Living with Sarah

Temper is natural. At this age, I have mellowed down. Really mellowed down. Instead of scolding for every little mistakes that kids make like many other parents, I usually would just take a deep breath and try to talk nicely. Word to note - "try to". So, compared to her cousin Wani, Sarah doesn't get much scolding. Both hubby and I would shower her with as much tender loving care as possible (borrowing Azmi's phase!). That's why when we really do raise our voices, then it must have been something big. But parents can be mistaken. And after what happened yesterday, I am still carrying the guilt. Yesterday morning was a bit chaotic. Sarah took her time eating breakfast that I threatened to switch off the TV many times. And when we were ready to go with the doors all locked and gear on D, she had go to to the toilet. So I had to open back the doors and get her cleaned up. By then it was already 7.50am. We are really late. My patience was growing real thin. And then ...

I've finished my second round of Kafka on the Shore. Found some new things I missed, understood some other things I overlooked. The book is still as amazing, as absorbing and as captivating as before. At the end of the last word of the book, I felt like opening back the first page and read it all over again! My conclusion - Ms Saeki in fact was Kafka's mother. But I still don't get the issue about the father. I think I will never understand that part.

The week after Chinese New Year I went to see Gunesh, the assistant principal of Sarah's school to register her for daycare. It's about time. Sarah is spending her afternoons unproductively - watch TV, fight with her cousin, go to her Pak Ngah's house... And lately she's been showing not so good signs of a rift with her grandmother. Apparently, my mother likes to scold her - asking her to eat, change her uniform, etc and Sarah doesn't like being pushed as such. So, all was set - her small bag with change of clothes, a towel, her milk and bottle... and Sarah was pretty excited. Then I went to tell my mother just the night before the new arrangement was to start. Guess what, my mother cried. I mean really, really cried. She said she will miss Sarah, she's so used of having Sarah around... I felt so sorry and sad. I know she will be sad, but I didn't expect such display of grief. So, we decided to cancel the plan and Sarah was to continue her schedule as usual....