Desiderata

Another lovely poem (thanks to wifey who introduced me to this). This poem summarised the values that I want livi to have.

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others,even the dull and the ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,t

hey are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain and bitter;

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs;

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals;

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially, do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love;for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment

it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be,

and whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Copyright 1952.

Playing with Kids

Another lovely poem to share:

I tried to teach my child with books
He gave me only puzzled looks
I tried to teach my child with words
They passed him by often unheard
Despairingly I turned aside
"How shall I teach my child?" I cried.
Into my hand he put the key.
"Come," he said, "play with me"

Author: Unknown
-------------------------------------

I cannot agreed more. I believe kids learn much faster through play. Sometimes, I am gulity of trying to teach livi new things without the "playing" element. Time to reflect on my method of teaching. Kid will always be kid...

Future Muay Thai Champion!

I now have a real fear that livi will turn out to be muay tai champion in the future. At a tender age of 17 months, she is already terrorising her older male cousin (coming to 3 years old, by the way) with her "martial art". Her favoritate moves includes a combination of biting and hair pulling. What puzzles me is that both parents are relatively mild manners, so where does she learn all these "moves"? I was told that it is just a phase that kids go through. Well, I hope this is true. In case I give the impression that livi is always picking fights and terrorising other kids, it is not true. Only if you mess with her and her favorite toys... And good luck to you when that happens! Don't say I never warn you ....<

wine

What I am writing has nothing to do with parenting or fatherhood. But, since I do not have another blog to write about wine, I guess I will use this blog to write about wine until such time when I create a separate blog. What prompt me to write about wine is my accidental discovery of a wine blog (www.thewineblog.net). I am excited that now I have a wine blog to check out the wine tasting note. I enjoy a good bottle of red wine, but as all novice wine lovers will know, buying wine is a bit like buying a second-hand car. You never really know how good the wine is based on the price or the salesperson. Now, at least I have a blog to check out the wines before I buy. Well done for the guys at thewineblog.

Slow Dance

I came across this poem in the book "The 4-hour workweek" by Timothy Ferriss. I found it to be really meaning. It reminds me to focus on what is important in life and treasure our loved ones.... Here it goes

Have you ever watched Kids
On a merry-go-round?

Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?

When you ask: How are you?
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done,
do you lie in your bed

With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?

And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die

Cause you never had time
To call and say, "Hi"?

You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast

Time is short.
The music won't last

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower.

Hear the music
Before the song is over

REALLY!

Livi is starting to talk in 3-words phases. For a 17 months, she seems to be doing well in the language department... It also make our life much easier now that she is able to "communicate" with us with her constant yakking.... "I want book" "I want walk" "I want sleep".... Of course, there are times that I do not understand what livi is saying. Wifey, who is much stronger in the language department, always seems to understand what livi is saying... I still cannot figure out that "Kinderman" is "spiderman".

Yesterday, wifey asked livi if she liked to eat Yogurt. Livi replied yes. Wifey then asked "Really?" and livi immediately responded with a big "Really!".

Both wifey and I spontaneously bursted into laughter. This is the first time we heard livi said the word "Really" and it was such an appropriate occassion to use it :)

Dangerous Made-in-china products

Dangerous Made-In-China Products: 2007 Timeline

As a person that spends a considerable amount of time doing business in China, I totally agree that when it come to saftey standard for its products, it still has alot of catching up. Everytime I am in China, I come across either new cases of tainted food or products that are unsafe for human consumption. Whenever I buy made-in-China presents for livi, I can't help but worry whether the presents I bought are safe for consumption. You really cannot beat the "China Price", so it is very tempting to buy lots of things from China. However, such low prices usually come with a hidden cost.....

But, what can we do as parents? Everywhere you go, you are likely to end up buying products made in China. Come to think about it, it has been a while since I last purchase toys that are not made from China. Even household toy brands are likely to have production in China. But, can the quality be assured?

Maybe, we should really just spend more time bonding with our kids instead of lavishing them with lots of toys. This way, you will sure be able to beat the "China Price" without having to worry about product saftety :)

how to find time?

Anyone with good advice on time management? Wifey and I dont seem to have to have enough time to pursue our own interests even since the arrival of livi. The funny thing is that both wifey and I are professional executives and projects and time management are part and parcel of our daily life. Yet, we hardly have time to do anything else beside taking care of livi on weekends. Does it mean that we are no good at time management when it come to parenting...

Technorati Profile

A sales man from one of the dust mite removal machine came to our home today to give a demo. After the demo, we were pressured to buy the machine that costed S$3000. His pitch went something like " don't you feel bad for not providing a cleaning environment for your daughter". Great, using the guilt of parents to sell the product. I grow up without one of these so-called dust mite removal machine and I am perfectly fine with no health problem. So, give me a break....We love our kids and will do what is necessary to protect them. But, I will not stand for sales tactics that make us feel guilty if we do not buy.

The whole family went to the National Day Parade rehearsal yesterday. It was great! The parachutes, fly-pasts and displays by the armed forces were fantastic. Livi enjoyed the firework the most. Truly wonderful experience!

Surprise, Surprise

I woke up this morning to find livi's soft toys neatly placed at one corner of her cot. Surprise, surprise! Livi was the one who placed her toys. Guess it is never too early to train her to keep her own bed :)

National Day rehearsal

I will be bringing wifey and livi to the National Day Parade rehearsal today. Should be fun. Just hope that the weather will not be too hot. Livi is getting into the habit of "reading"before her bedtime. Being one year and five months, "reading" is simply turning pages after pages of her bedtime book. I like to think that I play a big part in this, since I have been reading to her every night for the past few months :)

One point for good parenting for me :)