First month in school

It has been almost 1 month since N started formal school. It suddenly dawned on me that N has grown so much in all aspects, physically and emotionally. She is now much more independent. She bathes herself, she packs her own school bag every day, she does her homework including spelling and tin xie on her own accord and she asks for her allowance everyday,of course ( :)).

She enjoys going to school. She loves the bus ride to school and she loves her role as the class monitor and sub group leaders. She loves her freedom for choice of junk snacks during recess, though there is practically no need for it as her snack box is packed with nutritional snacks everyday. I figure I can't have complete control over what she chooses to buy and so, I limit the stalls she can buy from - iced milo, ice cream and mashed potatoes, rather than the coloured sugary drinks, rainbow jelly, mamee etc etc. With the constant reminders, this little angel has somewhat been trained to be a little, just a little selective in her choice of junks. She knows she is not to consume prepackaged commercial sponge cakes, chocolate buns, swiss rolls - God knows how much preservative has gone into it! I must thank God for her self discipline in abstaining from such temptations!

I look forward to receiving her from her school bus every evening. Her cheek would be all rosy and she would have many stories to tell after such a long day.

Cheeky E

We have been generous at showering the kids with gifts while we were on vacation. E has been a significant beneficiary. Thinking that E would be thankful to him, L asked him a question to which he answered humorously.

L “ Who bought all these toys for you?”
E “..hmm….hmm….Mummy bought and Papa paid!!”

Ah…, that was a statement of fact! The hole in his pocket was certainly sizeable. Heehee :)

Pure honesty

I was at a shop, looking at some shoes. A particular design caught my attention and I picked it up for a closer examination. Thereafter, I asked for assistance.

Me " Hi, could you get me a size 6 1/2 please? and how much does it cost?"

Sales assistant " Hi Maam, yes we have your size but I dont know how much it costs.. It is 50% off but I can not count because I just came back from count down. I am so sorry"

Me " Oh I see. It is very honest of you. So, what is the original price then?"

Sales assistant " It is S$850"

Me " Ok, I got it! I can count. Don't worry, Just get me the size. Thank you"

Well, I did buy the shoes, partly to reward him for his honesty I guess. :) My first encounter of such nature!

First trial in cake creaming

My nice little sponge cake - for a first trial in creaming a cake. It wasnt much of a success as I did not have sufficient whipping cream> It turned out patchy. Nonetheless, the kids had great fun with the experiment. All they wanted to do was to fill up the cake with anything and everything. We used some figurines from the last Christmas. The cake was otherwise yum!

I received an "order" from a dear friend to bake 2 cakes for her twins on their birthday. I was all excited about it but as the date draws nearer, I am begining to panic. I have to deliver in order not to disappoint the pair of hopeful twins! (For that matter, I have no backup plans as bakeries are closed during CNY!) So, for the next 2 weeks, I will be very busy with many trials and errors and which means, the kids will have plenty of cakes to eat till they get sick of them! Wish me luck!

Green belt/blue tip

Nic made it to the next level for her taekwondo grading. She will be receiving her award in 2 weeks' time - Green belt blue tip.

I was quite impressed when they were paired up for sparring. My little ballerina could be a tough warrior too! Nic just looked so cute when she was trying to attack/defend. She could really kick high!

Well done, sweetheart! Another of your milestones...

Vacation - Day 7 & Day 8

Vacation – Day 7 & Day 8
We moved again. This time, to Disney Hotel. I packed up again for the 4th time in less than a week. The kids simply adored Disneyland. E had 8 Buzz rides! N and I were so tired of it that we decided to venture out on our own after the 2nd ride leaving L to ride along with E. Haha

On an extremely rare occassion, (truly once in many many blue moons), they were offered some blue cotton candy which stained their teeth. (Yucks! but they loved it :)

We paid good money for breakfast with the Characters, thinking that the kids would love the experience. To our disappointment, they showed no emotion whatsoever towards the big walking creatures. Sigh! Well, at least I enjoyed the food though the kids only had one small pancake each.

