...and the kids open their ang pow.
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Happy New Wheels
Fresh from Sarah's newfound freedom on pedals, we took a good look at the equipment the kids had - it wasn't pretty.Matt's right pedal had been broken to a stump following a few crashes, and Sarah's, while a good size for learning, was starting to prove too small for her growing frame. Besides, both had worn out bearings and dodgy brakes.
Time for 'proper' bikes then. A quick trip to Takashima later (involving some creative packaging in the boot), two new Diamondbacks have found their home with us. Pretty obvious which one belongs to whom...
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Sarah's Turn
Must be a magic age - two months short of six years. That's when Matt and now Sarah went from four wheels to two.The signs were there: we observed that she was riding steadily enough not to rely on the training wheels; and that her legs were strong enough to take the sustained pedalling required to maintain balance.
So off came the side wheels (once again), and with with one hand on the handlebar and the other gently supporting her shoulders, I gave the push off.
And Sarah quickly learnt, first just pedalling straight, then making gentle turns and finally starting on her own. That's it - cycling in three days.
Friday, 2 January 2009
Halfway There!
What with email and facebook, we've totally forgotten to say anything on this blog until now and I'm already 20 weeks gone!
After a precarious first trimester with full blown influenza, spotting, bed-rest and patent agent exams in London to cap it all with, things have settled down, thankfully. But wriggles, punches and kicks have picked up, especially when I'm trying to get to sleep.
The kids are real sweeties and never forget to give the bump goodnight pats and kisses, as well as random hugs. I hope they'll continue to be as loving after the birth in May, especially Sophie.
We'll be checking for major anomalies next Monday with a detailed ultrasound scan. Hope to know if it's a boy or a girl too. Matt wants a boy very much. I personally can't decide between wanting a boy to even things out or a girl for generally being less stressful to bring up. It's also been much easier to choose a girl's name while we can't seem to find a boy's one that we like that isn't already taken by somebody we know well.
Anyway, all we really pray for is a healthy normal child and a smooth and safe delivery. We'll be very grateful for your prayers too. Thanks!
After a precarious first trimester with full blown influenza, spotting, bed-rest and patent agent exams in London to cap it all with, things have settled down, thankfully. But wriggles, punches and kicks have picked up, especially when I'm trying to get to sleep.
The kids are real sweeties and never forget to give the bump goodnight pats and kisses, as well as random hugs. I hope they'll continue to be as loving after the birth in May, especially Sophie.
We'll be checking for major anomalies next Monday with a detailed ultrasound scan. Hope to know if it's a boy or a girl too. Matt wants a boy very much. I personally can't decide between wanting a boy to even things out or a girl for generally being less stressful to bring up. It's also been much easier to choose a girl's name while we can't seem to find a boy's one that we like that isn't already taken by somebody we know well.
Anyway, all we really pray for is a healthy normal child and a smooth and safe delivery. We'll be very grateful for your prayers too. Thanks!
Same form teacher, so...
We were told that Matt's P1 form teacher will be following them up to P2 for 2009. I asked Matt, "Do you think that will be good?"
He thought for a bit and replied, "Yes, because I'm already used to her scoldings."
He thought for a bit and replied, "Yes, because I'm already used to her scoldings."
Saturday, 13 December 2008
Hong Kong 2008, December 7-12
Here goes:
- 24-seater bus from the airport for the 7 of us, Express by Holiday Inn at Causeway Bay, The Peak
- City Super (supermarket) at Times Square, Stanley Bay, Shek O, Causeway Bay Windsor House Tao Heung Restaurant
- Macdonnell Rd, Maxim's at City Hall (dim sum), MTR and shuttle bus to Disney - Hollywood Hotel, Disneyland
- Disneyland, back to Express by HI, McDonald's, short walkabout at Causeway Bay, MTR to Central Wellington Street Yung Kee Restaurant (roast goose), night ferry back from Kowloon
- Ocean Park
Friday, 28 November 2008
They don't make 'em...
