The Gingerbread Mum - Parenting Hits and Misses

Attacking the Alphabet : C

2012-02-22T23:29:00.025+08:00

My oh my, it seems we may have gotten carried away with the letter C! But we sure did have lots of fun!

ART AND CRAFT

We've had a huge dose of crafts. Maybe because it's also a C word? :) You'll find that alot of these activities are "Circle" based! Here's what we made (Left to right, top to bottom):

Card with a pop-up flower
We made this by sticking small circles on big circle, for a poor little friend who was under the weather

Cardboard Carrots
To make it more fun, I let Poppy use carrot tops to stamp the orange on the cardboard carrots instead of painting straight on them

Paper Circle Caterpillar
I love how Poppy filled in the face of the Caterpillar when I left her alone for a minute

Paper Plate Cat Mask
I simply cut out the holes for the eyes (you can also cut out breathing holes at the nose if you think your child has the patience to keep the mask on for longer than 5 minutes), and she did the rest. We had no patience to wait for glue to dry, and had to keep track of time so as not to be late for the school bus, so we used staples to keep the whiskers and ears in place. Rubber bands were looped through holes to hold the mask by means of ear power

Paper Plate Cow
And while making the Cat, she said "Let's put a stick so we can hold it". But I'd already punched the holes and added the rubber bands to make it a mask. So we did a Cow with the same idea a few days later

Circle Tracing
I cut a toilet roll tube in half, breadth-wise, and gave them to her, telling her we'd trace circles. To my absolute surprise, she took them and started tracing straightaway, from the inside part of the tube. I'd never taught her how to trace! Love how the circles turned out :) And though it's not a C-word (somehow that sounds very crude, doesn't it? C-word), we also took the opportunity to learn about 'overlapping'

Coloured Rainbow
We made a coloured paper rainbow, simply because a rainbow is the best representation of Colour!

Paper Chain Caterpillar
She even had a race with it, as you can see :) (I asked "Why is your caterpillar sad?" and she said, "It isn't sad, that's its happy face!". Sure fooled me!)

Crayon resist Clouds
Again, another thing that I've been waiting for the right moment to introduce. Now, where possible, I let Poppy choose between markers, crayons and paints, depending on the craft. And one day she just happened to paint over some crayon coloured sheets and discovered that the crayon coloured parts resisted the paints :) So anyway, we made clouds

Cat Cards
And finally we sent off 2 Cat Cards to the biggest cat lovers we know - Poppy's grandma and great grandma. For a long time, Poppy decided she would be a black and white cat (and even meowed through conversations and crawled on the floor), but this time, she chose to make these cats really colourful. I'm glad she did because they are gorgeous!!

ACTIVITIES
Clouds and Cloud Watching
I searched and searched and searched for a site that best showed how to teach preschoolers on the different kinds of clouds (somehow I never learnt that in school), and this from Feels Like Home was the most straightforward.

I have to confess that while I had this big brilliant plan to bring Poppy out to a park and lie on the grass while we watched the clouds, this particular activity happened by chance: I was lying on the floor in her room, fighting pregnancy sleepiness while she played with her trains, and I invited her to lay with me for a little while. She happily obliged and while talking to me, gazed out the window and pointed out the clouds to me. We really enjoyed Cloud watching in the comfort of Poppy's airconditioned room!

Of Cars and Cycling
Of course we had to go cycling! Max has been bringing Poppy down for rides just around the estate after dinner for a couple of days, but this is a really cool place to go for serious bikers! And how could we not go for a walk in our big red Car!

Felt Cookies
I got this idea from Inner Child. I traced and pre-cut some Cookie shapes on a piece of cookie coloured felt. Then left them out for Poppy to find, which she did, the moment she got up.

Ring Toss
Again, in the line of circles, we made a ring toss (is that the right word?) with paper plates. It's funny because just over the weekend we were at Toys R Us and I almost bought those little itsy bitsy hoops. Thank goodness for my cheapo genes!

Time-telling
I printed out lots of Clocks so that Poppy could draw in the hands, and match the times to the activities of her usual day.

Computering
Poppy got a toy computer from her grandmother last Christmas and we have been limiting her play time with it. Because we want to keep myopia far away, not because we're mean horrid parents. So she did not protest when I told her "C is for Computer! Would you like to play with yours for a little while?" :)

Oh Canada
And of course, we talked about Canada, and coloured some Mounty Policemen, and the flag :)

Others
- This craft from Family Fun Go looks like so much fun! And also, so much work :S For a more patient mum with an older child :D

- You could also dip your toy cars in paint and roll them over paper to create lines and then write on them and send them off with car stickers to car enthusiasts :) We didn't do this cos Poppy's cars have normal smooth tyres without grooves so I figured it wouldn't be as interesting

SINGING
To the tune of "Farmer in the Dell"
The clouds are in the sky
The clouds are in the sky
Heigh ho, just watch them go
The clouds are in the sky

The clouds are passing by
The clouds are passing by
Sometimes fast and sometimes slow
The clouds are passing by

YUM YUM
We eat alot of chicken (Poppy and I anyway) so each time we did, I would tell her that C is for Chicken. And Corn, and Carrots. You get the idea.

We also created a dish called "Colourful pasta". It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare and is incredibly yummy! Here's the recipe:

1. Prepare ingredients: Dice chicken, dice peppers, chop up onions
2. Fry peppers and onions on low fire till soft
3. Add in chicken till cooked
4. Add milk and once milk bubbles, add cheese and stir
5. Serve over pasta. Yum!

Chicken Stew is yet another easy peasy recipe (we went shopping for Carrots and Celery together!). Here's how I did it:

1. Prepare ingredients: Chop up celery, carrots, onions, garlic, chicken
2. Fry vegetables for about 10 minutes in a bit of butter. Then add chicken
3. When chicken is sealed (no more raw parts visible), add chicken stock and fresh basil (or dried if you don't have fresh) and oregano, and a dash of worchestire sauce. Cover
4. When it boils, add to slow cooker and leave it in there on high for 3 hours or low for 6.
5. Serve with rice

BOOKS
Here's what we read (those that have maid characters that begin with the letter C, like "Cloud" or "Caterpillar", or those related to time-telling/Clocks):

What I really wanted to get but couldn't:
- It Looked like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw
- Carrot Soup by John Segal

I hope you enjoy the letter C as much as we did!! And now, D, ready or not, here we come!

Living with Kids: Never a Dull Moment

2012-02-22T21:12:00.004+08:00

This almost happened earlier today. I say almost because it was prevented by my super sharp laser eyes that spotted that pink thing wrapped around the leg of our buffet table. And no I was not trying to fly; the (rather inaccurate) drawing is supposed to show me tripping and falling on my (not shown but very big around the tummy area) front.

So I very calmly and cooly requested for a logical explanation

To which I got a very calm, cool and logical explanation

Ah yes. Of course. Mystery solved.

The Name Game

2012-02-20T22:16:00.004+08:00

So our little one is coming in 6 weeks or less (no pressure), and we don't have a name yet (no hurry at all). Not even a nickname (chill, guys, chill). But my deteriorating pregnancy brain cells have yet to trigger the flashing warning alert*, and we're still hoping to find a name that she won't have to share with 15 other kids in her Primary 1 class. While we're on that topic, I'm all for Singapore following Romania in its ban of weird baby names (know of the local celebrity that named his kids after rocks? Maybe he intended for them to be 'solid as a').

* That's what husbands are for. When pregnant mamas suggest crazy names, they can't help it, their brain cells are not functioning right. That's the one time in their lives that papas should NOT give in and say "Whatever you say, darling". Slap her behind her head and tell her not to sabotage their child into a life of mockery. Your child will thank you profusely

At least we're not thinking of naming her Meconium (Mum of newborn overhears nurses exclaiming "Oh, he came out with some meconium" and shrieks "What a lovely name! That's what I'll name my son!" A local nurse swears this is true), or Blanket. Oh what about US Olympic medalist Picabo [pronounced Peek-a-boo] Street? Apparently her parents took 2 years to come up with 'the perfect name'. Well, if you're lucky enough, you might even end up as President, like Goodluck Jonathan did.

It's such a great responsibility isn't it, naming a child? You need to find one that she can mould her character into, one that forms her identity, one that will hopefully help her avoid being teased mercilessly throughout her 10 years of formal education, one that will suit her from her newborn days up till the time she is old and grey.

So yeah, like I said, no pressure at all.

Mickey in Space!

2012-02-19T23:27:00.007+08:00

Images: Disney

If you're a fan of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, you'll be excited to hear about this new out-of-this-world one-hour Disney Junior special!

The usual suspects are sent on a space adventure to look for hidden treasure in the Clubhouse Rocket that takes them to the moon, Mars and the rings of Saturn, and along the way they'll meet some familiar faces.

As with all Mickey Mouse Clubhouse adventures, this is targeted at preschoolers. They'll find the Toodles appearances and problem-solving concepts familiar, but may need some adult guidance when it comes to explaining why they have special spacesuits and spacegear. For the first time they watch it anyway.

Poppy was happy to watch it while being protected from space aliens by her new friends Ashton and Ayden, who form two-thirds of "The Cheekie Monkies" trio, and was really excited to tell me all about it (most of us parents gallently offered the front row seats to our kiddos while we lingered behind and enjoyed the hour of food and adult conversation that wasn't punctuated with "Don't ____________!" and "No _________!" and "Argh!"s).

Mickey's Space Adventure premieres on 20 February 2012, Monday, at 1pm, and if you miss it (or simply want to watch it again), you can catch it again on 5 March, 2012, Monday, at 3pm. Ready for your space adventure? 5..... 4..... 3 .... 2 .... 1 ..... Blast off!! Don't forget your space suit!

If you want your own space adventure, head on down to the Singapore Science Centre (where it is incredibly hail a cab), where there is the i-SPACE exhibition, or otherwise known to Poppy as "my spaceship". She's seen here at the entrance of her spaceship, where the floor lights up under her feet. And yes, she is in her swim wear (sorry, I mean special spacesuit), because we would have headed to the Waterworks area had it not been raining.

Wheels in Motion, Causing a Commotion

2012-02-19T21:39:00.005+08:00

Do you remember Road Safety Park? It used to only be open to schools back in the day. I remember that due to the lack of vehicles, I was always made a pedestrian and never had as much fun as those who were in go-karts or bicycles. We'd have a little card each and try to score points for crossing at designated mini traffic lights or zebra crossings. Those were the days.

Well now it's open to public, everyday, at absolutely no cost! It's a tad bit run down, but it's still incredibly fun for kids, and much much safer than the crowded bicycle track along the East Coast Park. There are no longer vehicles for grabs so bring your own wheels. Because it's now open to all, parents are free to walk on the roads behind their kiddos, if they so wished. I love it. If it had been the old Road Safety Park, there would be many more unsatisfied children like I had been. Now, even 3.5 year olds can join in the fun. Yippee!

Everything was mini sized, like a little functioning network of infrastructure. There was a petrol kiosk (complete with petrol pumps and a convenience store, but no toilet much to our disappointment), a vehicle service centre, bus stops, parking lots and a car inspection centre.

Love how the kids made the adults cross every single zebra crossing (and Poppy demanded "Put your hand up!") and at every traffic light. Love how they fitted right in with the little traffic lights. Loved how they tested out each others' wheels and deliberately caused traffic conjestions. Love how they were so carefree and played so well together. What a beautiful day.

But on a more serious note, road safety is a big issue in Singapore. Did you know that there were over 8,000 cases of traffic accidents (both fatal and injury) last year? Even on our road, we've seen the blue triangular signs that say "Do you have news of this accident?" too often, and two of fatal accidents? This is why we've been telling Poppy to raise her arm when she's crossing the road, and to always look both sides. We hope we'll be visiting the Road Safety Park more often, with the aim of drilling the message of road safety even further. But first, my legs have to rest and recover. Words like "water retention", "pregnancy" and "vericose veins" mean nothing to an energetic 3.5 year old.

The Road Safety Park is located at 910 East Coast Park Service Road, Singapore 449889. By car, take Exit 10A on the ECP, then turn into East Coast Park Service Road. The Road Safety Park is on the right hand side, away from Bedok Jetty, away from the Lagoon Hawker Centre, and toward Big Splash.

This is definitely counting as a "C" activitiy in our "Attacking the Alphabet" series! Coming up soon :)

On A Roll!

2012-02-19T00:05:00.006+08:00

We mentioned something about a bicycle for her 3rd birthday. And now, just about 4 months to her 4th, we finally managed to get her one. Yes, finally. Of course, her occasional reminders of "Mama, you remember, you said you wanted to buy me a bicycle for my birthday?" helped.

So she loves it. She really really does. This morning she spent a good 2 hours riding around the estate. And for a first time biker, she's really good at it. Can't say much for her first time biker parents who were panting away behind her. But to give ourselves some credit, we were on foot.

The only times she's come into contact with a bike is our neighbour's old one that was far too small for Poppy and often had softish tyres. But with this gorgeous new bike (complete with pink streamers, thank you very much), Poppy has managed to turn, brake, give way to cats and elderly aunties, ring the bell and yell "Excuse me!" to younger folks, go up and down gentle slopes and even try to go into the reverse gear. I'm so proud of her.

When she got home, she told me "I would like knee pads please. For when the small wheels go off. And if I feel that I'm going to fall, I just put my foot down. And then I continue cycling after."

Who is this mature 10 year-old and where did my baby with the constantly wet with saliva chin go?!

Parenting Inconsistency: Say My Name, Say My Name

2012-02-17T23:08:00.006+08:00

First-time parents, think twice before you rejoice when your child's first word is "Mama".

Pregnancy: The Real Deal

2012-02-16T22:54:00.004+08:00

Movies and movie stars make you believe your pregnancy will have you looking like this:

When you're pregnant, your mirror shows you this:

* T-rex arms: When your tummy is so big, you can't cross your arms over it anymore. Imagine a T-rex: big body with inproportionately short arms

Attacking the Alphabet : B

2012-02-15T22:45:00.010+08:00

Last week we embarked on the Attacking the Alphabet series with the letter A. And for the past few days, we've had so much fun with the letter B! Here are some of the things we did, we hope you'll find them to be as fun as we did!

Here's what we did:
BOOKS
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? is a wonderful B book. As are Bye Bye Boo Boo and Going on a Bear Hunt. One of Poppy's favourite books is Toot and Pop, a story of a little tugboat and a great big ship. So we read that over and over.

CRAFT
Oh I loved the B crafts so much, particularly the Bandaid Butterflies. I got the idea from here. Poppy absolutely loved it and was really excited at doing a craft with plasters! I also got the B-Banana idea from the same place, but you probably can't tell that the 2 curved portions are bananas because Poppy decided that bananas needn't just be boring ole yellow.

The bumblebee craft was a rather impromptu one because she asked for "more craft, Mama" so I quickly thought of this. First we painted the plate yellow, and frantically searched for black paper for the stripes (realised we didn't have any but what we did have was white paper that was painted black for a previous activity, so that worked!), glued them on in stripes, added the googly eyes, and then for a final touch, pasted wax paper for wings (not shown in pic)

We made a Baker's hat with cardboard and coloured tissue, and Baked Butterscotch cookies! Mmmm yum. By the way, did you know what baker's hats are so fluffy on top? For air circulation!

TRACING AND COLOURING
I also printed out the usual tracer and colouring pages for her. She used to be really into colouring but I think she may have gotten an overdose from the letter A days. Now her all-time favourite is tracing!

ACTIVITY
We started painting in the shower, so for a while our walls were filled with blue and yellow Bs. There's also a little balancing beam at the playground near our house, so we did some Balancing. And of course, a little Bouncey fun on a trampoline with our gal pals. We also went around with a pair of binoculars to look for birds but I suspect all Poppy did was to spy into our neighbours' homes. And look at my nose (to which, I should have asked "Can you see any Blackheads?").

Boats, Boats, Boats! If you have a Bathtub, throw in some boats to accompany your child during Bath time! Or simply fill it up with water and let child play with Boats. We don't have a bathtub, so we used a little basin instead. That kept Poppy busy for a good half hour. These guys cost $2.95 from Toys R Us :)

We also went to the Gynae clinic to see the Baby, but I suppose that is not an option for everyone :) Suggestions for other B activities: anything to do with Balls, Balloons, Bubbles!!

SHOWS
We accompanied Dora the Explorer as she went on a Berry hunt (I can't find the link but you can try searching for "Going on a Berry Hunt")

SONGS AND RHYMES
B songs include The Wheels on the Bus, as well as Baa Baa Black Sheep. Two Little Dicky Birds would be nice, but I'm not too familiar with the words. So we did Sing a Song of Sixpence instead. And just for the grown-ups, Letter B by the Beetles, Sesame Street.

FOOD
And of course, to accompany Dora, we also ate Blueberries

I'm looking forward to hearing what other things you've done for the letter B! By the way, you can find many many MANY activities by searching for "Letter ____ activities for preschoolers". Have fun!

Bringing Up Kids in Positivity

2012-02-15T21:22:00.004+08:00

Do you remember that stick turned positive? I do. For Poppy, it was before the sun rose on a Saturday morning, after I decided to stop wasting money on pregnancy test kits, after I decided I would confirm my pregnancy once my tummy started hitting the 40-inch mark (oh gee, I am pregnant!). For Lil Miss, I held my tongue for about a week with a hunch, and didn't tell anyone, not even Max. And one Saturday morning, I rushed to Watsons to get a kit while Max and Poppy were having breakfast, then I showed them the positive test. Moral of the story: Saturday is a good day for pregnancy tests.

So. Positivity. It starts when the stick turns positive. And from that time, it's our job as parents (at least that's what I believe anyway), to shower our kids with not just love, but positivity as well. This became very clear to me this morning, when Poppy asked to do some letter tracers, and because she was using a crayon (read: crayons are thicker so harder to trace with, as compared to markers), she very matter-of-factly pointed out, "I'm not very good at tracing". No distress, no frustration, no sadness, nothing.

Here was a situation that I could potentially jump in to make or break. How powerful it is to be a parent at times.

So I simply said, "No baby, you are VERY good at tracing (and she is), it's just that the crayon is a little fat and blunt, so it's hard to trace with it. Try it with the marker and you'll see." And she did. And she smiled because she knew I wasn't lying.

