Last Day of Spring Term

Easter Bonnet Parade

Today is the last day of spring term for Louisa and it's also the day they celebrate Easter with a Easter Bonnet Parade. Muddle-headed me didn't read the notice at the door properly and nearly missed making Louisa the bonnet. Adrian came home this morning after bringing Louisa to nursery and told me they would be having a parade in the afternoon and asked me to make an Easter bonnet for her. A bonnet? What's that? Thank God for the internet, I made a quick search and realised what it was. (http://www.kidsturncentral.com/holidays/easter/eastbon.htm) Luckily I had some art materials at home. The girls and I went to Hobbycraft last month and bought quite a few things. I had about 3 hours to complete my creation. So out came the big Lego box for Lavigne to entertain herself with. She was fine at the beginning. But then she became sleepy and wanted my attention. I ignored her cries (we were in the same room) and continued cutting and pasting. Poor girl! She wailed and wailed and I could only tell her I'm trying my best to complete it soon and couldn't attend to her. After 2 hours, this was what I made which Louisa paraded at school.

A Legoland and 2 happy kids

I'd wanted to bring the girls to Legoland last Friday as it opened its doors for the 1st time this year and to annual card holders only. I reckoned since it's a schoolday, it'd not be overly crowded. But Lavigne came down with chicken pox last Thursday so the trip was cancelled. The weather was lousy that day too.

The queues for the rides at Legoland can be horrendous during the school vacations. After going there for so many times, we've yet to go on all the rides. Since it was sunny today and Lavigne was well enough, it was a good opportunity to visit Legoland. Furthermore, I had to bring them there before the spring break while the park is less crowded. The girls were delighted of course! The last time we were there, Lavigne wasn't walking yet. Now that she's a few months older, I thought she'll be able to appreciate the park better and have a more enjoyable time. True enough, she was very excited when we reached there. She kept saying, 'Look! Look!' and 'There! There!'. However, the downside was she refused to sit in the stroller and wanted to 'Walk'. It's been quite a while since I last brought the girls out on my own. I have to say it is extremely taxing on my part now. Since Lavigne refused to be in the stroller, I had to hold on to her hand, push the stroller with another and keep an eye on Louisa all at the same time. Also, Lavigne knows what is 'fear' now. She clinged on to me like a Koala bear when we went on the Ferris Wheel and was very frightened when we sat with a Lego lady on the Carousel. Louisa, on the other hand, has matured a lot. She's very independent now and isn't afraid to go on rides alone. We managed to go on several rides as there wasn't any queues.

Back to the part on bringing the girls out on my own. After Legoland, we went to Sainsbury's to buy some groceries. Lavigne didn't just refuse to sit in the stroller, she refused to sit on the trolley as well! I wondered how could I do my shopping then? No point forcing her. So I just grabbed a basket and went ahead with the shopping. There were times when she refused to walk and just laid on the floor. She wouldn't budge and I had to carry her. Argh! It was quite a struggle. Guess what when we went back to the car? She pointed to the rows of trolleys and said, 'Sit'. Yeah, right!

Butterfly Kisses

People have been wondering why I named my blog 'Butterfly Kisses'. It's actually the title of a beautiful song by Bob Carlise. Perhaps it's better suited for a daddy's blog but I really love this song very much. It's about raising a daughter and I have 2 girls so I guess it's somewhat appropriate.

I first heard the song in the car while I was driving home. It brought tears to my eyes. That was years back and I didn't have any children then. Now that I am a mother, the words mean more to me even though my girls are only 3.5yrs and 1.5yrs. I've always wanted girls (though I come from a family of 4 girls) and God has blessed me with two. They are more fun to dress up (gosh!...you should see their wardrobe) and easier to handle (or so I thought).

I think the line 'she's daddy's little girl' is the most apt. BOTH my girls are ABSOLUTELY 'DADDY'S LITTLE GIRLS'. Whenever they are in pain, unhappy, angry....they'll go 'I want daddy' or 'daddy'. I seem to be insignificant to them then. Perhaps they see too much of me and so little of daddy, perhaps daddy is the 'good' parent while I am the 'bad'. Sigh! Their faces lit up once they hear their daddy has come home. They'll drop everything and clamber to the hallway to greet him. Louisa will report to him what she's been doing and Lavigne will babble non-stop. Will I be greeted at the door with such affection and warmth if I am a working mum?

