The Tired Mommy's Diary

SKMCC Concert Write-up

2012-01-16T15:45:00.003+08:00

From end of Term 3, 2011 onwards, the children in SKMCC have be practising hard for their year end concert. Just about a month before the concert, I asked Phoebe to write about her concert and this was what she has written. She also drew a picture to accompany her writing. Of course, I did scaffolding with her in the content, sequence of events and also the grammatical and spelling aspect. I was proud that she had ideas of her own and was able to complete this piece of writing with some help from me. I'm proud of her, as always! :)

Phoebe's Graduation Concert

2012-01-15T00:55:00.008+08:00

I realised that I have not blogged about Phoebe's Graduation Concert in SKMCC in November 2011. It was a splendid concert and being the last year in SKMCC, Gong-gong and Mama also came to watch their precious granddaughter Phoebe graduate.

This concert was special for Phoebe because she in the graduating class and she was also chosen by her teacher to be the emcee for the show. Seeing her standing on the stage, facing 300+ parents /grandparents, reciting her emcee script, I felt extremely proud of her. However nervous she was, she managed to complete what she needed to say. I pray that in future, whatever challenges she may meet, she will be courageous to face it, commit it to God and complete the task that she has to do - to Trust God and simply Obey in Him, and that's the theme for SKMCC's 9th graduation concert.

I'm very thankful to SKMCC for nurturing my girl into someone with values, not just head knowledge of information but someone with developing EQ. I can never thank enough of the dedicated teachers and SKMCC. They should be paid with equivalence as the Primary and Secondary school teachers! The amount of hours they have put in just for the props and decoration is commendable! Every prop was made with love and precision! I praise God for these wonderful extraordinary teachers! :)

After being in SKMCC for 9 years since the school had started, Mrs Tan, the principal has decided to leave the school. God has other plans for her but still, I was saddened by the news. Though Phoebe had graduated from SKMCC, Reuben was to enter in 2012. I was afraid that the school would be affected with the change of principal. However, what He has taken away, He would replace another one with the same (if not, better) dedication. We just have to trust in Him.

Since Reuben had started school, I have witness Miss Sim's gentleness with the children. I pray that God will continue to anoint the new principal and teachers of SKMCC.

Our beloved teachers, Mrs Lee, Mrs Ang and Ms Boe and the principal, Mrs Tan! :)

Phoebe & her friend, Raine Toh reciting their emcee script

Reuben's New Milestone

2012-01-13T15:01:00.006+08:00

Children really grow up fast! So fast that I cannot remember how Phoebe was like when she first started nursery in SKMCC. I only remember her being very brave, not sheding a single drop of tear, going up the school bus by herself and is always very obedient, well-behaved and attentive. Thankfully, we have photographs and videos of her to help us in our recollections.

It seems like just yesteryear that Reuben was born. It seems like just yesterday that he went to Little Learners. And now, he is already going to the wonderful school that his Jie Jie has just graduated from. When Reuben was in Little Learners, it took him 2 months to settle down, without teary eyes and wet face. On the first 2 days of SKMCC, Reuben was good. Calm, attentive and smiley. I thought he has matured and will not repeat the same Little Learners saga. After the first 2 days, he realised that this school is for real. He will be in this place for the next 3 years. Reality sets in. Every morning, when I drive him to school, he clings on to me, refusing to let go.

"Mommy I want you! I want you!"

He grabs my arm and when I pry open his hands, he hugged my thigh, refusing to go into the classroom. It is always Chen Lao shi, who will scoop him up and carry him into the empty classroom, when all the other children are already in level 2, getting ready for the morning devotion. After a few minutes of pacifying, they will take him up to level 2 to join the rest of the children and he will be calmed by then.

After school, he will be all smiley again, waving to me as I pick him up from the school gate, driving him to pick his grandparents up before heading for home.

In Little Learners, he cried for 2 months. I'm hoping that he will settle down in half the time in SKMCC. Let's see how things go. Praying for peace in Reuben :)

Our First Family Professional Shot

2012-01-12T09:40:00.005+08:00

We have long wanted to do a family shot. However, we have been procrastinating and waiting, for something to happen. Thank God, He let Groupon enticed us or we would have missed capturing the precious and adorable stage of our lovely children. We had our outdoor shots done in December 2012 at Lower Pierce Reservoir. It was a sunny day and Reuben was not very cooperative because he claimed that the sun was getting into his eyes. Phoebe was always very camera-friendly. The photographer managed to capture many beautiful photographs of our family. Priceless moments, captured and printed. I will always treasure these gifts that God has given to me! :)

Reuben Learning Phonics

2011-11-29T15:35:00.003+08:00

We started Phonics class for Pb when she was about 4.5 years old. Rb is 3.5 when we started Phonics for him. I didn't really put on high expectations on him because I thought he was still young. However, Rb was able to achieve beyond my expectations. He is able to read and blend after one month of Phonics. We are very happy with his achievements and he enjoys doing all the blendings. We keep practising with him. We also video down his achievements to show it to him, as a form of encouragement. I'm so looking forward to seeing him read independently on his own. I always pray that my children will grow up into independent avid readers and I am witnessing this prayer being answered in Pb. She is already moving to Roald Dahl and Nancy Drew's books!! :) The day will come when Rb will read to learn, just like Pb. Right now, he is still learning to read, and I'm already very happy and satisfied with his achievement! Praise God for answering my prayers!

Learning the Piano

2011-11-29T12:19:00.003+08:00

Phoebe has started learning the piano in November 2010. She has progressed well, but she is quite reluctant to practise the piano. Maybe it's my fault because I know how to play the piano, so whenever she plays wrongly, I would bark at her. Hence, she is rather afraid to make mistakes and is very dependent on me to guide her in her home practice. I have to find ways to undo my mistakes and encourage her to play the piano more confidently. I will show her video clips of my friends' children playing the piano and also video her playing the pieces that she is familiar with. This has helped to boost her morale. It works, well, sometimes... :) So until she becomes more independent in her playing, I still have to continue with my nudging and pushing :)

Racial Harmony Day

2011-10-07T01:50:00.004+08:00

Last year, during Hari Raya Puasa, Reuben's school encouraged the children to come in traditional costume. Since it was a Malay celebration, I decided to borrow a set of Malay costume from Aunty Suhailah as her son, Izzat was the same age as Reuben.

For this year's Racial Harmony Day celebration, I decided to let Reuben try on the Chinese costume which he wore during Chinese New Year last year. Viola! It fitted him, although the top was obviously a little too short for him tummy because he has indeed grown up a little taller without us noticing it :) He was gamed enough to wear the costume and they had a splendid celebration in Little Learners, with all the other children wearing traditional costume too :)

I wanna do Kungfu fighting, Hah!

Holy Communion Time

2011-10-07T01:17:00.003+08:00

Our church will have Holy Communion on the first sunday of each month. Holy Communion is a time for Christian to partake a small round wafer and a small cup of red juice (usually grape juice). We practise Holy Communion to remember that Jesus Christ has died for our sins. The round wafer signifies Jesus' body and the red juice signifies His blood that has been shed for us. When we have Holy Communion, it means that we're one body with and in Christ.

Phoebe and Reuben had been baptised since April this year, hence they are able to take part in Holy Communion. Since then, I've been teaching them the proper behaviour when we're at the altar of Jesus Christ. They have to maintain silence, kneel down and stretch out their hands to wait for the Pastor or church elders to give the wafer and cup. Before they partake the elements, they had to say a prayer and I'll usually say the prayer with them. It goes like this,

"Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for us. Thank you for taking away our sins. Help us to remember you when we eat this wafer and drink this cup. Help us to grow close to you each day. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen."

Then they'll comsume their elements and make way for other church member to practise their Holy Communion. We have been carrying out this act for about 6 months since they were baptised and the children know what is expected of their behaviour. I think they have done it well and I hope that they will always carry out Holy Communion with awe and respect. I'm very sure that God must be very happy with Phoebe and Reuben's act of worship during the Holy Communion! :) I'm so proud of them!!! :) Love them bits!! :)

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about you,
All about you, Jesus!

This song is very meaningful! Please enjoy :)

Gong-gong's 70th Birthday

2011-09-28T00:43:00.001+08:00

We celebrated Gong-gong's 70th Birthday in Nyonya and Baba Peranakan Restaurant. I know my dad especially likes to eat spicy food, so I decided to take him there on his birthday. I bought the vouchers from Groupon. The food was delicious but the family time was even more precious! :) I really appreciate my dad and mom because they really love us a lot and especially my children. I am able to go to work every day without worrying because I know that they would definitely take good care of my children! :)

The folks really enjoying themselves! :) Everyone tucked in!! :)

Everyone was eating, except the 2 kiddos who were engrossed in self entertainment :)

The deco was beautiful, with strong Peranakan influence :)

The food, though a little expensive, was delicious - Gnoh Hiang and Sweet Babi Stew. The folks had lots of praises for the Curry Fish Head. It was the best dish of all :)

Lime juice goes best with spicy food!! :) We'll always order the Chup Chai and the Crayfish was fresh and juicy!

The A Cha was crunchy and we love the Hee Piao Soup. The Curry Chicken was soft and tender...

I'm so glad they had enjoyed eating the food! It was money well-spent! :) Yippee :) Happy 70th Birthday Gong-gong! I pray that you'll have great health and that your golden years will be spent with the people whom you love dearly! :)

September Holidays

2011-09-27T08:53:00.013+08:00

September holidays may be short but for last and this year, we manage to go on 2 trips without the children. Last year we went to San Francisco for 9 days and this year, we went to Bangkok for 4 days 3 nights. It's like a couple retreat for us, with no children, friends or families. I think sometimes we're just so consumed by the children that we may neglect each other. Hence short retreat like this is really good for the both of us. I hope that we can make this into a yearly event :)

Cathay flight to BKK / First meal in MBK-BKK : Tom Yam soup with Pineapple rice, Phat Thai, sweet & sour fish, and fried spring roll

Pathuwan Princess Hotel. It was luxurious and convenient

Breakfast in Pathuwan Princess Hotel before taking the skyrail to Chatuchak Weekend Market / Rail ticket : 39 Baht = S$1.50

Many many many stalls in Chatuchak Weekend Market, we spent the whole day there!

Time for lunch. We settled it in Chatuchak Market. Fried rice and Phat Thai.

We eat donuts everyday! In total, I ate 7 donuts in 4 days. We love this Meiji Yoghurt drink!
We also went to Platinum Fashion Mall and Prathunam Market. We did Thai massage and had pedicure. It was a tiring trip but we did find time to pamper ourselves.

Some of the stuff we bought : Snowman Christmas lights and coin purses for Children's Day presents for my school kids and Phoebe and Reuben's Birthday goodie bags

After so much shopping, time to go home... tired feet.

Chinese or Hokkien Song?

2011-09-04T01:55:00.002+08:00

Everyday at 7 p.m., gong gong and mama will watch the long running Taiwanese drama "Ai". I thought it was a boring drama but they had nothing much to do and there was nothing much to watch anyway. The drama has been running for months and whenever Reuben sees that the show is starting, he would announce it to his gong gong and prepare his seat for him, with extra cushions. And within the next 5 seconds, if gong gong did not appear, Reuben would look for him in the house and hold his hand to lead him to his seat, right in front of the TV. He is such a sweet boy. So even though he is often very naughty, gong gong loves Reuben a lot and so do we! :)

Anyway, Reuben has been hearing the opening song of "Ai" for so many months that he has started to pick up bits and pieces of the lyrics. But when we hear him sing, we couldn't decide if he was singing a Chinese or Hokkien song!! Haha. It was hilarious! :) He's indeed a funny boy. You hear it for yourself and let me know :)

I thought it sounded like,

wo men ting, wo men ting,
wo men lai, zai deng ni,
ah, zai na li...

