All About Your Child

Psssst…..did you know Keatkeat is not my first child?

She came by way before I was married, way before I worked in the Child Care Centre, way before I started giving tuition and way before my menstruation came the very first time. Did I hear you say “Huh?”

I started taking care of her when I was only 7 years old. I changed her diapers, bathed her, prepared milk-milk for her, played with her…..she is my one and only sis, I call her Meimei. This picture was taken when I was 8 and Meimei was 1.

My Mom took care of her most of the time, but when it comes to school holidays or weekends, she would disappear to the mahjong table and leave little baby Meimei to me and lo-and-behold, she would be back in time before Papa comes home from work.

Papa had 3 jobs at that time, to support my Mom’s medical bills, my education and the family expenses. My Mom had her 2nd relapse (Cancer) when she was pregnant with my little sis. Her doctor persuaded her to abort my sis, but she insisted on having her. Luckily, my sis was born healthy, much healthier than me, that’s what all the adults said.

You can say my Mom trusted me alot, or you can say she is ONE IRRESPONSIBLE MOMMY, two-sides to a coin. I accept both thoughts whole-heartedly.

While my friends were playing at the playground, I was wiping the bum of my sis. That was my very first job (unpaid) – Nanny.

As little Meimei grows, usual siblings fight came along, jealousy grew in my heart as my Papa (unmistakably) shower more love towards my sis. It was an obvious fact that even the neighbors could tell.

Our relationship took a big step forward when our parents start fighting (go read My Story for the reason). Since then it has only been my sis and I, the only 2 sane people in the four-walls, till I got married.

Oh dear, this is suppose to be a happy post, now it seems like a sad one.

This was the durian cake (as she requested) we bought for her birthday from Angie The Choice. This cake has a pretty name called Charlotte, too bad, that’s not my sis’s name….

Her name is very close to mine. I’m Angeline and she is Angela. *wink*

Bottom-line, I love my sis in a very unusual way, its a mixture of siblings love, motherly love, teacher love and friendship love. Probably that’s why when she was younger, all her friends say we don’t behave like what other siblings do….right Meimei?

Happy Birthday Girl!

Ok, I have said before, I can’t pin-point the happiest event or the happiest day of my life as a MOMMY, but I definitely can tell you the WORST DAY or rather the WORST EVENT that happened to me being a Mommy.

Thank you (the majority) for your votes for today’s post. *Muack*

Here goes…..

Keatkeat was barely 2 years old, still wearing his diapers and haven’t given up his pacifier yet. Binbin was just a chubby little baby lying comfortably in the Baby-Sling across my shoulder. (THE LADY IN THE PICTURE IS NOT ME.) I showed the photo so that you’ve got a better picture of how I carried Binbin.

I was having a day off from my stall. I missed my kids too much. So I brought them out to the supermarket. We bought a pack of toilet rolls, the kids’ diapers, a 1.5 litres of detergent, Allan and my shampoo (we use different brands).

Could you imagine how full my hands were? I could hardly walk properly with one hand completely belonged to my wobbly 2-year-old, Keatkeat, holding his small hand tightly. The other arm was full of the shopping stuff. The back of my shirt was completely soaked with perspiration.

I was well-known for perspiring freely since young. So when I was in the Chinese Dance Group for my extra-curriculum activities during Secondary School, I had to put on double-layer of cosmetic, or they will be washed off (probably) even before I’m up on the stage for the performance.

It was really terrible then. All my friends would be wearing make-up when we go shopping, but I’ll only put on my lipstick, or else I’ll look like I’m going for a Halloween party, especially if I had my mascara on.

Ok, so we were done with our shopping and were waiting for the feeder bus to bring us home. While we were in the queue at the bus terminal, I felt some warm stuff splashing on my feet. I looked down and saw a thick greenish substance on the floor, just below Keatkeat’s feet.

I thought he accidentally stepped onto the gross slime on the floor and pulled him away. But I was wrong. COMPLETELY WRONG. The gooey slime was flowing down his legs.

Everyone in the queue backed off, the smell was really appalling! I’ve never smelled something that bad before, it’s like a 2 day-old-vomit, kept in an air-tight container that’s splashed onto your face!

In less than 1 minute, the houseflies came and devoured the green pool and started to hovered around Keatkeat’s bum.

I was puzzled. Keatkeat had his diapers on right? Then how could the diarrhea come out? Could it have over-flowed?

