My "free" time - please don't take them away from me

The one thing that I find so irritating being a SAHM is that everyone assumes you don't work and will have plenty of time to run errands or do things for them. OK, most times I do help out when I can since I am the only "free" person around it seems, and that I can handle lugging my 3 boys around wherever I go. But sometimes, I can be a little too much for me to handle too.

It's true that since we moved back to my in laws place, I hardly have to do housework and this year with my boys all in morning sessions, I do have "free" time in the morning where I am free to do things. Well, since everyone knows I have these "free" time slots, I've been tasked to run errands, do this and that for them. I became the backup for everything...from housework to babysitting to returning library books to doing shopping to "checking things out" to chauffeuring etc, anything that you can think of that I can handle. I don't mind doing for my family but sometimes when they put it such that they are not asking me for a favour but throwing it to my face and telling me to do it, that gets on my nerves. Who are they to assume I have all the time in the world to serve them? The best thing is, they don't even bother to ask if I have the transport to do it...they just assume I can fly from point to point on my own.

How do I put it across to them that I am not their cheap labour but am doing a nice favour by helping them out but do not take me for granted. There are special persons that I will do anything for them, but the one asking may not be the special ones. I do need time to do my own stuff and even if I waste my time reading or blogging, it's simply my own time and free will to do. After nearly 9 years, I've finally found some peace and quiet time to call my own and spend it lavishingly in my own way and suddenly I find myself being more overwhelmed than before and spending time away from my own things and fulfilling others. So, please please do not take my precious time away nor take me for granted. If I have to harden my heart to say NO, I'll do it. I need my ME time, gym time, reading time, organizing time etc. I don't have to agree to everything I am "tasked" to do if it's not my concern.

Latest addition to the family

And I don't mean a physical being in the likes of baby LOL I finally succumbed to getting the Ipad for the kids :P I had been procrastinating for a while about getting the Ipad even when many around us are getting them for the kids to play. Our main purpose to getting one was for the kids to learn stuff on it. At first I thought of an ebook reader, which they cannot use it for surfing the web or playing games, but only for reading ebooks. But the price for an ebook reader that is chinese language enabled could not justify for the high cost. Throw in a little more, we could get the Ipad with more functionalities. Over the weekend, there was a CNY promotion for Ipad in the apple stores. Sis was keen to get one and thus tempted me to get it at the discounted price, which is rare for apple products. I finally relented and got one, and setting it up at this very moment! The kids are excited, but not hubby, as he specifically instructed that the Ipad will be use on educational stuff and not playing games. Now I have to be the strict invigilator, making sure the kids use it appropriately. Having said that, I think I can see that hubby is equally excited about the Ipad :P

I am enjoying my mornings!

2 weeks into the new year and I am beginning to enjoy my quiet mornings. Although I have to start my day early at 6am but it means to me that I can accomplish a lot more things and not feeling that time has slipped away unknowingly through my hands.

On a typical morning after I send the kids to school, I'll head and work out at the gym for a good 45 mins or so before going home for shower and my morning tea break. I call it my morning tea break because I'll already have my light breakfast at 6.30am together with Hao so that I can have the energy to last through my gym session. Not a bad start as I'll be finished with shower and breakfast by latest 10am, and still has 2 hours before fetching the kids. This 2 hours can be spent babysitting Princess Ashlynne, running errands, surfing the net etc, which is anything I can want to do (when mum doesn't reaquire me to be around to babysit :P). It's such a wonderful feeling to be thinking about how I want to spend my time instead of having to chase around 3 boys at home. Of course, there are mornings reserved for breakfast with hubby when I decide to take a break from my gym routine or when he's working from home and not travelling.

I have almost forgotten how it feels to have such ME time, which is precious now as the frenzy schedule will start again next year when Ee will be in the afternoon P1 session while Hao and Min in the morning session. Till then, I'll just make use of the time now and enjoy a little bit on my own :P

We survived first week of school!

We survived first week of school! Ok, strictly speaking it's 3 days of school for Ee and Min since Tuesday was their 45mins orientation and no lessons, and it's 4 days of school for Hao since Monday is a school holiday.

Hao is tuning his body clock to wake up at 6.10am everyday, which is a rather difficult task for him. He did well in the first 2 mornings, but by the 3rd day, both of us nearly overslept :P I set my alarm clock to wake me at 6am and snooze a minute later just in case I fell asleep again. Usually, I would be up by the snooze, but on Thursday, I was woken up by his alarm clock instead, which was set for 6.10am. Couldn't believe that I fell back asleep after my snooze went off LOL. I had to drag him out of bed as he was still in a sleepy state and wasn't too happy when breakfast was presented to him..I can say he'll fall asleep in his breakfast if not for the fact that my MIL had turned on the TV (which she does everyday in the morning from 5am onwards). Friday was a little better (I didn't overslept) but he was still sleepyheaded and on Friday night, he went to sleep at 9pm and was flat out the moment his head hit the pillow. This morning he woke up at 9am and told me it was a FANTASTIC night for him and he finally caught up with his loss sleep.

Ee had no problems with school since it's the same old routine for him, except new teachers and classmates. He's acting like a big brother to Min, who is attending the same school in the Nursery level. He kept assuring Min that he's just in the classroom few steps away from him and will call out to him when he sees Min during tea breaks. He felt a little taller when he's given responsibilities :)

Min changed school this year and started the Nursery level in Ee's school. Luckily for him, many teachers recognised him as the younger brother of Hao and Ee, and were very friendly to him. First day of school, he cried when I let him into the classroom, but he coped well throughout the day. Second morning when I dropped him off in class, his teacher commented that he was very helpful in class and is very mature for his age. Min blushed and let go of my hand willingly before stepping into class. I was so glad that he's adapting well in school and is already enjoying himself there very much.

Even though it's only the start of the year, I am sure very soon, the year will be ending and Ee will be transiting to Primary One next year. Next year will be a more challenging year with Ee's school work and different school timings. I bet I'll be busy ferrying the kids to and fro school, plus with their school work. Hope I'll be able to prepare Ee better for Primary One compared to Hao, who had a tough time catching up with his P1 work the last time. Meanwhile, let's just see how they progress through year 2011.

Year 2011!

Year 2011 is finally here. With this new year, Hao will be starting Primary 3, while Ee will be attending K2 and Min in Nursery. Mornings for us will never be the same again, as I'll be waking up everyday at 6am to get Hao ready for his school bus at 6.45am. After that, I'll need to help Ee and Min get ready for school, which starts at 8am. Everything will be a rush in the early mornings, but thank god I'll have more free time in the mornings now that all 3 boys are in the morning session. That would means more time for me to hit the gym, run errands and enjoy breakfast with hubby. On the same note, our evenings will end earlier since the kids need to be in bed latest by 9pm in order to wake up early the next day.

Year 2010 wasn't a really good year for us, and I really hope year 2011 will be better than last year. Usually I'll make some new year resolutions and targets but for this year, I'll just take small steps at each time and hope we'll ride through 2011 better. No expectations, no targets, just go with the flow.