Sunny Sunday at the beach

It's the school holidays! So this weekend, we ventured to our "holiday destination" across the bridge that joins us from the island of Singapore, to the island of Sentosa.

 

 

Noon

The sun was up, the kids were excited and we headed to Tanjong Beach in search of a suitable spot where we could park ourselves. Man, was the sun up and blazing.

This little girl plonked herself right on the beach in search of seashells

Sandplay

The husband headed off for a run, while I did my best to find the shadiest spot under the trees. The kids headed straight to play in the waters/sand.

Picnic!

 

Thanks to enthusiastic cooks, we had more than enough to eat. Yummy in our tummies. Coincidentally, we bumped into a friend who brought his own paddle surfboard. The husband tried it, and so did the little ones.

 

A board can fit many kids comfortably!

Water/snack break

 

The kids had such a good time with their friends. They just ran up and down the beach and seawaters a million times and it was such a great afternoon.

 

A happy sunbaked boy

Family :)

 

We made ourselves very comfortable

After 5 scorching hours at the beach (yes, despite my best efforts I still got sunburnt on parts of my body where I was sloppy with the sunscreen), we headed off.

This little boy fell asleep within minutes

While I wish I was not darker or burnt, I did have a great time. Sipping beers in bright daylight makes it feel exactly like a holiday and that was exactly how I needed to feel.

What a happy Sunday!

Running running... 10 more days

Yesterday's achivement of the day

 

1) Waking up at 6am

2) Then actually going for a run

 

I finally, finally crossed the 10km mark

 

It was quite a mental struggle really. While my body was not in pain (just my feet/toes a little), my mind was just not strong enough. I wanted to give up running many times. I did walk three times in between - but! Am still very proud that I trained.

My total run-o-meter

Family Funday at LEGO

Sometime mid-year, I started a new job. I had not talked about it expressly, but it did happen. Along with a change in environment, I also started some new habits such as bringing my own food from home; checking out new running routes, a new breakfast style. Beyond this new set of newness, came a new routine and that took me a couple of months to get used to. The changes were exciting, and mostly great. I tried very hard through the interview process and after six gruelling rounds, I made it. Five months into the job, I'm still thrilled to be part of this amazing organisation! So last weekend, when LEGO organised a family day to show our loved ones our working space, I was beyond thrilled.

 

This lovely Saturday rolled along and after dropping K at her class, J and I made our way leisurely to the office first. The husband and I decided to divide and conquer and stagger our visit to the office to optimise our time. 

 

In the lifts, going up!

 

Warm welcome by Kai (ninja from Ninjago) and our signature Lego mini-figurine
(not that mini on this day)

Writing his own name on his tag

 

His favourite spot and sport. This boy spent most of his time at this table!

If I left it up to J, he would have been happy playing foosball all day. I had to coax, cheat and lure him away from the table.

Craft activity

 

Bricks galore!

Colouring activity

Watching a cartoon

After going through all those activities, K just about joined us and after feeding everyone, the husband and I split duties and he then stayed guardian to J while I brought K on the activity frenzy.

 

 

Getting a balloon

Colouring

The girl wanted to try the craft but the room was too croweded, and when we rounded back the second time they had run out of the templates, so no more activity for K. She was slightly bummed out but I reminded her that we had other activities we could accomplish.

Mini build area

 

One of the highlights of the day was that LEGO had engaged master builder to the office to demonstrate a quick session on how to create a mini build. I had no idea what the build was and was excited to attend with K. Turned out, we were building a mini carousel!

 

 

Love her face of concentration!

So proud of my little girl - she completed 90% of it all by herself

Jumping castle

By this time, it was nearly time to go and I hurried to let the children do what they wanted to for the last time. K spent it at the jumping castle, while J continued to stay at his roots (foosball table). Then after we collected our door gifts, I requested for the children to do one last task - to decorate my locker door.

 

Drawing on the door - yup the mess on the ground is all ours!

 

Their masterpiece. K did the writing and J drew "our family four people"

The end.