'Butterfly Kisses' by Bob Carlise

There's two things I know for sure.

She was sent here from heaven,

and she's daddy's little girl.

As I drop to my knees by her bed at night,

She talks to Jesus, and I close my eyes.

And I thank God for all the joy in my life,

But most of all...

Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer.

Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair.

"Walk beside the pony daddy, it's my first ride."

"I know the cake looks funny, daddy, but I sure tried."

Oh, with all that I've done wrong,

I must have done something right.

To deserve a hug every morning,

and butterfly kisses at night.

Sweet sixteen today.

She's looking like her momma a little more every day.

One part woman, the other part girl.

To perfume and makeup, from ribbons and curls.

Trying her wings out in a great big world.

But I remember...

Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer.

Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair.

"You know how much I love you daddy,

but if you don't mind,

I'm only going to kiss you on your cheek this time."

With all that I've done wrong,

I must have done something right.

To deserve her love every morning,

and butterfly kisses at night.

All the precious time.

Like the wind, the years go by.

Precious butterfly, spread your wings and fly.

She'll change her name today.

She'll make a promise, and I’ll give her away.

Standing in the bride room just staring at her.

She asked me what I'm thinking,

and I said, "I'm not sure,

I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl."

Then she leaned over... and gave me...

Butterfly kisses, with her mama there.

Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair.

"Walk me down the aisle daddy,

it's just about time."

"Does my wedding gown look pretty daddy?"

"Daddy don't cry."

With all that I've done wrong,

I must have done something right.

To deserve a hug every morning, and butterfly kisses.

I couldn't ask God for more, man, this is what love is.

I know I've gotta let her go, but I'll always remember.

Every hug in the morning, and butterfly kisses...

Hear the song

Simply don't understand (A very long post)

For the second time this week, I was given different information which would otherwise have different consequences.

Maybe someone can tell me how the airlines work. My aunt and cousin are here for a visit. They were on a group tour and had extended their stay in UK. I found out they will be flying out from Gatwick Airport early in the morning on Friday. Thing is, I'm living in Surrey and Heathrow Airport is just a short drive away. I did some checks on the internet and was delighted that this particular airline flies out from Heathrow too. Excellent! Hence, I called the airline in UK and asked if they can fly out from Heathrow instead, knowing that there may be a restriction to certain tickets. The lady told me the flight is full and I asked if there's any other flights that day and she said 'No, there's only one flight per day.' I then requested for my aunt and cousin to be put on the waiting list and was told that it can be done but it may be too late (I rang on Monday and they were due to fly on Friday). Furthermore, she needs to check with their Singapore office to see if they can change the place of departure. I asked how long will it take for them to reply. 'A few days.' came the answer. Due to past experiences, I decided not to wait for them to contact their Singapore office and rang them up myself the following day. Guess what?! The nice lady confirmed that my aunt and cousin can fly from Heathrow AND! it's on a different flight!! Suddenly, in less than 12 hours, there's another flight in the afternoon when I had been told there's only one flight each day flying from Heathrow in the evening. Was that lady in UK too lazy to check properly or the information didn't show accurately on her computer screen? How come the same airline shows different information at different locations? Oh well, at least we got what we wanted.

