100-Day Project #11 - No Harm Trying

Some kids are very shy and reserved while some are very open and friendly. My kids definitely falls into the latter. They are mostly friendly and engaging, make friends easily and are comfortable in a crowd. This is something that is rather alien to me. As a child, I almost always will try to fade into the background. Seriously, the then-me would love to have a coat of invisibility!

One example will be when they attend kids' shows that are usually held in shopping malls. To break the ice and get the mood going, most such shows will almost always have a Q&A session where the kids get to go on stage to answer a question and get a small gift. My kids will always have hands up to try to answer. Yes, even my littlest who probably has NIL idea what is going on!

They are not afraid to try. They will always WANT to try. It doesn't matter that they may not get it, come next question, their hands will shoot right up again! What a great attitude and I am so happy to learn this from them!

Try: to attempt to do or accomplish

100-Day Project #10 - Taking Initiative

My kids are very pampered by my mom. She have no qualms about catering to their preferences when it comes to food. My mom always says that my kids thinks her house is like a hawker centre, want what got what!

As with all grandmothers, she dotes on her grandchildren and do not ask them to help with anything in the kitchen. Then again, I must say that I too need not help in the kitchen. Being the most fantastic cook in her own family, my mom prefers to do things her way and we who are not even a quarter as accomplished in the kitchen as her will make sure to steer clear!

One day, while my mom was preparing dinner, I was quite delighted to hear my gals volunteer to pluck bean sprouts. My mom's reaction, however, was pretty classic as her reply was "Aiyo, you all can or not. Wait my bean sprouts got no head no tail!" Of course my gals professed that they know and thankfully yes the bean sprouts retained their heads safely!

I am very happy to know that while it does not happen always or even very often, they sometimes do take the initiative to help :)

Initiative: readiness and ability in initiating action; enterprise

100-Day Project #9 - Learning is Everywhere

My gals were recently involved in a performance. Being rather regular performers, this is not something new or unfamiliar to them. in fact, both gals thrived on such opportunities and are always grateful for any performance!

Time round however only my no.2 was performing per se. No.1 was too tall and did not fit into the needed profile. When I first knew about it, I was a tad worried, that my no.1 may feel left out as an earlier show this year saw only my no.2 performing as well. 

I was quite pleasantly (and gratefully) surprised when she told me that she is happy as long as she is involved in the performance, in any way! Her logic - "I can learn about performing, whether backstage or front stage, it doesn't matter, I am still learning and get to observe."

Learning: the act or process of acquiring knowledge or skill

100-Day Project #8 - Never Cease To Feel

This is my no.1's favourite movie. She had seen it no less than 7 times. No, I am NOT kidding.

Yet everytime she watches it, she is in tears. Yes, even after 7 times! While I can understand that hormones are upside down now in teenage years and she may be more affected since the story is about her age now. But after 7 times? Seriously???

We happened to chat about this once and I was asking her how come she still cries? I can understand for the first 3 times? but 7??? She answered "I still feel it! What the characters go through when things happen and when they lost contact etc."

Is it becos I am jaded, as a much older person, that I am not as touched? Or she is just more emotional? I think is the former. As we go into  adulthood, we are taught (unknowingly) that we should NOT feel or be affected as much as we are now "adults". Yet, feelings are very much part of a person, a human. Is it wrong to feel and empathise? Is it "un-adult" to feel?

I am humbled, that my child was able to teach me that feeling has nothing to do with being adult. One can still feel and should continue to feel!

Feel: to have a sensation of (something), other than by sight, hearing, taste, or smell

100-Day Project #7 - Apt Imagination

At 4-years-old, imagination is a wonderful thing. It creates worlds of make-believe that makes role-playing realistic. It allows you to have your own rules and it allows you to create your own characters and environment! Needless to say, my littlest has an imagination as big as Mount Everest!

He can be a pirate now, shooting canons at the castle that he is attacking. Next he will be a train conductor, instructing his older sisters to get on or off the train. His worlds can be a complete fantasy at times and sometimes completely realistic too! He loves role-playing doctor as he could then go around poking all our butts with his "needle" and hearing our "Ouch!"!

One weekend, we were all exhausted after coming home from their Saturday activities. All 5 of us slept like piggies! My littlest woke up nearing dinner time, asking for food. As I struggle to wake up from my grogginess, he said something that jolted me awake.

"Daddy is a super hero!" he declared.

"Awww..." I can almost hear that!