Laptop's at the service centre, due to a malfunctioning keyboard. One fine day (thankfully after we got back from London), certain keys decided simultaneously to go on strike - "k", "\", down arrow, and most irritatingly, ".". You can imagine what these sentences would look like without the fullstop. The others matter less - "k" I've found to be surprisingly redundant. Except for, you know, words like keyboard.
So the Sony service centre guy calls and informs me that the keyboard is indeed fried (though he can't tell me how or why), and that a replacement will cost $120. Gulp. But ok, that I can take. After all, there are 86 moving components. I then gently enquire about the piece of plastic surrounding the keyboard, otherwise known as the palm rest, that Sophie decided to autograph one day - $145. Double gulp. Decision - replace keyboard, live with slightly off-coloured palm rest.
All this attention over a barely-year-and-a-half old computer led me to wonder about the other electronics items I take for granted that might suddenly die on me, and the impact their loss would have on my 'modern lifestyle' (W&G reference there).
Then I realised that my trusty Pioneer cd player is just about celebrating its eleventh anniversary! Sure, it's a little over-enthusiastic in retracting its tray these days, but that apart, the PD-S904 has worked faultlessly since I bought it as a poor but acoustically-fussy undergrad. During this decade of ownership, I have changed its plastic feet with styrofoam replacements, stuffed more styrofoam in the chassis as dampers, and occasionally prised open the optical mechanism to retrieve cds stuffed in by the kids two at a time. All without problems.
In fact, the rest of my audio system is holding out really well. Except for the subwoofer, all the components (from amplifier to speakers to DAC) have lasted eight years or more without showing the slightest wrinkle. And thank goodness for that. I guess some things don't have to change too often, 'mature' technology like audio, for example. So it's a good thing mine don't seem to be dying anytime soon.
So the Sony service centre guy calls and informs me that the keyboard is indeed fried (though he can't tell me how or why), and that a replacement will cost $120. Gulp. But ok, that I can take. After all, there are 86 moving components. I then gently enquire about the piece of plastic surrounding the keyboard, otherwise known as the palm rest, that Sophie decided to autograph one day - $145. Double gulp. Decision - replace keyboard, live with slightly off-coloured palm rest.
All this attention over a barely-year-and-a-half old computer led me to wonder about the other electronics items I take for granted that might suddenly die on me, and the impact their loss would have on my 'modern lifestyle' (W&G reference there).
Then I realised that my trusty Pioneer cd player is just about celebrating its eleventh anniversary! Sure, it's a little over-enthusiastic in retracting its tray these days, but that apart, the PD-S904 has worked faultlessly since I bought it as a poor but acoustically-fussy undergrad. During this decade of ownership, I have changed its plastic feet with styrofoam replacements, stuffed more styrofoam in the chassis as dampers, and occasionally prised open the optical mechanism to retrieve cds stuffed in by the kids two at a time. All without problems.
In fact, the rest of my audio system is holding out really well. Except for the subwoofer, all the components (from amplifier to speakers to DAC) have lasted eight years or more without showing the slightest wrinkle. And thank goodness for that. I guess some things don't have to change too often, 'mature' technology like audio, for example. So it's a good thing mine don't seem to be dying anytime soon.
Our crt television, on the other hand, is looking decidedly old-school in the face of the newer, slimmer screens, and I'm not sure if I'd be all that sad at its demise...
