once upon a norza

And a few minutes later...

Competition is good as long as its just a bit of friendly push and shove. But it can be rather chaotic when the lil one has learnt how to assert herself and knows she can hurt her sister with her nails and her toothless bite. We've been quite lucky that Aisyah is a sensitive girl who can take great care of her younger sister although the screamings for Sarah to get out of her way can be a bit out of control sometimes. I don't blame Aisyah because Sarah is at a stage when she wants everything her sister have and follows whatever Aisyah is doing. It gets really annoying when Sarah grabs whatever Aisyah's holding and tears it apart.

Well, I really really hope that they will grow out of this screaming phase when they're bigger. Maybe it's in their genes (definitely not frm the hb's side because mil kept telling me that hb+siblings didnt quarrel much last time...lucky her!). I remember quarelling with my sister when we were in our teens (pulling each other's hairs even!!!). Perhaps what my mum says after our quarrels, "One day you'll feel what I'm feeling right now.." is becoming true...*eeps!*

How to prevent sibling rivalry?

The approaches for preventing sibling rivalry vary for different situations. In other words, a single approach may not work efficiently for all situations. All that it requires is a combination of ideas that works best to stop sibling rivalry. So, here are some of the ideas to help prevent the attacks of sibling rivalries in your family.

- Never try to compare the siblings’ capabilities or skills to one another.
- Frequently show your children that you love them equally with lots of kisses and hugs.
- Praise children for their getting along behaviors.
- Spend most of your time with the children. Pay close attention to each child by allotting special time individually.
- Never label the children as “the brilliant one” or “the irritated one.” Always encourage the children to develop their own inherited talent.
- Don’t be partial in solving the siblings fight. Never react excessively to sibling fights, as it encourages them to complain against one other.
- Be a role model in problem-solving style. Discuss about rivalry with the children separately and make them understand their mistake by emphasizing it.
- Educate children about compromising and cooperation and how to do it on their own.
- Assign household chores to siblings equally and encourage them to share their tasks/feelings with each other. This develops a sense of unity, cooperation and responsibility among siblings.

Working towards these simple ideas can help prevent sibling rivalry and provides peace in your family. However, remember that sibling rivalry can strike at any time. So, be ready to confront it!

from The Parents Zone.

I had the amazing gx100 but its af can really get on my nerves on some days. But to me, a compact camera is one which has to fit into my lifestyle and gets shoved into my pocket. The gx100 is just all that. It takes wonderful pictures and there's always noiseninja for the hi-iso. I wouldnt want my camera left back at home or becomes a burden. Heck, I wouldnt want to carry my dslr around. I already have sarah in my sling and I have only the other hand to take the girls' pictures.

However I already sold gx100 to someone who will continue using this wonderful camera. Call me sentimental but I still miss it sometimes (although the feeling is disappearing cos I'm looking forward to get a replacement...hehe). Of course, I was ecstatic when I saw the video of ricoh GXR. It's going to be expensive and I have a budget to get another good compact so I'll give this a miss. But isn't this revolutionary?

Just a couple of pix (out of many) that I took with the gx100 before I sold it off recently. Shall blog about it in my next entry. It's 2am and I just finished designing a logo. I'm tired and it's time to sleep now. Nite!

and nope...this is not a posed shot. :P

I thought this was pretty funny when I was looking at some photos this morning. Took this while everyone's menu reading at Earle Swensens. Their salad spread was pretty impressive and food wasnt that bad.

It's been quite a while since we stepped into Terminal 3 at Changi Airport so when the sil suggested we have dinner there, Aisyah was really excited. The last time I went was with some of my mummy friends and Aisyah was 2, I think.



The trip was a refreshing change to the usual vivocity. Aisyah loves vivocity but loves the airport even more! It's really a good place for her to run about. There are also lots of food outlets there.

But she got cranky towards the end of our excursion. She didn't take a nap before the trip and as her tiredness set in, Aisyah got into the 'My Hyde' mode. She demanded for a lot of things and wailed when she didn't get her way. I'm aware that people were watching us and its a lot more difficult to think of what to do. We were mentally exhausted at the end of it all. The next time we went out for an outing, I will make sure she's properly rested first and follow these 7 tips:

Tip #1: Start off smart
Some careful prep work can head off some tantrums before they start. When you're at home, role play different scenarios. Give kids a chance to practice responding to various situations. For example, if your tot has his eye on a cool toy that happens to belong to a child who isn't keen on handing it over, what could your child do or say? Work through a few options, and stress that not everyone will share. Consider having your child bring a toy of his own.

Tip #2: Set expectations early
It's also important to set expectations before you leave the house. "We're going to the store to buy milk, eggs, and bread. We are not going to buy a toy." Have your child repeat the information back to you, and keep discussing it. "We are not going to buy a toy. Jack is not going to scream or cry. Are you going to scream or cry?"
Lots of repetition will help make your point, as will having your child rephrase your words back to you.

Tip #3: Be prepared
If you know all the other moms bring snacks to the park, pack something for your child to munch on. Don't drag your child on a three-hour Target run and expect him to stay cheerful and serene the whole time with no reward. And don't take your kids to a restaurant that will make you wait over an hour for your appetizers.