Taken aback, I asked why and which super hero is he? 

OK, some explanation here. While most kids may see their dads as their super hero, my kids never said so. Not becos he is not heroic but more becos he is so fierce that they only see the fierceness and discipline. To them, super heroes save the world but Daddy scolds! So I was TRULY taken aback!

His answer? "Daddy is the Hulk!" He proudly declared. Why???

"Coz Daddy make Hulk noise (grunts) and this (thumps like "Hulk Smash")"

I burst out laughing and I know that hubby dearest, who was trying his hardest to pretend to sleep was listening in too! His shaking shoulders were hard to ignore! Daddy the Hulk then obliging gave a loud grunt and breathed loudly which brought my littlest scurrying to my side of the bed, pointing at his dad "There! Like that!"

The last super hero I would imagine my hubby to be is Hulk yet hearing what my littlest said, its hard not to draw the similarities though I would REALLY appreciate the 6-pecs that Hulk has!

Imagination: the product of imagining; a conception or mental creation,

often a baseless or fanciful one.

100-Day Project #6 - Cutting Bangs

My no.1 had had the same hairstyle since she was P4. Now a teenager, I wasn't too surprised that she indicated that she wants a change of style. She wanted to cut bangs and was wondering if it will look ok on her.

In my opinion, bangs means youth. Don't ask me why but it just seems that way to me. She pondered on it for awhile, researched online and even tried out apps that allow you to superimpose a hairstyle on your own photo! 

At the hairdresser, I asked if she would want to go ahead or wait till a couple of months later when she is due for her next cut. I know that she wasn't very confident of having bangs so really do not want to push her. Much to my surprise, she wanted to go ahead with it.

Upon asking, she told me simply "Actually, after thinking so much, its only hair and it will grow back." For a teenager, that seemed so unbelieveable! Yet, in my mommy's heart I was so proud that she worked that out herself and was mature enough to know that it is indeed ONLY hair and it does grow back!

Happy ending - She was very happy with her bangs and was quite surprised that just a few strands of hair could make such a big difference and yes she agreed with me that having bangs do make her look younger!

Mature: fully developed in body or mind, as a person

100-Day Project #5 - Wait For The Right Moment

We were recently at the zoo. It was glorious weather being a tad windy, hardly any strong sun and no rain :) The little ones saw plenty of animals and were happily walking from one enclosure to another. At the end of the day, when we were about to go home, we stopped at the River Safari souvenir shop after seeing the pandas.

Well actually the littlest one, who was the keenest to see them, didn't actually saw the pandas as he himself fell asleep! We tried waking him up to see but he cracked open his eyelids, took a glance and promptly went back to sleep after declaring "I know! But I want to sleep!"

Anyways, at the shop, my no.1 was browsing and saw a red panda soft toy. She told me that she felt indignant every time she sees it as many years ago (at least 7 years ago!), when we were at Hong Kong Disneyland, she had wanted this but we said "No!" *Opps!*

Well, she went to the Daddy, told him the (sob) story and Daddy dearest of course said "OK, u get it now then." SUCCESS! Now, those who know my hubby will know that this success definitely did not come easy! He is more a disciplinarian than an indulging dad so u can well imagine my no.1's glee!

I was teasing her that she remembered till now and she told me cheekily "Well, it worked!"

Seems that waiting for the right moment, even after 7 long years, can sometimes work wonders!

Wait: to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens

100-Day Project #4 - Wake Up...

Spied the following phrase on my no.1's desk...

"Wake Up With Determination, Go To Bed With Satisfaction"

What a great mantra to have! Indeed if we all could have this mantra and live by it, we will all be much more fulfilled at the end of everyday. Granted, not all days are rosy, some are downright horrid! Yet, I always believe that there are always two sides to a coin as there is always something good in anything bad. Some may say that I am deceiving myself. Maybe. But at the end of the day, finding something good, going to bed feeling better and waking up feeling much better, that would be the main point. Finding contentment is a skill and I was glad to be reminded by my no.1!

Satisfaction: confident acceptance of something as satisfactory, dependable, true, etc.

100-Day Project #3 - Never Lose Heart (Tenacity)

No.2 had been wanting to get on the school team for Floorball. Being a very very petite gal, we did try to taper her hope (and expectations) by reasoning out that it may not be very easy as there will be (very) many bigger sized girls who will be vying for that few spots. She was not daunted and told me that she will still want to try.

