I have read about kids/toddlers who don't want to put on a winter hat, or a winter coat. We don't have those problems in Singapore. We have the opposite. Samara is obsessed with long sleeves and at one point she was obsessed with her Izzy pants, which are proper pants. Sam needs to wear a t shirt or tank top and shorts every day. Or a skirt or dress. You cannot wear long sleeves in Singapore and be comfortable. I know I'm somewhat projecting, because Malay people do it everyday, but I absolutely cannot wear long sleeves in Singapore and be comfortable, therefore neither can my daughter.
We have a few long sleeved shirts for trips and airplanes - the last one being New Zealand, the next one being Michigan. Otherwise, we never need them. We (Matt and I) need them if we go to see a movie...but otherwise, long sleeved shirts are right there with (non-workout) socks and panty hose. They never see the light of day. Never. There are not cool nights here. There are never days where there is a chill in the air. NEVER.
Samara got some hand-me-down long sleeves from the Greens, and she became obsessed with them. Whenever she saw them in her drawer, she had to wear them and she would have a fit if I didn't let her wear them to school (I didn't, ever - it's too hot to even walk across the street in long sleeves!). So I hid them. I actually put all winter-ish clothes away so she couldn't see them. But I left two thin long sleeved shirts in the rare (read: never have we needed them) case that we go somewhere with super air conditioning. They were in her drawer.
Meanwhile...in our bedroom, there is a pregnant woman who is hot all the time anyway and a man whose body seemed to permanently change while in the Peace Corps in W Africa and he's always cold. We had slept with the air con on 28 until the pregnancy progressed...and I was just too hot. So now it's on 26, and Matt sleeps with two blankets, sometimes a pair of socks and a long sleeved shirt. I sleep with no blankets and most of the time no sheet.
This week, Samara was super sick. For the first time in her life (almost), she did not sleep through the night and needed a bit of TLC (she could barely breathe and had fevers, so my normal: suck it up, get yourself back to sleep, we are NEVER coming in your room...that didn't work). I still can't carry her out of her bed (risky pregnancy...), so Matt had to come get her out at 3am, and as I was changing her diaper to then come into our bed to rest or watch Elmo or whatever, she said she wanted to wear long sleeves.
Me: Samara, we are in Singapore. We don't wear long sleeves here. No one wears long sleeves. It's really hot. You have so many wonderful, cozy t shirts. Why don't you choose one of those?
Samara: I want long sleeves.
Me: Sam, that's not an option. We don't wear long sleeves in Singapore.
Samara: Daddy is wearing long sleeves right now.
Busted. So she put on the cardigan. And she did the button. (This photo was from later that morning)
That was right up there with another story from this week. I was trying to get her to go back to sleep a few hours earlier, rather than take her out of her bed, and I said, "Sam, everyone is sleeping. It's time for sleep. Amalia is sleeping. Owen is sleeping. Daddy is sleeping. Tita Alma is sleeping. Everyone is sleeping." Then comes a MEOW...and then, "Not everyone is sleeping. Kitty isn't sleeping."
I remember quite recently - just a few months back - when parenting was still fun. She would do what we asked (other than eat). She didn't question our judgement...Man this age is amazingly annoying. Though I have to say that I love taking her outside with her scooter, because that means that she has a helmet on, so she can have all of the fits that she wants, but she can't get too hurt! Recent reasons for fits:
All very legitimate reasons to throw yourself on the floor like the world is ending. If you're two and a half.
While this week has been really tough, since Sam hasn't been to school since last THURSDAY, and she has been really pretty sick, it's also been a very special time for us. We have had more cuddles than probably her last year all together. My very strong No Kid in Bed policy and my Baby Never Sleeps in My Arms policy have been put on hold, as I happen to be around and she was really so miserable. For her first time, she took full naps in my arms (and cuddling with the baby - the baby was kicking her a lot, but she didn't seem to notice, see photo), like for 3 hours nearly each day, and it was actually super nice. We will never have this time again, just me and her. There will always be someone else around, or I will have work or something else to do. Our Sleep Abandonment Program is back in full effect today, as she's feeling a lot better.