I think it's our job to help them beef up on their self-worth when they're kids in the hope that they are self-confident by the time they're in school and hardened against the external pressures that try to attack their confidence. You know, things like cliques, boys, favourtism...

I'm not sure how much of it is a conscious effort on our part, and how much of it has come naturally - perhaps it is one leading to another - but I think that with a bit of careful (and exceptionally quick) thinking, we are able to find the right words to say to Poppy. Most times at least.

Ok the above table made me feel like I was a person in charge of putting up signs at Healthzone or something ("instead of eating red beef, eat chicken instead..."). But I think that sometimes as parents, we're so caught up with things like making sure the kids are going to the right enrichment classes, eating the right foods, napping at the right times (or even at all, but that's another story altogether), that we forget we are also responsible for their mental and emotional growth. Sheesh, it's tough work being a parent, isn't it!

Disclaimer: table is made up of suggestions from blogger's own thoughts from blogger's own very pregnant mind. Blogger has absolutely no training in the field of psychiatry, though she is rather good friends with a practicing psychiatrist, with whom she has never shared these thoughts with.

Also, throw everything out the window when dealing with a sleep deprived, overly tired or hungry child

Longkang Fishing at Bottle Tree Park!

2012-02-12T21:55:00.009+08:00

What is it with us - no matter how hard we try, we just can't seem to make it out of the house before 10am on a weekend! But we did make it out of the house, and that in itself is a good thing :)

Today we headed out North to Bottle Tree Park at Khatib. This was the last place Max and I went to before Poppy was born. I sure hope we'll get to go to a few more places before Lil Miss shows up though.

Bottle Tree Park is of course named after the famous bottle tree. It's gorgeous but it was a little disappointing because there seemed to only be ONE such tree at the park.

Thankfully my preggy mind from them was working relatively well, and I remembered that there was a little pond for kids to fish in. So that's how we pitched it to Poppy.

Poppy was really excited about the prospect of fishing but those buggers swam REALLY fast. It costs $10 to rent a net, and you get to keep the tank. But seriously, it was challenging even for us big guys. And she lost interest after a while.

Unfortunately the level of yuckiness outweighed the level of cleanliness in the fishing pond (think 'film of moss covering ground' and 'murky water at some portions) but we just had to take a deep breath (which was unfortuantely quite challenging at certain parts because there was quite a strong smell) and smile because hey, didn't we grow up catching fish in drains and tadpoles in ponds? At least there was a foot wash near this one.

I suppose she did have fun. But if the interest for fishing strikes again, we might consider other ponds.

But my favourite part of the day was dessert time at Swenson's where the 3 of us shared one tiny scoop of sticky chewy chocolate. It wasn't enough for any of us, but we all enjoyed it.

Be My Valen-Teatime

2012-02-12T21:32:00.005+08:00

For a while now, Poppy's been telling me "Mama, there are hearts around you". And when I ask why, she answers, "Because I love you so much". Aww, right?

So it was only appropriate that we launched into full Valentine's mode this year, despite Max and I not ever being a fan of this over hyped and over priced day.

FOR HER TEACHERS
Last year for Valentine's Day we gave lollipop flowers to her classmates at playschool. This year we (I) decided to cut down our efforts by giving stuff only to her teachers.

I got a box of lovely herbal infusion tea from Starbucks, tore off the original labels and Poppy helped me attach newly and personalised printed ones to the strings (with heart shaped stickers of course), and finally, kept them in Ziplock bags (not my ideal perfect presentation package but I wanted to keep the nice smelling tea smelling nice) with instructions on how to brew the perfect cup of tea. Yay!

And of course, we also made Valetine's Day cards for 3 of Poppy's favourite teachers. She drew portraits of them, and dictated as I wrote out the personalised messages for them. Super loved what she had to say!

Here's how to make the cards if you're keen to try:
Card 1 (on left)
Trace out heart shape (we used a cookie cutter) on hard paper, then apply glue. Slowly pour sequins over glue, allow for it to dry before shaking off excess sequins.

Note: if this is your first craft attempt, you might be put off crafting for a while. It gets REALLY messy. More if your child, like Poppy, wants to help to "clean up", and by "cleaning up", she means "make an even bigger mess"

Card 2 (on right)
Trace out heart shape on old cardboard (we used my old contact lens solution box). Cut out outline of heart, about 1cm thick. Put heart on paper and invite child to sponge all over. Then remove heart and allow to dry.

FOR THE MAN IN OUR LIVES

Paper flowers made with card stock, straws and retro buttons. Poppy loved the end result and was really excited to shove them into her father's face when he got home, but wasn't too keen on the making part. She did enjoy the cutting bit though.

FOR OUR TUMMIES
Dinner was heart-shaped salmon and potato nuggets (they're bigger than they look)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Once Pregnant, Twice Shy

2012-02-11T06:01:00.007+08:00

Watching my baby playing at the playground and smiling at her,
knowing that I have played a part in moulding her....
I choose that over coffee with morning meetings anytime.
Even if it is with a job I love with decent pay.
Yup, even that. Now I know, and it has taken me 3.5 years to realise that.

Isn't it true that before you have kids, you thought you knew everything about them, and once you have them you realise you know next to nothing about parenting?

Before Poppy, I would shake my head whenever I saw a screaming kid in a supermarket alley being dragged by his parent. "With the proper discipline and upbringing, this would never happen!" I'd think. But now I know that it's got nothing to do with the parents. Kids have their own way of thinking, and of course, nap times come into play too. I never knew that.

Before Poppy, I never thought about the length of maternity leave. Is 4 months considered long? Or short? But the moment I saw her, I knew that I would not be able to let anyone I did not completely trust to care for her.

Before Poppy, I never once thought about the possibility of being a stay-at-home mum (if that's what I am). I never thought I would be able to think of so many activities to fill her time with. I never thought I would be able to read so many books regardless of throat condition. I never thought that I would be able to pull myself through cramps and colds, things that would normally keep me curled up in bed, just to be with her and make sure she's OK. I never thought I would be able to put someone else's needs and wants before my own this way.

And now I cannot think of any other way to live my life. And now I am absolutely sure that I want the exact same for Lil Miss' growing up years. I can always go back to work. And if society is not ready to accept that I gave up a few years of corporate development to raise my kids, then I suppose I'll just find other work. Missing out on my children's childhood is an irreplacable thing, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had to choose otherwise.

And.... We've Got Wheels!

2012-02-11T05:52:00.004+08:00

Undeterred by rising fuel and COE prices, we tightened our belts even further (well, actually just Max. Belts don't fit me anymore), and invested in a car for Poppy. And if it's not that obvious, it can either be Lightning McQueen, or the Big Red Car from The Wiggles.

It was made with an old laundry detergent box, kindly contributed by our neighbourhood supermarket, a few coats of red spray paint, and recycled drawing block. Poppy loves it and has taken it for a spin around the neighbourhood.

I made it over several days while she was in school, and now on the way home, she asks "What did you make for me today, Mama?". Yikes. I've dug quite a hole for myself.

I Nag Too Much

2012-02-08T23:29:00.004+08:00

At the Choo Choo Train park, where she asked me
to push her higher and higher on the swing,
and then "Take a picture of me, Mama!"

Yes, I know.

I often catch myself mid sentence and just zip my lips. Has that ever happened to you? I could be halfway through "Poppy, can you please stop...." and then I mentally slap the back of my head and tell myself to stop nagging.

Mums tend to do that. Nag. We can't help it. It's in our blood somehow. It's a side effect of being in a delivery suite. When the gynae hands your baby over to you, it comes wrapped in an invisible air of freeflow nagging germs or something.

I say "Poppy don't jump on the new sofa, it's white!", "Poppy, keep your crayons when you're done colouring", "Poppy please keep this before you play with that", "Poppy finish your juice", "Poppy we have to shower now".

Honestly, I'm quite tired of hearing my own voice. And very honestly, I know that Max is too. But like I said, I can't help it. If I step down from the position of Appointed Nagger of the Realm, there is no one at home that will step up to the challenge. I alone can do it, and do it well.

I'm getting somewhere with this.

This evening we were supposed to meet friends at the park. But the school bus arrived half an hour later than usual, which meant that nap time was later. And it was logical for me to assume that since Poppy usually nap for the same length of time, her wake-up time would be later as well. So I called to send our regrets and cancelled our date. But she was really upset when she got up and I told her that we wouldn't be going to the Choo Choo Train park. Clearly upset. Like listlessly sitting on sofa and pouting without throwing a tantrum kind of upset.

Then she asked for a cookie and I said OK even though it was nearing dinner time, and I nagged, as usual, asking her to use a plate so that the crumbs wouldn't fall, and to sit in one spot instead of walking around with a plate that's not quite catching her crumbs. So she sat. On a little red chair. And ate her cookie quietly. And I could just hear the boo-hoo music playing in the air. I had to throw the fish fillets that I was preparing for dinner aside, double wash my hands with Dettol as quickly as I could, just so I could go over to hug and kiss her.

I asked if she would still like to go to the park, then we'd have to eat dinner real quick and we could play for a little while, before it started to get dark. We ended up having the most amazing time at the park.

Yes, I nag too much for my own good. But it's for her good. And sometimes, I break the rules to make up for it, so I guess that makes everything even.

Please, say it's not just me. Will a fellow mum please own up to nagging too?

Baby Wisdom: Farts

2012-02-07T22:29:00.008+08:00

Poppy is obsessed with farts. Yes, farts. You know, those smelly things that... Ah ok, you know.

We talk about it alot at home. Always have, and probably will till she's well, too old for fart talk. I think subconsciously, Max and I don't want Poppy to feel that it's anything shameful to ~~indulge~~ engage in some good old fashioned poots once in a while.

Read: we do not say "shame shame" to her when she lets off a smelly (and while we're on that, if she pees in bed or takes a shower, or goes around naked at home, we also do not mutter those unpleasant words). In fact, we often laugh and make a big show of how the smell is choking us and pretend to faint (it never fails to get a laugh from her, and then she has to give us kisses to revive us).

Why, you ask? Why confirm the theory that we are indeed, crazy parents (remember, anti-iphone?)? Well, we think that kids should be kids. There are some behaviours that deserve to be met with a wagging finger (like stealing cookies or wasting water), but farting is a natural bodily function, like pooing or peeing, and we think that kids shouldn't have to feel ashamed about such things. Why make them so conscious about these so-called 'embarrasing' things so early? They'll learn about it in time to come.

So the other day, when she hopped of the school bus, she was really excited to tell me this:

I couldn't say anything because I was roaring with laughter with stitches forming on my sides. And before I could compose myself, she continued:

Ah, such is the innocence of a child, isn't it? (her statement, not me making a fool of myself out on the pavement). She was really proud of herself too. I wonder if I had any big news to share with my mum when I got back from school. Nothing of this magnitude, I'm sure.

Disclaimer: Are we proud that our child is trying her best to wipe out the population with her stink bombs? Um, that's not the point. We're not raising her to gear toward winning any farting contests, but rather to feel comfortable with herself, her body, and her actions. And we're happy that she is. Farting is just one of the things that she's comfortable with. And just in case this form of parenting is gently leading us toward not being invited to any more parties, please allow us to say that we have taught Poppy to say "excuse me" when she lets out a smelly, the same way she knows (or should know) to say "excuse me" when she sneezes or coughs. We hope that clears it up. Please continue to invite us for parties. Please. Adult interaction does wonders for us. And we promise to keep our gases to ourselves.

10-Minute Craft: Cherry Blossoms

2012-02-05T22:00:00.003+08:00

You know how it is when you are a parent of a preschooler. You can never get out of the house on time and are late for everything. Or maybe it's just us who are terribly unorganised and have horrid time management skills.

So this morning, while Max and I were rushing ourselves out of the house to go to my mum's place for lunch, Poppy plonked herself down and said "I want to do a craft for Ah Ma". Ah. Can I ever say no to craft time? I suppose not. So I cranked my brain into super mode and here's what we did in a cool 10-minute time frame (and still made it to the lunch on time).

Materials:
1 recycled ang pow wrapper
1 piece of white paper (we used drawing block)
Crayons or markers
Pink tissue paper (ours were leftovers from present wrappings - I just knew they'd come in useful some day!)

How to make it:
1. Cut out ang pow paper in shape of a vase (yes, that's what it is)
2. Paste vase on paper and draw out branches on them (Poppy dictated "I want 5 branches". Aye aye, Captain Pop)
3. Scrunch up coloured tissue paper and glue them on to branches
4. Decorate if you like

Easy peasy!

Well since it's the last day of the Chinese New Year, you could simply do it with tissue papers of other colours, and do up other flowers instead of cherry blossoms

Attacking the Alphabet : A

2012-02-03T22:47:00.015+08:00

I've had this idea for a while. That we would attack a letter a week and in 26, Poppy would be Madame Alphabet Genius. Unfortunately, my thoughts were a year too early. I even printed out letter tracers for her but she wasn't interested them then.

Now each week, Poppy's teachers give us 2 thin files with activity sheets that they do in class. Today we went through them together and I realised that the teachers had started them on letter tracing.

Yippee, so called on-the-ball Mama, just like upper and lower case letters, you let the teachers beat you to it. I smell a "Mother of the Year" award coming up.

But Max made me feel much better by saying that schools know the best time to teach the most appropriate topics to kids, and by complementing that, we're doing our part as parents. Yeah, I guess. But *I* want to be the one who gets to introduce new stuff to Poppy! *pout*

Anyway, I thought that now would be a perfect time for us to pick up where we left off. But since the dust had already accumulated on the old sheets I had, I quickly printed new stuff for her. Thankfully I had just written this article (see January 2012's issue of Young Parents magazine for full article) rather recently, and had done loads of research, so knew exactly where to locate resources quickly.

It's really not that I am gearing her up for school. Nope, nothing like that. Just thought that it would be fun to have a sort of theme around the things we do at home, that's all.

I'm just explaining the background of how we got started on this, so bear with me. Posts about the other letters of the alphabet will be much shorter and to the point. I promise. Well OK, I don't. But they probably will be shorter. I promise to try. And shut it, Yoda.

So here we go. Presenting.... The Letter A!

Here's what we did:
TRACERS
We printed them out from DLTK. They're great because they feature both upper and lower case letters.

BOOKS
We got books from the library about Ambulances and Autumn. We also have the 365 Days of Baby Einstein book which I bought for the Lil Miss actually, but thankfully I opened the shrink wrap and discovered a page about Alligators. So we read that too. Did you know that despite having 80 teeth, alligators do not chew their food?

CRAFT
We made 3 "A" crafts: An Aquarium (we cut ours out free-hand but you can get templates from First School) with Max's old Macbook box, an Apple magnet with felt and a lid from an old jam jar, as well as an Alligator (check out No Time For Flashcards - love the name of the blog - for more great ideas!).

COLOURING
Poppy really likes colouring now. So we coloured an Ambulance, an Apple, an Astronaut, and an Alligator. She asked for stars, like her teacher gives, and cheekily asked for 10. Why not? :)

ACTIVITY
This afternoon we're going to visit a pet shop to look at aquariums!

SONGS
We watched an episode of Barney and sang along to the song "The Ants Go Marching"

FOOD
Apples appeared on our table as dessert

COUNTRY TALK
We talked a little about Australia, where Poppy's boyfriend Ned lives.

NAMES
And of course, Poppy needs to know that her Mama's name begins with "A". I tried to teach her "Amazing and Astounding Adora" but that got a little tricky.

We had so much fun with the letter A, and did all the stuff over 4 days. Looking forward to B!

The Whole 9 Weeks

2012-02-02T21:27:00.006+08:00

Source: memecenter.com

If Lil Miss is going to follow in her older sister's footsteps, then I suppose we'll be seeing her tiny hands and wrinkly feet, and take in her gorgeous baby smell in about 9 weeks.

You'd think that a second-time mum would know exactly what to do when it comes to preparing for birth. Well, let's just put it this way. When I was pregnant with Poppy, I knew exactly what was happening, week by week. I knew when she was growing fingernails, I knew when she could blink, when her eyes moved from the sides of her head to the front of her face (Max and I cannot agree if the eyes started out at the same side, or on either side, you know, like frogs). With Lil Miss, I need Baby Centre to remind me what week of pregnancy I'm currently in.

I have yet to dig out Poppy's itsy bitsy rompers (mums, you remember those. They're the tiny little things you spent $5o on, only to be worn once and outgrown in 2 weeks), locate all pieces of the now-dismantled cot, and find the cot sheets. We have but 2 packs of newborn diapers (bought today, in the name of efficiency), which will probably disappear within the first 2 days of birth. The steriliser needs a thorough cleaning, we don't have any baby detergent, baby laundry soap, baby body soap, and darn, I have to re-learn how to fold nappies again? And where the heck did I store those nappy covers?

Oh yes, and we don't yet have a name. By this time, we probably already knew Poppy's name and nickname. Now, the baby is simply "the baby". Yes, efficiency and creativity are the key words here.

Not that we're not trying. But it's really hard finding a name that works in both Max and my first languages, and from that narrow list, we have to strike of those that sound "too old", "are names of ex girlfriends", "like prostitutes" or end with "r" syllables (because of Max's family name).

So let's put it this way. If she were to decide "heck, I'll come TOMORROW and give them a shock of their lives", then indeed, we'd pretty much be a bit of a kerfuffle. But of course, the situation at home is nothing but calm, calm, calm.

By the way, in the picture, I'm waving my arms around hysterically, not trying to fly

Bored of Boardwalks? Not Us!

2012-01-30T23:04:00.006+08:00

We've reached the stage where Poppy now tells us where she wants to go. Which is fun sometimes, and frustrating at others. She decided that last weekend's theme would be "Boardwalks" so we headed off for an evening stroll at the Sentosa Boardwalk on Saturday, and a morning walk on Sunday at MacRitchie Reservoir's forest trail on Sunday.

Max hung out at Vivocity for some much-deserved quiet time (hey, if you live with a chatty 3.5 year old who wants to hold full conversations at 5am, a shopping centre can be such a quiet change), so the 3 of us enjoyed a Girls Night Out. That's right, the 3 of us. 2 of us walked while 1 of us kicked :)

Honestly, I refuse to admit that Singapore is boring. We're so lucky to have so many places to go. Wait, let me rephrase that. So many easily accessible places to go. Seriously, STB guys, are you reading this? There's a very proud Singaporean here, hello!

