I now have three orchids to care for. I decided after the summer that all outdoor plants were too much work. I could indeed keep them alive if I wanted to or could be bothered but now I have many more tasks to contend with namely the endless household chores and child-rearing.
Add to the mix homework and extra-curricular activities and that leaves me very little time left to take care of plants.
My orchids are showing good signs as their leaves are renewing...hopefully they will flower and I will be overjoyed !
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I cannot begin to think of any advantages in being a Geneva resident. There must be some... Maybe Shrek can fill in the blank for me. On the...
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Shrek is having a super-charged week which means he works like a madman and arrives home too exhausted to do anything else but recharge ener...
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Shrek definitely needs to consult the wonderful world of food blogging. He is in desperate need of reinvention as a cook. I have requested t...
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I have a great birthday celebration that cannot be rivalled. On the eve of my 31st anniversary I ate something sticky and nasty as did Petit... -
It might sound trite and conceited but I have not learnt my lesson and so committed the faux pas of buying marrons when it is not in season ...
dimanche 31 octobre 2010
Baby Taz is a copycat
Baby Taz is incredulously wondrous when it comes to speech.
When I say 'Baby Taz est beau'
He can be heard saying
'Mama est beau'
If I tell him 'Baby Taz or you are naughty'
He will immediately fire back 'Mama is naughty'
'Baby Taz is clever' will be met with ' Mama is clever'
'Love Moy everyday' and he will say 'Love nanna (his grandma) everyday'
and so on and so forth
When I say 'Baby Taz est beau'
He can be heard saying
'Mama est beau'
If I tell him 'Baby Taz or you are naughty'
He will immediately fire back 'Mama is naughty'
'Baby Taz is clever' will be met with ' Mama is clever'
'Love Moy everyday' and he will say 'Love nanna (his grandma) everyday'
and so on and so forth
Speech
Bb Ben's progress with verbal expression is just amazing.
She knows how to say mama, papa as a matter of course.
Her impressive vocabulary includes
nana or nanna (her maternal grandmother),
ông- grandpa or any man as a matter of fact,
ba` grandma or any woman,
xin (which i am irrepressibly glowing about) depicting her earnestness and can be roughly translated to 'please or s'il te plaît' ,
thu*o*ng -love,
pot -when she wants to pee or poop
me. - mum
bô' - dad
a(n -eat
nu*a : encore or again
nu*o*'c literally means water when she wants to drink liquid
cho' literally dog but Bb Ben denotes any animal as cho'
chim : bird
mo*? : open
She can pronounce her siblings nicknames.
She also has a knack for repeating words as imitation is the shortest route to enlightenment.
She knows how to say mama, papa as a matter of course.
Her impressive vocabulary includes
nana or nanna (her maternal grandmother),
ông- grandpa or any man as a matter of fact,
ba` grandma or any woman,
xin (which i am irrepressibly glowing about) depicting her earnestness and can be roughly translated to 'please or s'il te plaît' ,
thu*o*ng -love,
pot -when she wants to pee or poop
me. - mum
bô' - dad
a(n -eat
nu*a : encore or again
nu*o*'c literally means water when she wants to drink liquid
cho' literally dog but Bb Ben denotes any animal as cho'
chim : bird
mo*? : open
She can pronounce her siblings nicknames.
She also has a knack for repeating words as imitation is the shortest route to enlightenment.
All hail 'La cheffe de nettoyage'
The honorable title 'chief of cleanliness' aka 'le maître de nettoyage' has been hereby designated to Lil Miss N.
Lil Miss N recently came home with a necklace made out of twine and a pendant which features a picture of a girl in the process of cleaning up. I promptly asked her where on earth did you get that from.. She proudly responded 'Mum I have been assigned the role of chef de nettoyage by my teacher.' Lil Miss N could not contain her excitement and pride at having been awarded such a responsibility.
Following from and capping off this self-satisfaction and pride I have decided together with Shrek to exploit this and assign her le titre de la petite cheffe de nettoyage et pliage des habilles...with the hope that she will continue and be our vacuum cleaner operator and floor cleaner.
All I ever hope for in my kids is for them to be independent and to assist me a bit with everyday household chores so as to alleviate my load somewhat.
