Day 12

Usual morning routine. To tackle this perpetual late syndrome (PLS), I actually used the timer this morning. From the moment I said 'let's go', I discovered it took 10 whole minutes to pack them into the car, and another 20 minutes to drive, and 3 minutes to unload them and kiss them good bye at the school (after the mosquito repellent spray, 2 kisses & 1 hug). Total time clocked is 33 minutes!! Alright, I have always been very unrealistic, in denial perhaps, that it does take THAT LONG to boot them to school. :(

Ideas for time shavers?
- cut Estella's hair?
- insist that Estella needs not wear socks? / just wear sandals lah...
- always make sure we park the car at deck 1A or 1B (the higher we circle, the more time is needed)
- get them to pick and choose the extra items to bring to school the night before
(Alright, I've already pre-packed the school needs as much as possible the night before...)

So now, let's work backwards the timing, and try again. :)

Had a fruitful lunch gathering with the TT folks at CityLink, followed by HomeProject time at Spotlight. Oh boy, I was so fascinated by the selection of fabrics there! Thought I found a new hobby. I will make it back there again as I gather more new Home Projects.

Late night incident - Starrie vomited in the middle of her sleep. Thank God she is well this morning. :)

Day 11

Managed to run some errands like ordering a small cake for celebration part 1 of 3; started the CDA account for Starrie; grocery shopping - all after the morning walk. Settled a bit of work, Skyped with dearie.

Today's dinner is one of the simplest to prepare - hearty chicken soup with carrots/corn/celery/onion/winter melon, with brown rice. Absolutely no need to stand by the fire and watch, etc. I've even prepared extra for the next day. Tom's meal should be simple too. Good thing is the girls managed to finish their portion well. Post dinner snack was not too bad too - 2 bananas for #1, lotsa grapes for #2, topped with a single serving of chocolate ice-cream. :-)

Now, we are all waiting to skype with Daddy. #2 blurted out on the way to school this morning 'I miss Daddy...'. With that, #1 echoed on too... Sigh, of course, and there's me three!! And so, during skype, the girls kept yelling 'I wanna hug, I wanna hug...' The ultimate request came when Starrie asked Daddy to fly out from the computer and come home immediately! Wow, what imagination!!! Duh...


Yes, Day 11. 8 more days to go...

Interesting highlight of the day includes this conversation with my ex-vendor, who is currently 1 step ahead of me in starting out on her own. From the short 20 minutes of exchange, there's so much in common in terms of our faith, family goals, and career objectives. It's so encouraging to hear her obeying the Lord and now able to make more time for her 3 children, and also actively serving in her church. It's also wonderful to hear how the Lord provided for her exceedingly and abundantly. Thank God for your providence. I received my first cheque yesterday finally! Lord, I look to you...
"Take me, Mold me, use me, fill me
I give my life to the Potter's hand
Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me
I give my life to the Potter's hand" :)

Day 10

Brekkie - sch / walk - MBC - lunch with dear fren JQ - Renergy - IMM - sch - dinner at BS

Day 9

Brekkie - Surprise Time!! - Playtime - DVD - lunch - nap - Reading time / Play time - dinner at mkt area - DVD: Up - zzz

Got them a present each. They love their own toys so much. Created a lot more loving share-time and playtime. :)

Day 8

Brekkie - swimming class - lunch - nap - church (with extended family) - dinner - DVD - zzz

Pretty eventful. Had some extra energy to tidy up my own room till wee hours. Just reminded of how nocturnal I used to be last time... Pleased with the study table once again. :)

Day 7

School closure - library trip with tabao lunch - nap...

Day 6

School - walk - Towner - Expo sale - Trek - cook/dinner
Toy Story 3 is the girls' good friend...

Day 5

Mundane... School, walk, cook, haircut for girls :)
Yes, Eliana agreed to cut her hair and I wasted no chance to tidy up her hairdo.
Estella is so protective of her long mane, but still managed to trim her fringe.

