Many mums know of the yBike balance bike. It's like a bicycle, except it hasn't got any pedals. Kids use it just like a regular bike. Their claim is that with regular bikes attached with training wheels, kids don't really learn to balance as the training wheels catch them each time they lose their balance. They just learn how to pedal real quick. With yBikes, they focus more on learning how to balance themselves on two wheels and that is really the key to learning to cycle.
Well, we didn't get Connor a yBike as he already had a Thomas bike for his 2nd birthday. But we noticed he would always stare in fascination at the older kids in our condo development who had kids' scooters. He received one for Christmas in the UK but it was designed for a much older child who could already glide and Connor struggled with it.
About a month ago, we got him a yBike glider from Toys 'r' Us in Bangsar Village. He was so happy with it that we unpacked it right away and let him glide back down the connecting bridge (with Daddy's help).
Man, I don't know why we waited so long to get him that toy. He's absolutely in love with it. It took him about a week to figure out how to turn. It's real easy, just lean on the handlebars in the direction you want to go and the glider will turn. The glider is really well made, soft rubberised edges to protect little bodies, feels really sturdy and best of all, it's really, really, REALLY quiet.
We've cleared a path in our apartment so that Connor can glide from one end to the other. He does so frequently and now that he's mastered turning, he goes round and round in ecstatic circles round our dining table. When we had one MSN chat session with Nana in Liverpool, we picked up the laptop and let her see her little grandson zooming gleefully around on his glider and she thought it was brilliant.
I think we paid RM200+ for the glider. There are cheaper ones on the market but I feel this was well worth the extra cost as it's so sturdy and SO quiet. I was out the other day in Mont Kiara McD's and one little boy went past with his. Click-clack-click-clack! My god. I would go nuts hearing that all the time in my house.
Right now, Mothercare is having a sale and I saw it going for under RM200 so get it while you can! Honestly, you won't regret it, it's such a brilliant toy!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Natural Born Killer
 |
| Die, rabbit, die! |
Connor in my parents' garden, 2011. Those rabbits were made by my uncle years ago.
If my brothers or I had attempted to spray water around the garden when we were kids, we surely would have been told off for wasting water. But when my son did it, my mother said it was good for him to come out and get some exercise and how helpful he was to water the plants (he didn't, he just soaked one patch of grass to death) and the water would be good to cool him down because it was so hot.
WTF???? Double standards!!!!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
For Connor, my little fish
My son,
Yesterday, Mummy watched with pride and clapped and cheered when you swam all by yourself the last few feet to the side of the grown-ups' pool. Daddy was right behind you, ready to catch you but he didn't need to and he was just as proud when you reached the side and grinned up at me.
Before you were born, when you were still inside Mummy, I used to spend time relaxing in our pool. I'd watch you kick in my tummy and laugh at the ripples you made in the water. We lived in Jakarta then and had our own pool behind the house. After you were born, we took you into our pool when you were only months old. You spent many happy afternoons splashing around with Daddy in our pool and in the kiddies' pool at the American Club.
When we moved back to Kuala Lumpur, we continued taking you to the pool. We watched you start out at the shallow end of the kids' pool in our condo, then you graduated to the deeper end. Just before you turned three, you started jumping off the platform of the gazebo into the deep end of the kids' pool. You'd always needed us to hold your hand or to catch you before. But now you didn't and we knew that you were a big boy now.
Daddy took you regularly to the grown-ups' pool too and you learnt to not fear that great expanse of water, jumping into Daddy's arms or paddling after him, knowing he would always catch you. Look at you now! Now you want to go the big pool all the time, even when Daddy's not there, because he's taught you not to be afraid.
Two weeks ago, Daddy removed all the floats in your float suit and we watched proudly as you swam all by yourself for the first time. Mummy was SO proud! I can't swim even at my ripe old age but you could and you were only three years old. That night after you'd gone to bed, tired out from the swim, Mummy and Daddy talked about how proud we were that you could swim. We got Nana on MSN to tell her all about it and she too was very proud.
You probably won't be able to remember this event so I'm writing this down for you. You probably won't realise how excited and proud we were so here's our memories for you to make your own for next time.
I guess that's why I'm really keeping this blog. I'm writing down all my memories so that you can make them your own one day. You're too little now to remember all the things you did. But Mummy and Daddy can remember them for you until you're old enough. Then one day, when we're too old and can't remember them anymore... you can tell us stories of the memories that we once had.
Keep swimming, my son. Keep making more memories and I will keep writing them down for you.
Love,
Mummy
Yesterday, Mummy watched with pride and clapped and cheered when you swam all by yourself the last few feet to the side of the grown-ups' pool. Daddy was right behind you, ready to catch you but he didn't need to and he was just as proud when you reached the side and grinned up at me.
