A Slice of My Life

A Trip to HCMC

2010-06-03T07:08:00.003+08:00

It's been a week since we left for our Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) trip and sure doesn't feel like it.

It was a really eventful trip, to say the least. It started off when one of our business associates who was supposed to join us called at the last minute to inform us that she would not be going due to some family issues. Fifteen minutes later, she called to say she would join us again!

At the airport when checking in, we realised that we forgot to pack my sister's baggage with us to the airport!! A mad rush ensued to go back home to bring the said baggage to the airport for a quick check in! By then, I had enough drama to last me a week (Or so I thought).

It was a rather uneventful flight on Vietnam Air, thankfully! The kids were well behaved with only complaints of slight earache upon our descent into the city. More surprises awaited us upon arrival at the airport. Mr H. who only had a travel document (not a passport) needed a visa to enter Vietnam and he did not have one! After half an hour of fruitless talking with the customs officer (whose face I really want to box!) it was agreed that Mr H would have to stay back in a nearby hotel while the customs officer arranged for a visa for him which would be ready by noon the next day. THe cost? US$200.

The fun started the next day, when we visited the CuChi Tunnels. A 2-hour bus ride from the city, the tunnels are a testament to the Vietnamese tenacity and genius during the Vietnam War. The heat was horrendous, but it was really interesting to see the many booby traps and weapons they used, and experience the claustrophobia of the tunnels. The kids were really spooked by the gigantic milipedes we saw too. Haha. We also got to try their food during the war (tapioca) and bought ourselves some Vietcong hats. :)

THis was followed by lunch at the touristy Indochine, then we headed back for some R&R (rest & retail therapy, that is haha!!) Lucky Plaza was small and rather nice, and it has always been impossible for me to resist buying anything while on holiday (even copy stuff) even though I told myself not to!! Also ventured to Tax Centre for some supermarket shopping with C! We then had dinner with Mr P. at Ngoc Suong, a nice French-styled Vietnamese restaurant. It was a long dinner though, and the kids got rather impatient and J fell asleep.

THe next day, we had the customary city tour where we visited the Presidential Palace (super hot again!) and Central Post Office. We then had lunch at Le Dong Du - mediocre tour-style food! That's when our friend , I., told us she had to go back to Singapore due to the urgent family matter. We split up after lunch, some to Ben Thanh, and me and the kids and mum back to hotel to arrange for I's ticket back, and get some (more) R&R. Dinner was at the super yummy Crystal Jade Restaurant at Legend Hotel . We went there on cyclos - small trishaw-styled vehicles! IT was a wonderful experience, weaving through the signature Vietnamese traffic! :)

Before we knew it, it was our final day there. We spent the morning packing and making a quick trip to Saigon Square and Lucky Plaza, then headed to the airport for our journey back. After more altercations with the checkin staff (we had excess baggage!!) and US$192 poorer, it was home sweet home!!

HCMC, we will see you again !

Up at night.

2009-10-22T22:47:00.003+08:00

How surprising that I'm up at this time. Had a power nap while putting J to bed now am bright-eyed at 1045pm. I wish I could stay up really late tonite, with a great book, nice music, and nobody to bother me :) I could, I guess, except that I've still got to wake up at 6.30 am tomorrow and get ready for weekday madness. (It could be worse - if C had school I'd be up at 545 am)

So here I am, trying to do some blogging. (I'm also trying hard to eliminate exclamation marks from my posts.) Could Jamie's first meaningful words be "no more"? She has this cute action, raising both hands and moving her fingers, saying "no more" when something she is doing/watching disappears (e.g. end of her favourite Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show). So cute! (Other vocab words - mum-mum, geii, tei-tei-tei..but they don't mean much I think)

We're headed to Japan in 9 days and I'm so excited! (I think an exclamation mark is justified here.) It's been a while since we really went anywhere really different and new, and i've invested hours (if not days) on research about Tokyo.... but that said, think I'll relax and go with the flow! Holidays are meant to be fun, not stressful right?

Other exciting things - R's final K2 concert is also in 9 days and i'm feeling both sad and excited. AK puts up the most amazing concerts and it'll be the last time for me seeing any of my kids in such a big-scale production. (The plan is for J to attend nearby schools, rather than AK when the time comes). Then it'll be his graduation on 18th Nov, and then P1 orientation on 21st Nov!

Chelsea did quite well for her exams this year, considering how much (little) effort we put in this year. There'll be streaming at her school and my only requirement is that she make it into the top 3 classes (out of total of 6 classes in P3) I think she'll be fine! We'll never really find out I guess, as the school has a policy of not revealing the order of classes.

That's all for now. Time for more mindless surfing until I feel sleepy again....

Time to remember.

2009-09-14T17:40:00.002+08:00

I just thought it was time to come back to this blog, to remember in more detail, what has been happening since May when I last blogged.

As 16th sept draws closer, I can't help but reflect on how my life has changed the past year. I've become adept at packing a diaper bag when I go out (everything is done in 5 mins tops), any stretch of sleep of at last 5 hours is good enough for me, and I'm eating faster than ever before. Lest this all sounds too negative, the joy that Jolly Jamie (as she's nicknamed by her siblings) has brought into our life is immeasurable. Her cute antics ("funny face!") and reactions are so fun to look at, and her smile brings happiness to me even at moments when I feel so down. Watching her sleep is the best way to end my day, and hearing her happy yelps over the phone monitor when she wakes up each morning is a definite highlight too. I love watching my three kids play together, be it crawling around the yard, or pulling down and putting up luminous stickers on the wall (J pulls them down and C & R put them up). It may be a cliche, but I can't imagine life without her.

Ryan is growing up super fast too. His spidey pajamas is finally getting short (those long pants are now more 3/4 pants!) and he has just started wearing glasses. I noticed him squinting at the TV a couple of weeks back, and brought him to an opthalmologist to have his eyes checked. True enough, his degree was 175/225 with some astigmatism! Quite bad for a 6 year old. So we got him fitted with a pair of spectacles and he seems happy to be wearing them. At least most of the time. Lifestyle changes have to be made - less 'near work' (reading, nintendo, TV at close range) and more 'far work' (running, cycling, outdoor activities.) As primary 1 draws nearer for him, I can't help but feel anxious about how he will cope with his new school, new friends, etc. I just hope and pray that he will have the ability to meet any challenges he faces , and that I will have the wisdom, patience and strength to guide him.

Chelsea, my first born. She's already 8. It seems just yesterday she was in kindergarten, and now she's going to be sitting for her first streaming exam. I should feel some stress, but the truth is, I hardly prepared her for the coming exam. I hope I don't regret it. Somehow, I trust that she will be able to do what's needed for her studies, this studious and hardworking girl. I worry more about her social and character development. How can I make her tougher, to fight for the right things, and not get upset if she doesn't get them? How do I show her what is important in life? I fear that I may have missed some of these important lessons along the way, sidetracked by the 'need' to complete this or that worksheet, rush for this or that event, etc. For her, I hope that the coming year will lead to more maturity, to the ability to deal with things that don't go her way, and for her to grow in confidence and leadership.

Hey...i'm blabbering. haha. I can hear the three of them shrieking downstairs! Time for me to get off this computer!

Ma-y already?

2009-05-04T20:58:00.002+08:00

I have definitely fallen off the blogging bandwagon. I don't really know what I have been up to - probably the mundane day to day stuff that makes up life. (These include work, child care, planning for company trip, obsessing with designer bags -for now it's Balenciaga, makeup (Clea De Peau makeup base) and car shopping..)

We just got back from our 3N2D cruise to nowhere on Star Cruise Superstar Virgo and the kids had a whale of a time. In fact, upon return, C & R slept for 4 hours straight! Only J was unaffected, still keeping to her half-hour naps. Thankfully, she wakes up for at most once a night nowadays.

C's exams start tomorrow, and I have just been informed that R's excursion tomorrow to Mediacorp is cancelled due to the swine flu 'epidemic'. Poor R, he was so disappointed as he was really looking forward to it (and the fact that I would be fetching him back after the excursion.)

