Tiam Kau Ka Si Lang

The one to watch out for is not the one who growls aloud, bares its teeth and attacks you from the front… but the one who sneaks around in the dark like a thief in the night with evil plans to steal, kill and destroy.

Them Hokkien aunties got it right

– it’s the quiet dog that will maul you to death.

Not with a loud bark, but with a pointed whisper.

And always when your back is turned. 

Tsk tsk. B*tch indeed. 🦴

When My Boys Were All Mine

I remember a time when the boys were all mine, 

When morning to dusk, it was just they and I. 

Every moment was ours – just my two boys and me, 

A mom and her sons, running wild and free.

We’d laugh, we’d play, we’d sing through the day,
At home, in the car – all along the way.

To school and to classes, we'd dash to and fro,

From home to Alice, Chiltern or Publika, we'd go, go, go!

Car rides begin with, "What are we listening to today?"
Then a loud Disney singalong, all the way.

A quick park, a mad dash and a crazy run, 
We'd race along the corridors to class – it was fun!

Every two hours, a quick change of venue,

Every night, we'd rush home just to meet curfew.

A shower then dinner, then bedtime at seven, 

Caden hugging my legs, Ethan in my arms – it was heaven.

Whether early or late, whatever the wait,
Always together, no matter the date.
Through every detour, every little delay,
I cherished the moments, every step of the way.

I was their world, just as they were all mine, 

That fleeting season, that sacred moment in time. 

Now echoes remain where chaos once played,

Still deep in my heart, those memories will stay.

You Smell

Sometime last week, I was sitting down with JJ somewhere forgotten doing something unforgettable when, out of the blue, a mosquito started attacking me. ZzzZzzzzZzz – I kept hearing it and seeing it come dangerously close to my bare arms and legs. That deadly tease! 😡

I attempted a murderous clap at it... but missed. I dodged... and escaped. But constantly swinging between clapping and dodging, fighting and flight-ing, is hella tiring! 😮‍💨 "Why is it attacking meeee???" I wailed – a question to no one in particular. 😫 But the answer came swiftly: 

"BECAUSE YOU
SMELL SO GOOD!"

JJ burst out angrily and stomped off 

leaving me to fend for my life alone.

😳

Uh... Sorry, Son. 🫤 But thank you? 😅😂

p/s: I should really remember blogging things I would like to remember before I start losing details. This just happened last week but #ChemoBrain is real! #TheStruggleContinues

Thoughts About Rudeness

In the Disney 1942 animated feature film Bambi, Thumper the bunny wisely said, “If you can’t say somethin' nice, don’t say nothin' at all.” 

That means: don’t be rude. 🙊🤐

He forgot to add, “If you ain't gettin' at decent reply, don’t bother askin' at all.” 

This means: don’t accept rudeness either. 🙉😤

Why Would Best Friends Fall Out?

Somehow or another, the topic of best friends coming and going came up again tonight before bedtime and I told the boys about my one-time best friend Ming, who was still a friend but no longer a "best" friend over the course of time passing. To which, JJ curiously asked:


JJ: Mommy, why isn’t she your best friend anymore?

Pam Song: No particular reason. We just drew apart.

JJ: 😳 Wait. YOU DREW HER BUTT??

😅😅😅

That would totally be a legit reason

for best friends to fall out, I guess. 😂😂😂

VIP Vs CPR

Ethan climbs onto me in bed (as he always likes to do)

and I proceed to pretend to struggle to breathe.

Pam Song: *gasp* *gasp* *gasp*

Ethan: Don’t worry, Mommy! I know VIP!! 😁

Pam Song: 🤨 Baby... It’s called CPR. 😂

VIP... CPR... Close, I guess? 😅

Acronyms Are Confusing

JJ climbs onto me in bed during bedtime and I dramatically pretend to struggle to breathe like the Oscar-winning actress I'm not. 

Pam Song: *gasp* *gasp* *gasp*

JJ: *calmly and reassuringly* Don’t worry, Mommy. I know VIP. 😏

Pam Song: 🤨 Uhhh... Baby, it’s called CPR. 😂

Living In A World Where You Can Buy RM2,000 Cars You Can't Gift-Wrap 🎁

Ethan's turning 7 next month. This boy never wastes an opportunity to ask for a gift so, as per his usual pre-birthday MO, Ethan put on his biggest, brightest, most-charming smile and asked:


Ethan: Papa. what are you getting me for my birthday? 😁

The Husband: What you want?

Ethan: A car!

The Husband: What kind of car?

Ethan: This car!! *points to The Husband’s car*

Caden: Are you crazy??

Pam Song: 🤨 You can’t even drive yet.

Caden: Yeah!! Plus, it costs like, RM2,000 or something!! (LOL. If only. 😅)

Ethan: Oh ya... Plus, they can’t wrap it. 🎁

😂😂😂

#kidlogic #8yowisdom

Empty Nest

Not a sound, not a boom, 

Deathly silent like a tomb. 