Friday, 14 November 2008
London 2008, 31 Oct - 9 Nov
Again, there’s too much to detail. Things to remember:
Piccadilly line, Oyster card, Russell Square, Lambs Conduit Street, Saco Apartments 405, Brunswick Square, Waitrose
Conduit Street Coffee House (Sid’s), bacon and eggs, toast no butter, tea, hot chocolate
Battersea Arts Centre 203, canned soups, crackers, Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, KOKA noodles with egg
St. Anselm & St. Cecilia, Holborn, Red Lion Street, The Dolphin, Boots, The Perseverance, The British Museum
Regent Street, Whittard, Oxford Street, Tie Rack, M&S, souvenir store, Gerrard Street, Golden Dragon dim sum (yum!!), Westminster Abbey, evensong, Abbey shop
St. Pauls, cathedral shop, Bank station, Monument Station, Tower of London, Yo! Sushi, Millennium Bridge, wind, rain, blown-out umbrella, Tate Modern
Knightsbridge, Harrods, Laduree, Café Rouge, Victoria & Albert Museum, Terminal 3
Photos here.
It was very intriguing and quite moving to experience the "motherland" from where Singaporean civic society originated. Things felt strangely familiar despite being also quite different. I’m very impressed considering how the Commonwealth countries now fare compared with many other places previously colonized by other European empires.
Piccadilly line, Oyster card, Russell Square, Lambs Conduit Street, Saco Apartments 405, Brunswick Square, Waitrose
Conduit Street Coffee House (Sid’s), bacon and eggs, toast no butter, tea, hot chocolate
Battersea Arts Centre 203, canned soups, crackers, Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, KOKA noodles with egg
St. Anselm & St. Cecilia, Holborn, Red Lion Street, The Dolphin, Boots, The Perseverance, The British Museum
Regent Street, Whittard, Oxford Street, Tie Rack, M&S, souvenir store, Gerrard Street, Golden Dragon dim sum (yum!!), Westminster Abbey, evensong, Abbey shop
St. Pauls, cathedral shop, Bank station, Monument Station, Tower of London, Yo! Sushi, Millennium Bridge, wind, rain, blown-out umbrella, Tate Modern
Knightsbridge, Harrods, Laduree, Café Rouge, Victoria & Albert Museum, Terminal 3
Photos here.
It was very intriguing and quite moving to experience the "motherland" from where Singaporean civic society originated. Things felt strangely familiar despite being also quite different. I’m very impressed considering how the Commonwealth countries now fare compared with many other places previously colonized by other European empires.
Saturday, 13 September 2008
Mammals
One leisurely Saturday morning, at breakfast, Matthew suddenly said to me,
"Mommy, do you know that people also lived when there were prehistoric animals?"
"Yup. Like the woolly mammoth right?"
"Ya," Matt replied, "Humans were like apes. Humans are mammals. But boys are not mammals."
"Huh? What do you mean boys are not mammals?"
"Boys are not mammals! They can't give birth!"
"Mommy, do you know that people also lived when there were prehistoric animals?"
"Yup. Like the woolly mammoth right?"
"Ya," Matt replied, "Humans were like apes. Humans are mammals. But boys are not mammals."
"Huh? What do you mean boys are not mammals?"
"Boys are not mammals! They can't give birth!"
Thursday, 14 August 2008
Tickets, Please
Driving Matthew home from school one day, I happily started singing along when the radio played a "classic". I just love Gold 90.5! But realising that I'm now listening to that channel makes me feel very old indeed.
"One way ticket, one way ticket..."
I noticed that Matthew was listening intently.
"Do you know what they're saying, Matt?"
He listened a bit more and then remarked, "But there's no such thing as a one day ticket to the moon, right?"
"Yup, that's right!"
Haha! I couldn't stop grinning. And I didn't have the heart to correct him either. Besides, that's exactly what I thought it was until Sean corrected me a few years ago.
"One way ticket, one way ticket..."
I noticed that Matthew was listening intently.
"Do you know what they're saying, Matt?"
He listened a bit more and then remarked, "But there's no such thing as a one day ticket to the moon, right?"
"Yup, that's right!"
Haha! I couldn't stop grinning. And I didn't have the heart to correct him either. Besides, that's exactly what I thought it was until Sean corrected me a few years ago.
Friday, 8 August 2008
Words of "Wisdom"
At bedtime prayers, we gather the children together and we all take turns saying parts of the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.