Sigh, my younger daughter has chicken pox. We were on high alert in early Feb when there were a few reported cases of chicken pox at Louisa's nursery. I kept checking them for spots everyday. We thought Louisa didn't bring the virus back and all's well until yesterday. I was changing Lavigne's diaper in the afteroon when I noticed some red spots on her tummy. It didn't occur to me then that she could be having chicken pox. However in the evening while giving her a shower, I noticed more spots on her body and asked Adrian to have a look. He said it could be chicken pox. I took her temperature and she wasn't having a fever. I thought I'd bring her to the GP first thing in the morning to confirm. She went to bed as usual. Before I retire for the night, I went to check on her and realised that her eyes were swollen and she had red patches on her face and body. I wondered if it could be something else rather chicken pox. Woke Adrian up to ask him to have a look and Lavigne woke, started scratching and couldn't get back to sleep. I'd not nursed her in the night for some months now and Adrian suggested offering the breasts to soothe her. I was reluctant, very reluctant. It took a lot of hardwork to make her sleep through the night. Will I be back to square one again? Seeing that she was in such discomfort, I gave in. Things did not improve and to have a peace of mind, we decided to bring her to a nearby hospital where they have a paediatric A & E. I have heard of this anti-viral drug given to chicken pox sufferers and the spots will clear up quickly, even to the extent of ceasing to appear further. After the paediatrician confirmed that Lavigne did indeed have chicken pox, I asked about this drug. He told me it's not licensed in UK. I was concerned about Louisa getting it (even though I know chances are, she will) as a very slight fall will make her cry as if a bone is broken. I can imagine her whining and crying constantly should she get infected. I told the PD I've another daughter at home and he told me the virus is not airborne but close contact will infect another person. Back home, we rang my mother-in-law who's a nurse to call the girls' PD in Singapore to enquire if she could buy the drug and then DHL over. She did some calling around and said that the drug will not be prescribed unless the DR has seen the patient and has confirmed the infection. In my mind, images of my girls crying, scratching, all covered in spots and unable to eat and sleep came flooding. I then brought Lavigne to our GP in the morning armed with a long list of questions.

1. Is he able to write a letter confirming that Lavigne has chicken pox so that I can fax it to Singapore and get the drug?
Didn't ask, read further.
2. Other than calamine lotion, can I apply other types of moisturiser?
Didn't ask, was told to apply prescribed calamine lotion
3. What types of food should she avoid? (NA since the westerners do not practice abstinence from food due to sickness, unlike us Chinese - will ask MIL instead)
Of course didn't ask, he'll laugh his head off if he hears we stay away from chicken meat and eggs.
4. Can I apply the calamine lotion on the genital? (Yes, I found spots there)
Yes
5. Any comments on the anti-viral drug?
Didn't ask, read further.
6. How long is the incubation period?
2-3 weeks
7. How long does the spots take to clear?
About 5 days
8. Are the swollen eyes and red patches normal?
Yes, it's normal with chicken pox.

Upon seeing that she has chicken pox, he told me that his fellow colleagues at the health centre don't agree with him but as a GP with a paediatric background, he believes in prescribing an anti-viral drug which will ease the discomfort of my child tremendously and clear the spots quickly. Upon hearing this, it was as if I had struck lottery then...no even better than that! I was getting what I had been trying to get and it'll be FOC. Yeah! Lavigne will sleep better, the spots will hopefully clear quickly and best of all, perhaps even no further spots! I was really worried about spots on her face as since she's so young, she'll definitely scratch on them and then (horrors!) she'll end up with lifetime scars!!!! I have one but it's not too obvious since it's near to my ear. So far, there's no spots on her face.

I didn't mention the hospital trip to my GP and therefore didn't tell him what the other DR had told me. I was too over the moon to be bothered then. But why? Why one DR had said it's not licensed in UK but Lavigne was prescribed the drug by our GP? Also, why did the DR from the hospital tell me the virus is NOT airborne when the leaftlet given to me by my GP says it travels in the air????

Lavigne's been sleeping for 4 hrs as I am writing this. So far so good. In fact great! No fever, no scratching, no wakings. I will get a good night's sleep, so will Adrian. In fact, he's been sleeping since an hour after the girls slept. Fingers crossed!

My Blog

I've been fiddling around with my blog for a while now and have yet to make a proper post. The reason is I am fussy with the layout and design and had been tweaking here and there. Sad to say, I know nuts about html codes and have asked Adrian and my youngest sis for help. As usual, Adrian said that the purpose of having a blog is for blogging. With my requirements, I should be building a website and not a blog! Oh well! As for my sis, she's ever ready to help and she did help me quite a lot.....ah! the marvel of technology. She's in US and I'm in UK and we were on MSN communicating.

So, this is my first proper post. Yeah! Finally did it!

My Girls