I will let the pictures do the talking here.

E refused to leave the hotel and put up strong resistance. We just had to keep telling him that we would return again and that didn’t seem to work until we reminded him of His Buzz who has been waiting for him at home since he left to see the Big Buzz at Disney.

We were hoping that our house would be at least 90% restored by the time we got back but we were in for a disappointment. The cabinets were only partially mounted and the heater was not connected. Thankfully L was on leave till 2011 and he would be supervising the final stages of the renovation.

Vacation - Day 6

On the following day, we took a ferry to Noah’s Ark. No, we took 2 ferries! We had to change at the pier. It was fun on the way there but it wasn’t fun (at least for the adults) on the way back. We each had to piggy back 1 from the tourist attraction back to the ferry terminal. It was no joke. E was almost 18kg while N was 23kg and I was merely 49kg or at best 50kg. Surely, I would take the former! On top of their body weight, we had to shoulder the weight of their winter clothing + souveniers + cameras + water bottles!

Once we got back to the mainland, we took a taxi back instead of another round of ferry. E slept through the journey back to the hotel!

Coincidentally, Uncle Johnny was in town from Australia. We met up and the kids were so fond of him. Uncle Johnny was a big kid playing tea party in the wardrobe with the small kids!

Vacation - Day 5

I was getting very tired packing and unpacking. Upon arrival at the hotel, E observed and remarked “ Mummy, I like this black hotel. I don’t like Ah Ma’s old hotel ” Haha, he was absolutely right. This was a 5 star business hotel and the other was probably a 4. To top it off, we had a business suite at this black hotel, so he called it!

There was a separate TV/guest lounge and a working desk equipped with a cell phone + complex looking office phone set, for conference call purposes. Internet access was projectable onto the TV screen. The bath was constructed with full see-through glass panels and the kids were amazed to see a TV embedded in the mirror!

They were so tired from all the travelling and moving about that they refused to get out of the room. As a result, we had to cancel our reservation for a Christmas dinner at the hotel. After a 2 hour nap, the kids were more or less recharged and were more willing to explore. The streets were closed for Christmas Parade and we would very much like to stay till 12am for the count down but again, the kids were worn out sooner than expected. Thankfully, I still managed to quickly hop over to the LV boutique to grab a bag for my mom as a Christmas gift and we called it a day!

A capable young lady

On the first day of school, Nic's mind was already set, it seemed (without my knowledge). Nic was full of determination. There was something she wanted badly. She claimed she was the best behaved pupil in class when she got home on the first day. Upon further probing, I realised her motivation.

All for one goal - she wanted the teacher to nominate her as the class monitor! Magically, her wish was granted! Not only is she the class monitor now, she is also the sub-group leader for all the individual subjects - English, Chinese, Maths, Social Studies and Music!

On a different occasion, L was having a conversation with her teacher on some other matters and the teacher remarked "By the way, I just want to let you know that Nicole is a very capable young lady. I have nominated her to be my class monitor!"

Wow! That was certainly a good start and am I not proud of my little capable young lady!

Vacation - Day 4

We took a bullet train down south. For 1 ½ hours, I sat completely impressed by the luxury of the train. I assumed that was the standard. Little did I realize I was being put at the business class cabin by dear L. I only noticed the difference in seat arrangement when we alighted from the train and were pulling our luggage along the platform :)

The kids kept themselves occupied throughout the journey with one of the following gadgets : iphone, ipad or blackberry! . It wasn't the intended way of killing time but they were bored after miles and miles of plantation and nothing else.

We met up with Grandma and grandma was so pleased to see her little grandson (and of course, the grand-daughter too). We had a short rest in the hotel and headed for great-grandma’s house thereafter. The kids have never met great-grandma since they were born and we thought it would be good for them to meet her as she is really getting old. She is a nice old lady in her 80s.

Thereafter, we went for a seafood dinner, followed by a visit to the night market which was a novelty to the kids. (They have never been to one!) By 10pm, they were flat out. We turned in early as we had a morning flight to catch on the following day.

