Friday, June 18, 2010

Photos: Family Chalet & BBQ

Some photos from a recent family BBQ before we leave for KL :)

Date: 16 June 2010
Venue: Aloha Changi chalet



Beautiful dusk before the dark



Andy's aunts and Kaikai


One of Andy's aunt's friends sculpted balloons to entertain the kids (in that case, only Kai, cos the other kids very big already haha)


Playful mon



Can you imagine I only had half a chicken wing that night and the other half went to a poor stray?
I feel even worse off than the stray cat. Super hungry, not enough food to go round for the kids and elders. Zzzzzzz


This is the 2nd worst BBQ even I ever been to, the 1st one was by the same organiser, where also not enough food to go around, and the guests in the end only had otah. This time slightly better, between Andy & I, we ate 3 satays, 2 hotdogs, fried beehoon, and half chicken wing (eaten by me). Super miserable. For goodness' sake, next time if you are organising a family BBQ for the young and old, please cater/buy enough food to BBQ lah...... ZZzzz...

Went home with a hungry stomach that night and felt utter miserable. Haiyooo..

But I digress. Some photos of me & Kai:


He ain't heavy, he's my son!



that's all for now. Catch everyone when we are back from our ultra short holiday!
Ciao~

Thursday, June 17, 2010

2 MORE DAYS to KL!

With my exam and assignment behind me, now it's time to pack up and look forward to our KL trip! Our second family trip together, this time with my aunts.
This is nothing compared to our Melbourne trip with Kai, but still, I am excited at the prospect of doing what I do best - s h o p p i n g~
Perhaps this trip will serve as a warm-up to our year-end Hong Kong trip and also a great chance for me to bond with my aunts and enjoy myself away from the mundane-ness of everyday Singapore life.

So are we all ready?
- passports: check
- hotel: check
- milk powder, diapers and what-nots: check
- Combi lightweight pram: check
- adults' weekend bag: not yet

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

New laptop



Kai is playing on his new educational laptop which Aunt LY has given him for his birthday. It's pretty awesome- he can choose games, or learn spelling and even math on this neat little machine.

I suppose technology is a guy's thing, speaking as a technophobic woman myself.
I'm waiting for the 4G iPhone and I'm so buying it for Kai because of the cool Apps for kids which Drayden's mummy has posted in Drypers Discussion board on FB. If you aren't already a member of Drypers Discussion board on FB, maybe it's high time you checked it out.
.
.
Oh by the way, I lost my Tag Heuer watch. I must've lost it eons ago, since I dont even remember when, but I only found out today when I wanted to wear it to school for my exam.
SIGH. It's no expensive watch like Rolex or Omega, but still, it's my first watch and from my Mum and the only watch I ever wore, since I dont usually wear watches.
I feel so despondent now. I feel like crying. I searched everywhere around the house and in my bags but still I couldn't find it. It must be really lost. Maybe I dropped it somewhere without knowing, as it's highly possible that I removed it while playing with Kai.
Oh God I hope my Mum doesnt kill me.

Andy was very kind to offer to buy me another watch, but it's not that. It's the sentimental value, ya know?
Dear God please let me find my watch. If You dont, please let me strike 4D or Toto so I can buy one more without the guilt. :(

Big Daddy Cool








The new mum is Dad. This is when Mummy is busy mugging for her exam and has no time to take care of Kai.
But seems like Daddy is doing a terrific job - as always - and Lil Kai is enjoying loads :)
c vcgvgbcr5

Sunday, June 13, 2010

GSS Shopping~

Can't wait for our KL trip, Andy & I went to do some GSS shopping for Baby Adam and our new pad.

More board book for Adam's bed time reading


Bright-colored and (quite) destruction proof



Some long-sleeved clothes for KL trip.


Our new toy from Robinson's: a Martello gourmet coffee machine! in Fire-engine RED


came with many freebies such as the frother, lots of free coffee capsules and a capsule display-box.


We saw the demo by the sales rep and were sold. Really cool lah!
I'm gonna learn how to make heart-shaped froth like the below picture for our guests.



Imagine popping by our place for some nice gourmet cuppa, relaxing on our outdoor lounge set and talking cock or simply reading magazines. Cool ain't it?


