Has anyone seen my daughter?
She kinda looks like me with her glasses on ... Oh, tell me it's true! links to this post
Somebody needs glasses ...
I can't believe how quickly one's eyesight can deteriorate in 6 months! I brought Shea to the optometrist in December and she was a 6/6. And now ... a letter from the school sent me scampering for the only optometrist in the area which is open on a Sunday evening.
Determination to increase Pokemon's level on the DS Lite + reading Charmseekers in low light + street fighting with Chun Li on a large screen TV = BAD EYESIGHT. Save your eyes now!!
Stay tuned for the pictures of the bespectacled one!
Labels: Shea
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Shea's got a new friend!
Little Mr Ethan, age 3-going-4 found Shea chae chae at the National Museum and hasn't let her hand go since. We met Hui Fen and Eugene who were there for the dinosaurs, while we were there for the Vernen Panton exhibition (which was awesome by the way). Shea was most happy to shower her sisterly love on this tyke as he entrusted himself to her care the whole time. It was a good day at the museum and even better to see the children of friends getting along with each other.
I'm thinking about motherhood again ...
Labels: Shea
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Oh, mirror mirror ... who's the cutest of them all?
It's the little antics that the little one gets up to that makes me grin from ear to ear.
Labels: Shea
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It's true.
There are many roles a woman can take on.
There might also come a time when you will be robbed of everything you have built and all you have left are the children and your faith.
I'm learning how to be a mother, aunty and daughter once again. links to this post
Here's another post to add to the recent gushing ones I've been making!
At the invitation of Jasmine (Hi Jasmine, I know you are reading this!) ... one of my sister's "bestie", Shea was given the chance to attend a baking class at Palate Sensations. Jasmine is the senior writer for Wine & Dine magazine and she was doing a feature story on kids in the kitchen. All Shea had to do was to enjoy herself and photos will be taken of the class.
Fair exchange ay? Seems like fun with or without the photo shoot.
WRONG.
It was more fun WITH the shoot! The kids got to dirty their hands, nearly got to taste the batter, watch the cookies magically appear from batter state to solid cookie state in the blink of an eye (aka: edible props). I've never been at a shoot before because that's the other half's territory but it was enlightening to see how the children were unfazed by the attention and encouragement from the cheerleaders/assistants/mother/editor/chef. They were there on a mission and that's to bake 'em cupcakes yo!
We invited Bryan's cousin, the very handsome Andre along and as a first time baker, he loved every minute of it. Here are pics of the completed cupcakes and Mr Rozells looking so aptly chaperone-y and all with Andre.
Much to my surprise and delight ... the cookies and cupcakes actually taste as good as they look! So please give the recipes a try and remember to let the kids have a hand in it. Well, not literally ... but just make sure they add the ingredients in the right sequence and quantity to ensure that the end results are as great as what I am raving about now.
Anyhow, so much more can be said but most of my sentiments are echoed in Jasmine's article and the only way to find out is to buy the magazine @ $7.50 each from Borders or Kinokuniya. So heed this shameless plug and get them now before December comes along!
At the invitation of Jasmine (Hi Jasmine, I know you are reading this!) ... one of my sister's "bestie", Shea was given the chance to attend a baking class at Palate Sensations. Jasmine is the senior writer for Wine & Dine magazine and she was doing a feature story on kids in the kitchen. All Shea had to do was to enjoy herself and photos will be taken of the class.
Fair exchange ay? Seems like fun with or without the photo shoot.
WRONG.
It was more fun WITH the shoot! The kids got to dirty their hands, nearly got to taste the batter, watch the cookies magically appear from batter state to solid cookie state in the blink of an eye (aka: edible props). I've never been at a shoot before because that's the other half's territory but it was enlightening to see how the children were unfazed by the attention and encouragement from the cheerleaders/assistants/mother/editor/chef. They were there on a mission and that's to bake 'em cupcakes yo!
We invited Bryan's cousin, the very handsome Andre along and as a first time baker, he loved every minute of it. Here are pics of the completed cupcakes and Mr Rozells looking so aptly chaperone-y and all with Andre.
Much to my surprise and delight ... the cookies and cupcakes actually taste as good as they look! So please give the recipes a try and remember to let the kids have a hand in it. Well, not literally ... but just make sure they add the ingredients in the right sequence and quantity to ensure that the end results are as great as what I am raving about now.