Jake in the newspapers

Straits Times, 21 November 2015

@straits_times ig account, 20 November 2015

Some months back, we had a small burst of exposure here!

Last day of school 2015

20 November 2015 marked the last day of the school year. My children looked forward to this day because (1) they got to perform what they had been practising for in front of an audience (2) Mommy has taken leave to go watch them on this day (3) They get to wear their own clothes (not the school uniform) to school (special day!) (4) A party means plenty of treats (hello sugar overload)

 

I was also looking forward to the day because I'd planned a day off and had a million things planned in my head, on what I could do with the children. Throw in an errand or two, plus a date night with the husband that evening (no more exams everyone say Hooray!), the weekend was already off to a good start!

 

After sending the kids to school, I had an hour or so in-between and I used that hour well, to work out. I've been pretty good with squeezing in some activity most days of the week though I'm aware that my running is not clocking enough distance with the run looming closer. Anyhow, I digress.

 

So after the refreshing workout, I headed to school with the MIL to catch the annual concert at the school.

 

 

K performed 2 dances with her Chinese Immersion Class friends

 

K did a super job dancing her 3 segments. There were 2 in the sparkling pink outfits, and 1 in the cheerleading outfit. She had been practising for months and I know that she enjoys performing. I've said this before and I will again, that if there is an opportunitiy I will let her take up dance as an additional activity beacuse she enjoys it and she's told me so several times.

 

 

The baby class of the school performed "Jingle Bells"

J was so adorable. It cannot be helped but when the littlest of the school goes on stage, everyone goes aawwww. They are just so tiny in comparison and the cutest little things. There was a child who had a severe case of stage fright and bawled throughout the whole song. J did so well, not only going along with the dance but over-performing during the jump. What a star.

The graduating K2-lets of 2015 :)

It fascinated me to know that K understood how she will not be with these friends. She has lamented several times how "oh I will not see my friends anymore after this!" - and while she doesn't seem too heartbroken, I think it's great how she's forged good friendships with some of these children and how she doesn't seem to terrified of the aspect of going to Primary 1 next year either. I'm not sure how I feel but hey, we'll get through it, I'm sure.

So, after their performances, I headed for lunch with the MIL (hello famous and super yummy fish may noodle soup), had some nice chats and dropped her off at the train station. During this time, the children were consuming copious amounts of food and sugar. I picked them up and proceeded to bring them to the trampoline park, as I had planned!

Due to a long session booked for a big group of children, my kids only had a half-hour slot. It was sufficient though, with just the two of them bouncing away with the whole hall to themselves. How awesome. The last time we went, it was months ago and it was still as fun and enjoyable to them. They requested to go again (again! again!) and I know we will bring them again

Jumping trampolines + basketball - these are a few of his favourite things

 

After a pretty strenuous workout, I then brought them for the next treat - junk food!

 

Happiness

 

How sharing an ice-cream cone looks like with 2 greedy children hehe

By this time, it was nearly 5pm and we headed home. Of course, the children were on such an adrenaline high they said that they were not tired and still wanted to play. I let them be because I knew they will start to feel tired in due time.

 



KO 1

KO 2

I left home about 545pm and by that time, J had already fallen asleep. By the time I arrived at dinner, both kids were down.

I'm happy that they had a nice time and it was so lovely being able to spend time with them and watching them so happy.

The day ended with dinner for two. What a beautiful day :)

The boy feels victorious accomplishing tasks

Some months ago, this little boy started to write 4 very significant letters in his life and tadah! managed to write his own name.

 

I noticed some trends of how he learns and I wish to record down my observations.

 

1) He hates to get things wrong

J has been pretty proficient at identifying capital letters. His small letters are still hit and miss sometimes, but I'm not fussed because for his age, I know that he's doing pretty well. Let me paint you a scenario - imagine we are reading a book and while my big girl is getting quite fluent and confident at reading, this little boy can only memorise. He likes to show off and be part of the reading session, but since he can't, he will do so in the form of reading the letters that form the word.