Day 4

PH today. Wet weather, so no outdoor time. I am amazed by how much the girls can self-entertain. Occasionally, I hear cheeky remarks like 'let's not tell mommy this, ok?'. Hmm...
Also, Estella is actually quite amazed that I have a little box with several sets of earrings. She insisted that I tried on the different ones so she could comment nice or not! I think this little girl is seriously considering ear-piercing, although I have made no mention of it completely. She asked me if it was painful last time when I pierced my ears.
I am really having fun with them. Promised them silly stories tonight - came up with this one where the girls' packed lunch for picnic was stolen by monkeys. Estella concluded the takeaway for me - 'To look after your food even when you are playing.' Very clever girl... :) Ok, I didn't have names for the monkeys, and they insisted on naming them for me before I can wrap up the night.

Yes, my little monkeys... :)

Day 3

School - time with cuz - home

Day 2 - Sunday

Another day. Estella drafted the plan for me - go ECP cycling, kick-scootering, then go PP for lunch! Awww... brilliant! However, it wasn't as viable, and so we did the mini version at void deck. Eliana did a wonderful job on her very own bike too. Thanks to Estella, who lovingly assisted her along the way. :) Sisterhood... so sweet!

8am - breakfast & TV
10am - cycling & kick-scootering downstairs
11:30am - Skype time
12nn - lunch (baked pasta with tuna/mixed veggie, topped with mozzarella cheese with fruits) - Yummy, well-received, easy to prep and washup. Mental note to self - can repeat this again and again, with different sorts of pastas next time.
1pm - wash-up, get ready for nap
1:30 - 3:30pm - girls were too excited to sleep, continued to play with each other (while, I actually caught a cat nap myself while the girls were so busy playing!!!)
3:30pm - finally, both knocked out for nap; I could get the washing up done.
4pm - Estella woke up. Tea-break + Finding Nemo
6pm - Outing to playground
6:45pm - wash up + dinner
7:30pm - Nim's Island
10pm - supper (baked cheese bread squares, very well-received. With Milo)
11pm - zzz (alright, there was still quite a bit of chatting, playing going on even though bedtime was announced. Need to tighten timing some more...)

OMO Day 1 - 27 August, aka Polling Day (again...)

Capturing the mundane...

8am - voting / breakfast
9am - John to the airport / us to the clinic - syringing/wax removal for Estella. Yeewwww! It was really gross! The unforgettable sight of the 'meatball' that came flushing out of her ear - the culprit which caused the week-long ear-ache! Let's pray there's no more pain, or any infection.
11am - TV time / cook lunch (chicken yee mee with mixed veggie)
12nn - lunch + washup
1:30pm - Nap
2:40pm - Estella woke up from nap, crying for Daddy! (awww....)
3pm - prepare baked potato chips as teabreak
4pm - get ready for church service
5pm - service / DL
7pm - dinner
8-9pm - play / honey dew time
9:30- washup / supper / wind down

30 KM

Yes, 30km was how much we covered yesterday during our cycling date. Max speed was about 29kmh. Wonderful weather. Felt my body giving way right at the evening. Thank God, I feel much better today. Muscles are a bit sore, but stronger!

Reminder to self next time: Don't take curry during the lunch break ... What was I thinking of!??!?!

Eliana: Soon-to-be 3-year-old

Dear Eliana,

It's been an amazing journey with you for almost 3 years now. You are such a blessing to us from God. As a second-born, we noticed what a quick learner you are, how you grasp each situation well, and talk earlier. You also enjoy sharing your funny logic, make up new words (like 'pompamas', and 'ferrcast'), poo-time stories (like who's coming out first), play-pretend as teacher, perform your imaginative song/dance on the stage (and yes, you also like to make me your audience, which I love). There are just hours and hours of fun with you.

It's also a bitter-sweet thing sometimes during discipline moments. You know for sure I will give you the serious look during our 'talk'. Yet you will always tell me, 'Mama, I want to see you smile... Can you smile at me, please?"... Ahh... such a turmoil inside. Cos even when you are notti at times, you still look so adorable!

There are just so many funny lines you've said recently... here's to quote a few:

1. Diapers are for babies and little girls. I am big girl now, so I wear panty, not diapers! ~ Dress up
2. Everybody, sit down now! Cross your legs, fold your arms, and look at me, Teacher Eliana! ~ Play-pretend
3. HMMM!!!! The 'mommy' is coming out soon... there are also 4 'babies' coming... 'Daddy's is not coming today. ~Poo Time

Mommy, Daddy, Jiejie love you lots!!!