Anyhow, so much more can be said but most of my sentiments are echoed in Jasmine's article and the only way to find out is to buy the magazine @ $7.50 each from Borders or Kinokuniya. So heed this shameless plug and get them now before December comes along!
Labels: Shea
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Exam time has come and I find myself doing something I didn't even do during my years in school!
I sauntered into Popular Book Store for assessment books.
Suffice to say, the hype about kiasu Singaporean parents who drown their children with assessment books is not unfounded. There were heaps and heaps of them on 3 low tables and 8 rows of colourful spines which could hardly breathe. Goodness me ... And I'monly talking about the primary school Mathematics and English!
With the Semester papers barely a week away, I was the only one in the aisles. I'm sure there were fingers pointed right at me declaring that I'm undoubtedly Singapore's most irresponsible mum ... How dare I not buy assessment books 3 months ago! Such audacity!
My attitude towards Shea's education is that it's enough for her to do her best. She's a bright girl but she's just hopelessly careless. Hence, no amount of MCQ tedium or rote learning is going to ensure that she checks her work.
The only reason for getting her the papers was because she wanted to "play classroom". Instead of coming up with my own paper, it was so much easier to just buy it. 6 papers for $3.95 before 5% discount.
So in this photo by Mdm SN Tay (yours truly with the stern invigilator voice), I present you my student Sakura (from class Primary 3 Cherry Blossom) and her unruly friends at the back. Yes, everyone of them got a test paper but only Sakura completed her test. The rest of them submitted empty papers and Mdm Tay got so mad that she sent them promptly to bed without any dinner. And yes, that's how we get to put a little education in our fun. (Note that it's not the other way round.)
You know ... this daughter of mine amazes me endlessly.
Labels: Shea
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I have a new series on my blog!
FREESTYLE FACTORY.
You know how I LOVE the Singapore Indie Band album cover photos? The everyone do their own thing but still look at the camera thing?
I don't really know how to call it ... but I'm going to coin Freestyle.
So here's Shea in her "Stare What Stare" and Bryan in his "I Will Upper Cut You Like Street Fighter" stance at the Toyogo Factory.
More to come! Woo Hoo!!!
Labels: Beeba, Freestyle Factory, Shea
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Little Miss Scaredus Maximus took her first ride in the mother of all lame ghost trains ... Genting Highlands.
Backtrack to 1984, when Dad used to drive us up the windy Malaysian roads and we could actually see steam when we breathe through our mouths as we stepped off the car-plate number 2833 car. There weren't any theme parks up there ... just the casino and lots of cold air.
Forward to 2008, Genting was actually starting to feel warm and Shea took all the kiddy rides under the accompaniment of her mummy and UB and was able to conquer 2 roller coasters!
While the weather and weak excuse for a theme park were a letdown ... we did have lots of fun on our first road trip together. It feels great to make my childhood memories relevant to the next generation ... there's something strangely satisfying about that.
Labels: Shea
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So much of my time is now spent in the real world that I've forgotten that I have a project called THE BLOG which requires constant updating so that I can remember the real world that I've been in ... this documentary must go on!
Caught in uncannily similar poses ... Shea and I are domestically blissful as we monkey around in our newly acquired headgear.
Mine is the latest Robocop accessory necessary to make me a safe pillion rider with built in shades and air vents. No more stinky helmets to be shared with random pillion XYZ anymore! This is mine, Mine, MINE!!!
Shea found hers in the heartland IKEA ... otherwise known as TOYOGO warehouse in Toa Payoh. It is my storage wonderland and plastic inhalant fix ... new boxes smell so goooooood! For 1% of the price of my helmet, this "tween"* who watches way too much American TV decided she needed the latest Miley Cyrus accessory to make her a trendmonster. Hence, a gardening hat would have to pass for a ten-gallon hat.
Note*: Kidspeak 2008. Shea describes peeps her age who aren't kiddos but aren't quite teens yet? And they have to be like under thirteen? So they are in be"TWEEN"?? Sigh ... I am like such an old woman, 'cos I like so didn't get it until she got like totally literal with me. *Gasp* links to this post
Freaky!
This is Shea's favourite part of the MRT where she gets a work-out trying to balance on the connecting plate between 2 carriages. And yes, those are her hands tucked behind her ... adorable.