Before you were born, when you were still inside Mummy, I used to spend time relaxing in our pool. I'd watch you kick in my tummy and laugh at the ripples you made in the water. We lived in Jakarta then and had our own pool behind the house. After you were born, we took you into our pool when you were only months old. You spent many happy afternoons splashing around with Daddy in our pool and in the kiddies' pool at the American Club.
When we moved back to Kuala Lumpur, we continued taking you to the pool. We watched you start out at the shallow end of the kids' pool in our condo, then you graduated to the deeper end. Just before you turned three, you started jumping off the platform of the gazebo into the deep end of the kids' pool. You'd always needed us to hold your hand or to catch you before. But now you didn't and we knew that you were a big boy now.
Daddy took you regularly to the grown-ups' pool too and you learnt to not fear that great expanse of water, jumping into Daddy's arms or paddling after him, knowing he would always catch you. Look at you now! Now you want to go the big pool all the time, even when Daddy's not there, because he's taught you not to be afraid.
Two weeks ago, Daddy removed all the floats in your float suit and we watched proudly as you swam all by yourself for the first time. Mummy was SO proud! I can't swim even at my ripe old age but you could and you were only three years old. That night after you'd gone to bed, tired out from the swim, Mummy and Daddy talked about how proud we were that you could swim. We got Nana on MSN to tell her all about it and she too was very proud.
You probably won't be able to remember this event so I'm writing this down for you. You probably won't realise how excited and proud we were so here's our memories for you to make your own for next time.
I guess that's why I'm really keeping this blog. I'm writing down all my memories so that you can make them your own one day. You're too little now to remember all the things you did. But Mummy and Daddy can remember them for you until you're old enough. Then one day, when we're too old and can't remember them anymore... you can tell us stories of the memories that we once had.
Keep swimming, my son. Keep making more memories and I will keep writing them down for you.
Love,
Mummy
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Free Kids' Activities in KL: Soccer Time!
Quite frankly, I am hoping my little boy will be sporty like his father and grandfather. Or more accurately, I am hoping my little boy will grow up to earn gazillions of dollars kicking a ball around and he will buy Mummy and Daddy a lovely mansion and a Porsche each. Oh and about ten gazillion Chanel bags too!
For now, we're just attending football playgroups. We go to one in Mont Kiara Damai on Wednesday afternoons, starts at 4:30pm till about 5pm-ish. It's very informal, kids and parents just show up to kick a ball about. It's held in the tennis courts but will move to the badminton courts if the weather's bad. The lady running the group is a proper coach and she does teach some basic skills but it's mainly about having fun, letting the kids have a run around and socialising. My 3yo was too excited to listen to any instructions but I noticed the older kids were responding better and did follow the drills.
If you can't make it on Wednesdays, there's another football group over at The Club, Bukit Utama. That's on Monday and Friday afternoons, starting from 5pm. Both groups are for children aged 3-5.
Both playgroups are free and open to all. Bring your own ball if you can, it doesn't have to be a proper football. A ball of any size will do. Make sure your child wears shoes, once again, it doesn't have to be proper football boots. Bring loads of water, some snacks if you wish and wear comfy clothing and shoes as you may have to run after your little one.
We had fun, Connor enjoyed the run-around but after a while, mistook the condo for his school friend's condo and insisted on "...I want to go W's house." and stopped kicking the ball about. I had fun, met an old friend there with her two boys and made a new one.
See you guys there!
For now, we're just attending football playgroups. We go to one in Mont Kiara Damai on Wednesday afternoons, starts at 4:30pm till about 5pm-ish. It's very informal, kids and parents just show up to kick a ball about. It's held in the tennis courts but will move to the badminton courts if the weather's bad. The lady running the group is a proper coach and she does teach some basic skills but it's mainly about having fun, letting the kids have a run around and socialising. My 3yo was too excited to listen to any instructions but I noticed the older kids were responding better and did follow the drills.
If you can't make it on Wednesdays, there's another football group over at The Club, Bukit Utama. That's on Monday and Friday afternoons, starting from 5pm. Both groups are for children aged 3-5.
Both playgroups are free and open to all. Bring your own ball if you can, it doesn't have to be a proper football. A ball of any size will do. Make sure your child wears shoes, once again, it doesn't have to be proper football boots. Bring loads of water, some snacks if you wish and wear comfy clothing and shoes as you may have to run after your little one.
We had fun, Connor enjoyed the run-around but after a while, mistook the condo for his school friend's condo and insisted on "...I want to go W's house." and stopped kicking the ball about. I had fun, met an old friend there with her two boys and made a new one.
See you guys there!
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