The past few nights, Sophie would suddenly interrupt any one of us, little hand raised, saying, "Wait a minute, I buy 4D, two dollars money!"
Then last night, in the lift, a man got in wearing a business shirt and trousers, and she pointed to him and said, "Like Daddy's dress."
I'm glad she hasn't forgotten her Daddy although he's been gone for days. Can't wait for him to come home tonight.
The past few nights, Sophie would suddenly interrupt any one of us, little hand raised, saying, "Wait a minute, I buy 4D, two dollars money!"
Then last night, in the lift, a man got in wearing a business shirt and trousers, and she pointed to him and said, "Like Daddy's dress."
I'm glad she hasn't forgotten her Daddy although he's been gone for days. Can't wait for him to come home tonight.
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
Sarah Reads
Coming home from ballet at Tampines, we got stopped at the lights at a T-junction. Sarah suddenly asked,
"Mommy, is that the way to Saint Anne's?"
"No. We're in Tampines. Saint Anne's is in Sengkang."
"Why does it say "Saint"?"
"Where?"
"There!", she said, pointing right in front of us.
I looked hard. There was "Tampines North Primary School" in big letters on the builing up ahead. In front of that was a big green directional signboard with arrows to various parts of Tampines. I couldn't for the life of me see "saint" anywhere.
"Where, Sarah?"
"There! In front of the two numbers!"
Then I noticed this on the signboard:
It was so uncannily like Matthew's Punggol Doctor episode!!
"Mommy, is that the way to Saint Anne's?"
"No. We're in Tampines. Saint Anne's is in Sengkang."
"Why does it say "Saint"?"
"Where?"
"There!", she said, pointing right in front of us.
I looked hard. There was "Tampines North Primary School" in big letters on the builing up ahead. In front of that was a big green directional signboard with arrows to various parts of Tampines. I couldn't for the life of me see "saint" anywhere.
"Where, Sarah?"
"There! In front of the two numbers!"
Then I noticed this on the signboard:
St 42 - 45
It was so uncannily like Matthew's Punggol Doctor episode!!
Monday, 28 July 2008
Sunday Swimming
Finally, we got a sunny day, good for a swim. When we arrived at my brother's condo with the kids already sitting in their swimsuits in the car, it was crowded so we had to park at the second floor of the visitor's carpark. Sarah asked,
"How are we going to get down?"
Sean jokingly replied, "Ah, I know, we're just beside the pool so I can just throw you down, straight into the water. OK?"
Sarah retorted, "Noooo! We still have our shoes on!!"
"How are we going to get down?"
Sean jokingly replied, "Ah, I know, we're just beside the pool so I can just throw you down, straight into the water. OK?"
Sarah retorted, "Noooo! We still have our shoes on!!"
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Marriage In Progress...
Thursday, 26 June 2008
It's not any "cut", okay?!
Sarah and I were driving to her ballet class. She asked me,
"Mummy, is this the short cut to my ballet?"
"No, Sarah, this is just the usual way from our place to your class."
"Is it the long cut?"
"No. And there's no such thing as a "long cut". This road is just the normal way."
Silence for a while.
"Is it the medium cut?"
----------
My dad is going to have a couple of balloon stents put in his heart on Monday morning 30 June 2008. This is a far less invasive option compared to bypass surgery. Please keep him in your prayers. Thanks!
"Mummy, is this the short cut to my ballet?"
"No, Sarah, this is just the usual way from our place to your class."
"Is it the long cut?"
"No. And there's no such thing as a "long cut". This road is just the normal way."
Silence for a while.
"Is it the medium cut?"
----------
My dad is going to have a couple of balloon stents put in his heart on Monday morning 30 June 2008. This is a far less invasive option compared to bypass surgery. Please keep him in your prayers. Thanks!
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
Mother's Day Present
I should be so happy. I got a four-figure gift from my husband! It's the coolest thing, and rock solid.
