Navy Open House

2 weekends ago, we visited the 2010 Navy Open House.  It was rainy in the morning, but we decided to go anyway so our kids could see warships and submarines up close - well, not that we have ever either.  It was a fairly long ride from Singapore Expo by chartered bus to a highly secured eastern part of the country.

This warship was the first one that greeted us.  It was fortunate that I started snapping away because we never did get a chance to back-track - it was a reminder to me that in life, you need to take every opportunity that's right in front of you or they'll just pass you by.

There were events going on and one of the highlights was a show that the Navy put up on terrorist attack.  The gunfires were so loud CH had her ears covered and stayed close to me.  With the drizzle and long walks, the kids were happiest at the indoor Family Activity areas.

Although we were allowed to go up the warships, the queues were so long at each of them that we only managed to board one of them.  And because it was drizzling, the navy were there to help us, making sure we do not slip on the steps.  SW was most disappointed for not being able to board a submarine, which was also what I was looking forward to.  However, we did manage to get a close look at a small submarine.  There were helpful officers around to provide information when you asked, and photo-taking was permitted.

I found this drawing in SW's school work in creative writing.  He included details like how we boarded the sloped stairs while it was raining, missiles we saw on the ship, a small submarine by the side, numbers on the ship, railings, and the sun that was hidden by thick clouds.  I don't remember there was a jet plane flying around though...

Fun with Oil Pastels

I have never liked oil pastels. But I realized that was because I knew too little of it.

I brought the kids out for a trial art class which teaches art using oil pastels. My kids probably had more exposure to oil pastels in school than I ever did my life. They looked at ease with them.

The top two were taught by the teacher using blending techniques. The bottom two were before.

Left: SW, Right: CH

"It is easier for young children to blend colours using oil pastels than using coloured pencils or poster colours", the teacher told me.

With that, I came home and logged into the internet, keen to find out more about oil pastels. I found 'ehow' and watched the videos. After that, I replaced 'about.com' with 'ehow.com' under my favourite sites on drawing.

CH attended her first art class during this holiday. It is with another centre. The timing was a good twice weekly over the June holidays. I just wanted her to have some fun, and to satisfy my own curiosity of how art lessons are conducted these days (without too much commitment).

Knowing the fact that my 4 year-old draws nothing but girls with long legs, I wasn't surprised when she drew a swan like a flamingo on the first day, and rabbit like a bumble bee on the second.

There wasn't any 'preferred' medium to use, but the teacher suggested poster colours for CH after the first lesson, so I grabbed it from a nearby bookshop for her to use during the next lesson.

"Could she handle it?" I had wondered aloud.

"Yes, Why not?" The teacher had replied.

For the second lesson, we brought the set of poster colours and coloured pencils along, just in case. But CH did not use the poster colours at all.

"I didn't know she had it!" Was the teacher's reply. I couldn't believe my ears. The brand new set of plated poster colours was right in front of our eyes, on the table all the time!

For the third lesson, CH still did not use the only poster colours we brought. Instead, the teacher lent her a box of oil-pastels. I did fume after the third lesson wondering how experienced the teacher is in teaching young children. And I have to admit at this point in time that the reason why I disliked oil pastels is the mess you make with them. But CH had a good time, so we carried on with the course. To me, it is an hour and a half of baby-sitting, at 7 dollars an hour.

2nd day: I mistook her rabbit as bumble bee at first glance.

She practiced using water colour at home on the same picture.

But NOW that I know better what oil pastels could do, drawing with them have become interesting to me. And knowing CH loves to 'feel' her paintings and drawings, getting down right icky and dirty, it might just be a good medium for her to start off with!

SW's Robots and CH's Girls

SW still loves to play with Legos. He puts together little parts to make up aircrafts, ships, houses, or little robots. Recently, he showed me two of which I found really cute and reached for my camera. After that, he started building even more.

In a way, you can't display Legos the way you do with drawings. Once you display them, they remain on the shelves and you can't play with them until you dismantle the entire structure. So I take pictures. As I discovered, this became a form of recognition to them. They have learnt from my response that they've made something/drawn something that's worth keeping.

For CH, she draws so many everyday using rough papers (and sneaks away some of my good papers too) that I had to dedicate a shelf for her to store her own drawings. These days, she draws girls with super long legs. "These are big girls, not little girls!" She explained.

CH draws our family and her two girl cousins.

Daddy helped sign CH's chinese name.

CH: "The girl (1st from right) is a naughty girl

who crumbled my paper (the black dot)"

I love the girl's hairdos and the expressions on their faces. They all look different. All the good girls wear tiaras (all good girls are princesses?) and the naughty one wears shades with a nasty expression. In the first picture, she draws herself as the only one who is smiling while the rest are talking - and it looks like Mommy's got the biggest mouth of all!