What do you think? :)

Making Mooncakes

2011-09-04T01:25:00.002+08:00

My mother has been making mooncake for 20 over years. She is very experienced and her mooncakes are delish! I've never shown interest in commercially made mooncakes because I've always felt that they're overpriced and my mom's ones taste much better! Since young, I have been seeing her making boxes and boxes of mooncakes to fulfill the orders of clients, mainly bank executives. I have never really thought of learning it until these recent years, when my mom was ill, I suddenly realised that if she's gone, I would not be able to taste her baking and cooking again. The wonderful skills and taste would be lost forever. That was when I became a little more serious in learning from her. Pb was interested in having fun and she was not really afraid of "dirtying" her hands. Hence, one afternoon, I decided to learn how to make the snowskin mooncake from my mother. Pb wanted to learn too. And we all had fun! :) I finally learnt the skills of making snowskin mooncakes! :)

After learning the skills, I decided to teach parents and children how to make snowskin mooncakes as well. You can find our more about my workshops in 'Aunty Annie's Sweets' in Facebook page :)

Phoebe and Reuben the Emcees

2011-09-04T00:57:00.002+08:00

Pb was very blessed to be well loved by her teachers. I was very glad that she was given the opportunity to be the emcee in her school's graduation concert. She has memorised and practised hard for her script. Unknowingly, Rb also picked up some parts of the script and was able to recite it too, though he didn't know how to read the script as yet. We were very tickled when we suddenly hear him reciting the script. We just had to video it down!! :)

RWS - Festive Hotel

2011-08-15T08:57:00.015+08:00

Still on the note of National Day celebration, we decided to book the Festive Hotel for a 2-Day 1-Night stay on the National Day holiday 9-10 August 2011.

The room in Festive Hotel was not very spacious but it was comfortable with ample sleeping space for our family. There was a King-sized bed and a sofa bed. The rooms were clean and new. I especially like their Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries. Haha :)

We spent most of the time at the pools. The best pool was the one in Hard Rock Hotel, which we were also able to get access to. It was a huge pseudo beach lagoon with chlorinated water and clean artificial sand. There were also several connecting pools. The children enjoyed making sandcastle and Phoebe had her first chance in playing beach volleyball. The pools in Festive Hotel were also kids friendly. There was a kids waterplay area which Phoebe and Reuben spent much time on on the last day before we checked out.

Another family friends of ours booked the Michael Hotel because Festive Hotel was full. Their rooms were not as comfortable as ours because they did not have the additional sofa bed and their pools were smaller. However, they had a good view out of their windows as they were able to see the gigantic Merlion in Sentosa.

From our room balcony, the children witnessed fireworks from Universal Studio on 9th August. We missed it because papa and mommy went out for a walk in the RWS mall with the family friends.

All in all, it was a good stay and the children had enjoyed themselves. We would definitely go there again in the near future! But the next time round, we might consider trying out the Hard Rock Hotel! :)

Happy 46th Birthday Singapore

2011-08-15T08:40:00.006+08:00

I have just heard the National Day Rally last night so I supposed our nation is still in the mood of National Day celebrations. I still see the buntings and banners hanging in public places. I supposed, National Day, like Chinese Lunar New Year lasts for fifteen days, if not longer. Hence my post to well wish my country is not exactly late. As usual, the children had to be dressed in Red and White. So a few weeks before, I had to search for a suitable red top for Phoebe. The night before, I dressed them for the occasion just to snap a few pictures. So here it is, presenting the red and white models!

HAPPY 46th BIRTHDAY SINGAPORE! :)

It's a Conspiracy

2011-08-15T08:25:00.007+08:00

It was night time. The two of them were changed into their pyjamas. It was time for bed. But the two of them were not sleeping. They said they were not tired. They refused to get settled down and close their eyes. They wanted to play some more. They decided to have a conspiracy. A conspiracy on how to delay bedtime.

Click!

The lights were out.

"Get into position!" mommy called out.

"Arrrghhh!!" the children groaned.

The boy grabbed his yellow Elmo blankie and the girl parked herself in the middle of the king-sized bed. Within five minutes, everyone was still :)

Kid's Prayer

2011-08-15T08:15:00.004+08:00

I love this song and thought the lyrics was really meaningful. When I tried to sing it, my hubby was like, "Please lah, this song is for little children to sing, that's why it is called 'Kid's Prayer'." So since I was "forbidden" to sing it, I decided to play it! Haha. Here is one of the stanzas of this song. Enjoy.

Hear the original version. Always melts my heart whenever I hear it.

Watch What I Say

2011-08-11T15:28:00.002+08:00

Phoebe (telling Reuben) : You and your big mouth
Me : What did you say?
Phoebe : I'm saying to Reuben, not to you.
Me : Don't say that again. It's not nice.
Phoebe : But you said that to me.
Me : Oops! I'm sorry that I've said that to you. Let's not use that again okie? Mommy will not say that to you again and you also try not to use that again okie? Let's try together.
Phoebe : Okie.

I have to watch what I say.

God, let the words in my mouth by pure and holy, pleasing to Your sight and encouraging to my children. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!

Bibletoons God Rocks!

2011-08-03T09:46:00.005+08:00

We have been looking for "Hi-5" equivalent of Christian DVD for the children. There is not many of such DVDs in the Singapore Christian market. We finally found 1 which resembles Hi-5. It's called Bibletoons God Rocks and it has Christian songs, dancing, cartoons and teaching of Christian values and Bible memory verses. The children love God Rocks! They are learning a lot of Bible verses in the form of catchy songs. Even Reuben can sing some of the Bible verses now. In this clip, he's singing the 9 Fruit of the Spirit - Love, Joy, Peace, Patient, Kindess, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control. Against such things, there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Desaru Malaysia

2011-08-02T09:20:00.011+08:00

We had a 2-day 1-night trip to Desaru on 2 July. A short trip but fun and meaningful. We stayed in Lotus Desaru Hotel, visited the ostrich farm, bought some fruit in the fruit farm, ate delicious and cheap seafood, watched fireflies and shopped in Tebrau City before heading for home. Many new experience for the children, especially the the visiting of the ostrich and fruit farms and the viewing of fireflies. We have learnt much from the trip. For example, the mother ostrich weighs about 130 kg and she will sit on her eggs without cracking them. So we also tried balancing on the ostrich eggs coz we are less than 130 kg! While taking the cruise to see the fireflies, the river was pitch dark. The children were afraid. However, they were very fascinated when they saw the thousands of twinkling lights near the bushes at the river bank. In order to maintain the darkness, photography was not allowed so I told Pb to remember that night and lock it in her memory bank. These are things that we do not see in Singapore and I'm glad that the children had the opportunity to experience it.

On day 2, we checked out of the hotel and drove to Tebrau City, JB for our shopping. We ended our trip by having dinner in Fish Manhattan, before heading for home at about 6 pm.

Kid's Prayer

2011-07-28T22:11:00.007+08:00

Phoebe will be singing this song in her kindergarten year-end concert. Time flies and this year she will be graduating from SKMCC. I can't bear to see her leave this great school and I thank God for putting her in such a nurturing environment to grow and learn more about Him each day. Thank you Jesus for loving my daughter and now she wants to love you back Lord. Please enjoy this song, dedicated to our dearest God! :)

Enjoy the video clip...

God is a God of Faithfulness!

2011-07-26T03:02:00.006+08:00

After praying for Phoebe for 3 years, since she was in nursery, God has finally answered my prayer! :) I praised God for being faithful, even when I was tempted and wanted the easy way out (to register her in my alma mater or the primary school that I am teaching in), He reminded me that He would be faithful if I abide in Him. He told me that the wide gates are easier to pass through but it is the narrow gate that leads to life! (Matthew 7:13) If God has given me this girl, then He would create a place for her to be educated in, to learn about Him, to praise Him all the days of her life! He has indeed proven Himself true and real. For the past 2 years, PLMGS had to go through balloting for those children living beyond 2 km from the school but this year was an exception! I thank God that He has kept to His promises and I know that Phoebe's destiny is safely in His hands! Praise the Lord! :)

It's time for me to pray for my son. If God has done it once for my daughter, He would also remind faithful and see Reuben getting through the school that He wants him to get into! If I, being the parent, is not praying for my children, who else will? I must be prayerful and commit my children unto His hands each day :)

All Glory and Honour unto Him! :)

Kids Balloon Sculpturing Workshop

2011-07-23T00:25:00.005+08:00

I like to sign the children up for different workshops just to let them have experiences in different hands-on activities. In the June holidays, we signed Phoebe up for a balloon sculpturing workshop. We learnt about the different types of balloons and the ways of twisting them. I thought the sculptures that they had taught were a little too challenging for 5-6 year olds. They were not able to follow the steps and Phoebe was one of them! I had to perform the squeezing and twisting on her behalf. I felt enriched though I did not think Phoebe felt otherwise. She was just goofing around with Reuben, busied themselves by pumping the balloons and releasing them for the phweet sound. At the end of the workshop, we made, I mean, I made an Octopus balloon sculpture, a penguin with a heart sculpture and a dead fish on a fishing rod sculpture. It was a lot of fun for me (and them, giggling over the flying balloons) Sometimes, I think that kids workshops are just meant for their mommies, to satisfy them from their deprived childhood! Haha :)

Magazine Cover Models

2011-07-20T23:55:00.003+08:00

I have no intention of letting my children to be models because I do not like the complexity of that industry. I am just a traditional mommy, hoping that my children will end up holding conventional vocations such as doctors, lawyers and architects. If they choose to become church workers, I would support them fully and give them my blessings. I know that ultimately, God has a destiny for each of them.

While attending a kids balloon sculpturing workshop with Phoebe in Marina Square during the June school holidays, we chanced upon this free magazine photography session. We bought a Braun ear thermometer and used the receipt to redeem free photo shots for the children. Phoebe was excited about the new experience. Initially, Reuben was just as enthusiastic about it too. But when it was his turn to be photographed, he was uncooperative and whiny. I supposed it was his nap time and his mood just changed in a second. Nevertheless, the photographer was professional and he managed to snap a few quick shots for Reuben.

Phoebe had a second photography shot as the receipt was not stamped and we were able to redeem a third photography coupon for her. We changed her into her spare clothing (which we always bring along as you never know when the children would soil their clothes).

In total, we had three free photography shots and I thought the pictures turned out to be very nice, almost like real magazine covers! In the end, we spent $60 buying the 3 photographs in 8R sizes. Good marketing strategy for the modelling company and I was a sucker for it! Haha! Well, nevermind about it! I am just one proud mommy and I thank God for giving me such beautiful children! :)

Genting in March School Holidays

2011-07-15T10:25:00.003+08:00

This is a way backdated entry. I love travelling. I have been to many countries, as far as Switzerland and the Arctic Circle. However, with these two young children, travelling as to be as fuss-free as possible. For these 2 years, we have been travelling on road trips to Malaysia. It is relatively easier, just dump all the luggages into the boot and drive off in the comfort of our own transport. What's more, I can even bring along Aunty Nia to help out in luggage carrying and children-minding, without having to pay for any additional transportation fee. She is also very happy to be able to go see the world with us :)

In March school holiday this year, we travelled to Genting again for 3 days 2 nights. It was our second trip there but our first time driving such a long journey. We departed at about 6.30 a.m. and reached Genting at about 12.30 p.m. We did make a few pit stop along the way to stretch our legs, relieve ourselves and grab a bite.