Lil Miss N recently came home with a necklace made out of twine and a pendant which features a picture of a girl in the process of cleaning up. I promptly asked her where on earth did you get that from.. She proudly responded 'Mum I have been assigned the role of chef de nettoyage by my teacher.' Lil Miss N could not contain her excitement and pride at having been awarded such a responsibility.
Following from and capping off this self-satisfaction and pride I have decided together with Shrek to exploit this and assign her le titre de la petite cheffe de nettoyage et pliage des habilles...with the hope that she will continue and be our vacuum cleaner operator and floor cleaner.
All I ever hope for in my kids is for them to be independent and to assist me a bit with everyday household chores so as to alleviate my load somewhat.
The trouble with weaning
I breastfed all my four children for the longest time, illustration
Petit Suisse was breastfed til his 13th month and I was obliged to wean him only following Doctors orders when I inadvertently fell pregnant with Lil Miss N. Apparently breastfeeding is definitely not a reliable method of contraception. Case in point, I am looking at you Shrek-for a self-proclaimed scientist his insistence that breastfeeding does in fact gives me immunity from being impregnated is way off base. Petit Suisse had a hard time for a week before he finally caved in and gave way but relapsing a little when Lil Miss N was born and I commenced breastfeeding her.
Lil Miss N was breastfed exclusively til the mûr age of 18 months. Up to the age of one and a half she refused to eat solid food and did not want to drink any other form of milk-by way of formula or cow, accepting only my breast milk as her singular source of nourishment which was by no means sufficient for her nutrient intake. She would have kept on going until I was forced to make a decision re her alimentation. I decided overnight that enough was enough and that she needed input other than breast milk. She was putting up a good fight and battled valiantly for almost two weeks before she realised that I meant business and that she was left with no choice but to accept cow's milk as a suitable and nutritious alternative.
Baby Taz was breastfed til the tender age of 10 months when weaning began by force of necessity arising from the discovery that I had fallen pregnant with Bb Ben. This is reminiscent of Petit Suisse's predicament and a question of history repeating itself. Once again breastfeeding as a form of contraception has been shot and without question I will have this advice for my children : do not ever rely on breastfeeding as contraception, it will predictably and invariably fail much to my chagrin.
Bb Ben's turn has come. She recently had a weigh in and measure up at the pediatrician. She is below average in height which is not surprising in the least but in order to ensure her calcium intake which is primordial at her age is not lacking I am in the process of slowly switching her regime. She will be given calcium in its concentrated form, proposed cow's milk at every opportunity and yoghurts which she does eat but cheese is another story. It is hardly a battle won...will be a long and drawn out battle.
She has now surpassed her older sister in terms of perseverance and single-mindedness. She is one determined little lady. She knows what she wants and she will get what she wants with steely determination, an admirable quality all the same.
Petit Suisse was breastfed til his 13th month and I was obliged to wean him only following Doctors orders when I inadvertently fell pregnant with Lil Miss N. Apparently breastfeeding is definitely not a reliable method of contraception. Case in point, I am looking at you Shrek-for a self-proclaimed scientist his insistence that breastfeeding does in fact gives me immunity from being impregnated is way off base. Petit Suisse had a hard time for a week before he finally caved in and gave way but relapsing a little when Lil Miss N was born and I commenced breastfeeding her.
Lil Miss N was breastfed exclusively til the mûr age of 18 months. Up to the age of one and a half she refused to eat solid food and did not want to drink any other form of milk-by way of formula or cow, accepting only my breast milk as her singular source of nourishment which was by no means sufficient for her nutrient intake. She would have kept on going until I was forced to make a decision re her alimentation. I decided overnight that enough was enough and that she needed input other than breast milk. She was putting up a good fight and battled valiantly for almost two weeks before she realised that I meant business and that she was left with no choice but to accept cow's milk as a suitable and nutritious alternative.
Baby Taz was breastfed til the tender age of 10 months when weaning began by force of necessity arising from the discovery that I had fallen pregnant with Bb Ben. This is reminiscent of Petit Suisse's predicament and a question of history repeating itself. Once again breastfeeding as a form of contraception has been shot and without question I will have this advice for my children : do not ever rely on breastfeeding as contraception, it will predictably and invariably fail much to my chagrin.