Strawberry of my Eye

Yummy strawberry

So red and juicy

Have you seen one

As big as this one?

It's as big as my palm!

Indoor 33℃

How to beat the heat at home without switching on the air-conditioner? Other than recycling wastes, doing away with plastic bags, finding ways to save water and electricity, this is the next thing that is becoming part of daily life.

The hottest time at my home is during lunch preparation. Only half of my family is into sandwiches and salads, so I can't avoid the stove entirely. With no breeze coming in from any direction and the fire burning before me, I am a torch myself.

Using the Braun quick-boiling kettle to heat up water for cooking saves me time and cuts down the heat emitted from the stove; drawing the blinds to shield the afternoon sun cools the whole apartment down by about 1.5 degrees; mopping the floor cools it down a further 0.5 degrees (although for a short while if the day is really hot).

Above all, I would give the highest credit to doing laundry in the afternoon. Using the Fisher & Paykel top-load that we've invested in 7 years ago, I would select the 'Permanent Press' option. The entire cycle completes in about 20 to 25 minutes with time reduced in spinning. The clothes finish up pretty wet but without dripping. I would hang the clothes indoor, and that lowers the temperature by 1 to 2 degrees. When dry, the clothes fold like they have just been ironed - and yes, I save from ironing too.

With the fan on at top speed, my temper could still go up - that's before someone rings the doorbell (a welcomed guest!) and I gladly give myself the excuse to turn on the air-conditioner!

How am I going to survive global warming?

Uninterrupted Play

Yelling "go do this" and "go do that" at the kids can become habitual unless one stops to look at what the kids are up to before doing so.

Enjoying a cookie by the window on a lazy afternoon, behind the blinds, away from mommy's prying eyes...I couldn't bring myself to spoil their moment.

Useful Bins

For some reason, the 'recycling men' have stopped their door-to-door pickups and we have to drop our recycling waste in the central collection container a few blocks away. Yet, separating waste has become a habit for us.

The accumulation of the recycling waste has become quite an eyesore, although it is tucked in a corner of my kitchen.

A recent find at IKEA brought such a neat solution that I decided to post a picture of it here. I use the lowest bin as my laundry basket and the top two as my recycle bins. The optional wheels also make it easier for me to clean the floor.

Love it!

Easter Camp

As if we did not have enough of each other, our three families have gathered again for an overnight camp over Good Friday at East Coast Park.

It was a risk choosing to camp during the wet season. Nevertheless, luck was on our side. The day was bright and sunny and I spotted a cloud with silver-lining. As I worked on taking the best shot, the cloud evolved into the side profile of a child with head tilted upwards.

The different shades of blue was even more spectacular when I went through the zoomed-in pictures. You could almost visualize it turning into a piece of watercolour painting...

Lady Moon was shy when I finally settled down after barbecue to take a picture of her.

Lying on my stomach in the tent, I had never felt so close to Mother Earth. It was the ground, solid ground that laid under me, not another layer of concrete or 10 other floors below me - did not matter that it is reclaimed land. I felt disoriented twice in the tent due to the slightly uneven ground, nearly falling on the kids who finally decided to rest around midnight.

Melaka 2010

The most wonderful thing about this Melaka trip was not the hotel view, but the company we were with - 3 families and my mother, who was happy to take a break from her daily routine.

We managed to get a suite with two adjoining rooms which opened up to a common living room where the families could gather. Having someone to chit-chat over morning coffee before everyone else were awake, and having Mom's presence when you wake up - such familiar, forgotten feelings were relived.

For the kids, the common area was like a playground - in any case, for kids this young, anywhere is a playground! The opportunity to dip in the pool for them was better than going down Jonker Street. For the adults, one of the attractions was food. It was no wonder that CH's perception of this holiday was "吃东西， 走， 吃东西， 走”！（Eat and move on, eat and move on).

The kids were unaccustomed to the less developed areas, which the adults perceived were good experience for them. This time round, I noticed the popular use of red lanterns, which were especially prominent at night. I did not take many pictures this round and was pleasantly surprise when I came across this picture taken by my husband. It was my favourite shop.

Psuedo Pleats

This hair band was a rare find, and I thought it gave me an idea of how CH would look in long hair.

I bought the hairband when CH was 2+. Now 4, it still fits her well. Unfortunately, it is rather warm to wear in the hot weather in Singapore, so CH only wears it for dress-up. Below is how she looked the first time I tried it on her. You cannot see it here, but she was folding her arms wondering what I was up to!

