Archive for November, 2008

Cable Me up Mummy

A few weeks ago Ryan caught the preview of this channel JimJam on TV.  He was entralled by it as it showed his favourite shows- Thomas and fri

ends, Bob the builder and Barney and Friends.  Parents with boys should be able to understand the adrenaline rush that Ryan had when he could view his beloved programs on TV. At last he did not need to compete with Roy to watch his favourite show on DVD.

[The boys use to have a competition to see who was able to put their favourite DVD into the DVD player for the night. It was always a hassle as they refuse to compromise on which DVD they should watch and there was lots of screaming and tussling.]

For an additional $5 a month I could get this channel and Playhouse Disney on cable.

Playhouse Disney shows – The Little Enstein which is an excellent program that introduces music/composers to kids. I find that it complements with Ryan’s existing music lessons as it expands his knowledge of music in  a fun way.

I find these two channels extremely educational and worth the investment.  The shows that they screen are much better the the violent cartoons shown on cartoon network and okto.  Do you have these channels at home for your kids?

Being Thankful

I saw this new Meme over at Marie’s site and decided to participate in it.

I am thankful for:

1.  y warm and supportive family and friends.
2. having two adorable and fun loving boys.
3. being able to take time off from an exhausting job to pursue my hobbies and interest.
4.  GOD for providing everything that I need.
5. being at peace with myself at this present moment in time.

What are you thankful for?

Tips on flying with toddlers

Flying with toddlers can be a nightmare at times. This is especially true if the toddler starts scream and shouting or crying in flight. There is no exit door and place to bring him for a time out till he cools down and composes himself.

I would like to share with you  are some tips on how I manage to have a hassle free flight with the kids.

Tip #1- Bring along some pen and paper  and sticker activity  books.

My 2yr and 4yr old love doodling and having spare pencils and papers really do help to keep them momentarily occupied for a minimum  of 10-15 minutes.  My younger one loves for me to draw fishes on the paper for him while his older brother would draw in train tracks and trains.

The boys go ballistic with stickers and love sticking in the various stickers on the relevant pages. It is also a fun way for them to learn.

Tip #2- Have some palm size toys around for them to play with.

Die-cast Thomas the train engines and matchbox cars are a staple in my handbag these few years. With a train or car in hand my boys will be using the plates, chopsticks or even coasters as tracks as they move their toy all around the dining table while waiting to be served.

Tip #3- Pre load cartoons into your mobile/PDA or bring along a portable VCD/PSP

If you are traveling budget like I did there isn’t any in-house movies/show to watch during the flight. By pre loading/downloading Thomas the Train, Barney and other movies onto hubby’s  3G phone  it kept them occupied for nearly an hour. Do remember to pack along spare batteries for your phone though.

Tip #4- Bring along their favourite snacks.

Having their chocolate sticks, strawberry milk and other snack food available will keep your child happy and satisfied. They can quietly sit there on the seat and munch away as mine did during the flight.

Tip #5- Try not to let them nap before the flight.

Every time we travel by air I would make it a point to keep the boys fully occupied  with various activities to prevent them from falling asleep and taking a nap.  It seems to work as when the plane takes off the sound of the engine and the movement of the plane works as instant soothers to lull them off to sleep resulting them in “shutting off” for at least an hour or two.

With these 5 tips in hand are you better equipped in handing your toddler on a flight?

Myer's Baking Challenge

Last weekend Ryan and I took part in our 1st mom and son competition. I was more nervous then him as it was the 1st time that I was taking part in a baking challenge. The 1st prize was very tempting- a Kitchen aid mixer.

Ever since I started baking last year I have always wanted a Kitchen Aid mixer.  The hefty price tag of $700 is a bit too much for me to afford at the moment.  I knew that I didn’t stand a high chance of winning the 1st prize as they maybe professionals taking part in the competition as well but to win a prize would be good. The other items on the prize list that I was aiming for was a Kitchen Aid cookbook and was glad that I manage to win it.

Here is the prize that I won

Ryan is looking forward to more bakes based on the recepies in this book.