Daddy went to London for the Singapore Day event. He left in the wee hours of wednesday morning (22/04) and came back on monday afternoon (27/04). He detest the long hour flight but enjoy the cool cool air. He brought along a baby travel pillow (with a little rabbit attached!) for sleep on the airplane. Wonder if anyone stared at him.
He took quite a bit of photos to show the girls. Showed them the hotel he stayed in, the room, the corridor, the streets, the red postbox, churches, shops, lots of blue sky and white clouds, even the sandwishes he ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There were quite a few shops selling football jersey and I'm surprise he did not get any back. He went to the Natural History Museum to see "dinosaur". He took many pictures of dinosaur fossils for the girls. For a moment they thought the dinosaurs were real. 
Daddy told me that he was very proud of himself in London. He managed to travel back to his hotel by train and bus from town after a day of sightseeing and shopping. I was surprised! He is usually very bad with directions and public transportation. Now I know he's only too dependent on me. When we travel together, he always look lost and will just follow wherever I go. I guess now I'm not too worried about him coping without me. I just got to trust him more with the girls. Hopefully he would not let me down. 
The Singapore Day event was on 25 April at Hampton Court Palace and there was a giant ERP at the entrance! There were shalls serving singapore food too. Daddy was so sick of the sandwishes he had every day for every meal that he found every dish served there delicious. He missed soup and rice so much when he returned. 
Daddy tried to be friendly with an english lady and probably wished he could rest on those "pillows"! And in case I got mad, he was smart enough to get me a young, handsome english man too. I'm glad he enjoyed his maiden trip to london, UK. This is daddy's first travel to the west. He never likes long haul flights and always prefers asian countries. 
One simple lunch meal. I like to make these japanese rice balls and once coated with seaweed, the girls need no nagging to finish them up. Brocolli and carrot is another of their favourite and I only blanch them and season with a little sauce. Cheesy meat balls (chicken, pork of beef) are the new dish in the menu and egg tofu, another very versatile ingredient.
Did I mention that I have to buy things in a pair now? Whatever jie jie has, mei mei wants. Whatever mei mei has, jie jie wants. Fortunately as yet, they are still comfortable with different designs. They do fight over who gets what but that could be resolve with a "how is mummy going to get you anything if you always fight over everything?" Usually, the jie jie will get her choice (she's able to talk her sister into taking the other one) but once in a while, she will let mei mei have a chance to choose too. They are alright actually. Just siblings...
December last year, I bought a 4G mp4 from sim lim square for $100. That was my biggest mistake in my history of electronic purchases. I rarely buy electronics and if I do, it's usually a proper brand. My video camera is sony, my digital camera is canon, my mp3 and laptop is apple, my printer is epson, my handphone is nokia, so what on earth was I thinking when I pull out a $100 for a china-made mp4? Joelle was with me and I might have dump some responsibility on her if not for the fact that she's only a five year old child with no cash nor wallet to begin with. Yes, she was pestering me to get it (there was a cartoon playing on the display set) and I really wanted to get one to keep her still on long mrt rides. But I'm still the adult with a better sense (not for that day though). I regret the buy within the same day! Firstly it did not work with my apple laptop so I could not do any upload. When I finally upload some songs and video clips from my mother's laptop, the video quality was so bad, daddy did not even recognize his daughter in it. Then the button came loose and music plays through the speaker even with earphones plugged in. Went back once and they said they never promise dvd quality (fair enough it was my wishful thinking), it's the earphones fault and the button is just loose not faulty. So they did not want to do any exchange. Frustrated as we were, we knew that there's no point arguing with those people so I went home, bought new earphones and managed to enjoy some music for the next two days before I get a blotch on the screen. We rushed back to the store and with a blank face they said "this is a problem caused by you and not the machine" so no exchange. We were dumbfounded. Daddy gave them a "screaming-at-a-block-of-wood" lecture and both of us went home with high blood pressure. And that was the end of it. That was all within the month! Fancy losing $100 in a month! It's the worst speculation for me. I should have trusted my belief and stay away from china-make. NO MORE CHINA-MAKE FOR ME! 
* If this entry was written in January, it would have been rated PG. I have very much cooled down and accepted my folly and to look at it as a lesson to be shared. Currently I'm still using my 512MB ipod and hoping to upgrade soon. This time I will get either another ipod or a creative. Really... no more china made stuff for me. Penny wise, pound foolish.
We had a rather elaborate tea this afternoon. Joelle requested for steam corn and isabelle wanted roti prata. Since mary was off for the afternoon, mummy decided to grant them their requests. So this is our tea for the day. And that's what we saw in our sky during our daily cycle-cum-walk. It was a beautiful day.