The children had a snooze, a snack and movie time along the trip. The road was winding, thank God for granting us journey mercy! :)

We stayed in the World Club Room of the First World Hotel. The room was spacious, clean and newly furnished. The children love to "swim" in the bath tub :) Morning breakfast was sumptious in the World Club executive club floor :)

After breakfast, we headed to the outdoor theme park as the weather was good. The children had rides and Reuben was able to enjoy more rides this time round, as compared to his previous visit in June 2009. He was only 1 year 3 months then :)

In the evening, we visited the indoor theme park. Reuben loved this "EiffelTower" car ride but he would always cover his eyes before the mobile moved off. I guess the anticpation was a little scary for him. Haha :) He's a cute little fella! :)

All in all, it was a good trip. The children were very happy as they were able to take many rides. As for me, when the children are happy, I will feel very glad and satisfied. This is the heartbeat of a mommy! :)

I'm Monkey

2011-07-12T12:24:00.006+08:00

I must admit that I have not succeeded in inculcating the love of fruit for my children even though we always eat fruit after dinner, almost everyday. The only fruit that Reuben likes are apple, pear and banana. Phoebe only eats papaya occasionally and banana. She likes yoghurt though. My mother gives them vitagen everyday - Reuben likes the peach flavoured one and Phoebe likes grape. I think I must put in more effort in encouraging them to eat fruit.

Speech and Drama @ Home

2011-07-12T10:25:00.006+08:00

Phoebe is so into Rapunzal that her interest also excites Reuben. They have watched the DVD so many times that I've lost count. But I thought it was really brilliant that they were enacting the scenes. In fact, they could act the whole movie out, with the almost correct memorised script!! Rapunzal - Phoebe, Eugene - Reuben, Mother Gothel/Queen - me, Maximus/King - Papa. We would play along with them, assuming our roles. Here is one of Phoebe's favourite scenes, a duet between Rapunzal and Eugene. Enjoy! :)

Love and Dislike Relationship

2011-07-12T09:31:00.010+08:00

Sometimes they like to play with each other and they can play together for an hour or more. But sometimes, they scream at each other, fighting for the same toy or book. They have a Love and Dislike relationship. I wouldn't use the word "hate" at all because they clearly love each other.

There was once I was very angry with Reuben because he was throwing tantrum and being very unreasonable. We were just trying to be helpful and we opened his Thomas umbrella for him. However, Reuben did not understand or appreciate our help because he wanted to open the umbrella himself. We closed the umbrella again and let him do it himself but it was too late. He was already upset, over such a trivial matter!! We were on our way to "Little Learners". Phoebe was with us to take Reuben to school because it was school holidays for her. The last straw that broke the camel's back was when Reuben threw his Thomas umbrella on the pavement near Little Learners. I was very mad with him. I told him to pick it up but he refused, very stubbornly. We stood at the pavement for almost 10 mins and he was crying and whining all the while but yet refused to pick the umbrella up. I decided to walked away, though my maid was standing near to Reuben. I beckoned Nia to come with me and let the little boy be there by himself while he continued to cry and stamp him feet. When I walked away, pulling Phoebe with me, Phoebe burst into tears. She said, "Reuben !! Reuben !! Mommy don't go. He's my brother!! He's my brother!!" She was crying so sadly. At that moment, I was very touched. My girl is an emotional person. She's also very soft-hearted. Whenever, we read a nice emotional book, I can see that she was touched. There was once we read a storybook about a grandma passing away, after reading the book, I asked her, "Do you like this book?" and she was very quiet. She replied, "Yes, it's a little bit touching. I think of mama (grandma)."

Anyway, back to Reuben throwing tantrum. In the end, he still did not pick up the umbrella. I scooped him up and told him that when we reached grandma's house, I'll give him a stroke of the cane. He was screaming at the top of his lungs and struggling as I carried him to grandma's place. When I got home, Phoebe had calmed down. I re-enacted the scene and put the umbrella on the floor and told Reuben to pick the umbrella up. He refused. I gave him a hard stroke. He was still crying. I repeated my sentence and that was, to pick the cane up. He refused. I laid my threat out - If he would not pick the cane up within 3 counts, I would give him another stroke. I counted to 2 and he relented. All these while, my dad was with me, persuading Reuben to pick the umbrella up. I refused to allow Reuben to run to my dad for refuge and I must thank my dad for being there to stand by me. We all believe in sparing the rod and spoiling the child. Of course, to use the rod sparingly and appropriately each time. After Reuben had picked the umbrella up, my dad "sayang" him and instantly, they became best friends!! :) Reuben found comfort in Gong-gong.

I think I have deviated from my original topic. But clearly, it shows that Phoebe loves her brother a lot and would watch out for him and would refused to leave him behind. THAT is a sister's love for her brother!! :) As a mother, I'm very happy about it! :)

In picture 1, they quarrelled with each other, both were angry. They had to settle the dispute themselves, unless there was violent involved, then I would intervene.
In picture 2 and 3, they ganged up against me, both were angry with mommy :)

Double-Decker Bus Ride

2011-07-08T09:45:00.005+08:00

A simple bus ride can make the children so thrilled. The excitement on their faces is an invaluable gift. The children had often seen double-decker buses, they have ride on it before, but never on the upper deck because usually the journey is very short, consisting of only 1 bus stop from our place to grandma's home. They have long wanted to go on the upper deck. Hence, in the June holidays, I decided to take them on Bus 161 to Hougang Mall and then transfer to a NE Line to Serangoon MRT station because there isn't a direct bus route to NEX.

They were elated, they were estatic! They were talking loudly, couldn't stop smiling to themselves through out the whole journey. They observed the people, cars and objects right below them. Their eyes were so busy, darting here and there. Reuben looked at the trees and exclaimed, "Wow! So many broccoli broccoli!" Haha! Indeed, the trees did not look over-towering anymore. They looked like the broccoli that he was familiar with. Phoebe was asking about the mirrors in the bus and I had to explain the functions of the mirror - for the bus captain to monitor the passengers on the upper deck. So I told her to behave herself or the bus captain could see her every move.

The bus ride was very comfortable, cool aircon and smooth traffic at about 12+ p.m. We went to NEX for lunch and the library to borrow some books. Then we took the same route back to our home - MRT and Bus 161. So the children got to ride on a double-decker bus once more. We were all tired because of the hassle of transfering from different modes of transport but it was a good learning journey.

Parents do all the crazy things just for their children and I am one of them! No regrets about it! :)

"Wow! So many broccoli broccoli!" :)

Phoebe Reading "James Changes Colours"

2011-07-06T09:41:00.010+08:00

I have been reading to Phoebe since she was a baby. To entice her to listen to the stories, I always try to be very expressive or even exaggerating in my reading. I think somehow, Phoebe catches my traits and when she reads a storybook or even a passage, it becomes natural of her to vary her voice to personify the character. Since Reuben loves Thomas and Friends, we got him many story books on his favourite characters.

In this video clip, Phoebe is reading a story "James Changes Colours" for her brother to enjoy. I hope you will enjoy listening to her story, as much as I do :)

Reuben Thomas Ong

2011-07-06T09:06:00.012+08:00

I should have named my son Thomas Ong instead. He loves Thomas and Friends. He looks and stares at it every day. Hence, he was able to spell Thomas and Sodor (the island which the engines lived in) way before he could spell his own name! If I have named him Thomas instead, things would have been easier right? Haha :) My funny boy - Reuben Thomas Ong :)

Reuben Knows His Alphabet

2011-07-06T08:54:00.004+08:00

Comparatively, we tend to spend lesser time teaching Reuben because when we had Phoebe only, we only have one child. Hence all our attention goes to her. However, when we have Phoebe and Reuben, our attention is divided and what's more, Phoebe is in her pre-school stage, going on to Primary 1. Hence I spend a little more time coaching her in her academic subjects.

I must admit that I was pleasantly surprise when Reuben was able to make the phonetic sounds of the 26 letters and associate the letters to objects starting with the specific letters. He could even link the letters to some of the less common items such as, Y-Yoghurt, H-helicopter, G-garage, F-Fire engine, R-Rainbow and X-Xylophone. I'm very proud of my son, Reuben Ong! :)

Rocket Medicine for Reuben

2011-07-06T08:48:00.003+08:00

Just like Phoebe, Reuben is difficult when administering medicine to him. But Aunty Nia is able to "trick" him into eating the medicine, using her patient and creative ways. I'm very thankful for such a caring helper. She really treats my children with sincerity and love! Watch this video and you'll understand.

A Day Out with Papa

2011-07-05T15:43:00.004+08:00

This is a backdated entry but I thought it was worth entering. It was on 9 March. Phoebe had her annual kidney check-up in KK Hospital. I was very busy in school and couldn't take leave. Papa took leave and took Phoebe for her check-up instead. It was a day out for them. I was a little worried because papa had not taken Phoebe out on his own before. So I packed her things in a little bag, her water bottle, a jacket, snacks, scissors for cutting her food and tissue packs. And I kept warning Papa to be careful, to hold her hand, to take her to the toilet, to clean the toilet seat for her, to remember to tell her to drink more water, to check if she was cold etc.

Thank God, they came back in one piece! The results for Phoebe's kidney check-up was good. The specialist said that Phoebe will do a thorough kidney check-up next year. If the results are just as well, she will be discharged, meaning that she does not need to do any more annual kidney check-up. Praise God for that!! :)

After the doctor's appointment, papa took Phoebe for a movie entitled "Gnomeo and Juliet". They enjoyed their day out together. Papa said he will try to have individual day outs with his children. I think it will be good time bonding with the children. :)

Lunch - Chicken Rice. Phoebe's favourite!
A bear balloon sculpture, a gift for the children in KKH.

Movie time, Gnomeo & Juliet.

Sprint Kids 2011

2011-07-04T23:43:00.010+08:00

Last year, Phoebe took part in Sprint Kids 2010. It is a yearly event. This year, Reuben is elligible for the contest. Hence, we decided to sign him up for it since last year, he had shown keen interest in taking part too. We signed up the "Dad and Child" event where Reuben will run with papa. It was a good experience for him. Seeing the two of them running to victories brings big smile to my face. Such satisfaction is undescribable! :)

Getting ready for their run. Their T-shirts were actually too big, especially for
Reuben but they carried it off in style! :)

All the participants, big and small, all ready to run! :)

The smiles on their faces - priceless!! :) Each is awarded a medal for their effort! :)

AFamosa & Malacca - June Adventure

2011-06-24T02:29:00.038+08:00

We have been to Malacca twice but we have not been to AFamosa, which is about 45 minutes drive away from Malacca city (if you travel by federal roads). During the Malaysia fair in Suntec, we bought a very good deal - $130 for 3 days 2 nights stay in the D'Savoy Condotel, inclusive of 3 entrance fees for each of the 3 theme parks. It was a steal! Hence we decided to explore this part of Malacca, even though we had heard that the theme parks were quite run down and the rooms were not very clean.

The media had reported that there were massive jams in Malaysia checkpoint due to their implementation of their biometric fingerprint system. We were afraid of the jam in Malaysia custom, hence we tried to avoid the crowd by being early. At 7 a.m. we've reached Singapore custom at Tuas checkpoint. Within half an hour, we had cleared both Singapore and Malaysia customs! I thought the report in the media was over-rated probably because several of my friends who went to Malaysia for holiday did not encounter bad jams too.

Since our expectations for AFamosa were lowered, when we reached the condotel, we were not very disappointed by what we saw. We had expected worse - old, dirty, insect-infested and mal-functioned! On the contrary, the AFamosa was rather scenic. The paranomic view was serene and calm. It was indeed a very huge place! However, we personally felt that the place was underdeveloped. They could have used that big piece of land to thoroughly develop it into an attractive, popular tourist / family spot but maybe their funds were low and that was the best that they could do.

The view from the condotel D'Savoy was scenic and serene. The golf course was spacious. I've seen golfers around, swinging their clubs.

The room was like a service apartment. We joined the 2 queen-sized beds. The children had a good time running around the room. It was relatively clean except the niches and corners.

