The husband graduates!

Not the education graduation (where he gets his paper certificate from the University), but from his course; the one where he put in plenty of time and heart so that his time in the past 5 months was well-spent. This evening, was one where we scrubbed ourselves clean and put on some nice-looking clothes and spent time with other adults in my attendance of the formal gig of the husband's. 

The first time I brought my new clutch out (birthday present from the siblings & their crew)

The whole programme for the night ran pretty much like clockwork. There was a cocktail session where we welcomed the GOH, where the syndicates (I did question too, why they couldn't just be called "groups"?) took graduation pictures and we warmed up with one another before the actual dinner started. 

All the Navy graduates

The dinner ran some speeches, and gave a brief overview of what our partners had been so busy with during their time out of their home and usual work. A highlight of the evening was when we (referring to all the loved ones, family or partners of the graduates) were pleasantly surprised when the emcee said, "and now, our graduates will like to give a token of appreciation to you for (insert niceties)". 

Love this shot of us (I hadn't even known the pic was taken) where the husband presented me with my special gift and was tearing it open for me 

A handsome man, a thoughtful gift he handpicked for me - what more could a woman want? 

Another highlight of the night was me witnessing my handsome, and capable husband win an award! The top 10% of each cohort receives a "Distinguished Graduate" award and guess who got his hands on one!

Award Winner

What really warmed my heart was how the husband got along with his syndicate and other members. To hear positive feedback of him from his fellow peers truly hit the spot. 

Us

And to end off the night, we had a round of drinks with his colleagues-team mates-turned friends, and it felt great.

Just a little on my dress that night, it's my first purchase from Stolen. It was so pretty and made me look pretty much how I felt - the proud woman on my husband's arm.

Dress: Stolen
Mood: Beyond awesome

2 days to Sundown

SMS alert about the upcoming run

5.8km

Good thing I squeezed in one last run this morning! It took me every ounce of discipline to wake up and go. I really had no time to run earlier in the week, and I did not want to run tomorrow, too near to Saturday. So up I got at 6am and did a short run, just to keep my body suitably warmed up. 

0636am

Rewarded by beauty, and the positive energy that kept me going through another hectic work day.

Sundown Marathon, here I come!

My little duckling

Look at me, says duck-lips

The school organized an excursion for the children. To Duck Tours. 

A whole two weeks before the day, K was so excited and started asking when her field trip was. I tried to manage her constant badgering by marking the day out on our calendar. She was so excited and it was terribly cute. 

It looks more duck-like from the side

She enjoyed being with her friends, the new experience of taking the ride "on the road then I splash into the water!" 

This pure, inhibited joy is so precious I wish I could wrap it up and savor it when I want to. 

Such simple joys, such happiness.

Prelude: proud of my man

My husband is in print. He made it to the Pioneer magazine, and even featured on cyberpioneer! 

A glimpse of the article

This is a local magazine that is widely subscribed by nearly the whole population of male in Singapore, and this is what happens.

Friends who know my husband message me randomly to tell me they read about him

So after months (five, to be exact) of working very hard, my husband has graduated. The graduation ceremony was last evening, and I'll write more about that soon.

I cannot be more proud of my man!

Weekend highlights

Saturday morning with my two favourite boys. Here's one shot of Jake looking like he wants to escape, and he did want to. Poor boy was so tired but soldiered on with us until past lunch where he finally crashed. 

Sunday: party at Amazonia - K going down the giant slide. I went down on it many times too!

My little boy with strong psychomotor skills.

Perfect end to the weekend with a 7.33km run with my best friend who I really love.. followed by dessert of an X-men movie date!

End of semester, Kindergarten 1

Dear Kate, 

So next week is the last week of your school for the first half of 2014. I attended the first parent-teacher session for Kindergarten 1… and there wasn't much feedback at all. In some sense, I guess no news is not bad news, and you are faring averagely well in school that Teacher Y didn't have too much to say. 

Teacher Y said that you "transformed" from term 1 to term 2. I was a little surprised, given that you're not exactly a mouse; but after clarifying, it seems that you took a while to warm up to the class initially. You are socially comfortable and very "cheerful", but you seem to lack confidence to ask questions, or answer questions posed to you. All the hesitance is done and dusted, and you have shed your initial reservations and thus, the "transformation". 

