Yaya will be in grade 9, toothless in grade 7 and baby in grade 5..
In 4 years my oldest child will graduate from high school, and my youngest will be in grade 9..
How fast time flies..
I wish I could live my life as a mother in slow motion..instead of this ‘blur’ where years seems to disappear in to some sort of black hole..
Last school year two things happened that I am very proud of..
Baby got high distinction for ICAS writing..until last year, all three of them always got distinction for writing..and my youngest is very competitive when it comes to her siblings..So it was a big deal for her to get a high distinction when her siblings only got a distinction..You should have seen the big grin on her face..
Yaya got a C for maths in the third term..and she worked really hard in the fourth term to make sure that she got an A..which she did..and by doing that she ensured that her overall score for the final report for maths was B.. ( When she got the C, her friends advised her not to tell her mother and Yaya told me that even though her friends advised her not to tell me, she is still letting me know because she felt it would be wrong to lie to me )
When I was little, the day before school reopened, Amma would wrap all my books with brown paper, write my name on the label..I looked forward to getting Amma to write my name on the label..because she has the most beautiful handwriting..
I also spend considerable amount of time going from shop to shop to collect name labels..How exciting it was to buy Balarama or Poompatta that came with free name labels..( and the sadness of having to share them with my sisters!)
Last time I took kids to India, we went to Vega land..and along with the admission ticket, I was given some name labels..that too sticker labels.. I was so excited..I divided the name labels equally and gave to my children and they looked at me puzzled and asked what do we use them for? ( ente helium balloonte kattu poyinnu micham!!)
Kids did all their back to school shopping at Donggongon market..Much to the surprise to all my friends whose kids would rather die than be caught shopping at the local market..
Yaya bought 4 Levi jeans ( all fake) and she is so happy..
Baby got 2 pairs of converse shoes ( fake!)
My son got a diesel school bag ( fake la)
Few billabong tshirs, adidas tshirs..Nike hats..all together I spend 400RM..and I have three very happy children and they have one very happy mother!
As for the future..Yaya wants to join Harvard academy for international and area studies, my son wants to join the mathematics dept at Princeton..and my baby wants to study in Columbia University.
Will they? Time will tell..
All lofty goals, but certainly attainable…
Those names on ones resume opens doors, definitely worth pursuing.. you will be adding US to your list of countries that you have lived in in a matter of few years..
Ms: I am surprised that my kids want to go study in US..I thought by getting a Candian citizenship and with an Aussie PR, I covered both countries..so I won't have to pay the international student fees for them..
As for me.. I am going back to sabah when my youngest finishes her grade 12..I think by then my children would have had enough of me..I will be 48, post menopausal..crabby old woman..time for me to wear a purple hat( http://labyrinth_3.tripod.com/page59.html)
Sarah- Did you not know that US is awesome though it borders the “magnificient” Canada. (There is a poster in one of the Canadaian border crossing offices that says.. America borders on the magnificient Canada.)
And as for you going back to Sabah for good.. is a sweet romantic dream like all of us away from “birth home” dream.. You will be visiting Sabah in your ripe old age of 48 like a tourist! Here is a lure for you.. you have lived on the west coast of Canada.. you can live in the east coast.. Harvard, Princeton and Columbia are all in the east coast..
And when you find a job in the east coast, you canadian citizenship will help you with your work visa!