National Day Sports Carnival

Last Sunday, the family had to wake up at 7am for Janelle's 1st Sports Day event. It was a Sengkang West initiative hence all PCF and My First Skool in the district participated in the National Day Sports Carnival at Anchorvale Community Centre.

Janelle took part in both individual segment and parent & child segment. Her daddy joined her in the parent & child segment. A pity I was unable to take pictures as there were simply too many parents crowding at the telematch area and I have to distract the cranky boy.

We also sang the national anthem and recited the pledge when GOH, PM Lee Hsien Loong arrived. As Janelle has been singing the national anthem in the house for the past few weeks, she was happy to sing the national anthem out loud with the crowd in multi-purpose hall.

There were also game booths at the carnival but the hot weather and the long queue deterred us from joining the fun. Before the prize presentation took place, we left the carnival as Janelle was falling asleep (she was too exhausted from lack of sleep and the telematches).

Nonetheless, it was a great experience for Janelle and a good bonding session for the family.

The sleepyhead forcing a smile

His 'out-of-bed' look

We took this shot when Janelle had to assemble at the waiting area

Playing with bubbles after the parent & child telematch

Fascinated with bubbles, he was trying to catch them

Impromptu date

Eversince we become parents, we could hardly have couple time and we usually have to plan in advance so that we can make arrangement for someone to look after the kids. And now that I have become a SAHM, I realised that I need more time for myself to keep sane.

Hence last Friday, I dated my hubs to catch "The Wolverine" when I realised that my dad was not working and he can stay at home to look after my lil terror with my mum (yes! my boy need 2 people to look after him as my mum cannot keep up with his ever-lasting energy). And I was glad that we could enjoyed a movie as a couple.

I love dates with my hubs and I enjoyed time alone with him especially since I become SAHM (you have no idea how physically and mentally tiring it is to look after and care for kids 24/7). I like couple time as it reminds us that we are more than just daddy and mummy. Spending time together allows us to rediscover ourselves and fall in love all over again and I feel that this is important to strengthen the relationship and maintain a happy family.

Enrichment classes - Nurture them, not drown them

Yesterday, my relative asked me "What are the enrichment classes that you have sent your girl to?"
"None" was my reply.
"None? But the curriculum in nursery now are not sufficient for them."exclaimed my relative.

This really sets me thinking. Not thinking about which classes I should sent my girl to, but rather the kiasu-ness of parents nowadays . I always feel that enrolling kids for enrichment classes is to nurture them and bring the best out of them, not to drown them with the fear that their children will lose out in the future.

Enrichment classes should be introduced if the kid displays a particular interest or if he/she is weak in a language, isn't it? Kids will enjoy and learn better if they are interested in a certain activity eg art, music or dance. Shouldn't we wait and discover our kid's interest before we decide what classes are good for them? I can understand if a kid's language is weak and need to develop the language skill. Afterall, a better grasp of language will set a stronger foundation in their learning journey. But yet, I have seen parents who enrolled their kids in too many enrichment classes (covering their schedules 7 days a week) and I really wonder if that is in the best interest of the kids.

Every kid should be treated as an unique individual and they should be nurtured as such, not to mold them into what we want them to be.Yes, I agree that every parent want the best for their children. But by enrolling their kids for too many enrichment classes does not guarantee that the children will definitely grow and develop well. Likewise, if parents do not send their children for enrichment programmes, it does not mean that they will definitely fall behind. Apart from these classes, we can always engage our kids in enriching activities when we are playing with them at home, when we bring them outdoors (parks and zoo are some wonderful places), when we read to them, when they play-pretend with us or with their friends. There are many other methods to nurture and enrich their minds.

So am I against enrichment classes? Definitely not. There are benefits in sending the children for these programmes but it should be done in the best interest of the child, and not due to the kiasu-ness of parents. Janelle has exhibited interest in music and dance and we are considering to send her for dance classes next year.

And most schools do offer additional enrichment programmes now. Janelle is also exposed to gymnastics, music, speech and drama in her school and I feel that it is sufficient for her. Afterall, the learning journey should be fun and interesting in a relaxed environment. I know she loves to play and learn together with her class and that is good enough for now.

Family time

Shopping for the kids' stuffs and snacks, water play time at the pool and sinful meal at McDonald's. It was a nice Saturday spent leisurely with hubs and kids. I love family time!

Snack shopping at M&S. Janelle is so happy with all the goodies.

Ready for splashing time. And she has been wanting to put on the new swimsuit given by her favourite yiyi.

Water play time with daddy

The kids were very hungry after the swim. And Janelle requested for McDonald's. It was a Saturday dedicated to them so how to say no. We chose healthier choices like corn nibbles but she still want to end it with the vanilla cone.

And that is Jayven who hungrily gobbled up the corn nibbles and keep asking for more.