Anyhow. Pictures, yes?

Cheap + slow camera= crappy pictures, but really fun times

Any evening that ends with chocolate ice-cream is a good one :)

I just love the blue-green contrast!

Canoeing/kayaking. She really really wanted to do this but they didn't allow 3 on a canoe/kayak. I would so have gone on it with her but the mother in me spoke - it'd be horribly stupid since neither of us can swim. Even if they did have life jackets.

And besides, we'd so look like this, wouldn't we?
Source: www.ew.com

But it is such a lovely place to canoe/kayak. And I do believe that Max and I have had a canoe/kayak date here before, once upon a time in single-land

Poppy hitched a ride very early on the journey

Rock throwing was a favourite activity

We rested anywhere we could :)

Ah, we love MacRitchie Reservoir

Monkeys - they can really come up close and personal so don't wave your food around, ya?

There's the Mushroom Cafe at the Reservoir but Max didn't find it too appealing. So we crossed over to Mount Alvernia Hospital for lunch. But no, that wasn't an impromptu decision. We'd already planned to bring Poppy there to show her the nursery since that's where we'll be delivering the little one IN 9 WEEKS

Hey, a little Adora!!

Why I Love Friday Evenings

2012-01-30T22:51:00.004+08:00

Fridays mark the end of the week. Everyone loves Fridays. Except people who work Saturdays, I suppose. But to me, Friday evenings mean that I can relax a little and lay off the Nazi mumness. Friday evenings mean that we can go out, knowing that we don't have to be pressurised to rush back for an 830pm bedtime. Fridays bring good moods and the promise of two full days of fun and family time. I love Fridays.

If you're around the area, this is a really nice place for an evening stroll. The Esplanade often has free outdoor concerts too, check website for details.

Max and T-rex entertain Leo

So last Friday, we had a lovely evening stroll at the waterfront area of The Esplanade with friends, dinner at the highly overrated and overpriced Gluttons Bay, topped off with Poppy's highlight of the week, the CNY carnival.

I've always been a fan of ferris wheels. This was a little one that I didn't want to risk pushing over the weight limit, so Poppy went on it on her own. She loved it! But not as much as the puppy ride, I think

The MBS has a really nice lightshow using the buildings along the skyline as a backdrop - we see the Batman-like symbols from our house often, so it was nice to actually catch bits of the real show

I love Fridays. :)

Special Delivery!

2012-01-30T13:35:00.002+08:00

About a year ago, we made watermelon letter holders. Like many other things in our house, they attracted dust over time. But one day, Poppy picked it up again and slung it across her shoulder like a sling bag and exclaimed, "I'm a postman!". It could be that we live above a post office, that Postman Pat is one of her favourite books, or because we recently sent a letter and home-made photo frame to our friends in Japan, I'm not sure. But we got the idea to create our own in-house mailing system.

Max (bless him) decided to fulfill my craving for chocolates and bought me a big tin of Van Houtan chocs (which I had no trouble finishing, but that's beside the point) and it came with a cardboard outer covering. That became our mailbox and it's now stuck on the back of our front door.

Poppy and I wrote letters (now she knows to address them so the postman knows who it's for, and who it's from, and I drew all the stamps but she dictated what was to go on them), then we popped them into the mailbox. After, I told her that only the postman (i.e. her) could open the mailbox. So she did and went around delivering them with her watermelon mail bag :)

We also made letter boxes for each of us with toilet rolls decorated with stickers and coloured paper :)

Craft: Foamy Fish

2012-01-26T13:31:00.004+08:00

I love impromptu crafts. They make me feel creative. They make me feel busier than I actually am.

So this morning I got dragged out of bed before the sun rose (thanks for the wake up call, Poppy), and then felt little toes digging into my back and little fingers playing with the hem of my t-shirt so I couldn't get back to sleep. Or maybe it was the "Mama, I'm really not seepy anymore. The sun is waking up now so I cannot seep anymore! Mama wake up!" that really woke me. Anyhow, she spent a long time stacking yoghurt cups and I just sat with her and struggled to keep my eyes open. Then a brilliant craft idea hit me.

So I cut up some fish and seaweed from foam and let her glue them on to blue paper. Then she picked the buttons to go on as eyes, and we used leftover sequins to depict bubbles. I love how some fish are over the seaweed and some are hiding behind. I love how she did this almost all by herself (apart from the cutting). I love that she asked me "But where are the fishes' gills, Mama?"

:)

And what better books to read to complement a fishy craft than Fidgety Fish by Ruth Galloway, and Tiddler by Julia Donaldson. Poppy is seen here sitting on her 'life buoy', to fit the theme :)

世上只有妈妈好

2012-01-25T21:21:00.002+08:00

Poppy's bedtime routine varies, depending on who puts her to bed. But generally, it's either stories or books, followed by some singing, a little prayer, and our own made-up Goodnight Song. But no Justin Bieber hits, thanks very much.

Sometimes she dictates the scenarios for the stories, and sometimes she lets us take the lead. Sometimes she chooses the songs, and sometimes she lets me decide. Songs are usually from shows she likes (like tunes from Dora the Explorer or The Wiggles) or kiddy stuff I remember from my childhood (like Do Re Me from The Sound of Music).

Thanks to Poppy's new school (her classes are ALL conducted in Mandarin!), she's now more open to Mandarin songs and stories, and we'd just been through a few Mandarin songs, so I thought I'd sing 世上只有妈妈好, which is more or less about the power of a mother's love.

Poppy let me sing the first verse, and then asked me to sing it in English. So I translated it. Then when I got to translating the first half of the second verse, she started to whimper and shake and bury her head in the pillow and asked me to stop. She was really close to tears. She couldn't stand the idea of anyone without a mum, I think. I hugged her and kissed her and stroked her hair but she was clearly distraught. And then she asked to hear the rest of the song. So I did what any logical person would have done in this situation. I lied. I said I didn't know it. And then quickly distracted her with Skinna Marinky Dinky Dink, which I will be sticking to from now.

And so here are the lyrics of the song that made her cry :(

世上只有妈妈好，
有妈的孩子像个宝，
投进妈妈的怀抱，幸福享不了。

没有妈妈最苦恼，
没妈的孩子像根草，
离开妈妈的怀抱，幸福哪里找。

世上只有妈妈好，
有妈的孩子不知道，
要是他知道，
梦里也会笑。

Here's the loose translation for those whose computers don't read Chinese (i.e. if you see a couple of lines of just squares above):

The first verse is about how lucky children with mums are, because their mums treasure them so much, and their unimaginable fortune to have a mother to hug them and love them. The second verse is the opposite. It goes on to describe the misery of children without mums - they are 'worthless like blades of grass', and without their mother's loving arms around them, they have nowhere to seek happiness.

The third goes back to address children with mums, that if they knew how lucky they were, they'd even smile in their dreams.

Grateful

2012-01-23T23:54:00.006+08:00

This is a day when I'm feeling particularly grateful. I know that it's Chinese New Year, and not Thanksgiving or Christmas where people generally have the feel-good-and-I'm-just-so-thankful-for-stuff-I-could-cry thing going on, but still, I'm grateful.

I know I complain alot. I can't help it. I'm a) a woman and b) Singaporean. Sometimes things go wrong but sometimes I like to take a step back and think if those are the things that I should really bother my brain cells with, or if I should simply focus on the things that really matter.

So I no longer have a salary, bonus, or annual leave
But I'm grateful for not having the stress of 'real' work at the back of my mind. That allows me to play games like Monkey (remember the game? 3 or more people play, the one in the centre is the monkey and tries to catch the ball as it is passed from person to person) or simply hiding under the blanket, giggling with Poppy (until I get hit by a bout of claustrophobia).

So I would prefer for Poppy to be in the logistically-friendly morning session at school
Because we can't really do much before the bus arrives at 11am, and can't do much after Poppy gets home at 2.40pm and naps and wakes at 5pm. But that just means that I can spend a full non-rushed morning with her instead of rushing to chase her out of the house. And now that we're both more in tune with the routine, we've done rather ambitious things like baking banana and chocolate muffins, some crafts, and going to the park. All before getting showered and dressed before 11am.

So people talk behind my back for still bringing home-cooked meals out for my 3.5 year old
Yeah, but I get to decide what goes into my daughter's meals, and not some hawker who's really generous on the MSG. Plus I absolutely love the 2 funtainers we have that allow us to bring heated food out, and they weigh absolutely nothing.

So pregnancy has been a pain in the butt, literally
And it feels like I've been pregnant forever, and I've bid my already limited agility farewell, but from experience, I remember that pregnancy is the easy part. And I will long for this easy time when the baby is putting me through sleepless nights and demand my 110% attention while my body is still recovering and I can't sit or stand or poo.

So I'm going to have 2 girls
But wait, I'm going to be a mum of 2 gorgeous little girls? How great is that! I'm tired of people giving me a sorry face when they find out I'm expecting another girl, and then try to make it better by saying "Oh well, as long as the baby is healthy, right?". There's no "oh well" about it. I'm grateful to be expecting a healthy baby girl. Period.

And to those who 'try to make me feel better' by saying "It's OK, you're still young, you can try again for a boy," I only have one thing to say. My most unfavourite Singaporean thing. "Shame shame". The year is 2012. How can we fight for equality between men and women in society, when we've already set our minds on inequality when our babies have yet to be born?

2 girls. 2 princesses that will be showered with love and attention in my home. I couldn't be happier, and more grateful.

The Mystery of the Curly Girly

2012-01-23T23:01:00.002+08:00

So we got in touch with the likes of Nancy Drew and discovered that, at age 3, I was a curly girly myself. I had the same crazy wild hair that Poppy now has. We're wondering if the other Little Miss will be a curly girly too :)

Crafternoons with Poppy: Magnetic Photo Frames

2012-01-23T22:38:00.005+08:00

If you have a child in your home aged between 6 months and 4 years, chances are, you'd have recycled (or thrown out?! Gasp) a ton of medium sized boxes. You know, the kinds that are bigger than mini cereal boxes, yet smaller than the adult sized ones. Those that say "Healthy Times", "Earth's Best" or "Organix".

So, being the hoarder that I am, I happened to have a few (OK, ten) boxes lying by (OK, bursting out of my store room). And one morning, we thought about writing to an old friend who had moved back to Japan. Coincidently, that afternoon, we received a letter from her. And people laugh when I say I believe in fate.

Materials
You'll need:
- Cereal boxes
- Hard plastic sheets (we used OHP plastics)
- Magnetic strips (they sell them in rolls at Popular and Daiso)
- Decorative items (we used buttons)
- Glue
- Paint (optional but keeps child occupied for 10 minutes at least, and wouldn't you like that)
- Photos
- Scissors
- Sticky tape

How to make it:
1. Cut out cereal boxes to leave only the 2 big sides
2. Measure and cut out a hole that's slightly smaller than your photo - that's your photo frame
3. Paint photo frame if desired
4. Turn photo frame around, and stick plastic followed by photo on back of frame with sticky tape
5. On sides of frame, stick 2 strips of magnets
6. Decorate front of frame with buttons or sequins

What a wonderful present for little friends, or grandparents! We deliberately made 2 with the same picture so the girls could each have one :)

Beat the Heat: Home Picnic

2012-01-19T23:54:00.004+08:00

Man, can you believe the weather we're having? It's better now but a couple of days ago, I swear I had 4 (really quick) showers. It was one of those days when my laundry took one look at the sun and said "Whoa, I'm getting dry really quick so that I can be kept back into the house again".

It was one of those days when we decided to beat the heat by having an indoor picnic, in the comfort of Poppy's air-conditioned room. I threw out the beach towel, prepared watermelon balls and grapes, lay out the sunnies, invited a few furry friends, and waited patiently for Poppy to return from school. She was really excited when I met her at the school bus, and then had all but one grape before deciding, "You picnic by yourself, Mama. I go take a nap now."

Oh well. At least I enjoyed my cool pink lemonade.

Movie Review: The Descendants

2012-01-17T23:13:00.005+08:00

It is not often that Max and I get an available and willing babysitter. So that we can go for a movie. For free. Thanks, OMY.SG and Fox Pictures. For the latter two opportunities at least.

So. The Descendants.

George Clooney plays a husband whose wife is in a coma from a boating accident and he has to step up to be a more involved father to his two girls, aged 10 and 17, to which he says "I'm just the understudy, the back-up parent". I loved that. The quote, not that the accident.

His family is one of old money, with 25 acres of pristine Hawaiian land that they have to sell (which would make them all really rich - how I'd like that), but he's known to be careful with his money to the extent of being stingy. On not using any money from his inheritance and only living off his salary (well, he's a lawyer, so they're not poor, despite the fact that he goes to work in floral shirts and slacks), I love how he says "You give your children enough to do something, but not enough to do nothing". Sadly, the good quotes end there.

There are moments that made me identify with him as a marriage partner (well, to my own, not to him), and moments that made me feel as a parent. There are some things that happen everyday that your partner does for your kids, but you're not aware of. For example, do you know what your kids like for breakfast? Sometimes we place so much emphasis on our professional lives that we neglect the very reason why we go to work (to earn money for the kids, no?). and issues we'd have to face as parents of (gasp) teenagers, like boyfriends.

Anyway, I digress.

I think Clooney played his role really well, but I somehow can't make the connection between him and being Hawaiian. Otherwise, casting was well done, acting's great. I liked it, I really did. And it's not often I find a movie that I really like.

The Descendants will be playing in cinemas from 26 January 2012. Don't forget to catch it then! Enjoy the trailer:

Happy Birthday Papa, and Review on Vegan Burger Restaurant

2012-01-16T13:15:00.006+08:00

For weeks, I'd been reminding Poppy that Max's birthday was approaching. We also went present shopping, while I stretched my eyeballs in opposite directions, glancing at wallets and watching her roll on floors. I managed to put on my cat burglar suit (it's grown a tad bit tighter, thanks to my 40-inch tummy) one night and got the presents done.

She was so excited that she climbed into our bed early that morning (2.30am to be exact), poked him in the ribs and greeted him with "IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY PAPA!", then proceeded to sing him the birthday song. The birthday boy slept through it all.

She initially wanted to get him a flying car, but they were out of stock everywhere. So to cheer her up, I told her that she could choose anything for him in Daiso. Max is now the proud owner of a plastic lunch box with the cartoon drawing of a bird on its cover. Poppy was so proud to tell him that she chose it all by herself. She also helped me to wrap the presents, which meant lots of Peppa Pig and Dora the Explorer stickers.

I asked her, "How old are you?" and she knew. I asked her, "And how old is Papa?". She shrugged her shoulders. "37 years old".

She stopped peeling out Peppa Pig stickers and looked at me, mouth open. After she recovered from her shock, she said, "That's so big."

The thing about 3.5 year-olds is that they're horrible at keeping secrets. You tell a 1 year-old and she smiles her toothy grin at you. You tell a 2 year-old and she ignores you. But you tell a 3.5 year-old and she runs straight off to her father to tell him "We bought you a wallet for your birthday!" then remembers that it was supposed to be a surprise, so she tells him that too, "But it's a surprise!". Good job, Poppy? No, not yet. She still has to tell him that "we will give it to you at your party!". Ah. The only problem with that is that no one has planned a party of any sort.

I did however, plan a lunch at Vegan Burger Restaurant cos as you know, Max hasn't had any meat (except seafood) in 2 years. Poppy hasn't showed burgers and sandwiches any interest so far, so we brought her lunch (incidently, I made sure it was vegetarian too).

I have to confess that I am not a veggie fan. And it's no secret that much as I respect and admire Max's decision to go off meat, I will probably never be able to give up my beloved wan tan mee, bak kut teh and chicken rice. But even I, lover of meat, have to say that the burgers looked nothing short of yummy. You know how at some places, you see these gorgeous pics, and when the food comes, you're sorely disappointed? Well, not this place. The burgers delivered their promise. Take it from Madame Meat herself, this is the place to go if you'd like to give up meat for a meal.

Our waitress showing us the lovely menu

I had the Tangy Tartar burger set while Max ordered the Smokey BBQ. Both came with a juice (we had cherry berries and orange passionfruit) as well as a side of seaweed fries. Both were yummy. Incredibly yummy. I'm-not-missing-a-chicken-patty kind of yummy. And the price? Equivalent, or even cheaper than most Carl's Jr meal sets

Our meals were served in mess tins (the kind of tins army boys use for their meals), and we're told that ensured that our service staff did not touch our food. In fact, they even declined our request to cut our burgers in half, because that'd mean that they'd have to touch our burgers with their hands.

Kids menu, for whenever Poppy is ready

There are also interesting side orders, but we didn't get any.

Loved the decor. So chill, so laid back, so relaxing

Inside

Outside

We hear that there are 2 new outlets opening up. The one at Golden Shoe opens on 1.2.12 and when you buy 1 burger, you'll get 2 free! No typo there, folks!

Overall verdit: Finally, a fast food place that's not junk! It's a place I'm happy to let my 3.5 year-old eat and drink from my tray.

Living with Kids: What Private Time?

2012-01-13T23:13:00.017+08:00

Kids just know when you try to sneak off to have some private time.

You might think that the moment you see them occupied with their train sets, you might have the time to sneak off for a quick shower. That's a common mistake many parents make. Their sensitive skin can sense the difference in temperature the moment you step away, even if their eyes never leave their IKEA wooden train sets. But they wait till you're away. And they can hear that the shower is on, and then get the game on.

You: naked in shower.
Your child: fully clothed and inviting you to be part of a new game

You contemplate getting your clothes back on but decide that your child can wait 5 minutes.

You can't really get out now because you've already gotten the shampoo foaming in your hair

You're rushing to wash the shampoo out of your hair and in the midst of hurrying, just in case she's decide to hide in the oven or the washing machine, you realise that ouch, shampoo in your eyes really hurts. Her voice escalates and you wonder if she could perhaps some day be a parade commander at the National Day Parade.