Labels: Shea
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While I haven't been blogging a whole lot, Shea and I have been hanging out a whole lot though. Till there's more time to write, here are more pictures to remind me of how blessed I am.
Labels: Shea
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Eh ... don't ask me why Shea's face was like that. She happily posed with Randy until the flash came on and so did this face.
The point is ... RANDY IS #30 ON FEMALE'S 50 GORGEOUS PEOPLE lah.
Please peruse his stylo picture HERE.
And then SMS : (50gp) space (m30) space (your IC #) space (your name) to 77877.
Go do it now! links to this post
Shea and I are all ready to celebrate Christmas with our reindeer gear! Are you? It's only 2 months away!! Woo Hoo!!! links to this post
Thanks to Uncle Martin who got a room at Fullerton Hotel ... Shea and I got to enjoy the fireworks from an unobstructed view from the balcony.
Daughter, good friends, air-conditioning and room service ... what else could I ask for to complete this blissful moment?
... To be continued with the expose on a hotel room.
Labels: Shea
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20 years ago, the family live beside a swimming complex and our weekends evenings were spent in the water. Therefore, the fact that I've never managed to learn how to swim ... befuddles me. My dad did dunk me in the but I don't remember struggling. I was a fat kid but I don't remember people laughing at me. I could use a kick board and propel myself halfway across the pool but I don't remember why I stopped.
The school implemented compulsory swimming the year after I graduated. Right after that, I was afraid of showing up in the dodgy skirted swim suit that I had and to show off budding breasts. Puberty was a tough time.
Now that I've been there and know how unforgiving privileged waterbabies can be, Shea must learn to swim. It's really no fun growing up missing out on what others can do and be a backbencher that can't even trap water.
Superficial I may sound, Shea is growing up in an environment where judgements are passed quickly and children have no compassion nor patience. The world is moving at a speed where I can't help but feel that I ought to equip my child with ammunition just so that "she does not miss out".
Weekend time is now sun-block slathered time and I have never felt more determined to keep my daughter afloat.
I am enjoying this family time I get to spend with the rest of them who has made cameo appearances (they came to check out the swim coach I'm sure). Even Keidi has joined in and those wrinkly toes of her are simply the cutest disgusting little things I've ever seen. links to this post
The sun and rain thwarted our zoo plans ... Once again, the National Museum to the rescue!!!
Aided by the know-it-all, we took the strange walk across the grass strip that used to be a road from SMU. I couldn't help but took a look to the left, to the left to make sure we weren't going to be run down by phantom cars.
We bought half price tickets ($5 and $2.50 only!), found our way into the history gallery and were equipped with what Shea called a "contraption" that guided us through the displays and rooms. It was amazing. (I have created a suaku label for the simplest things that's been around that astound me ... and make me feel suaku.) In fact, it made up for Shea's initial disappointment when she found out that her favourite magnet wall has been replaced by prototype furniture.
Side discussion: Are "leave temporary tattoo on user's butt/arms" and "disregard comfort" the criteria for winning local furniture design competitions? It's always some holey furniture that looks exceedingly uncomfortable to sit on unless your butt was 120cm wide and rock hard like an aluminium fridge door - otherwise, the chances of getting a wee piece of flesh caught in the crevices is almost as high as catching rainwater with your upturned mouth in a monsoon.
We spent a scanty two hour at the museum before nature came growling through Shea's tum tum. Sigh ... so off we went for more junk food to call it a day.
And for reminiscing sake, here's mini Shea at more museums ... more than 2 years ago. Sigh ... how children grow hor? links to this post
Go get 'em SHREK ears from the nearest McDonald's!
It is the ultimate accessory to (depending what kind of parent you are ...) decorate/embarrass/enchant/thrill/mortify/delight your children with. The best part of it is that you can redeem yourself out of any guilt of humiliating your child in public ... simply because ALL proceeds go towards the Ronald McDonald Children's Charity.
At $2 each .. go grab them before they get eBayed for $18.95. links to this post
The line between protecting and mollycoddling is a blurry one.
So how do you decide if you are standing up for your daughter's rights or are you being indulgent?
A person's perspective on life change when they have someone's life in their hands. This little being relies on you for sustenance, support, love and ambition. The ingredients of life that makes it worth living.
Not everyone is blessed with their own child nor have the fortune to assume this greater level of importance. For that, it felt so right to not submit to petulance and not feel anger.
To forgive is liberating.