Happiness

I am happy when they are happy. When they laugh, they never failed to make me laugh with them (even though if they have just unleashed the Anger Monster inside me).

I love you my babies! Your chuckles, giggles, and laughter are the best music to my ears. And I hope that both of you will stay happy always.

Fun with cooking

Frankly I have never dreamt that I will be cooking for my family. Since young, I have developed a phobia in cooking as I was afraid of cooking oil splattering onto me. Whenever my mum was frying fish or deep-frying dishes, I will always stay away from the kitchen (for fear that the oil may splatter onto me). Sounds silly huh? But that was my mentality then.

I have never prepare soups or dishes in my life. I used to think that cooking is a complicated process. The most i could whip up were spaghetti (which I have learnt when I was staying in hostel in Perth), maggie mee and sushi. Simple and no oil required. And I've learnt to prepare porridge only when I become a mummy.

But eversince I decided to stay at home and be a full time mummy, I figured that I have to learn how to cook for the family (well, eating out is expensive and we are surviving on a single income now). For a start, I will usually prepare dishes that are simple and require less effort. Most of the times, we have steamed dishes (thanks to a multi-steamer that we have bought sometime back).

A few months back, we decided to get the much-raved Happycall Pan and with the recipes that I have found online, mainly from Munch Ministry and Cuisine Paradise, it makes me feel more confident about cooking. After the first use, I am convinced that with HCP, cooking is faster and healthier with lesser oil required (less oil = lesser risk of oil splattering on me). And that made me more hardworking in searching for more recipes and trying out new recipes. Of course, I will prefer easy-to-prepare food. Nothing too complicated or I will find it a chore. Guess I am still not that adventurous when it comes to cooking.

What motivated me to cook more often is the joy of seeing my kids and hubs enjoying the healthier food and asking for more servings. And I have managed to convince my firstborn to take more food variety like egg and tofu (she just get more picky about food as she get older), which is a BIG bonus on why I should cook.

Cooking is one of the greatest achievements for me as a SAHM. I would have never thought that I can cook or will cook if I did not make that decision to quit my job and stay at home to devote my time for the family. Now I am a believer that it is fun and motivating to cook for our loved ones. I welcome anyone who is willing to share their recipes with me.

Being a soup lover, I love to prepare soups for my family. This is one of their favourites.

Cooking made easier with this Tefal multi-steamer

One of the first few dishes from HCP

Bumps and bruises

On average, Jayven has been getting bumps & bruises on his head at least once a week. And I really wonder if this is due to poor balance or just simply because his head could be too big. Frankly I have never felt that his head is big as it don't look out of proportion from his body. But recently I realized that his head is as big as his sister so it could be that his head is big for his age.

Anyway it has become pretty funny to see him earning those bumps at times eg he knocked his head yesterday when he lost his balance from squatting. Perhaps his centre of gravity is really bad? Of course my heart will ache when he get those knocks but either it has become a pretty common scene now (I am getting a lil immune to it) or I have become a much chill-lax mum (before I drive myself insane). I know those knocks are painful as the bruise will appear soon after the redness goes off.

Nonetheless, I hope he will grow out of the bumping and knocking phase soon. And I really hope that those knocks & bumps will not affect his brain development.

Another knock from yesterday. And there was another bruise recovering on the right side.

One of the shots captured months ago when he had his those first few bumps

Sleepover

My niece came over to stay last Saturday and she spent her Sunday & Monday noon with us. Janelle was very excited and happy to spend the weekend with her beloved cousin, Megan. She is 4 months apart from Janelle and they get along very well just like sisters.

I'm really glad that Janelle has Megan who can grow up with her, play with her, share with her, fight with her (well, even siblings or couples will fight), learn with her and gossip with her (as they grow older). This reminds me of me & my sister. We shared our childhood memories together, we played, we laughed, we cried, we fought, we get spanked together, we shared about our crushes, we worked together & we knew each each other's secrets.  It's great to have a sister who can grow up together & shared all the girly stuff that boys/guys will never understand.

Janelle was delighted to have Megan's company over the weekend and she even asked me when will Megan come to stay in our house again.  

Worried that she may not adapt to our place, I'm glad to see her sleeping soundly on Janelle's bed 

Just like sisters, they wanted to wear the same design

Fun @ T3

Megan's school was closed on Monday and she was most happy to fetch Janelle from her school.

If only they were willing to take their naps. the 2 monkeys ended up cuddling and playing on the bed

Playtime (and Jayven joined in)

They loved to have their meals side by side (and ended up talking or watching the tv)

Lil Ms Chatterbox

Lately, I realised that Janelle loves to talk and she can rattle on non-stop. From the moment she is fully awake till bedtime, she will continue to yak and yak. If we are not giving her the attention that she requires, she will force-turn our heads with her hands to face her and she will continue to talk.

