We had just come home from the orthopaedic clinic. Ben's prognosis is pretty good... no major wrist fracture! The fracture is on one of the finger bones somewhere in the palm area.
We had been so afraid that he had a scaphoid fracture. This is a very common fracture among young men but it may take up to 4 months to heal. Ben also had a torn ligament. The x-rays showed that when the ligament tore, it also pulled off with it, a tiny piece of the finger bone. The doctor said Ben is still combat-fit and needs not be downgraded. However his hand will have to be immobilsed for some time to facilitate the healing process.
The doctor took off Ben's splint but this was replaced with a plaster cast. Ben will have to bear with it until his next medical appointment in 3 weeks' time. By then, he would have gotten his posting...
Heck! Jon's helping out at the children's camp in church and Ben has to book-in tonight. Who's going to help Ben fold up the sleeves of his No 4?
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
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(105) trials & tribulations...
Ben was really unlucky to fracture his left wrist on Saturday! Only 10 days to POP!
Upon his book-out at 11am, Laogong and I picked him at the Pasir Ris MRT Station and drove straight to the sinseh. The sinseh took one look and told us that we should get his hand checked at the hospital.
The x-rays showed up a small fracture. The A&E doctor gave Ben an excuse chit for 3 days. Despite his bandaged wrist, Ben reported back to Tekong camp as usual last night. He saw the camp MO this morning and was given 1 week light duties.
Ben booked out again at 8pm tonight as he has an appointment with an orthopaedic specialist tomorrow afternoon. We pray for a favourable prognosis.
Sigh... life is filled with ups and downs. But these highs and lows provide windows of opportunity to determine our values and goals. We have to think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to build the life we want.
I suppose her results are pretty respectable considering the fact she started mugging only during the exam period. But in the course of those last-minute cram sessions till midnight, she fell sick and had to see a doctor! Tsk! She had better draw up a study plan/timetable soon.
Jon got his on Thursday... ENGLISH : C5 CHINESE : C6 E.MATHS : A1 A.MATHS : A1 CHEMISTRY : A1 PHYSICS : A1 BIOLOGY : B4 C.HUMANITIES : B3 L1R5 : 12
So he scored full marks for E.Maths! And I thought only primary school kids do that. Huh? He topped his class! Heck, does this mean I can't nag him off the computer anymore? Well, he has got to do something about his languages!
So do they deserve a reward? Yes, why not? OK... no nagging during the first week of the June holidays! I'm such a nice mum...
Sunday, May 21, 2006
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(103) for better or worse...
Judith's best friend, Soh Sandie, posted this on her blog...
Tuesday, May 16, 2006 my parents found out about melvin today.
Soh Sandie is an only child... So Soh Sandie's daddy is very strict with her... So Mrs Wannanoeall (me) tagged Soh Sandie's board...
big-mama : and what did yr parents say?? ;) sandie : to big mama- the usual stuff lor... but my mom's more cool about it than my dad. if this happens to you, what wld you say? big-mama : good good, got boyfriend now got someone to da-bao free supper when he sends you home ;) sandie : haha MAMA you must be joking. how can you be so cool?! what if u found out judith has a secret boyfriend hidden in australia? haha!
Soh Sandie, my reply is way too long for your board. So here goes...
Australia is a culturally and linguistically diverse society with millions of immigrants from almost every corner of the world. The Aussies have about 200 languages and practise a wide variety of religions. So if Judith has a boyfriend tucked away in Australia, whether he's an indigenous aborigine or from Timbuktoo or the Bermuda Triangle, he'd better be proficient in English!
You see, communication is necessary for a good relationship or marriage. It takes listening, understanding, and honest sharing. Communication is not lecturing or being critical or putting someone down. It is not giving unwanted advice or interrupting the other person. If there is little or no communication in a marriage, especially in an inter-racial or inter-cultural one...
A POLISH man moved to the US and married an American girl. Although his English was far from perfect, they got along very well - until one day he rushed into a lawyer's office and asked the lawyer if he could arrange a divorce for him.
The lawyer said that getting a divorce would depend on the circumstances and asked the Polish man the following questions:
Have you any grounds? Yes, an acre and a half and a nice little home.
No, I mean what is the foundation of this case? It's made of concrete.
I don't think you understand. Does either of you have a real grudge? No, we have a car porch.
I mean, what are your relations like? All my relations are still in Poland.
Is there any infidelity in your marriage? We have a high fidelity stereo and good DVD player.
Does your wife beat you up? No, I always wake up before her.
Is your wife a nagger? No, she's white.
Why do you want this divorce? She's going to kill me.
What makes you think that? I have proof.
What kind of proof? She is going to poison me. She bought a bottle and put it on the shelf in bathroom. I can read and it says: 'POLISH REMOVER'
Thursday, May 18, 2006
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(102) a mother's pride & joy...
So, mother's day has come and gone. As I reflect on my 19+ years as a mother, I wonder if I've done well. Will my children be filial? Do they have good moral values? Will they be rich and successful? High-paying jobs? Good spouses? The list is long and never-ending. Yes, all mums have high hopes and dreams for their children. However, this surely must be the mother of all mothers' hopes...
Four old college friends were having coffee. The first woman tells her friends, "My son is now a priest. Whenever he walks into a room, everyone calls him 'Father'."
The second woman chirps, "My son is a bishop. Whenever he walks into a room, people call him 'Your Grace'."
Not to be outdone, the third lady says, "My son is a cardinal. Whenever he walks into a room, he's called 'Your Eminence'."