What kind of shower would it be if your body still feels like you've just had a 3-mile upward hike at 40 degrees celcius?
So you push your luck and soap your body

You just need 10 more seconds to shake the water off and wrap a towel around yourself.

You march into the room. Oh this had better be good.

You notice that your child realises you're not really in the mood for game playing.
So she switches tactics.

Brilliant. Turns out she was listening all those times you were talking after all.

Just brilliant.

Ipanema Footwear Review AND Beach Bag Giveaway!

2012-01-11T21:54:00.009+08:00

Tall and tan, and young and lovely,
The girl from Ipanema goes walking
And when she passes,
Each one she passes goes "Ah"

When she walks, she's like a Samba
That swings so cool and swings so gentle
That when she passes,
Each one she passes goes "Ooh"

Ah, to live in a tropical country. You never know what to expect from the weather. When we left the house, it was bright and sunny. When we arrived at Sentosa, we enjoyed 5 minutes of sun, half an hour of grey skies, and 15 minutes of drizzle.

But Poppy and I still managed to do a few Baywatch runs in our matching Ipanema footwear. We were apprehensive at first, at letting her wear slippers. Max still thinks that at age 3.5, Poppy is still too young to wear footwear that requires toe-grips. Me, I was more worried about comfort. Both hers and mine.

Max finally gave in because of the back straps on Poppy's pair, which offer her feet more support than normal flipflops and she surprised us by saying "I like my slippers!". When asked if there was anything she didn't like, she pondered for a moment and said, "My toes. I like them to be together, not apart." I think she meant to say that she didn't like the 'kiap' thing that separated big toe from the others.

As for me, I loved the support I got from the platform. Really soothing for the calves of an expectant mother.

I'd never had a beach towel in my life. I always opted for the lighter beach mats instead. But the Ipanema one is so comfortable and I am now a convert. I also love the bright cheerful colours. Plus it goes into the washing machine, but that's just the housewife part of me speaking.

Feel like hitting the beach some time soon? We've got Ipanema Beach Packs to give out to 3 lucky readers! A beach towel, a beach mat, and a bottle in a nifty waterproof bag - just throw in your sunblock and you'll be ready to hit the beach.

To win a set for yourself, simply leave a comment on this post with the following:

1) In 2-3 sentences, describe why you love the beach!
2) Your name
3) Your email address

Winners will be picked randomly on Friday 20 Jan 2012, and will be notified by email so make sure your email addresses work, y'all. There'll be a re-draw if winners don't respond within 48 hours. Oh and this is only open to folks residing in Singapore!

Edited: 21 Jan 2012:

Congratulations to Esther, Li Li and Marilyn! I'll be writing to you to request for your details soon :)

10-minute Craft: Enter the Dragon

2012-01-11T21:25:00.003+08:00

This is one of the things I hoped to do in preparation for Chinese New Year, and I'm happy to strike it off my list. Managed to clear some parts of the dining table today too. Not bad, not bad.

So.

Draw out dragon head and tail. Also prepare a
piece of A4 paper in contrasting colour, cut into half, length-wise

Don't worry if you can't draw for nuts (like me) - I simply copied from an available place mat

Cut out dragon head and tail when child is asleep then invite child to fold piece of paper in acordian style (give easy instructions: "Fold it, then turn it around, then fold it again, then turn it around again...."), then stick head and tail to each end of the paper, and stick a wooden chopstick on each end. Then er, play.

It was so easy and mess free that we made it during dinner. Poppy really enjoyed it; she called it "such a funny craft, Mama".

The Difference Between Mums and Dads

2012-01-10T15:57:00.014+08:00

Difference 1: Peripheral vision. Some have it. Others don't.

Difference 2: Meal time battles

Difference 3: TV quota

Difference 4: Leaving the house

Difference 5: At the library

Dads

Mums
Difference 6: Dressing, before and after kids

Difference 7: Watching TV

Difference 8: Toilet time

Disclaimer: This post is a result of the writer's own experiences as well as those of her immediate group of friends. In no way are any of the facts made up, or meant to cause any distress to anyone.

The Wheels of the Bus Go Round and Round

2012-01-10T01:18:00.011+08:00

The plan was supposed to be fool proof. I was supposed to ferry her to and from school for one term, and then she'd go on the school bus from the second term onward, when the baby arrives (OH MY GAWD, am I really having another baby in 12-13 weeks?!). The school is 1 bus stop or a 20-minute walk away (in adult-leg time). Easy peasy, right?

On day 1, I factored in lots of extra time and we left the house 45 minutes before the school bell rang. We took nearly the whole 45 minutes to walk there because Poppy wanted to watch the uncles cut the trees and to pick up random sticks and Angsana seeds 'for craft later, Mama'. I stayed with her in school for the first day, and when we left, I made the mistake of telling her "Look, your friends are waiting for the school bus!".

After that there was no turning back. She demanded to go on the bus with them. She whined, she begged, she almost cried all the way home. In words unspoken, I could hear "Why am I not special enough to go on the school bus? Why do they get to ride on the cool mode of transport while I'm stuck walking home with my mother?" Never mind that this is the same mother who is getting really heavy and tired from being so heavy and has swollen feet and (the latest addition, ladies and gentlemen) new vericose veins from all that walking.

So I decided to go into 'It's not my fault' mode. "But there's no space on the bus for us today, Honey. The bus driver says it's full". But that made her switch to her quiet, pitiful face, which she coupled with a soft voice and quivering lips (which all mums know is more fatal than any form of screaming or rolling on floors):

Oh, she was playing dirty. She was hitting below the belt with the "I'm her Mama and I'm supposed to be able to make anything happen." And of course I took it personally. What kind of mum am I if I'm not able to conjure up space.

So during the walk home, I crumbled and realised my fool proof plan was not to be. It was laughable to say the least. But hey, it was made with pregnancy mind, so I'm excused.

It was:
a) A really long walk home. Anything more than half an hour for little legs is a really long time
b) Half an hour for a cranky child in need for a nap is a really long time for her mum
c) I'd forgotten how hot Singapore can be in the afternoon.

Just hop on public transport, you say? Ah yes, why didn't I think of that? Oh wait, I did. But the roads around her school are built such that in order for us to get to the bus stop to get home, we'd have to walk 20 minutes. For a 20 metre bus ride. So we might as well just grit it and walk all the way.

So by the time we get back, it is usually just after 3pm, way after her usual nap time. By the time she gets to sleep, it is almost 4pm. Any mum knows that you just do not put the kids down for a nap at 4pm because that means that they'll be up at 6pm and bouncing off walls till midnight. But it had to be done. Skip the nap? And have Little Miss Cranky Pants refusing dinner and being cranky all the way from 5pm to bedtime? No thanks.

So I hung my head in shame and confessed to Max that my fool proof plan was simply just foolish. I love going to her school and peeping into her classroom and watching when she doesn't know I'm there. I love how her eyes light up the moment she sees me waiting where I promised I would, and running toward me screaming "Mama!" like I'm the best thing in the world. I love all that. But we should really lean toward practicality. It takes 5 minutes for her to get home from school on the bus, compared to a half hour walk with me.

So Poppy started on the school bus today. I'd expected her to be elated, but when I told her that I could only be with her on the bus for one day, and then she'd be on her own, she was silent for a minute.

Oh I didn't see that coming. So to add on the guilt of me giving in to practicality, I now have 'irresponsible mum' on the list.

So there I was on the bus today. And I think she was a little scared, and she turned back a couple of times just to make sure I was there. Out of those few times, she tried to give me a few reassuring 'You're doing rather OK as a mum' smiles.

Will I go on the bus again tomorrow? I'm not sure. I suppose I could. Or maybe I should just let go and trust someone else to be responsible for my daughter's safety on a vehicle.

Hyperventilation mode: engaged.

If you're wondering about the drawings: I've so been inspired by this mum. Her writing is hilarious and her drawings sometimes make me pee in my pants. Which is something that isn't too tough to do for an expectant mother.

Preparing for Chinese New Year!

2012-01-06T23:56:00.005+08:00

Nothing makes you more rooted in your culture than 1) having a child and 2) marrying out of your culture. Suddenly I have the urge to brush up on my Chinese history and get all buddy-buddy with Confucious.

The things that my mother used to tell me in the days leading up to Chinese New Year come floating back to me: Get new clothes (preferably in red), clean up the house to usher in the new year, no sweeping the floor or losing your temper on the first day of the new year.... Things that I will impart to Poppy. Things that she will roll her eyes at for a good part of her childhood/teenhood. Things that she will (hopefully) remember when she is a mum, and tell her kids, just to let the cycle repeat itself.

Poppy's look says "What on earth is my mother trying to do now?"

We completed this together! Well, she gave me the answers
but made me do the physical work
as she dictated where each word went

So it is 3 weeks to the year of the Dragon and the house is still in a mess (if you must know, we still have suitcases lying around), we have yet to buy any new year goodies (which we probably won't anyway), and we haven't done any form of decoration. But I thought it'd be fun to introduce Poppy to the animals of the Chinese zodiac. She's accepted that her parents were born in the year of the Horse and Tiger respectively, but insisted that she was a Dragon instead of a Mouse. Ah. Size does matter.

So in a bid to get her to recognise some Chinese words, I printed them out together with a set of all the animals, and we played match-up. We also cheated by identifying the animals by their English names - I can see the trend already starting.

In time to come, hopefully still in the year of the Rabbit, we will be making more CNY related crafts.

Check out these fun things to do to get the spirit of the new year coming:

CRAFTS
Door hangers by Kaboose
Make a dragon by Enchanted Learning
Make a lantern (for younger kids) - this is what we did last year (gosh, Poppy's hair has really grown since then!)
Make a lantern (for older kids) by Family Fun Go - technically this isn't really a CNY craft because we usually use red packets for lanterns. But what you can do is to substitute the paper with long red packets.
Make cute goldfish by Family Fun Go - good for older kids. I imagine they'd look really good all strung up at your front door too!

PRINT OUT FUN
Dragon maze by Activity Village
Search for pictures of animals of the zodiac, then print them out in pairs (either laminate the paper or print them directly on harder paper) and voila, instant memory game!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHINESE ZODIAC
A cute one from Activity Village. Practice your Mandarin/memory if you like, and recite them in order. Random fact: I have trouble reciting it in Mandarin, but can do so in Hokkien because that's how my mother taught me when I was a kid.

We're also trying to borrow zodiac-animal related books from the library and then possibly doing crafts related to those animals.

BE A COUCH POTATO
I haven't yet decided if I am a fan of Ni Hao Kai Lan. I like that it's somewhat like a Chinese version of Dora, but I'm a little turned off by what I call "cheap rhyming". Also, I'm not so comfortable with some of the accents. Max and I tried to decipher where the main idea giver of the show is originally from, and we guess that she's probably an American-born Chinese. Which means her family could have been from anywhere. Which explains why I'm not really familiar with some of the terms used.

But nonetheless, this is a cute introduction to Chinese New Year, and I'm sure it's more fun to watch this than hear thy mother preach about fillial piety.

FIND OUT ABOUT CNY TRADITIONS
Check out the library for Chinese New Year related book. Personal thought: I would trust those written by Chinese folks more than their fairer skinned counterparts. But that's just me.

GO OUT!
Check out some Chinese New Year activities here (some are free!). There's also the Chingay Parade, which I would really like to attend, but perhaps when Poppy is older. I certainly won't pay $50 (per person, thank you very much) to have her falling asleep on my arm. And anyway, I guess we'll catch bits of it on tv.

If flowers are your kind of thing, head on to Sentosa for Sentosa Flowers.

WATCH SOMETHING!
Got a young kid? The Baby Panda performance at the Esplanade looks like fun!

Gong xi fa cai to everyone in advance!

10-minute Craft: Magic Wand

2012-01-05T16:51:00.002+08:00

We'd just read one of our all-time favourites, Room on the Broom by the very talented Julia Donaldson, and decided to make a quick craft before heading out to school. And I mean really quick. Like 10-minute quick.

I drew a star, and Poppy helped to cut it out, then with that template I cut another identical star. Next, stick a straw (or chopstick) to back of one star with sticky tape, as well as streams of colourful ribbons. Then use stick glue to paste other star over, to 'close up' the wand. Or if you can't wait for glue to dry then do like us and use the stapler.

Pass wand to your little witch and watch her wave it around with glee! Wishes for eternal gorgeousness optional.

A must-read. A wonderful, wonderful book! I love it. And so does Poppy

Kindergarten Daze

2012-01-04T20:48:00.010+08:00

Despite waking up at 5am (no thanks to jetlag), both Poppy and I survived the first day of her new school. And today, the second day, parents were chased away by the Principal, so I managed to gobble a quick lunch, do a quick run of groceries, prepare her dinner, and pop beef stew in the slow cooker to freeze for future meals, then rush to pick her. Phew.

She dressed herself remarkably well, despite it being her first time putting on that attire. Buttons on the shirt were perfectly done, skort pulled up with minimal underwear overlap, socks and shoes on without any fuss... It was as if she felt the unspoken need to prove to me that she was a big girl of school-going age

She loves the playground. And I love that it's big enough to accomodate her interests (her old school's playground was really small and sorry to say, a little boring). Her teacher told me that she kept asking when it was going to be playground time again :) And when I went to pick her, I peeped into the classroom and there she was, sitting cross legged on the ground with her backpack on, listening attentively to her teacher. What a gorgeous sight :)

I had hot tears in my eyes when the National Anthem was played during assembly time. Not that I was feeling particularly patriotic, but that to me was something that I associated with 'real' school. Formal education, if you like. The first time I heard it was when I was 7 years old, in Primary 1. I just shivered at the thought of Poppy being 7, and fought the urge to hold her tight in front of all her new friends that she was supposed to act cool around.

Yesterday she looked confused as to why everyone had to sing a strange song and asked me "Mama, why is it taking so long?". Today, she tried to fit in by mouthing the words of the Anthem. My baby girl. My big girl. The learning process has already started.

Poppy and the pledge. We'd just been playing "Scissors, Paper, Stone"
(or "Rock, Paper, Scissors", depending on which part of the world you're from),
so I quickly told her "Make a rock! And put it over your heart!"

She finally allowed me to tie her hair because I said that
she had to have unmessy hair for school. I wasn't entirely lying...

My big girl :)

I have no recollection of my own first day of kindergarten, but my mum remembers it clearly. According to her, I didn't know my own Chinese name. And when the teachers asked me to sit, in Mandarin I suppose, I didn't understand. So they had to push me down gently on the shoulder. But halfway through that, they got distracted and I was left in a somewhat tai-chi position for a while, somewhere between standing and sitting (stooping?) for a while :)

I look forward to sharing these memories with Poppy when she's older :)

Mmmmmuffins ... and Other Updates

2012-01-02T22:02:00.005+08:00

Still recovering from jetlag, we spent the day at home putting random items from our (very much overloaded) suitcases away. Which meant that apart from breakfast, Poppy didn't have any time out of the house. But she was happy to be reacquainted with her old toys so she didn't complain much.

Then she asked when her Mamie (grandma) and Auntie MP (godma) were coming to visit. So we told her that they were planning a trip for her birthday. Which led to her insisting that today was her birthday. We realised that she wasn't entirely wrong though she was born in July - today marked her turning 3.5 years old and she was thrilled to hear us singing Happy Birthday. We also roped her in to make her own birthday muffins. She flipped through a cupcake book and made a request for something that looked ridiculously hard to do and we ended up using a blueberry muffin pre-mix that said "Just add water". Thank you, Betty Crocker.

We had the candle and all, and she was SO happy :)

So, in the spirit of things, here's an update of our little 3.5 year old.

DIET
Her favourite food is still nose dirt, but she's grown to be a little more discerning now. This morning she gave me a piece and said "This one is brown, I don't like brown ones. Please throw it away for me". Ah, our palettes do mature with age.

HOBBIES
Nose picking still remains a hot favourite. Also see above point on "DIET".

ON HELPING
She still helps me out in the kitchen, but no longer jumps at it like it's a rare treat. I now have to depend on her mood and sometimes, most times, I lose out to an Explorer named Dora. She does seem to think that she's a really big girl now, and cannot wait to peel carrots on her own. But for now, I am happy just having her hold on to the carrot peeler with me.

ON MATURITY
The things this girl says sometimes make me take a step back and say "Whoa. How old are you again?" Ever since I told her about my pregnancy I've followed it up with "... and that's why I can't carry you ok?", and she has never EVER asked me to carry her since. And sometimes when the situation calls for me to lift her (like up to the toilet for a pee for instance), she is quick to remind me "Mama, you can't carry me! You have a baby!" or, if her mouth is full, she gives me wide saucer eyes and points frantically to my belly.

ON BEING A CHILD
With further reference to the point on MATURITY above, Poppy also sometimes remembers she is but 3.5, and she likes to remind us too. Favourite words these days are "NO!" and ... well actually, just "no". Followed by some arm crossing.

IMAGINATION
Goodness, she's got a fantastic imagination. Every day she is either a black and white cat, a shark, a bird, a robot or snake. And whatever she is, she is either the baby or papa version, and I'm the mama version. She even specifies if she is a friendly or unfriendly animal (like "I'm not a friendly snake. Don't come near me).

Somehow, she's been into eggs. As in keeping imaginary eggs warm so that they will hatch. And from watching "Happy Feet", I think that's how she gets the idea that she is the papa, and not the mama.

She's got a set of oven mitts, and they sometimes also double up as her babies. Yes, she's got twins, she says. She even brings them around in a little doll pram.

COMPASSION
Every little animal that we see or read about, she'll say, "Oh little _____ (insert name of animal), what happened to you? Are you lost? You can't find your mama? Come, hop onto my hand, I will keep you safe and warm." It just warms my heart.

MEMORY
She has got the memory of an elephant. She remembers things from a year ago. Things that were so random that never made it to our memory banks. She remembers us taking toys away from her as punishment for bad behaviour, she remembers random objects and sights that we see on the way to school on the most random of days, she remembers that Ned's hair is yellow (blond) even though she's not seen him for more than a year.

ON ACTIVITIES
Much as I would like to say that I am occupying her time with loads of crafting activities, I have to admit that I am slacking way too much below standard. She has been watching too much TV (and proof of that is that she said "buenos noches, Mama" to me before sleep, thanks to Dora and her Spanish teachings), which has resulted in me napping way too much (or wait, did I get the sequence wrong?).

