*swoon*

The latest Harry Potter trailer is out.

*swoon* How can anyone watch this trailer and NOT KNOW this is going to be the best in the series yet?

Better yet, IMAX is releasing the movie with the last 20 minutes in 3D. OMG. I’ve already found an IMAX theatre here in Hong Kong and come hell or high water, I’m travelling all the way out to Kowloon Bay to watch the 3D action.

Oh, and I haven’t forgotten the book. I mean, The Book. I’ve already pre-ordered, gotten my 100-day countdown bookmark and inspected the cover art (and correspondingly drawn all my conclusions from them) of the new book.

July 2007 is going to be the best summer yet. Of course, if she doesn’t kill Harry off, I mean.

Always have decent underwear on

Wise words from my mother. Wise words which I always remember too late. Like today, while I was stripping down for a medical check-up.

“Oh Lord,” I prayed, “Let not the lab tech walk in now.” It was just one of those days I was rushing and had grabbed my too old, too mangled, too-often-washed-in-the-machine bra. And in case you are wondering, yes, I do own decent underwear. Not everything that I have is a disgrace.

Note to self: throw that damn bra away. Stat.

Let’s bring God back

This morning, I cried watching this video, 99 balloons.

Last night, I read about a mother whose autistic child has an incurable genetic disease and how she copes with it. This mother’s just been diagnosed with a brain tumor.

I am humbled and awe-struck by these parents. Life has dealt them a difficult hand, giving them children with severe or fatal disabilities. And yet, they are able to love God, love their children and appreciate the perfection in them. With abortion so readily available, how many of us would have chosen the easy path? These parents knew, before birth, about their children, and still chose to carry on, to bear the cross God set before them. Despite all odds, they are able to take such a life-affirming approach to their burden.

How many of us will choose acceptance and fortitude in such situations? How many of us would take the easy way out? I salute these parents. I look at our own children and for the first time, I truly appreciate what we have.

I told Danny last night. Let’s bring God back. Back to our lives.

Little pitchers have big ears

Me: *yadda yadda yadda yadda some random question*

Sara: None of your business.

Me: *stunned silence*

Sara: *breaks into cheeky grin*

Sigh. Had to give her a stern talking-to, explaining that this isn’t the appropriate response to an adult, even though I use it on her all the time, in response to her never-ending questions, the favourite of which is “Whhhhhyyyyeeeee?????” Gotta watch what I say, haven’t I?

I’m a big girl now

Turning three to Sara is like turning eighteen or twenty-one. Like you get the license to drink or drive or something. For her, it’s license to do everything herself. And while I should be rejoicing at this determined effort at independence, it often means a huge mess.

“I can eat all by myself.” We’re back in bibs, and the floor is littered with bits of rice and other food. The table top too, as well as splashes of soup. And it now takes twice as long, sometimes even more, to get a meal done with. But “I” can eat all by “myself” and “I” will snatch that spoon back if you dare take it away to feed “me”.

“I can sit on the big toilet seat. I don’t need the stool. I CAN DO IT MYSELF!” Never mind that in the rush to get up and perched precariously on the pot, she’s dribbled pee everywhere. Today, the thing I’ve been threatening finally happened. Her hand slipped (she uses both hands to prop herself up on the seat) and she dropped unceremoniously into the pot. It was too funny, but I didn’t laugh. I just suggested we get back to the kiddie seat and she’s finally agreeable.

“I don’t suck my thumb.” Except when she wants to sleep, when she’s tired, when she’s watching TV, when she’s bored,…., the list goes on. I frankly don’t see the difference, but this is what she says she’s doing.

“Tomorrow I will grow as big as you.” “Tomorrow” is some undefined time in the future. She seems to think she will one day wake up my size. I’m trying to teach her that growing happens all the time and bit by bit. We even have a growth chart to reinforce the idea, but no, she still thinks that she will suddenly grow twice her height. She was somewhat disappointed it didn’t happen the day she turned three, but she remains hopeful. Just as she remains hopeful that Nathan, upon turning one, will suddenly be her size and can play meaningfully with her.

I must say she is quite entertaining, when I’m not trying to throttle her, that is.

I know I’m Number One

My sister forwarded this to me:

I was out walking with my 4 year old daughter. She picked up something
off the ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away
from her and I asked her not to do that.

“Why?” my daughter asked.

“Because it’s been on the ground, and you don’t know where it’s been,
it’s dirty and probably has germs” I replied.

At this point, my daughter looked at me with total admiration and asked,
“Mommy, how do you know all this stuff? You are so smart.”

I was thinking quickly. “All moms know this stuff. It’s on the Mommy
Test. You have to know it, or they don’t let you be a Mommy.”

We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently
pondering this new information.

“OH…I get it!” she beamed, “So if you don’t pass the test you have to
be the daddy.”

“Exactly” I replied back with a big smile on my face.

Success…. sort of

Sleep training is finally paying off. Sort of. We still have bouts of screaming and crying, but by and large, Nathan is content to lie down and sleep on his own, mostly with a little bit of tears at the start. He also is content to wake and wait in silence, sometimes throwing toys out of the crib for entertainment, till he sees signs of life from our bed before yelling his head off in the morning. And really, this is all I can ask for. Next step: Into Sara’s room he goes. Sara’s ready for it – she’s been asking daily for this to happen – but I’m not sure I am.

I have decided

To switch the comments function off. As those who still come by notice, I haven’t been replying comments for a long time now. It’s not that I don’t want to, but I just don’t give blogging as much time as I used to, so I never get round to it. I do feel it’s so rude not to reply, but I just can’t get it together, so I finally FINALLY figured out how to switch the comments function off. I hope you still will come by, but at least I don’t feel bad and you don’t feel I’m such an ingrate.