We lazed on the sheet-covered couch (I laid the extra bedsheet on the couch just in case it was dusty) to watch movies such as Avatar, The Incredibles and Titanic. The aircon was superbly cold which I LOVE very much! :)

As the meals were not inclusive, we drove out of AFamosa to look for our first dinner. Before that, we settled our lunch in Malacca City's Jonker Street where we ate the famous chicken rice (balls) and Assam fish. We shopped around Jonker Walk and bought 2 cute fans for Pb and Rb.

Our first dinner was in Tampin, as led by our faithful Garmin GPS. Tampin was a very small town with a few rows of shops. We had KFC for dinner. Delicious and definitely much cheaper than Singapore.

After our KFC dinner, we drove back to AFamosa to visit their night theme park - Cowboy Town. We were greeted with singing and dancing at the entrance of Cowboy Town. Pb tried on the elephant ride. It was 10 RM per person, which I thought was reasonable in price. Papa accompanied her. Reuben was too scare of the elephants. He said the elephants wanted to eat him! Haha :) Cute boy :)

Phoebe also had a go on the miniature horse. Again, it was 10 RM per child. In Singapore, we paid S$10! This was much cheaper! :)

We also took a ride on their "joyful" train, which had badly torn and tattered seats. The joyful train covered one round of the Cowboy Town. Cowboy Town was not very big actually. Other than these rides, there was really nothing much to do.

We walked around, took some pictures. There was a 20-minute 4-D show but we didn't try that because we had to pay for it and we were afraid that the seats in the 4-D theatre would be torn and tattered again (like the joyful train). Phoebe wanted to ride on the miniature horse again and so did our friend's son, Dariusz, so the two of them rode together.

Basically, besides paying for the entrance fee (which we didnt because we had complimentary tickets), we still have to pay for whatever rides we want to take within the Cowboy town. This, I do not like very much! And there isn't much to do there except to walk around the few souvenir shops and take a few pictures. There are restaurants inside the Cowboy Town but it was pretty empty. Seemed like not many people actually patronised the restaurants. This made me doubt the freshness of their ingredients too.

The next day, we went to the Animal Safari World. Phoebe was very brave to allow a colourful Macaw to stand on her shoulder for a shot. I supposed, after watch Rio, her guards were down. We took a tram which travelled around the animal word to have a close look at the free-roaming animals. We enjoyed this ride, which to my surprise, was free! Haha! The ride was bumpy and the diesel fume was really bad. As the 'old bones' of the tram clanked on the dirt road, smoke of dust flew up from the ground. Hence, we made the children wear face mask to minimise the inhalation of dust and fume.

We went to the poultry coop to look at the different species of flightless birds and saw hundreds of yellow fluffy chicks chirping and running around. They were really cute!! :) We bought the bird feed for the children to feed the chicks.

There were several live performances but we only caught one. I thought this live performance looked rather familiar. It resembled what I've seen in Singapore Jurong Bird Park many years back. I wondered who copied who. Nevertheless, the birds performances were great and captivating. The two children were engrossed. We did not stay for long in the Animal Safari World because it was lunch time and the children were hungry, hot and sticky. We drove to Tampin again for a delicious meal of "zhu chao" in an air-conditioned Chinese restaurant which was simple and basic in its outlook, nothing fanciful. The restaurant reminded me of old Singapore in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

After lunch, we drove down to Malacca city again for shopping in the malls - Pataran Pahlawan and Mahkota Parade. We bought a few cute personalised bear magnets, a pair of BATA school shoes for Phoebe at 39 RM, some medicine in the pharmacy and 2 pairs of shorts in FOS etc.

At night, we had Peranakan cuisine at the popular 'Nonya Makko' restaurant which Jessy's family had brought us there the year before. The food was delectable and we always looked forward to eat there whenever we visit Malacca! :)

At about 9 p.m., we took a long 45-minute drive back to AFamosa.

The next day, we checked out at about 9.30 am and drove to Jusco in Bukit Indah JB. We reached Bukit Indah at about 11.30 a.m. Bukit Indah was about 20 minutes away from Tuas Checkpoint. We ate lunch in the mall and shopped around. The children spent about 1.5 hour in the indoor playground - 8 RM per child for unlimited play. CHEAP! We did some grocery shopping in the Jusco Supermarket. Reuben was so exhausted that he fell asleep in the shopping mall's car stroller. We settled our dinner in a cafe and departed for Singapore at about 6.30 p.m.

Again, we expected some jam at the Malaysia custom but traffic was smooth. We cleared custom within ten minutes! And so it was Home Sweet Home. I love my home!! :)

These were the personalised fridge magnets which I bought in Malacca city's Mahkota shopping mall. The two cute handheld fans were bought in Jonker Walk on the first day, for the children to beat the heat! :)

Simple Home-Cooked Dishes

2011-06-17T03:04:00.007+08:00

Being in the afternoon session, I would have reached home at about 7 p.m. My day does not end there. From a teacher, I immediately transformed into a homemaker. I have to whip up a decent dinner for my husband and maid. The children would have eaten in their grands' place. Ever since my mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2008, we decided not to have our daily dinner at her place even though she cooks the best dinner! This is to reduce her inconvenience of doing marketing, especially that both my dad and mom do not drive. Their means to the Boon Keng and Kovan market would be via the MRT. It would be too tiring and heavy for them to lug the ingredients all the way back from the markets.

With the limited time that I have, dinner has to be easy, fuss-free, quick and yet nutritious! Here are some of the simple dishes I cook for dinner. I posed the dishes that I cook in the blog not to boast of my culinary skills. I do not cook well and am still learning and improving myself. I "publish" the dishes that I had cooked because like everyone else, I need the encouragement to go through the tiring day too. Many a times, I return home feeling drained and beaten-ed but I still need to cook a decent meal for my family. It feels good that people appreciates what I can do and cook. Even just a word of praise gives me the energy to carry on. Like the title of my blog, I am indeed a tired mommy - many roles to assume, many hats to wear. My condolences are that my children are growing up well and healthy and that everyone I love are happy, united and well taken care of. That would be my greatest prayer for them!

Universal Studio of Singapore

2011-06-16T23:33:00.015+08:00

USS has been opened for almost a year but we have not been there. Why ? Because it's too expensive and also the children could not take most of the rides. However, in end of May, there was a credit card promotion and we bought our USS tickets at 15% off, which is pretty good a deal. On that morning, the weather did not look very promising but we got Phoebe to pray. We always tell her that children's prayer are always the best because God loves the little children. True enough, the dark clouds were cleared and the weather was windy though still humid. Silly of us to go on a Saturday, knowing that weekends are peak periods but we did not want to take leave because we were tight on work schedule. For some of the rides, we had to queue for an hour plus! Nevertheless, we managed to catch all the shows / performances and had an enjoyable day :) Phoebe and Reuben were afraid of some of the rides, so I think we will not go to USS again in the near future until they are slightly older :)

Phoebe and Reuben's Baptism

2011-06-01T10:18:00.008+08:00

Wearing their swimming suits, the children are waiting for a dip in the baptism pool :)

Event : Phoebe and Reuben's Children Baptism

Location : Sengkang Methodist Church

Date : 24 April 2011 (Easter Day)

I used to think that the children can do their own baptism when they're adults because after all, Phoebe has already said her sinner's prayer on her fifth birthday. But after one particular speech by the pastor, the Holy Spirit convicted my heart. The pastor said, "If you as parents, are deciding for the children the school they are attending, why are you not deciding for them the (spiritual) path that they should go? Have you paused and asked your children if they wanted to go to this or that school ? Have you seek your children's opinion on what enrichment courses they want to take? If you know what is best for them, then why are you doubting the fact that our Father in heaven knows even much more what is BEST for them? Why are you not entrusting God to guide your children to their destinies?"

As parents, we have authority over our children. God has give us authority over our children. We're their earthly guardians. We should teach the children to follow Christ and to advocate the Christian values to them. If we're already putting them in Christian schools (Phoebe in SKMCC and Reuben will be in SKMCC next year too), then we must also allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in them, to guide and teach them to follow Christ.

I am convinced and convicted and I will do my part as the earthly parents, to teach the children to remain in Christ. After all, my children are gifts from God. They are God-sent. I should re-dedicate them back to God.

Into your hands, I commit again, with all I am, for You Lord... :)

After baptism, dunno why the children were very hungry! haha. They ate their sandwiches prepared by Aunty :)

Reuben's Mothers' Day Mini Concert

2011-06-01T09:35:00.010+08:00

Time not flies but zooms!! It has been one year since reuben had his first mini Mothers' Day concert. I really appreciates events like this coz it's especially dedicated for mothers and I'm very blessed to be one. In another half a year's time, Reuben will graduate from this wonderful playschool, Little Learners and we have to bid farewell to the two wonderful teachers, Mrs Suppiah and Ting Lao Shi. I truely appreciate the dedications and patience that the teachers had.

In the mothers' day concert, the little ones sang 2 songs, one in English and the other in Chinese. They also had a hands-on fruit kebab session for mommy and child. Simple but ingenious idea! Its a special day for me and I thank God for giving me this priviledge!! :)

Thomas and Friends Ardent Fan

2011-05-12T09:01:00.000+08:00

Reuben loves Thomas and Friends. We bought every possible Thomas thing that we can find - T-shirt, underwear, singlet, bag, water bottle, socks etc. The only thing he doesn't have is Thomas shoes and he hasn't been to the theme park, Thomas Land. He loves Thomas so much that every night, he needs to hold his Thomas train in his hand before he could fall asleep. In fact, he needs his Thomas train AND Elmo blankie to fall asleep. He takes Thomas train wherever he goes. He wants to buy Spencer and James and Skarloey and Edward and Gordon and ... (no end to that!) We have a side table for him specially to put his favourite set of Thomas. He loves that corner and will go there to meddle with his engines :)

Can you imagine when we accidentally lost his Thomas when we were in Genting on the last night? He cried for his Thomas. We combed through all the toy shops in First World Shopping Mall, not a single Thomas in sight! Before he slept, he asked for his train. He said, "I want my Thomas, it's my favourite!" We felt so bad that immediately once we reached Singapore, we went to Metro to buy him another set of Thomas train. He was ecstatic and volunteered to carry the plastic bag by himself even though he was too short for the bag :)

Reuben is so crazy about Thomas that he has learnt to spell Thomas, way before he can spell his own name. In fact, he started spelling SODOR first (The island of Sodor). I should have named him Thomas instead of Reuben. Haha :) It'll be so much easier for him to spell Thomas Ong! He's an ardent Thomas fan! :)

Bukit Indah With Gramps

2011-05-12T08:19:00.000+08:00

We have been to Bukit Indah for many times but not my parents. They had wanted to visit that place. so one fine day in March, we decided to take them there. All 7 of us took off at about 9.30 a.m. in the morning. We were there to walk around and buy groceries. As it was "No Plastic Bag" day, we had to use the available cartons to pack our groceries. While we were all busy packing our groceries, Reuben saw the nearby indoor playground and ran off to play without our knowledge. One minute he was beside us, the other minute he was gone! We panicked and shouted for him with our eyes darting around. My mum found him at the playground and carried him back immediately. He was still smiling, not knowing what he had done wrong. I gave him a stern scolding and he broke into tears. The whole saga lasted about five minutes but it was very scary for us. Imagine if he was lost or kidnapped! The next time we go to Malaysia or any other places, we make sure we will check on him all the time. Thank God that nothing bad had happened and that Reuben was taught a lesson gently! Thank God for His mercy! :p

Eating bread and watching DVD at the backside of the car.

Reuben loves train and police cars! :)
Phoebe loved to watch TV so much that we said she looked like a 'Domo' ! Haha.