J is starting to babble (just today, she started with ma-ma-ma-ma and pa-pa-pa) and move (she tends to move in a circle, not really crawling yet.) Her hair is curlier than ever, and it is a mystery how it got that way. That is what most people comment on about her. :)

I am looking forward to our Melbourne trip next month, although I'm not sure if our plans will eventually fall through with the swine flu and what not! *Cross fingers & toes*.

An eventful March (so far)

2009-03-15T20:08:00.004+08:00

I'm seldom compelled to blog about something so badly, but events of the past couple of days are eventful enough for me to want to blog them!

Let's start with 2nd March, R's 6th birthday. We didn't have a party this year, but we did go to the zoo, Sentosa, and Vivocity all within the span of 3 days at the request of the birthday boy. His 6th came and went rather quietly, with just the family celebrating for him. I guess what is most important is that he enjoyed himself. Things I want to remember about him at six:

1) His happy-go-lucky nature. He is generally a good natured kid, and nothing seems to faze him (more on this later).
2) His prone-ness to accidents. My dear son perpetually has many bruises on his shins and of all the kids, is most likely to fall or hurt himself. I attribute this to his over-adventurous nature and fearlessness.
3) He rode a 2-wheel bike before six.
4) He has a bright mind, and can achieve a lot once he puts his mind to it. (The problem is really how to get him to put his mind to it.)
5) He really loves me. :)

Soon after, J's first tooth sprouted! C & R's first teeth only came when they were one year old, so I was really surprised to see/feel her first tooth so early! As they say, every child is different, I guess that explains her great desire to chew all stuff (her most loved being paper.)

OK, now on the the main part of the eventful March story. We planned for a March holiday to Bintan (again) as we chanced upon a great promotion for our favourite Angsoka villa. On the way there, I realised I had forgotten to pack part of my breast pump to pump milk for Jamie. I really dreaded the thought of hand-expressing (J has not latched onfor a long while!) but since I planned to stop, I thought this was a good opportunity. Of course, at that point I had no idea how tough hand-expressing was.

Upon arrival at the ferry terminal, while waiting for the last of the bags to be checked out, I turned around and suddenly saw blood streaming out of R's nose (see what I mean by accident prone). I think I was more frantic than him (he's unfazed at this point!). Turns out he was playing with a trolley that hit him resulting in the nose bleed. Fortunately, the blood flow stemmed after a while and he carried on as usual.

The first night, Jamie came down with a fever. I'm not sure what caused it..maybe it was the flu bug carried around by her siblings, or her first foray into the pool- but she had a restless sleep and had to be given medicine. Her crankiness carried on, and I decided to cut short our trip to come back early as I really wasn't in topform to deal with it and wanted easy access to medical advice and all other stuff in case of an emergency.

Hence, here I am now at home, writing this down while she is in her cot. I'm just glad to be back although I miss my C & R! But, they dont miss me...they're already asking when they can go back again!!

I want to ride my bicycle.

2009-02-01T21:15:00.002+08:00

Well, thats what the kids have been saying this entire weekend, ever since a very generous Grandma bought each of them a top-of-the-line (based on price , I think it is at least :P) bicycle! C got a Trek Mystic 20, while R got a spider-themed (he's really into spidey-stuff) Specialized Hotrock 16".

After 1 day, and countless rounds around the house, along the path outside and around the park, I'm glad to report that R can already ditch his training wheels! After some training on 2 wheels, R put back his training wheels, only to realize he could not balance properly. The solution was clear - remove the training wheels which were heavy and impeding his speed and balance. And voila! Off he went! C still needs a bit of coaxing and I'm hoping to wean her off the wheels by the March hols.

I formally started J on solid food yesterday.She's been waking up twice a night and finishing entire 4-oz bottles, so I gathered she's ready for some solid food. Starting off with organic brown rice cereal, she seems to be taking it well. Already last night she only woke up once! Informally, she's already been fed scraped apple, scraped prune, scraped chinese pear and today, tiny pieces of sweet potato :P I can't wait to include more stuff into her diet!

Well, if anything, these only go to show how fast time flies. At 16 wks, J was 7.4 kg. She's due for her 2nd round of vaccinations next week, so we'll see how much she's grown again!

Till the next update, Happy Birthday everyone! (Today is Ren2 Ri4!)

Growing up.

2009-01-11T21:22:00.005+08:00

Time flies, it's mid-Jan and soon it'll be CNY! The clearest sign of it to me is Jamie's development. From a helpless, skinny new born just 16 weeks ago, she's bloomed into a chatty, happy, responsive, chubby girl who's learning to turn and lift up her head! She can also show excitement when she see a toy she likes (like things which make noise and with flashing lights). I also brought her to the pool this week just to touch the water and see her reaction. Some pictures:

Jamie staring at her mobile:Lifting her head so I can take her pic today:

Not liking the cold water at the pool:

And just so this post is not so Jamie-heavy, here's a pic of her siblings and cousins taken on the last day of 2008:
Chelsea is settling in well to P2 - I can sense the increased workload already (and it's onlyweek 2). Ryan is doing well in K2 - I don't think he gets that he'll be P1 next year! But well, I guess I've still got 11.5 more months to do it!

It's X'mas Eve!

2008-12-24T21:49:00.003+08:00

I can't believe that it'll be Christmas tomorrow! 2008 passed by in a flash. One year ago, we were at Insadong, having a lovely BBQ dinner with Korean friends, followed by Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at the lobby of our serviced apartment, soaking in the lovely wintry atmosphere.

This year, I'm spending a quiet X'mas eve at home. Baby J slept early, and R&C will be going to bed at 10 pm or so. Probably me too - sleep is so precious to me nowadays! haha - I'll have to wake up at 3-4 am! :P As 2008 draws to a close, these are some of the more memorable momentsthis year: C starting primary school, the closing of our online store The Velvet Cat, and last but certainly not least, the arrival of Baby j!

Baby J is growing real quickly, she's so cute to play with sometimes, responding when you talk to her or sing to her, and smiling when carried in a standing position on my shoulders! I'll post some pics soon to update!

School resumes in a couple of weeks for R and C (Where did the loooooong holiday go?) and then it's back to the daily schedule/grindstone. While that adds certain structure to our days, I'm sure I (and they) will miss the holidays dearly. Days of doing nothing except playing (for them), sleeping (relatively) late for me.... sigh.. we must look forward to the March school holidays!

This Christmas, I hope for peace and happiness for everyon and that my children grow up strong, happy and healthy. I'm still thinking about my 2009 resolutions - hopefully I'll have something to post on New Year's Eve!

Merry Christmas everyone!

ETA: I've been using my new bag. It feels great to carry it, is big enough to fit my necessities (big fat overloaded Ferragamo wallet, handphone, exploding card case, tissue, lipstick, and small card holder.) And...no scratches yet! *touch wood*

I did it.

2008-12-09T06:51:00.003+08:00

I took the plunge and got my Xmas/Bday/Anniversary/Baby present yesterday. I'm glad I did - no more agonising about stock and what material/colour etc to get it in. After all, it's probably something I would have paid full price for. I love it, the soft leather, the gleaming metal hardware, the size, how it looks on me - it's perfect! hahah! There're no pics for now, because it's nicely wrapped up in Chanel wrapping paper and also because I am a tardy photo uploader!

I'm grateful for DH's decisiveness ("just get it, lah, then you dont have to think so hard everyday!") and also his supportiveness in my choices. ("Just get the material you love, so what if it gets scratched. It's worse if you don't use it.") Sometimes marrying someone so different from yourself makes things easier (though it also makes things hard sometimes). In difficult decisions, I always find myself asking dh what to do, and often, the ease with which he makes the decision makes the whole thing crystal clear to me too.

ETA: Credit also to my friends who goaded me to the right decision! haha!

So...for my bag, I'll use it! No keeping in the cupboard etc. :) I can't wait until Dec 16th when I can open it! Heehee!

All I want for Christmas is...