 

Let's say the title of the book is "Monsters". He won't be able to read the whole word, but he will be able to recite the letters M-O-N-S-T ;  you get the idea.

 

Usually, if the letters are all in caps, he will be able to read through them with no issues. It's when they are mixed with caps and small letters that he may stumble. When he does, he gets frustrated. He will need to read the letters from the start. So, he will read

M-O-U (mistake).

M-O-N-G (mistake).

M-O-N-S-... he cannot just pick up where he left off. He needs to read the whole thing from the beginning to the end correctly.

 

2) He will try, and try again

My kids do not take music lessons to learn the piano. However, we have this little xylophone in the form of a rainbow-coloured plastic dog that tinkles notes from Do, all the way to La. With this range of notes, we manage to accomplish several songs, including Twinkle Twinkle, most parts of Do-Re-Mi (from sound of music), Happy Birthday...

 

K actually knows Twinkle Twinkle and Happy Birthday and she does play them. I realise that she's been coaching J so he knows parts of the starry song too. I was trying to introduce a new tune of Happy Birthday to him and there was this evening where he was so focussed, trying to replicate the tunes and it was so fulfilling to watch him try, and try. At the end of it, I saw his face light up with delight at accomplishing the tunes and he was so, very happy!

 

3) Discovers joy in achieving results

To watch this litle boy grow up in his own amazing pace is extremely rewarding. As much as I know that he's 3 years old, his developments never cease to amaze me. Perhaps it's the thought that he's still a baby, because he is the young one in our family, but  I definitely feel wistful that he is growing up so quickly! He looks to the sister for aspiration, yet is firm and confident enough to stand up for himself. He retorts when he finds no logic in what we tell him, and being the mischievous boy, he does constantly try to push his boundaries still. To observe his winning trait of wanting to try and not give up, is so great and I cannot express how proud I am of my baby.

 

 

Him, insisting on writing his name properly until it was perfect

Primary 1 Orientation - my little kimgek

So, this day rolled along. After a nervous application experience (I know, I know, I'm part of the privileged phase of being an alumni member but really! There is no real guarantee until confirmed so it was still highly nerve-wrecking), it felt assuring to receive the letter from the school confirming K's spot. And with a lookout on a Monday in November which - at that time - seemed so far away, I couldn't believe it when November rolled along and today came.

 

The morning was great - I did my motherly duties of dropping the children at school, then had a couple of hours to myself (squeezed in a workout then a bout of work). Then off I went to pick K and we headed for lunch, then made our way leisurely to school.

 

It felt so familiar and strange to be back.

Familiar because I did spend some of the best years of my life there and though I was only in the compound for two years, it still felt very much like home.

Strange, because - as much as I hated to admit it - it truly has been many years since I left school. 19 years, to be exact (gasp).

 

I went about the school, moving around as if I knew what I was doing (uh, buy a lot of stuff right?); we started by joining a short-ish Q to buy uniforms. Then headed to her classroom and - shocking - I had to fill in a million forms (seriously, all these administration was mind-boggling) then it was time for us to head to the auditorium.

 

Yes, auditorium. Not a lecture theatre, not a hall, but a full-blown auditorium. I still remember when we first moved into this new compound, it felt terribly cool to have an auditorium - it had cushy seats and air-conditioning and whatnots. I'd been on the stage before, performing for various acts/competitions as well as off-stage, sitting in the audience being bored (oh, those school preaches speeches), feeling excited (graduation) and well, just being there. I think you never really realise how much of your past sticks with you, until you re-visit it. Today was one of those such experiences for me. I was thrilled to show the school off to K. Surprisingly, I'd never brought her into the school before (I thought I had!) and when she saw the school badge, she exclaimed "Mommy! That is the same badge as your t-shirt!" - yup, proof that I still wear my old secondary school super-comfortable t-shirt.

 

I was so proud to show the compounds to her and the MIL, the corridors filled with greenery, the pretty classrooms that came with balcony, the play areas, the canteen, even the familiar faces of the school staff (some teachers included) just made it feel amazing. It was also super to see ex-school mates of mine with their offspring! How time has flown by...