I love these 2 pictures! Such happy faces! :)

I Miss Blogging

2011-05-10T23:18:00.003+08:00

I realised that I miss blogging so much! When I read back the previous blog entries, it brings on lots of laughter! It warms my heart and the best part is, now the children can read with me, especially Phoebe! When I didn't blog, I realised that one part of the children's lives are not recorded. I realised that their lives have not been documented for almost half a year since I got my iPhone this year!! So sad! I've decided to start blogging again! Yes, my ardent readers, I'll be in action again soon! Please be patient with me!! :)

Inspired by Reuben Morgan

2011-03-27T17:19:00.011+08:00

I named my son Reuben because I was greatly inspired by the gospel song writer cum worship pastor, Reuben Morgan. I pray that my son, Reuben Ong, will worship God all the days of his life and that God will bless Reuben with a talent that will be used to bring forth His Love to all mankind. Amen!

I just want to bless all my readers with this worship song written by Reuben Morgan. God Bless you!

Passport Renewal

2011-03-27T16:46:00.003+08:00

Phoebe's passport is due for renewal. I can still remember that I made passport for her when she was about 15 months because we were taking her to Hong Kong for holiday. She did not have much hair even when she was about 2 years old. It was only until about 2 that her hair started to sprout from her scalp. It was difficult to take a passport photo for her at that age. I put a piece of white nappy on the bed and get Phoebe to lie down on the nappy to take this picture. She was weary of what I was doing, you can see it in her face. Today, I took another passport photo for her. It was so much easier and she was very cooperative. She looks really different now, for one, she has much more hair now! haha :)

Then and now...

Appreciating Our Village - A Great Man

2011-03-22T09:04:00.016+08:00

"It takes a village to raise a child..."

I truly believe in this statement. Raising children is not easy, what more, with working mothers and fathers. Nurturing the children is the responsibility of the parents and I thank God that my children have a loving papa who is always cracking his brains on how to enrich the children in their experiential learning. But it takes more than just the father and mother to help in raising the children, what happens to my children when the papa and mommy are at work? The other members of our 'village' take over the role. That's why I am always very appreciative to the people who are involved directly in the raising of my two precious children. In this blog entry, I am going to talk about the children's loving gong-gong.

Gong gong is the firm but loving disciplinarian. Whenever Phoebe has enrichment classes in the evening, gong gong will sacrifice his afternoon walks to make sure that Phoebe takes her nap in the afternoon. Everyday, I will give Phoebe a piece of homework to be done after school and gong gong will make sure that Phoebe completes her work in the afternoon.

He is also a loving grandfather. When Phoebe was a baby, he will not hesitate to feed her porridge, change her soiled diapers or carry her to sleep. Sometimes when Phoebe was cranky and did not want to nap, he would put her on her stroller and take her for a stroll in the nearby park, watching people playing basketball or badminton. Phoebe loved that and sometimes would fall asleep after a while. The two of them would spend their quiet moments together - one old, one young. It was really a very sweet sight.

When Phoebe and Reuben started school in Little Learners, gong gong will be the one walking the children home from their school, in rain or shine. His legs are not very good, with painful knees due to the almost worn off cartilage and he does not drive but he would walk the children to their schools. Sometimes, when I had to be in school early, he would walk all the way to my place to fetch the children to his place. When Phoebe goes to SKMCC, gong gong will make sure that he will be in time to fetch her from her school bus drop-off point. Sometimes, he has to go to the market or the polyclinic for check-up but he always tries his best to come back on time to fetch his dearest grand daughter.

Gong gong also buys "siew mai" for Phoebe when he knows that Phoebe loves eating it. When he knows that Reuben has constipation problem, he will make sure that he stocks up his fridge with peach flavoured vitagen because Reuben only likes peach flavoured vitagen and vitagen helps in digestion. He buys Grip Water from the chinese medical hall for Reuben and makes sure that he takes his grip water to aid in his digestion

I am really thankful for this old man, the loving gong gong and I know that my children love him too. Phoebe will not hesitate to hug his big tummy and Reuben will always call out for his gong gong to watch the 7 pm Taiwanese drama "Ai". Reuben will even lay the cushions properly on the sofa so that his gong-gong will be able to sit comfortable to watch his favourite Taiwanese drama.

Gong gong is really a great parent and grandparent. As a parent, he was very frugal. He is very stingy to himself but he provides abundantly for his family. When we were young, my dad used to walk to work (to and fro), so that he could save the little bit of bus fare. We were not rich but we had enough. Even till today, he will not hesitate to switch on the air-con for his grandchildren to nap in comfort but he will eat the leftovers from the previous night's dinner just to be thrifty.

In him, I've also witnessed kindness. He treats every human being, lowly or almighty, with respect. Many people would just give their maids bread, instant noodles or leftovers to briefly dismiss their meals. But gong gong is different. He makes sure that my maid will get a freshly-bought packet of economical rice for lunch everyday. He always says that we need to feed the maid properly because she needs to work for us. Without proper food, she will not be able to perform her tasks well. My maid has been with us for almost 3 years and she has not eaten instant noodles in my parents' place for more than 3 times! Gong gong always tell us that it is already very pitiful for the maids to leave their homes and young children to work, we should treat them with respect and care. Through him, I have learnt to treat others with kindness and care. Gong gong is indeed a man of great stature.

He does not need to be a wealthy man or a CEO, but in our sight, he is a great great man ; self-sacrificing, loving and yet, firm. I praise God for giving me and my children such a wonderful (grand)parent and I thank God that He has allowed my children to be raised by gong gong and to grow strongly in their bond. I pray that my children will never forget their grandfather and will always be grateful to their loving gong gong.

I always give them a year end treat to show my appreciation to them. We had Tim Sum in Crystal Jade (Plaza Singapura) in December 2010.

Phoebe Rapunzal

2011-03-09T10:24:00.002+08:00

In the December school holidays in 2010, we took Phoebe to watch Rapunzal. Prior to that, I tried to find storybooks on Rapunzal. I was hoping to find the original version for her to read but in vain. All the versions were from Disney. I remember that I used to have a Ladybird story book on Rapunzal but of course, after so many years, the book has either been misplaced or given away by my mother. So I briefly told Phoebe the story to the best my memory can recall before letting her catch the movie in the cinema. This will give her a prior knowledge so that I can save some saliva explaining during the show. She loved the movie very much. After the show, she went home to draw a picture of Rapunzal with loooong hair. She said she wants to keep her hair as long as Rapunzal's! We bought her the Rapunzal storybook to read to her. When she went to grandma's place, my mum gave her a few scarves and she tied it on her head and joined the scarves to form a looong trail. She said she was Rapunzal, with the loooong "hair" and she told us to call her Rapunzal instead of Phoebe. Well, we all played along with her. It good to play dress-up! And we all enjoyed it :)

Christmas Dinner with Gramps & Yiyi

2011-02-24T10:12:00.004+08:00

Christmas should be spent with people whom you love. Hence, for 2010's Christmas, we decided to invite gramps and Yiyi to our house for a Christmas dinner. Too bad, papa had to attend a colleague's wedding banquet dinner, so he was unable to join us. Nevertheless, we had a fun time together. I cooked western food to blend with the occasion. It was simple food but cooked with love. Yiyi bought nice Christmas presents for the children - Musical Percy train for Reuben and Princess accessories set for Phoebe. The children enjoyed having their loving gramps and Yiyi around. It was an enjoyable and meaningful evening.

Proverbs 17:6
Children’s children are a crown to the aged,and parents are the pride of their children.

The children love their Yiyi - She is strict with the children but doting 0n them too!

Children Can't Sit - The Evidence

2011-02-22T09:43:00.000+08:00

When I am in class, I often have to tell the Primary 1 and 2 children to sit on their chairs. I will ask them,

"I didn't punish you, why are you standing?" or
"Do you have a porcupine on your chair? Why can't you sit?"

Then when I am back home, I see my two children not sitting too. When I revise some work with Phoebe at the dining table, she will sit on the edge of the chair for a minute and then for the next minute, she will be standing. Haha. Why can't children sit ? I guess it's either

1) They are always on the move, or

2) The height of the chair and table is not in proportion to their body size.

I just think it's a combination of both reasons! Verdict : The Bouncy Butts Can't Sit! Haha! :)

Each one one computer, no fighting, no issues... :)

Little Knitter

2011-02-18T09:33:00.000+08:00

Aunty Ann has given Phoebe a very special present for Christmas in 2010. She brought the present all the way from Taman Jurong to the Pasir Ris chalet. It was a present well thought of and Phoebe enjoyed the process of knitting. It was her first time knitting and she needs some help from me. I can still remember myself learning to knit when I was in primary school. It was my "gu-ma" (my dad's elder sister) who taught me how to do it. I could only knit simple scarf and I have knitted two scarves before. It was a skill passed down to me. When Phoebe is older, I will also teach her how to knit a scarf for herself. But right now, I think she is just very contented to be able to knit scarves for her stuffed toys :)

It Doesn't Matter Where

2011-02-17T08:38:00.005+08:00

Last December, we did not know where to go but were longing for a holiday that was no expensive and yet enjoyable for all of us, not just the children. We did not want to go to far away places such as Hong Kong or Australia yet as we thought that the children may not understand where they were and it would be a hassle to bring along Reuben's diapers. And with the higher cost, we may not be able to bring Aunty Nia along too. So after much consideration, we decided to book a chalet in Downtown East again. Our last trip to Downtown East chalet was very pleasant and the children remembered that place very well. We asked our family friends to come along too and they also got a chalet unit next to ours. To our pleasant surprise, this time round, the rooms were even better than our last trip. They were newly furnished and we did not have any noisy neighbours as the rooms next to us were used as storage.

The children truely enjoyed themselves and since that trip, Reuben kept saying,"I want to go holiday again!" He has fond memories and could even tell us what he did there. I realised that, to the children, it doesn't really matter where they go, whether is it expensive holidays or nearby places. Most importantly, they are with their parents, doing something together as a family. That's what they want most!

Prata Eating Monkey Viewing

2011-02-15T09:35:00.004+08:00

Sometimes, we like to go to the Causarina Prata Place to have our pratas. Reuben and Phoebe has learnt to eat prata recently. We always order cheese prata for Phoebe and egg prata for Reuben. They will eat it plain because I do not like the idea of adding sugar to the already existing fats. After our prata meal, we will proceed to the Pierce Reservoir to look at the wild monkeys. The children enjoy it a lot. We will just observe them from the car because we are afraid that they may be dangerous. Usually, they are very bold and will come close to our car to see if we have food for them. But being law-abidding citizens, we will not feed the monkeys. We also teach the children how to read the sign for "No feeding monkeys". The children are obedient and will not pester us to feed the monkeys even though they do ask us what the monkeys eat.

First Entry for 2011

2011-01-25T09:53:00.004+08:00

Oh dear, I just realised that I've not blog for almost a month! My first blog of the year 2011 will be an entry of apology to my loyal readers. Sorry for "starving"you guys out there for the past one month. With no blogging, it doesn't mean that nothing is going in my or my children's life. In fact, I've much to blog about, but with no time or rather, discipline.

With me getting an iPhone, I am dealing with Facebook and 'Whatsapp' more these days. It's indeed a very convenient gadget but I often wonder if, 30 years down the line, when I'm in my 60s, will I get radiation-related medical problems on my fingers or hands, due to the excessive contact with electronic devices such as handphones and laptops. Our parents will not experience such problems now because they do not have these gadgets when they were young. Maybe in the near future, we may have new medical conditions called e-rheumatism? The e-elbow condition? The stiff e-neck? The e-rthritis (instead of arthritis)? e-myopia? I don't know. As it is not, I'm already experiencing a pain on my right elbow, which has been in existence since 3-4 months ago. Could it be due to the use of PC and the clicking of mouse? I've went to the Chinese Physician once, but the pain is still there so I gave up. Anyway, it's getting better and hopefully, maybe with the invention of the iPad, there could be a follow-up invention of iPC where the mouse will be obsolete for ever. We just need to type on the good old keyboard and use our fingers to touch on the screen, a bit like the AXS machine! :)

Anyway, it's time for school soon. And I'll be taking Reuben and Nia to grandma's house before taking him to "Sha-La-La" later. Phoebe is already in school at this hour and she's in K2 now! How time flies! Will blog more soon, I promise, my loyal readers!

