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