2008-12-04T21:47:00.002+08:00

...this. A jumbo classic flap in lambskin with gold hardware from Chanel. (The picture is more of caviar/calfskin material I think). I am agonising long and hard about it. It costs a lot (probably the single most expensive item I own aside from my house I think!), and comes in so many variations. Should I get the medium or large/jumbo? Medium would be great for evenings, whereas the large would also work well for day time. Should I get it in calfskin or lambskin? Calfskin is hardier and more scratch resistant, but lambskin feels soooooo buttery smooth and looks so nice. HOwever, it is prone to scratches and needs more baby-ing. Should I get the gold hardware or silver hardware? I thought silver would be it, but when I tried on the gold, I was also attracted by it.

What makes the decision so much harder is the price of it. Should I get something where I would use frequently to amortise the cost over time? Or something which I use rarely due to the high cost of the item?

After a few days and nights of thought, I kind of decided on the size, material and hardware colour of my 4-in-1 present (J's birth, my birthday, my wedding anniversary, and Christmas). Now, thinking whether I should get it this weekend, or wait for the DBS Black Card sale..what if there is no stock?? Decisions, decisions...

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

2008-11-24T13:45:00.004+08:00

To me, at least. I'm planning to set up the tree today, plus i've got part of my gift/shopping list sorted out! *yay* With the economic downturn, my budget this year is smaller (not that I ever really had a budget, but just trying to be prudent here :P)... C gets a box set of Mallory Towers books, R gets a Titanic book, and I'm still thinking about some others. Hehee maybe just a cheap surprise for them to open on the actual day? Baby J will probably get some rattle-y toy or a car seat (that's more practical than anything!)

Dec is also my birthday month, so here's my wish list:
1) An eyebrow shaping package
2) A belt (my clothes don't fit well nowadays :( )
3) Unlimited retail therapy (any sugar daddies/mummies out there? hahaha!)
4) Some really good books
5) Some hair/makeup related stuff
6) Something unique/handmade that I can use
ETA:
7) A state of the art laptop with all the relevant bells and whistles (preferably lightweight and nice to look at too)
8) A holiday to Australia (I'll take a raincheck till next year!)
9) A new wardrobe!

On the not-so-fun side, I went back to work last week, with J in tow. She proceeded promptly to have a fever and swelling on her thighs after her vaccinations last week. She's better now, but still not very used to the office I think. Of course, it doesnt help that C and R are having school hols now, so the maids can't handle all three plus housework at home. So I'm stretched trying to give equal time to all. Sometimes I wonder whether I can do this, but when I see my kids happy (even J, who can give a great smile now!) it's all worth it! Just have to grin and bear it for a few more months and things will get better!

Talking abt J, she did well in Bintan (her first holiday!) Spent most of the time sleeping, even at night, so that was good! I hope to visit Australia when she turns 6 mths next year. Hopefully it will be even easier then! She's not really sleeping through the night yet, although she can manage 5-6 hours a stretch usually at night. This too, will pass!

So...what is on your wish list this year for the holiday season?

We're going on a holiday.

2008-11-05T09:13:00.004+08:00

Yep, it's the school hols! At least, it's begun for C, while R's will begin in less than 2 weeks time! We're going to Bintan (again) as we managed to snag a good deal for the Angsoka villa. Then again to Sentosa in December. I'm sure the bigger kids will enjoy themselves as usual. As for baby J, I'm not sure how she will take to it. Me...i've got a packing list about a mile long I think! Diapers, milk bottles, inflatable tub etc etc. I've never travelled with a 2 mth old baby so it will be an experience for me too.

Here's baby J's passport photo (taken by me, no less. ahah!). Doesn't she look adorable? Actually, I think she's turning out to look more like her brother. heh..they have this 'old' look about them. :)
She's 7 weeks plus now, and last week, she actually slept through the night. It's not a constant yet (she still wakes up once a night most of the time) but definitely an encouraging sign! She also has more or less set her body clock to wake up at 7.30 am, so I'm quite pleased at how things are going. Time flies, and I can't wait for the day when she can sit up unassisted, crawl, and play with us.

The past couple of weeks also saw the two elder ones having their concerts. C's was a relatively low key one held at her school hall, while R's was the typical Ascension concert, lots of glitz, music, makeup, and as usual, a great show to behold. Here are their pics taken with Mummy:

We also had a blast on Halloween, visiting Woodgrove Avenue near the American school. We're definitely going back again next year, and that means, I have ONE year to think about my costume for next Halloween!

Pictures of my little princess

2008-09-26T09:34:00.002+08:00

Well, blogger is taking eons, so please go to my facebook account to see more....

Jamie's here!

2008-09-22T09:58:00.002+08:00

Baby J finally made her entrance into this world on Sept 16th! Just for posterity's sake, here's her birth story....

We checked in the delivery suite at about 730 am after dropping C off at school. Shortly after, drips were adminstered to induce delivery (due to gestational diabetes) and the anaesthesist came to inject the epidural. A combination of these drugs left me very sleepy the whole time - I didn't have the mood to read my book or watch Heroes / TV, and was mostly sleeping. It didnt help that I couldn't eat anything, in case I had to go for emergency C-section. Things progressed rather slowly and at one point I was told that she could be delivered as late as late evening only!

But as fate would have it, during an examination at abt 3+ pm I was told to start pushing. Just a few (painless) pushes later, Jamie came bawling into this world - all gangly arms and legs! heh.. I felt more relieved that anything, that she was ok and normal.. and that's when I started feeling the full aftereffects of the epidural. I developed a fever promptly, started shivering uncontrollably (not that I was feeling cold at all!) and itchy all over (no manifestations of rash, just itch!). To help, the nurses gave me some meds, which I proceeded to puke out (another after effect of the epidural). Even when they wheeled me back to the ward, I was still having the fever, and it eventually only subsided the next morning, which left me sweaty and feeling horrible the whole time. I remember thinking, while waiting to leave the delivery room, " I feel horrid! Sweaty, immobile, and sick. How am I going to do this?" For the record, Jamie was born at 3.19 kg - hardly the "giant" baby Dr Doom expected! :)

Thankfully, things developed at a fast pace once the night passed, and my fever subsided, I started walking around and eating food. DH even snuck me in a cold Pepsi, which I so craved. We were discharged just 2 days later, and came home with Jamie! The next 2 days I had a splitting headache each time I sat up / walked (no thanks again to the epidural), but that gave me a good excuse to indulge in some Coke (the doctor said caffeine and paracetemol will help!) in this humid weather!

The first couple of nights were rather tough, she stayed awake from 2 am-4am, but last night she only woke once at 3.30 am for a feed and slept right back. I'm telling myself to enjoy it while it lasts - the wrinkly hands and feet, cherubic face, curly wispy hair and the whole small-ness of it all, because it'll all be gone before I know it.

I've taken quite a few pics, but haven't got round to uploading them yet. Stay tuned!

16 Sept.

2008-09-11T18:55:00.003+08:00

Yup, that's the day Jamie will be born, provided she doesn't decide to come out earlier! I'm looking forward to this last weekend of shopping & eating heh heh!

At today's scan, her weight is estimated at 3.4kg currently and her birthweight is estimated to be between 3.5 kg to 3.7kg. Turns out she's not going to be an oversized baby after all *phew*. I'm really looking forward to seeing her, but kind of dreading the delivery and recovery process! heehee. I'm no heroine, so I'm definitely opting for the epidural once I reach the delivery ward.

That's it for now, folks. Wish me luck and I'll be back soon, hopefully with pictures of our new addition!

September's here.

2008-09-07T10:06:00.002+08:00

...which means, soon I'll be a mum of 3 instead of 2! :) It also means the Mooncake festival, the nearing of the end of school, and the end of another year.

This year has flown by so quickly, I can't believe that C will be in Pri 2 next year, and I'll have to register R for Pri 1 next year. Of course, baby J's arrival will also mean a whole lot of adjustments to our daily lives. I sometimes wonder how I'll cope, but I know that somehow, we'll manage.

The kids and I can't wait to see Jamie, and we're guessing who she looks like! In the meantime, I'll waiting out the rest of this pregnancy, with its related woes while telling myself to enjoy it while it lasts cos life will never be the same with 3 kids, and I may never be pregnant again! heh... still, the mix of anticipation and impatience is hard to bear!

