Lilypie Third Birthday tickers

Monday, October 26, 2009

Conversation

MDH: Is androgyny supposed to be beautiful?
TSCD: Eh? What? I suppose so. There are alot of pretty boys and handsome girls out there, and they usually end up being models if they're tall enough.
MDH: One of my colleagues is so androgenous that it took me 3 months to figure out that she was a girl.
TSCD: What!! Didn't she ever wear heels or a skirt?
MDH: Well, no. I saw her in scrubs most of the time in the pantry, so she was wearing white booties. And her name is a Chinese one, so how am I supposed to tell? She could just be a very pretty boy.
TSCD: But, surely, the hair...?
MDH: Cropped short. And I wasn't the only one who was confused, okay? The day I found out that she was a lady, was when she got really upset that one of the new student nurses thought she was a boy!!! She started growing her hair out after that. And I think she's also taken to wearing a push-up bra.
TSCD: That's...horrible.
MDH: The best part is that her boyfriend is kinda androgenous-looking too. He looks like an ugly girl.
TSCD: I'm not sure what's worse for him - being called girly or ugly.
MDH: I think if they went out and were both wearing polo-tees and jeans, no one would be able to tell and would just assume that they're gay.
(Guess how many male and female models are in the picture!)

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Flibbertywidget

Yay! I've added a bookshelf to the sidebar from Shelfari. This is to showcase Stardust's bookshelf and will reflect his current favourites as well as the library books of the week.

I might even start writing books reviews.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

We have big plans for you!

1. Clean new house
2. Move in all boxes
3. Fix up flat-packed furniture
4. Unpack boxes
5. Put up pictures
6. Move in Stardust's cot
7. Commence Potty Training!!!

Monday, October 19, 2009

New job = hairdresser

It was definitely time for Stardust to get his hair trimmed again.

His fair hair, thick and curly in our humid climate, really seems to give him too much of a feminine air. I don't mind long hair on little boys in their nursery rhyme years - they always remind me of Gainsborough's The Blue Boy. However, instead of becoming Little Lord Fauntleroy, he ends up as the Captain of the Good Ship Lollipop. One too many aunties, after complimenting my pretty little "daughter", also take it upon themselves to advise me to allow ribbons and pigtails and to stop putting the poor child in boyish dungarees and short trousers.

"Wait grow up like a boy, then you know!", scolded one elderly lady, wagging her finger in my astonished face.

Anyway, I decided that it was time to do away with the curly lion's mane. Out came the kitchen scissors with a snickety-snip!


Yes, I trim Stardust's hair myself using a wet comb, a pair of sharp scissors...and plenty of distracting storybooks. At the moment, he can sit still for quite a while if he has got his favourite books with him. He turns the pages himself, and if I can remember the story by heart, I recite it aloud as he looks at the pictures.

The book, 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' (Eric Carle), seems to work the best for this sort of thing, because it has little cutout holes in it for little busy fingers, keeping them away from the sharp blades.
I find that the most difficult part is trimming the hair around his ears. He immediately turns towards the sound of the scissors, which makes me lose my grip on his silky locks. Hence, I usually make sure that before I start on the area around the ears, I have a few choice music videos at hand which are great for holding his attention. As long as the music is clear, simple and melodic, and the pictures stay focused on a few subjects during the entire duration of the song, Stardust will be completely mesmerised and will sit absolutely still.
Twenty minutes later, I'm pretty much done. His new coiffure is by no means perfect, but it looks evenly done and most people seem surprised that I did it myself. I take that as a good sign.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Transform yourself

This is major! I feel inspired to go and do some self-portraits.

(credits to AnglesorAngels)

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

One man's treasure...

I have been keeping a sharp eye on Singapore Craigslist over the last 2 months and I must say that there are loads of cool things popping up on there now and again!

MDH encourages me to get secondhand furniture - not only am I likely to get a good bargain, but I'm doing my part for the planet and keeping stuff out of landfills.

My mother, however, complains that our new flat is going to become a karang guni dumping ground. Whatever. She says 'mismatched', I say 'eclectic'. Po-tah-to.


(Pictured are 2nd hand treasures from Craigslist and elsewhere. Clockwise from left: L'hotel du Canal St Martin clock, Colonial french-style dressing table, Japanese wood-and-paper lamp, Retro Typhoon kitchen roll holder, Antique chinese wedding cabinet, Cast iron hurricane lamp, Hummel(?) figurine, Rosewood dining chair.)

Monday, October 12, 2009

Wheels

Here is Stardust's new favourite toy - his tricycle.