ON BEING A BIG SISTER
She is an excellent older sister. She is the one who administers all my pre-natal vitamins and pills every morning and night, and she rubs moisturising cream on my tummy. She also likes to lift my t-shirt, particularly in public, and kiss the baby. When I ask her to put her hand on my belly to feel the baby kick, she immediately says to my tummy, "Baby, you cannot kick Mama! That is not a nice thing to do!".

Shopping in Montreal, and Other Montreal Moments

2012-01-02T15:18:00.006+08:00

It's funny and terribly auntie to say so, but one of the things I missed most about Singapore was NTUC Fairprice. That, and local food. I know, it just makes me sound so sad right? But that's the thing, we all tend to miss the littlest things, right?

Grocery shopping in Montreal proved to be a whole lot more fun for Poppy. She's still asking for the little trolleys

And here are some of our other Montreal moments:

It was nice to see that crafting had a new representative

Realising our need for a familiar setting,
we hopped into the nearest IKEA outlet, IKEA Boucherville,
for lunch and some fun

Poppy got the royal hair treatment every night

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work Poppy goes

Snow fun

Last dinner in Ste Julie

Entertainment on the go

I spent lots of time just looking at her side profile. We held hands alot while in the car, sometimes having small sweet conversations and exchanging smiles. Sometimes her asking me long endless questions about everything, and causing a migraine.

Milk and cookies at the fireplace, awaiting Santa on Christmas eve.
Before bed, she kept asking me "Mama, is Santa here yet? I go check!"

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Montreal, other folks are
more straightforward in their invitations

Nothing beats pajama parties and late night karaoke with old friends

Poppy's 88 year-old Nana with her personalised Christmas gift
(it's Poppy's drawing of her, on a usable plate)

Evil activities for kids. Brilliant.

Bye bye, Nana. Poppy with Nana, just before we left for the airport

And my all-time favourite: we were in the car, and out of the blue, she said, "Mama, let's make funny faces". Heck, why not indeed :)

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

2011-12-25T03:45:00.006+08:00

The thing about snow is that it makes everything beautiful and magical. And there's something about snow that boosts a child's energy level.

Hello, white!

After a few rounds of snowball fights, Poppy realises that it's easier when you pick bigger targets and gets ambitious with bigger snowballs.

Poppy at the church where Max was baptised in March, 1975

Many neighbours returned home yesterday evening to little snow angels on their front porch :)

But giving directions could be quite tricky at this time of year.
'Let's meet at the junction of Rue Eglise and.... Snow'

Magic, pure magic

Traveling in Style

2011-12-25T03:26:00.006+08:00

How many times can a princess travel in a real horse drawn carriage? We embraced our touristy privilege and hopped on a carriage in Old Montreal. Poppy was really excited when I reminded her about Cinderella's carriage.

The half hour ride showed us the most amazing sights, coupled with the most er, interesting smells. Pricey (CAD $50) but well worth the experience.

Poppy chose us a horse named Buddy, but I suspect it's because
his carriage was decked out in pink, pink, and more pink.
Thankfully Max was man enough to pink up and thought nothing of it.

And since this was the closest we got to being on a
'one horse open sleigh', we sang Jingle Bells. Many times.

Parallel parking must be a real pain.

I'd say someone enjoyed her experience very much :)

I just love sights like these. It almost makes me glad
for my slower pace of walking now, just so I can enjoy them

15 Christmasy Activities you can do with Your Preschooler

2011-12-24T09:01:00.018+08:00

I know, I know, Christmas is just around the corner, but remember that technically, there are 12 days of Christmas, and so there is still plenty of time to get on board the Christmas activity bandwagon.

Here are some of my favourite ideas, in no particular order:

1. MAKE GINGERBREAD COOKIES
Nothing smells better than gingerbread cookies in the oven. Some time ago, Poppy and I tried out the recipe provided by Maisy's Fun Club and had a blast. They're incredibly easy to make and I particularly liked how the dough 'held together' and did not crumble. Oh and double plus point, they were yummy too!

2. DECORATE A CHRISTMAS COOKIE

Not a fan of baking but absolutely love decorating? Let Gingerbells come to your rescue. They offer a range of cookies to decorate; a perfect parent-child activity. Best of all, they won't break the bank! See what we did with our Gingerbread man here.

3. MAKE A SNOWMAN

If putting on snow mittens and digging your hands in the snow isn't an option this year, there's still the possibility of getting up close and personal with Frosty. Here are 2 kinds of snowman craft to choose from. And, since it's me, it's of course, incredibly easy to make.

I also made these with toilet roll cardboard with some of my older kids. All you need is some scrap paper and glue :)

4. MAKE CHRISTMAS CARDS

You can either make one for keeps, or send it to a friend or relative, or better yet, send it to your child. Imagine her excitement when she gets an envelope from herself with her own scribbles from 10 years ago! Here are 2 examples of Christmas cards we've made.

5. MAKE CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

Not everyone pines for something sparkly and pretty that comes in a light blue box (though I sure wouldn't mind one myself). If Christmas is not the season to personify the phrase 'It's the thought that counts', then when? There are tons of things you can make with your child to give to friends and family, and here's a craft that we both put in an unequal amount of effort into making. We gave it to Poppy's teachers for Teachers' Day, but you can simply change the prints to something more Christmasy to add to the mood.

6. MAKE YOUR OWN WRAPPING PAPER

I love wrapping paper. No wait, I love nice wrapping paper. What a pity that the nice ones are always ridiculously priced, and the cheap ones, well, they just look cheap. So this year, Poppy and I decided to make our own. All you need is plain paper (white, or coloured, up to you!), paints, and cookie cutters. They're fun to make, and totally unique because each one is different, plus your child would really get a kick telling everyone that she helped to make them.

I suppose that designs could look more 'polished' if you have an older child, but I think that the mess adds to the fun :) I look forward to making 'classier' prints in a couple of years. Like gold or silver paints against deep red paper. Ooooo....

7. PRINT YOUR OWN GIFT TAGS

Image: MadebyJoel.com

Since you're already making your own wrapping paper, why not go a step further and print your own gift tags? Joel from MadeByJoel (I just have to mention again how wonderfully creative he is!!) has some lovely ones to share.

8. MAKE A CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENT
Made these with older kids but cannot wait till Poppy is older enough to handle fabric glue! These were made with felt.

Image: CraftsbyAmanda.com

One of my secret wishes is to make (or buy) a Christmas ornament every year to add to our tree. Max still has his very first one from his childhood. If you're more on your feet than I am, then check out this really cute one from Crafts by Amanda.

9. GOBBLE GOBBLE UP THAT TURKEY!
If turkey is not an option because either the size of your oven or your wallet prevents it, opt for a roast chicken instead (check out my favourite Jamie Oliver recipe here). Equally yummy. Or if the purse strings allow, make a reservation (oops, might be too late) at one of these restaurants for some Christmas grub.

10. LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION, CHRISTMAS!
If you're in Singapore for the holidays, check out these brightly lit areas that are guaranteed to leave you ooh-ing and ahh-ing. Well, your kids at least. If you'll let them up past bedtime.

11. CREATE YOUR OWN WINTER WONDERLAND
Dawn from Not Just a Mommy shares how you can make these lovely paper snowflakes to 'festivify' (no such word, I know, but I also know that you'll know exactly what I mean by it) your home. It looks way too complicated for my limited brain cells right now, but I'd love to someday try my hand at it.

12. DRESS UP YOUR DOOR

Borrow your child's hands to make cute hand-printed wreaths to hang on your front door!

Image: First Palette

If you'd like something more professional looking, the creative folks at First Palette share how to make an easy Christmas wreath with paper plates and crepe paper.

13. SING A JINGLE OR TWO!
Been invited to a couple of Christmas dinners? Gather the kids and sing a few Christmas carols by the tree! You don't need any practice - everyone knows Jingle Bells *or at least the HEY! part* :) And when the kids are older, you can even bring them carolling at Children's Homes or Old Folks Homes

14. COLOUR ME SANTA
Need a time filler to keep your little one occupied while you prepare dinner? Here are some great colouring sheets you can download.

15. EAT YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE!
Or at least its ornaments. Or rather, those that you make. OK, make your own edible ornaments. For those who are ready for a challenge, check out the recipe offered by Baby Centre here.

Image: BabyCentre Community

So there we go. 15 activities to keep you busy this holiday season! Have fun!! Oh and when the kids are asleep, get caught kissing Santa Claus :) Or watch a Christmasy movie like Love Actually.

PS I started out thinking I would list 25 items... but I gave myself a little break. It is Christmas, after all :)

It's Beginning to Taste alot like Christmas - Part 2

2011-12-24T08:50:00.005+08:00

It's one thing to bake with your 3 year-old. It's another when you return from a day of shopping (grocery, but still), and find out that your husband and daughter spent the afternoon baking muffins. Chocolate chip muffins. Can life get any better? :)

Also, Poppy got a DIY gingerbread house from Mamie, and has been asking to put it together. So this morning, we did. We'd already had some experience with the gingerbread man we made some 2 weeks ago, so we knew just what to do. I applied the 'glue' and Poppy placed all the decorative pieces. And, like 2 weeks ago, she managed to convince me that sugar was good for her. And so she had a couple of sugary treats, but hey, it's Christmas.

Someone tell my waistline that.

It's Beginning to Taste alot like Christmas - Part 1

2011-12-20T21:18:00.003+08:00

I love Pilsbury. Thanks to them, we can have quick fuss-free, mess-free desserts. Unfortunately the Pilsbury range in Singapore is either priced for millionaires, or simply very limited. But come to think of it, that's a great idea Pilsbury, and I want to thank you. If you had decided to venture into the Singapore market more, I would have a couple of inches added to my waistline, coupled with a big dent in my bank account.

Anyway, while Max and I were picking stray toys off the floor, Poppy and her Mamie made a batch of these yummy cookies in less than 20 minutes. She kept going to the oven to check on their progress and once they were done, you couldn't keep her hands off the cookie plate :)

The Joys of the Advent Calendar

2011-12-20T06:29:00.006+08:00

While scouting for some little Christmasy chocolates for Poppy (surprisingly, they were incredibly difficult to find!), we chanced upon an Advent calendar for sale at a Laura Secord outlet (I've never had one but for Max, it was an annual tradition). And since it's way past Advent calendar buying season, we managed to score it at half the price. Only $4.90! For a box of chocolates from the most established chocolatier in Canada! Doesn't get better than that!

So we spent a good deal of time opening the little doors of the calendar up till the 19th, and had a sugar rush from all the yummy chocolates. Some of them will go into her Christmas stocking, and the others as a treat along the way.

And she was bouncing along with a chocolate high all evening

I think an Advent calendar is also a great way to rehearse counting and introducing words like 'before', 'after' and 'between', and we asked her to group the chocolates based on their designs as well. Love, love, love these little in-built lessons!

Getting Dressed for Winter

2011-12-18T14:13:00.005+08:00

We picked a random performer off the streets and
she's been entertaining our evenings since.

I have to admit that Winter brings out the claustrophobe in me. And a good Winter coat is every claustrophone's ultimate nightmare. Imagine being trapped in a small stuffy room. Now imagine that room is wrapping around you. That's what a Winter coat is to me, in the mere minutes after getting dressed and before stepping out into the cold, being on any form of transport, and before taking the coat off when entering a building. Seriously, I get aggitated, jumpy, sometimes I feel like I can't breathe or want to throw up, and of course, I absolutely cannot wait to get out of the vehicle.

Poppy too, I realise, has the same kind of tropical genes. She cannot wait to take her gloves off and unzip her jacket. Of course, sometimes we persuade her to keep them on for practical reasons. Having to juggle 2 sets of Winter articles (yours and your child's) is no joke. Holding your child's Winter coat while struggling out of your own and taking your scarf, hat and gloves off while having your kid's scarf, hat and gloves flung carelessly in your direction as she runs off in search of something more exciting than the sight of her clumsy mother, is really not my idea of fun.

So anyway, I talked about getting dressed for Winter here, and here are the steps to illustrate.

Step 1: After putting on appropriate under layers (Poppy gets normal long-sleeved tops because her jacket is VERY good. Thanks, Mamie) on go the snow pants - don't they make her look like Luigi from Mario Brothers?

Step 2: Next, the boots go on. If there are no snow pants, she's in jeans, and they get tucked into her boots.

Step 3: Then it's scarf and hat (Poppy's were knitted by her 88 year-old great grandmother!)

Step 4: On goes the Winter coat. This is when things start to get stuffy and you feel the need to hurry to get your stuff on faster than your child can take hers off. You may not always win

Step 5: Gloves on and you're ready to go. It's a good idea to have a mental image of your child's face before you head out; you won't be seeing much of it while she's dressed up like that. We've learnt to recognise Poppy as The Red Bundle these days.

PS having mini pregnancy bladder in the thick of Winter is so not funny. But what's even not funnier is having mini pregnancy bladder in the thick of Winter, with a diaperless child wrapped in a thousand layers of clothing and realises the peepee need when there is no toilet around

Not Quite a Winter Wonderland, But Still.

2011-12-17T16:49:00.009+08:00

The good news for my tropical genes is that we're having really pleasant weather. Today the sun even came out to say hi and we had a lovely 6-degree day. The downside to that is that it is too warm for snow. I can't help but feel cheated.

In the Spring and Summer, everything is blooming and colouful and pretty. In Autumn, nature shows off with its browns, reds and oranges. Winter is supposed to give you that 'Bam! Check out this fairytale setting, guys!' feel but all we're seeing are hibernating trees with the occasional squirrel with a Winter coat. It's like someone forgot to add leaves on the trees. It's like ordering an ice cream cone and only receiving the cone.

So since we couldn't do typical outdoor Wintery stuff (because twigs and botak trees are really quite depressing to look at without a sheet of snow), we're looking around for things to do indoors.

We've been talking about ice skating and Poppy was really disappointed when the lake we visited at Parc La Fontaine was totally drained (we did have fun walking at the bottom of the lake though).

* But snow or no snow, I know one thing's for sure - Butt Naked Ice Swimming is never ever going to be a hit with me.

Lake walking, the newest sport of the year

Thankfully Max remembered Atrium le 1000, an indoor skating rink where one could lace up skates and hit the ice all year round. It's housed in the tallest buildng in Montreal (and the Quebec province actually!) and what's cool is that Max used to work there years ago. The building, not the skating rink.

These skates were made for skating

This pose looks a little scary but no, the skates are not as sharp as they look, and Poppy wasn't about to make minced Mama out of me

All dressed for action!

We paid CAD $29 for rental of 2 pairs of skates, 2 helmets, and 1 locker. Prices were for unlimited play but Poppy had enough after about 45 minutes.

Poppy guiding Max around

Little kids are allowed to have some additional help. That, and having her skates tied much tighter, made Poppy enjoy her skating time much more

Max did a way better job than me at skate tying. Trust me, they were nothing like lacing up bowling shoes. It requires some serious muscle

It was amazing to watch her walk on her skates all by herself (while on the carpet - on the ice she still needed plenty of help). A recommended activity, especially in the thick of Summer!

We ended our afternoon at Pho Bac restaurant in Chinatown, rewarding ourselves with a big bowl of yummy pho. This is the one place we visit every time we're back in Montreal. The trip isn't complete without a steaming hot bowl of grilled chicken pho!

The Best Seat in the House

2011-12-16T11:18:00.005+08:00

Jet lag can be a real bitch. No? Try reminding yourself that when your 3 year-old wakes announces at 2am that she is not sleepy anymore.

Max was asleep so it was my shift. I tried persuading her that she needed the energy for ice skating in the morning - Didn't work. Tried telling her that sharks and crocodiles were lurking around and that we would only be safe in bed (no fear there, she knows it's a joke and we make a big show about pretending to be afraid, and giggle under the blankets) - She stayed in bed but wasn't quiet.

I talked softly and gently, told her stories and sang to her. But whenever I thought that I could let myself drift off to lalaland, I'd feel a little nudge in my ribs and a hear a little voice proclaim, 'I'm still not sleepy, Mama.'

After an hour, I was exhausted so I decided to play dirty. She kept asking me questions but I pretended to be asleep. 'Ask your father, ask your father, ask your father', I chanted in my head. And hey it worked. In 5 minutes she gave up on me and rolled over to prod Max. 'Wake up, wake up, wake up', I continued to transmit my thoughts. And he got up. Wow I was getting good at this.

Poppy figured that since Max was up, why stop at just conversation? And that's how she ended up with warm milk and a cereal bar at 3 in the morning. I could hear the sugar sweet voice but I suspect she played the melty doe-eyed look to her advantage too.

Now, usually, I'd stop whatever I'm doing to assume my motherly job. But last night, I decided against it. I stayed in bed and listened to the sweet conversation between father and daughter against the background of the occasional drunkard or car cruising by outside the window of our rented loft apartment.

Without even being part of the action, I enjoyed the best of it. I had, what you might call, the best seat in the house. Sometimes you don't have to be present to enjoy the present.

Of course, despite her promise, she did not fall asleep straight after the snack. So I took over the nocturnal parent role. 3 trips to the toilet, a long story and many giggles later, she finally gave in to sleep at 5am.

We're Here... and We Love Qatar Airways!

2011-12-13T13:01:00.009+08:00

After a 7 hour flight, a 7.5 hour stopover in Doha, and a further 13 hour flight to Montreal, we finally made it, and our body clocks seem to have adjusted to this Winter Wonderland.

I just have to say it - for anyone who's planning a trip, if Qatar Airways flies there, PLEASE TAKE IT. Their inflight entertainment for kids is great. Their movies for adults were so-so, but really, when you travel with a child, who has the time for movies, right?

Max was in charge of the games, and I was in charge of blow-by-blow commentary for the movies (Poppy watched Dumbo and Finding Nemo). They could have done with a couple of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episodes, but we're not complaining. The games were really geared toward young children. There was no such thing as time limit, or 'game over' if player fails to meet targets. Nope, Poppy just stuck with the same game on and on, and probably could have for the whole trip had I not noticed her eyes were getting square.