Silver Pin

Nic successfully completed her Swimsafer Silver Pin (Stage 5), a new national water safety program. It was not an easy task. Quite a tall order:

1. Demonstrate a dive entry (crouching)
2. Keep face above the water for 60 seconds sculling with hands only
3. in 1.5M water depth, swim through hoops on pool bottom 3 meters apart
4. Swim 200m continously :
50m Front Crawl
50m Breaststroke
50m Backstroke
50m Survival Backstroke or Sidestroke
Efficient stroke techniques must be used
5. Dressed in swimwear, long pants and long sleeved shirt, perform the following as a continous sequence: -
Enter deep water using an appropriate entry method
Submerge feet first, swim underwater for 3 meters
Resurface scull, float or tread water for 3 minutes waiving for help intermittently
Clothings may be removed
Correctly fit a PFD while treading water and then swim 25m and climb out of the water

6. Using a buoyant aid, accompanied rescue of a person 15m from safety
7. Recognising an emergency

She is now looking forward to receiving her certificate as well as a Badge and a Silver Pin, adding to her collection of awards. Good job sweetheart!

Vacation - Day 1 to Day 3

We woke very early but the kids didn’t complain as they knew they were going for a holiday. The plane ride was smooth and in no time, we arrived at our destination. I commented that the airport looked very dated and L added “ Ya, it was built when I was a little kid” Wow! How historic!

Then we took a limo to the hotel and there was generous room space. We had 1 king bed and 1 queen bed, just good for the 4 of us. The hotel was centrally located and we could move about very conveniently. We met up with many friends and had many yummy meals.

E had the biggest harvest of all. He got his Woody, 2 transformers, many other small

gadgets and a pair of Spiderman shoes! Meanwhile, Nic did a piece of craft at the mall for S$35! Just a tiny weenie ceramic photo frame! She also got herself a nice pair of pink Dora shoes on top of many other small gifts, ranging from note books, stationeries and wallets. As for the credit card holders, we only got ourselves some books. To be precise, I got myself 4 cook books! All about bread, cakes and cookies! They were all in Chinese and I figure I would need some help to translate some ingredient names. Other than that, the books are good to use!

The first 3 days were literally spent on shopping and eating as the kids didnt want to go anywhere more adventurous.

Chess Championship 2010

Nic participated in the 11th New Generations Chess Championship 2010 after 6 months into Chess. My motivation for registering her was solely for her to have the opportunities to play with more players of her age group. As it is now, she only plays once a week with the same few players.

It was a full day event, 9am to 6pm. There were 7 rounds altogether. She really enjoyed the games but poor me and another mummy, Amy were rotting away. We tried to kill time by chatting and chatting till we ran out of topics. Then I surfed the net and I introduced some foodie blogs to Amy so that she could attempt to bake too.

At the end of 7 rounds, everyone was waiting anxiously, wondering if they would win a prize. Nic was very hopeful and she really wanted to bring the biggest trophy home. Deep down, I knew it was just a wish as the biggest trophy was reserved for the older age group. I didn’t pin any hope for her to win any of the top 3 prizes as her opponents were strong. Many came with personal trainers and they appeared very seasoned while Nic was just a freshie going in for some fun!

I only realized that many were serious players after speaking to a few parents. Their kids attend one to one lessons and many others have private instructors and they play everyday to improve on tactics and strategies even at such a tender age. ( 5 to 6 age group).

I was just clapping along when everyone lined up to receive their merit trophies. I told Nic to go along as I thought she would just receive a merit trophy for her participation. But, wait a minute, I didn’t hear her name in the merit list and I went forward to enquire. Before I could ask further, I heard Nic’s name being announced! She came in 3rd place! I was like Wow!..My little girl won a prize despite being an inexperienced freshie! A reasonably big trophy with a nice ribbon! Nic was overjoyed and was beaming with a megawatt smile too!

We went home with a contented and thankful heart! Immediately upon arrival at home, Nic called her grandma to broadcast the wonderful news and everyone back home was very pleased with the news indeed!