Ciao for now!! :)

Parents and Babes Look Alike

2010-12-24T08:09:00.000+08:00

I still feel that both Reuben and Phoebe looks like me, rather than their papa, except that they both have much nicer eyes than me. They have inherited their papa's eyes which are good because they're big, round and strong, and no squint! I'm born with an Exotropia squint (one eyeball turned outwards), which I've inherited from my dad (aka gong-gong) but his is not obvious. Mine was very obvious, anyone who has seen me could not tell if I was looking at him/her or the person beside him/her. So when I was about 23 years old, I decided to go through an operation to tightened the muscle on my right eye so that my eyeballs can be aligned. So eversince I was pregnant, I would pray very hard, every night, that my children will not get a squint from me. God is faithful and He has answered my prayers, haven't He? See it for yourself :)

Mommies Power

2010-12-23T18:34:00.004+08:00

We were supposed to go to Aunty Jessie's new place in AMK but at a twist of fate, we ended up having the gathering in our place. We had delicious sugar pizza and yoghurt pizza from Sarpino's. Aunty Linah also joined us in the gathering after Sophie had finished her dancing class in Thomson Plaza. It was a good time having adult talk. The girls played and I was busy chit-chatting and smelling Alfee that I forgot to take pictures of Sophie and Alfee. It was a meaningful afternoon spent!

Chalk Playing

2010-12-23T17:48:00.006+08:00

I grew up in the era where chalk was the weapon of the teacher. No teacher was not equipped with a stick of chalk. I have even heard of flying chalks thrown by teachers to awake the daydreamers in the classrooms though none of it have happened to me in my convent school. But children these days have not heard of chalk. Teachers use whiteboard markers and IT peripheral to excite and engage the pupils.

When Phoebe and Reuben first saw the chalk in my friend's kiddy birthday party, they were intrigue by it. They drew pictures on the cemented ground. That was their first encouter of chalk. When I went to Ikea, I saw boxes of chalk being sold there, not expensive, about $1.50 for a box of 12 sticks. Surely I will not deprive my children of my childhood experience. I bought a box and they played with them on one of the saturday mornings, doodling on the common corridor. They had fun and Phoebe was surprised at how fast a stick of chalk got worn off. Actually, me too. I didn't know that chalk can get worn off so quickly. Of course, how would I know, right? When I started teaching, I was already using whiteboard markers and when I was a pupil myself, we wouldn't dare to touch the teachers' weapon. They were sacredly placed on the blackboard, not allowed to be touched unless the teacher enthroned it to you to inscribe your answers on the blackboard.

Anyway, back to now, after about half an hour of doodling, the children were dusty and perspiring. Off they went to have their shower while Mommy Me washed away the chalk traces with a bucket of water and a brush. Have fun - checked! :)

Goofing Around

2010-12-23T17:41:00.005+08:00

Goofing around, pretending to be cats... Meow...

**Ooops! Phoebe saw this blog entry and told me that they were pretending to be poodle dogs, not cats! Haha :)

Pinnochio

2010-12-16T07:51:00.004+08:00

We took Phoebe and Reuben to watch the musical Pinnochio on 10 December 2010. We bought the family package which consist of 4 tickets. Phoebe has watch many musical performances before but it was Reuben's first musical. The performance has about an hour plus with an interval. It was recommended for 4 year olds and above but Reuben was able to sit through the whole musical without any fidgeting. When the performance started, I could see that he was totally immersed in the show. I too felt that the performance was very captivating. A few days before the performance, we borrowed story books on Pinnochio and read the story to the children first. Hence, both Phoebe and Reuben could comprehend the show. They had enjoyed the show and they were able to give us a brief account of the content later on. Reuben couldn't pronounce the long name, Pinnochio, and changed him into a Japanese instead by calling him "Kinioto". Haha. Alright, from now on, Reuben can also join us in catching nice children musical too!! :)

Phoebe giving a brief summary of Pinnochio

Reuben had changed Pinnochio into a Japanese by calling him "Kinioto". Haha :)

Team Work

2010-12-14T17:27:00.003+08:00

I had to be in school one of the school holidays and my parents had just flown to China for their tour. I had no choice but to leave the two kids with the maid, Aunty Nia, at home for a few hours. When I was back, the two kids were having their nap and I saw this stuck to the door of my bedroom. It's a little handbag with pictures of Prince Reuben and Princess Phoebe. It instantly melted my heart and I went over to kiss the faces of my sleeping children. Apparently, Phoebe drew the pictures and star, Aunty Nia drew the flowers, cut the pictures and made the handle of the handbag and Phoebe stuck the scotchtapes and Aunty Nia stuck it on the door. Teamwork = Funwork. Glad that they had fun, doing something meaningful together.

H for Helicopter Hat

2010-12-14T16:52:00.004+08:00

Children is one of the best gift that God has given us. Sometimes, I just can't help but laugh at their goofiness. Every of their action is innocently cute to me. Why? Because I simply love them, much much and MUCH. When I go shopping, I no longer look at my own things. The first department is always the Children's Department. Even when sometimes I know that buying a particular item for them is a definite waste of money, I still cannot help but indulge in them. Whilst spending money on them is a pure joy, I was stingy to myself. Before I decided to make a purchase for myself, I often contemplate for quite a while, mentally debating if I really need that item and I sometimes find myself putting back the item onto the shelf.

Take a look at the Ikea helicopter hat. Reuben liked it very much the minute he placed it onto his head. It was not an expensive item, probably about $4.90(?) But does he need it? No! He has many of such hats - Chicken hat, Ladybird hat, Cowboy hat, Fireman hat... He definitely doesn't need a helicopter hat. But did I buy it for him? Yes. Why? Because he likes it, he looks cute in it and he is HAPPY. I could have gently tell him to put it back onto the shelf and I'm quite certain that he will not protest violently. Like he always does, he'll probably wave and say,

"Bye bye helicopter hat. See you next time."

Reuben can be such a sweet-natured boy sometimes. And at the end of the Ikea trip, I bought the helicopter hat for him because I love him!Loving my two children is the best gift I can give them and the best way to thank God for them :)

Loving them is the best gift I can give my two children...

Ice Ice Babies

2010-12-11T17:32:00.006+08:00

I have not had the time to blog. Holidays are very busy, I'm with the children all the time. We took them out for various activities and ice-skating was one of them. The rink was in Velocity Mall. A child (below 1.4m) can get to ice-skate for 30 minutes when he/she produces a receipt of $60 in Velocity. So in order for Phoebe and Reuben to ice-skate each time, we need to spend $120. The two of them had ice-skate together for 4 times, so you can imagine how much money we had spent - $480. What did we spend the $480 on? Choice Vouchers. We bought the Choice vouchers from Cold Storage. These Choice vouchers can be used in Giant supermarket, Cold Storage, Shop N Save, Guardian etc. That's how far we were go for the sake of our precious babes. Haha. But the most important thing is that, they both enjoyed themselves very much and they were very excited about it. Velocity holds this event yearly. Next year, we'll surely them if they have this event again! :)

Go steady, my ice babies...

Blogger Mommies Date Again

2010-11-26T11:50:00.006+08:00

Next week, the blogger mommies be meeting up for lunch. We will then catch the free live performance of Sesame Street. If you're interested to join us, please drop a message in my comment box and I'll contact you regarding the time and date. :)

Summary of Free Live Performances This December

2010-11-26T11:28:00.006+08:00

Below is a list of live shows in December 2010.

1) Musical Christmas Comes Alive!
Venue: AMK Hub, B1 Exhibition Hall
Date: 10 December to 19 December 2010
Time:
Tuesday to Friday: 5pm & 8pm
Saturday & Sunday: 2pm, 5pm & 8pm

2) Care Bears Mini Musical Live Show
Venue: Event Square at Downtown East
Date: 30 Nov - 31 Dec 2010 (Weekends and Public Holidays only)
Time: 6:.00 p.m.

3) Strawberry Shortcake Berry Bubblelicious Show

Compass Point
Date: 23-28 November
Time: 1pm, 4pm & 7pm

Causeway Point
Date: 30 November - 5 December
Time: 1pm, 4pm & 7pm

Northpoint
Date: 7-12 December
Time: 1pm, 4pm & 7pm

Centrepoint
Date: 14-19 December
Time: 1pm, 4pm & 7pm

4) Dora "The Big Pinata" Live Show
Venue: Raffles City, Level 3
Date: 19 November - 5 December (except Mon)
Tuesday to Friday: 1pm & 7pm
Saturday to Sunday: 1pm, 4pm & 7pm

5) Mr Men and Little Miss Christmas Musical
Venue: Takashimaya
Date: Friday, 3 December to Saturday, 11 December
Time: 1pm, 4pm and 7pm daily(No show on Monday, 6 December)

6) Barney's Christmas Surprise!
Venue: United Square Shopping Mall
Date: 24 November to 6 December
Time:
Monday to Friday: 2pm & 7pm
Saturday to Sunday: 1pm, 4pm & 7pm(No shows on Tuesday)

7) Go Diego Go! - The Iguana Sing-along
Venue: United Square Shopping Mall
Date: 9 to 20 December
Time:Monday to Sunday, 12pm, 4:30pm & 7pm(No show on Tuesday)

8) Hi-5 Live Show
Venue: Central Atrium at Marina Square
Date: 26 November to 12 December
Time: 1pm, 4pm, 7pm (dailyexcept Monday)

9) The Elves and the Shoemaker retold by Precious Moments
Venue: JP1 Centrestage at Jurong Point
Date: 1 to 12 December 2010
Time: 1pm, 7pm
Weekend meet and greet: 4pm

10) Pokemon Show
Venue: Open Plaza at Tampines Mall
Date: 26 November to 26 December 2010
Time:Tues to Fri, 1pm, 7pm
Saturday & Sunday, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm11 & 12 December, 1pm, 7pm

11) Sesame Street Live Show

Plaza Singapura
30 November to 12 December

Bt Pajang Plaza
14 to 19 December

Time: Tuesday to Thursday, 1pm, 7pm
Friday to Sunday, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm

12) PowerRanger
Sembawang Shopping Centre
30 November to 5 December

Bt Panjang Plaza
7 to 12 December

Tuesday to Thursday, 1pm, 7pm
Friday to Sunday, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm

13) Bob The Builder
Venue: West Coast Plaza
Dates: 20 November to 5 December, Saturday & Sunday only
Time: 4:30pm, 8pm

14) Thomas The Train
Venue: Millenia Walk
Date and Time:25 & 26 November
2, 3, 9, 10 December at 7pm
27 & 28 November, 4, 5, 11,
12 December at 1pm, 7pm

DVD on the Move

2010-11-25T14:08:00.002+08:00

I always disapprove the viewing of DVDs/VCDs while travelling in a car. I always feel that the children have watched enough programmes while they are at home or in my parents' house. They should not be watching anymore shows in the car and it may not be very good for their eyes. However, when we travel long distance, watching a show can keep the children occupied and they will be less fidgeting and cranky. When we travel to Malaysia, we used to take along a laptop for the children to view their VCDs/DVDs. However, recently, there was a Philip sales and we decided to buy this portable DVD player for the children. I thought that since the children are going to be occupied while travelling, we should occupy their time and mind with shows of wholesome content. We bought several Christian DVDs for the children. Some are on bible stories - the old and new testament and some are Christian stories on values (e.g. the Fruit of the Spirit, the Armour of God etc). So even if the children's mind are floated with programmes, they're meaningful and valuable in content. The children loves the DVDs and they even ask for more of these Christian DVDs :)

Eeny Miney Eeny Mo

2010-11-25T13:59:00.003+08:00

I don't think Reuben had any clue what his jie-jie was doing but he just imitated her actions anyway. It was a funny but pleasant sight. We went sitting on the bed while the children were eeny-mineying us. For what reasons ? Beats me! Haha :)

"...tinish," said Reuben :)

Brave Reuben

2010-11-25T13:25:00.002+08:00

Reuben used to be very scare of the rides in shopping malls. He wouldn't even want to sit on it, be it moving or static. But since about 3 weeks ago, he suddenly became brave and did not resist when we put him on one of the rides. He loves cars of all types - fire engine, police car, ambulance etc. He's a typical boy :)

Tiong Bahru Market

2010-11-25T13:19:00.003+08:00

We had dinner in Tiong Bahru Market. I love the food there - the delicious Tiong Bahru bao, the Jian Bo Chwee Kwey, the Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice etc. While waiting for their Chicken Rice, we took some pictures for the kids :)

Snack Time at Home

2010-11-25T11:50:00.003+08:00

Eating together...