I found the service to be nothing short of excellent. Poppy was always the first on the plane to receive her meals, and it may have been just a small touch, but we were grateful that always got our meals very shortly after. As in we didn't have to 'wait our turn' till the folks in the rows before us received theirs. This allowed us to eat at the same time as Poppy. I have to admit that the kids' meals were sometimes of questionable nutritional value, but we were prepared for that and loaded up with lots of snacks like cereal bars and fruit pockets.

Qatar's flight crew was amazing. And we have flown airlines that have been thought to have much better service. Our very own Singaporean brand that we're so proud of? I'm sorry, they dont' even come close. On Qatar, everyone smiled. And I mean genuine smiles. It was almost like it was the entire crew's maiden voyage and they had yet to be jaded from years of nasty passengers. We never got a haughty look, and no one rolled their eyes at me despite the countless times I asked for water. All we got was bright and cheerful 'Sure, of course!'s and looks of adoration when our little one was napping in between gaming. To say that our flights were pleasant would be an understatement. The best thing about the flight was when Poppy went to hug the stewardess designated to our section when we landed, and she said, 'I cannot wait to have a daughter like you'. How about that.

Doha Airport. We slept where we could, when we could. Of course we looked totally glamourous while doing it too, being the totally glamourous ladies that we were.

And so here we are!

And just as I was beginning to think that I was a seasoned mum and could pride myself in getting out of the house, with Poppy and all the related peripherals in less than 15 minutes, I am now presented with another challenge. Getting myself dressed, as well as Poppy, and out of the house in double the time, in Winter.

First, I have to check the weather to know how to dress Poppy. Then come the socks. Then after we struggle putting on her boots, we realise that her snow pants (which make her look very much like Mario - or Luigi - from Super Mario), should have come on before her boots. So we rewind and remove boot. Of course, that's when she tells me that she has stepped in a puddle of water and we need to get new socks.

Then the scarf goes on and her wooly hat, followed by her snow coat, which she will want to try zipping up. This is when she might get a little frustrated and decide to whip off her scarf. When we finally get her coat on and all zipped up, it's time to pop the gloves on (she'll decide to pop them right off the minute we get into the car).

By the time I get her all dressed and ready, I am sweating in my own winter coat. Sweating. In the dead of Winter. Doing all that when you look like the Michelin man should really be a game in one of those American game shows.

But I have realised that it's better to tend to her before me (contrary to what they tell you in airline safety videos), and I'm sure I'll get better with time.

But it's all worth it because I know that she is warm and comfortable in there, and looking like the cutest bundle of cloth I've ever seen.

With just 1 inch of snow, we managed to make a mini snowman!

After her first snowball fight, Poppy was completely wiped out and had a 3 hour nap!

Gingerbread Mum meets the Gingerbread Man

2011-12-13T11:56:00.009+08:00

'Run, run, as fast as you can; you can`t escape the claws of Poppy, Gingerbread man'

We received a DIY Gingerbread Man set from Gingerbells on the day we were due to leave for our trip to Canada. But that didn't stop us from putting it together. In fact, it was the perfect afternoon activity.

GingerBells' parent company, Cooking Art has been in Singapore since the 1980s. Its sub-brand, GingerBells, has been around for about 5 years, and is only available during the Christmas season.

We love that Gingerbells promotes the idea of fun and edible family activities. Any parent of a preschooler will tell you that fixing up an IKEA tv console (without the instructions) is a million times less challenging than baking or decorating with a active 3-year old. Which is why I was so grateful for the detailed instructions that were included in the kit.

Double yippee fact: Products are baked daily in their kitchen and no artificial preservatives are used. Lifespan of products are 2-3 months.

Poppy went to get her winter mittens to prepare for the session :)

Everything was easy enough for Poppy to follow, and she really did enjoy it all. I half expected her to run off halfway with her usual 'You finish up, Mama, I go play now!'. But no, she stayed on till the last button was put on.

The decorative items were all packed neatly into little clear plastic bags but I thought that laying them out would make things easier for little fingers. They were very generous with the portions. What you see here isn't even half of what we got but it already made me think about cutting down sugar for Poppy till her 5th birthday.

The first step was to mix an egg white (not provided) with the icing sugar to form the 'glue'. I told her it was 'edible glue' and she quickly corrected me, 'Mama, don't be silly. We cannot eat glue. You're the silliest billy, Mama!'. I guess I am :)

As we decorated, I realised that somehow, our ingredients kept disappearing. Note to hyperventilating mums: Yes, Poppy probably hit her annual sugar quota in that one hour we spent decorating. Please continue hyperventilating.

After decorating her Gingerbread Man, Poppy waited impatiently for the 'glue' to dry.

Ta da! Our completed Gingerbread Man. Poppy did all of it, I only helped with the squeezing of the 'glue'. She dictated where the facial features would go, that he would have to have 10 buttons, but I suggested colourful mittens and shoes (she chose the sweeties to lay on them).

If decorating is not your kind of thing (but really, why not? Is it the hassle? 99% of the materials are neatly included in the pack, except the egg, and it really isn't all that pricey), then do check out Gingerbells' other yummy products. Poppy ate most of the smaller pre-made and very undecorated Gingerbread Man (in above pic) all by herself. From the little piece I managed to wrestle out of her hand, I was glad to know that it wasn't overly sweet with just the right hint of the taste of ginger. The perfect afternoon snack!

My one and only bite of the cookie

And of course, what better story to read than this :)

They also have other DIY products. Their best seller is the Frosty's Gingerbread House. It's something that needs more than one pair of hands; the perfect family bonding activity! And, like the Gingerbread Man, all you need is the white of an egg, and you're ready to go. How simple is that, folks?

If you are interested to get a set for yourself (and why not!), you can order online at gingerbells.tumblr.com or check out the Gingerbells Facebook page. From there, you can find out where their retail carts are, to buy the products over the counter. For more information, email gingerbells@gmail.com

Products will only be available till end January, so don't take your time!

Pop Paper, Pop Paper, Pop Pop Pop!

2011-12-07T22:11:00.007+08:00

Oops she did it again. Sprung the "Mama, I want to do craft" thing on me again when I had nothing prepared.

The lazy and very tired mum tried bribing, "Shall we read a book instead?"
"No thanks Mama. Craft please."
Then the mum even resorted to "Wanna watch some tv?"
"I wanna do craft!" came the persistent reply.
"But Mama has nothing prepared"
"We just need scissors. And glue"
I needed persuasion. my brain cells were still occupied with thoughts of Bangkok shopping and authentic and cheap Thai food, I thought it was best that I didn't entertain any thoughts involving scissors and glue.
Sensing my hesitation, she said, "Or we can paint. I want to paint"

I was really sleepy. And pregnancy sleepiness is somewhat like fighting off the drowsiness that comes from taking flu medication

Ah, the girl knew her stuff. Well ok then. What a girl wants, a girl gets. So I dug out mahjong paper from the store room and we did this:

I thought Poppy might protest when I asked her to lie on the paper, but she was intruiged. She chose the crayon colour for me and giggled throughout when I traced her outline.

She started off by drawing her face, and curly hair. Pink, of course.

Then I let her paint her shape. We started out with paintbrushes and progressed to sponges, which were far more effective.

I know that Poppy's attention span has increased over the past few months but I can hardly believe that she was occupied for a whole hour with this. She just kept on painting and painting until she grew bored and said "Ok mama, you finish up for me." I simply let it dry :)

She wanted to draw me too but there wasn't enough mahjong paper in the house for that

Crafternoons with Poppy: Paper Names

2011-12-06T22:43:00.004+08:00

One of the things I miss about working in an office is not the adult interaction. Nor is it the regular and often stretched lunch hours. It's the constant flow of cool air throughout the work day.

At home, it's impossible to keep the aircon on all day. Plus, my work area is a little corner in the living room and when we moved in, we very cleverly (or so we thought) thought that we would save some money by only installing aircon units in the bedrooms.

So when I'm out with Poppy sometimes, I say things like "It's really hot, shall we go into the supermarket/shopping centre/library for a little while to cool down?". I don't think I've said it often, but apparently often enough to make an impression because yesterday, she said "Mama, it's so hot, let's hang out in the post office for a little while". And while we were there, she picked up some brochures. I didn't need to know about postage rates or special commemorative stamps that cost $60, so I asked her to choose those with lots of colours and thought of a craft.

One of the most popular crafts I do is the paper mosaic flower. I tried a simplified version with Poppy some time ago but she was really too young for it. So today I tried another variation. I drew the outline of her name and together we cut up the brochures into small pieces. She really enjoyed the cutting part. I mean, if I wanted to cook in peace, I could seriously either let Dora the Explorer or Chuggington babysit Poppy, or leave her alone with a pair of scissors*

Cutting the coloured paper directly into separated containers (or in our case, this lovely plastic butterfly) helps to minimise confusion with sticky fingers when the gluing begins

She loved it. I didn't help at all with the pasting of the coloured paper. And I'm very proud to say that most of it stayed within the lines :)

We could have left it like that, but it looked a little plain. Plus, Poppy didn't look too satisfied with the end result either, so I pushed my luck and we decided to decorate the background as well . Would have looked really good with a black background but I didn't have any spare black paper, and I wasn't going to cut up a good piece of construction paper for this, so we used newspaper, which didn't quite give the effect that we wanted. I suppose that's why Poppy grew bored and asked me to finish up about halfway through that!

Ta da!

Tip: The younger the child, the bigger the 'main' piece of paper, and cut up scraps should be. We used a whole sheet of drawing block, and the pieces were about half an inch big. With older kids, I usually use 1/4 of drawing sheets and they tear the little pieces into 1cm squares.

* But of course I don't! She knows the proper way to hold the scissors, and to give it, but a 3 year old alone with a pair of (though kiddy friendly) scissors? No way!

What a Wonderful World

2011-11-30T15:43:00.004+08:00

What a wonderful world it is to be in when....

... You can nap with your husband and daughter in the same bed, and wake up just in time to see them still cuddled up and snoozing

.... You receive portraits of yourself by your favourite artist

You spend a productive morning working on the computer in peace and quiet,
while your tea bag dishes out life advice

... On a relaxing trip to the market one Saturday, your amazing daughter asks to buy a bunch of flowers for her father (then chooses the blooms and carries them all the way home) "so that he will wake up" (from his Saturday slumber)

... You are able to spend an impromptu date with your daughter at the beach

... Your daughter's face lights up like the lights of a Christmas tree when she spies you at her playschool, signifying that her time of being apart from you has come to an end, and you're her hero, her champion, her all.

... You're panting as you reach the final flight of stairs on your way home and are greeted by lovely blooms from a plant that was bone dry and known as "Skeletor" two years ago

.... You pull something fun, happy, and reasonably healthy from the oven

... You wake up to a good hair day (and of course there are no pictures of those because they come once in a decade, and you want to spend all your time admiring so have no time for pictures)

... Your life is filled with so much positivity

... And just in case you missed it, we've got another little one on the way.

Yes we brought a positive pregnancy test out for a walk along Orchard Road. Doesn't everyone?

What a wonderful world it is when you have two little princesses at home :)

What a wonderful world indeed

Meet-the-Butterflies Session at Hort Park

2011-11-28T01:21:00.005+08:00

Ever since we missed it the last time, we've been thinking about the lovely Butterfly Garden at Hort Par k. It's open every last Saturday of the month between 9am and noon.

There were two things I had expected from this outing:

1) That there'd be many more oohs and ahhhs from Poppy
2) That the butterflies would land on Poppy's dress (of butterflies, worn especially for the occasion)

Neither happened.

So there was a big group of people with big cameras and huge lenses that we had to jump over, and us - The sweaty father, the over zealous mother, and the bored preschooler. The enclosure suddenly seemed very small and claustrophobia inducing.

Verdict: It was really nice to be in there, but this isn't an activity recommended for those afraid of anything that flies. The butterflies were huge, and very familiar with humans so they were cool to land on our bags and bums.

I just recalled that butterflies used to be (yikes) caterpillars. Flying things, I can take. Creepy crawlies, I don't like. I didn't see any of those within the enclosure but I know now that I probably wouldn't want to go in there again.

Try to go closer to 9am than to noon because it gets incredibly hot toward noon, especially because there's very little shade at Hort Park once you're out in the open.

After the hike of getting from the entrance to the end of the Park where the Butterfly Garden was, there was but one moment of this. Followed by a string of "Can we go now?"s

I love swings. If I ever have a house with a garden, it will be a garden with a swing.

Poppy loves swings too!

And of course, we spent a good deal of time fish feeding

Opposites Attract

2011-11-27T21:36:00.006+08:00

Poppy doesn't have many toys. And out of these not many toys, most were gifts.

Of course the main reason for this is that we're more or less a one stable-income family, and that we're too cheap to buy toys. Also because I know who's going to have to think about where the toys go once they're opened and need a place to call home. It's all about being practical.

But I do much prefer to buy books, and if given the chance, I usually subtlely ask for either red packets (that we can deposit into her bank account) at her birthdays. Having said that, we are very blessed to have people who love Poppy enough to buy really good toys for her. I'm sometimes ashamed to admit that she hardly plays with her toys because I try too hard to fill her time with activities. I should really learn to let go more.

So today we spent all day at home and she chose this particular game, given by her godparents.

I love it. Love love love it. We've played it before when she was a bit younger, but it was more like "Poppy can you find this" and "Poppy can you find that". But today we played it differently. It wasn't so much of simply a finding game: Either one of us would pick a piece, and I'd ask her leading questions about the opposite piece. Like if she has a picture of a boy who's sweating away at the beach, then I'd ask "So is the boy hot or cold? Is the sun out? Is it a hot day then? If it's not a hot day then what kind of day would it be? What's the opposite of hot?", then she'd look around and find the matching piece with a boy in winter clothes set against a snowy background.

Most pairs were simple enough (like big/small, tall/short, fat/skinny, asleep/awake, young/old) but some pieces were harder to explain than others. Like rich and poor (we decided the rich king could donate some of his clothes to the poor man). But most were easy enough.

I think there are 2 kinds of ways for a child to play - with or without parent. Sometimes it's good for them to let their imagination run free and play on their own, but sometimes it's also nice for us to sit with them and stroke their imagination a little. When we're with them, we can encourage questions and (hopefully) answer them, and we can ask them questions too. I think that promotes an inquisitive mind, and encourages them to look beyond the obvious.

Anyhow, I really hope this game can be found in Singapore. It's such a good one!

One Wonton, Two Wontons, Three Wontons, Four

2011-11-27T21:16:00.005+08:00

I remember thinking as a little girl that I would one day be making wantans* with my daughter. And today, that thought came true :) I love my kitchen, and I love my daughter, so it's really nice to incorporate both my loves together.

Poppy's always been happy to help me in the kitchen (unless of course there's Dora the Explorer on TV) but her duties have so far only remained within the vegetable family. At 3, I'd really rather prefer for her to stay clear of raw stuff. But my family was over for steamboat this evening and I asked if Poppy would like to help me with wantans. So she did.

I put the meat in the middle of the wantan squares, and she dabbed the corners with her finger and I wrapped them up.

We not only had fun but also learnt that squares had 4 corners, revised our knowledge of shapes in Mandarin, and found out that by sealing wantans, the meat would stay in and not fall out.

I love little impromptu lessons like this :)

* Or wonton if you are Caucasian

Moustache Bash

2011-11-26T22:18:00.002+08:00

In support of Movember, Max started growing a moustache from the start of November and has been sporting one for the past 3 weeks or so. This Mo Bro has had to put up with his fair share of fingers pointing in the direction of his upper lip followed by peals of laughter (most of which has come from home grounds).

He'd been looking forward to the Moustache Bash held at Zouk this evening but tickets were inconvenient to get, and the description of the event made it sound like it was more of a costume party of sorts rather than an event in support of the effort to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer (the leading cancer in men).

So he didn't go to the party, and was clearly disappointed. Cue Poppy, Mama, and some face paint and.... Voila! We showed our support for our own Mo Bro. We put on a little music and danced, had some snacks and basically created our own party :)

Our upper lips got a little extra attention today

Know of any Mo Bros in Singapore? You can show your support by making a donation to the Singapore Cancer Society.

Do You Know the Satay Man?

2011-11-26T21:58:00.004+08:00

One of the clearest memories of my childhood revolves around men on wheels. There was the milk man who peddled around on his rusty old bike with glass bottles of goat's milk, the curry puff uncle on his motorbike, and 'buey bee ah chek' (loosely translated into 'the guy who sells rice grains', or the delivery guy/owner of the grocery shop closeby) in his cool motorbike with a little passenger seat afixed to the side. Similar to what Indiana Jones used to ferry his father as they were escaping from soldiers in The Last Crusade (which, IMHO, was the best Indiana Jones movie).

Here in Tiong Bahru, we have the beloved satay man. He makes his rounds almost every day, and we know he's around when his marketing channels start to work (we can hear his loud voice echoing through our blocks). One would think that he'd be shouting "SATAY!!!", but no, it really sounds like he's yelling "Freeeeak!". Really.

Anyhow, I've let Poppy try a bite some time ago, and she absolutely loved it. We always point out the satay man if we see him on the way back from school, but yesterday she tugged at my hand and asked me to get some from her. Now, this girl has never asked me to get anything for her (not counting the "Mummy buy toys for me, please", which I count as parroting since she's only said that after hearing friends at school say it), always fully trusting in my choice of apparel and food.

So I clarified and indeed, she nodded earnestly and yes, satay was the princess' fancy. So we bought the minimum of 5 sticks, with me thinking I was surely going to have to eat them all. But no, little miss satay was happy to gobble the yummy meat sticks up (but was also happy to share).

So what does a mum do when her child shows a particular interest in something? EXPLOIT.

Which is why this evening's dinner was satay. Actually just chicken on skewers. But she was really excited to see it and finished everything (always a good thing by mummy's books). Here's the recipe in case there are any more satay fanatics out there:

1. Soak satay skewers in water for about 10 minutes (this will prevent meat from sticking to stick)
2. Marinate chicken with olive oil, basil and black pepper
3. Cut potato into strips and marinate with olive oil, dash of Montreal Steak powder, majoram and oregano (or any other dried herbs you might have on hand)
4. Bake potatoes at 200 degrees C for about 10 minutes. Then flip, and add chicken skewers and bake for further 12 minutes
5. Serve with steamed broccoli.

