You can see but you can’t touch

It’s been 2 weeks since mom came but bb S still has not warmed up to her. She cries every time being left alone with mom. She doesn’t allow mom to carry her though she would tease mom by smiling coyly to her.

“Do I have thorns??”, asks mom everyday...

Perhaps mom speaks louder than the rest of us, due to her somewhat impaired hearing in one of her ears.

Everyday bb S gets an earful from M and I, “encouraging” her to be friendly to Ah Poh.

It’s a frustrating but only time will help.  Hopefully this will not be a reason for mom to change her mind being bb’s caregiver…

Chicken pox, take 2

As much as I love to stay at home with bb S, having chicken pox is not my ideal reason to be home bound! Despite a full-blown experience during my teens, I’ve been poxed again!

First reaction from me: Gosh, I just kissed bb S before I went to the doc!

First reaction from M: you need to move out!

First reaction from mom: I told you it’s chicken CHOP

A colleague SMS me after hearing the news:-

Colleague: “Oh dear. Try not to be too stressed ya”

SK: “How do you know I’m stressed?”

Colleague: “Because I’m married for almost 20 years and have 2 young kids :) Do remember to count to 10 and take a deep breath when u feel a little frustrated…”

He is right. I’m a bit stressed. Doc said that it’s too late to quarantine myself as everyone at home would have been  exposed to me. I really don’t wish to be patient zero and believing that His protection is on the household as well as everyone else that had contact with me past two days…

Personalised wedding

We attended a nice wedding over the weekend. How thoughtful of the bride to remember bb S and assigned a place card of her own. I hardly attended any wedding with place cards although I’ve seen lots from wedding magazines and almost wanted to have  it for my own wedding.  It’s a lovely gesture. Tedious and lots of planning involved, but I think it’s worth the while to make the guests feel special…

xoxo,

Wedding Nazi.

Plain joy

Babies are easily entertained.  A plain red stacking cup does a better job than a teddy bear, at any time!

Happy Thursday

Two more days before the weekend. Yay! Sharing a few blogs that I follow and hope you like them too…Have a great day!

• I have seen thousands of photographs of cupcakes but I am totally amazed by these cupcakes in An Open Sketchbook. I wished I can draw…
• Wedding planning is still very close to my heart. The wedding photography, gowns, flowers, favours, decor here make me dream of being a bride again every other day…
• Someday, I may share a mother-daughter-blog with bb S as I realise my unfulfilled dreams in my retirement years while she spreads her wings living her life to the fullest.

Perfect conscience

Today’s meditation: Perfect conscience.

Things may not be perfect in our lives, work, stress, family etc but we just have to be aware that we are still PERFECT and RIGHTEOUS because of what Jesus has done on the cross. Perfect consciousness is not making sure that we have no sins or mistakes in our lives. It is not about keeping an 'upright' attitude or being 'right'. It is KNOWING that we are RIGHT because of what He has done, and not because of what we can or cannot do. We plunge knowing that He is our safety float.

Quack quack!

Caitlin is ONE. Gosh. Wasn’t it just a few months ago when I blogged about her arrival?? Hate to use this cliche line - time flies!!

It was a well thought rubber ducky pool party.

   

Lots of fun. Lots of kids.

Great food from Yellow Light.

Lurve the cake from Strictly Pastry!

As usual, the girls lived up to the standard with our YELLOW thematic’ attire  

My favourite among the lot- birthday girl in her new Mini!!

Kodak moment

  

I’m hoping to create a father-daughter-photo album that captures the best shots of father-daughter-time which I can present to bb S one day…

40 things

I grabbed this book from HK airport, with the intention to give it to a friend. The direct translation of the title: 40 to do’s of a happy woman. I couldn’t help but read it first. It’s a nice b0ok! I think I shall not give it to the friend but lend it to all my girlfriends because everyone should have a read.  It’s NOT A SELF-HELP book with the 7 effective must do’s but it serves as a reminder for us, women – to enjoy our ‘womenhood’, to know our privileges, and to live life happily…

Some excerpts…

 

Travelling = essentials in life such as air and water. I like the way the author describes travelling as falling in love over and over again with OURSELVES – the gush of joy and satisfaction that we get as we discover new places, culture and people.

 

The most expensive cosmetic in the world – self confidence.   Inner beauty is the focus.

A woman can still be happy without a man.  Blissfulness is not confined to couples.

Girlfriends - our lifetime wealth.  A true girlfriend doesn’t question about the eligibility of your man, but only ask you “does he love you enough?” 

Simplicity = happiness.  Contentment =happiness.

My favourite and self explanatory!