Next week, we scan Jamie to see how big she is again, and probably will make a decision when to bring her into this world. Dr Doom is not in favour of bringing her to full term as she may be too big for a natural delivery, so we'll probably have to fix a date. :P

Till then....enjoy what's left of the school holidays!

Updates

2008-08-14T10:48:00.002+08:00

Again, it's been a while since my last update. Most of the time, just can't find the inclination to blog or upload photos (my D40's been acting up since Perth and I haven't fixed it. Bleah!)

My dear daughter turned 7 last week, and we had a great weekend at Sentosa! (It's now her favourite place in Singapore!) She had a party for her classmates at Build-a-Bear Workshop the week before, so that concludes the birthday celebrations! I can't believe she's already 7, when I look at her, she still has the same baby face, but now more defined facial structure and framed by longer and fuller hair. The next thing I know, she'll be getting married I think! :P

Jamie weighed in at 2.5 kg at 32 weeks, which according to my doctor (aka Dr Doom) is too big. So, I was tested to gestational diabetes and it seems that I *do* have it. Bleah! So, I have to go for some clinic next week to learn how to manage it, or else I may end up with a 4 kg baby at birth. This doc of mine really knows how to bear the bad news (he's always telling me about worst case scenarios), I really regret changing to him! (my previous gynae doesn't do deliveries anymore...sob sob) Anyway, another few weeks to go, and I won't have to bear with him anymore!

Sick

2008-07-16T09:35:00.002+08:00

Yes, that's what's been bugging me the past few days. Started off with a mild sore throat last week, then developed into a night-time-only running nose, then finally erupted into a full-blown blocked-runny-nose-sore-throat-cough illness two days ago.

The worst thing is that while there are many medicines out there capable of controlling these symptoms, many of these medicines contain drugs not suitable for use in pregnancy. The doctor has prescribed some safe medicines, which don't really do the job, but I guess I just have to hang on and hope it will pass for the sake of baby j!

On the home front, C & R have taken to my ballooning waistline well. The son calls it "the biggest tummy button in the world" and my daughter says "it's even bigger than a house!" That's not really true, in fact until a few weeks ago, some people I meet regularly did not even know I was preggie! Heh heh. I don't want to put on too much weight this round, in case I never lose it all! :P So far, I've gained about 7 kg, but the doc says in the last 2 months, I might gain another 5-6 kg! Bleah!

Back to Sunny Singapore

2008-06-19T13:58:00.004+08:00

Yes, time has flown and we're back from our trip to Perth, Australia! It was a fun-filled 4.5 days for us, and what an experience it was. It's not the first time we've been to Perth, but the couple of days we spent at Pumphill Farm were really eye-opening. Think gathering firewood in the middle of the night, kindling your own fire, and having a whole variety of animals just a stroll away to feed! The farm and cottages were nice, but the drive was really long! For some reason, I can't post pictures from the office, so that'll have to wait.)

The next couple of days were spent in Perth city itself. We're really city folk at heart (I think) and by this time I was really looking forward to seeing some shopping malls. Not that I bought a lot of stuff, but I didn't have to touch my credit card till the last half day! Not bad eh! (No thanks to the extremely high exchange rate and winter season.) I was happy I got a few flannel blankets for Jamie, 'cos I was having difficulty finding them in Singapore. I also got some Jurlique stuff from the duty free store (yah, can't stop shopping even at the airport. I swear I can't walk through any duty-free store without picking up something...anything!) and they're really divine!

Back to reality though..and school starts in a few days. Now, where did all the school holidays go!?

Shopping and selling!

2008-06-08T14:51:00.004+08:00

We did some shopping the past couple of weeks in preparation for Jamie's arrival. Recently I haven't been feeling so tired, and on the contrary have been feeling rather energetic! Hence, I've also been decluttering the house a bit, getting rid of stuff which I won't be using / have not used. It feels quite therapeutic but frankly, my heart also aches at the amount of stuff which I threw/gave away....

I'm also selling some old toys and stuff on a forum I frequent, and will list them on ebay as well! (Or I hope to do so today :P) I hope I can sell some of them to finance my new purchases, which include a new cot, new feeding stuff, new baby bath tub etc. The list seems endless but I think I have got maybe 75% of the stuff sorted out! Phew! here are some pics of the stuff I'm selling:

Aprica Pram:

Glenn Doman Flashcards:Thomas the Train Play Table:

Interested in any of them ? hehe... drop me a note if you are! (ETA: i can't seem to sell them on ebay!! Bleah!)

We're headed to Australia next week and I'm looking forward to it! The kids have been enjoying their school holidays, mostly either at the office or at home, but whaddya know, in just 2 more weeks, it's back to school again!! Bleah!!

Baby J!

2008-05-22T18:30:00.002+08:00

Today we found out that no. 3 is a girl! We'd decided on a name starting with 'J' and since it's a girl, she will be called Jamie! I'm not too particular what the name means, but it's like the only one that me & dh can agree on at the moment, so that's that. :) We did not want a name that was too common (for example....Ryan :>) and something that no one would have difficulty pronouncing. And most importantly, somethingthat sounds nice to us! So, Jamie it is for now.

Today, I bought her first piece of pink clothing! I'm going to be careful not to overbuy this time (especially clothes - because who ever stops shopping for girls' clothes right?) but I do plan to stock up on baby equipment during the upcoming Great Singapore Sale!

Any ideas where is a good one-stop place to shop?

Back.

2008-05-21T16:28:00.002+08:00

We got back from KL on Monday afternoon! All said, it was a good trip! It was the first time that I took a bus up to KL and the experience wasn't half bad! :) The kids had a good time at the theme park and the bus (with the other kids), and for me, the best part must have been the time I spent at Pavilion shopping mall...where I escaped after merely 45 mins with 1 pair of shoes and 4 tops! (that's what speed shopping must be like, without kids!)

Tomorrow, I will be going to my scan, and hopefully I will be able to find out if no. 3 is a boy or girl! (I'm into details like that.) My bet is on a girl, as I've got nice complexion and no swollen nose so far, but maybe every pregnancy is different. I've no real preference, as long as baby is normal and healthy.

One more month and we're off to Perth. I can't wait to stay here, and escape the searing 30+ degree heat that has been torturing us! Grrrr...

And just because I haven't posted a picture for so long, here's one of a Ryan's bedtime buddies in his kindergarten uniform:

Happy Wednesday and rest of the week!

The tooth fairy will be coming!

2008-05-14T10:38:00.004+08:00

Today, Chelsea dropped her first tooth. It's the bottom left front tooth! Strangely, she never mentioned anything about it being shaky, and during breakfast this morning, the maid passed me the tooth saying it dropped out! There was no blood or anything, and no pain (according to her), just a dropping of the tooth.

C's a bit nervous about the whole thing, although I've reassured her it's part and parcel of growing up! (After all, many of her classmates even in kindergarten have dropped teeth already!). Anyway, I told her the tooth fairy will be coming tonight to exchange her tooth with a present (courtesy of Page One at Vivo City haha!) and she is kind of looking forward to that.

Photos to come! (It was just too early at 6.10 am to be taking pics! :P)

ETA: (21May) Sorry, still no pics :P

On an unrelated note, I've been starving the whole morning! Even after I had a tuna sandwich at 6 am, and beehoon courtesy of Lisa at 8.15 am. Grrrr! (that's the sound of my frustration, not my stomach growling!). I hope to visit Tangs later today, to enjoy their 12% rebate for card holders. heh heh. All this shopping even though we're headed to KL this long weekend!! I guess I am really incorrigible!

Latest crazes.

2008-05-07T10:43:00.003+08:00

Recently, I've been caught up in all kinds of beauty-related crazes. Now I don't spend so much money on clothes, I tend to spend my money elsewhere. (This is horrible, right? Why can't I just save money instead of spending it!)

Things I've been crazy about:
1. Make up. All kinds, from mineral make-up, to cheap drugstore brands, to expensive department store brands, to false eyelashes (yes, I can barely believe it myself).

2. Hair care products. Having just coloured and permed my hair in the last 2 months, I've become rather obsessed with having the right conditioner and shampoo to maintain my hair. (My hair costs me quite a bit so I figure, just spend a bit more to maintain it! Is this called rationalisation?)