Next on our to-buy list includes furniture for our "Little Prince's Room":
- Easel (using the vouchers from my sisters Meena & Charm)
- Mammut bookshelf
- Little Tikes Roadster toddler bed





Now I can't stop thinking of buying furniture for our new home. Bank-breaking but fun! :D

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Rest & relax



Kai enjoying some "me-time" in his hammock, drinking his milk and shaking leg. These are his precious moments which I do not interrupt.
I love how his Baby Zara short-sleeved shirt and berms look on him in this shot - casual with a resort look down pat. Here's a good compromise - boys can still look suave and play rough minus over-the-top dressing in SG's weather.
The Bubblegummer's are presents from Andy's cousin Cindy. Thanks Sis, you have good shoe sense! ;)

Mugging for my exam is making my mind a little bonkers. I'm soooo looking forward to next weekend for our KL shopping trip getaway, kinda like a prelude to our HK shopping trip in November if you may . This time, Aunt LY and Aunt Connie are coming along, which is fab because Aunt Connie is so well-travelled, she knows where the It places are not just in KL but all over the world.
As if GSS shopping hasn't done sufficient damage. More retail therapy for this Mommy please!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Adam's 1st Birthday - Part III

Date: 5 June 2010 Saturday
Venue: Mint Museum of Toys
Time: 6pm - 8pm

It's Kai's official party!
More PHOTOS HERE: official party photos by ALP


The banner being hung at the grand entrance



Kai's birthday cake - Mickey & disney themed


The gift favours for the guests - handmade by yours truly!

The presents he was showered with. And lots of angpaos too. Thank you thank you everyone!


These are just some preview pics.
A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who turned up and shared our joy with us on our precious son's 1st birthday party - the official one!
Our apologies if we have not been a good host but do know that your presence is much appreciated.

We even had a slideshow just before song-singing! A compilation of our precious son's development from conception to his 1 year.


Thanks to our photographer, and Joy for making the slideshow, everyone said it was like a wedding dinner!
We had a fantabulous time and Kai was so happy to receive so many presents! A tricycle, a drum set, a musical table, Crumpler baby bag, educational laptop, among many many other things!

P.S. Waiting for the official photos taken by my professional photographer of the evening :)

Friday, June 4, 2010

Kai and the helper



Kai keeps kakak (Malay for elder sis) on her toes. She squats down and follows Kai everywhere when he sweeps things off the table and scramble about. I really hand it to her.
When Kai grows up, I will never allow him to be disrespectful or rude to our helpers. I don't like calling them maids. Make them sound like lowly servants. "Helper" is a more apt term - in my opinion anyway - since they ease us from so many mundane chores.

It's a dirty job but someone's gotta do it! :P
There is Nurses Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Teacher's Day... there ought to be a Helper's Day to salute them for their help.

Sometimes I see young children scolding their helpers, ordering them to do this and that, and I feel pure rude shock rising within me. How can any parent allow their child to treat another human being with such little respect? Singa the Courtesy Lion has been around for 30 decades now and still not much's changed. So much for trying to instill graciousness in our society huh?

Thursday, June 3, 2010

More update about the new pad


Paintwork up, and they even tore down the fencing.
I'm so pysched up. If I have to wait any longer, I might have palpitations.

I want Kai to have his own room and our planter to be filled with veggies he planted plus a water feature with fishes he rears, and our living room to be filled with toys so I can organise playdates and gatherings!
The kids can play while the yummy mommies sip some Nespresso. Grand idea isn't it?

When.can.we.move.in??!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Hop on!



Kai's new vehicle - featured here is Alice our Silly Sheltie hitching a ride.
Cool isn't it?

Our tiny home is becoming Tiny Land, overcrowding with Kai's toys.
I need to get my act together and do some serious packing -> Stash, Trash, Donation, Sale.

By the way, Andy's mum suddenly told me she's going back to Indonesia for the weekend and coming back on Monday night. We're packing up and going back to my Mum's for the weekend. I miss my room and Kai can have the entire air-conditioned living room to play in! Woohoo!

Sunday, May 30, 2010

A piece of my mind

The other day, I was in the kitchen fixing milk for Kai when I saw a bottle of Woodwards Gripe water gone. Gone, just like that. I remembered my MIL had just bought it almost 2 weeks ago and now it's empty so I questioned her about it.