Bb Ben's turn has come. She recently had a weigh in and measure up at the pediatrician. She is below average in height which is not surprising in the least but in order to ensure her calcium intake which is primordial at her age is not lacking I am in the process of slowly switching her regime. She will be given calcium in its concentrated form, proposed cow's milk at every opportunity and yoghurts which she does eat but cheese is another story. It is hardly a battle won...will be a long and drawn out battle.
She has now surpassed her older sister in terms of perseverance and single-mindedness. She is one determined little lady. She knows what she wants and she will get what she wants with steely determination, an admirable quality all the same.
samedi 30 octobre 2010
Brother and sister
Baby Taz is quite fond of his lil sis Bb Ben whom he affectionately refers to as bébé.
Typical scenario of Bb Ben running amuck in the shopping centre or supermarket and me breathlessly threatening her that I will leave her.... hoping that out of fear she will comply and obey and most importantly follow me. Baby Taz does not realise that I am just menacing without real intention of leaving her behind and he stutters 'Mummy, please wait a minute, please wait, don't leave bébé behind, please wait a sec mummy' over and over all the while pushing Bb Ben or dragging her like his ragdoll to ensure she will not be abandoned.
Drawing a conclusion from that scenario I conclude that Baby Taz is very fond of Bb Ben and dread the thought of losing her eventhough he is the one who will often unintentionally and intentionally rough her up by pushing her, dragging her or inadmittenly hitting her. He is such a complex little porcinet. Sibling rivalry for attention and affection is very much alive.
Typical scenario of Bb Ben running amuck in the shopping centre or supermarket and me breathlessly threatening her that I will leave her.... hoping that out of fear she will comply and obey and most importantly follow me. Baby Taz does not realise that I am just menacing without real intention of leaving her behind and he stutters 'Mummy, please wait a minute, please wait, don't leave bébé behind, please wait a sec mummy' over and over all the while pushing Bb Ben or dragging her like his ragdoll to ensure she will not be abandoned.
Drawing a conclusion from that scenario I conclude that Baby Taz is very fond of Bb Ben and dread the thought of losing her eventhough he is the one who will often unintentionally and intentionally rough her up by pushing her, dragging her or inadmittenly hitting her. He is such a complex little porcinet. Sibling rivalry for attention and affection is very much alive.
Vive La Suisse
Bienvenue à une vie paisible parmi les radins...
Je suis devenue Suisse et je me félicite d'avoir rejoindre 'Le pays de Radins'
Oh JOY !!!
Aside from sarcasm I am glad to be part of a nation of fence sitters or peaceful montagnards who mind and go about their business on a daily basis without ever stirring.
I count myself lucky to be amongst the 7.5 million and one inhabitants of this magnifique country.
Je suis devenue Suisse et je me félicite d'avoir rejoindre 'Le pays de Radins'
Oh JOY !!!
Aside from sarcasm I am glad to be part of a nation of fence sitters or peaceful montagnards who mind and go about their business on a daily basis without ever stirring.
I count myself lucky to be amongst the 7.5 million and one inhabitants of this magnifique country.
vendredi 29 octobre 2010
Celebration
I am no longer an alien on Swiss territory as I have acquired my long awaited Swiss citizenship. I now am the 7.5 million and one habitant. I could be described as a reluctant Swiss but Swiss citizenship has to be merited and I have earned my right to be one.
Vive la Suisse !!!
Vive la Suisse !!!
Random meanderings and ramblings
Lil Miss N has lost her first tooth ever. The petit souris was quick to exchange her tooth for a coin during her revêrie.
She is coquette more than ever and would spend copious amounts of time looking at her own reflection in the mirror. She also eyes my accessories and has an already developed taste for deluxe luxurious adornments and a heightened sense of fashion.
She is a little monkey who cannot stand up straight but prefers to bend and swing about and in short monkeys about spinelessly thus having dire consequences like the time she fell in the playground on the monkeybar and broke her elbow. Alas a broken elbow was not a big deterrent as she continued sashaying about without a care in the world and flirted with disaster and danger....
