My Morning Routine With Alycia

Though I hate the lack of sleep and having to force myself out from bed by 5:45am everyday, I nevertheless enjoy spending the 10-15 minutes one-to-one time with Alycia while we wait for the transporter to pick her up. During the short 10-15 minutes wait, we have 'real conversation'. I say 'real' coz I am actually listening and talking to her. When all 3 monkeys are at home and I am working on the computer, I sort of half-listen to them when they talk and ask me questions. I know it's bad but I just can't help it coz there are just way too many issues on my mind - work, kids, personal, household matters and all that jazz. I tell yer, it's a bag load of stress being a WFHM (work from home mum) with 2 young kids and an under 2 toddler who is as active as a monkey!

During the 10-15 minutes quiet time in the morning, I talk to Alycia about everything - reminding her not to follow strangers home, reminding her not to buy junk food in school, reminding her to memorize her weekly spelling / Ejaan / Ting Xie, among others. Lately, I have been reading the newspapers to her every morning. Our condo Management provides free issues of the Malay Mail and The Sun everyday. For the past one week, I will guide her to read the newspapers and explain meaning of new words to her. Her reading is improving and there is still lots of room for improvement. I think the 5-10 minutes of newspapers reading every morning will definitely help her improve her vocab and reading prowess.

After Alycia gets into the transporter's car, I will then go for my half hour run or swim or work out in the gym. When I'm back home at 7:30am, the real back-breaking, mental and physical tormenting job of a SAHM cum WFHM begins. I don't get to rest until midnight. Sigh.... it's really really tiring and I hope that I'll get to reap the fruits and enjoy them really really soon!