Tip #4: Be clear about your rules
If you're making an exception to a rule, be clear about what you're doing. For example, if you never buy ice cream in the park, but you're choosing to do so today to celebrate a successful potty run, say so explicitly. "We don't usually buy ice cream here, but today is different. Today we are buying ice cream because you used the potty! Today is different and special. Tomorrow we won't buy ice cream, but today we are."

Tip #5: Ignore judgemental strangers
You prepped, you planned -- and somehow it didn't work out right. Now you're stuck in the middle of a store with a screaming child, a cartful of groceries, and a crowd of unfriendly eyes watching your every move. What do you do?

First off, remember that strangers are just that -- strangers. They don't really matter. Anyone who actually has kids is just saying a silent prayer that it's you in the hot seat today. The judgmental ones?

Who needs them? Put them out of your mind, and concentrate on your kid. Also, remember that although we generally think everyone is watching us, most people are actually far more self-centered and are too busy thinking about themselves to focus on anyone else.

Now, if you're not in a rush, take your child to a relatively quiet area of the store and park him on the floor, in the cart, in a chair, wherever. Sit or stand nearby and pull out your cell phone, a book, or anything else that you can focus on (or pretend to) for a few minutes. Ignore your child, and do not respond until he stops screaming. Do not make excuses for his behavior, do not apologize for having a child, and feel free to make snide comments to anyone who feels the need to comment on your parenting. Remember, they are not your problem.

Eventually your child will calm down, and you can give him a choice: either we finish this trip properly, go home and have some sort of treat, or we pay now, go home, and he spends an hour in his room.

Tip #6: Don't give in
But what if you have to finish your shopping? Then do it. To the extent possible, ignore your child. Do not respond, and do not give in to the temptation to say, "Stop whining!" If you have an iPod, put it on. Channel your inner Zen master and focus on not hearing your child.

"Tantrums become a problem when parents give in to the child too soon or too often, teaching the child that a tantrum is an effective way to get what they want," says Diane Ryals, University of Illinois Extension family life educator. So don't. Do what you need to do, get your child out to the car or back home, and let him know how disappointed you are.

Tip #7: Be consistent
As long as you handle tantrums effectively at home -- that is, by ignoring them and not giving in -- they'll eventually lessen when you're out and about. Although it seems difficult to believe now, there will come a day when you'll actually ask your teenager to join you on an outing. Until then, stay strong, and you can have some ice cream when you get home.

from sheknows parenting

I have so many good things to say about the girls' paed, Dr Oh Meng Choo, but I guess you can read about her yourself if you do a bit of googling. She visited Sarah twice a day at the hospital (everyday) and gave us a detailed review in layman terms everytime. She even called us up to ask about Sarah's condition before she was hospitalised and answered our phone messages promptly. Aisyah (who's fussy about doctors) is also comfortable with her and we're glad that Sarah was in good hands...Alhamdulillah. She's one assuring doctor whom you can trust. Of course, we've met good paeds (Dr Vanessa Tan from Kidslink Sengkang, Dr Elizabeth Khor from Elizabeth Kids Clinic) and I would recommend them. But best about Dr Oh is her clinic (Kids Clinic, Bishan st. 12) is just a walking distance from our place so its really convenient.

And did I mention that our experience at Mt.A (St. Gabriel's ward) had been very pleasant. All the nurses were nice and they went out of their way to make everyone (yeah, not just me but I heard them talking to other patients) feel comfortable. They allowed my husband to stay there (this was probably an exception because of Sarah's age) and even passed us extra blankets and pillow to him without we asking them.

When it's medicine time, the nurses will always ask me whether Sarah is ready and when she's not they'd ask me when is the best time. I would be either breastfeeding her or lulling her to sleep since administering antibiotics thru her drip when she's sleeping is the best way. The staff was so incredibly kind and caring because there was once when I woke up and one of the nurses had just finished giving Sarah the nebuliser while she's in my arms. I'm a light sleeper so I know that she did her best not to disturb my sleep.

The hospital food is superb (didn't quite like the hospital food at Gleneagles Hospital on both occasions I was there)! The halal menu is pretty limited though at Mt.A though but I finished every single piece of food on the tray (ermm..except some veges :P). Of course, if you compare Mt.A with other hospitals, it's a pretty boringgggg (yawnzzzz) place but there's free wifi there and I'm happy when there's Internet. :D

There isn't any place to shop (well, there's a gift shop) like KKH where there are so many shops there. The cafeteria is non-halal and there's only one sandwich-dispensing (that's halal) machine (apart from another keropok+choc dispensing machine). Hubby said the sandwiches were not that bad and he won't go hungry. hehe. I can understand the lack of halal food availability since the number of Muslim patients there must be really little. I didn't even see one the whole time I was there...probably like most of well-meaning relatives+friends asked me, "Why go to Mt.A? It's a Christian Church and there's a cross in every ward." Correction...it's actually founded by a group of Roman Catholic Sisters and yes, there's a crucifix in every room.