 

I digress. Once in the auditorium, we were given an address by the VP who ran through some key information. It was followed by a performance put up by the current Primary One students in the school to welcome our little girls. Oh yes, I should mention that at a point when we arrived in the classroom, our little girls were taken from us. They were guided off by prefects which made the administration a lot easier to do without needing to keep an eye on our child. During the time that we were in the auditorium, the girls were not with us either. They were only led in at a mid-point, before the performances and after the boring dry essential sharings. A key take-out was how security was quite strict in the school, very assuring for me. Another was how the VP was citing how parents needed to be patient about situations (the infamous traffic situation), how we needed to be kind and not be rude to staff (gasp, the way she said it implied that it's happened!) and how we ought to be there to guide our child, not be them (please do not do your child's homework. guide them!) and funny as it may sound, I can imagine how desperate some parents may be in less-than-ideal situations. Another rule was also how the children will not be allowed to go to class after school has ended if they left something behind, and how parents will not be allowed to send anything to children if they had forgotten anything. This emphasis on planning and alllowing the child to learn about consequences, is a great lesson - for both the young and old. I only hope I am strong enough to either train K to become good at her own matters, or at least become relaxed enough to let her learn through her own trials and errors.

 

There was a total of 4 performances. A vibrant and stunning gymnastics showcase (it was superb!), a Chinese skit, an English skit and a ballet finale. I hadn't expected the opening act to be that stunning and I wished I had taken something, but it was fast paced and the girls were so professional and it was a great show to watch.

Cast of the English skit

Ballerinas

In between the performances, I tried to sneak peeks at K to see how she was responding to the shows. She seemed fine and calm. I noticed that she was talking to a girl beside her.

 

It was only a short time that we were away from our girls - about an hour max, and right after the performance, we could head to the amphitheatre to pick our girls up.

I like how this forced separation made me think:

(1) are we parents really ready to let go?

(2) the school has gone to much efforts to make the day a pleasant one for everyone. There were ushers in the forms of friendly teachers, as well as prefects of the school who made me so proud. These girls stood around just giving simple directions to where we needed to go to, they all smiled and greeted us pleasantly and these are such basic behaviour that I really hope K picks up.

(3) how was K reacting to the temporary separation?

Truth is, she didn't even flinch. Not that I'm surprised, because she's always been pretty sociable though I know sometimes, she does retreat into her shell. Today, however, she was fine to just follow the older girl along with many other girls and just went off.

 

At a point during the auditorium time, when these pre-Primary-1s were led into the space and I craned my neck to spot K. I couldn't, though and yet I wasn't too worried. I was more curious to see what she was up to, and who she was with. Through the performances that the school - effort from teachers and students alike - put up, I was touched by the heart and I also tried my best to look out for K and her reaction to them. When we caught up later, she told me that she didn't even know I was in the auditorium. I translate this as I was fine, Mommy. (Plus her friend's name is Joy)

 

Another fun part of the day was bumping into girls of my time. Again, familiar sights!

 

Year of 1996 - this is just a handful of all of us from that year

By the time we were finished with purchase of books and all, it was already 5pm. What a day! I lugged a big box of books (a whole year's worth of stationery) and was close to collapse by the time we reached home.

After a rejuvenating dinner to recharge, I dug out the uniforms again and let K try them on. Absolutely adorable is she!

My big-little girl

 

I know the novelty will wear off, though I'm pretty sure the excitement and pride of her being in my alma mater will not. Next, the real work begins where we need to get ready to changes (routines) and put in real effort to guide her through school. I have a ton of instructions to read through and prep her books before 4 Jan 2016.

 

Another milestone in our lives, how terribly exciting!

 

 

Brunch with Mom

I had a pretty bumpy Saturday (it was 7 November). So maybe I will share more why, but for now, I'm focusing on the best thing that happened that day, which was the morning spent with Mom. I think, that while we can pamper our friends and parents with material things and as much as we all enjoy receiving gifts, it's time that is most precious and invaluable to share. I'm glad that on this day, Mom was free and we made good use of time chaperoning K at class to have a decadent brunch together.