Gratitude walk

I hope we can maintain our daily 15-minute after-work-stroll with bb S, hopefully three times a week – to substitute the non-existence exercise regime :) I call this gratitude walk because it’s little blessings like these that I am thankful for. The slow walk, recounting our days at work, showing bb S the birds in the sky, nosing into new neighbours who have just moved in or re-constructing their homes… 

One day at a time

After much thought over the last few weeks (in fact, months), struggling to find the best option for bb S ‘care’ arrangement, we finally decided to take her out from school (for 9  months) and turn to my mom and in laws for help. Evidently, her immunity has improved after staying at home for the past 1.5 months.

Quitting school (for now) is a tough decision because it involves complex coordination from various parties:-

1. my mom commuting to and fro Sg, having breaks in between to prevent cabin fever
2. accommodating my in laws’ medical appointments and travel plans
3. potential risk of my helper pulling another want-to-change-employer stunt on us
4. me taking days off work

The control freak in me drew up a month-by-month PLAN from now till end June 2011, incorporating leaves, allocation of ‘duty’ weeks between my mom and in laws, and hopefully still able to squeeze in two short holidays. The ultimate deadline: 1 July 2011, the day bb S re-enters school with a STRONGER immunity! Cynics may snigger at my idealism but there’s no harm hoping for the best.

I know there’s no ‘perfect’ plan but this is the best that we can work around, I’ll just leave the rest to Him as I’m exhausted planning and worrying.

"So don't be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time."  Matthew 6:34

Saturday Flowers

Recently I realised another key difference between my mom and I. She loves to go marketing and she does it DAILY with great joy. I hate marketing. BUT for the love of fresher produce, I wake up early during the weekends and take a 15-minute drive to the nearest wet market from our house.

Why do I hate it?

1) To beat the crowd to get a parking lot, the sweet spot to arrive at the market is 7.30am;

2) To avoid the flocks of aunties cutting queue at the meat stall, I have to be at the stall before 8am;

3) To avoid being squeezed around at the vegetable stall (my last stop, usually), I have to be there by 830am.

Oh, not forgetting the 50 people queue just to buy my fish ball bee hoon soup!

Today, I found my fix for this stressful chore. FLOWERS. Never fail to cheer me up! I look forward to next weekend. Gerberas? Lilies? I wonder if they have Hydrangeas…

S = Six

Before bb S, I was an “S” and occasionally “XS”. Now I am “M” and occasionally “L”. I still have 6kg to go. I tried exercise but always distracted by work, travel and irresistible lunch plans with friends. I tried dieting but always succumbed to delicious home cook food at end of the day!  As I am typing this, I’m gobbling up some famous Otah from Jln Kayu…

I need divine intervention.

But then again, in a bigger scheme of things, six is just a number, a small number :)

It’s tickle time!

A merry heart does good, like medicine.

-Proverbs 17:22

Nine to five

At nine months, five new updates.

• Still wakes up at night for feed
• We would like to think that when she says d..i..r..t..y.. she meant daddy
• She gets excited seeing other babies/kids/toddlers
• Loves her sumptuous porridge comprising fish, meat, broccoli, sweet potatoes, potatoes, spinach… 3x a day
• She is frequently being paraded with stunts like  “hands up”, “clap your hands”, “high-five”

Home sweet home

I’m GLAD to be home. After a few short haul trips here and there over the past 2 weeks, missing putting bb S to sleep a few nights, I am ready to call this place my home… It’s good to be back with MY family. Took me 10 years to make Singapore my home while Penang is my childhood home, a place still very close to heart.

The Chinese character calligraphy in the picture was a gift from the talented Jody. ‘Man’ or FULL in English was inspired by Psalm 23:5 - You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over .

Yes, my cup runs over is what I want to see in my home. Contentment. Filled. Full. Overflow with joy and good things.

Fuss-free family portrait

I love this made-believe family portrait of ours. The parents are thin, young and beautiful.

Black & white gospel

The other night we had a mini preaching session in our back yard.

Key preachee: My dad – a staunch Buddhist who believes that his after-life is dependant on his ‘good deeds’ in this life. He hopes that one day I’ll follow him in Buddhism…

Main preacher: My aunt (wife of uncle 2, my cousin E’s mother). Being born in a Christian family and married into a non-Christian family, her life-long hope is to see every family member gets saved.

 

Supporting preachers: Cousin E, M and I.  We chipped in every now and then, letting my aunt rest :)

  

Spill over preachee: My sis – never really admits if she believes in Jesus but has no objection whenever we teach her kids about Jesus love.

 

At the end of the night, dad thanked my aunt for sharing with him but insisted that it’s ‘too easy’ to believe that Jesus can forgive any sin one has, past, present, future. He thinks that one has to do more…

It’s ok. At least we had the chance to plant the seed.

Oh ya, my little nephew who came in and out of the back yard to check us out. Maybe he was a spill over preachee too…