3. Skin care. I just blew quite a bit at Metro's 20% storewide sale last weekend. All in the good name of stocking up since it's 20% off and you hardly get 20% off for skincare right? (Rationalisation again?)

I should be saving up, especially with another kid on the way. I have given/thrown away most of my baby things like cots, playpens etc, and probably need to 'invest' in some capital expenditure for the kid. But, I haven't bought anything for the baby yet, wondering if there will be another "Sale Worth Waiting" for between now and September?

My next doctor's visit is on 22 May, and hopefully I"ll get to find out whether I'm having a girl or boy. I half suspect it's a girl, 'cos my skin has been glowing and nice, but then again, it could be due to the large amount of skin care products I've been lavishing on my face and the copious amounts of sleep I've been getting each night. haha! I've started to feel the baby kick since last week, especially when I settle down to sleep. Quite an incredible feeling! :)

And then there were 4...

2008-04-14T19:22:00.003+08:00

As many of you may know, I used to have 5 cats at home. In chronological order, they are Tora, Max, Dusty, Snowie and Bonnie. About a month ago, Tora disappeared. She just did not return home for dinner one evening and never returned again. She seldom left the house, and despite a few cat-hunting trips, she never surfaced. It is kinda sad that I probably will never see her again, and I am a bit guilty at not spending enough time with her in recent years. My own conclusion is that she probably was ill and decided to go away to rest in peace. I'm not an animal expert, but Tora is about 12 yrs old this year. Wherever she is, I hope she rests in peace!

On the bright side, I'm happy to report that Chelsea & Ryan will have another sibling come September! Unlike my first two pregnancies, this one was rather difficult and at some point I resigned myself to fate, that whatever would be would be. (I still do.) I'm hoping for the best..now I'm into the 2nd trimester and hopefully everything will be smooth from now on!

Till the next update!

Ryan is 5!

2008-03-17T11:09:00.002+08:00

Heehee, this post is a little late, but better late than never right? Ryan turned 5 on 2nd March and we celebrated with his school friends and other little ones (and big ones) at our home! Here is a picture of the lovely cake , and the even lovelier boy :

The yummy and lovely cake featuring Pokemon characters was from Glad. Here are 5 little known facts about Ryan at 5 years old:

1. He is very accident prone. We've been to the A&E for X-rays 3 times since he was born.
2. He has a bag-ful of dolls to sleep with (Patrick's House, Bunny, Toaady, Piplup, Pikachu & Starly.)
3. He loves aeroplanes. He has 4-5 A380 models at home.
4. He currently sleeps in Spiderman costumes (yes, those from pasar malam) every night without fail.
5. His favourite food is sausages.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Home with my kids.

2008-02-12T15:55:00.000+08:00

These few days, the people I have been spending most time with are my kids. Afternoon is usually our time together, when they have gotten back from school. We'll have a simple lunch together, followed by some play time, then getting the inevitable homework out of the way, then play or relaxation time if they've got nothing else on.

I have come to realise I really enjoy hearing them laugh and play, especially with each other. Sure, sometimes they are unbearable cranky (or sometimes I am) but for the most part, I really enjoy being with them. I spent yesterday afternoon watching "Home Alone" with dd alone. (Ds was busy assembling his Lego robot.) It's a really old show, but most of their generation have never heard of it, so she had a great deal of fun. I hardly spend much alone time with dd, because she spends so much time at school now, and during her free time, her brother is usually around too. But some girly time together was great, and I shall plan to catch Home Alone 2, 3, and 4 again with her soon (Yes, I got the DVD box set!)

You never know.

2008-02-05T13:07:00.000+08:00

You never know when your plans may change or why. I guess we just have to make the most of what life throws at us.

For the next few days, I'll be at home, reading, surfing, playing Nintendo, sleeping, watching an inane amount of TV (including old Mediacorp re-runs, JAG, and B-grade-but-still-riveting movies on Hallmark channel and HBO) :) And if the urge hits me, there's always online retail therapy! heh heh! Great stuff here and here. I simply love this too. (If anyone is feeling generous, I like the white, and in size 7.5 C please. If you're feeling EXTRA generous, might as well get me the black as well.)

Last but not least, I'm so inspired by this. Simply beautiful!

Oh, and before I forget, Happy New Year of the Rat! May this year bring prosperity, happiness and health to you and your loved ones.

Hello 2008!

2008-01-23T20:45:00.000+08:00

So, I realise, it's about 23 days too late to welcome 2008! Better late than never I guess! I haven't updated my blog in eons because I thought nobody reads it, but over the last weekend, a few people asked me, "How come you haven't updated your blog for so long?". That's when I was pleasantly surprised that people do read my blog hehe! (if you're one of those, please leave a comment!)

So far, it has been a rather eventful 2008. C started P1 in her new school, everything was great except for a school bus incident last week. I won't say more because talking about it makes me tear.

Then, there was the decision to wind down The Velvet Cat. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but I felt we weren't quite devoting the time and attention it really needed to grow well. We had our last open house on Saturday, and I must say I will definitely miss these events and the people we have met throughout the past 18 months or so. (Sales pitch: Do check out our online sale which starts tonight!)

On the crafty side, nothing much is happening, sad to say. The personal entertainment side has been much more enriching. I've read a couple of great books (The Overlook and Momzillas most recently) and watched an exciting drama serial (The Golden Path). I am also hooked on The Legend of Zelda - Phantom Hourglass! I played the long-ago version of The Legend of Zelda and playing this just brings back fond memories! Of course, this version for the Nintendo DS is even more fun, because it really exploits the features of the DS such as touch-screen, mic etc!

Ok, does this long post make up for lost time? :) I will try my best to update my blog regularly this year!

Has it been that long?

2007-10-23T20:25:00.000+08:00

Frankly, I got a shock when I saw my blog was last updated on Sept 28. Hmm, what have I been up to? I guess the answer is, nothing much. (haha)

I've been busy reading and watching TV, that's for sure. I hate to say this, but Mediacorp Channel 8 dramas just don't excite me the way they used to. Metamorphosis was good, but I seriously don't fancy those 'comical' types of dramas (if you can call them that) that they are screening now. Thanks to cousin S, I've finished the entire third season of Grey's Anatomy, and it was great! Eagerly awaiting Season 4 now!

I've not been in the pink of health and I'm sick of being sick! (Yes, I am still having that dang cough.) I resolve to cut off all cold drinks and heaty food, but I can't go without my chilli. Hope to have a better update next time.

The kids' school year is coming to an end, their concert is next week, followed by C's graduation 10 days later, and then Primary 1 orientation. Time flies and it'll soon be 2008! I can't believe it!

Not well.

2007-09-28T13:53:00.000+08:00

I haven't been feeling well in the past week. I've got a hacking cough and about one tonne of phlegm (TMI? hehe) which I can't cough out. Doctor gave me a drowsy medicine, so I've not been taking it religiously. Hopefully, with the weekend around the corner, I will take it 3x a day!

In addition to that, I sprained my back muscle trying to carry R the other day. I have since been nursing a sore back, so that means, no golf for now, and no bending at the waist either! The back is much better now, but after prolonged periods of sitting/standing, the ache will return.

I guess all this is part of growing old. I can't believe how time flies. C will be going to Pri 1 next year, and she'll soon be a pre-teen. 2007 seems to have just started, but in the blink of an eye, it will be October next week.

I've also been hooked on Facebook which is really fun if you've nothing else to do. I've found some old friends on it, and it's really interesting how it links everyone to everyone else. It's really quite a small world out there!

Some things I'm looking forward to:

1) Some good ol' retail therapy at Marks & Spencer and VivoCity.

2) Shopping for the kids' winter clothes at Mothercare.

3) Catching a movie (881?)

4) Watching tonight's episode of 'Metamorphosis' and 'Ghost Whisperer'

5) Sleeping in beyond 6.30 am! (sleeping with meds is a really good feeling!)

6) Hopefully squeezing in an early morning swim here. The kids just love the lazy river!