To qualify, I had to investigate a smell of burning wires in the middle of the night before, help my husband pack our insulated picnic bag with partially defrosted food and wish him godspeed taking it over to my cousin's place on the day itself, give up all our ice cream, and drink up all the melted Ribena popsicles.
Post-gift services I performed include revisiting my cousin's place with said picnic bag to retrieve the food, and grocery shopping late into the night the next day to restock supplies. The two most important facts I established are that the gift WILL accomodate our favourite Dr. Oetker pizza and Ribena popsicle makers. Phew.
To qualify, I had to investigate a smell of burning wires in the middle of the night before, help my husband pack our insulated picnic bag with partially defrosted food and wish him godspeed taking it over to my cousin's place on the day itself, give up all our ice cream, and drink up all the melted Ribena popsicles.
Post-gift services I performed include revisiting my cousin's place with said picnic bag to retrieve the food, and grocery shopping late into the night the next day to restock supplies. The two most important facts I established are that the gift WILL accomodate our favourite Dr. Oetker pizza and Ribena popsicle makers. Phew.
Monday, 7 April 2008
Eat Clean!
I was having lunch with Matthew and Sarah at the dining table and we were all finishing up at about the same time.
Matthew took a mouthful and declared, "I've finished!"
I looked over at his bowl and saw food still scattered about inside. I told him,
"Matt, there's so much food left! Scoop it up and finish it all nicely. Kids, if you want your husband or your wife to look nice next time, you mustn't leave any bits behind. Otherwise next time your husband or your wife's face will be full of spots and holes. Is that nice?"
"No," they chorused.
Obediently, Matthew scraped together the last bits in his bowl. Suddenly, he asked,
"Mommy, you always finish everything, but how come Daddy's face is a bit like that?"
Pause.
"Just a bit," he added.
"That's different, Matthew! Daddy's are chicken pox scars."
"I hope I won't be like that next time," Matthew said. "I don't want to be exactly like that," he grinned.
Poor Sean! He wasn't too pleased when I told him. Ha ha.
Matthew took a mouthful and declared, "I've finished!"
I looked over at his bowl and saw food still scattered about inside. I told him,
"Matt, there's so much food left! Scoop it up and finish it all nicely. Kids, if you want your husband or your wife to look nice next time, you mustn't leave any bits behind. Otherwise next time your husband or your wife's face will be full of spots and holes. Is that nice?"
"No," they chorused.
Obediently, Matthew scraped together the last bits in his bowl. Suddenly, he asked,
"Mommy, you always finish everything, but how come Daddy's face is a bit like that?"
Pause.
"Just a bit," he added.
"That's different, Matthew! Daddy's are chicken pox scars."
"I hope I won't be like that next time," Matthew said. "I don't want to be exactly like that," he grinned.
Poor Sean! He wasn't too pleased when I told him. Ha ha.
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
How does one celebrate?
Over the weekend I bought a pair of jeans from Giordano. I can't fit into any of my old ones anymore! Happily, they gave me a $20 voucher. So last night we thought we'd go to the mall to return the library books and use up the vouchers at the same time. There was a little polo dress I really fancied for Sarah.
After some time at the library where Sophie kept running away from me, thankfully silently in her rubber soled shoes on thick carpet but pulling books from the shelves (Argh!), we finally went and got the dress. SO cute. White terry cloth with a simple rainbow belt. Sarah called it a towel! We also picked up a groovy lightweight windbreaker for Matt to keep in his schoolbag - he gets cold in the train home.
As we were strapping the kids back into the car, it came to my mind what a family friend told us, that we should celebrate happy events like promotions and raises as a family, highlighting to the kids the importance of hard work etc. I recalled that Sean just had his salary adjustment announced. So, to sort of justify my spending spree, I told the kids, "Y'know, Daddy got a raise at work, so this is a way of celebrating."
Matt asked quizzically, "Buy more clothes?"