Yum!

The Silliest Billy

2011-11-21T23:04:00.004+08:00

We call each other "Silly Billy" whenever one of us does something funny. Like if Poppy puts her sunglasses on at night, or if I wear my t-shirt inside out. I'm not quiet sure how it started but it's been going on for as long as I remember.

But lately, Poppy introduced the term "The Silliest Billy". I for one, find it hilarious. Example, me forgetting to heat up her beef stew to bring for our dinner out would result in me being called "The Silliest Billy" instead of just a mere Silly Billy, because it's something that's high on the scale of silliness.

And then there was the time when Max forgot to bring her hat out.

"You're such a Silly Billy, Papa"
"Really, Poppy? But I think you're The Silliest Billy."
"No, you're the Papa, I'm just the baby. That's why you're the silliest."

Wow. Logic and all. I like that. More to come folks, more to come.

Emotionally Yours, Mama

2011-11-21T13:44:00.003+08:00

You know what they say. Rainy days and Mondays always get me down. And it's a rainy Monday. Double whammy.

So it is on a Monday rainy as this, that my motherly hormones have hit an all-time high. I think about all the things that define me as a mum, things that I'm doing right, and things that I should be sent to the naughty corner for. And so, such a post forms in my head:

*****

My darling Poppy,

I will always want to hug you. Even if it's in the middle of the pavement, or when you're 20. You'll always be my little girl and I'll never be afraid to show it.

You can hug me and sit on me for as long as you want if you fall and scrape your knee or bump your forehead. I'll always be there to wipe away your tears and make you laugh after, and put cartoon plasters on your booboo

I'll always want to hold your hand as we cross the street. I held my father's hand till I moved out of his house, just so you have an indication of how long I'll be holding yours

I'll never stop being amazed at the things that you can do

I will always want to kiss you. I must have already kissed you a million times but I'm never going to stop

No matter how bad a day we've had together, I'll always soften up by the time we're in bed and talking and laughing softly

Your friends will come and go, and you might miss them, but I'll always be there, through all your friendships. I'll be your best friend if you'll let me

I'm happy to clean your bum bum or feed you your meals, but I really wouldn't mind if you did them all by yourself

I'll never be quiet for more than 15 minutes when we're out on a walk or a train ride or bus ride. We'll talk, my girl, oh we'll talk. I'll always be happy to point out things to you

I will take photos of you in every situation, at every angle. As the years pass, we can all look back at these pictures and smile at the memories we forged together

When you make a mess by throwing flour all over the kitchen floor, I will try my very best not to tick you off, because you don't know any better.

I will always love talking to you, and even though it drives me crazy at times, I always try to answer your questions. I hope that when I am old and suffer from Dementia, you will be patient with me as well

I am prepared to look like a fool if it means you learn the right things and keep safe. That is why I will always raise my hand with you when we cross the street

I will always sing to you when you ask. I will even sing you Jingle Bells in the middle of June, on a full flight of people, 30000 feet above sea level

I will never tire of seeing your face light up when I bring you a surprise

I will insist that you eat healthily even if it means I am mocked by people who don't believe in healthy eating. You will not be getting luncheon mean, tinned sausages and chicken nuggets from me for years to come, and whoever gives you any will be getting a very stern look from me

When you call, "Mama?", I will always answer.

I will teach you to stand up on your own because you need to be independant but know that I will always envision myself physically hurting the people who hurt you

If I spank your bumbum or your hand, please know that it is because you can be incredibly stubborn and naughty at times, and I don't like doing it either. But we always hug after, and that makes everything ok again

Whenever I pray, it is always for you to be safe and healthy

I will never stop thanking God for the lovely gift of you to me because you are perfect and I love you so so much. Each time we hug, I say a tiny prayer for the miracle of you

You will always be my baby, and nothing in the world will ever, ever change that

Emotionally yours, with all my love,
Your Mama

*****

Exposure to Racial Harmony, Part 1

2011-11-20T22:13:00.007+08:00

I love love love love love this girl. And when you catch her in the right mood, she's happy to give the most gorgeous smiles

I was an IJ girl. Spent 10 years wearing that blue pinafore. And I loved it. Apart from the fact that I didn't exactly excel on the academic front, I really did enjoy my school days.

Left: Poppy was very excited to recite the "This is the church" rhyme*
Right: The Gate of Hope, where baby girls were abandoned and taken in by the church. Poppy was very affected by it and kept asking "Why the mamas don't want their babies?!". I had to squat many times in the middle of the pavement to hug and reassure her that I would never do that to her.

* This is the church, this is the steeple
Open the doors, and here are the people
(complete with hand movements)

The lovely staircases used to always be out of bounds. These days we're allowed to go up, but they lead nowhere. Well not that they lead to doors that open into nothingness (like cartoons); they do lead to doors, but doors with big signs stating "Authorised Personnel only".

One Sunday morning, to give Max a break, Poppy and I embarked on a journey that will hopefully mark the first of 4 sessions. We live in a country that prides itself in racial harmony, yes? So in a bid to expose Poppy to the different cultures in Singapore, last week we visited CHIJMES on Victoria Street, choosing it to represent "the Eurasian community" because according to her birth certificate, she's supposed to be "Eurasian". In the following weeks we hope to visit Buddhist temples, Sikh temples and mosques. I'm not sure how to go about doing it because I'm sure some religious places are more welcoming than others, but let's just cross the bridge as we get to it, shall we?

Go in the late morning if you want the nice light/shadow effect cast by the arches like this

Photo: Wikipedia
There's also a gorgeous function room (it used to be the school's chapel) where you can rent for your wedding or any other special occasion really. Call CHIJMES for details

Now the home to several F&B outlets and touristy shops, CHIJMES (CHIJ standing for Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus, and the "MES" was simply added in to create the 'chime' sound of the bell) was formerly a school, orphanage and refuge for women in the late 1800s. It's a beautiful beautiful place with lots of lovely architecture, and here comes my favourite word again, absolutely free.

I love the flooring. Really, I do.

If you get an architectural overdose (can that ever happen?), there's a little patch of green on the upper (ground) level where you can let your kids roam free and expel some energy.

It's also a great place to play hide and seek but make sure you set your boundaries!

We also bought a present for someone!

How lovely it is to have stained glass that we're able to touch! We spent a long time looking at both sides of the glass, and that kind of inspired our Suncatcher Snowman Craft.

With all this rich history, and a 'proper' school motto ("Simple in virtue, steadfast in duty") compared to 3 random words thrown together by a thesaurus like some schools have done (I apologise but honestly? Something like "Excellence, Virtuous, All-rounded" to me really does not count as a school motto), can you really blame me for wanting Poppy to be an IJ girl?

Taming Tigers at Haw Par Villa

2011-11-20T21:04:00.006+08:00

Have you tried the new Circle line? We love it. All the stations are sparkling clean, as are their toilets, everything is brand new, and it really brings us to places that would otherwise be too inconvenient to get to. Like Haw Par Villa for instance.

Sure you remember Haw Par Villa. As a child you probably went there with your kids and got threatened with some of the stone exhibits, particularly the one about "Liars get their tongues pulled out". You probably have vague memories of it being an old dilaplitated place with scary stone statues. The original place was built in 1937 by the Aw brothers who own the Tiger Balm brand, as a venue for teaching traditional Chinese values.

In the late 1980s the Singapore Tourism Board took over and did a major revamp. They introduced a big water slide and a boat ride that allowed people to enter into the mouth of a dragon, and for that, plus some entertainment (I hear this is where Gurmit Singh started out his career), they justified the ticket price of a whopping $16. I remember the price because I remember going there with friends when I was 12 years old, and that was a large sum of money then (considering that my pocket money was $1 a day).

The grand entrance, probably one of the few things that has not changed
since the place was built

In recent years, the water features were removed, some other changes were made, and the admission fee was removed. People started trickling in again, and today, it entertained my 3 year-old.

Some people outrightly refuse to bring their little ones to the Park, claiming that it is too s-c-a-r-y. It's true that there are lots of things that creep the heck out of me, and some that are just weird, but well, just don't go to those exhibits. We saw the signs that pointed toward the famous 10 Courts of *Ahem* (what the park is famous for), and deliberately steered far far away from it. There are some that are really good fun. Poppy spent a long time playing in a pagoda for instance.

There was a little pagoda that was accessible only to little kids, and she loved it. She pretended that it was her house and 'cooked' and 'cleaned'. There was also a 'lift' for her to take to go up and down and as we left, she said "Oh I have to go back! I forgot to lock my door! I don't want strangers to go into my house!"

The exhibits: Some were nice, some were interesting, some were questionable and some were downright freaky. I remember that they used to have descriptive panels with every exhibit, now they seem to have been removed, which explains why many either frown or have a good laugh at exhibits such as these:

Stories that didn't quite make the cut in Aesop's Fables?

Yes, descriptions would really have been nice. I'd hate for tourists to think that Singaporeans/Chinese were just a bunch of freaks who enjoy looking at statues of women breastfeeding their fathers-in-law (if memory serves me right, and we're talking about my life pre-puberty, this exhibit is supposed to depict fillial piety, of a daughter-in-law feeding her father-in-law in times of famine), and sea creatures that looked like crabs with women's heads and torsos (this one, I can't explain - maybe we are freakish).

Because seriously, if I didn't know better, I would have to say that the theme for the park is probably either seduction scary. There's an awful lot of nudity around. Thankfully Poppy didn't ask any questions. But honestly she was just happy walking around, and climbing the stairs. She hardly showed any interest in most of the statues, nodding curtly or mumbling "hmmm" in response to my over excited voice saying "Poppy look at this one! Isn't this funny?".

Left: Scene from Journey to the West where Tripitaka gets seduced by spider spirits
Right: Mermaids find the time to sunbathe

This was an exhibit of Madam White Snake. I am not even vaguely familiar with the story, but Poppy was really happy to climb onto the bridge and admire the statues.

We also spent some time practicing for our upcoming zoopkeeper job interview

Find a gong or a bell, and you'll spend the next 10 minutes prying your child from it

So, verdict. To visit or not to visit, c'est la question. Hmm... This is a tough one, really. I very honestly have to say that while we did have fun there, and it's an interesting place to see, perhaps it could be saved as a back up plan for days where you run out of ideas instead of being The "A" Plan. And if your kids are slightly older, be prepared to either know your Chinese folklore, or to think quick on your feet.

Crafternoons with Poppy: Snowmen

2011-11-19T21:47:00.007+08:00

Introducing the men of the hour:

Left: Snowman sun catcher, right: paper plate snowman

I love doing crafts with Poppy. There is a big picture of a rainbow above her bed, dated 13 November 2010, and it's not the best looking thing but I keep it up there to remind myself how far we've come in terms of crafting.

A year ago I was naive enough to think that 2 year olds could colour within a given space. I got frustrated when she wouldn't put the colours of the rainbow where they belonged. I ended up colouring most of the rainbow (which would explain the bad quality of work). Then, I only had about 10 minutes to capture her attention before she'd run off to wash her hands or get distracted with toys. But a whole year has passed and my, have we grown, in terms of crafts! These days she's happy to sit with me for about half an hour (though there are times when she'd decide that bleah, enough was enough and abandon me to finish up), and I know that when I forget a certain material and ask her to stay and wait and not touch anything while I'm gone for those 2 seconds, I can trust her to follow my instructions.

In line with the whole Singaporean belief that the Christmas season begins in late October, I have been singing Christmas carols to Poppy. Her favourite is Frosty the Snowman (I love hearing her sing "Thumpety thump thump, look at Frosty go"), and we sing that every night.

SUNCATCHER SNOWMAN

Materials
- Paints
- Thick plastic sheet (we used OHP plastic)
- Markers

How to make it:
Step 1: Parent to draw out shape of snowman
Step 2: Paint in desired colours, set aside to dry (during this time, we worked on the other snowman)
Step 3: When dried, flip over plastic sheet and draw in eyes and buttons

Optional: Cut out snowman and punch a hole on top. You can hang it near your window anytime from now till Christmas (hopefully we'll get around to doing it before Christmas 2012)

PAPER PLATE SNOWMAN

Materials
- 1 big paper plate, 1 small paper plate
- Scraps of paper, felt or foam (we used all 3)
- Googly eyes
- Pipe cleaner
- Buttons

How to make it:
Step 1: Attach the 2 plates together, forming the head and body of the snowman
Step 2: Cut out 1 rectangle and 1 square from materials (for us it was foam) to form the hat, and glue on top of head (snowman's, not your own)
Step 3: Paste googly eyes and red triangle for nose (we used paper)
Step 4: Stick pipe cleaners on back of big plate for arms, and paste mittens on (we used felt)
Step 5: Glue on buttons for... buttons

Enjoy!

The Other Woman

2011-11-19T21:38:00.003+08:00

My husband's got another woman in his life. And I've been tasked to take care of her every need, whim and fancy.

She's the first one he asks to kiss when he arrives home. She gets more kisses from him than I do, and more hugs as well. They go for long morning walks together, take showers together, and snuggle together. All she has to do is pout and he readily gives in to her.

She's a really sweet young thing and I suppose it would make sense for me to be jealous. But I love her too, so all's cool.

She's lucky she's so cute

Step Aside, iPhone 5

2011-11-17T11:33:00.005+08:00

Every parent yearns for a moment of quiet to be able to hear their own thoughts. But yet we all know that when a child is quiet for too long, he's usually up to some kind of mischief.

I'm lucky; Poppy has finally decided that I can be trusted to be on my own for short bits of time, and she entertains herself with her trains and toys. She also loves drawing so all I have to do is provide the materials. You know, like the coffee table top to draw on. She is usually very forgiving when I need a couple of minutes to get out of sleep mode in the morning as well.

But one morning, she was particularly quiet, and didn't answer to my calling. So of course I was curious. What sight would greet me when I walked into the room? Contents of her drawers strewn all on the floor? Creation of priceless art work in progress, on my very plain walls? Or something like this perhaps?

I found her very very quietly on her bed with a box of tissue next to her. She was folding the pieces of tissue into neat little rectangles and placing them in front of her. I walked in slowly and asked "What are you doing, baby?". She replied without looking up, "Making telephones".

Ah yes of course.

I stayed and watched her, not the clock that morning. I marvelled at her creativity. We never got to 'use' the phones (though they did end up as snot catching devices a while after), but she just spent a good 20 minutes folding and unfolding, making sure each crease was just right, and everything was presented neatly.

If I had been a normal full-time working mum, I would have missed out on a lovely moment like this. I would probably have screamed at her for wasting tissue, and gathered up the lot and shoved them back into the box. I would have stifled the growth of her level of creativity. I shudder at the thought.

Every Mum Needs a Mumfriend

2011-11-15T13:52:00.009+08:00

If all the mothers of the world were to unite and form a battle cry, it would probably be "All for one and one for all".

This article was out in last Sunday's papers but because of all the reasons stated in following paragraph, this post is a week late.

I love the picture; we all look so happy and natural (thanks to the wheels of the bus)

Yes of course it sounds familiar. It's from the Three Musketeers. Between ferrying kids to and from school, thinking about what healthy snacks to pack into little plastic containers that we hope survive the journey from classroom to tea room, defrosting meats, reading Stick Man 3.5 times in one morning and wondering if we should mop the floor or if the dust could go unnoticed for just one more day, do you really think we'd have the time to think of an original cheer?

As teenagers we seek companionship, and end up with boy/girlfriends. In our 20s, us girls sometimes find ourselves lucky enough to be in a clique of 3-5 gal pals who would hold our hair from our faces as we threw up in toilet bowls after a night of too much drinking in a bid to get over one lousy boyfriend or other.

But we are now mums, and I think all mums need mumfriends. People who are in the same situation as you at the same time. People with whom you can talk freely on subjects like leaky boobs, butt cramps and incontinence. People who can give you advice on what to eat to increase your milk supply, what kind of things to look out for when you're on the hunt of a pre-school, how to sleep train your child and how to get her off diapers. People who will tell you it's perfectly normal if your toddler decides to wash his face in the toilet bowl or thinks it's fun to shove his hand into his shitty diaper.

We nod in sympathy when someone says "I'm so tired" because we know just how tired she is, and when someone says "Please excuse the mess" when we visit, we know she really means it, and that she did indeed spend some time cleaning up but it just is never of any use if you have a child living under the same roof.

Without my mumfriends, I would never have heard about Julia Donaldson, organic food or swim diapers. Through my mumfriends, I've been introduced to the hippest indoor playgrounds, prettiest parks and best breastfeeding bras.

Giving corn as a snack to an 8 month old? A tip learnt from a mumfriend. Letting a child run around naked at home? An idea picked up from a mumfriend.

Together we've celebrated potty training successes, mealtime achievements and other big milestones. We know someone will know what to do when one our kids hit the back of their heads, fall off their beds or refuse food. We've given each other hugs and have dished out dollops of advice and words of encouragement.

Mumfriends are great and I don't know what I would have done without mine. And to my favourite Joy Luck Club mums, I cannot wait for our annual Bangkok escapade!!!!!

Don't have one? Here's how you can change that:

- Go to www.singaporemotherhood.com and look for mums whose kids are born in the same year and month as yours.

- Hang out often in parks and public places, and sit near strollers. You may also want to consider dropping a nappy or a pack of wet wipes near a potential candidate as a conversation starter

- Talk to anyone who has a baby strapped to her chest - that's how I picked up Liz and Dora. Yes, in the same day

- Ask around. Someone might know someone who's got a child the same age as yours. That's how I got to know Sandy.

- Or beg, borrow or steal from other friends.

Give that mum a beer? No, give that mum a mumfriend. Get yours today, available at all department stores. And for a special time only, buy now and receive another one absolutely free! While stocks last. Batteries sold separately.

Hello, Just Call Me "Armpit Flasher"

2011-11-13T23:14:00.009+08:00

Poppy and I were crossing a busy street today. As usual, we both had our arms up. And I heard the snigger of a wise, worldly chap in his very early 20s, and his snide remark to his friend, "Why does she have her hand up?".

