Post From The Past: Labrador Park

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We love to bring our kids to explore the outdoors. I’m sharing a blog post from the past, when we brought the kids to Labrador Park. That was 2 years ago! I think it’s about time we bring the kids there again!

Post dated 6 April 2011:

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A year ago, we brought our boys to Labrador Park for the very first time. We had a nice family outing there, with the boys playing quietly in the sand. Somehow, we’ve forgotten about that place and didn’t go back, until two weeks ago. The place still looks the same, but this time, the kids are a year older, and we have baby gal with us on this outing.

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It’s interesting how, in this tiny island, there can still be places which we forget about. I’ve totally forgotten about this place until one day a few weeks ago, the boys were flipping through the photos in my iPhone and saw the photos which I’ve taken in this place. Our eldest asked the hubby to bring him there again and we were cracking our brains trying to recall what place that was! J totally couldn’t remember having been to this place before, as he was only slightly past 2 years old then.

Anyway, this time round, on our second visit, our boys had a fantastic time playing with the sand and the playground again. The sand seems whiter and cleaner this time!

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The maze-like thing that they played in last year is still there.

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While the boys were running around, all baby gal could do was to lie quietly in her stroller. I think the next time we visit this place again, she’ll be running around together with her two brothers. That’ll be fun.

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One thing about Labrador Park which I don’t like is the mosquitoes! If we ever visit that place again, insect repellant is a must! Nevertheless, it is a great place to catch the sunset. I was snapping away the whole time, experimenting with my new Canon Powershot S95. We saw quite a number of photography enthusiasts there that day, with their bulky cameras and tripods, shooting the sunset.

Here are some of the shots I took that day.

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We left that place when the sun was setting. On our way to the carpark, we saw a double rainbow!

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Beautiful, I must say.

A memorable way to end the day. And I believe I won’t forget the name of this place again. :)

Have you been to Labrador Park recently? Has the place changed since our last visit two years ago?

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Mini Blog Celebration: My 100th Post

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Last week, I posted my 100th post for this blog. I started this blog some time last year, as a photoblog. Which explains why, if you have browsed through my earlier posts, you’d see that all of them look like “Wordless Wednesdays” posts – a photo, plus a few words. That’s about it!

At the beginning of 2013, I began to have an overwhelming desire to write. To put my thoughts into words. As a result of that, this photoblog has been going through some transformation the past few months. It has become a therapeutic space for me to put my thoughts down, as well as to share parenting and educational resources with others.

I’m thankful too for all of you who frequent this blog. Thanks for reading, for commenting, for sharing, for liking, for your kind words and encouragement.

I’m looking forward to many more months (hopefully years?) of blogging in this space.

So, to celebrate my 100th blog post, I’ve created a Facebook Page for the blog. Yes, I’ve finally hopped on to the Facebook bandwagon!

If you like what you read here, please like the Facebook Page too.
Well, if you don’t like what you read here, I won’t mind even if you like the Facebook Page! Alright, I think that doesn’t make sense, does it?

Whatever it is, it’ll be wonderful if you like the Page. :)

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Thank you!
And I promise I won’t spam your NewsFeed. :)

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Let Them Be

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I’m not sure if other moms (or dads) are like me. But I get irritated when my own kids make a nuisance of themselves and disrupt the peace in public. Especially in restaurants and shopping malls. I usually end up “shhh”-ing them to be quiet, to lower their volume, to stand still and not keep stomping their feet or jumping up and down or rocking the chair. Most of the time, my words and shhh’s fall on deaf ears. I don’t really blame them for not listening, because it is definitely more fun to make noise than to be still. To the kids, at least.

I try to let them be, as advised by the hubby. He will tell me that they are just kids, that it is alright for them to play and have fun. In his own words, “Just let them be.” I’ll usually just roll my eyes at him, and well, heed his words and “just let them be”, while gritting my teeth and biting my tongue. Oh ya, I had to do deep breathing too, so that I can keep calm and stop myself from lashing out at them.

But once in a while, when we’re in places that aren’t inappropriate for them to be noisy and run around, I relax and really “just let them be”.

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It was then that I finally understood why the hubby often tells me that he likes to watch them play. That he enjoys watching them run around and have fun.

As I relaxed and stood there watching them run and laugh so carefreely that day, I realised that few years down the road, they will not be doing this, running and laughing around so freely in a shopping mall, in a public place.

So, I told myself, “Let them be kids. For they are only little once.”

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Monday Musings: A Story. Some Lessons.

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Have you heard of the story of a father and his kids who were running amok in a subway train? The story goes like this. The father and his kids were travelling in a train filled with passengers. While the kids were running around and creating alot of noise in the cabin, all the father did was… nothing. He simply sat there, oblivious to his kids’ unruly behaviour. He was simply staring into space. A few passengers seated in the same cabin were casting looks of disapproval at the kids and shaking their heads at the irresponsible father. Some were pointing fingers and whispering about them. Finally, the person seated next to the father couldn’t stand it any longer, and reprimanded him. “Excuse me, can you please get your kids to be quiet? Don’t you care that they’re disturbing the rest of the passengers who deserve a peaceful ride? Please. Be a more responsible parent!”

The Father’s Response

The father, taken aback, turned and immediately apologised. “I’m terribly sorry… I didn’t realise… I’m sorry… I just came from the hospital. My wife just died…. I’m just not sure how to break the news to my kids…”

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I read that story some time ago and I’m not sure if it’s a true story. Whether it is fiction or not, I think we can all learn something from it.

It is easy for us to go around disapproving others’ parenting methods, whether openly or in our hearts. From whether you colour your hair when you’re pregnant, to whether you breastfeed your baby, from whether you let your kids take organic food, to whether you allow them to watch TV. The judgement never ends. And it seems like everyone has something to say about what you do or do not do with and for your kids.

And whenever I hear such judgemental remarks, I think of the story of the father and his kids in the train.

The truth is, everyone has a story to tell, everyone has a battle to fight. Unless you are in the other person’s shoes, you have no right to cast a stone, or a disapproving look, or an unwarranted criticism.

There are always two sides to every story.

This applies to parenting, and all things in life.

be-kind

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Sibling Dynamics

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I am of the belief that sibling dynamics is affected by gender, to a certain extent. Growing up in a family of two kids, my brother and I, I’ve noticed that we’re not that close, as compared to some of my friends who have siblings of the same gender.

That may not be the case for everyone, and I’m pretty sure there are some brother and sister pairs out there who have a very close relationship. Which is great.

Looking at my own kids, I can see the dynamics between our two boys. They do quarrel, argue, get into fights, almost daily. But beneath all the squabblings and disagreements, there is a love and bond between the two.

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Whenever I give the elder one a treat, as simple as a piece of candy, while the other is in school, he will make sure I give the younger a piece of candy too when he reaches home.

Whenever the younger one comes home from school with a goodie bag from his friend’s birthday celebration in school, he will make sure the elder brother gets to share the goodies.

Both the hubby and I love it whenever we see our boys playing happily with each other. The brotherly bond they share is heart-warming. But when they get into arguments, quarrels and fights, that is another story.

However, despite the daily bickering, we know that deep down, they do care for each other. And that is what really matters. I pray that the bond they share will only be strengthened as they grow older.

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As for our girl, I do wish that she has a sister to play and bond with. Unfortunately, that will never happen in our lifetime. I just hope that she will be as close to her two brothers as the two boys are to each other.

How are the sibling dynamics like among your kids? Does gender play a part too?