Melaka

It's been a year since our last trip to Melaka, Malaysia.

The kids have been asking when they could visit Melaka again, and we are finally going to make it this weekend. This time, we are driving in in 2 cars - 7 adults and 6 children! Hola!

The view from our hotel had been the most memorable of all, over-looking the Straits of Melaka. Let's hope the views are going to be as promising this time!

Southern Islands

We've been wanting to visit the Southern Islands of Singapore, and finally made it 2 weekends ago.

Away from the usual weekend crowds, St John's Island and Kushu Island give you a chance to see Singapore from a different angle. Attracted by the rare sea creatures of the former Island and the clean water and sand in the latter, we ended up spending most of the time near the shore instead of exploring the islands.

We were not geared for swimming, but the fun thing was the spontaneity of it all - from being allowed to wade in the water to swimming naked (only SW). This was so the kids did not dirty their clothes. Fortunately, we brought food for picnic as there were no food stalls around. If it wasn't because we were all starving, we would have stayed longer, because the ferry tickets were not cheap - S$15 per adult and S$12 per child!

Top - My nephew showing us a "Crossfish" he found.

Below - CH swimming in the clear water at Kushu Island. It's the kids' first experience swimming in the sea.

Key Changes in 2010

Since the start of year 2010, I don't seem to be able to find time to blog. A glance at my Chinese horoscope reveals a good year ahead, from health to wealth, while prediction from another astrologer says there is likely to be some 'disturbances' and the best thing is to have more rests and spend more time with loved ones instead of trying to be productive. I think the latter is working well for me, and the signs are showing - I am slowing gain weight. Ha!

Key changes this year:

• No more free school bus rides for SW, so I have to walk him to school.
• CH's nursery is in the morning, and her school is a farther distance away than last years'.
• More little projects to work on.
• More outdoor activities for the kids in our hope to prevent (or delay) myopia.

That's all I have time for since my last entry a month ago! I can't believe this.

(Above: Temple outside Chinatown, Singapore)

Little Notes of Memory

My little notes of memory - they're pathetic!

About a year after SW was born, I started taking little notes to remind myself of his special moments. They are quick notes that I can make any day and any time on any piece of paper, and just pop it into any containers.

5 years later, the glass that I had used to contain the notes are less than half-filled. It had been a mistake on my part to collect them in a fragile container (as I had to keep it away) and in a closed bookshelf. It was a sheer out-of-sight, out-of mind!

I've decided to discard the notes and jot them in my blog since now that I have transfered my little notes of memory here.

Here are the notes in non-chronological order:

6-Sep-2005:

SW pretended the remote control was the phone.

23-Jun-2005:

SW spoke his first sentence in English today,"Ma ma, I see a truck!"

26-Jun-2005:

Last week, SW pointed to the crab in his colouring book and said "Crab". He paused for a moment and continued, "mum-mum" (as in yum yum!) Then, he pointed to an umbrella in the same book and started singing, "雨伞， 雨伞， 亮晶晶”！

02-Dec-2005

SW said a complete sentence in Chinese today, pointing to his tricycle, "妈妈， 你陪我踏”！

22-Aug-2005

SW loves to cuddle his Charity Bear to sleep and carries it with him around the house too. It's his favourite friend!

(And to know he's still so fond of it now at age 6!)

28-Sep-2005:

SW said, “妹妹” for the first time today upon seeing the new born Lee Ang (cousin).

06-Sep-2005:

SW laughs every time I say the word "Avocado". I'd exaggerate it sometimes and he loves it. Didn't want me to stop. He tried to utter the word, but came nothing close!

09-09-2005:

Dad said SW showed signs of jealousy when he carried Lee Jiah (cousin). SW scrambled into Dad's arms to be carried too!

On hindsight, if I had kept up with the habit of popping in bits of notes more regularly, it might have turned into a priceless gift to my child one day. It's those little things you'd miss in videos and pictures, yet similarly meaningful to both mother and child...

Dedication to All Expecting Mothers

I am fond of congratulating expecting mothers. In fact, I tend to get too fond of it that I end up embarrassing everyone.

Dedicated to all expecting mothers

(Art: side view of a an expecting mother at 38th week of gestation)

To an ex-colleague, "So, are you expecting another one?"

"No, not yet, my daughter's only 8 months old!"

If that did not sound so awkward, try this:

(In the lift)

"Expecting soon?"

"No, diabetes!"

"Oh dear! I am so sorry!"

How was I to know, goodness me, the lady's belly swelled like she was going to deliver anytime, and she moved so slowly while her husband held her arm with such concerned and loving gaze...but truly, my ignorance what diabetes could do to you.

