It was the first time in a long long while that I’ve had a day off. Which turned out to be a half working day anyway since I couldn’t resist responding to my emails and phonecalls. But still, I managed to pick up Saitaoha from school, spent time in the shopping mall with Saitaomei and R where I indulged my baby with a car ride, hung out with my parents, baked a cake for everyone and cooked dinner for my family.
Simple delights that I don’t think I ever took for granted but appreciate even more nowadays.
I travelled to Kimberley and Pilbara for work for the past two weekends. It was difficult being away from the kids but yet I was very comforted because I knew they would be in the best care with their grandparents and father. In fact, none of the kids wanted to go home with me and Saitaoha declared that she wanted to stay with her mah mah forever!
I told my good friend that I am so humbled and feel so lucky that my kids, unlike me, are so affectionate and never fail to express their love for us. It is because they are brought up in this warm cocoon of family and tender loving care, they are spoilt rotten by their yee yees, their grandparents and have so much fun with their cousins.
I’ve always been spoilt by my parents growing up, they have always tended to my wants and needs, and this generosity, love and warmth of theirs carried over to my children. My kids are having the best childhood.
I’m so glad my parents decided to stay in Australia and permanently reside here. It is really the greatest thing to be able to pop over and pass them a piping hot meal. Or for me to sit in my mum’s bed and gossip with her. Or watching the kids run around the backyard picking up flowers for their Mah Mah.
Saitaomei loves my parents’ house and never wants to leave at the end of the day when we pick her up. I spent the day at my parents’ and can completely understand how she feels. My parents’ house is their second home, it’s my second home, and what a safe, secure, warm and cozy home it is. I wouldn’t want to leave home too.
Today my long suffering parents managed to sneak out for a Costco run without the kids because I was there to take care of them. When Saitaomei discovered that they were not at home (she wandered around the rooms calling out Gung Gung!! Mah Mah! Where are you ?!) , she started whimpering and said to me ‘I want to go Gung Gung Mah Mah house!’ That sentence btw, is usually the first sentence she utters when she wakes up in the morning!
‘But you are at Gung Gung Mah Mah’s house!’ I said. ‘No! I want to go Gung Gung Mah Mah house!’ she insisted. I then realised, Gung Gung Mah Mah’s house without Gung Gung Mah Mah isn’t the home that Saitaomei loves. I guess family is really what makes a house a home.
daitaoha 