Entreating En October 1, 2009
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October 1st, 2009
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Me: [shouts] En!!
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En: [reading book, grunts noncommittally] Hnhh
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Me: [longingly] I waaant to go to Jerusalem and Turkey. Can you please pray that I get a Free Trip to those places?
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En: [without hesitating] You can go to Jerusalem in your computer. Just type “Jerusalem” and you can get there already.
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Me: Wha…??!!
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Not Artistically Inclined… November 4, 2008
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November 4th, 2008
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En and I were having our usual Tuesday get-together in the evenings at Jusco when En brought up the fact that she had still got one more homework to do. She loathed to do it because she is really bad at it. When asked what it was, she simply said, “Art.”
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“What? You have Art as homework??” I asked. She pulled a depressed face and said that she was not able to do it at school and so she had to bring it back to do it.
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“They made us drip paint on the art paper, Mom. And then we were to use a straw to blow out the drops on the paper. I did not have a straw with me then. And even if I did, it would not be pretty because I’m just so bad at it.”
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“Oh Honey,” said I, sympathizing, and totally understanding. After all, I was super-terrible at Art while I was in school and dropped it as soon as the education system allowed me to. “I’ll help you with it tonight the best I can, okay? We’ll do it together.”
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And so that was how I was tricked into doing most of En’s work…it was baaad. Like how can one drip colored water onto a paper from a tiny brush?? I cheated and took a disposable spoon, scoop up the water color and dripped it from the spoon onto the art paper. After that, En and I got into competition to see who could blow which drop thin first.
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We spent about a full hour mixing colors, dripping, washing out the soiled water cup and spoon. And blowing. There were LOTS of blowing through straws done. Held at an angle towards the light, I saw spots of colorless slimy liquid among the colors, and deduced that En’s salivary glands had also contributed to the art. Yuck!
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After that, I held up our artwork. Well, it wasn’t a masterpiece [I wasn’t expecting one, anyway], but I thought we held up on our own pretty well…in any case, I decided to take a few shots close up. Some were actually quite interesting….
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All-in-all, we’d probably earn a C on this piece, unless the teacher appreciates the effort that went into it. But En & I enjoyed ourselves thoroughly doing it, and it was a great time of bonding for us. Here’s wishing for more fun times like today!
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Happy Birthday, En!!! October 16, 2008
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October 16th, 2008
Happy B-day, En
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The Test October 10, 2008
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October 10th, 2008
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It is En’s Final exams right now. Her exam schedule always spreads out to about 2 weeks. We’re in the middle of it currently. Just yesterday, she said, “Mom, I don’t have any papers to sit for tomorrow. But I have a test to take anyway.” And to my baffled “huh?” she replied, “I need to go for my blood test, remember?”
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Oh. Yeah. The blood test. The test that we human beings all gotta go through to ensure that we have continued good health, or to gain knowledge of any state of unhealth.
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Sigh…here we go again. En hasn’t had a test done since she was little and it was certainly time. Will she cry? I thought she would. Anyway, she made me tell her stories of how she went through blood tests when she was little in as lurid a detail as possible, since she could not remember them.
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Today came, and we went to take the test. While waiting her turn, she read a book, presumably to ward off all fears. Then it was her turn. She went in. The attendant tied her upper left arm, and then tapped on her inner elbow in hopes that one of her veins would obligingly pop up. None did, and so after a while, the attendant decided to look for veins in the back of her palm instead. En had already started silently crying in earnest. Why isn’t the uncle done yet???
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Ah! He found a vein. He slipped the needle in and started pulling back the plunger. But alas! No blood came out….it was only after several tries that we managed to see some blood coming out, and it was only after more than a minute that there was enough blood to do the necessary tests. Poor En.
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Anyway, directly after the whole incident, she went for her Kumon class. There, she met her friend Joy. In an adult-like tone, she proudly told Joy that she had just gone for a Blood Test, and it was as painful as a bee sting. Or an elongated ant-bite. To which Joy answered, “A blood test? Oh. I’ve been through that already. No big deal,” with a voice of one experienced in such matters…
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Somehow, your kid’s growing-up pains are so much more interesting to watch than your own…
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Is Fear Controllable? September 26, 2008
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September 26th, 2008
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“Mom! Mom!” went En’s harried voice very early this morning, followed by violent knocks on my room door.
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“What’s the matter, honey?” I asked, alert and alarmed.
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“I need to get my doctor’s kit. It’s somewhere in here,” she said, rummaging in a corner. “Ahh. Here it is!” and took out a box from her kit, and running out of the room again.
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“Wait!” I said, running after her. “What are you taking and what for?”
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“It’s Molly, Mom. She’s got fever. I’ve got to give her medication. See? The pills are in this box,” she explained, shaking the box of play pills.
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Having been going for counseling classes the past few months, I realized at once something was happening. My daughter fears the unknown sickness that VFui has, and is acting out in the only way she can – by treating her Molly Bear and making it better. In this way, she feels she has control over the situation.
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I stood helplessly as she administers medication to Molly. What should I do? I thought and thought the whole day long. At last, I decided that I needed to get her to talk about it and ask me everything she wants to know about cancer.
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I did that during the trip back from Cell Group late this evening. She asked first if VFui will die – I said NO. She asked what is going to happen to him. I said he needs to go through a treatment called radiotherapy, and he will probably be weaker for a little while, and then he will be totally better again after the treatments. She asked if he still could sing in the coming Christmas Musical, I said No, because his throat may be dry. She asked if he needed for go for an operation to cut the cancer away. I said no, the cancer is best taken away by the burning of radiotherapy. She asked if the cancer germs can spread to her. I said no, it can only spread within him, but not to her. She was quiet after that. I added that she can help by praying for the radiotherapy sessions to start as soon as possible. She said OK.