Home for four, but now homes two, 

Quiet house, empty rooms.

A Full Life & A Free Wax

Catheter out yesterday. Peeing came naturally – thank God. (I've had previous experiences where peeing is hard work after being catheterised. 😅) Went to the bathroom a few times but didn't bother looking at myself. Finally looked at my face in the mirror today. Almost fainted.

Thank you medical professionals for saving my life...

...and for waxing 10% of my eyebrow off. 🤨

Bo mor, bo pian la. Teng mia tu ho. 😅
(That's Hokkien for "No hair, nothing you can do la. A long life is enough.")

Home Learning Like A Baws

You see? Duduk macam taukeh. 😅

Today we just discovered that JJ's actually in a Year 2 English Phonics class in spite of just being in the first term of Year 1. So proud of him! 👏 He's usually pretty chatty about the going-ons in school but he never mentioned this! And if not for home learning, we probably wouldn't have known either! So I guess home learning... got good got bad la hor. 😅 #consolingmyself #makingmyselffeelbetter

Homeschooling Round 2, Day 1

We decided to divide and conquer. The Husband got JZ and I got JJ. Armed with the workbooks we bought during the MCO, I was prepared for JJ to breeze through the pages considering it was one year below his current year group. 

But of course, with my son,

that's wishful thinking. 🙄

These were the questions...

QUESTION 1: Tina collected ________ buttons.

I think the question is pretty straight forward and the answer is equally as clear. Year 1 confirm can answer, right? Shouldn't be a problem, right? Just count buttons only, right?? Easy-peasy lemon squeasy, right??

HAH! WRONG.

Pam Song: So Tina collected how many buttons? 

JJ: *confidently* A LOT! 

Pam Song: 😳 

JJ: Fully!

Pam Song: 🤔  

JJ: *hesitantly* Uh... Many? 

Pam Song: 🤯 Eh, what "many"?? You think you doing English issit?? 🤦‍♀️

          

JJ desperately trying to justify his answers.

Can I send the kids back to school ah? 🤣

Ass Vs S

I was in my study getting some work done when I heard this very loud, one-sided conversation take place between the boys who were outside in the living room. 

JJ: Kor Kor, can you move there?

JZ: *no response*

JJ: Kor kor, I said. Move there.

JZ: No. 

JJ: KOR KOR! MOVE THERE!!

JZ: HAIH!

JJ: Oh nooOOooOo!! My ass!!!

Pam Song: 😳 Wait. What!?

I mad-dashed out of the room, all ready to swoop in and whoop some butt / spank some tushy / beat some a** cos ain't no child of mine's gonna be sayin the A-word at six. 😡 So I got there and...

Ohhh... His S. 😅😂

Let's Go Lay Some Kids

JJ: Who is Por Tai’s son or daughter, Mommy?

Pam Song: Ah Ma lor. Ah Ma is Por Tai’s daughter. 

JJ: *thoughtfully* So she lay Ah Ma... Then lay Papa... Then lay you... Then lay me...

Actually the logic is also salah maximum

but the grammar... the grammar, I just cannot.

Pam Song: Eh. Lay what lay?? We’re not eggs ah! 

JZ: *interrupts me* EH!! I'M OLDER THAN YOU! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SAY LAY ME FIRST!!

Pam Song: 🤦🏻‍♀️ I give up.

Gas Vs Guest

Pam Song: *to The Husband* Gas is coming.

JJ: *perks up and exclaims excitedly* Wait, you mean a guest is coming??

Pam Song: Haha no, no. The gas man is delivering gas. Nobody’s coming to hang out.

JJ: Awww!!! Bats.


Haha. MCO-ing is tough! This is proof that my social butterfly is missing the company of other humans other than us. See same face until sien liao. 😅

Vowel Vs Voucher

While driving home from school, JJ says something (which, I cannot-for-the-life-of-me remember now) and I take the opportunity to teach him when to use a long "the" (sounds like "thee") in conversation.


Pam Song: When a word starts with AEIOU, it starts with a vowel. So you say “thee” instead of “thuh”, ok?

JJ: Okay.

Pam Song: What about “The End”? Why do you say “Thee End” instead of “Thuh End”? Because E is a...?

JJ: *confidently* VOUCHER!

😅😂 This may take awhile.

THE END

Just finished my last chemo,
Now I feel like a true war hero.
Would live it up and throw a party,
But feeling so tired like an aunty.

Guess I'll celebrate this milestone later,
After these tired post-chemo days blow over.
Just can't wait till I feel stronger,
And my days get better and better.

For today, I'll just lie down and pray,
And thank the Lord that He has stayed,
By my side through good and bad,
And for that, I shall be glad.

