Wow! Can't believe it's 2008 already!!! Where did the time go? I can't help but feel that after turning 30, time just seems to go by faster and faster.
So, what lies ahead in 2008? Looks like it's going to be a year of many changes for me and my family. We're expecting our little girl in March. My parents are coming over to stay for a few months. Hubby returns from second deployment. And a possible move to Okinawa, Japan. I believe 2008 is going to be a challenging and yet exciting year for all of us.
Happy New Year Y'all!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Saturday, December 1, 2007
To Spank Or Not To Spank...that is the question
I've been tagged by Malaysian Mommy on a very important and yet controversial issue : Do I smack my child?
I do discipline my 2 year old boy occasionally with a smack. Especially when he's done something really bad that he knows he's not supposed to. But I never hit him in the face, head, chest, etc. It's always only on the butt, hand or thigh. And I never hit him hard. It's just to show him that what he did was not acceptable. And I never discipline out of anger because then I will know it will be hard to control how hard I hit him. And it's always THE LAST RESORT.
My little one is not one to reason at this tender age of 2...the Terrible Twos as most people put it. You can talk till the cows come home. He'll just laugh at you and think you're being silly. I've tried "time out" and it doesn't really work for him at this age. Other forms of punishment like taking away his toys, no TV time, etc bears little meaning to him at this point. My first option is always to re-direct and re-focus him on something else. That works most of the time. But sometimes he is stubborn and refuses to listen. That's when he gets the more severe punishment. And he knows to stop right away when that happens. He's young but not stupid. He has learnt quick. Most days now, I just have to give him "the look" that says "if you don't stop what you are doing right away, you're going to get a smack".
All kids need discipline...one way or another. And I think as a parent, you know what works best for your child. And the last thing I want to see happen is for my child to grow up to be a spoilt brat who is self-absorbed and thinks the world revolves around him. Not unlike a lot of kids I see here whose parents are completely lax.
I do discipline my 2 year old boy occasionally with a smack. Especially when he's done something really bad that he knows he's not supposed to. But I never hit him in the face, head, chest, etc. It's always only on the butt, hand or thigh. And I never hit him hard. It's just to show him that what he did was not acceptable. And I never discipline out of anger because then I will know it will be hard to control how hard I hit him. And it's always THE LAST RESORT.
My little one is not one to reason at this tender age of 2...the Terrible Twos as most people put it. You can talk till the cows come home. He'll just laugh at you and think you're being silly. I've tried "time out" and it doesn't really work for him at this age. Other forms of punishment like taking away his toys, no TV time, etc bears little meaning to him at this point. My first option is always to re-direct and re-focus him on something else. That works most of the time. But sometimes he is stubborn and refuses to listen. That's when he gets the more severe punishment. And he knows to stop right away when that happens. He's young but not stupid. He has learnt quick. Most days now, I just have to give him "the look" that says "if you don't stop what you are doing right away, you're going to get a smack".
All kids need discipline...one way or another. And I think as a parent, you know what works best for your child. And the last thing I want to see happen is for my child to grow up to be a spoilt brat who is self-absorbed and thinks the world revolves around him. Not unlike a lot of kids I see here whose parents are completely lax.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Black Friday Shopping
It's the day after Thanksgiving. My neighbour and I decided to brave the crowds, the chilly weather and the insane hours to go shopping on Black Friday....with kids in tow!! It's my first time doing this so I didn't really know what to expect. I must say it's quite an experience. Not as bad as I thought it would be.
We started off at 4am. Our first stop was Walmart. We got there around 4.30am. It was insane. There were already tons of people there. But no one is allowed to load their carts until 5.00am. You can see everyone crowding around the items they want to buy...especially the electronics. At 5.00am sharp, we started loading our carts. But after only 1 item and trying to maneuver our carts in a sea of people and carts in tiny aisles in complete gridlocks, we decided that we needed a new strategy to make this work for us. So, we moved our carts and kids to a not so busy aisle and we took turns shopping. We communicated through cell phones and we would help each other pick up items. Worked out perfectly! We got what we wanted and were out of the store in a little over an hour.
Another good stop we made was at Geoffrey's. We used the same strategy as their check-out lines were long. We just took turns shopping while one person waited in line to get to the check-out counter. Walmart and Geoffrey's had really good bargains. We also made stops at Target, JC Penney and Sears. But their prices were not as great.
All in all, a very fruitful shopping spree. We rewarded ourselves with lunch at International House of Pancakes. And the most surprising element, the kids were extremely well-behaved.
We started off at 4am. Our first stop was Walmart. We got there around 4.30am. It was insane. There were already tons of people there. But no one is allowed to load their carts until 5.00am. You can see everyone crowding around the items they want to buy...especially the electronics. At 5.00am sharp, we started loading our carts. But after only 1 item and trying to maneuver our carts in a sea of people and carts in tiny aisles in complete gridlocks, we decided that we needed a new strategy to make this work for us. So, we moved our carts and kids to a not so busy aisle and we took turns shopping. We communicated through cell phones and we would help each other pick up items. Worked out perfectly! We got what we wanted and were out of the store in a little over an hour.
Another good stop we made was at Geoffrey's. We used the same strategy as their check-out lines were long. We just took turns shopping while one person waited in line to get to the check-out counter. Walmart and Geoffrey's had really good bargains. We also made stops at Target, JC Penney and Sears. But their prices were not as great.
All in all, a very fruitful shopping spree. We rewarded ourselves with lunch at International House of Pancakes. And the most surprising element, the kids were extremely well-behaved.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Beloved Keepsakes
Today is a good day!! Hubby is coming home from 29 Palms after 6 weeks of intense pre-deployment training. These 6 weeks really sucked! I hardly got to hear from him. A few emails here and there and a couple of short phone calls. I missed him terribly!! I'm so excited!! I can't wait to see him again. It's hard knowing that he'll only be home for a week or so before he leaves on his 7-month deployment.
But we do what we can do keep our spirits up! I just ordered a yellow ribbon pin from Beloved Keepsakes today. They also have pink ribbon and white ribbon pins and photo bracelets. Check it out! I love their pins and can't wait to receive mine in the mail. A pin costs about $16 including shipping and handling. All you do is choose your pin and email them a pic. They ship within 48 hours of cleared payment. I know I'll be wearing mine proudly when my hubby is deployed to Iraq.
But we do what we can do keep our spirits up! I just ordered a yellow ribbon pin from Beloved Keepsakes today. They also have pink ribbon and white ribbon pins and photo bracelets. Check it out! I love their pins and can't wait to receive mine in the mail. A pin costs about $16 including shipping and handling. All you do is choose your pin and email them a pic. They ship within 48 hours of cleared payment. I know I'll be wearing mine proudly when my hubby is deployed to Iraq.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Beauty Tips
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.
Remember, If you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!
by Sam Levenson
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.
Remember, If you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!
by Sam Levenson
Monday, October 15, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Property Room - online auction site
I just came across an interesting site. It's called Property Room. It's an online police auction site! This is where you can bid on stuff that were recovered from busts. They also have merchants selling stuff on it as well. A lot of the items are new. But it says you can be assured of authenticity and protection against fraud. They have some really nice stuff here with bids starting at $1 without reserve. You can get jewelry, electronics, paintings, cars, you name it!
If you had something stolen, you can register it on their Steal-It-Back registry and if there is a match it will be returned to you free of charge. You may also register the serial numbers of items you currently own in case they should ever be lost or stolen.
If you had something stolen, you can register it on their Steal-It-Back registry and if there is a match it will be returned to you free of charge. You may also register the serial numbers of items you currently own in case they should ever be lost or stolen.
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