Suzette's Parenting and Breastfeeding Blog

Isabel has been having fever since last Friday night, for a solid 6 days. Fever wasn’t very high, between 37.7 to 38.1C. No apparent cause (sore throat or other infection), so doctor thought perhaps viral infection, therefore only on paracetamol for a while.

Yesterday morning, Teacher Susan sms’ed me to ask about Isabel, and happened that she was well again and would be going to school.

At night, before bed, I asked her: “So, was teacher Susan happy to see you again today? Did you make her angry today?” (coz she has been very cranky these days)

She was quiet, and then Ian quickly answered, “Yes, last time Teacher Susan was very upset with her. When I was having my afternoon BM revision, Teacher Susan complaint to me about Isabel, she said: Isabel doesn’t want to do anything at all. Reading don’t want, ABC don’t want, 1-2-3 don’t want. Everything don’t want to do.”

This morning, in her Yamaha music class, she threw tantrum in the class. She threw tantrum at the teacher. This is very sweet and patient teacher who always smile and very good with kids. Isabel did not listen to the teacher at all, kept doing things her way, kept making noise including screaming and yelling.

Half way, the teacher couldn’t stand it, and wanted some discipline. You won’t be able to imagine how degil Isabel got. She refused to look at the teacher when teacher called her name (not even a hint of angry tone!). She kept yelling at me and the teacher “BAD”. Finally, I was asked to leave the room until she apologizes to teacher.

I think it needed to be done, coz she has been very rude and bad attitude recently, especially after recovering (maybe when she was sick she really got pampered!!).

She wasted our solid 1 hour there, due to her bad attitude.

About 3 min before class was over, then only she went to the teacher to apologize. Then, I went in and class wrapped up.

In the evening, when she bathed, she refused to come out, kept playing with the shower. I switched off the light to force her out. She threw tantrum again, yelling at the maid and me.

I asked the maid to leave her. We left her alone.

She continued crying and yelling for a solid 15 min. Another 15 min, she came down, dressed (by herself) and apologized to me and the maid.

I think she needs to be treated this way, so that she would know that she cannot simply throw tantrum at anyone.

4 years old, and she learn quicker than before. In the past when I ‘disciplined’ her the same way, she would cry and continue yelling for 60-120 min (yes, solid 2 hours, longest experience). She wouldn’t give up or wouldn’t understand that would not make her any good, coz mama also degil wouldn’t give in.

Today, she is learning faster. 15 min, considered very good now.

I just hope that today we taught her enough lesson and that she won’t repeat next week.

The Yamaha teacher has been too sweet in the past that Isabel almost ‘bullied’ her all the time. I am actually quite glad that the teacher put her foot down today. That would make my task easier next time, when accompanying Isabel in the class.

I left the house earlier for a morning presentation. DH was then tasked to send the kids to the school.

Just around 30 min after I left, I got an sms, saying that Isabel was missing, and found about 10 min later.

Imagine, that 10 min was so horrible for DH, maid, and Ian. They were frantically looking for her everywhere, maid even went out of the house to search for her whilst DH and Ian looked at every corner of the house.

Later she was found, suddenly appeared in the guest room. When asked, she refused to talk but just cried.

After I got back from work, I asked her about the morning episode. She told me that, she was playing with the angpow packets and Ian scolded her (and Ian immediately scolded her in front of me, and they quarreled right in front of me). Ian thought she would make the angpow packets missing and she thought she would not.

She said, then Ian told DH about her playing with the packets. She was afraid DH would scold her, then she hid herself from the two of them.

I asked her where she hid, by asking her to bring me there and repeated it. Apparently, she just lied down on the floor next to the bed in guest room. I asked her whether she went under the bed or not, she said no. Whether anyone came searching for her, she said Daddy. But why people didn’t see her? Because she lied down on the floor not making any noise… Hmmm???

Anyway, DH said later, when he found her lying on the floor, he thought she fainted. Then, she stared back with her big angry eyes…

Hahahaha! That is my 4 yo daughter…

She really scared the sh*t out from DH and maid this morning. They thought she either gone out by herself, or being taken away by any bad guys since the door was opened (I forgot to lock it when I left the house).

The other day, in the car, Isabel said, “Hmm… mama, my hair xiang-xiang (nice smell)!”

Paused for a while, she then continued, “Mama, Teacher Susan said she likes me hair very much!”

I replied, “Oh, really? That’s good!”

Then, she said, “Yes! She really said that, I didn’t lie to you.”

Paused for a while, she said, “Mama, but hor, you cannot go to the school to ask Teacher Susan (that) she likes my hair har…”

Hahahaha! I think she would be embarrassed if I really do that. Hahahaha!

Isabel is very loutou (old fashion) lah! When she was much younger, still a baby, she was given 2 swim suits (hand-me-down). One was a 1-pc suit, another one was 2-pc, a little like our tankini.

She only accepted the 1-piece suit, refused to wear the tankini. She said it is too small for her, i.e. it exposed her tummy!!

And then, lately I picked up swimming, and swim about 3 times a week if I can (i.e. AF not coming, or can afford to leave office earlier. My girl friends are into buying Victoria’s Secret swim suits as it went on offer. Some can go down to USD2.99 for a bikini top and USD3.99 for a bottom. So I also tumpang bought a couple of bikinis. (of course not as nice as photo below, both what I bought and how I look!! LOL!)

This girl ah… she saw the bikinis, laughed at me, saying ’shame shame’. LOL!

Then, lately I wanted to encourage her to pick up swimming, so I said if she learns I will buy a nice swim suit for her. In our conversation, I asked what type of swim suit she wants: one-piece suit with a little skirt around, or the bikini type like mine.

She quickly said no to bikini. When asked her why, she said: “Hehehee, can see the belly button one, I don’t want to show my belly button!”

* roll eyes *!

Ian is only 5yo and Isabel 3yo. I already think I don’t understand them, I can’t imagine what would it be when they reach their teenage…

You see… I went to Bangkok 2 months ago, and bought this nice dress for Isabel, which I called the ‘princess dress’. I thought she would be very happy seeing this:

She was very excited, waiting for me to show her the ‘gift’ from me… and then she face turned wrinkled upon seeing this dress!! She didn’t even want to try it on. I tried to persuade her to at least try it, to prove to her that it is of good quality and that it won’t make her itchy. She just wouldn’t even give it a try. It is still in the wardrobe, untouched, 100% new!

I also bought this shirt, before I saw the above dress. If I had seen the dress first, I wouldn’t have bought it, coz I thought the dress is nicer. But… Isabel loved this dress so much that she would want to wear it every time it is available!!

As for Ian, I thought he is easy to understand, and easy to buy things for him…

Remember I said that he doesn’t have enough pyjamas, and that I was under pressure to wash them? I finally went to Carrefour to buy. I thought he likes Ben10, wanted to get one for him but couldn’t find. So, I ended up bought this:

And then, my mom saw Ben10 pyjamas in pasar, she bought 1 for him:

He was very excited, waiting for me to wash before he could use them… To my surprise, he wasn’t excited over that Ben10 pyjamas, but the blue one! He wore it once, and then begged me to let him wear it again the following night (which I intended to anyway, to save laundry). He completely ignored the Ben10 pyjamas!!

See, I find my kids are getting harder to guess. LOL! Wait until teenage!