5 is a magical number

Recently I met a client for review. She also had a pair of twins (boys) who are turning 2. The last time I saw her was during her confinement, and now that her boys have started childcare, she can finally come out and do a review. Her first comment when she saw me was " How did I cope?" "How did I even manage to work and be sane?" 

Indeed, those days of my life has long been over, and much as I love my kids, I won't want to go back to that era again. I assured her that things WILL get better, told her to look at me. I didn't die, nor did I kill the girls. So she should be comforted that light is at the end of the tunnel SOON. It will only get easier as time passes. =)

As I was reflecting during one of my quiet moments, I realize that now that the twins are coming to 5, life has been good to me. The girls have been pretty managable, even with the helper gone for 3 months now. We even went to a cruise recently, and I didn't recall feeling overwhelmed or helpless at any stage during the trip. Even when we go on meals outside, we usually bring only a packet of wipes and a bottle of water. Such is the life now. 5 is a magical number. At least to me. 5 is the age when joy was, when we had the twins. And I remember feeling loved by her acts all the time. I do experience such acts now that Grace is at the same age.

I did an update of Joy previously, so I thought I do one for the twins as well. So this shall be it:

Grace - The Sentimental kid

She is the latch kid at birth, refusing to wean off despite both her sisters having weaned off night feeds much earlier. She only relented when she was about 3. I remember the times we had our night battles, when she would wake up at 2am (every night), and cry for milk. She would hug the whole can of formula, crying and begging that I make her a bottle, like mommy pls.. just a bottle today..for the last time PLSSssssss.... and this continues every night.. till I surrendered. She won. But of coz she finally stopped before she turned 4?

Joy was an emo kid when she was 5, but Grace is a sentimental emo kia! After the helper left, she has cried for at least 3 times in the evening requesting for her to come back. This did come as a surprise to me, coz the child that was most attached to the helper was Vera. Grace was mine..lol.. if you know what I mean. No one could come close to me when she's around. On the last night of the cruise, I was briefly telling her that she won't see the friendly teachers she met in the kids club anymore, she teared. She was truly sad. She requested to celebrate her bday (next mth) on the cruise again, just so that she could see the teachers again. Reaching home, she refused to cut her cruise tag, becoz she's sentimental.

At 5, she definitely swims better than any of her sisters and despite the near drowning incident, she definitely loves the water. 

She is the affectionate kid, who will kiss me and her sisters everywhere. Be it the face, the body, the arm pits, and even the feet. That's the extent of her love for us. Her love is HUGE for us. 

Being the middle child, I do feel that she does inherit the middle child characteristics. She will listen to the older sister, and give in to Vera even though she might like to have it as well. But she can be quite "bull" at times, bull-charging when things don't get her way. Unlike vera who is able to read situations, Grace is more innocent and will simply charge when she wants her things. I don't know which is preferred, but at times when you see her throw her tantrums, you wish that she understand and know where is the line that we draw and say No.

Praying to God to guide her in her growing years, that He grant her favour..

Vera - My youngest child

She has been a challenging child since birth. Being colicky and always needing someone to carry her, I remember her battles with Mr choo during her infant days. Now that she's 5, she is still challenging although in different ways. Juz tonight, when we were abt to sleep at 1am, Mr choo went out to take his hp and when he opened the door, our dear darling was sitting at the passage corridor playing with Donald (pet hamster). I have no idea when she woke up and it pains me to see her playing alone with Donald. She shld have woke us up if she has prob sleeping.

Even before 5, she knows clearly how to read people's moods and situations. In circumstances when it's not in her favor, she will not go head on and demand her ways, unlike her two elder sisters who are still childlike and unable to foresee "weather conditions". I'm not seeing that it's not a gd trait, but sometimes the ability to do so and use it in her own favor is worrying.  I do hope that her 小聪明 will not harm her in more ways.

She is stubborn and very much like me. Even when she was younger, I could see her temperament exactly like when I was dating Mr choo.. volatile; unpredictable and he often had to guess what I was thinking abt. This, she mastered before she turned 3. When I prayed for God to have a child like me, I certainly didn't expect a child that is so me! As I often say, if Joy is the child that leads me to have more kids, vera is the full stop to that desire. I feel that with her, I needed to spend even more time to understand her and watch over her, so that she doesn't be led astray.

Unlike her two chek cheks, she is not the conventional box that u can put her or mould her into. She thinks in ways u don't expect and parenting certainly took to a new level that I am still learning.

Despite all the challenges and struggles with Vera, she is still my child and I love her with all my heart ❤ When she is in the right mood, she will open up and talk to u , as much as she wants and she will help her sisters to do all the tasks required. When she is in the right mood, she can be as sweet as cotton candy.

I juz pray that God will grant me the wisdom to lead and guide her, to understand her. I pray that God will watch over her and protect her, that she will continue to grow in His favor.