Jacob Ballads on Deepavali

2010-11-25T10:37:00.004+08:00

On Deepavali this year, we took the children to Jacaob Ballas Children's Garden again. The children love that place. We equipped them with swimming suits so that they can have their water play in the wet area. They also brought along their sandcastle-building toys for the sand play. The weather was good and the children had an enjoyable morning. We went to the food court in Botanic Garden for lunch and popped by the Swan Lake for a stroll before heading home for their nap.

Phoebe's Drawing

2010-11-25T10:28:00.002+08:00

Most of the time, Phoebe will draw with pencil and then refuse to colour her drawing. I always encourage her to colour her pictures. Now, I tell her to use the crayons to draw directly and fill in the pictures with colours. This is her latest drawing.

Mice Chopsticks

2010-11-25T10:23:00.003+08:00

Got these chopsticks for the 2 kiddos :) One Minne and One Mickey. Phoebe is able to use it easily but Reuben still needs some practice. The Mickey one comes with a carrying case so I put both pairs into the carrying case. They love their new chopsticks. Now they want to eat noodles all the time so that they can use their new chopticks. Haha :)

Hamily

2010-11-19T10:17:00.006+08:00

Meet our newest family member, Hamily. We got the hamster from Uncle Alex's family. They were taking care of the hamster for a while and then they decided to pass it to us for us to take care of it. In Uncle Alex's family, Hamily was known as Snow White but Phoebe decided to name it Hamily instead. I must say that she is quite innovative in naming her hamster. Haha. Anyway, we do not know the gender of the hamster but we just assume that it's a girl.

Reuben Likes Computer

2010-11-18T10:56:00.001+08:00

This is Reuben's favourite website. He can use the mouse to navigate easily.

Jusco Malaysia

2010-11-18T10:12:00.005+08:00

We drove to Justco Malaysia on 6 November. It's in Bukit Indah, which is just ten minutes drive from the Tuas Checkpoint. We went on a day trip, just to walk around, eat and buy groceries. It was our second time there. The shopping mall was clean and new (with toilet papers in the toilet which is rare in Malaysia! Haha.)

We had our lunch in A&W. I have not had a Rootbeer float for almost 10 years!!

Phoebe get to try out the Swaveboard. 10 RM for 45 minutes and the trainer will guide her.

We had our dinner in a restaurant that serves herbal food and then we went to Justco to get our groceries before proceeding home :)

Encore Reuben

2010-11-18T10:01:00.001+08:00

Hear Reuben singing his school's goodbye song again. We entitled it "Sha-La-La". This time, he uses a pseudo mike, just like a pro! Haha :)

The Tired Mommy's Birthday

2010-11-18T09:22:00.014+08:00

35 - that's my age. At 35, my career is stable, my children are happy, my hubby is loving, my parents and sister are healthy, we're spiritually growing, what more should I ask for. Nothing. I count my blessings every day and I thank God for all that He has given me for these 35 years and many more years to come.

We had lunch in Sakae Sushi Compass point.

Then we proceeded to Icing Room to decorate my birthday cake.

The children had some rides and Reuben did not want to get out of it. Ironically, he was very afraid of rides just about 2 weeks ago :) Haha.

We went to Integrity Warehouse sale to buy some Christian CDs and DVDs and thereafter, to Robinsons sale in Centrepoint and bought Reuben a Toy Story trolley bag. At night, we went home and sang the birthday song :)

A Little Blue Notebook No More

2010-11-18T08:43:00.003+08:00

Phoebe has started her piano lessons for about a month. She's enjoying herself. Her teacher asked for a little blue notebook (that the prefects use) to track her lesson dates. I got one for her but I thought a little blue notebook looks a little boring. So I decided to spice it up with a little personalisation. My hubby always say that I like to do these "bo liao liao" things. Haha. But that's me! :)

Once Upon A Baby

2010-11-13T10:02:00.005+08:00

Reuben lying down in the bouncer, pretending to be a baby once again. He's 12.5 kg at about 33 months now. I sold this Fisherprice 'Cover and Play' Bouncer away for $30 in the Singapore Motherhood forum. It was still in excellent condition, very new, no stain, tear, discolouring or odour. It has been a very good and faithful bouncer, serving Baby Phoebe and Baby Reuben and it's time for it to be a blessing to another baby :)

Reminiscing Reuben's days as a little baby. These pictures were taking on 12 June 2008, Reuben was 3 months old.

V for Vitagen

2010-11-13T03:26:00.005+08:00

Reuben loves to drink Vitagen but only the peach flavour. So my mom will give him one bottle a day to help in his digestion and hopefully, to ease his bowels and minimise the chances of having constipation. It was not easy to find the whole row with all peach flavour, most packages are sold with assorted ones so my mom has to specially order the whole row of peach Vitagen from a door-to-door sales lady. My mom bought Vitagen instead of Yakult because it is lower in sugar. The doctor said that Vitagen has good bacteria that will help in digestion but children of Reuben's age can only consume one bottle a day. More than a bottle a day may trigger the production of thick phlegm. So we have to make sure that the children do not over indulge in it. :)

Beautiful Attitudes

2010-11-13T01:31:00.007+08:00

I am one parent who strongly believe in teaching values to the children, much more than academic knowledge. Because information is always changing but good values never change and if the children learn them well, the good values will be stuck to the children all the days of their lives. I strongly believe that having high IQ (Intelligent Quotient) will give you an advantage in the starting point, but it is the high EQ (Emotional Quotient) that will help a person go a longer way. I am thankful to Phoebe's school, SKMCC, for imparting good values to the children.

Beautiful Attitudes - that's the theme for this year's concert. It was held on 6 Nov 2010. I am always very impressed with the school's concert. Last year's concert brought tears to my eyes. This year's concert was just as impressive. They do not need fanciful costumes, just a simple customised T-shirt and the children's own pants and some simple props and the show was rolled out spectacularly. This year, Phoebe's dance steps were a little more complicated but she was able to perform effortlessly. I am so proud of my little girl. She has indeed grown up and I'm glad that she has also grown to be more confident of herself! :)

The teachers and principal are very kind, patient and caring. I see them with the children throughout. Not an angry word was spoken nor an order commanded. The children were excited, yet orderly. The principal is one lady I really respect. She is a dynamic but humble person and her faith in God is admirable. She is always with the children and teachers, helping out when there is a need to be hands-on. When a teacher is on leave, the principal will not hesitate to stand in for the teacher to teach the class. She has about 324 children in her school and she knows every child by his/ her name. This principal is truly remarkable!

With the strong rapport between the children and the staff, the children are blossoming under their care. I have never regretted putting Phoebe in this school and next year, I will also enrol Reuben into SKMCC. He will be attending Nursery in 2012. I also want Reuben to grow up in a healthy Christian environment where he can also acquire beautiful attitudes and values! :)

Mrs Lim, Phoebe's English teacher. Phoebe loves her story time.
Mrs. Tan, the wonderful shepherd of the school.

Phoebe's Chinese teacher, Zhao Lao Shi, very encouraging.
Mrs. Lee, Phoebe's Math/Form teacher, very motherly and kind.
Phoebe's another Chinese teacher, Chen Lao Shi, very helpful and patient.

Watch Phoebe and the Little Chefs preparing a feast for everyone!

The finale song - Heaven in My Heart

Phoebe's 5th Birthday Celebration With Her Maternals

2010-11-11T09:25:00.009+08:00

On Phoebe's actual birthday, she had her birthday celebration in school. Then we proceeded to Bouncing Kids (again!) for the two kiddos to jump and play.

Then in the evening, the children had a dinner with their maternal grandparents and Yi-yi in Swensons Compass Point. Instead of having the usual cake again, we ordered a Happy Birthday Ice cream instead :)

Phoebe's 5th Birthday Celebration with her paternals

2010-11-11T08:46:00.006+08:00

Phoebe celebrated her fifth birthday a day earlier with her paternal grandparents, uncle, aunties and cousins. We usually patronise the "Teochew Tze Char" restaurant because the food is delicious and inexpensive. Phoebe was wearing the pretty polka-dot dress that Yi-yi had bought for her in July this year. We bought a half kg 'Hello Kitty' cake for Phoebe. Phoebe just loves to blow candles. Well, which child doesn't? :)

Phoebe's 5th Birthday Celebration in SKMCC

2010-11-10T08:52:00.008+08:00

As usual, when the children have birthday celebrations, we usually do it in parts because of the various circle of stakeholders. The first part is Phoebe's celebration in school on 25 October 2010. It was only a 20-minute celebration because their snack time is only 20 minutes and after that, they will have to attend their Chinese class. Though it was a short celebration, it has made a mark in Phoebe's memory :)

She woke up in the morning feeling very excited. I bought her a new dress to wear on her birthday. She chose to have a Minnie Mouse cake. We ordered her chocolate cake from Bengawan Solo.

Before the children have their refreshments, they will usually sing their grace. They will also thank the aunties who prepare the food for them and they would invite their teachers and friends for the snack. Both papa and I took leave to spend Phoebe's special day with her, together with Auntie Nia and Reuben.

These are Phoebe's friends and teachers. Mrs Leow (co-teacher). Mrs Lim (English teacher) and Mrs Lee (Math/Form teacher), very patient and caring teachers.

Phoebe cutting her cake. Reuben was a little bored and he saw the nursery children playing bicycle. The nursery teacher, Ms Hoe, used to be Phoebe's nursery teacher. She took the smallest tricycle for Reuben to play with. It was very kind of her. Reuben has yet to learn how to paddle.

Phoebe serving her friends and her English teacher (in white). The lady in pink is the principal, Mrs. Tan. She is a very hands-on principal. She does not sit high up in an ivory chair, watching her staff work but she works along with them. There are about 324 children in SKMCC and she knows every single one by his/her name! A very remarkable, dynamic and yet humble lady. Very respectful! :)

When the children got back to class, Phoebe helped her teachers to give out the goodie bags for the children in Hope 1 and also her teachers and principal.

The children singing their grace before snack time.

The children sang the birthday songs and gave Phoebe FIVE BLESSINGS since she's five years old :)

Phoebe's Shop

2010-10-29T17:47:00.000+08:00

Phoebe said that she wanted to open a shop, selling toys. So I got her to select a few items amongst her toys, tag a price and write about her toy shop project in her scrap book. Coincidentally, we went to the library and found a book "Little Princess : I Want a Shop!" by Tony Ross. We immediately borrowed it. Is this the beginning of entrepreneurship? Haha.

Bad Hair Day?

2010-10-28T17:36:00.002+08:00

This is how Phoebe will look like if she gets a perm. Haha.

Her hair becomes wavy after we untie her plaits.

