Lunar New Year Vs Birthday

This is Reuben's first Lunar New Year. Of course, he has no clue of what was going now. Phoebe's celebrating her 3rd Lunar New Year and she's beginning to understand the meaning of the occasion. However, she still asked me on the first day of the new year, "Mommy, today's whose birthday?" She associates celebration with birthdays. Last year, when we celebrated Christmas, she also asked me the same question, "Mommy, today's whose birthday?" I told her that it was Jesus' birthday, which was a correct answer. But when comes to the Lunar New Year, I didn't know now to answer her. I told her that it's nobody's birthday, it's the Chinese New Year. She repeated "Chinese New Year... (and then followed by) Mommy, today's whose birthday?" Hmm... she's at this age where everything is why why and more whys.

On the 7th day of Lunar New Year, it's REN RI. So it's everybody's birthday. I can expect Phoebe asking, "Where's the birthday cake?" Haha :)

I love this picture but it's a little blur if the picture is enlarged. Too bad.

Quiz of the Day

Alright, I shall reveal the answer for the QUIZ OF THE DAY. Yes, these are CHILLI PLANTS!! Looks like tomatoes right ? It's a little tricky and we nearly got tricked too, until I illegally plucked one of the fruit to smell at. We've 2 contestants - Dadaluff and Jammie. Their answers are chilli and tomato respectively. So the winner is Dadaluff!! :) Your Sophie will get a big ang pao from me (when I see you). Since it's the Lunar New Year and no kid will walk away with no ang pao, Jammie's Julian will also get an ang pao from me! (^_^). Happy Lunar New Year for all the little children!! :)

Chilli in disguise!

Happy Lunar New Year

Phoebe loves to sing but the songs are usually in English. I was very happy and surprised that she is able to sing a Chinese song and what more, a Lunar New Year song! She has learnt it in school. She's accurate in her words but the diction still sounds a little banana.

I just heard her telling her cousin, "Ah Ting, fang4 (put) nicely!" She was telling her cousin to put the toys back nicely. Haha... When she greeted my parents this afternoon, she said,"Gong4 xi gong4 xi, sing nyen gwai le" Aiyoo... Hopefully her pronunciation will improve as she gets older.

Have a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year everyone! (^_^)b

Kite Flying Again

After church on Chinese New Year eve, the children had nothing much to do. Phoebe did not have her ballet class. So we thought of going kite flying again since we've pretty much enjoyed our kite flying experience the last time. We brought along the tricycle, thinking that Reuben can ride on it while Phoebe and papa fly their kite. However, it turned out that it was not very windy and the kite was not flying very well. Phoebe got bored and she wanted to push Reuben around on the tricycle. After a while, both of them got bored again. I spotted some mimosa and I taught Phoebe how to trigger a response from the mimosa plant. Reuben was interested in seeing what Phoebe was doing, so he sat on the grass to watch. Then he started pulling and tugging the dry grass while Phoebe go around touching mimosa. While, though we didn't meet the objective of kite flying, we taught the children something about live sciences.

The Animal Resort

On Chinese New Year eve, we decided to bring the children to the The Animal Resort in Seletar Farmway 5. We wanted to keep the children out of mischief so that Auntie Nia can clean the house in peace, in preparation for Chinese New Year. There were quite a few farm animals such as goat, geese, chickens, rooster, rabbits, guinea pigs, koi, dogs, peacock, peahen, parrots, macaw etc. The silly chickens kept charging towards us whenever we squat down. They must have thought that we're offering them food. After a short while, we could feel one or two drops of rain. The geese started to waddle into their shelter. We took the cue and headed to the car immediately. It was quite a small place and we covered the whole place in less than an hour. The children enjoyed themselves though.

Join the Contest

Hey bloggers,
Go join the contest in "Pretty Flowers Bloom For You & Me" Giving out good ang pao for winner! :)

Go Fly Kite

Whenever we drive past the empty patch of land near our place, we will slow down and admire the beautiful kites soaring and dancing in the wind. So we promised Phoebe that we'll fly a kite some day too. We popped by Changi Village to get a kite. Initially we wanted to get an Octopus kite with beautiful tentacles but it was more expensive and we thought that it'll be a pity if we spoil the beautiful kite. In the end, we got ourselves a simple but pretty kite for just $3.50. It's good enough for amateur like us!

It was very windy but pretty glaring at about 5 p.m. Phoebe did not enjoy herself at first. Her cheeks were red like apples. However, at about 6 p.m., it was much cooler. The crowd was just nice, enough people to create the mood for kite flying. We flew our kite high and proud in the air. Not bad for a $3.50er. But we also had some mishaps! Our kite flew out of our hands, it also got entangled with other kites several times. Our neighbour's string got cut and his kite flew into the temple across the street. However, he managed to retrieve it. I told you we were amateurs right ? Haha. Then the girls got bored and started to pick dried grass. Reuben wanted to come down and crawl on the grass. Next time, we should bring a long a ball for the girls to kick around and a tricycle for Reuben.

We'll definitely go there again with our dear old faithful $3.50 kite! :)

Bon Voyage

The two of them have found some way to play together. Watch them cooperate and collaborate as Reuben lends a helping hand (and walking feet) to send Phoebe jie-jie off in her airplane! Bon voyage...