It is easter sunday and being keen on art, we hop onto the easter bunny wagon and start making easter eggs for families. Using heavy recycled papers, I cut out the egg shapes and have joelle glue the printed pages together leaving a gap for string to hang the egg like a mobile. Then I brought out some makers and glistering glue, some cotton buds and toothpicks, some toilet paper and lots and lots of tolerance (for mess). They had so much fun and it was not too messy, thank goodness. After they were dry, joelle wrote names on the back of the mobile eggs and gave them to my mum (who stayed over on saturday) and my father who came over on easter, and mary and daddy and mummy. It is a great way to celebrate easter. I want to think that easter egg is not just a commercialized theme for easter sunday. The egg, with its association to new life cracking out of its shell kind of reflect the resurrection of Jesus with His coming out of darkness (tomb) into the light. And the bunny, well, it's a celebration so we should be hoping around with gladness in our hearts.
How could a happy day pass without cycling. So the girls brought grandma out to see their cycling route. Now that isabelle is able to ride her tricycle herself, it's much easier and faster. We no longer need to scream at her to "turn turn turn" or "paddle paddle paddle". She will just cycle behind her sister. The only drawback, she has no stamina so she gets tire much faster and will usually "zone out" during the last leg of the journey. That's when we have to watch her carefully or she will ride into curbs or the streetlamps or into the grass patch or even into people! But she likes to join us in our "cycling trips" and we are beginning to enjoy taking her too. Short distance of course. 
Joelle made this during her sunday class in church. It was palm sunday and while we brought home the real leaf, she was happy to wave hers all the way home. This year, I'm more of a catholic than I have been for many years now. I'm reflecting on my life's journey and praying for the strength to walk on. I'm also seeking God's forgiveness for the mistakes I have made in my life, big and small. I pray also for the charity in me to help the less fortunate. This good friday is no longer a mere holiday for me, it's a time for me to remember God's love and sacrifices. He suffered on the cross for me, for my sins. I had been fortunate to experience His love for me through my pregnancy with Isabelle. He willingly carried my pain. I thank Him for that. Come easter sunday, we will celebrate! Welcome to the Holy Week. 
on our seventh wedding anniversary. We are suppose to be in Hong Kong Disneyland with the girls now but... ... some changes in plan. Daddy is in beautiful Tioman probably with some bikini-clad producer and talents while mummy's in sunny Singapore with the beautiful girls. In times like these, I think bringing back the dough is more important than using it to mould the mouse! The girls can be contented with mickey mouse clubhouse on Disney channel. And I promise them we will meet the mouse one day.
So what's the alternative plan for our seventh year celebration? The girls are asking for a stay at the chalet after attending many of our friends parties at chalets. I'm still checking out suitable and available dates. Daddy is thinking about a short Batam holiday but I'm dreading the ferry ride. As for me, I'll be happy with a peach milkshake with pearls, great music playing from the MP4 that I'm hinting the man to get for me and feasting on big juicy crabs in the comfort of my home sweet home. Yes! I guess the best gift for our seventh wedding anniversary is not the gift of wool as suggested by the book of traditional symbol of wedding anniversaries but the gift of a house we could proudly call OUR OWN.
As always I want to express gratefulness to our Lord Jesus for the glory and blessing bestowed upon our family. For binding us strongly in marriage all these years. It is not easy to declare a happy and fuss-free marriage. Ours not for sure but we always walk out of every trial and tribulation bruised but never badly hurt. Somehow we would manage to overcome the problem (internal and external). We dedicate our successes (not so much in terms of status) to God and I owe my emotional strength to my dearest Mother Mary. Without her underlying presence, I may never have been able to walk out of every battle unbroken. Of course I owe my bravery to my dear husband without whom I will never have the means to do what I did. Thanks love. Happy Anniversary!
P.S. I appreciate the card and the extra effort you put into getting me a little gift this year. Though it's not the MP4 that I'd wished for and though it doesn't have tear-shaped eyes, I still like it. It is lovely.
Sometime in March, I took joelle to jayne's forth birthday party at a chalet in downtown east. Isabelle missed the event as she was coughing. Jayne is the daughter of my friend anita whose son wayne is just a month older than joelle. They play along each other since they were babies. We hardly meet these days but the children do remember each other. And for the girls, I will try to make time out for them to develop some childhood friendship. It'll be good for their development.
There are some cool book sales for popular card members and I thought this book set is very affordable. Three strong books for $19.90. I tried to look for the other set but it's out of stock! I felt lost-out for a couple of days before I set down to read this collection. I'm onto my second book now. Daddy has always called me a bookworm and now again I'm seen with a book almost all the time. I read when I'm fetching the girls from school, I read when the girls are at the playground, I read while waiting for dinner, I read before lights out and I read whenever I need a break from computer work. Now I'm worried I'll have no more books by the end of the week! Guess I'll have to be more diligent and visit the library more. The girls will benefit too. But it's a little difficult now. Time seems rather tight for them. With nap and homework, the afternoon flies by too quickly. I'll work something out tonight and perhaps tomorrow, we'll be off to the library, at least once a week. Cool.
Getting interested in mummy's sunglasses and high heel shoes, perfumes and creams, this girl is growing up to be a lady. Only drawback... she needs more hair!
