A Typical Sunday

Our Sundays are pretty much packed these days. Well, at least for the first half of it anyway.

We would all crawl out of bed by 7am and then start the day by getting dressed, wolfing down our breakfast so we could be out of the house by 8.30am to get to K's dance class by 9am.

Yesterday, we put K in a leotard and skirt for the first time after 10 weeks. She was very happy with the skirt especially. She was rather cross with me when she found out that she wasn't going to wear it to church.

B was also rather pleased as he got to walk to the carpark.

In the car, they both chatted to one another / themselves in a secret language where no one else (especially adults) could comprehend.

Some weren't very happy to be observed.

We finally arrived at Bishan CC. While we waited for the teacher to arrive, we sat on our favourite red stool.

Those who didn't make the cut, had to improvise.

Other little ones arrive. And then it's time to form the chugga chug train.

After dance, it's a fanatic rush to get to church and not miss too much of worship. We usually arrive about 10.40am.

P would go with B to the main service and K and me to Sunday school. Yes, our little girl still needs to be accompanied. Sometimes P and I swop.

Yesterday was a little bit of a milestone for K cos she actually helped the teacher out. Not by choice naturally but because she was seated in front and the teacher and us were friends.

Then she listened attentively to several stories

before proceeding to the craft activity of making a happy and a sad face which she used to respond to the teacher's questions of which scenarios demonstrated love.

So yes, that sums up our Sundays. Of course it would include a hurried decision on lunch venue. Then stuffing our faces and rushing home to get the kids into bed for their afternoon nap before the madness continues when they awake. But that's the fun of being parents isn't it? Gone are the days of slow unhurried meals and coffee or ice cream after.

Racial Harmony Day 2011

Racial Harmony Day is a day for schools to celebrate Singapore's success as a nation and society built on a rich diversity of culture and heritage. In schools all across the nation on this day, students are encouraged to be dressed in their traditional costumes. Traditional delicacies are also featured in the celebrations.

In K's school this year, the above is watered down to learning simple salutations in Malay, Tamil, Chinese and English. Each level had to put up a dance by a given racial group. K2s did a Malay dance, K1s a Chinese dance, Playgroup an Indian dance. Nursery was to perform an "English" dance as the teachers put it. Whatever is an English dance? An immediate thought would be the Maypole dance but her teachers decided on hiphop. Guess this MTV generation would be more familiar with that.

Here are the performers all ready for the performance. The guys had their hair done by the teachers.



Nursery class presents hiphop to the school to the song Baby by Justin Bieber, which incidentally is the first pop song that K knows.

B @ 13 months

B, no longer a baby. A toddler you now are.

All of 6 teeth. 4 on top and 2 at the bottom that forms the shape of a V.

You love spotting birds, dogs and cats, all of which you can sign. Tho' you are sometimes confused between bird and cat.

You also can sign fish. Sometimes, you look at a tree or leaves on the floor and sign fish too. The sign for 'where?', 'finish' are all the same. You also try to sign ball by pointing one finger to the other palm.

We think you tried to call Che che once in the car. Sometimes, when I pass you something you want, I'd say "Thank you" on your behalf and you would attempt to say it too.

When you see us washing our hands, you would rub your hands together.

You have started taking baby steps, literally.

You like to sit on the floor, bend over and gently knock your head on the floor. Then you'd look up at me, rub your head and complain of the pain.

You have started feeding yourself with a fork. Blueberries and strawberries. You love fruits. Mangosteens, oranges, blueberries, strawberries (even when slightly sour), apples. When you see a plate of fruits and they aren't already in your mouth, you start to shout for them.

You love K's bed and would always wanna crawl up the slide to go onto her bed. Other times, you would crawl to the top of the slide and then let yourself slide down.

You love playing with balls, big and small; always throwing them and then crawling to pick them up again.

You have learnt where your nose and ears are and can point to them when asked.

You enjoy putting on footwear and would lift up one foot for us to put a sock or shoe on. But you never remember that there are two of them.

You love being in water. You laugh and squeal and chuckle in the pool. You would splash around in your bath tub and kick up such a fuss when I take you out.

You watch us closely and have taken a keen interest in phones. Actual phones, remote controls, spectacle case or even just your arm, you would pretend to talk on the phone like we do.

Can't wait for you to start conversing, tho' I suspect our poor ears would be doubly sore when that happens.

Double Eyelid

27 May 2011

I was estatic. B had one double eyelid. Even if it was for one afternoon.

Prayer for grandpa

I was praying with K the other night before her bedtime.

We were praying for my dad and the pain he has in his legs.

Then K said: Pray also for no more moles and pimples.

B's first pro haircut

24 June.

B went for his first pro haircut. Actually, it was my dad who wanted a haircut. So I drove him and mum with B in tow. To cut B's hair, it would cost $8 so I decided to get his done too. Might be a good idea to get him accustomed to having his hair cut by someone else instead of me.



He was extremely well-behaved and sat quite still for the lady. He only started turning around when she used the shaver on him. But another lady had a second shaver in front of him so that he would be distracted by the noise and not turn around to look at the one being used behind him.



B was the only other customer.



There is Gong Gong on the right. Thanks Gong Gong for the haircut.



The front.



And the back.

Party party party! B turns 1!

B's birthday fell on a Sat. We held a little party to celebrate our little boy turning one. A little big boy now.

We got our CG twins to help out for the day and this was the sight we were greeted with when we arrived.



I know! Amazing isn't it? I LOVE the balloons.



This was the advance party who helped with the balloons and arrangement of furniture.



When everything that needed to be done was done, they hurriedly lay claim on the kids before others could whisk them away.



K got to pet this little pup.



B hanging out with grandparents and Ah Ku while preparations were being done.



B with Ah Foh.

The spread.

And the extras. Agar agar ordered by my parents. K must have eaten at least 10 that day.

My favourite vegetarian dish - Mee Kng, passed down by my late maternal grandma. A dish which was very much appreciated by the Yeo clan.

The birthday cake - vanilla with strawberry cream and fresh strawberries. I thought Amelia's cake (from PD) was more moist.

Happy first birthday B!

Papa and K helping to blow out the candle.

K helping to distribute the cake. My little helper, a role which she thoroughly enjoyed. She also gave out the goody bags to all the kids who came.

When she was not performing her little helper's duty, she was out at the playground.

Her best friend, Amelia, and her had a whale of a time.

Our samseng dusting off the sand which was trapped in her shoes. Wonder why they still have playgrounds with sand? Plus the fact that there are lots of cats in this estate.

B had his share of time in the playground when he wasn't being passed around to everyone who wanted to cuddle him.

And someone his own age and size to play with. He will be going to school with Jaeden so I guess they had better start getting used to one another.

The balloons were definitely a hit with everyone. Some had them as substitutes for their wives.



Others replaced their kids.



Birthday boy was delighted with them.



Even the tired older sister who was made to carry two home loved them. You just can't tell from this photo.



Being a very cute little 1-year old certainly took everything out of him.