Yay! It's less than half a day to Saturday now! :)

Winter in Korea!

2007-09-13T11:14:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, we booked our air tickets to Korea! It'll be the beginning of winter when we get there, and I'm already feeling the winter chills just thinking about it!

We plan to spend a few days in Seoul, and a couple of days at a nearby ski resort and Everland, it'll mainly be a trip for the kids to experience winter and snow, and for us to chill out (literally or otherwise!)

If you've any 'lobangs' where to rent/buy nice winter clothes for adults and kids, have recommendations on where to go in Seoul, or can speak Korean, please let me know!

Uncluttering.

2007-09-12T10:10:00.001+08:00

Finally we're doing it! Our garage sale will be held this weekend (15 & 16 Sept) at my place.

Date/Time: Saturday (2-5pm) and Sunday (10 am-5pm)
Venue: Seletar Hills area (TVC customers will know! If you wanna come but not sure, email me or leave a comment)
What's on sale: Toys, books, golf sets, miscellaneous stuff.

A note - many of the toys on sale will be in great condition. As a parent, I've been overindulgent. I feel much better now my kids' cupboards are so much neater with these toys gone and much neater. If you know of a children's home who would appreciate some of these toys, please let me know.

Hope to see you!

Happy Teachers' Day!

2007-08-29T22:56:00.000+08:00

Tonight kiddos and I made some mini nutella cupcakes for their school teachers. They are indeed lucky to have great teachers at their kindergarten! Thanks to IG for the tips regarding the cupcakes, they turned out nice and yummy and heaty! :) I also love the cute paper cups I baked the muffins in - you can't see them from here, but they've got the cutest Japanese pictures on the base inside! In case you're interested, I got them from the Isetan Scotts supermarket (party section).

And here are some Ikea jars in which these muffins will go! Great use of scraps and my Prima flowers! :)Happy Teachers' Day!

Be still, my heart.

2007-08-28T14:24:00.000+08:00

So, the shooting pain has disappeared and my heartbeat is (strangely) back to normal. So, I've cancelled my appointment tomorrow. It's strange isn't it, that when things reach such a state that you worry till you take some action, then it goes away.

Anyhow, I'll do some of my own monitoring for a while before deciding the next step!

Photos!

2007-08-23T11:01:00.001+08:00

Finally got down to uploading my photos! (Or should I say I felt up to downloading my photos! haha!!)

First off, a picture of the blouse I and my maid made!
The sleeves have elastic bands around them, but very loose ones. And I was quite undecided about the elastic at the bottom but due to my horrific cutting, the elastic helps to disguise the unevenness of it! At the end of it, I'm quite satisfied!

Next, some Hong Kong pics! Mostly taken at HK Disney (at this point, my sis & I had not yet changed cameras. These were taken by her.)

I've been having a sharp shooting pain up my left arm these past few days. Was telling my mum about it, and she thinks I may have a heart problem! I've always had a fast heartbeat (like 95-100 bpm even at rest!) so that may be reason for worry. Anyway, I'm headed to the National Heart Centre next week and we'll know for sure!

Update.

2007-08-17T13:09:00.000+08:00

I'm back from Hong Kong! What an experience it was! It rained everyday when we were there, and on the day we went to Disneyland, there was a typhoon signal 8 hoisted! That meant the park closed early (about 3 pm) and we were stranded in Disneyland Hollywood Hotel, for fear that the public transport system would shut down! Photos to come soon!

Back home, I am trying out Simplicity 3887. Unfortunately, due to the extremely soft material I chose, the shirt looked a bit out of shape after I tacked (basted?) it last night. It has been sent to Sewing ER - my maid S - to sort out. I conclude that unlike its name, such patterns are not really that simple. LOL. I hope it will be wearable by this weekend. Lesson learnt - never use this kind of soft, silky material to make a garment that requires precise cutting! :P Will post a pic if it is presentable. If not, I will have to give it another shot using normal cotton!

That's all for now! This weekend I hope the weather holds up - we hope to visit the zoo! :)

Noteworthy.

2007-08-06T14:03:00.000+08:00

Here's a pic of me & my kids taken at their school, for the school magazine:
Things to note:
1) Look at their smiles! This is their typical 'camera-smile'-fake and unnatural. I suppose it's a by-product of a scrapping mummy eh?

2) C's long socks. She loves long socks! So, I got here these from Cerisi and she wears them everyday now! (Not the usual ankle socks that school kids wear!)

3) R's contortionist legs. Their position looks weird right? He's like a little worm! Even his teachers always comment on how he sits in weird, contorted positions. Perhaps he should be a gymnast!

By the way, dd managed to get into St Nick's for P1 next year! Orientation is on 17th Nov. It's going to be a new chapter in our lives!

We're off to HK on Thursday! It's also C's real birthday, and Singapore's birthday! Happy Birthday to C & Singapore!

A Quick Note

2007-08-02T12:56:00.000+08:00

I'm looking forward to my trip to Hong Kong next week! But before that, we'll be celebrating C's birthday on Saturday, followed by TVC's anniversary party in the evening! Quite an eventful weekend, wouldn't you say?

We're getting C an electric scooter from Kiddy Palace for her birthday, plus some erasers, mechanical pencils and assessment books. That's right. Assessment books! She is one strange girl sometimes! Well, as long as she's happy! She's also hooked on Super Princess Peach! Perhaps she will have unlimited privileges on August 9th, which is her real birthday!

Till my next post...ciao!

An ABC adventure

2007-07-25T14:45:00.000+08:00

Check this out!

my daughter C

my son R

Get your own here.

I passed!

2007-07-20T13:02:00.000+08:00

I passed my PC test today! yay!

I had a 20-question theory test, plus a 4-hole golf game which I had to complete in 28 strokes. I won't tell you how much I scored, but I passed! But, I realise I really need to work on my putting and chipping. So, that's what I'm going to do next, and aim for my handicap test next! (For that, I'll need 60 strokes or less for 9-holes!)

But for now, I think I need a new putter! :)

it's been eons!

2007-07-17T14:06:00.000+08:00

That's right. Eons since I've posted. Nothing much to post I guess? *lol*

R came down with a bad case of cough/running nose/phlegm and just got well this weekend. He had a fever for almost a week, till the doctor finally relented and prescribed anti-biotics. That week was tough, he couldn't sleep through the night, and neither could I. The good news is, it seems he's finally night toilet trained! No need to wake up for night visits to the loo anymore! :)

New maid came last Monday. Well, she does seem to be a little slow on the uptake, and I just have to try to be more patient with her! Give it a few more weeks and see if the situtation improves. Changing maids is always such a chore and game of chance. I do hope it works out, both for her sake and mine. :P

I sewed a patchwork blankie for C last week too! It's made of kiddy retro fabric and is really colourful! Will try to get some pictures up of it soon... together with a dress I made for her some time ago. Next project - a quilt for dh, using Denyse Schmidt's Hop, Skip and a Jump pattern, from here. At least, that's what I hope to do. Still in the midst of cutting up the template.

That said, on the shopfront we're starting to think about what good stuff to order from the CHA Summer releases! Just too much lovely stuff going around! Let us know what you like!

Shopaholic TV addict fell off (or isit on) the wagon.

2007-06-22T11:21:00.000+08:00

Looks like I fell off the blog wagon! (Or as Seinfeld would guess, is it 'on' or 'off' the wagon?)

I've been rather busy with lots of things, including trying to piece together my Barcelona skirt (not working out well cos I think the material I bought was wrong), practising my golf swing (the more I practice, the worse I get), watching TV (Spell Cast, Supernatural, CSI Las Vegas, etc, etc), and sleeping a bit too much.

I'm feeling rather relieved and happy today, as I have just booked C's birthday party venue! She is quite excited about planning it, getting goody bags and all that fun stuff! Me too!

A thought has been floating around in my mind. Are there such things as 'cheap' hobbies? Maybe it's because I'm a shopaholic, every new hobby I go into seems to involve a fair amount of shopping. I wonder why?

Tonight, I'm meeting some old friends for dinner. We got to know each other at our former workplace, and we've known each other for 8 years now. It's always fun when we get together and I'm really looking forward to it.