Yes, this time continues to be hard and weird - like we're just waiting. Waiting for baby, waiting for the haze/smoke to clear, waiting for Sam to feel better, back to waiting for baby...but I'm trying to appreciate the slowness of life, as I can't imagine it will ever be like this again. No work responsibilities. Nearly no plans during the week and on weekends. No obligations anywhere. And while I'm still responsible for making sure our house is functioning (setting the menu, shopping list, making sure it's all happening), Alma is doing most of the work, so it's all just very very chill.
We have a few long sleeved shirts for trips and airplanes - the last one being New Zealand, the next one being Michigan. Otherwise, we never need them. We (Matt and I) need them if we go to see a movie...but otherwise, long sleeved shirts are right there with (non-workout) socks and panty hose. They never see the light of day. Never. There are not cool nights here. There are never days where there is a chill in the air. NEVER.
Samara got some hand-me-down long sleeves from the Greens, and she became obsessed with them. Whenever she saw them in her drawer, she had to wear them and she would have a fit if I didn't let her wear them to school (I didn't, ever - it's too hot to even walk across the street in long sleeves!). So I hid them. I actually put all winter-ish clothes away so she couldn't see them. But I left two thin long sleeved shirts in the rare (read: never have we needed them) case that we go somewhere with super air conditioning. They were in her drawer.
Meanwhile...in our bedroom, there is a pregnant woman who is hot all the time anyway and a man whose body seemed to permanently change while in the Peace Corps in W Africa and he's always cold. We had slept with the air con on 28 until the pregnancy progressed...and I was just too hot. So now it's on 26, and Matt sleeps with two blankets, sometimes a pair of socks and a long sleeved shirt. I sleep with no blankets and most of the time no sheet.
This week, Samara was super sick. For the first time in her life (almost), she did not sleep through the night and needed a bit of TLC (she could barely breathe and had fevers, so my normal: suck it up, get yourself back to sleep, we are NEVER coming in your room...that didn't work). I still can't carry her out of her bed (risky pregnancy...), so Matt had to come get her out at 3am, and as I was changing her diaper to then come into our bed to rest or watch Elmo or whatever, she said she wanted to wear long sleeves.
Me: Samara, we are in Singapore. We don't wear long sleeves here. No one wears long sleeves. It's really hot. You have so many wonderful, cozy t shirts. Why don't you choose one of those?
Samara: I want long sleeves.
Me: Sam, that's not an option. We don't wear long sleeves in Singapore.
Samara: Daddy is wearing long sleeves right now.
Busted. So she put on the cardigan. And she did the button. (This photo was from later that morning)
I remember quite recently - just a few months back - when parenting was still fun. She would do what we asked (other than eat). She didn't question our judgement...Man this age is amazingly annoying. Though I have to say that I love taking her outside with her scooter, because that means that she has a helmet on, so she can have all of the fits that she wants, but she can't get too hurt! Recent reasons for fits:
- Wanting to wear something that is dirty
- Wanting to eat more challah, but we have no more
- Not wanting to read a book, hear a story or sing a song. Or do anything else
- Waffle was not crunchy enough
- Wanting to bring an umbrella to school (it wasn't raining)
- Wanting to wear her party sandals
All very legitimate reasons to throw yourself on the floor like the world is ending. If you're two and a half.
While this week has been really tough, since Sam hasn't been to school since last THURSDAY, and she has been really pretty sick, it's also been a very special time for us. We have had more cuddles than probably her last year all together. My very strong No Kid in Bed policy and my Baby Never Sleeps in My Arms policy have been put on hold, as I happen to be around and she was really so miserable. For her first time, she took full naps in my arms (and cuddling with the baby - the baby was kicking her a lot, but she didn't seem to notice, see photo), like for 3 hours nearly each day, and it was actually super nice. We will never have this time again, just me and her. There will always be someone else around, or I will have work or something else to do. Our Sleep Abandonment Program is back in full effect today, as she's feeling a lot better.Yes, this time continues to be hard and weird - like we're just waiting. Waiting for baby, waiting for the haze/smoke to clear, waiting for Sam to feel better, back to waiting for baby...but I'm trying to appreciate the slowness of life, as I can't imagine it will ever be like this again. No work responsibilities. Nearly no plans during the week and on weekends. No obligations anywhere. And while I'm still responsible for making sure our house is functioning (setting the menu, shopping list, making sure it's all happening), Alma is doing most of the work, so it's all just very very chill.
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