After some time at the library where Sophie kept running away from me, thankfully silently in her rubber soled shoes on thick carpet but pulling books from the shelves (Argh!), we finally went and got the dress. SO cute. White terry cloth with a simple rainbow belt. Sarah called it a towel! We also picked up a groovy lightweight windbreaker for Matt to keep in his schoolbag - he gets cold in the train home.
As we were strapping the kids back into the car, it came to my mind what a family friend told us, that we should celebrate happy events like promotions and raises as a family, highlighting to the kids the importance of hard work etc. I recalled that Sean just had his salary adjustment announced. So, to sort of justify my spending spree, I told the kids, "Y'know, Daddy got a raise at work, so this is a way of celebrating."
Matt asked quizzically, "Buy more clothes?"
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
Sophie Zò Guí Táo
Our littlest is now ringleader of the three.
At bedtime prayers, she'll find that it's fun to bounce herself up and down on Matt's bed, in prone position. The older ones seeing her glee will follow suit. All three of them lying face down and bouncing up and down like dolphins breaching a mattress, squealing and giggling away.
Told to "Stop it and sit up properly!", they'll gather and sit nicely on the edge of the bed. Sophie must then discover that it's fun to bounce on the edge of the bed while sitting on her cute little diapered butt, and all three start bouncing up and down once more, looking at each other, laughing their heads off.
At bedtime prayers, she'll find that it's fun to bounce herself up and down on Matt's bed, in prone position. The older ones seeing her glee will follow suit. All three of them lying face down and bouncing up and down like dolphins breaching a mattress, squealing and giggling away.
Told to "Stop it and sit up properly!", they'll gather and sit nicely on the edge of the bed. Sophie must then discover that it's fun to bounce on the edge of the bed while sitting on her cute little diapered butt, and all three start bouncing up and down once more, looking at each other, laughing their heads off.
Winnie The ...
Sophie was discovered one afternoon last week in a, shall we say, "compromised" situation. No one else was home and Consuelo had opened her bedroom door at her usual end-of-nap time to wake her up. The little girl was found stark naked sitting in her cot, clutching a turd in her right hand, with poo smeared everywhere, including her face. No baby bath gel could sweeten her little hand for the rest of that day.
When Sarah was at about the same age, I had opened a door to find her in a horribly stinky room at my mom's place one Sunday afternoon, when I noticed that she had been sleeping in there quietly way too long. Throwing back the curtains to let in a flood of light, I found her and her bedding smeared with poo, a used diaper come unwrapped on the floor, and a significant portion of the contents (I remembered cos I had changed her and inadvertently left the diaper in the room within her reach) missing! After some frantic scrabbling among the bedding, I finally lifted a pillow to find the lump squashed underneath. The little girl was carried off at arm's length by my mom to a great washing down in the kitchen bathroom while I held my breath and choked back gags as I cleaned out the room.
We are very grateful to Matthew for sparing us any such excitement throughout his toddlerhood. It was only when he was in kindergarten that he had to go (big one, no less) in the car while we were stuck in an awful jam on the way to school. I happened to have a plastic bag handy. The rest is, er, no need to mention.
When Sarah was at about the same age, I had opened a door to find her in a horribly stinky room at my mom's place one Sunday afternoon, when I noticed that she had been sleeping in there quietly way too long. Throwing back the curtains to let in a flood of light, I found her and her bedding smeared with poo, a used diaper come unwrapped on the floor, and a significant portion of the contents (I remembered cos I had changed her and inadvertently left the diaper in the room within her reach) missing! After some frantic scrabbling among the bedding, I finally lifted a pillow to find the lump squashed underneath. The little girl was carried off at arm's length by my mom to a great washing down in the kitchen bathroom while I held my breath and choked back gags as I cleaned out the room.
We are very grateful to Matthew for sparing us any such excitement throughout his toddlerhood. It was only when he was in kindergarten that he had to go (big one, no less) in the car while we were stuck in an awful jam on the way to school. I happened to have a plastic bag handy. The rest is, er, no need to mention.
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