And after dinner? The Ghost Whisperer beckons!! :)

ETA: We're headed to Bintan again next weekend! Pray for good weather for us, please! :)

Spiderman 4

2007-06-11T11:21:00.000+08:00

Here he is (look at bottom left):

(sorry for the grainy pic, taken from L's hp camera...hehehe!)

Project Runway

2007-06-06T18:48:00.000+08:00

heheh...that's how I would like to describe my first attempt in recent years in sewing something for myself! Using Amy Butler fabric and a pattern from Skirt a la Carte, here it is:

By the way, the book is also available in Kinokuniya, where i grabbed it at 20% off last weekend. The finish of the skirt is far from perfect, and I basically 'winged' it at certain parts due to my lack of understanding of Japanese. Anyway, I must say I am rather happy with my effort!

On to other things, I had some frustration dealing with some of TVC's suppliers from the US of A. Delayed shipments, incorrect email addresses, lack of responses, voicemails... I am glad that I managed to get something done last night/this morning, although it meant I had to be awake from 4 am!! Now that everything's settled (more or less!), I'm really looking forward to next Saturday's Open House!

Fun & Fit Friday!

2007-05-29T07:44:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since I've posted here. Last Friday was the kids' kindy Fun & Fit Day, where they had a chance to display what they had learnt in school as well as participate in some fun telematches orchestrated by the teachers! The event ended off with a pancake-decorating session which the kids enjoyed thoroughly!

In the afternoon, we hopped over to the Navy Open House. It was preview day, and considerably less crowded than when it is open to the public! Here is a pic of the kids with their life jackets onboard RSS Vigilance:

We also found a new golf school for C & R, since the last instructor for R didn't work out. Their first lesson is this Saturday! :)

New interests.

2007-05-22T21:01:00.000+08:00

This weekend, something happened! I developed an interest in some new hobbies!

Golf. Dh bought me a golf set this weekend! We started out bringing R for his first golf lesson at Keppel Club, and on Sunday, when we went shopping to kit him up properly for his next lesson, guess what we bought instead? A half-set for me! These aren't the newest clubs in town but hey, I'm not a pro either. And besides, they look great :) I actually played about 15 yrs back, and now I'm starting again! My first golf lesson is next week, with a Tobey Maguire look-alike :) Well, a cute coach is always an incentive! Dh is the happiest I'm picking the game up, he's been bugging me for a couple of years now!

Sewing. OK, I can't say I've done much about this. I probably last sewed 10 yrs or more ago. But when your sister is crazy about sewing and keeps buying lovely fabrics, a new machine, and pattern books, how do you stay neutral? I've got my eye set on this pattern:

I'm taking over my mum's sewing machine that has just been serviced and repaired, and I hope to be able to post my first work soon!

I have a history of having short-lived hobbies (save for things like reading, and shopping. LOL). Scrapbooking is about the longest-lived hobby I've had so far (2 yrs and counting) and I hope I will stay the course for my new hobbies ! What's your longest lasting hobby?

Finally.

2007-05-14T21:14:00.000+08:00

Finally I have uploaded the pics from my camera! Enjoy....

You can see more at my Flickr account.

While waiting for my Flickr to upload, I decided to blog about a movie I saw yesterday. Music and Lyrics is a wonderfully romantic and funny flick, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has lived through the eighties! It's super fun and romantic!

ETA: why are my pics so pixelised!?

Tagged!

2007-05-05T22:02:00.000+08:00

I've been tagged by Sasha!

Here are 7 quirks or interesting things about me:

1. I can't sleep without something covering my legs.
2. I am paranoid about my hair.
3. I only eat KFC's coleslaw with whipped potato, never alone.
4. I love scaring myself silly with scary books or movies. All time favourite: The Ring. (Japanese version)
5. My maths sucks. Really. (Now you know why I take so long to total up bills for TVC)
6. I can't draw a straight line, even with a ruler. It's always tilted up or down for some reason!
7. I think (or am quite sure) I'm addicted to the internet.

Hoo-yah!

2007-04-28T22:25:00.000+08:00

Have you ever watched the movie G.I. Jane ? I watched it for the first time today, and I really enjoyed it! Typical underdog-does-well movie, with an excellent performance from Demi Moore!

The plot was a bit contrived, but everyone needs mindless movies sometimes right? If you ever need a movie that's gritty, inspiring and exciting, try this sometime. Warning : some parts are a bit brutal (it is Navy SEALS Special Ops training after all)!

"Hoo-yah!"

The Garden Gang.

2007-04-24T21:24:00.000+08:00

Do you remember these characters?
They are part of the GARDEN GANG, a series of books by Ladybird. I remember reading them when I was young, and being amazed it was written by a 9-year-old girl, Jayne Fisher. I always wanted to be an author, although my writing skills have definitely been dulled by the years of corporate paper pushing and policy writing. haha!

C borrowed the book "Penelope Strawberry" from the kindergarten library and I was so happy to see this book after decades! Hope this picture brings back fond childhood memories for you! If anyone could tell me where I can find this series of books in Singapore, please let me know.

Thank you.

2007-04-23T16:11:00.000+08:00

(this is going to be the 5th time I try to post this!)

The Fontwerks event is finally over, after months of preparation! I can't say I'm elated, because I do feel a tinge of wistfulness now that it's over! Relieved, I definitely am! We had our share of glitches and near-heart-attack-moments, but fortunately for us, everthing turned out well at the end of the day!
We could not have done this without the belief and trust of our customers, family and friends. I am so grateful for your support! I just wanna say, "Thank you."

"I'm so excited!"

2007-04-19T13:26:00.000+08:00

A mix of excitement, nervousness, stress and anticipation all in one - that's how I'm feeling right now. It's been a busy week, preparing for Fun with Fontwerks! and all. I'm really crossing my fingers and toes for it to turn out well. It's something I never thought we'd actually manage to pull off, and it'll be here in 2 days!

Today, I also did my Parent Involvement Group (PIG) session at the kids' kindy. And C's teacher was so nice as to let her pink group go for the Mini Pancakes cooking session! That sure made my day (and C's)!

Here's the recipe for Mini Pancakes (recipe makes approximately 6 medium pancakes):
(Time taken: 30 mins with a group of 5 kids. Probably just 15 if it's you and your kid :))

Ingredients:
125gm self-raising flour
50gm sugar
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
Method:
1) Mix sifted flour and sugar into mixing bowl.
2) Create a 'well' and pour in lightly beaten egg. Mix well.
3) Add in 1/2 cup milk and 1 tsp vegetable oil and mix well.
4) Heat up pan. Spoon mixture onto pan and cook till golden brown.

Voila! To add flavour, sift some icing sugar over the finished pancakes, or serve with ice-cream or maple syrup!

A gracious society

2007-04-16T21:06:00.000+08:00

Singapore is a gracious society...no, really! Here's my story:

Yesterday, while shopping at VivoCity, I received a call on my handphone, from my family doctor's nurse! She told me that I had dropped my wallet, and someone picked it up, found the doctor's receipt and called the doctor to locate me! The finder had left her mobile number for me to call her back, which I did, and it turned out she was in the exact same shop (in the kids department) less than 3 metres away from me. Nothing was missing from the wallet, and I was really grateful! Imagine...cancelling my credit cards, remaking my identity card, driving licence etc would have been one big tedious task!

See, I'm quite sure if I'd dropped my purse in another crowded shopping centre, in another country, I'd have lost it for good! So, I'm glad I lost it in Singapore! (lol). Must be more careful though!!

Good mail day!

2007-04-09T21:06:00.000+08:00

Thanks everyone for your concern! My foot is feeling much better after my experience at the Chinese sinseh, which was what I would describe as "near-childbirth-pain"! Thankfully, my ankle was not fractured, as suspected, as I am able to walk 70% normally now :)

Can you believe dh has not reached Taiwan yet? It's been 3 days already! I can't imagine being at sea for so long, without a break. Well, I hope this makes up for it :P

Had a good mail day today! Lovely goodies for TVC arrived. Can't wait to play with them. Hope to get them uploaded over the next couple of days, but this is really bugging me! Grrrr.