I suppose seeing pregnant women make me feel good and happy because of my two blessed pregnancies. Usually, I tend to over-work and move around a lot. Carrying a new life with me forced me to slow down, rest more and eat more. With no morning sickness or swelling feet, coupled with backaches and breathlessness that were overcome by forgetfulness, pregnancy to me equals blissfulness. So, please forgive me if I had embarrassed you...I was hoping to rub on some of my prior feeling of blissfulness.

"Are you expecting?" I couldn't help asking again.

"No, it just hasn't gone down.."

Oh no. Not again! I will hold my tongue from now on... or just smile if could not help it!

Flashlight Earpick

I used to wonder why the cotton buds and the Ear Drops did not help ease my children's ear pain or itchiness.

Prior visits to the family doctor to flush my children's ears and extracting ear wax cost me S$40 per visit. On one visit, the doctor was unable to clear one of CH's ear and I was prescribed Tropex to help soften the ear wax. "Then what?" I had wondered. Sure enough, my 3 year-old daughter still complained of itchy ear.

This morning, I had a surprise find at a newspaper stand - this Flashlight Earpick from China. As I pulled back her ear and peered in with the Flashlight Earpick, I could see something stuck on the side of her ear canal.

That was when Tropex came in handy! It helped to soften the ear wax somewhat and I was able to extract a solid ear wax about 1cm big! After that, I applied Fracitin to disinfect the ear.

And the amazing thing was, this Flashlight Earpick from China cost me only S$2.50! And none was available at the Pharmacy!

Collection of CH's Drawings

CH: A Rabbit!

CH's first drawings of anything with a face bore this expression. Nowadays, on quiet afternoons when I'm cooking or doing the laundry, she'll sit by herself and draw. Sometimes, one can't help but wonder what goes on in their little minds. With her pictures I could have a glimpse...

CH: It's raining!

What started out as 'H's turned into '4's. Hey, she writes seven with the stroke in the middle like I do! Ok, now what's that oblong face doing amongst the numbers?

I like the neatness of this coming from a 3 year-old. She even signs her name - but she seems to have mild dyslexia - CH written as HC...hmm.

Attempts drawing arms and long hair

CH draws kor kor (brother)

CH draws nature with crayons

CH: This is you! (She was angry with me)

She loves me most of the time...

Memories to Keep

A new school term has begun. SW is in his second year of Kindergarten and CH in Nursery, her first year in a new school. Both their birthdays fall at the beginning of the year, which means they are soon a year older - another reminder that they are no longer babies... Nevertheless, it pains me less to cherish the memories than to wish I could hold on to them... that's what keeps me writing and taking videos and pictures.

The all-new PCF uniform from Punggol East

I admire and adore the scrapbooks that some mothers make. Give me a scrapbook magazine and I'd drool all over it. I used to hoard things thinking I could make something out of them, but I'd collect more stuff than I had time to make. I try to be more rational now that I am married with children because not only do you need to find good spots around the house to display your works, you'd also need to organize the left-over materials lest they become the eyesore of another.

Yesterday afternoon, while CH got totally knock out after her first day of school, sleeping a rare 4 hours, opportunity arose for me to do scrapping. I attempted a close substitute which took up only virtual space, whether to make or to display.

Blogs are such memory keepers!

All the Time in the World

So much has been said about not having enough time and that life is short. Watching 2012 is certainly a consolation!

While vacation is coming to an end soon for most kids, it only began about 2 weeks ago for SW who attends full-day childcare. Although his school is still on until 31st December, I decided to let SW take the last 2 weeks off, enjoying the privileges of having more time to himself.

Having both kids at home during the day means I will be the only one without a vacation and loosing the weight I've been trying hard to gain. But putting the priorities right is important - so I made it a point to take leave too by staying away from my computer and sitting down with the kids - even it means watching Winx!

Nearly every other day of the year, we have to get up early, rush to get everything done within the shortest time possible, following a time-table that is set for us or one we've set for ourselves whilst being as productive as we can. I wonder - if Albert Einstein had led a life like ours, would he have had the opportunity to observe how light reflects and refracts while he sat with his sister, looking out into the lake? Would Galileo have had a minute to observe how a ceiling lamp swings back & forth and measured it against his own pulse?

"Mommy, do I have to go to school tomorrow?" SW has been asking me everyday since the start of his precious 2 weeks.

"Mommy, why don't we take the stairs instead?" SW liked to ask me when the lift took ages to land on our floor when we were running short of time. At the start of his holiday, I gave him the privilege of time to understand why by allowing him to climb the 11 flight of steps Up.