MIL: "Oh I always add to his water if not you think he wanna drink plain water?"
Me: "But that's not the way. You have to train him to drink plain water if not it will become bad habit"
MIL: "Aiyah, last time Andy & Tony also every morning drank 1 spoonful."
Me: "Yah, that's your son, nevermind. Kai is my son, and I dont want him to be like that"

There. I did it. I gave my MIL a piece of my mind.

She's a nice lady, God bless her. But she seems to have a problem differentiating between her grandchild vs her child's child.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Escaping from the heat at Parkway Parade









The heat's been unbearable these days. We decided to escape the heat by staying indoors at malls. Went to Parkway Parade today. Buying stuff at the GSS and enjoying some aircon - killing 2 birds with 1 stone.


There are sales every corner you go for the GSS period, but unfortunately for me, my 2 boys do not share my kinda enthusiasm for shopping.
I'm officially outnumbered. To make the shopping trip more fun for Kai, we put him in this Little Tikes Cozy Coupe shopping trolley.
We couldn't rent it around the mall yet of course, because it is meant for children above 2, but still, Kai was thrilled just sitting and playing in the Coupe. So were we.
Kids will be amused leaving the parents free to concentrate on the task at hand - sourcing out bargains and doing their shopping in peace.
Once again, I'm reminded of the wonders of staying in the East.

When it was time to go, Kai refused and wanted to play a little longer, so we obliged. After that, we had to literally pry him away from the steering wheel!

With this clever innovation, grocery shopping has never been more fun!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Ball of a time

My 2 boys sweating it out on a hot summer evening.
Some photos of my Slam Dunk border collie teaching his disciple a trick or two.

Kai gets on brilliantly with the dogs, so well that I'm afraid he might approach strange animals with the same enthusiasm and end up endangering himself.




Maverick, aged 5 going on 6 this July. Still a puppy at heart.
I've stopped training & trialling him, but this hasn't stopped him from amazing us with his never-say-never antics. You go boy!


Scoring...


And it's a GOAL!



I'm no expert dog trainer, but I managed to train Maverick to do this Slam Dunk trick almost instantly!
I have the smartest dog in the world :)

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Ladybird

Last night, Adam was in his playpen when he kept pointing to his sippy cup and said repeatedly "Doo", "do-doo..." Then Andy went closer to inspect the sippy - Adam was actually pointing to a ladybird that had somehow landed on his sippy.
How cute!

I should've taken a photo of the ladybird.. aiyah.. :)

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Dinner with the Floridians

The Griffows came to visit all the way from Florida so we had the honour to bring them for dinner on Saturday evening.

Venue: Seafood International at East Coast





Christopher looking lobster red after seafood and beer. Future lawyer and handsome bachelor *drools*


Uncle Walter, Aunty Mary, Andy's grandma and Chris.


Had a dandy good time with Andy's relatives, they are such a warm and close family.
Lil Adam, though he didn't have much sleep today (because he was busy going from one apt to the next), was generally a good baby.
Except for the times at dinner where he wanted to be carried to walk around, he was overall well-behaved, thank goodness.
He now has this new game - you have to carry him to wherever he's pointing at. For eg. He points to a pond of fishes and says "Doo" and you have to bring him there. (just last week it was 'der', now it's 'doo') At first, it was a novelty to us, then a bit of fun maybe, however after walking round and round, one's arms can get pretty tired! But toddlers being curious busy people, it's hard to fault them :)

Uncle Walter has welcomed us to stay with them when we go visit, and their home is only 2hours drive from Disney World, and 2hours away from Miami beach where they see filming of CSI Miami all the time. So envious! Time to plan another itinerary after our HK trip? Heh heh

Friday, May 21, 2010

Fingerfood: pancakes


pancakes with cheese rolled up

No matter how I make them, these pancakes never seem as nice and smooth as MacDonald's Hotcakes. I give up. Maybe I should just cheat and buy Hotcakes and fill them with my own ingredients :P

Baby Kai's (yet another) busy weekend

When I was pregnant, time used to pass in weeks. Then Baby Kai was born, and time passed in months. Now that my baby is officially a tod, time passes in years.
That only means my blog wont be in a messy list of entries categorised by months, that's all :)