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That was about the last of her questions. She seemed satisfied, for she promptly went to sleep after that.
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Have her fears been adequately dealt with and controlled? I don’t know. I hope so. I really do.
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A School’s Peer Pressure Hits Mom July 21, 2008
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July 21st, 2008, Morning
Last week, En came back from school with about 20 mozzy bites on her legs. Apparently, the teacher brought the class to the field for Physical Education. The school field is infested with mosquitoes. En, being of high metabolic rate, got bitten all over.
Her parents’ fears are that one or more of those merciless mozzies would be an Aedes. Fearful of losing En to the fatal Dengue Fever, they had En ask the teacher whether or not she could wear long track bottoms instead of shorts for PE. The teacher said OK.
Today, I dressed En up in track bottoms. She was reluctant. She said it was because it was pink in color, and track bottoms in school must be dark blue only.
Since we’ve rummaged through her entire wardrobe and could not come up with a dark blue one, I decided that she would just have to make do with the pink one until we purchase a blue one within the week.
En was quiet in the car.
We’ve reached the school. En didn’t want to get down. She said she was nervous.
The car at the back was waiting for me to move, and so I ordered En to stop dawdling and get down now.
She did. And then walked despondently to class.
I drove off to let the next car in.
Something stopped me. Perhaps it was the downcast look on En’s face as she headed for class that made me realize something more than just the “teacher’s disapproval” was up.
I drove back into school, parked the car, and nipped up to her class to view her through the window.
She was sitting alone, with a quavering smile on her face. It was her “brave face” smile.
I knew at once what was happening.
My child is being Peer Pressured by her mates!
She was the only one in class with track bottoms, and a PINK one at that! One of her closest friends had laughed at her when she first entered the class. She felt alone and ostracized.
She caught me looking through the window. I mouthed, “Are you OK?”
She shook her head, her smile crumbling. Then she got out of her chair, and ran to me. She burst into tears when she reached me and hid her face in my shirt.
I pulled her aside. Held her. Felt so helpless.
She was crying and telling me what her good friend said. That hideous friend, I thought. She should be chained and thrown into the dungeon to rot!
While she was crying, that evil friend came out to see what was happening. When she saw En crying, she smirked. I wanted to slap her.
Instead, I asked, “Why did you taunt En? She’s crying because of what you said. How could you hurt her like this!”
The friend’s smile vanished. She understood she was in the presence of an angry, avenging mom. She turned around and fled back into the safety of her classroom.
I brought En away from the class. We met a teacher as we were walking. She was very kind. She assured En and I that the pink track bottoms were fine. She also understood that it was really peer pressure that was causing trauma in En’s life. She suggested that En change back into her school uniform, and that she will inform En’s teacher to excuse her from PE today.
We did that.
I am now coming back from the school, with a PE Tee and a pair of pink track pants in the empty seat beside me.
Did I do right?
Have I made the situation more difficult for En by partially succumbing to her peer pressure?
Can I re-do anything at all that happened in the last half hour that could have made the situation any better?
I do not know…
And it is agony to not know…
Other Bible Riddles on the Way Home from Missionettes July 19, 2008
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July 19th, 2008 Afternoon, 5.30pm.
By En:
- Who asked Jesus in the middle of the night how to be born again?
- Who found his taxes inside a fish?
- Who was so strong he killed a lion?
- I am Elijah’s assistant.
- I told Mary that she was going to give birth to Jesus.
By Me:
- I was the most beautiful angel till I turned away and against God.
- I said, “Give me children or I will die!”
- My mother was as old as Tai-Poh (great-grandma) when she had me.
- I was struck dumb by the angel of God.
- I was Mary’s (mother of Jesus) sister.
En in the Car July 19, 2008
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July 19th, 2008 Afternoon, 4pm.
En: Mom, let’s play a game.
Me: What game?
En: The Bible Riddle Game.
Me: You want to give me an example so that we can get started?
En: Okay. “God spoke to me when I was a boy.”
Me: Errr…Moses?
En: No-lar! “When I was a boy!!”
Me: Oh. Uh. Errr…Samuel?
En: Correct. Your turn.
Me: Who said, “The serpent deceived me?”
En: Oh. That’s easy. EVE.
Me: You’re right. Your turn.
En: No. That was too easy. Ask another.
Me: I was rebuked by Nathan.
En: He’s a King and his name is David. Gimme another.
Me: I baptized Jesus.
En: Oh. I suppose the clues would be that my name starts with J, and that I lived in the desert, eat lotus –
Me: I believe it’s locusts –
En: - locusts – and wear camel skin?
Me: [Sigh] Yeah. Those would be clues.
En: John the Baptist. Another one, Mom?
Me: Okay, here’s one – I did not die, but God –
En: Elijah!
Me: - brought me back to be with Him, and my name is not Elijah.
En: Huh? Not Elijah?
Me: [smirking] Nope.
En: And God took him back?
Me: [grinning] Yep.
En: Undead???
Me: Yep.
En: What’s the clue?
Me: Joy’s brother’s name.
En: Enoch???
Me: You got it, dear.
En: [jumping] Oooh! That’s a good one! Anymore?
Me: Well, I would love to crack my brains for some more, but……whatdya know, we’ve arrived at church already. Time to disembark and I’ll pick you up again at 5.30pm, ok?
En: Okay, mom. It was a great game. [Slams door]
Me: Yes, dear, it was. So glad it’s over…..!
Protected: Yeoh Clan Pics October 25, 2007
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Jaden’s 5th Birthday July 15, 2007
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Jaden celebrated his 5th birthday at the roof top, pool area of the Berjaya Times Square, on July14th, 2007. Here are some of the pics taken…
There was a clown present, too!