Eliana: Bible reading during younger days

The Little Monkeys

Mommy's new role

It's been more than 8 months since I said bye to the busy corporate world. Thanks to Dearie's support, I am now taking on my dream job as a full-time homemaker. It's a whole new ball game altogether. Each day, each moment, there are new things to learn. More recently, the greater privilege is to learn about my girls, learn with my girls, and learn FROM them too. I truly am enjoying the unhurried times with them.

Contrast with before, my messages to them had always been... '快点 this, 快点 that, or Mama's going to be late!'. Even in their play-pretend, their dialogues would be 'wait, I am busy, I can't help you now...' or 'hurry up, I need to go to work!' or 'Shhh... I need to talk on the phone now, keep quiet!'. I am just glad to be able to reverse all these. Of course, they are still modelling me. This time, they would ask for a cleaning cloth and say 'Mama, I also want to clean my own kitchen. Can you give me a wet cloth please?' or... "Look Mama, I am also cooking. You try my food later ok?"... (Yes, I am also training them to be independent to do things for themselves)

So, what have I learnt through these months? Contrary to popular belief, tai-tais (as some will call) like me do not get to sleep, rest, shop, play, nuah all we want. While it's true we may not face the time pressure of a job, time is still not a luxury item. Of course, if one has a maid and the general chores are totally outsourced, that would be a different matter. In fact, my new role has a set of newly defined 5Cs - childcare, chores, chauffeuring, cooking, and computer-work.

Lessons learnt:
- better to always work with a plan, which includes weekly dinner menu, time schedule to encourage kids to be punctual, family budget to stick to, clearly spelt-out shopping/to-do lists and more. I also browsed some SAHM websites for ideas how they manage to hold everything together, without going bonkers.
- there are lots of kids' learning activities/resources on the web. Needs to take some time to research though. Turns out that I am enjoying the design/planning process very much. Thanks to my previous role as a Learning & Development Manager, I am pretty well-trained in running these activities with them.
- cooking is very fun and therapeutic. Despite lots to wash up (both before, and after), nothing beats presenting a new dish that is welcomed by everyone, and gets walloped in no time! With my supportive audience (Dearie, of course!), I am getting a hang in cooking, and occasionally tweaking the recipes.
- housework 是永远做不完的! Better is a home with happy children who are free to explore their creativity (and create some mess); than a display home where everything is to see, and not touch. 我学会看开了...
- the girls just love me to play with them more. That means, I mustn't forget to play with them! It can be a simple hide-and-seek in the house, anyhow-play-the-piano-and-dance, water-colour painting, tea parties, doll house, or even scissors-paper-stone. For some reasons, they just love the rougher stuffs with daddy. E.g. pillow fights, wrestling, piggyback and kungfu!
- couple dates are precious! Glad to find a new hobby with Dearie. Yes, we are aiming to keep fit together. We have a long distance to cover.
- friends are very, very important. They bring new cheer, jokes, inspirations, and wonderful hours of fellowship that remind us that we are all relational creatures, and how our lives are better enriched because of one another!
- it's not easy to work on top of all the family demands. However, God is the One who provides! Even with this opportunity as a freelance headhunter, it's a chance for me to keep my trade and remained plugged in (though not as immersed like before). Not to mention, I am also trusting in His leads and blessings to supplement the income.
- most of all, God is such a wonderful companion and Teacher in this whole new chapter. He will frequently tap me gently to remind me why I am doing what I am doing. And that's all I need to dispel the occasion doubts and insecurities that creep up on me. "Say the word, and I will sing for you... Over oceans deep, I will follow..."

In a nutshell, mommy is embracing her new role with thanksgivings!

Joining in National Day celebrations

The girls were so excited with the flag tattoos on their faces, and wanted to bring along their flags this special day... And yes, we ended the night watching NDP fireworks on the 28th floor corridor!

Daddy's Birthday!

Daddy has just gained entry to the Club 40s. A very special moment indeed... ;)

Desaru Holidays

Yes, it's another family holidays since the Aussie trip last Oct - a road trip to Desaru. Some new milestones to celebrate as a family...
- easier packing cos lesser milk stuff and diapers
- better cooperation from the girls as they can follow instructions now
- enjoyed waterplay with the wet and wild splash at the slide pool
- daddy and mommy could hold hands and walk along the beach; cos the girls were holding each other's hands (yes, they know who is whose partner!)

Some snapshots to capture these new memories...