Farm Hopping

2010-10-27T18:21:00.020+08:00

On 1 October 2010, we celebrated Children's Day by taking our darlings to some of the farms in Singapore. We need to let our city kids get in touch with nature some time.

Our first stop : Qian Hu Fish Farm

There was a pond filled with many tortoises. Reuben was quite frightened by the sight of the humongous tortoises.

Then the children tried catching fish using nets. Auntie Nia managed to help them catch several 'Long Kang' fish.

Papa and Mommy tried the FOC Fish Spa. It was ticklish and fun but our feet were still as rough leh. I guess we had too much dead skin on our feet, the fish were probably having a feast! Haha.

We looked at the aquarium of assorted fish and sea creatures. Phoebe brought her bag of 'Long Kang' fish home. They didn't survive for long despite our excellent aquarium condition. I guess the quality of the 'Long Kang' fish was very poor.

Our second stop : Hay Dairies Goat Farm

Phoebe trying out the goat's milk. It's supposed to be very good for people with respiratory problem, eczema, allergy to cow's milk, lactose intolerance etc. Phoebe's a milk junkie but goat's milk is not something that she favours although it was in chocolate flavour.

We reached the goat farm at about 1 p.m. and missed their goat milking session. It was supposed to be between 9-11 a.m. Nevertheless, Phoebe learned that the goats were segregated into 3 groups, the billies, nannies and kids.

Our third stop : Jurong Frog Farm

Phoebe learned about the stages of the life cycle of a frog. There were live specimen and pictures showing each stage of the frog. We saw frog eggs, tadpoles, frogs with forelegs and tails and frogs with both fore and hind legs and tails. Most of the frogs they had were bullfrog.

There was an enclosure, especially for the frogs to mate. We witnessed a pair of frog mating and we also saw some frog eggs and tadpoles within the enclosure. When we were in the tourist office, we spotted a mommy dog nursing a puppy. It was heartwarming and Phoebe was thrilled :)

Our fourth stop : Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

It had been raining for the past few days. Hence, it was high tide when we reached Sungei Buloh. We went on the Mangrove Boardwalk trail. It was a short walking trail of about 40 minutes. The view was serene but we didn't get to see any birds due to the high tide. We did spot a Water Monitor basking on a raft and also some tiny tree crabs near the mangrove swamp.

Walking the trail, keeping our senses alert. The children were trying to spot some creatures in the water while resting in the shelter.

The children were tired but they wanted to visit the nearby crocodile farm. However, it was closed and Reuben fell asleep along the way. So that ended our farm tours.

Last stop : IMM

We ended the day at IMM. The children played in the outdoor wet playground, in a way, to wash away all their perspiration. Haha. They had a lot of fun but we limited their water play to fifteen minutes just in case they catch a cold.

It was a very good trip visiting the farms. I have learnt alot, and so did the children. We'll probably source for another crocodile farm since the children did not get to visit the one in Lim Chu Kang in this trip. I think there's another crocodile farm in Serangoon. Will check it out with the children! :) Hopefully, we can catch the feeding session! :)

I found this video from You-tube. Looks very interesting!

Indoor Camping

2010-10-27T17:55:00.004+08:00

We bought this tent from Ikea for the children. They have read stories about camping and sleeping out but they have not experience it before. So when I saw them playing with this tent in Ikea, I decided to buy it. It was not expensive, only $12.90. But the down side is that, it takes up quite a bit a space and can get pretty hot inside. It is big, able to contain a mattress, the size of a playpen and with some more space left. The two of them threw in their blankets and toys and had a whale of a time. To beat the heat, I switched on the aircon (when they're in the bedroom) or the fan (when they're in the living room). They pretended to be camping outdoor, living in an igloo and also role-playing 'The 3 Little Pigs'. Definitely another good item for imaginery play :)

We The Citizens of Singapore

2010-10-18T09:40:00.002+08:00

Before we went to USA, Phoebe already had a slight cough. There were phlegm in her throat which she could not clear. It escalated while we were in USA and my parents took her to the doctor again. Till today, her cough has almost subsided but not fully. She still has a little phlegm which she tries to spit out whenever she coughs - which is about twice to thrice a day. This video was recorded when she was waiting for her turn in the clinic. It was recorded in the month of August, just after National Day celebrations :)

She has learnt this song in school (but not the last bit)

My Crown Prince

2010-10-18T09:34:00.003+08:00

Reuben came home with a simple crown that he had made in Little Learners. The teachers had cut out the crown using simple vanguard sheet and Reuben did his part by doing finger-painting to decorate his crown. Unfortunately, the pictures were blurred because I used my handphone camera to capture the pictures.But nevermind, he still looks really cute in it :)

Prince Reuben

Bouncing Up and Down

2010-10-18T09:00:00.004+08:00

We went to the Bouncing Kids on 24 September. My mum had to go for her biannual checkup so we took leave to watch the kids. We have read in Auntie KF's blog that there's a newly opened indoor kids playground in Kovan that's in the old bus interchange. Hence, after Phoebe had came back from school (Reuben skipped school that day :p), we took the MRT to Kovan.

It is indeed very near the MRT, about 5 minutes walk. Bouncing Kids was opened for about 3 months so the gym was very new and I could smell the 'newness'. The playground area for kids was of a regular size, not as big as Polliwogs, but enough to keep the children busy. They have the standard slides, twirling slides, baby swing, ball pits etc. What I like was the Flying Fox gadget which other indoor playgrounds do not have. Initially, Phoebe was afraid to try on it, but after a while, she decided to have a go and she loved it. As it was a weekday, the playground was not crowded at all.

The parents waiting and sitting area was relatively small as compared to Polliwogs. But because it was not crowded, it was alright for us, we sat in the playground itself to watch the children. The toilets were spacious and clean.

Overall rating - V. Good. The place is rather small to me but it is very new and the convenience plays a big part because it is easily accessible by MRT. So I can go there with the children without driving. Yes, we would go there again :)

Watch Phoebe on the Flying Fox. It's really fast! Don't blink :)

Phoebe had also met a little friend of her age so they played together

Phoebe's Drawing

2010-10-17T17:06:00.009+08:00

Phoebe loves drawing. However, I've yet to find an art class that can suit our timing. She is already attending some classes - Chinese, Phonics, Piano and Ballet. All of which, she loves very much. On top of that, we also have church activities and sunday school to attend. Hence, we don't have that many time slot to offer. But Phoebe was quite alright. She did not insist in attending an art class even though she did express that she wish she could attend one. Phoebe and Reuben's favourite movie for the moment is "Toy Story Part 2". Without a doubt, her favourite character is Jessie. I've asked her why and she said that she likes Jessie because she's very crazy. For her upcoming birthday, we ordered a Talking Jessie via online Disney.com for her. She likes it :) Phoebe has drawn some pictures, one of which is Jessie. Have a look.

She drew Jessie and her "sister" (her stuffed toy rabbit)

She has also drawn some other stuff.

Mermaid. Happy and Sad Meshy Potatoes.

Sunglasses (looks like bra to me. Haha.). Spaghetti and Meatballs.

Cup on a table. Her favourite chocolate ice cream.

Hurray

2010-10-17T17:05:00.001+08:00

Yeah! My son has pooed! Smelly but Yippee :) haaha :)

Toilet Training Reuben

2010-10-14T09:49:00.003+08:00

Reuben is almost toilet trained in the day time. When we're at home or out for short trips, he goes diaperless. But for longer trips, we still let him wear his diaper. He also wears the diaper before he sleeps at night. However, ever since we've let him experience being diaperless, he loves it and when he needs to wear diaper at night, he will whine, though he doesn't protest violently. So far, he only had one mishap yesterday when in school. If not, he's doing fine.

However, now we do have a problem with his bowels. He is very used to passing motion into his diaper. Now that he has no diaper on in the day time, he didn't know how to go about doing "it". As a result, he was constipated for 4 days and we took him to the doctor and 2 days ago (till now) he has not done "it" yet. We tried giving him prune juice at first but at the first sight of the dark-looking liquid, he rejected it. My mom gives him one bottle of vitagen a day to help in his intestinal digestion but it doesn't seem to help. Well, if by the end of today he still doesn't pass motion, I'll have to resort to the medical way - give him 5ml of Lactulose BP. :(

Reuben in his new underwear. We bought him a box of 'Thomas and Friends' briefs and he loves it very much. The one he's wearing in the picture is "Little Bo Dog" (not Calvin Klein. heehee). In the next picture, Reuben's 'shee shee pot' is hung in the toilet, above his 'Toy R Us' toilet seat.

This is mommy-made "shee shee pot" for Reuben. It's made of a disposable plastic bowl and I can let him pee anywhere in the house. After using it for a few days, I'll dispose it and change a new one. It's economical and hygienic.

Firefighter Reuben

2010-10-14T09:37:00.004+08:00

There's a fire, there's a fire. Help, Firefighter Reuben! Get your skipping rope (Oops!) I mean, get your fire hose! :)

Watch this before the role play for more meaningful play :)

Reuben and Phoebe love this Barney Fire truck song :)

Sharing

2010-10-14T09:10:00.005+08:00

Papa has just got his Iphone 4G in August. There are many applications for the children. Sometimes the children will fight to use the phone. Sometimes they will share. It's nice to see the both of them sharing. It's a lovely sight :)

Reuben can navigate the Iphone by himself. He is 30 months old. This is Reuben's favourite You-Tube video, The Lion Sleeps Tonight. He also likes 'The Elephant Song'.

Phoebe and Reuben would giggle at the silliness of this song and imitate the "no,no, no..."

POSB Run For Kids

2010-10-13T09:48:00.012+08:00

Another backdated one. Phoebe and papa joined the POSB Run For Kids on 19 September. It was held in Anchorvale CC, very near our place, so papa decided to sign up for it. Phoebe was very disappointed when she found out that there was no medal for all the children, unlike in the Sprint Kids 2010 event. To add to her agony, the morning was extremely hot and Phoebe was tired and whiny. Look at her bittergoud face. Haha. She kept asking her papa to carry her because she was tired.

This little girl gets very uncomfortable when she feels hot and sticky. Whenever we go out for meals, she would ask, "Are we going to a hot hot place or cold cold place for dinner?" And if we say that we're going to a hot hot place, she'll whine, "Huh!!! I don't want to go to a hot hot place. I want to go to a place with aircon. It's nice and cool." *sigh*

In the early morning, Phoebe was still fresh-faced & clean. After waiting for some time, the weather got more humid & Phoebe was exhausted even before the event started.

The weather was very humid. Even before the event had started, Phoebe was already very lethargic. Her papa encouraged her to run a little but Phoebe was reluctant to run or even jog under such weather condition.

A Little Malay Boy

2010-10-13T08:17:00.005+08:00

This is a backdated entry. Reuben's school celebrated Hari Raya Puasa on the 13th September. The children are supposed to wear their own outing clothes or traditional costume. So I decided to borrow a set of Malay costume from Auntie Suhailah. The costume fits just nice! Reuben did look a little like a Malay boy. This is what I like about Singapore - our diversity in culture. So our children can get to experience the richness of other culture. Reuben came back home that day, saying "tutupat", meaning "ketupat". The teachers have taught them some names of Malay food and items.

Reuben's 'tutupat' vs the real Ketupat

Thank You Auntie KF

2010-10-11T10:05:00.005+08:00

Phoebe is going to be five in another 2 weeks' time. Auntie KF is always the first to give her her birthday present. Last year, Phoebe received a musical birthday cake which can do short recording. Phoebe loved that gift very much. She loves to do recording of funny noises and she would playback and listen to the recording and laugh at herself for her silliness. She made Reuben laugh too. This year, Auntie KF gave her a library of Dora books. Phoebe loves to watch Dora in okto. She was delighted to have the books and told me to read them to her immediately. :) Thank you Auntie KF for the lovely books! :)