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...?

Bottle Tree Park

It was a gathering of old classmates I haven't had in years, and the venue picked by Amy had been ideal for many of us. Not only was it the first visit for those staying at the other end of the island, for those like me who brought kids along, we had something to keep the kids busy with - at least for a while.

Picture of a Bottle Tree taken by my friend, Jenni.

With urbanization, Singapore is left with close to zero natural places for children to play in (or any at all!). Tucked at a corner of Yishun, the kids get to enjoy lokang fishing. 'Lokang' means drain in Malay. Village children used to catch fishes in the drains. I was a village kid, but I never did lokang fishing. Perhaps my male cousins did.

We went there a couple of times for family dinner, and were not prepared for the kids to get wet. SW and CH couldn't believe I brought them there prepared with extra clothes and towels this time. It was awesome watching them and the other kids having fun!

I was amazed to learn that this park was started by 3 friends who spent more than S$100,000 buying 6 rare trees and other exotic plants from Australia in 2004.

It was also the first time we brought any live fish home. I did not believe the fish would survive a few days in such a tiny box, and I really wasn't prepare to keep them as pets. The kids were disappointed, but they witnessed the smallest one dying. That same evening, we set them free at a nearby Park.

East Coast

With the rainy season in full stride, we were lucky to have a sunny afternoon at East Coast last weekend. We have not been bringing the kids to the beach for a while, and they missed playing in sand. With school exams over, the beach was pretty crowded, but the air was jovial.

CH is more manageable now. Despite the sand on her face and hair, she wasn't coming back to where we were comfortably seated every other minute. My lighter load without the stroller, milk bottles and diapers also made packing so much easier.

I like that Octopus in the sky. It was right above my head. Reminds me of my 3-dollar kite which I always forget to bring along.

Another Math Find

CH picked this up on her own and I discovered later that it is another good book for Peg Memory, although it is much more challenging as the numbers are not printed. You'd need to count and remember the answer.

The basic use of the book as suggested by the author is learning to find each sum without counting one by one. It is a fun way to reinforce Math concepts. Every page presents a challenge, introducing children to creative problem solving. I certainly appreciate the answers given on the back pages, whilst the rhyming riddles make reading enjoyable too!

One of the pages goes like this:

Mama mia, pizza pie,

How many mushrooms do you spy?

Please don't count them, it's too slow,

This hot pie was made to go!

Let me give you some advice,

Just do half and count it twice.

The 'problem sum' comes up at the end of each riddle and young children can learn about 'half', 'twice', 'repeat', 'match', 'groups of...' etc.

SW and I were having a ball of a time, hysterically trying to recall from the first answer after every new one we add up when I caught sight of CH watching us, her jaw dropping. I suspect she did not quite know what we were doing.

Title: The Grapes of Math (Mind-stretching Math Riddles)

By Greg Tang, Illustrated by Harry Briggs

Publisher: Scholastic Inc., 2001

Skills practiced: Peg Memory, Creative Thinking, Math (counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication), English.

Content:

16 fish, 50 grapes, 22 snails, 19 ants, 15 camels (25 humps), 30 cherries, 23 empty mounds, 24 mushrooms on pizza, 40 dots on dice, 28 window panes with light, 15 dots on the fan, 33 scallops, 33 melon seeds, 30 beetles, 36 eggs.

Media Influence

SW is drawing robots, star wars, Ben 10 and Pokemon these days, thanks to the influence of media. Sometimes, I wonder where some of those characters come from, like the one above. Most of what he draws goes uncoloured. At 5, I am thankful that he is still sketching a lot. Occasionally, he surprises me with some touches of colours like the one below. It's funny how he likes to add in the arrows and signs, and how he insists that the picture is 'complete' despite some portions being left uncoloured (like the dangling fella on the left). Perhaps it's meant to be transparent? I didn't ask more as my appreciation was shifted to his use of colours.

CH Draws Me

This is CH's recent portrait of me using a highlighter. I thought my 3 year-old was drawing herself, but the bun on the head proves otherwise. Somehow, she prefers to see my hair swept back. I love that grin on the face. Still think it looks more like her...

Peg Memory Practice

When it comes to memory games, there are some books which serve the same purpose as Linking Memory and Peg Memory as practiced at The Shichida Method. I have come across some of these books by chance at the library. My children find them fun and challenging to recall the nouns in sequence like in linking memory, or randomly like in peg memory. Here is a good one I found recently:

Title: Ocean Counting, Odd Numbers,

By: Jerry Pallotta, Illustrated by Shennen Bersani

Publisher: Charlesbridge, 2005

Skill Practice: Peg Memory, Math (counting and learning about odd numbers), English

Content:

1 Striped Bass, 3 Sunfish, 5 Blood Stars, 7 Basking Sharks, 9 Little Green Crabs, 11 Northern Stars, 13 Surf Clams, 15 Limpets, 17 Mackerals, 19 Lumpfish, 21 Moon Snails, 23 Horsehoe Crabs, 25 Cunners, 27 Hake, 19 Mussels, 31 Hermit Crabs, 33 Sand Dollars, 35 Angel Wings, 37 Black Sea Bass, 39 Skate Eggs, 41 Razor Clams, 43 Pollack, 45 Whelks, 47 Pipefish, 49 Smelts, 50 Blue Sharks (Even number), 0 fish (Odd number).

Comments:

The illustration is realistically beautiful and interesting, while the short write-ups on each of the animals provide quick grasp of facts without testing the short attention span of young children. 50 items is the standard practice at one go, and is just right for 4-6 year olds.