Breaking Out Of The Clouds

Today I drove the boys to school as Gadget-daddy had taken a train to work much earlier.
MiL tagged along. She is always worried that one adult, me, is not able to handle two noisy boys in the car.

Along the way, Max was whining that it's not a school day and that we are not going to school.

I was trying to reason with him, telling him it's the last day of the week.

MiL said in Cantonese to stop talking about school and making him cry.
Then she started distracting the boys with what's out of the window.

It sure works in stopping him from whining and crying, but I am always wary if such tactics would have some other negative effects later on in life, i.e. in their coping with stress, etc.

Anyway, when we arrived at the school, grandma stayed close by the car while Ee-Ee and I walked him half way up the stairs and gave him a hug good-bye. We promised him red-bean bread and prawn crackers after school. He complained as he walked in to school, but no real tears. We were all relieved and impressed!!


Grandma and I went over to Ah MA's to help her in her last session of making love letters.

By the time I had to leave to pick the boys up, we were 3/4 way through the batter, so grandma stayed to help in my place while I went to pick the boys up.

Ee-ee helped to get the bread from a bakery a few doors from the bookshop she works in. She then picked the boys up and led them to my car which was double parked in the very busy street.

When I caught sight of them, I stepped out of the car. Both the boys raced to me and gave me a hug.
Max's greetings were, "MOMMY!! I didn't cry today, you know."

Then both the boys showed me the handcraft they made - a lantern for Chinese New Year decoration.

Both boys were happily starpped in, Micah with the sausage from a sausage roll and Max with with a prawncracker.

We made our way to Ah MA's house in no time and with no drama of any sort. All 3 happy people in the car.

I hope for Max, school will be as good as today from now on.