. 

She adores Sophie.  Like A.D.O.R.E.S

Playing by herself at 16 months

You are like a little sponge.  You absorb every sight and sound around you.  You like to think you’re a big adult – like us.  Your favourite past-time at 16 months – mopping the floor (cos that’s what you always see Gong Gong do after you mess up the floor at meal times).  Your other favourite past-time, wearing Mama’s shoes around the house.  If you could, you would also climb onto the bar counter, place the cuppa under the nespresso machine and fix yourself a shot of espresso – since you can effectively do all of the above just that you don’t know where the button to start the nespresso machine is (and I ain’t showing it to you anytime soon).  You’re slowly starting to know how to play by yourself.  You will sit down and draw, or play with your toy fruits and pretend to cut them up to feed us.  You like serving us tea along with those fruits – I will educate you one day that tea is served with scones and not fruits. 

Tight with Slouchy

Playing around with my shoes

You do little funny things that cracks everyone up at home.  Like dropping your toys and running to take Por Por’s t-shirt when you heard the toilet door open after Por Por was done with her shower.  Or running to grab you very own towel hanging on the railings when Por Por said it was time for your mid-day bath.  Many of these stories, I only hear from the daily updates Yiyi Sam sends me or Por Por tells me when I get home.  I really wish I was around more often in the day to see them for myself.  I was telling Papa how ridiculous it is that we spend more time at work then seeing you grow up – I hate it that you’re short-changed in this manner but we make it up with lots of cuddles and kisses at night.

Dancing to Hi-5!

This month, you have majorly regressed in the sleeping department – I’m a little disturbed.  Just as we were doing long stretches of sleep, you’re back to waking up every 3 hours.  I’m trying not to nurse you at night anymore in an attempt to start the weaning process but you will point to the bed.  And when I bring you to the bed and pat you back to sleep, you start pulling my jammies searching for the boobs #weaningattemptfailing.  I’m hoping it’s a teething phase since your molars are sprouting out one after another.  You also seem to sleep longer stretches when I put you on the bed with us instead of in your own cot so to give everyone a longer stretch of sleep, we have gone on to get a bed-rail so that you don’t fall of the bed like what happened last month when you rolled off the bed onto the floor together with the bloster that we used to surround you (you fell so silently – your sleepyhead Papa didn’t even know you fell until I went into the room and saw you on the floor, sleeping soundly still on top of the bloster – this means you’re just as sleepyhead as your Papa)              

This month may see some changes to your usual routine as we adjust to your schooling schedules.  I hope you’ll adapt well – you can be quite a creature of habit.  We’ll see how things goes.

At 16 months, you’re on 3 solid meals, 3 breastmilk feeds and grazing on raisins and biscuits in between.  You also usually get some fruits after dinner and sips of ribena treats.  Your favourite meals – macaroni soup, udon with miso soup and pasta! You also love your teriyaki salmon with rice.  Veggies wise – cauliflower wins hands-down although these days, corn seems to be coming in pretty close.  We just give you a quarter cob and you’ll happily devour the entire piece – every.single.kernel. You love peaches and blueberries, sometimes apples – you have your moods.  You’re a carbo over protein person.  You don’t fancy artificially sweet stuff.  You like your pau without the tau-sar, you make me pick out the vegan choc chips on your banana cupcake and you will not have anything to do with maple syrup on your pancakes.  Nap wise you're officially down to just one long 2-3 hour afternoon nap.  It took me 2 maybe 3 months to completely transit you to one nap in preparation for school.  I think this routine works better for everyone.  On the word count, "umbrella", "strawberry" and "flower" are about the few newest additions.  You also show a preference for longer syllabus words over shorter one. Maybe it is because of your long name. 

It is going to be such an exciting month for you I promise with making new friends and learning new things at school!  With your extremely social personality and inquisitive mind, I think you're all ready to take on March! 

Happy sweet 16 month my Jujubee!! Love you to the moon and back! 

Always, 

Mama