My analysis is that while you're familiar with the school (after the long school break last December), coming back to a relatively new class (you only joined them a month before school closed) may have been slightly overwhelming – maybe not to the extent of you feeling paralysed with fear or anything extreme like that, but it's still a lot to take in. Plus, if you do not feel confident, you will hold back. I'm pleased to know that you have opened up and behave so well in school; so proud of you baby girl.

Hanging out with your classmates.

The next matter that comes to mind is how you have more to improve on, academically. Where soft skills are concerned, the likes of craft – I have no qualms that you are confident and able to participate with gusto. Based on my experience of exposing you to hands-on activities, I know you're more than willing to try it all. It's the "real" things like "A-B-Cs" or the "1-2-3s" that worried me more. Last year, when you were in Nursery, I wasn't sure that you knew your alphabets well and you didn't truly. The surest improvement that I did notice was your ability to recognise your alphabets – good job! However, you have more to improve upon where reading is concerned. Teacher Y agrees and isn't too worried; she's sure that you'll improve (as do I) and with the introduction of your English reading class as an extra-curriculum, I'm confident that you'll be fine.  

The cheongsam in the middle is your masterpiece. 

The other sharing from Teacher Y was how impressed she was with your confidence during the first session of show-and-tell. You could go on and on, she said. Indeed a chatty child of mine!

None of what she shared really surprised me, because it is all very normal. Your hesitance and lack of confidence in areas of unfamiliarity, your usual sociable self and you excelling at show-and-tell when it's a subject matter close to your heart. 

My own observations of your growth/development:

• Comfortable with routine – you do not know the true concept of time yet, but you understand that when you're told to change and prepare for school, you do so & you know that you'll head off to school. Quite happily, I may add and I'm so thankful that you enjoy school. You have extra classes (Chinese and Art) too and you're lapping them up enjoyable, from what I see.
• Extremely accepting of homework – every Friday, you bring back some worksheets from school and you always attend to them with no fuss. It's extremely heartening to see how you take to your duties so responsibly and I'm so proud of you. 
• You're growing taller! - Your uniform, which you have been wearing since a year and a half ago, now fits very well. I remember how it was pretty big on you initially! Note to self: purchase a new set of uniform for you earlier than later so you can wear the new piece more than a year because I'm very sure the current set will be too small by the time you hit K2.
• Reading – you enjoy reading. I can be more disciplined with you to instill better reading habits, and I do wish I am. But given that I'm not, I'm pleased that you do pick up a book on your own accord; even if to flip through the colourful pages of illustrations. 

Flashback pic: First day of school in your (then rather big) uniform, 2013. Look at how much you have grown!

I love you so much, Kate and I'm amazed at your growth and how you are such a sweetheart. You are such a sensitive child and I know that you will continue to do well at school. I'm proud of you, everything that you have done. I wish that you'll not give up or feel disheartened and learn to stand up and ask all that you need to, to continue blooming. 

I love this pic! (I snapped it off one of the pictures that they place outside the classroom)

Here's to a good school holidays this upcoming month of June and to an even better second semester of school this 2014!

I love you, my sweet child.

Love, Mommy

Playing masak

Kate re-discovered her Hello Kitty masak yesterday and launched them neatly about to play. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time (nor patience) to play with her and I behaved poorly and ended up yelling at her instead of fulfilling her wish to play with me. *bummed. On a slightly happier note, this was them both having a moment of peace before they upset each other (one wanted to touch everything, the other wanted to play properly). 

Mid-week happiness

Today, these two Mickeys were delighted Mommy allowed them lollies #simplepleasures #feelingthankful 

Simple joys

Jake loves watching the luggages go on the conveyor belt. And we indulged him with this very simple activity, and threw in the sky-train rides too!

Because K saw many tourists take pics at this spot, she very happily planted herself there when the crowds left and requested for me to take a picture of them.

15 more days

A little green friend

Spot it. Kate did first and we were playing with it for a bit while waiting for our ride.

