It’s been a long time since I wrote about what my day looks like, so I decided to keep track of what I did on a Friday last month. I shared it on my IG stories, and thought I should post the photos here on the blog too.
Life has changed quite a bit since the twins were born, and since we came back to Singapore from Jakarta, and my only regret is that I forgot to write a post like this when we were living in Jakarta. I kinda did one, but from the perspective of Didi, which was quite funny to me back then. You can read it HERE.
I must first say that I have a helper, and she does all the cooking, cleaning and washing, so I don’t have to deal with chores in general. She also helps me to get the twins ready for school while I send N to school, which is a HUGE help, because we would never make it out of the house in time otherwise.
Yup, my day started at slightly past midnight, thank you very much. The twins are 3.5 years old, and STILL wake up at least once every night. EACH. So I have to wake up at least twice every night. Thanks, kids.
I usually read to the twins after they come home from school, or after their naps, so this reading in the morning before going to school is a bit out of the ordinary. Didi’s whining, however, is sadly not, and happens almost every day. He whines about different things daily though, but there’s usually at least one complaint about Meimei.
I usually have breakfast at various places near the twins’ school, and even though I have to travel a little to get to Ya Kun, I still like it best. Starbucks is actually the most convenient, and I’ve signed up for the Starbucks Rewards Programme even though I don’t drink/like coffee. Their breakfast options are pretty good though!
I try to do book reviews on Fridays, and run a series called Friday Flips here on this blog. I haven’t had enough time to write detailed blog posts every week, so I post shorter book reviews on my new IG account, Reading with the Tans. Please follow me on that IG account if you love books too!
I used to take ukulele classes when I was in Jakarta, and am so glad that I can continue my lessons in Singapore! I signed up for piano lessons with Aureus Academy, since they have a branch near the twins’ school, and am taking ukulele classes there too. Please quote my name (Adeline Tan) if you’re signing up for music lessons there too! I think it’s mostly for kids, but hey, lifelong learning is important, right? If only I can use my SkillsFuture Credit for my music lessons!
I usually have breakfast at various places near the twins’ school, and even though I have to travel a little to get to Ya Kun, I still like it best. Starbucks is actually the most convenient, and I’ve signed up for the Starbucks Rewards Programme even though I don’t drink/like coffee. Their breakfast options are pretty good though!
I try to do book reviews on Fridays, and run a series called Friday Flips here on this blog. I haven’t had enough time to write detailed blog posts every week, so I post shorter book reviews on my new IG account, Reading with the Tans. Please follow me on that IG account if you love books too!
I used to take ukulele classes when I was in Jakarta, and am so glad that I can continue my lessons in Singapore! I signed up for piano lessons with Aureus Academy, since they have a branch near the twins’ school, and am taking ukulele classes there too. Please quote my name (Adeline Tan) if you’re signing up for music lessons there too! I think it’s mostly for kids, but hey, lifelong learning is important, right? If only I can use my SkillsFuture Credit for my music lessons!
N loves insects, especially praying mantises, scorpions, and tarantulas (which I’ve learnt is an arachnid, not an insect), so I try to get him books on these insects (and arachnid) whenever I see them.
The twins also don’t seem to nap on the car ride home anymore, unless they are really tired, so I have to listen to their choice of CD on the entire drive home now. I miss the days when they would fall asleep within 10 minutes of getting into the car, and I’d have peace for the rest of the journey home.
I don’t usually run errands before picking N up from school, as there isn’t enough time, but thankfully, the twins came out earlier that day, and I could collect these yummy CNY goodies.
This was before COVID-19, so we used to have weekly lunch dates before his art class. These days, I bring him home for lunch before his art class, and go to the library on my own while he’s in class.
We’ve started using this journal, and the twins aren’t satisfied with just one book each, so I read at least four books to them daily. It’s tiring for me, but so good for them! I make a conscious effort to read them new books, so that they are exposed to a wider variety of stories. Repetition is good too, as it helps them to become familiar with certain words and sentence structures, but I get bored of reading the same books over and over again.
N has been attending art classes at Heart Studio for some time now, and looks forward to his sessions there. He learns so much more than just drawing and painting from his teacher, who is really dedicated and patient, and I’m really thankful that he has found something he enjoys so much.
This was another errand that I had to run that day. On other Fridays, I’ll head home after dropping N at his art class, so that I can spend some time with the twins. I’ll read or do some simple learning activities with them, such as cutting with scissors, pasting stickers, or playing with play dough from Tickle Your Senses.
Facepalm moment.
Cheeky kids driving everyone mad. ’nuff said.
His teacher never fails to update me on what they did and learnt in class. They were learning about warm and cool colours that week. In the previous session, they learnt some facts about horses, before picking the picture that they wanted to draw.
Mummy duties for a P2 kid can be quite intense, with all the homework and spelling/ting xie tests to supervise and prepare for. Thankfully, he didn’t have much homework that day, otherwise I’d be stuck at the table with him for quite some time.
Friday nights are date nights for us, and it’s something we started when we got back to Singapore from Jakarta, since my parents are around to help out with the kids. We usually go for dinner nearby, though sometimes we get a massage or do a bit of shopping too. It’s really nice to be able to spend time together properly, without having to fuss over the kids.
N can entertain himself, but he is almost always moaning about being bored. *rolls eyes* On some nights, we come home and find him watching whatever TV programme my dad is watching, but he was in the mood for playing with Lego that evening, which was great.
Didi the whiner strikes again. Meimei is quite similar to N in many ways, and also loves being read to. She can sit through many books, while Didi tends to wander off after a while if I’m reading a book that he didn’t choose.
Didi finally deigned to join our reading session because he liked this book. They usually choose two books each, but sometimes fight over the same book. Apparently it makes a difference who held the book first, even if they’ll get to listen to the story no matter what.
Didi does a lot of crazy things. This was just him being his usual self. It’s very entertaining for people in general, but trust me, it can be quite frustrating trying to reason with a child who cannot be reasoned with.
N was really into building his Lego vehicle that night, and modified the one that he worked on earlier. I’m always amazed by his creativity when he builds, because I can’t do it for sure.
I use the diffuser as a night light for the kids, since they’re sleeping in their own room now. Meimei gets quite scared when she wakes up in the middle of the night, and cries quite loudly, so I thought having a bit of light in the room would help her feel less anxious. Doesn’t really work, but they protest when the room is pitch-dark, so I keep the diffuser on throughout the night.
The kids sleep quite late, and on some nights, they go to bed even later, which drives me crazy, but they just can’t seem to fall asleep. I do bring them out to play or scoot almost daily, but they have soooo much energy that it’s hard to really tire them out (without being exhausted myself).
In case you’re wondering, they did NOT sleep through the night, and woke up in the middle of the night to sleep on our bed. Sigh. To be fair, all three of them slept with us in the same room until we moved to our rental place in December, so the twins are still trying to get used to the idea of being in a different room from us. Hopefully, they will be able to sleep through the night in their own room when we move to our new place later this year!
This is what a typical Friday looks like for me, and my weekdays are usually spent driving the kids around (while they drive me crazy). I do wish I could get more sleep, but I’m thankful that I get to spend time at home with them. This is just a season in our lives, and I hope that the kids will appreciate having me at home with them as they grow.
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