Labels: Shea
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Shea and I have found a new friend in the new National Museum. With it's many groovy giant games and magnetic wall ... the both of us are seduced beyond reason by the beautifully restored institution.
Natural light floods the compound and the many stairways offer Shea and I routes to explore from different perspectives. While scaredy Shea cat did not quite appreciate the Maria Theresia exhibition as much as I wanted her to (too dark lah, mannequins too scary lah, piano too big lah, the suspended fabrics are creepy lah ... all sorts of nonsense lah) ... I really believe that brat was just looking for an excuse to deviate back to the giant snakes and ladders game.
If you've not been there ... GO. NOW. links to this post
Music lessons for Shea has halted for now as the class is getting smaller and there is a need to consolidate whatever little students they've got left, into a single class.
So what's a mummy to do with a bundle of raw energy on a Saturday afternoon?
I scoured the shopping malls for cartoon characters' appearances and all I found were acrobatic troupes from the different provinces of China. Unless I was keen to let Shea learn to jump through window grilles, contort herself into the centre of a toilet roll, eat with chopsticks ambidextrously while rolling on her butt with her legs tucked behind her neck ... I AM NOT BRINGING HER TO WATCH MEN IN TIGHTS WITH BULGING CROTCHES!
Singapore Philatelic Museum to the rescue!
I thank my lucky stars that Shea is as interested in visiting museums as her mummy is and hopefully, she will inherit my stamp collection. Harnah ... I am a stamps nerd lah!
There weren't that many interactive exhibits to boot nor to keep Shea interested in the wordy displays. But this is a good place to scout for potential son-in-laws!
Shea and I dug through boxes of stamps in the lobby for Christmas stamps. A little hand thrusted a 1956 Australian Christmas stamp in my bin and quickly retracted ... I looked up to see a distinguished young man of 8; observant enough to know what we were looking for and sacrificed one from his collection of 7 stamps in his box.
Isn't it like ... awww?? Shea, when you grow up ... this kind of nerd with potential to grow up into a handsome nerd ... grab hor! Mother-in-law pleaser ... very good!
Young man ... you have my STAMP of approval!
We proceeded to the Asian Civilisation Museuem across the street. Twas a dread cos we weren't allowed to take pictures in there ... bleah. But will I leave that place with nothing in hand?
May I present you our Singapore-local-indie-band-type of photo at the entrance ... the pretend-you-are-not-looking-at-the-camera-and-must-stand-one-behind-another-in-the-same-frame-type of picture ...
Archaic indeed!
links to this post
So what's a mummy to do with a bundle of raw energy on a Saturday afternoon?
I scoured the shopping malls for cartoon characters' appearances and all I found were acrobatic troupes from the different provinces of China. Unless I was keen to let Shea learn to jump through window grilles, contort herself into the centre of a toilet roll, eat with chopsticks ambidextrously while rolling on her butt with her legs tucked behind her neck ... I AM NOT BRINGING HER TO WATCH MEN IN TIGHTS WITH BULGING CROTCHES!
Singapore Philatelic Museum to the rescue!
I thank my lucky stars that Shea is as interested in visiting museums as her mummy is and hopefully, she will inherit my stamp collection. Harnah ... I am a stamps nerd lah!
There weren't that many interactive exhibits to boot nor to keep Shea interested in the wordy displays. But this is a good place to scout for potential son-in-laws!
Shea and I dug through boxes of stamps in the lobby for Christmas stamps. A little hand thrusted a 1956 Australian Christmas stamp in my bin and quickly retracted ... I looked up to see a distinguished young man of 8; observant enough to know what we were looking for and sacrificed one from his collection of 7 stamps in his box.
Isn't it like ... awww?? Shea, when you grow up ... this kind of nerd with potential to grow up into a handsome nerd ... grab hor! Mother-in-law pleaser ... very good!
Young man ... you have my STAMP of approval!
We proceeded to the Asian Civilisation Museuem across the street. Twas a dread cos we weren't allowed to take pictures in there ... bleah. But will I leave that place with nothing in hand?
May I present you our Singapore-local-indie-band-type of photo at the entrance ... the pretend-you-are-not-looking-at-the-camera-and-must-stand-one-behind-another-in-the-same-frame-type of picture ...
Archaic indeed!
links to this post
About me
- I'm Abigael
- From Singapore
Fixed Reads
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