Coincidentally, this little bug is in green too. And way cuter :)

Never a dull moment

... if you have kids. That's a known fact and the only reminder I ought to kick myself with to keep my temper under control. Not sure what it is but I have been so cranky lately.

So this morning, the kids were driving me mental. Over what? A back-scratcher. You know, one of those stick thingies that come with a hand at the back of it that you can scratch your back with. My husband bought one for K thinking that it's funny because she has a habit of asking for her back to be scratched to go to sleep; but I digress. So both of them decided that they must use that (as a toy, not for its actual intent) and started screaming and fighting. I was so irritated I took it from both of them - I have this rule where if they don't share, I confiscate the item. 

Pandemonium erupted because instead of them being mad with each other, they felt indignant that I had taken away their precious (useless) item from them! I was close to a migraine and asked for Jake to be brought out for his morning walk. 

Then two minutes later.... 

Magic moment

It was as if they had not just yelled at each other at the top of their voices just moments ago. And my helper and I both looked at each other - in disbelief & relief.

I stood there watching them for a moment, and savoured it. 

Happy Mothers' Day, Mommy

Thank you, Mommy. You are the best.

Reminders on priorities in life

Work has been rather hectic and this week, I clocked two consecutive nights till 11pm. It was on this second night at about 10pm when I received a call from home. I already guessed what was coming - my homebodies wanted to know when I'd be back. 

K told me there's something happening at school the next day (Friday), "Mommy I want you to come so I can hold your hand and sing you the Mothers' Day song!" I was stumped because it was so last minute, too late for me to check with the school what the programme was and I had to work. I gave a non-committal response as I didn't want to lie about turning up if I really couldn't and she was upset. When I hung up, I felt a part of me weep because while I am a FTWM, I don't want to become a non-existent Mother. I felt despise as I felt that I'm compromising my values by letting my child down. I recall another such occasion previously where there was some simple performance in school (I think it was for Chinese New Year) but because we couldn't make it, I tasked my Dad to go and it was all worth it because K was obviously happy that 爷爷 was there to witness her sterling performance. 

I made it a point to try my best to make an appearance. Before 8am today, I rang the school and found out that there was indeed a Mothers' Day celebration at 0815. In one of those critical and swift decision-making moments, I whipped the troupe into shape ("Everyone out of your pyjamas now!"), dialed for a cab and we made it to school by 0830! The assembly had already begun but only just and I spent the next 30minutes in sheer joy. 

To witness my daughter bloom with a twinkle in her eye while waving at me happily when the kids were told to "look at your mothers", to see how my secondborn fit right into the room sitting beside his elder sister, to hear the angelic voices of the children as they sang two songs - an English and a Chinese version; to have Kate hug me on cue when prompted by the teachers... I was not shy to have tears well up in my eyes as I held on tightly to these two precious beings who have made such an impact to my life and how I have become/ am still developing as they grow each day. Today, I give myself a pat on my back for making the right decision of making time for my child. It was the right thing to do and I am blessed to feel the love. Thank you, Kate for reminding me life lessons of priorities in life.

My heart nearly burst from all the emotions I felt, my eyes welled up with tears, my nose turned red from trying not to wail... everything is better because I have these two perfect little people in my life. 

Start 'em young

What's cuter than a cute 2yo? A cute 2yo in a Man U jersey. 

Today will be a better day

My battered feet

I have bunions, and that's always made my feet.. awkward.  With the running I have been doing, I've trashed my old pair of running shoes and with a month to go before the Sundown Marathon (half, for me), I was thrilled to get a new pair of (very pretty) Nikes that I was delighted with. They are very light, different from my Saucony's that are very heavy and grounded (and less aesthetically attractive). The problem with the new shoes, however, are that their backs are a lot higher and in my first two weeks of breaking them in, my poor feet are suffering. I've abrasions on the back of my feet from the chafing and they hurt. The wounds are scabbing now and itching terribly and I still continue to run, with protection. I cannot wait for the shoes to feel as good as they look. My poor feet.

Precious

A great start to the morning, with the boy coming into the room to say "tood morning". I rolled out of bed to witness them sitting side by side, reading together.