Dude, I may not be able to see you, but I can hear you, you know. If I can hear a suspicious sound from my living room where my daughter is playing while I'm taking a shower 10 metres away, I sure as heck can pick out mockery 50cm away, above heavy traffic

Exposing my armpit to public, now that's not something that is under my Top 10 Favourite Things To Do. But I do it to offer my 3 year-old emotional support. I tell her that she's small, and cars can't see her when she crosses the street, so she needs to make herself taller by lifting her arm way up. She almost always turns to make sure I'm walking the talk. She reminds me when I don't, and smiles in recognition when I do. I'm very proud that I hardly have to remind her to do it these days; her hand automatically goes up each time her feet are on any form of pedestrian crossing. She also tells her friends' mothers if she sees that her friends are not doing it. And I've been told by friends that their kids are now raising their hands, thanks to Poppy.

All that, in exchange of my little armpit show? Totally worth it.

But to explain all that to a dude too cool for the world, who still takes pocket money from his parents, who lives rent free, who just needs to have the latest pair of black framed glasses or mobile phone, and has no care in the world except wondering about the coolest expression to make when he's on his next smoking break, all before the flashing green man turns red, I just couldn't find the words. So I turned around and answered his question with the obvious.

"So that cars can see us". Duh.

And when Poppy asked what had just happened, I told her. And she said "Why doesn't he know he has to raise his arm when he crosses the road?". I couldn't answer that. I didn't know either. Seemed pretty obvious to us.

A Bit of Art on a Gloomy Saturday Morning

2011-11-13T22:02:00.010+08:00

I used to think that museums were meant to be boring places. I have to admit that I'm not one for staring at big paintings and having life sized portraits stare back at me. I'm usually happier walking around, looking at old buildings and other architectural delights.

Read about our other visits to this museum here and here.

Opening exhibit - She really wanted to get her hands on one of them big balloons

I wish that we had fun museums like the Portland Children's Museum or the Madison Children's Museum. These places should really just be called "FUN PLACES" instead of museums and being vaguely connected with words like 'boring' and 'quiet'. So how about it, Museum Board? How about a really fun museum, just for kids? What say you? A place dedicated to children, for them to build and play and make-believe, that would be a dream. Oh but, there is already a place called for that. It's called 'home'.

Also, it seems to me that our local museums seem to run on the same formula - there's usually an exhibit about Singapore's history, and it takes us for a historical walk with big panels, sounds of machine guns in the background, and flashing red lights. I get the feeling of deja vu each time I walk through one of these exhibits.

Personally I think Singapore could really, really do with such places. Yes, our museums try. They have the Children's Season once a year, and it's absolutely great. But more, can? And seriously, in case anyone is reading this, 'children's activities' really doesn't just mean a colouring section ok? Sure, they like colouring, but there's tons more they can do. And while we're at it, it also doesn't mean "crafts that parents have to roll up their sleeves and do 85% of the work". Hands on stuff that kids can do, that'd be really nice

The interactive wall, still a hot favourite

But we make do with what we have, and Poppy and I visited the very catered-to-adults National Museum of Singapore yesterday, and made our own fun. Of course, we got shushed, shoo-ed and almost chased out of the Dreams and Reality (on loan from the Musée d’Orsay, Paris) exhibit by a rather un-fun musuem volunteer. Max and I visited the original exhibit in Paris a long time ago, and I thought it would be fun to bring Poppy to experience the same thing. But she really wasn't interested. Except for one moment when she spotted a painting of ballerinas and she was happy to twirl (that's when we got politely asked to stop, or leave).

And by the way, why do we have to be quiet in museums? Libraries, I undestand, but museums? What, in case we disturb the paintings? No seriously, I really don't understand.

The children's section (aka blank paper and coloured pencils section) at the Dreams and Reality exhibition. Poppy was really happy to sit and draw for a long time. At my request, she drew our family portrait. Some of us are walking, some flying, but we all have purple balloons

Her most most most favourite thing in the museum - the swinging chandeliers. She was mesmorised. We went all around looking at the lights from different angles. And when we left, she said "Bye bye swinging lights, I am sad to say bye bye to you" and blew 8 kisses, one for each of them.

Audio guides: rentable at $3 for some exhibits, free for others

Food: We avoided the rain and in exchange for warmth and shelter, I had to have a classic breakfast set at Novus Cafe. Poppy only ate the healthy stuff from my plate, if you were wondering - the cheese, toast (with butter) and egg. She had her own yummy creamy cod pasta with carrots and peas while she taxed on my $17 lunch

Entertainment at food outlet not provided. BYO entertainment, folks. Also not available: kids' plates and utensils.

Admission: $10 for adults (+$1 for special exhibits). Discounts for various cards. Free admission for children below 6
Location: Stamford Road
Getting there: Closest mrt station is Bras Besar on the Circle line, or Dhoby Ghaut
Food: Limited, and pricey, with an affordable food court a short walk away

I Love My Little Girl

2011-11-13T21:47:00.002+08:00

What do you think is on TV? Make a wild guess

I love the way she sings so inhibitedly out of the blue when she's playing on her own

I love how she's all cool and calm on the train but screams out in excitement the moment we exit from the tunnel

I love it when Max gives me a hug at the end of a particularly rough day and when she sees us and we invite her to join, she politely declines with "maybe later, I'm smelly now" (because she had just done a poo)

I love how she trusts me, and lets me bring her to all kinds of places without questioning, trusting that it will be a fun outing

I love that she now thinks for a minute before answering if she wants to have rice, noodles or pasta if we eat out, and is willing to compromise if her first choice isn't available

I love it when she's naughty and I calmly tell her that what she did wasn't very nice, and after a while (of pondering I suppose), she quietly tugs at my hand and says, unprompted, "I'm sorry for being naughty, Mama"

I love having conversations with her and laughing like we're old time friends, not people who've only known each other for 3 years

I love her, and she loves me, and all is happy and bright

Meal Time Entertainment

2011-11-12T00:06:00.005+08:00

Sights like these just warm my heart.

This was taken earlier this evening at dinner - Max was asking Poppy about her drawing

Which was this by the way. A portrait of Max, with a moustache, and lots of balloons floating around (have I mentioned I love her drawings?)

The restaurant in question is Saizeriya Ristorante at Liang Court. We stumbled upon it about a year ago when Poppy used to visit Royce Kids Gym just next door. Food's rather good, prices are decent, and as of today, wait staff is incredibly friendly and service is quick. It's one of our favourite eat-out places.

This morning at breakfast we saw a little boy being entertained by his father.... 's iPhone. As I walked out, I noticed that the phone had a nifty little thing attached to its back. An object that allowed the phone to stand at an angle for kids to watch minutes (hours??) of entertainment on end. That such a thing has already been invented shouldn't shock me, but it did. iPhones have evolved from being last resort meal time savers to being the staple ingredient in the meal.

But that's them, and this is us. And for the handful of people who are as crazy as us to not want to shove our phones to our kids at the first opportunity we get, we're happy to share some of the things we do to keep our little one busy at mealtimes (because she too, can be a handful when it comes to sitting at one spot for a full meal). Rate of success not guaranteed.

1 - Good ole paper and markers
We used to bring crayons but they're rather messy. It started out with me drawing stuff for her and progressed to her scribbling, and now she's drawing portraits :)

2 - Story books
Leave the hardcover ones at home and bring the lightweight ones. It's better to bring 3 short ones compared to one big one with many stories. I don't know about your 3 year old but mine has a short attention span and prefers big stories for the bedtime routine

3 - Play "I Spy"
Look out for funny things that you don't see everyday like waiters with bow ties or purple shoes

4 - Activity books
I used to scoff at books like these. What a waste of money, I thought. But now we have tons. She's graduated from sticker books to those 'trace the letter' kinds (she got them recently as a present and LOVED it), and today we introduced a whole book of mazes (you know, get from one point to the other kind) and she was really really into it.

5 - Cars
I don't know why but my girl has a thing for cars. Except when there are lots of boys around, for some reason. We have a cheapy set of cars (featured here) that are not allowed in the house because they go everywhere - hawker centre tables, pavements, airport floors. We bring one or two out with us and she just rolls them around on the table or booth seat.

Yes it's a tad bit more to carry compared to a slim little iPhone. But we're happy to do it :)

One Flew Over the Parrot's Nest (Or in other words, "A Visit to Jurong Bird Park")

2011-11-11T22:52:00.011+08:00

You know Jurong Bird Park. It's the place that houses the highest man-made waterfall in the world. It's one of those facts you learnt in Primary School, and though that might have been a long time ago (for me at least), you may be pleased/shocked to learn that that record has yet to be beaten.

Anyway. When faced with the question of "Where do we bring our out of town guests?", many would recommend the Zoo. Which is a gorgeous place. But you know, so is the Bird Park. Yes, we're all afraid of our heads being mistaken as bird pottys, but if you've not been there for a long time, you'll be very surprised.

Many don't think about the Bird Park. They just shun it or pretend it doesn't exist or whatever. It hardly makes the list when people plan day trips. In fact, when we asked around if anyone wanted to join us, we had a mix of "No way, it's boooooooring!", "Thanks, I'm getting my hair washed", "Why would you want to go there?!" and plain "No.". I have a feeling that many still think the Bird Park is still in its unglorified, tak glam, 1980's "BEFORE" stage:

BEFORE - The Bird Park is older than I am, and looks it (think Ugly Betty)

AFTER - It's really really changed alot since it's joined up with the Zoo and Night Safari to form Singapore's Animal Escapade of sorts. It now looks young and hip, and not tired and boring *I'm thinking of hooking up with the Zoo and Night Safari myself really soon* (Think Megan Fox)

Poppy practiced a little for the next Youth Olympic Games
while we waited for our dates to arrive

The girls and the new cool time telling devices. Thanks Gwyneth!

Frequent visitors to the Zoo may realise that it's often undergoing renovation at some enclosure or place or other. It's the same with the Bird Park; there've been many many changes since our last visit more than a year ago. I have to admit, that I wasn't too impressed the last time round, but today, we really enjoyed ourselves.

Visitor Info
- The closest MRT station is Boon Lay *but we met at Jurong East, and split a cab - fare was about $7*

- The Bird Park opens from 8.30am till 6pm

- Tickets cost $18 per adult and $12 per child (those under 3 go free), panorail rides are at $5 per adult and $3 per child

First on our list - the penguin feeding session!
And the lovely penguin/puffin keeper is our friend, Auntie Angelin.
What a super cool job, no?
(I mean seriously, it's cool.
She gets to wear a winter coat to feed the other penguins in the enclosure)

380 bird species, 4,600 birds in beautiful enclosures and 4 large walk-in aviaries...
but the girls preferred to be entertained by their shadows and play 'Let's be bus drivers!'
Imagination. Gotta love it!

After lunch, they found a kind stranger and hitched a ride

But a free ride? No way. The girls were in charge of navigation

I have to admit that I somehow get a little yawny during the Zoo shows. Perhaps it is because it's the same shows that I've seen for years, and only the trainers have changed. But this was my first show at the Bird Park and man, was I impressed. How cute that the first thing that greeted us was a swarm of graceful flamingoes that strutted elegantly on the stage, sans trainers. Oh the audience was wild with excitement.

And YOU think you have difficult in-laws

It's official. Gywneth and Poppy are taller than the second largest specie of penguins

Ahh... the panorail. Where we enjoyed the cool air con. And the lovely views of course.
And if I may, ahem, a "bird's eye view"

Verdict: Give it a chance, y'all. It's not as crowded as the Zoo, and it's really a good excuse for a family day trip. Some may argue that it's smaller, so 'not worth their time', but hey, if you're travelling with kids, then surely you don't expect to complete the entire compound, catch all the shows and visit all the exhibits in one day do you? I dare say we saw half the attractions, at most.

After 3 years of parenthood, I've learnt that it's better to enjoy your child and let her enjoy her time doing things like laughing at her funny shadow on the wall (which could have been done at home, thus saving you some money), or dancing on a make-shift platform, than have her remember her visit to the Bird Park as "Mummy yelling 'Ok hurry let's go see the flamingoes now!' and 'Walk faster, the hawk show is about to start! Quick!'". Yes, ommm is the word, not grease.

It may not show very clearly, but in honour of today, Poppy wore her flamingo t-shirt

Crafternoons with Poppy: Christmas Cards!

2011-11-10T10:22:00.005+08:00

It's beginning to feel like Christmas!

We saw this lovely sight yesterday at our craft session at home. Poppy and Leo locking hands for a long time, she holding him, and him allowing her to. And then we realised that Poppy was simply trying to prevent Leo from eating the sequins/messing up the girls' craft table :)

We made two kinds of Christmas cards yesterday. With the help of their mums, the girls threaded their star cards with yarn - Poppy still loves lacing, Livvy really enjoyed her first attempt, and Gwyn was happy to delegate the task to mum.

But this, they really loved. You can't go wrong with girls and sequins. It's really quite magical to see falling snow, even if it's just in a little plastic bag on a Christmas card. We wonder who the lucky recipients of these cards will be!

You Got a Fast Car, I Want a Ticket to Anywhere

2011-11-08T21:44:00.006+08:00

I got my drivers licence when I was 21. But I am a horrible driver. Wait, let me rephrase that. I am an OK driver but I don't like driving. I don't like the stress of driving. There are people who enjoy the peace and quiet that driving gives them but I hate the idea of being responsible for the LIVES of passengers in my car. I mean seriously, that is a HUGE responsibility. And with a child on board? Goodness, I'd have to play I Spy and sing The Wheels on the Bus and keep my eye on the road? I know I'm a woman and women can multi task but this is really pushing it, sista.

But I am a horrible parker. And that is the truth. I absolutely cannot parallel park. I don't just dislike it, I detest it, and I cannot do it. I would go as far as to get out of my car and ask another driver (a stranger) to do it for me. But thank goodness I drove a little car without a backside (the car, not me), and my driving record is 100% clean.

Poppy on the other hand, is a fabulous, and sometimes reckless, driver. She often swerves on two wheels on her tricycle, squealing away at the thrill. She would probably be in one of those "How does she do that?" kind of videos where drivers manage to park (parallel, thank you very much) in a tight parking lot on the opposite side of the road with one quick turn.

But she is still very much a girl. And girls, as we know, tend to see cars differently from guys.

Exhibit 1:

Photo: roadfly.com

She saw one of these a while ago and immediately gave me a worried look and tugged at my skirt very urgently. "Mama, what happened to that car? It has no roof! The people will get wet! Oh no!"

Exhibit 2:

Photo: jaguar-xj.info

We saw one of these beauties this morning on the way to playschool. Again, a little bit of tugging on my hand, followed by an excited, "Mama look! That car has an apple between the headlights! An apple car!!!"

Parenting Tips from The Upside Down House

2011-11-07T00:44:00.003+08:00

Hi from our Upside Down Home.

It's a night where I am typing on a tiny IKEA Mammut chair, seated at a tiny IKEA Mammut table, in Poppy's room. It's a night where Max's long legs are hanging over the arm of our sofa as he watches 24 on his laptop which, from its position now, should really be called 'stomachtop'.

There was a little bladder accident that happened during Poppy's nap which resulted in the mattress not being able to dry by the time she was ready for bed. I suggested she sleep in her play tent but her very concerned father says that it wouldn't be a good thing (despite it looking incredibly comfortable to me with pillows and stuffed toys and a really thick mattress) because it hadn't been dusted for a while. Which is why she is sleeping in our room, on our bed, while we are camping out like fugitives.

So what does one do when one can't sleep but doesn't really feel like attacking the pile of working that's mostly due in a week's time? One surfs for all kinds of nonsense. Like funny parenting quotes from possibly real life parents. Enjoy, and goodnight

When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they're finished, I climb out.~Erma Bombeck

We spend the first twelve months of our children's lives teaching them to walk and talk and the next twelve telling them to sit down and shut up.~Phyllis Diller

Many parents are finding out that a pat on the back helps develop character - if given often enough, early enough, and low enough.~Author Unknown

Having one child makes you a parent; having two makes you a referee.~David Frost

Always be nice to your children because they are the ones who will choose your rest home.~Phyllis Diller

I’ve noticed that one thing about parents is that no matter what stage your child is in, the parents who have older children always tell you the next stage is worse.~Dave Barry

Never underestimate a child’s ability to get into more trouble. ~ ~Martin Mull

Entertainment on the Go

2011-11-06T23:47:00.006+08:00

Us non-iPhone folk have it tough. We constantly have to find new ways of entertaining our little ones. We don't drive so don't have the excuse of not being able to entertain our kids due to the need to concentrate on the roads. And which 3 year-old wants to sit quietly on a long train ride anyway? Especially if most of it is spent underground, right? Well, not mine at least.

I got this idea from this book. It's a baby's board book actually but Poppy's only been recently introduced to Peppa, and I was really excited when I found this at the library. In the book, Peppa and her friends go on a train ride, and their teacher gives them activity sheets, and they're supposed to look out for specific things (for them it was a boat, a tunnel, and a signal post).

What a wonderful idea! Poppy likes playing "I Spy" anyway, so this just meant I had to pre-spy the objects and print them out on paper for her to find after. So I kept the idea in mind for our upcoming long (don't ask how long) plane ride. But today while Poppy napped, I thought I'd test the waters first.

We were due for a visit to my parents' place, which is a rather long train ride away. So I thought of 8 objects that were both easily found both on the train and on the outside. We had the following:

- Bridge
- Lamppost
- Ambulance
- Blue cap
- Brown bag
- Red shoe
- Tree
- Traffic light

In the book, we read about the kids ticking off the boxes once they found the items. And when I asked Poppy to tick them on her piece of paper, I realised that she didn't know what a tick was :) Sometimes we tend to forget that our kids don't know everything and what a big responsibility it is for us to teach them these things.

So I started off by telling her about the game on our way to the train station. She got really excited about it. Then as we waited for the train I showed her the list of things, and we spelt them out. When we came to "ambulance" (the only thing we didn't spot), she said "Wow, what a long word" :)

She had a lot of fun, and honestly, so did I. I intend to do this when we go to the beach or parks as well! Go on, try it out with your kids, and remember to choose items that they already know and like. But if you'd like to test it out with our list, feel free to drop me a line and I'll be happy to send it to you.