Kids have their special moments when it comes to sharing their thoughts. I appreciate having the time to listen and answer his questions at breakfast without having to worry about the school bus and at supper without having to rush him off to bed for school the next day.

HM and I aren't the happiest person to have SW at home. Being born with sibling makes CH naturally more sociable than her brother, and is in more need of attention. Doing things with her brother makes her happy and more settled, somehow. Although she enjoys dabbling paints with me, doing it with her brother is more fun. So I gave them the time in the world to do the things they want minus my nagging.

Taking time to paint a clay magnet the way they want it - as the saying goes - "Ya can't rush art!" (from Toy Story)

Last night, SW asked me again, "Mommy, do I have to go to school tomorrow?" When I said no, he continued, "When I wake up tomorrow morning, can you tell me I have no school so I can go back to sleep?"

I know exactly how that feels, my dear child. To have all the time in the world to do what you want and to rest enough...

As the year comes to an end, here's wishing everyone:

All the Time in the World

to do what you want to do and

to have the rest that you truly deserve!

Happy, Happy New Year!

The Power of Letting Go

It is amazing how when you finally let go of something , better things come along.

After decades of working in the same company, Cousin Angeline decided to step out of her comfort zone. The new journey provided her with inner peace and gave root to a new hobby - balloon sculpting.

I never knew what balloons could do until I saw the pictures she posted in her Facebook. [I've added images of her works related to Christmas]

"I started out making simple ones like poodles after watching a clown at it in a shopping centre. After some time, I got tired of making the same ones, so I decided to take up a two-day training at a local community centre and learnt the basics. From there, it became easier to pick up other designs from books."

"How long does it take for you to memorize a design?" Cousin Angeline obviously wasn't referring to any books as she worked on the Santa Claus for CH.

"On average, I'd do twice of the same design with reference. Thereafter, I'd usually be able to remember the steps".

We gathered at mom's place so our kids could play together during the vacation. I know CH likes balloons, but I was surprised she stood to watch till the sculptures were completed. Watching Cousin Angeline at work, you realize balloon sculpting takes passion, patience, and creativity, a lot like any other form of art. Uniquely though, because of their short life span - up to 7 days, these works are meant to be given away. Hence, above all else, you need to have the love of giving. For the kids, they have to learn to accept that unlike other toys, you can neither keep nor collect them...

New prospects are opening up for Angeline, currently a stay-home mom, for teaching balloon sculpting, concert decorations & other events, social work...

Amazing isn't it? The joy of giving up a job and finding a life! Merry Christmas, everyone!

Star Drapes

The festives drape is up! There had been much trial and error as it was my first attempt at making one. I've added some small twin golden bells that go 'cling, cling' when we walk pass the drapes. That delighted the kids. They now enjoy running back and forth it, making continuous tingling sound.

There was another design which I've been wanting to make. An accessories shop at Tampines Mall uses it as their window dressing, and I was drawn to it. I decided to make it for my sister who hangs a short drape at her kitchen door, and its rings were also rusty.

I came across similar materials at Daiso, but when I went back to get them after completing my star drapes, they have run out of pink, which was the initial colour I wanted to use. Fortunately, there were 2 packs of purple stuffed in a corner, which didn't look too bad either. Not to disappoint her 3 the kids, I've also added jingle bells on the sides.

"You can remove it after christmas..." I began as I started to remove the old one. I didn't want her to feel obligated to put it up, but she stopped me.

"Don't worry, it's going to stay there!"

Festive Drapes

It's about time I change my green clover felt drapes. The rings are rusty and some of the pieces are coming off from the kids' tugging. With the festive period approaching, what better time to source for materials!

After about an hour's browse at Daiso, I finally found 2 leftover packs of Red Felt Stars to my liking. They were hooked up high against the wall near the checkout. Got a friendly young assistant to help me using a tall ladder. It was worth the hassle. The red stars are good as I could keep them through Chinese New Year, which will fall on 14th February next year.

We don't have a family tradition of putting up Christmas tree and decorations, but those sparkling, shinny stuff are just so inviting they spell festivities! Working on my drapes gives me a good excuse to use some of these decorations...happy, happy, happy...

The red perforated stars came in 3s which would be too sparse on the drapes. I decided to get some felt sheets to work on additional stars - felts because my drapes are hung near my doorway, sort of like a divider between the doorway and the living room. They won't scratch your skin when you pass them by.

The extra stars I am sewing. The dual colours gives a contrast against my mahogany main door.

CH draws me standing on a stool working on the drapes. I like that heart she has added. And where is that kitty from...?