SO glad it's the weekend again - I'm exhausted!
This week, Andy & I had to deal with Little Kai's clingy-ness. He demanded to sleep on our bed every single night, forcing us to sleep in compromising positions and boy were we sleep deprived.
To fix that, I rearranged the furniture in our room and shifted his cot beside our bed. Just nice the height of his bed was level with ours, so in a way, Kai "slept with us". Been working so far. Phew! *touch wood*

Then tomorrow, he has his long-awaited visit to Dr Simon's for his 1 year old 6-in-1 and Pneumococcal jabs, as well as his growth & developmental assessment.
Afterwhich, we are having dinner with Andy's relatives from Florida. They had specified that they wanted to meet Kai.
Remember I mentioned Kai has a problem with sitting through an adult-dinner without fussing?
Well my plan for tomorrow will be to zonk him out after the PD appointment and running of his birthday errands, and leave for dinner just the minute he wakes up from his noon nap.

I sure hope my plan will work tomorrow. If all else fails, I will just have to stuff him silly with blueberries throughout the dinner. *fingers crossed*

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

What then, and what now?

So my son has officially graduated to becoming a Toddler, the questions I often ponder - what then, what now, and what next?

In retrospect, the year with Baby Kai has been full of ups and downs. More ups than downs, but there were the Downs nonetheless. I'd be lying if I said it was all rosy like in the photos. The downs are what other parents won't admit - he's a fussy eater, I'm struggling with his lack of sleep, he's throwing tantrums and it's hard to get through a decent meal with him, he's demanding to sleep with us at night so whatever happened to that dream designer nursery? Heave a sigh of relief - you are not alone on that.

I used to feel mighty accomplished and competent at work - make sure IV lines are running, medications are administered, appointments are arranged, admissions & discharges done... Everything goes on like clockwork before the end of my shift.
However, on days when I'm home with my Terror Tod, I'd just be glad if I could take a shower and brush my teeth within the same toilet trip.

And to parents with tall orders for bringing up their children - Good luck with your rules.
You must've known or heard at least one such parent in your life - "I'm never gonna let my baby suck the pacifier", "my baby can only sleep on her own bed", "my child will have to sit still and endure our adult dinners if he has to come out with us" ... yadayada.

One day, you're just gonna throw these golden rules out the window and do whatever it takes.
Sure, Andy & I made all those "golden rules" before, but now, they've gone out the windows and we just have to play by ear.
With some common sense and lots of love (and what little I learned in Psychology in school), we just let Baby Kai do what he wants, as long as it doesn't compromise his well-being and safety, there is no malicious intent, and makes him happy. When he is happy, he is cooperative and we are happy. Therefore, this equation works fine in our household.

Now, I don't even bother advising Tall Order Parents & friends anymore. Because my advice is - there is no advice. Just go with the flow and follow your instincts that you want the best for your child.
Whatever it takes, mate.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Meet my Godson!

Ladies, hold your breath - my Godson is here!
Born: 16 May 2010
Weight: 6.6lbs

Isn't he gorgeous? *sigh*



The house is filled with heaps of baby stuff!






The baby room piled to the max with baby changing station, and tons of nappies/clothes/cot bumpers etc


Went to Meena's house today to meet my godson for the first time and teach her how to bathe our little fella. He has a sharp nose and jet black hair, and he's so fair for an Indian baby!

He doesn't have a name yet, so my dear Godson, when you are older, please remember that it's your Godma who gave you your very first bath ok?? *beams proudly*
He's so tiny and precious. Reminds me of my very own Baby Kai when he was teeny, which was a year ago. I don't even remember Kai being so tiny, but of course he was. How reminiscent. *dabs eyes*

I remember Andy & I used to just stare at Baby Kai during the first few weeks of his life, just to make sure he was breathing. So precious. Babies can be lost, and I believe it is every parent's worry to keep their children alive, agree?
As Courteney Cox's character in the television series Cougar Town says: 'That's all that parenting really is: trying to keep your kids from dying. When they're babies, it's swimming pools. When they're 50, it's heart attacks and Russian prostitutes.'

Oh I feel so excited and happy for my dear Aunty Meena and Uncle Ramesh.
Welcome to the parenthood band wagon, where you'll never sleep again for the next 20 years!