Lil Miss N has a knack for sulking and will easily detract from one extreme to another. She can be pouting and saying 'Tu n'es plus ma maman' meaning 'You are no longer my mum' because she was contradicted and in the next breath will espouse ' Tu es la meilleure de mamans' which translates to 'You are the best mum in the whole wide world.'
I have come to expect this changeable behaviour and take everything she says with a grain of salt.
She is still my little special girl !
She is coquette more than ever and would spend copious amounts of time looking at her own reflection in the mirror. She also eyes my accessories and has an already developed taste for deluxe luxurious adornments and a heightened sense of fashion.
She is a little monkey who cannot stand up straight but prefers to bend and swing about and in short monkeys about spinelessly thus having dire consequences like the time she fell in the playground on the monkeybar and broke her elbow. Alas a broken elbow was not a big deterrent as she continued sashaying about without a care in the world and flirted with disaster and danger....
Lil Miss N has a knack for sulking and will easily detract from one extreme to another. She can be pouting and saying 'Tu n'es plus ma maman' meaning 'You are no longer my mum' because she was contradicted and in the next breath will espouse ' Tu es la meilleure de mamans' which translates to 'You are the best mum in the whole wide world.'
I have come to expect this changeable behaviour and take everything she says with a grain of salt.
She is still my little special girl !
Damn Daims
I have learnt another rather important lesson
Daim : glorified chocolate covered toffees/caramels are not only frighteningly bad for your teeth but they are the hotbeds or breeding ground for worms and bebêtes.
I will refrain from buying them and think thrice before even considering the possibility of bringing such garbage home again.
Daim : glorified chocolate covered toffees/caramels are not only frighteningly bad for your teeth but they are the hotbeds or breeding ground for worms and bebêtes.
I will refrain from buying them and think thrice before even considering the possibility of bringing such garbage home again.
dimanche 24 octobre 2010
Between progress and regress
Baby Ben is in the process of potty training. It is coming along nice and slowly. She is still a little bit young but I am giving her a headstart. She has done both pipi and caca in the potty. She is actually quite cute when prompted or posed with the question ' Would you like to pipi or caca (when I see her obvious attempt at pushing out a daisy) in the potty ?' to which her unanimous response is a rapid nodding of the head. She is indescribably cute but has super strong lungs hence can definitely be heard when she shows her disapproval or discontent.
In the meantime Baby Taz has regressed and prefers pipi in the nappy rather than sit on the toilet seat. He needs prompting even more so than Baby Ben and that's saying a lot since he has been almost trained for a year now...
Baby Taz's tendency to shriek and scream and throw tantrums and fits til he gets what he wants is fraying my nerves to say the least. My nerves of steel are being tested more than ever when it comes to his temper tantrums, hissy fits and general bad manner in all manners of speaking coupled with Petit Suisse's sulkiness and Lil Miss N's crybaby attitude and penchance for crying at the drop of a fly I have very long exhausting days. I would trade those days with dealing with colleagues anyday. At least the buck stops when one leaves the office, no such luck when you live with the little rascals.
I yo-yo between contempt for my kids (in the nicest way of course) and pure unconditional love for them. I wait with impatience for the day the four of them can at least feed, clean and clothe themselves so that my load and charge will lighten just a little.
The psychological wars and battles have been waged but they will deepen with age.
Bring it on!
In the meantime Baby Taz has regressed and prefers pipi in the nappy rather than sit on the toilet seat. He needs prompting even more so than Baby Ben and that's saying a lot since he has been almost trained for a year now...
Baby Taz's tendency to shriek and scream and throw tantrums and fits til he gets what he wants is fraying my nerves to say the least. My nerves of steel are being tested more than ever when it comes to his temper tantrums, hissy fits and general bad manner in all manners of speaking coupled with Petit Suisse's sulkiness and Lil Miss N's crybaby attitude and penchance for crying at the drop of a fly I have very long exhausting days. I would trade those days with dealing with colleagues anyday. At least the buck stops when one leaves the office, no such luck when you live with the little rascals.
I yo-yo between contempt for my kids (in the nicest way of course) and pure unconditional love for them. I wait with impatience for the day the four of them can at least feed, clean and clothe themselves so that my load and charge will lighten just a little.
The psychological wars and battles have been waged but they will deepen with age.
Bring it on!
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