 

Mom and her big breakfast

 

We went to PAUL which serves a pretty decent range of food at decent prices too. It's my 3rd time there and the past experiences have all been pretty good. The only "problem" is that the main meal is always so filling that I end up not able to indulge in sweets too #firstworldproblem

That sounded really bimbotic but it is true, so maybe I need to attune my palate to start off with something sweet to be able to savour a dessert piece at PAUL.

 

The sister had made plans to join us for a coffee so while we were waiting for her, the Mother and I were oh-so-kind.

 

Pic sent to the sister: Mom says she's saving these for you. It's atas
tasty bread, she says

 

Pic sent to the sister: Oops I ate too quick so none from my plate left for you 

See how considerate the Mother and I are, to remember the little girl and for me to provide live updates so the sister knew what to look forward to #happyfamily

Jokes aside, it was really a lovely morning and it was what I needed to slow down and relax after a late night the previous day.

Playdate on a public holiday

It was a quiet afternoon where 3 Mommies sat around a table and chit-chatted
for many hours while the children played and screamed and had fun. I love this series of
funny faces that they demonstrated - such a simple day of fun and contentment and delight.

Book night

Little munchkins & confessions of a working Mom

After a long day at work, sometimes, sometimes, I really am not in the mood to be a mother.

 

I know, I know, it sounds really horrible to say these things out loud, but it's true.

 

I'm not perfect and as much as I love my children with all my heart and fingernails and hair follicles including their poop and vomit and tantrums and all, I will tell you that sometimes, when I go back home, I just want to curl up with my book/phone, or vegetate as a professional couch potato and surf a million channels on TV watching not a single thing at all. There are also days where the husband and I will be co-existing in the same space of our living area and not speak a single word to each other. Everyone of us has had such days, and as I get older, I realise that such days are becoming more frequent. I think it's part of my personal development/change in life, where I used to be very loud and explosive (I still am) I've mellowed with age and experiences, and while I still explode, I'm less chatty at times. Where I used to think it was terribly pathetic sad to be alone, I now appreciate the quiet and the private space to myself, as I just zone out and relish being alone.

 

Of course, it doesn't mean that I don't look forward to seeing the kids, watching them call out "MOMMY!" when I get home. When I call out to them "come and hug me! Mommy is home!" or when they request to read a gazillion books before bed-time, or when they both shout over each other to tell me about their day/something very important. These are all little nuggets of life that really make parenthood real and amusing, because sometimes they do say the darnest things and to watch them grow and improve, or piss me off with ________________ (fill in blanks with anything you may possibly imagine), it's all part of life and balancing my emotions so that there is equilibrium.

 

Being at work has its perks, honestly. I do get a break and there are good days (like, eating a really yummy lunch or having great laughs with colleagues) and bad (stressful work days. Need I say more?). I'm learning to not being my grumpiness from work back home. Just because I had a bad day outside, doesn't mean that I can take it out on anyone at home. So while I feel dog tired sometimes, and I really do not feel like reading a same story to the children again for the nth time, I still do it when I can. There are days I plead with them to swap for a shorter story, or just a different story; but there are also days I just do it because it is what they want.

 

This is the real sharing of me, a working parent, who is still learning and developing as a person. It's all very confusing, this parenting matter and even after 6 years and 2 months of being a Mother from the time I birthed K, every day is still a day to discover about myself, or each of the kids, or even my partnership with the husband.

 

I finish off this post of self-reflection with two things.

The first is that we are beginning to train J to take his afternoon naps without diapers. It's the first step to leading a diaper-free life (savings! no more diapers in our home at all!) and I believe we can make it within a year.

 

The next, is this lovely, lovely picture I captured of them both. It was a good night, where they cuddled up with this new quilt I got for J, they were drinking their milk and waiting for me to launch into story-time. This is the sort of sight that makes my heart flutter and melt with thankfulness, happiness and the energy to continue and face all the challenges that life may throw at me. 

 

I love you both so much, babies. Always.