Pretty Flowers Bloom For You & Me

We went to the Sin Flora nursery in Jalan Kayu for a walk. It's close to the Chinese New Year and usually the nursery will have many pots of plants for sale. We were contemplating getting a pot of tangerine to put at our main door for CNY decoration purpose. It'll also be rather educational for Phoebe to visit the nursery. Unfortunately, both of them fell asleep while on our way there, so only the two of us went into the nursery.

There were rows and rows of flowers. They were beautiful. I wish Phoebe was awake. But then again, I would not be able to admire the flowers in peace if she was awake! Haha :) I thought I could teach Phoebe something out of this trip but I realised that I didn't know the names of all the flowers... Well, that's why I'm not cut out to be a Science teacher!

Maybe it's the economic crisis, all the potted plants were priced cheaply. Most were only $18. We thought of getting the tangerine but in the end, I decided not to because I do not have green fingers. I remembered last year, I bought a small pot of whatever-the-name-is flowers for my dining table but it died within 2 weeks despite me faithfully watering it everyday and putting it under the sunlight for photosynthesis to take place! Also, I hate the messiness of the soil, especially whenever I water the plant. I'm a neat freak, remember ?! :) What's more, the plant will not be able to get the sunlight from my side of the door and it doesn't make sense to buy a pot and then, have it placed at my neighbour's door for my plant to photosynthesize. It'll look as if the plant belongs to them! Ha...

So, we went home with nothing, except some pictures of the plants. We'll probably visit the place again on CNY eve. Hopefully, my two little ones will not be sleeping and the place will not be too crowded.

Quiz of the day

What plant do you think this is?
(Hint : some of us eat this almost everyday!)

You'll stand a chance to win a big Ang Pao for your child(ren) during Chinese New Year! :) Answer will be revealed soon.

Give Me More Time

Sometimes I really wish I can clone myself! This week has been super duper busy. So busy till I didn't even open my yahoo mail. Every day, I've been shuffling from my home, to my mum's place and to school. Every thing needs to be attended to, every one wants my attention. I did take pictures and videos of my lovely kiddos but I just didn't have the time to download them into the laptop. I think about blogging everyday. Sometimes I wish that whatever that I think of will materialise. I literally rehearse the words that I want to put in my blog in my brain. *sigh* Next week is going to be another busy week. I already have a long list of things up my sleeves. I just need time to execute them one by one... Give me more time, please.

Reuben @ 10 mths old

Reuben is able to dance to the rhythm of music, stand with support, stand without support for a short while and clap his hands @ 10 month old. Watch him unleash his boyish charm! :)

Mommy's Inheritance - Barbie Dolls

I had my first Barbie doll when I was in primary school. It was a reward to me by my father for something that I've done well (can't remember what) but I can remember clearly that my first Barbie doll cost $22.90. It may not cost much now but during the 80s, $22.90 for a toy is expensive, considering that a packet of Cha Kway Teow cost only $1.50! I came from humble background and my father is a frugal man but he provides sufficiently for his family. I took very good care of my Barbie doll, occasionally taking it out to admire and play, then I will keep it in a box with great care. Subsequently, I received another 2 more Barbie dolls from my parents. I even had a Barbie doll kitchenette which I couldn't even bear to take it out from the box. It was like a prized possession. I think I only played with it twice!

Phoebe is only 3 years old and she already has 3 Barbie dolls. But of course, none of which cost $22.90. They're much cheaper these days due to over manufacturing. My mum recently took out my Barbie dolls, the kitchenette and the beautiful Barbie clothes / costumes for Phoebe to play with. Now that she's three, she's able to appreciate playing with dolls. I played with Phoebe over the weekends and we had fun brushing the dolls' hair and changing their costumes. I'm glad that I am able to pass my inheritance to Phoebe but when I see the way Phoebe handled the dolls and the accessories, I think this inheritance will probably end in this generation. *sigh*

Well, the next generation will have more to come - the technology era. They probably will not play with good old Barbie dolls anymore.

I've meticulously kept these Barbie doll accessories. I wonder how long these will last in Phoebe's hand.

Serious Worker

Phoebe can be pretty serious when it comes to work. She likes this sticker-cum-colouring book very much. I thought it was quite a good book as it allows the children to practise their fine motor skills when they try to stick the sticker onto the pages. It also helps to build up their vocabulary as it introduces words/things associated with the particular theme. For example, in the theme "breakfast time", there were words like cereal, milk, butter, kettle which are related to breakfast. On top of that, children get to complete the big picture but adding colours onto the uncoloured portion. Phoebe is colouring using a marker pen. She's doing quite a precise job. Keep it up Phoebe.

What's The Menu?