Everyone was looking at us, it was extremely embarrassing. I wished I could be as silly as an ostrich, to dig a hole in the ground, bury my head in and think that no one could see me.

I scooped up the still-haven’t-got-a-clue-what’s-going-on Keatkeat, together with all the other heavy stuff from the supermarket, and went behind the 2 storey shop-houses nearby.

As we moved away, aunties, girls and boys in school uniforms were whispering and mumbling away….I shut my ears so as not to hear some unpleasant comments, or I’ll probably turn back and give them the deadly stare.

Luckily Binbin was super cooperative. Wasn’t cranky at all even though the shopping bags were fighting for space with him against my chest.

Finally I found a quiet place behind one of the shops. I was ready to discard everything that’s on my 2-year-old. Even his new shoes which we bought 1 month ago. As I put him down, I realised he had stained some of the plastic shopping bags and my T-shirt!

When the diaper was off, I noticed that the gooey greenish shit was too thick to be absorbed by the diapers, resulted it to over-flow. And when I was half-way removing his terribly smelly shoes, houseflies from no-where came and join in the fun. They irritated the puzzled Keatkeat, “why is Mommy taking off my pants here?” Keatkeat started to whine and refused to cooperate.

As if the day was determined to make it the ‘Ultimate Unlucky Day of My Life’, it started to rain!!! Singapore’s weather is really so unpredictable! It was sunny a while ago, you know!!!

I plucked out his dirty shoes and socks. In super fast-forward speed, I transferred the 2 bottle of shampoo into the plastic bag holding the detergent, trusting the strength of the bag, but prepared for the worst. The rain was getting heavier…..we were getting our hair washed now….

With the empty plastic bag, I threw in the stinky shoes, socks, pants and soiled diaper; threw that pack of junk into the dustbin, which was conveniently standing beside me and head back into the shelter; frantically looking for another quiet place to continue my dirty job. But there isn’t a quiet place. With the sudden downpour, everyone was taking shelter too.

By this time, everyone was staring at the 3 of us like as if we were filming a drama. I was trying to juggle the bulky stuff together with the half-naked and shoeless Keatkeat, at the same time controlling my pressure on Binbin who was still very cooperative lying in the sling.

Finally, there was this stairway that leads up to the second floor of the shop houses. It was less crowded but still, there were spectators. Come to think of it, there wasn’t a single kind soul who came forward and asked if I needed help, which I terribly NEEDED an extra pair of hands.

I cleaned Keatkeat’s legs with care. Fully utilizing every inch of each tissue paper, ‘cos I’m only left with 4 pieces! Tell me how UNLUCKY am I?

The only Clever or Lucky thing I did was – I BOUGHT A WHOLE PACK OF DIAPERS. So I tore the plastic packaging with my razor sharp fingernails and pulled a brand new nicely folded diaper out. Opened up his short legs and wore it for him in a standing position. It wasn’t a pull-up, so it took some time to get it in position.

By then, all the shopping bags which sat on the floor were wet with rainwater that flowed in. Keatkeat couldn’t walk because he didn’t have his shoes anymore. So there I go again, hugging all the stuff on one arm and Keatkeat gripped below my other armpit.

We went back to the place where the nightday-mare started and waited for the feeder bus again. The heavy downpour had ‘diluted’ the thick slimy poo and so it didn’t smell so bad as before. We waited for about 5mins, my arms were on the verge of having a cramp!

The moment we got up the bus, the other passengers who went up before us were either pinching their noses or fanning their faces. I could hear them say, “Ohhhh….what’s that smell?! So smelly! Where is it coming from?!” Oh yes, MY SHIRT!

I couldn’t discard my shirt like the way I did for Keatkeat’s pants right? I couldn’t have gone topless with just my bra right? I have used every piece of tissue paper to clean Keatkeat’s legs and have forgotten about my shirt.

The ride home took another 5mins. Another Lucky thing – there were shelters all the way from the bus-stop to my house. I can feel the sore in my arms. The strain was becoming unbearable. My legs tried to be faster but were limited.

When I got home. I put down little Binbin and the stuff, carried Keatkeat into the bathroom, stripped myself, threw away the shirt which may not even smell nice after 10 washes, and ended the most disastrous day of my Life as a Mommy. *Phew* This is truly by-far, the Worst Day of my life as a Mommy!

-The End-

Oh people, tell me I’m not the only one, to make me feel better, won’t you?