Fun with Fontwerks takes place next Saturday. Time sure flies! I can't believe it's going to happen for real!!

Sprained!

2007-04-06T21:15:00.000+08:00

DH left for Taiwan today. He'll be gone for 3 weeks, and I've already given him my shopping list!

In other news, today I sprained my foot! I took some cough medicine before taking a nap, and when I woke up, one of my legs was 'dead'! In a futile attempt to balance myself, I landed on my ankle (ouch!). Now, it hurts like hell and I have to walk super slowly. The Chinese sinsehs were all closed today, so I'll have to find one tomorrow. Bah! I hope I can still manage to visit Centrepoint though. I'm just dying to visit the new Robinsons.

Stuck at level 55 of Weffriddles. Any hints appreciated.

And last but not least, Happy Birthday Mum!

Weffriddles....

2007-04-04T10:37:00.001+08:00

....has taken over my life. That's all I have to say.

Catching up.

2007-04-02T21:06:00.000+08:00

Two posts in a day! Am I catching up or what? Firstly, I wanted to upload some pics of a mini-album I did. I meant to submit it for a mini-album challenge, but the deadline came and went before I knew it. Nevertheless, here it is:

(Cover inspired by Ali Edwards, album using AC and Fontwerks papers.)

Next, I wanted to share with everyone some stuff I bought this weekend! Was in need of some retail therapy, so here are pics of *some* items I got

1) An old hardcover storybook from a garage sale nearby: $1.00

2) A Crumpler camera bag : $104
3) Some vintage buttons - $30.00

Add these to a James Patterson book, Marks & Spencer chocolate, and Shu Uemura make-up, and I definitely spent too much this weekend. But I'm one happy gal! And that's priceless :)

ETA: Sis introduced me to this game.
WARNING: Do not click the link unless you have nothing better to do!

Shiny Happy Faces.

2007-04-02T13:47:00.000+08:00

Report on school bus ride. Everything went GREAT! (except for the bus driver getting a bit lost.)

I went home at about 11.25 am to wait for the bus with my camera! After pacing up and down for about 20 minutes (yes..in almost noon sun :P) the long-awaited bus came into view! When the bus door opened, the kids piled excitedly out of the bus! They were shiny with sweat (I wonder why?) and smiling with happiness! Everyone said the ride was "fun" and "good". A was even able to give directions to the bus driver who lost his way inside the estate. :) Let's hope the enthusiasm lasts!

Cheers to the kids! Hip, hip, hooray!

PS: If you're thinking of getting a 4D number, how does '5411' sound?

A blast from the past.

2007-03-30T10:47:00.000+08:00

C & I have been under the weather for a couple of days. She with stomach flu and me with a throat infection. I hope we both get better, tonight we have a dinner with dh and his colleagues at Bottle Tree Park. I went there for a recce a couple of days back, and it's a lovely place. Hope the food's good!

I realised I haven't been uploading any pics to my blog recently. But here's a blast from the past. Last year at this time, we had just about ended our Canberra/Gold Coast trip. Here's a pic from the 4 kiddos at play at Brisbane airport.It's been only a year but they seem to have grown! Although A & R still wear the same clothes, E's hair is longer, and C has most certainly outgrown those clothes. heh! On other fronts, between now & then, TVC was born, and it's taken me to places and people I never thought I'd go and meet. What an experience it's been!

Serendipity

2007-03-27T22:42:00.000+08:00

One of the definitions of "serendipity" is "good fortune; luck" as defined by dictionary.com. I love this word, mostly because it sounds cute and lively (if you know what I mean)

I experienced some serendipity in my life recently! Following up from my school bus post, the bus uncle informed me that he'd be chartering a new bus for the 4 kiddos and 2 more from the same area, which means, travel time is almost halved for them! Cheers to Uncle Lim!

Musings About A Day Out

2007-03-24T19:47:00.000+08:00

This morning, dh and I brought the kids to Sentosa. We hadn't been there for a while, so it would be fun, especially when the new Sentosa Express has just started service.

We set off bright and early and reached Sentosa at about 9 am. It was blazing hot, as usual! We started the day with a ride on the ridiculously expensive (to me) Carlsberg Sky Tower , then had a break at The Coffee Bean and Subway, before embarking on the Luge ride. It was very fun, although the sky chair ride back up was really really hot! Anyway, we arrived back on mainland at about 11.30. Some pictures from our day out:

I think it's important sometimes to sacrifice our own interests for that of the kids. I would have much preferred to spend the day at a shopping mall, but the kids much prefer spending their day at such places! It was good that dh came along, I think after the year he spent Down Under, ironically I think the kids and him are closer.

Anyway, we'll be chatting with Kah-Mei at 10 pm on The Scrappers' Loft. I think it'll be fun!

School Bus

2007-03-22T15:11:00.000+08:00

I made the decision to put the kids on the school bus for the journey back! I'd been deliberating for the longest time, as the journey is quite long (about 40 minutes). Then DH said something that struck me, which was: "I don't want my kids to grow up in cotton wool." Which is true!

This shuttling routine is quite tiring and tedious for me, as I reach work about 9, but have to leave about 10.55 again to fetch L's maid then the kids, drop them at home, buy lunch, and reach back to the office at about 12. It's disruptive to say the least, although I always appreciate the opportunity to catch up with the kids' teachers.

Anyway, with C going to P1 next year, this fetching routine (no pun intended) will only get worse. So why not start now? With 4 of them in the same bus, at least there'll be company in 'misery'. I think they will enjoy it though, once they get over the initial adjustments.

D-day is 2 April. I think I'm as nervous as them! LOL

A quick & easy LO!

2007-03-20T21:43:00.000+08:00

I find I hardly have the stamina/creative juices to do an LO that requires layering, or tons of embellishments. I do love such LOs but I just *can't* do it. Here's a shot of an LO I did in about 20 minutes. Sorry for the bad lighting, but the Hambly overlay just caught the reflections of the ceiling lights from any angle! Grrrr.....
By the way, the Cyan ink on my printer is low, hence the reddish temperature of the picture! But it's ok, I like that it brings out the florescence (is there such a word?) of the light sticks.To quote a source of inspiration of mine, "It is ok" .

Should I?

2007-03-20T14:03:00.000+08:00

...go swimming or not? The kids have swimming lessons at 4 pm today. I know they always enjoy me going into the water with them, but I dread the initial cold, and subsequent dry & fibrous hair, and of course, my lack of sunblock. I should have brought my camera so I could get some good shots of them to scrap about, but I didnt. I should have brought my book along too, but I didn't. I still have a couple of hours to mull over it. Hmmm. Life is full of trivial decisions like these, isn't it?

Something else on my mind. Should I get these JCrew pants? I got a couple when I went to Anaheim and love them to bits. I think I could do with one in each colour. LOL. What do you think?

Nice things

2007-03-19T21:03:00.000+08:00

Hands up, those who love nice things! A couple of nice things to blog about today. Firstly, a big thanks to I, who made me & my sis these lovely felt boxes. I think they are too nice to use!
Next up. Another love of mine. Iso Peas. Have you heard of them? I loved eating them as a kid, and recently re-discovered them. I had about 15 mins to spare on my parking coupon today after going to the bank, so I dropped by NTUC to pick up some groceries and my iso peas. I also picked up some more dark chocolate with almond to try. But really, nothing beats Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate with Whole Hazelnuts for me. Here's a picture of the iso peas. It's a bit sweet, a bit salty, and crunchy and nutty all at once. Try it next time!

This is a Mario Story

2007-03-18T22:06:00.000+08:00

This is a story written by Chelsea today. All grammar, paragraphing, spelling etc. is 'as-is'. Enjoy!

"This is Mario.
Mario is doing -
racing, and after -
that Mario go to school
and after that-
mario go to sleep
on pillow."
I'm so proud of my 5.5 year old girl! I think it's quite a commendable effort at a story! heehee perhaps she has inherited Mummy's literary inclinations :) She even folded it into a book-like structure with a cover and title!

ETA: Chelsea told me that Ryan told the story and she just helped to write it down! :)