Since the fourth woman continued sipping her coffee in silence, the first three women give her this subtle "Well...?"
So she replies, "My son is 6' 6"... he has plenty of money... broad square shoulders... terribly handsome... dresses very well... tight muscular body... tight hard buns... and a very nice bulge... and whenever he walks into a room... women gasp, 'Oh my God!'."
It's great when the kids do not annoy you for an entire day
It's great when their blogs have posts dedicated to you
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Mummy I love you
I'm sorry for the times I made you sad. I'm happy for the times I made you glad.
Been a Mum for almost 20 years. You made it through the blood and tears.
I'm grateful for everything that you've done. Know that you'll always be my number one.
I love you Mum for everything. I promise one day I'll buy you a bling.
Thank you for raising me to what I am. You'll always be my Mum right till the end.
Happy Mother's Day Mummy.
Love, Judith
Sunday, May 14, 2006
25 hours ago i was feeling like SHIT. at 1.23am TODAY on a sunday i feel like i'm on cloud NINE. WEIRD, ain't it. moodswings. BAH. :D
9 hours ago i baked a batch of chocolate brownies for BIG-MAMA. its MOTHERS' DAY today, you see. it isn't THAT tastey so i don't think she really LIKED it. but i think she was HAPPY that i at least did SOMETHING for her. they say that its the THOUGHT that counts. lets all pray she doesn't get tummy aches. i BAKED it MYSELF since JONATHAN refused to help and only BOUGHT the M&Ms from caltex that helped decorate the brownies. but its okay. i'll EAT all the brownies since it's CHOCOLATE. (and since i baked it MYSELF) and i LOVE anything that is CHOCOLATE although they can be very FATTENING.
so there, HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY. I LOVE YOU MOMMY. (even though you are nagging at me now)
Yay, I'm getting a bling-bling! Wow, what if every day is mother's day? Oh yes, so sweet, very sweet, in fact too sweet... Ehhh? I'm referring to the brownies that Emily baked
Emptiness... The house is unusually quiet Laogong's been away since Saturday Judith's been away since February Ben's having a field day, errrrr, field camp at Tekong The only good thing is there is no squabble over the computers
On a happier note... Ben will be home in 1 day's time Laogong will be home in 1.5 weeks' time Judith will be home in 2 months' time The house will be noisy again, but I love it!
AND...
I received a mother's day card from Judith today She's a good daughter because she didn't send me a present this year Yah, she spent my hard-earned money on my present last year and the postage was 19.50 Aussie dollars Hmm, I wonder if the rest will give me a card or something this Sunday
Well, all I want from my children is complete obedience and subversience. Hahaha... just kidding. I know it's so cliche but I just want them to be god-loving, morally-upright, fine gentlemen and ladies.
He said he woke up at 5.45am, did some work and then went back to bed. I don't know because I only woke up at 7.45am and then left the house at 8am to send Laogong to the airport. When I got home at 10.30am, he was fast asleep. I didn't nag when he started on DOTA the minute he woke up at 11-ish. I didn't say anything when he had breakfast at the computer. I still didn't say anything when he had lunch at the computer. I just told him to study after lunch.
At 3pm, when he and his cousin aka DOTA kaki decided to quit playing DOTA, he asked if he could meet this cousin at the cc to play basketball. Of course, I gave him a flat 'NO'. I told him to do some revision first and to play basketball later at 5pm. He quietly packed his bag and told me he was going to the cc to do his work.
Of course I blew my top! Why can't he study at home? It's quiet and conducive. He tells me he can't study at home because I am at home. What the #&%~@*~! Whenever he studies in his room, I don't even check on him.
Gawd, now he is sitting cross-legged... on the ground... in the hot afternoon sun... right in the middle of the driveway... facing the gate... doing his homework on his lap! All because I refused to let him go to the cc? Oh well, let all the neighbours see what a good hardworking boy he is!
Life sucks... when you realise you have failed terribly as a parent!
Emily blogged that she's going to do quite badly for her mid-year exams. That post was probably specially created for me because she knows I read her blog. Then she tells me: 'The mid-year results don't count. Right, mum? It's the prelims and O-levels that really matter.' Well, despite swearing (on her blog) that she won't blog till her exams are over, you can still find her on msn or tagging and blogging away.
Jon? Ahhhh... he's happily and busily dota-ing away. When Laogong and I nag, he tells us that he has completed his homework and revision and has read the newspapers for the day. And his trump card? 'SJI doesn't have mid-year exams. We just have the common tests.' Has he forgotten that the parents have to meet the teachers at the end of every school term to discuss the results and collect the report book?
Will Emily and Jon do well or poorly this semester? Maybe God will be kind enough to work some miracles? And for the students who do well, there are always some parents who will still be disappointed in their children's good grades. Tsk, tsk, tsk.
I would be very disappointed only if my children did poorly. But as a former Girl Guide, I will always live up to the Guide's motto: Be Prepared. Yes, I am well-prepared and will not be bowled over by any poor result. The only consolation I can find in any awful grade is that I know my children never cheat during their exams!
Big-Mama's Chinese Zodiac ~ PIG!
Laogong's Chinese Zodiac ~ PIG!
Mum of 4 Teenagers
Undergoing Middle-age Crisis
Battling an Ever-increasing Waistline
& a Headful of Snow-white Hair
Holding 3 Ministerial Posts
Home Affairs Minister aka Full-Time Nagger
Finance Minister ~ manages weekly allowances & exorbitant hp bills
Transport Minister aka 24/7 Chauffeur
