Ever since Jo was born, we've had help with the housework. Recently, we decided to do away with that help, and life has been different. My life of luxury has been removed and when I wake up each day, I wonder where to start.

Well, I don't really have to wonder, coz the first thing I see is the pile of laundry stinking the house. When I get that load of laundry to the washing machine, I see the mess of pee and poo that my dog's left in the laundry area. I think my crazy over excited dog has a bladder control problem. He pees far too much!

Oh yeah, I also have my two little "crumbsters", i'll call them that coz they leave crumbs, and spills and toys everywhere (although they're learning now to clean up themselves). Apart from them, there's also the poopy rabbits on my porch. THey never suffer from constipation, they seem to have problem keeping poo in their bodies. They leave a mountain of poop for me each day!

ahhh...the list goes on and on. For this week, I'll survive, as I'm on a break. Come next week.....*shivers* I'll have to learn to cope. For I work now 5 days a week....
if all gets a little too tough...I'll have to do something.

First on the list....
----- get rid of rabbits
----- bug hubby till he gets me a dryer. Drying takes too much time...especially with rainy weather, rewashing and redrying takes farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr too much time!
------- keep Camel the mad dog in a cage when I'm not around
----move into a one bedroom hut to minimize cleaning (preferably built on stilts with holes between floor planks to minimize sweeping.)
------ get rid of all plates, leaving one per person to discourage random use of plates and cups
------ get rid of all clothes leaving 2 per person to discourage unnecessary change of clothes

Any other suggestions????? (I'll be happy to get some.)

Anyway, my kids have been kinda cute. Sometimes when they notice me doing work, they come along and queue up, little Jo behind Nel. They stand straight and say out loudly "Mummy's Helpers are Here! How may we help you!" haahha.....

the other day I told them to help me by bringing in their own clothes from the laundry line. After a while, they were still outside, and I went to peek. This is what they were doing...

Nel took down a trousers and said "Jo, this will look nice on your head." She put it on Jo's head as a hat. Next she took down a shirt "Jo, this will look nice as a cape." she tied it around Jo's neck. WHen they were done, little Jo walked in with clothes tied all around her body. She looked really funny and amusing. :) haha....


ok....ciao. gotta go...... work to do. Lecture begins next week too....I haven't prepared my notes... and filled in all documents.... heck, don't care. Gonna take the kids out today. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!!!!!!!!!

I had SVT (heart palpitation) again last weekend....this time hubby wasn't around. I tried some of the self physical maneuver the doctors have taught me, but it still refused to stop. After a while, I found that I started to see black if I stood up, and I was beginning to feel shortness of breath and numbness in my elbows and tightness in chest. Having no choice, I called my dad, and he rushed over to send me to the hospital. (3rd time this year.)

5 mins before we arrived at the hospital, it suddenly stopped. Still I asked to see the doctor. My blood pressure was still low and heart rate was still at about 130. In my previous SVT attack, my heart rate was at about 200plus. I was asked to lie down and rest till the heart rate dropped further and then I was allowed home. I have an appointment with a specialist this week. *sigh*

I've had this since teenage. But all these years, the episodes have been rare, perhaps once a year..and they last no longer than 10 minutes. But this year alone, it's occured 3-4 times, each time lasting longer. The one I just had lasted an hour. It's certainly not a comfortable feeling at all. Well, will see what the specialists say.

Anyway, this is my last week of teaching before I take a 2 week break. Can't wait. :)

This is a long overdue update on the development of my children.

Well my little Jo is now 3 years and a few months old. She’s becoming quite the entertainer, acting all the time. Sometimes the character she puts on is so funny that me and Nel really have no choice but to burst into fits of laughter. We did that today, and Jo trying hard not to laugh herself, found her mouth twitching from trying to keep a serious face, and wanting to burst into laughter. She talks to everyone now, from children to adults, talking in long sentences with breaks in between to take in deep breaths of air (which sound like gasping for air.)
She knows her alphabets and has been telling stories and pretending to read from books. A particular book she likes is one about nursery rhyme characters. It’s a short book consisting of 2 lines a page. A few weeks ago, I thought that she was reading the book word for word accurately. However, I now realize that she wasn’t reading, but was reciting, coz she’d actually memorized the book! Hahaha….

Oh yeah, last Sunday we were at the old Folks Home, and she just suddenly decided to lie down smack in the middle. I told her to get up, and she replied “ I can’t mum, I’m a mermaid!” Which brings up the topic of obsession. She seems to be “obsessed” right now, about mermaids, pink dolphins and white horses.

As for Nel, she’s really into arranging stuff. She arranges her colors in certain ways, she stacks up toys or cards in certain ways…and they’re mostly in a certain pattern. Most of the time, she rearranges furniture, toys and stuff in the house to create an imaginary playground. Jo absolutely loves that, coz it creates scenes for her imagination. :)

Ask Nel what she likes most and she’ll tell you stories, play, snacks and long walks.
At the playground last week, while I was talking with her friend’s mum, she was secretly climbing the slide tunnel. When I turned around, she was up there about 10 feet above ground, not inside the tunnel but outside. For some it’s no big deal, but I’m afraid of heights, and so I tried to stay calm. She tells me she wants to go rock climbing, I suppose I will have to take her.

She and Camel (our poodle) are best friends when outdoors. You’ll see Nel hair flying in the wind, holding Camel’s leash and running. My mad/hyperactive dog doesn’t mind it at all. haha... Sometimes you see them sitting together on a bench, Nel red in the cheeks from all that running.
Ok…so much more to update..but it’s late.

today i thought...how nice if my life were not as it is....
I wish....that I lived somewhere on an island,
where I do not have to drive another mile,
where I do not have to rush for the next appointment..

today i thought...how nice if I ran a bed and breakfast cottage
homeschooled my children on the island..
had plenty of leisure time..
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but then I'm reminded of what I heard in church last Sunday..... for some reason...I was so touched...I could barely contain my emotions. The message came after a sleepless saturday night when I questioned so many things...such as the meaning to life, the reason for my existence, the purpose of our actions, my goal in life... [no, no, I'm not depressed...i just ponder on these questions sometimes..when life becomes so mundane, hectic and meaningless...]

I'm currently reading about Hudson Taylor's life, trying to get my focus back on track. Perhaps it will inspire me in some way, or change my perspective of life

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also...of late, I'm getting more adult students. it is encouraging to see these ladies, as old as 50 wanting to learn something new. It is every bit as rewarding as teaching a 6 year old. :) I'm inspired by them, by their love of learning,.... and hope that as a teacher I will be able to inspire them.