It is a good thing that she is out-spoken, likes to talk and interact. Afterall, her parents are not exactly the quiet nor soft-spoken people. Maybe she will grow up to be a good presenter haha. But there are times that she will just get so noisy and I really wish for some quietness.

Sometimes, the things that she talked simply amazed us and make us cracked. Well, this is my precious princess and I'm glad that she is growing up just fine (though I secretly hope the yakking stage will pass soon).

I had to adopt the old school method of getting her to place her finger on her lip to get her to stop talking.
And it only works for 5 minutes or less.

Jayven at 15 months

My lil charmer has turned 15 months 2 days back. Yet the poor boy was sick (again) with fever & runny nose. We realized that he has been falling sick at least once a month (on average). I really hope that his immunity will get stronger and the virus will stop attacking him.

He usually has a good appetite (he eats anything & everything) & is a greedy boy. He will put on his sweetest smile & say "mum mum" if he see us with food in our hands. This mischievous boy loves to play. If he is feeling playful (ie most of the times), he will prompt us to play with him. His favourite game is hide & seek. He loves to go gai gai and is also aware that he has to put on his shoes before he can go out. He will wait for us at the shoe cabinet to take his shoes, put them on for him and he will stand guard at the door.

It is becoming more challenging to feed him in the house as he starts to reject the high chair & he can never sit still during his meals. He is always busy walking around the house, take the toys, place them elsewhere randomly or just throw them on the floor, or busy dancing away to the tune of the tv program. His favourite toys are the steering wheels & balls (and we have all sizes at home as my parents keep buying balls for him).

He is an expressive & affectionate toddler. When he is happy, he will smile, laugh or giggles. Cry out loud or scream when he is sad. Pretend to cry or whine if he want attention. Throw tantrums when he is angry. Kiss us when he feel like it or when we ask him to. And he loves cuddles & hugs. He enjoys having company & cannot stand being alone. No matter how we try to distract him with toys or his favourite show, he will follow us the moment we walk away from him.

He is also a very cheeky boy. He will try to catch our attention & make funny sounds or giggles to make us laugh. Today I played his favourite Barney DVD & I wanted to go to kitchen to prepare his porridge, but he looked at me and beckoned me to sit beside him to watch the show together. Usually when his show ended, he will search for the remote controller and pass to anyone of us indicating to play the show again. Being a friendly boy, he will usually flash his widest & charming smile even to strangers.

His favourite playmate is his sister. If Janelle is at home, he will always follow her wherever she goes. They loves to do things together such as playing, drinking milk, bathing & they even like to wear same design or matching outfit. He also enjoyed fetching his sister from school & he loves playing at the playground with her if weather permits.

My lil boy has grown so much. He is such an adorable boy (cuteness to the max!), a joy to be with &  he has the ability to drive me and my hubs nuts. I love you my baby!

Jayven at 15 months (loving his smile)

He has this habit of holding on to a DVD regardless what he is doing

He loves to mess with his jiejie's stuff

Ball games are still his favourite

He will only hold his own bottle when he sees his jiejie doing so

Imaginative play with jiejie (so cute!)

Sibling love

In the games arcade at such a young age, he likes the steering wheel

He likes ball games too

He loves shopping especially in toys section

They have the same tees! And they were excited to wear it together

Birthday celebrations

Yes, I am one year older (again). Well, my wish is to age gracefully so that at least I do not look older than what I am supposed to be. I shall have the mindset that with each passing year, I will be celebrating my aging gracefully (looking youthful!) instead of getting older. Hehehe!

I felt really happy and blessed that my friends and loved ones remembered and celebrated my birthday.

What surprised me most is that my ex-colleagues remembered and made an effort to  celebrate with me. And a bigger surprise when they gotten me a cake and the restaurant turned up the volume for birthday song when they presented the cake to me (awkward moment!). The sweetest part was when the staff took out their polaroid camera and took a group picture for us, inserted the polaroid into a birthday card with all the well-wishes from their staff. It is definitely a good place to bring your loved ones for celebrations and sweet surprise.

Sweet gesture from Pu Tien in nex

More amused by my boy's reaction when I was making a wish

Me and my boy
(yes, the candles on the cake reflected my actual age)

I had the second celebration with my family and close friends last Saturday They are my loved ones and friends for more than a decade. Great company matters a lot and I was glad that all of them could make it to celebrate with me.

Family shot

Receiving my pressie from my lovely niece

Me and my lil charmer

Me and my lovely princess

 

A group photo taken of the kiddos after the dinner.
A pity we have forgotten to take a group photo for the adults

I have been craving for my favourite Japanese cuisine hence my hubs brought me to celebrate the special day at Sushi Tei at Paragon.

Same outfit! My girl decided that we have to wear the same on my birthday

Good food, great company and sweet surprises! It has been a great week of celebrations.
Happy Birthday to myself! Cheers to my objective of aging gracefully and looking youthful as I get older :p