Pure adrenaline and happiness

Looks like this!

7.8km down Pitt Street through Hyde Park into Botanical Gardens about the Sydney Opera House and back again. 

Feeling so awesome now! 

Alone time for three days

Work calls so I'm doing a quick turnaround trip to Sydney and back, all of 3 days. 

The cookie was too sweet and oily (look at the paper bag!) but I was hungry, wanted something easy/light and it went well with my perk-me-up coffee so I guess I can't complain. 

I'm going to pick myself a bimbo read now and head off. 

I'm missing the family already! 

A harrowing experience

习字, never a preferred activity of mine back in school, has come back in the form of K's homework. Ever since she started Kindergarten 1 this year, she's brought back pages (note the plural) of work to do on the weekend - English, Math, coloring, Chinese. It's been a bit of a hindrance to our weekend plans because I always have to find some time to sit down with her to do it. In my daughter's quest to learn and achieve, I have also had to learn to abide by her rules and requirements. All very sexy and extremely difficult, this parenting business. Anyhow, I digress. 

This particular piece of worksheet horrified me at first sight. It's K's Chinese name - and as you can tell, it isn't exactly a piece of cake. 

We spent a (very) painful hour with her on this. It shaved years off my life, generated tears (hers - though mine was close) and my jaw now aches from gritting it so hard. 

It's completed, and we all breathe a sigh of relief. I say "we", because I HAD to involve the husband to sit with her through the exercise too. It's too good not to share. To more learnings and bonding sessions! 

And at the end of this session, when K was enjoying an ice-cream with tear stains on her cheek, she said. 

K: mommy?

Me: yes?

K: I think I want to change name. 

Me: what to? 

K: .... To no Chinese name. 

Hahahaha! Ok that wasn't my response to her but I was totally cracking up inside. The way her brain operates is... Funny. Yet logical post the 习字session! 

It's like Valentine's Day came a day late

As I got to spend time with the husband. We got up at 645am and did our trail run, had a (too) leisurely brunch and we're still together (just us, no kids) now while we're both working on our own stuff. 

Valentine's Day

Spent as usual, at work. But the family had planned to have dinner together because it is 1/ a Friday 2/ Valentine's Day and 3/ the last day of Chinese New Year.

It was sweetened by the fact that I received personalised, hand-made gift /

card from my loved ones. 

Left: Kate's bag made in school "you and Papa share", she said. Right: the handwritten card from the husband. It was heartfelt enough, or perhaps I'm just such a low-expectations wife, I teared reading it. 

Family is best. And I give thanks that I have them by my side, healthy and happy. Simple pleasures - having a meal together, having the husband give me a lift- immense joys. 

School project

My girl who loves to craft.

So one day, I receive a memo from the school who tells us that there's a "Family Project"; that the kids are supposed to create a poster and share pictures of their family. I printed the pictures, purchased some double-sided tape and a piece of vanguard sheet and brought it home to Kate. I tasked her to cut out the pictures herself; I cut tiny pieces of the tape for her but she stuck them on by herself; I also told her to lay out the pictures she wanted to feature (I printed more) and she laid them out all on her own.

The husband came home just in time to help write out the captions for her. It's a week-long of presentation (ala show and tell) in school next week. I know that Kate wouldn't get nervous and she will be able to present because this is a topic that is close to her heart; but most importantly, I hope Kate has fun.

I thought that she may get asked questions, so I tossed her some questions.

Q: Kate, who's your favourite person in your family?
K: Yiyi

Q: What does your father do?
K: thinking - disturbs me!

That just made us ROFL! HAHAHAHA

Kids don't lie. And say the darnest things.

Little joys in life

In the form of chancing a photo that brings a huge smile to your face and heart. Taken on the weekend when this little munchkin was trying to/pretending to sleep.