Dumplings Vs. Dimples

JJ is highly motivated by stickers. Like, he super LOOOOVES stickers. He would do his homework, eat faster and sleep earlier just for stickers. Hahaha. #whenyoure5

He earned a sheet of reward stickers from me over the weekend for doing his homework and has been using it sparingly since then. One here, one there – very precious. Today, he picked a big one and showed it to me while we were in the car. 

After that, this conversation ensued...

JJ: Mommy, why does he have that pink dot on his face? *points to a rosy cheek* What’s that on the face?

Pam Song: Rosy cheeks. Like your face when you're hot.

JJ: Is it the same as the one that’s on your face also? Dumplings?

Pam Song: 😳 Urm... no. 😂 Those are DIMPLES!!! 😅

JJ's Birthday Dinner @ IPPUDO, Gurney Plaza

When I asked JJ what he wanted to have for his birthday dinner, he immediately picked, "the noodle shop with the soup and yellow egg" – that's IPPUDO for you in JJ talk. 🍜 We used to frequent it at BSC, KL but we've never tried the one at Gurney Plaza, Penang before so... no better time than now! 

Very happy to be there.

They don't offer kids' meal options here – unlike in KL – so I ordered a regular adult-sized Shiromaru Tamago with 1 extra egg for the boys to share. (My boys are not very big eaters.) Tasted exactly the same! As good as it does in KL. (Hurrah! 🎉 More familiar food options for us! Miss KL food heaps.) And I may step on a few toes here, but I actually prefer the Shiromaru at IPPUDO, BSC even more than I liked the one at IPPUDO, Tokyo. 😅 #blasphemy

JJ throughly enjoying his noodles. Sluuuurp!

Thankfully Melsong flipped through the promos because they offer FREE birthday jumbo juice if your birthday falls on that month! Must kiasu and sapuuuu!!! So we ordered it. Muahahaha. Just too bad Melsong and I had already ordered our Green Teas. Or else would have saved RM10 there. Drinks at IPPDO are just crazy expensive. 😰💸 Can only order if sit long long and keep refilling. 😂

You see how happy he is?? Like he won the 5yo lottery. 😝

Birthday boy is contented. 🙃

Very curious as to what those floating orange squares

inside are. They're mangoes cut into cubes.

And the next 3 pictures will show you how tham ciak (Hokkien for "greedy") and pia (Hokkien for "driven in an aggressive way") this birthday boy is.

He loves the soup so much he still has some in his bowl but he's already stealing more. LOL! Ok la ok la. Since your birthday, I give you face. Actually I don't like it when the kids double dip their spoons into common bowls wan. Germ fest! And I can't afford for anyone to be sick right now. Even worse if one goes down and takes the rest with them! Horror of horrors! 😱😨😰 #myworstnightmare

We happened to be seated right under the aircon blower so it was so, so cold 🌬🌨❄️ that we had to borrow each others' necks to warm up. We didn't go prepared and weren't dressed for autumn. 🍂 LOL. 

 Melsong caught my brand new bald spot

glowing in the spotlight. 😂😂😂

Also, we were sitting there for so long la. Apa body heat also gone liao. Cos they refused to let us reserve a table for 6 at 7pm when we asked at 6.30pm. No reservations, they said. *rolls eyes* So we just gangsta walked in and sat till 7pm. 🤣 And then we ate and sat through dinner, too. That plus the FREE jumbo mango punch, we ended up freezing our butts off. Hahaha. 

Anyhoo, we enjoyed our dinner – the birthday boy especially – and then we went home to cut JJ's 3rd dino cake. 😅😂 But more on that later! 

No More "Mummy"

Brought the kids along with me to TESCO today. While we were there, JJ turns to me and says...


 JJ: Ah ma? *while reaching out to hold my hand*

 Pam Song: 😳 Wait... WHAT!? 

 JJ: *quick save* Ah Ma sayssss... when she comes to TESCO... *fades off*


Wah... Call me "Ah Ma" then immediately U-turn, tukar topik and cover-line kau kau?? Tsk tsk tsk. But good save la, good save. Very smooth. Brain work very fast also. Can be lawyer next time. LOL. But to be honest with you, I was actually taken aback and a little bit heartbroken when JJ called me "Ah Ma" by accident.


Just yesterday when I was saying my goodnights to the boys before they went into Mama's room to sleep, I began to wonder if the kids had moved on. They bounded into her room – no fussing, no whining, and without a single "I want Mummy" cry – with all the maturity of carefree teenagers in the bodies of clingy almost-5yos and almost 7yos that I still remember carrying and cuddling with.


And while I'm so very grateful that Mama and The Husband have stepped up to the plate and have so willingly helped out with the kids in light of my current predicament, I'm somewhat surprised at how quickly the boys have adapted to the situation and their new caregivers. Makes me think: That in the flurry of hospital visits and temporary isolation rooms, could it be that Mummy has been… replaced? Forgotten? Left behind? 😢💔😭

*sighs*

I can't wait till January comes. 😢