My Little Miss Vainpot

While we were holidaying in HK, Nicole spotted some different types of shoes which are not commonly available in Singapore - BOOTs. She didn't ask for them initially as she found them bulky and unfeminine. She went on to try on other casual shoes and she got herself a pair of pink Dora shoes. She was very pleased with her own selection and taste. She wore them on the spot, neglecting her old shoes which we had to carry back to the hotel.

We walked a lot and given that the shoes she picked were not well fitting, she started to complain of blisters. Still she wanted to wear them, purely out of vanity. Then, as we came across more boots, she finally asked for them. I did not accede to her request as those available were winter boots and they are not suitable for tropical weather and we left it as such.

She did not forget about the boots even after we returned home. On and off, she would remind me of that particular red pair of boots. Seeing that she is so much into it, I surfed the net and found a website which stocks a good selection of boots, amongst other cute girls' shoes. Startriteshoes emphasizes on good fitting shoes and they are definitely a good choice for young children.

If you are looking for a pair of good fitting shoes for your kids, give Startriteshoes a try!

First 2 days in School

Nic was dressed in her new uniform, new white shoes and she looked so pretty with 2 pony tails neatly tied up. She was all ready for school. I accompanied her on the first day and based on my observation, she was settling down rather quickly. I decided I did not need to go on the second day.

I was early enough to receive her when she returned from school on the second day. She was all beaming with excitement. I asked about her day and she went on and on about what she ate and bought (oh well, all within my expectation given the new freedom). She spent all her money getting an ice cream! She said it went well with the chocolate chiffon cake I baked for her.

Suddenly, she turned a little panicky. She explained that she intentionally kept her honey cupcakes for later consumption but when she tried to find her lunch box, it was not there anymore! Ah, my conclusion : my careless little girl had obviously left her lunch box in the canteen and I did not expect to see it ever again as the box was unlabeled. First lesson learnt :- label everything and anything except the little owner! For that matter, the little owner has also been labelled. Her name is sewn onto her uniform!

When we were getting ready for bed, the last thing she reminded me of " Mummy, where is my pocket money? I think I need more. I want to buy the cheesel rings. Look at my wallet, this part is empty. Can you also put a credit card in for me too?"

I looked at her with a smile " Sweetheart. this is precisely the point. Your pocket money is meant for you to get some decent food not junk. For that matter, your lunch box will be packed for you everyday. You can choose anything from the recipe book and it will be baked/cooked for you. I will consider increasing your pocket money at a later stage but for sure, there will not be a credit card in your wallet"

*** credit card for a 6.5 year old?****

Family gathering - Part III

I took leave on a Monday with the intention of taking all at home to Universal Studio but only to find out that the tickets were fully sold. I had a number of scheduled meetings on Tuesday and hence I wasn't able to extend my leave. As a result, the visitors had to go on their own and of course, Nicole tagged along. N was the happiest of all! She got to eat all the forbidden food, without me around :(

I prayed for a cloudy day so that they would enjoy the day more and indeed, the weather was accommodating. It was windy and cool relatively. As I wasn't there, I will just let the photos speak for themselves!

A memorable day

Today is indeed a day of historical significance for me. I finally drove to work! I drove and I reverse parked all on my own. I did take a few extra twists and turns but I got in, well within the box.

Out of courtesy, I texted the car owner parking next to me : Hey! I parked next to you but my car is senget! You may have problems getting in”

He responded “ Oh! You did it! Well done. Don’t worry. I can crawl in from the other door since I am at the corner lot”

What a nice colleague!

Happy Meal - Part II

On the first night, we went for seafood. We over ordered! We had 9 dishes including dessert!We had so much leftover and Rose was happy to pack the roast chicken out for her Sunday picnic at Botanical gardens the following day! We were happy with the food overall :) and of course, we would have been happier if there was a credit card promotion of somesort. We chalked up S$500 for that meal!

(Pictures uploaded in the earlier post)