Everyday after school, I'll ask Phoebe how her school is, if she knows any of her friends, what her teacher did with her, what song she has sang etc. She always cannot give me specific answers. Sometimes she'll tell me that she did not ride bicycle that day or did not play with water. She'll tell me that she goes to the toilet by herself. Sometimes she'll help herself or sometimes her teacher, Miss Koh, will help her with her pants when she urinates. And she'll always wash her hands after visiting the toilet. She'll tell me that she did not throw the bowl/plate down (into the collection bin) but she'll put it down gently. I reckon her teacher must have educate her not to throw the plates/bowls into the bin after eating. Without fail, she'll tell me what she ate in school that day. The menu sounded pretty good. Here it is :

First day of school : Waffles

Last week's Monday : Porridge

Tuesday : Macaroni chicken soup

Wednesday : Kway Teow Soup

Thursday : Bread with butter and jam

Friday : Noodle Soup

I like the variety that the school provides. I am just wondering how much can she eat or has she actually ate because usually, I'll use a pair of scissors to cut her food into smaller pieces for easy feeding. However, in school, they do not cut the food for the children. So how much did she actually eat ? I wonder.

Bye Bye Christmas Tree

Christmas is over but I have yet to keep the Christmas tree. Yesterday morning, I decided to find some time to dismantle the tree. Phoebe wanted to help me and I got her to take down the ornaments. She's indeed my good helper. She loves to help. This is a good chance to teach her to be a responsible person :)

Busy Busy Busy

Busy is the word for the last week! I did not even have the time to check my emails or blog. Too many new things happening in this week.

To start off with, Phoebe started her new school. I thank God that she took on very smoothly. She did not cry at all. Every morning, I'll bring her to the void deck to wait for her school bus at 8 a.m. Although her school is pretty near, there is no sheltered walkway from the school to the bus stop. If it rains, we'll have a problem. Moreover, it'll be worse if my dad has to fetch Phoebe on a rainy day. Phoebe is very jumpy and she may not want to listen to my dad. It'll save everyone's trouble in fetching her from school, especially if I have to go for school meeting.

When she aboards the bus, I will rush home to prepare myself. My son will have his cornflakes and formula milk. (Yes! He has been resisting formula milk in bottle but he likes corn flakes, so my clever hubby thought of mixing his corn flakes in formula milk and spoon feed him. Reuben takes it quite willingly! Haha) Afterwhich, Auntie Nia will clean up the bedroom and prepare the ingredients for dinner. We'll go to my mum's place when things are done at home.

When we reach my mum's place, my mum will watch Reuben while Auntie Nia prepares the children's porridge. I will quickly pump milk and then go to school early if I have a meeting or matters to attend to. If not, I'll be very happy to fetch Phoebe from my mum's void deck when the school bus drops her there. After which I'll rush to school and have my quick lunch.

School is busy, especially the first week. But I'm glad that my P1 kids are pretty alright. They got settled down rather quickly. Lots of admin matters for me to attend to though. During free period, I still have to pump pump.

After school, I'll fly home to cook dinner and my hubby will fetch the children. Usually dinner will be about 7.45 p.m. and then I'll settle myself - shower and change. We'll try to spend time with our children from about 8.15 to about 9.15 p.m. We'll read to them or play toys. By about 9.45 p.m. both children will have drunk their milk, brushed their teeth, washed their faces and changed into pyjamas. By 10.30 pm, it's lights out for all and I'll sink into the bed, exhausted.

The next day, the cycle begins...

Aesop's Fabulous Fables

I've bought tickets to watch Aesop's Fabulous Fables on 7 March 2009 (Saturday), 7.30 p.m. Any blogger mommies interested to go together ? Click on the picture below for more information.

Duration : 60 minutes with no intervals
Location : Alliance Française Theatre, Sarkies Road

First Day in SK Methodist Children's Centre

Yesterday was Phoebe's first day in Seng Kang Methodist Children Centre (SKMCC). It is a pre-school run by the Seng Kang Methodist Church. Phoebe is attending the nursery this year. Her class is Joy 1. Lessons begin from 8.15 to 11.15 a.m. She takes the school bus to school and back to my parents' place.

Phoebe did not cry on her first day of school. She was attentive in class, remembered to sit up straight and cross her legs when listening to the teacher telling her a story on "The Enormous Turnip". I was so proud of her when I saw her so well-behaved. They had daily devotion where they would gather to pray and sing a few Praise songs. Snack was good, they had waffles and according to Phoebe, she ate two slices :) For play time, the children played with water and some rode on the tricycle. They also did some colouring and played with some manipulatives such as legos and blocks.

What I like about the school is that, it is well organised and the teachers knew what they were doing and what to expect of. Most importantly, there is biblical knowledge imparted to the children. Children of this age is the most impressionable, so it would be good to teach them about God and the good values so that they would grow up carrying these spiritual knowledge with them. The school also does not emphasize so much on academic performance. They believe in letting children learn through play, hence children are given time to mingle and socialise while they engage in play activities.

I was rather surprise when Phoebe displayed some independence. For example, she was able to identify her water bottle amongst the rest and open it up to drink on her own. She could also go toilet on her own during the toilet break. She returned her plate to the auntie after eating and she asked for one more waffle when she has finished her first piece! When I watched her through the window while standing outside the classroom, there were a few times when I was emotionally stirred but I didn't want to shed a tear especially when my girl did not! I think I am also heavily inflicted by the "MCITC" syndrome! (My Child Is The Cutest)