DAVID TONG is the lead joker of the family – always was, and always will be.

Although he is now retired from regular work, he is by no means tired of joking around.

For over four decades, David’s wife, Cherry, has been waiting patiently for him to grow up. But it now seems an impossible dream - there’s still a little boy inside this senior citizen. Cherry has finally resigned herself to the fact that David will always remain a seriously playful little boy at heart.

David and Cherry have two grown-up daughters - Judith who still cackles at her dad’s jokes, and older daughter Cheryl who has now joined hands with her dad to provide the world with more laughs through He Who Laughs, Lasts!

In his free time, David enjoys lounging around topless in his batik sarung. If you’d like to connect with “Uncle Tong,” just e-mail laughwithme [at] uncletong [dot] com. He might just answer some of his fan mail if he’s not too busy scratching around and adjusting his sarung now and again …

CHERYL TONG is a mom of three active boys. She spends much of her time scratching her head, trying to figure out how to keep up with the energy of her sons. When she’s not busy running after TheBoyz, she’s busy running away from their pet spiders.

As a first-time parent some years back, Cheryl started penning down, from a humourous perspective, her thoughts as an inexperienced parent in what was to be a book entitled Help! I’m a Mom! With the birth of her third son, however, she suddenly found herself with three boys around her knees - ages four and under. Swamped with the challenges that came with raising three boys so close in age, she realised to her horror that her would-be book might only be completed in her old age - by which time, it might be more appropriately renamed Help! I’m a Nenek! (grandmother).

In the years B.C. (Before Children), Cheryl had many other pursuits. But in this current season of life, her pursuits revolve around her children’s many interests. With each child wired so differently, their aspirations inevitably span a diverse range of interests. Fortunately, the flexibility in their home education schedule over the years has opened up wonderful opportunities for TheBoyz to gain real life, hands-on experience in their various areas of interests: In addition to involvement in many other matters, Russell Daniel (age 13 at the time of writing) is a child-author illustrator of a children’s book, and has spoken at major bookstores such as Borders, MPH and Popular Bookstores; Justin Michael (12) plays several instruments including cello, and performs with various string orchestras and ensembles in Auckland; Martyn Gabriel (9), who has been acting since he was three, is now on board one of the top acting agencies in the country. TheBoyz, being boys, also engage in active sports - namely basketball, swimming and biking - while their mom struggles breathlessly at her exercise class.

Over the years, Cheryl has spoken in Malaysia and New Zealand on topics such as How to Develop a Child’s Potential, Bringing Up Boys and Time Management Tips For Busy Moms. Cheryl continues to be available for speaking engagements. For more info, just shoot an e-mail to catchme [at] helpimamom [dot] com.