After many gruelling training sessions, a training camp and tryout sessions, she came home one day quite disheartened. The list for the school team came out and she was not on it :( We left her alone to sort it out on her own and told her that its ok, there is always next year. She was rather upset for that evening, keeping to herself and not wanting to talk.

A few days later, she told me that there is an extra training session and that she wants to go. Curious as normally such extra sessions were reserved for the school team, I ask why is there a need for her to go? She told me "There is one more slot left for school team and I want to try." It was stated such a matter-of-factly that I was floored for a few seconds.

Tenacity : the quality of being tenacious, or of holding fast; persistence

I know that with an outstanding older sister who is an all-rounder in sports, academic and leadership, she feels the pressure to measure up even when we told her that all of them are different. She wants to try, even when there is only ONE slot. To her, that one slot is hope, notwithstanding that it is only ONE! Her tenacity amazed me. She is usually quite laid back and do not really put in 100% effort for almost all things. Studies comes naturally to her so that was pretty effortless as well. I am so grateful for this ONE slot. It showed me how determined she can be. Hopefully it will also show her that sometimes the journey is more rewarding than reaching the destination itself.

100-Day Project #2 - I Can

My no.3 had always been a go-getter. However, being the youngest and having 2 much older sisters meant that he has always been left out of most things because of his age. The 2 sisters had to play with him at his level which is not very easy at times. Though I must say that they do try, sometimes after some nagging from me of course!

At his current age, he is game to try anything and everything! His granny was peeling hard boiled eggs one day and he asked to peel too. The granny gave him one and a bowl, instructing him to put all the shells in the bowl. In the granny's mind, she had already "written off" that poor egg as seriously you don't really expect it back in one piece after a "peeling session" by a 4-year-old.

He promptly sat down and began peeling, in all seriousness. In a very short while, he promptly showed all of us a big fat shiny egg, in ONE piece and without a single chip off the egg white! Needlessly to say, we were all amazed! Upon seeing our reaction, his parting shot "See, I said I can. U all don't want to listen,"

We all stand corrected, my dear little one! Yes! Indeed YOU CAN!!!

Can: to be able to; have the ability, power, or skill to

100-Day Project #1 - Adaptability

#1 Adaptability

My no.1 recently had to overcome a challenge, a physical challenge and one that even I cringed at the mere thought of it :( I will not share it in detail here as I know that she would prefer to keep it private.

At first she was very distraught about it. She cried bitterly and for that moment, I was really at a loss for what to say and do. Being Mommy for more than 10 years, it still did not prepare me for this moment. It wasn't something that was easy to accept nor get use to. It is not something that is over in a while. It will be a VERY LONG while. I know I had (need) to get her out from that black hole and I was very grateful to have a light bulb go off shortly.

Putting it into perspective, she quickly thought through and accepted it. With her dark cloud lifted, she was back to her chirpy and cheeky self. Though she still had reservations, it was not that dark deep kind. Rather, she took it off in a totally new direction and could even come up with advantages of having it!

The D-Day came when she had to face that physical challenge for real. She took it bravely. I was pretty worried and kept checking with her if she was ok. After the 3rd time asking, she told me "Mommy, don't worry ok? I will probably forget about it 10mins later!"

Adaptability - able to adjust oneself readily to different conditions

She taught me that. No matter how tough or difficult the situation, she had taught me again and again that adaptability saves the day (and your sanity too!). Adapting to the new condition also meant a new perspective which then makes everything else much easier.

Embarking On "100-Day Project"

Inspired by tons of 100 day projects online and on Instagram, I was super tempted to start on something! Yet, at the very back (and honest) portion of my mind, I know that I will be hard pressed to actually MAKE something continuously for 100 days! Heck, sometimes just trying to do a week's worth of memory keeping is hard enough! 100 days? Who am I trying to kid?!

So....in a (rare) brilliant moment, I turned to writing. I think (hope) that I should be able to do a 100 day's worth, staying through to the project. But what can I write continuously on for 100 days? My days are spent circling around my kids' schedules, and trying to fit everything in for all that they want to do. Many a times, my daily photos are taken in an instant, when something happens and "snap" I go :)

Cutting a long pondering short, I then decide to do.....

"100-Day Project of Things My Kids Taught Me"

That, should do it! I really hope and it will serve as a great look back too!

So, next post will be the start of this momentous 100 days project! Wish me lotsa of luck!

*fingers crossed* 

*to know more about the 100 days project and its creator, go here :)