Many friends and family have asked about our well being after they heard the news about the freak hail storm we had on Monday.We really appreciate all your care and concerns. I want to share that we are very very thankful to God for keeping everyone at home safe. Our cars and home were spared from damage too. We even had power throughout the whole storm ordeal. We are truly blessed. We did not realise the extent of the damage the storm has caused until we heard the news on radio the next day.
Apparently, the roads on that Monday evening was very very chaotic. Police cars, ambulances and fire-engines took up many lanes on the roads and freeways (I am sure the boys would be very excited if they witnessed that! :)). I was told that the visibility on the road was very bad on the freeway with the heavy rain. At one stage, hail stones of the size of golf balls were falling from the sky. This has caused widespread damage to thousands of homes and cars. Many homes were left without power. I was home with the boys when the storm started. I knew a storm was coming, but I did not know how bad it was. Robin was still at work then. Within minutes, the boys and I heard very loud banging on our roof and windows. The boys thought someone was firing at our home!! We saw lightning, heard thunder and then we saw hail stones hitting our lawn and one of the boys said “mum, is it snowing?” 🙂 I was worried about R, but he returned home safe and sound. Thank God.
Then we heard a knock in our door. It was our neighbour’s daughter. They needed help. The entrance to their home was flooded. Water was beginning to get into their home. R immediately took the shovel and joined them in the rain, digging away. They were digging a trench in the hope that the water would flow through there, thereby easing the flood. Our front car porch and entrance was beginning to flood at one stage too. I was called in to help. R and I madly tried to “sweep” the water to the main road. After about half an hour, the water began to recede. The rain had eased by then. The boys were in the house watching us the whole time. They were well-behaved although a little worried.
After thought: I am just so very thankful that I did not have to work on Monday. If I did, I would be caught in the traffic on the freeway and in horrible rain, on my way home with a little boy at the back of the car. I just can’t imagine what it would be like to be in that situation. Thank God.
Besides the storm, I have been extremely busy at work these few weeks. I have 3 presentations to prepare and deliver by next week. I have been working at home all weekend and every night when the boys are in bed. Writing a post here is just my distraction! I needed one. 🙂
As for the boys, my first born son asked me yesterday if I knew what “o-p-i-v-a-rous”mean. That’s so not a word, I thought. He did not pronounce the word correctly, I was sure. After asking him to repeat a few times, I realized that he was trying to say “oviparous”. I did not respond to him immediately as I was trying to be sure if the word meant “egg-laying animals”. Upon sensing my silence (for just 2 seconds!), the boy was happy to announce to me that “so mum, you don’t know what oviparous mean? “It is a word for animals that lay eggs”, he said to me. Geezz….was he happy to be “smarter” than me! Well, truth is, I am sure he will be learning many more things that I do not know. I have to admit it when the time comes.
Mr A has been having a cough and cold for the past week. He is not that sick anymore since he is now eating and playing like before. He is also due for his 3-yr-old immunisation which he has been protesting to go. I think the father should bring him to the clinic once the runny nose clears up.  I know Mr A will scream at the sight of the needle and will struggle, and so I am leaving the task to the father … 🙂
Calvin has been a good eater thus far. I am really thankful for that. Mr A is also a good eater, but he likes to play with his toys or talk when eating his dinner. As a result, he is always slow to finish his food. Whenever he sees Calvin finish his dinner and ready to play, A will also announce that he has finished when his bowl is still half full of food! It has been hard to sit him down to finish his dinner until I came up with this:
Calvin feeding Athan.
Yup, I asked Calvin to feed Athan! Calvin was happy to help. In fact, he was instructing Athan to open his mouth etc while feeding him. He sounded just like me! Anyway, I thought this is a good way for Calvin, as a big brother to help his little brother. 🙂