This happy yellow trike was a find from MUJI - I never thought I would find a tricycle in a japanese furnishing store. I just happened to stop in there on a random day out and there it was, shiny and gleaming on the shelf, with a simple, sleek design. I let Stardust test-drive the display piece and he was so in love with it that he sang its praises all the way home from the store ("Yell-Oh! Oh! Cy-cal! Yell-Oh!").

It took me ages to find a decent trike that is sturdy enough for outdoor use without being bulky or heavy. I have been looking for a tricycle on and off for about 6 months now.
When did kid's tricycles turn into National Day Floats? It's a supposed to be a vehicle, not a cream cake. Most of the ride-ons I found were covered in grotesquely misshapen cartoons or played some form of jangling muzak. How is he supposed to concentrate on cycling when he's busy pressing buttons in order to activate the disco lights?
When I take my kid to the park, I don't want him to be riding a bicycle bearing a gangrenous Mickey Mouse-type creature impaled at the neck by handlebars. The poor fellow will have nightmares. I will have nightmares.


I mean, just look at it. It's hideous. I almost feel like I could go blind - and it happens to be one of the less psychedelic children's trikes out there.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Conversation


MDH: These two colours don't match.

TSCD: What about these?

MDH: No.

TSCD: These?

MDH: No.

TSCD: These?

MDH: No.

TSCD: Why not?!

MDH: Well, this one is purple-blue and but this one is purple.

TSCD: What?!

MDH: Yes.

TSCD: What's the difference?

MDH: (sighs) This one is purple-blue and but this is purple.

TSCD: They both look like purple to me.

MDH: No, they don't! You see....

(half an hour later)

MDH: AAAAAAAAAARGH! THIS is PURPLE-BLUE and this is PURPLE!!!

TSCD: They look the same to me, to me they just look like purple!

MDH: But this purple is more blue, can't you see?! It's not as purple!

TSCD: Purple is purple which has red and blue in it how can one purple be more purple than another purple it doesn't make any sense at all it is just purple to me which looks like purple it's not blue it's purple aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa why did we even choose this colour in the first place if it's going to be so hard? Purple should be just purple!!!

MDH: So you don't want a blue room?

TSCD: What? No. I wanted a purple room. Blue is boring! Every house has a blue room.

MDH: Oh I see! I thought you wanted a blue room with purple-blue accents, but you actually want a purple room in shades of purple.

TSCD: I don't care as long as it has purple in it! And now I'm tired and I don't care anymore, I just wan to go to sleep. To me, purple is just purple and you know I have problems with colours so just pick something purple and be done with it.

MDH: In that case, yeah, those colours you chose match.

TSCD: Yeah, but I hate purple now. Let's do it in turquoise.

Friday, October 09, 2009

Live in a world of our own

Well, now, it's been more than a month since we got back from visiting the UK Outlaws and I've been busy busy busy busy.

MDH and I have finally got a place to call our own on this little island, somewhere we where we can put up real picture hooks without worrying about getting back our deposit! We finally get to argue about shades of white, fuss over window treatments and buy our first piece of furniture.

It will be good for Stardust to have more space to move around and use his energy without worrying about making a mess. I am itching to start doing some really messy craft and painting projects with him. Stardust is starting to get very frustrated with the restrictions of my parents' place which is not in the least bit child-proof and has no place for him to play outside (the carpark is not considered a good play area for a toddler!). The new flat has got lovely breezy grounds, a cool playground and a funky swimming pool so there are plenty of things Stardust can do to use up his energy.

I am very excited to moving out of my parent's house. They have been very supportive and a great help with Stardust, however, after being back here for two years, I find that my thoughts and behaviours are slowly regressing and I'll be reaching a rebellious adolesence pretty soon which I am sure will involve some form of moody sulking and door-slamming to the tune of 'It's My Life'. It would be much healthier for me to put aside childish things and once again embrace being an independant adult and rediscover my role as a wife and mother. It is also so important for MDH to be able to establish himself as the head of our family unit, a role that he has had to put aside in deference to my parents.

So, in between bickering with MDH over whether teal is blue-green or green-blue, dealing with Stardust's newfound ability to loudly and energetically exert his will, a horrifying medical discovery in the family, and the headsplitting sound of the jackhammer coming from the neighbour's flat (when, oh, when will they be finished up there? It's been 8 weeks now!), I have not found the time to write. Or, perhaps, there is too much going on in my mind, and I have not found the time to process it all.

But very, very soon, we'll be far away from the bustle and bright city lights and we'll live in a world of our own. And I am really looking forward to it.
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