On blogging

It's getting hard for me to maintain my blog, partly because I spend a lot of time on Facebook (in addition to my other usual online activities), and partly because I realise I am always lacking in inspiration to blog.

Hence encouraging Rayzel to update HER blog is rather ineffectual on my part. But recently she's learnt that she can make it a nature blog as well. She is interested in biology, and knows how to google for things. So all that's left for her to master is how to sift the important bits from the pages and pages of information that is out there, to arrange and edit them into something sensible and flowing. And, to upload images. Now this has kept her going for a bit, we'll see how things turn out. It helps that she writes everything out in her notebook before actually blogging. Gives her an idea of how long the post is, and whether she needs more info to put in.

She badly needs to improve on her typing skills, but it's nothing that more practice (and not computer games) will not help. I don't believe in going for typing classes really.

Facebook

Upon egging from a couple of good friends, I finally got myself onto Facebook.

The best thing is, I found a lot of old friends, from Secondary school even. Even if we don't message each other much, at least it's easy to see what they're up to.

Originally I thought there was no point in getting a Facebook account because I never login to my Friendster. But now I see the difference - Friendster's dead.

And I am absolutely hooked on Parking Wars! Gotta go check on my cars...

Our Tiger crashed!!!

I never thought this would happen, but it did. Thankfully I seemed to have a premonition about a week before, and backed up most of my important files. However, after the crash, I realised that I'd forgotten quite a number of OTHER important files, argh!

After consulting a few people, we decided to just let it go and reformat the thing. So here I am, trying to catch up on quite a lot of stuff. I was toying with getting a MacBook, but since the eMac is up again, that'll just have to wait (no excuse lah).

HDB 1st appointment

So we have finally reached this stage. Our dream of moving out of here and into our own place (again) is just around the corner!

We expect things to be completed by mid-Oct, after which we will do VERY minor renovations and begin shifting our stuff over before the grand move.

Christmas in the new home, YAY!

Teachers' Day Celebration Performance

The Parent Volunteers of Temasek Primary put up 3 items for this - Line Dance, Skit and Bhangra. I was in the dance items, and it was FUN! I didn't realize how much I missed dancing, from my experiences in church last time and also in uni days. Glad to know I still have my sense of rhythm and ability to remember steps. Figure is a sore spot though.

And this is my first touch with Bhangra, I must say I like it very much. Wearing a Punjabi costume was also a first, very classy! Big thanks to Gina who lent me her $300 suit, I was real afraid I'd tear it or something. Photo coming soon...

They are asking for participation in another Bhangra dance item for the Children's Day celeb, I'm very tempted.

Another baby!

I was awfully glad to hear that Sam, my ex-boss and benefactor, has birthed her fourth child. Time to rejoice my dear! We are all rejoicing with you! Congratulations!

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply...(attenuated)"
~Genesis 1:28

End of Swimming lessons

We are stopping lessons for Ray. She starts crying whenever she thinks about them, although she was fine at the start, during the earliest phases of breathing, kicking drills. Now that the coach is making her swim in water that is slightly out of her depth, she's very afraid and cries. She cried practically all through her last lesson.

So after talking with her about it, we have decided to stop temporarily and wait till she's either a little taller or has built up her confidence. I'm at my wits' end for now.

House-hunting update

We've found a 5-room flat in Pasir Ris between Loyang Pt and the police station, street 21. Now waiting for the HDB appointment.

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

It's the Lunar Seventh Month, the 4 weeks of the year when there will be a persistent smell of burning in the air... Thanks to my asthma, this is also the month when I train myself for the Olympic Games event - Breath-holding Till You Get Out Of Range.

This is a hilarious instrumental version by the Muppets (how I miss that show).

Maccha ice cream

We saw this at FairPrice on Monday, in the ice cream section. $6.11
for a box of 6 cups, great taste, value for money!

All clear

PHEW..................

I wonder what happened though.

Day Forty Five

*gulp*

Oh no, I hope not. Give myself one more week before making a trip to the pharmacy.

Crouching Wolf Hidden Pig

I learnt this from the Yang Sisters tonight. LMAO!

Once upon a time there were three little pigs from 峨嵋派，and a big bad wolf from 武当派。One day, the big bad wolf went to find the three little pigs to challenge them to a kungfu fight. The three little pigs said, "Ok, don't waste time. Let's fight."

THE END.

A Story on Generosity

Late one evening, an old woman, dressed in dirty and torn clothes, came to a town. She came first to a rich man's house and knocked on his door. When the door was opened, the old woman asked for some food and drink and a place to rest the night.

"What a dirty old woman!" said the rich man. "We have nothing to give you, for times are hard and what we have we must save for ourselves. Go away, and don't come back."

The old lady begged the rich man to give her some water at least, for she was very tired and thirsty, but the door was slammed shut in her face.

She came next to a poor man's house. When the door was opened, the old woman asked for some food and drink and a place to rest the night.

"Certainly, old mother!" said the poor man. "We do not have much, for we are poor and have five children, but whatever we have you are welcome to take as much as you need."

And so speaking, the poor man and his wife sat the old woman down at the table, set a steaming bowl of food before her, and after dinner, gave her their bed while they shared a room with their children.

The next morning, the poor man and his family woke up to find the old woman gone, but a letter was left on the bed where she had slept. The letter read:

"Where the rich man had much to spare but little heart to give, you had little but gave much. From now on, whatever you do will prosper, and all blessings will be upon your family."

And indeed, from then on, the poor man's harvest was always plentiful, and his family always had enough to eat and plenty to spare. They always made sure to help other folks who were poor or in need, and this included the rich man's family, who had lost their riches overnight and were reduced to begging on the streets.

Questions for discussion
1. Was the rich man generous? Did he give the old woman what she needed? What did he say?
2. Was the poor man like the rich man? Did he give the old woman what she needed or more? What could he have done instead?
3. Is it better to give or to keep everything for yourself? Why?
4. When was the last time you gave something to someone else without asking for anything in return? Give an example.
5. Give an example of how we can give to others who are poor and needy.

SPARKS

I signed up to be a parent volunteer in Ray's school and was assigned to SPARKS (School Parents Are Reinventing Kids' Skills).

SPARKS is a supplementary programme facilitated by PVs for pupils in P1. It happens during the one hour of Contact Time, when the teachers and principal have their weekly meeting.

How SPARKS began
Long long ago (8 years), some parent volunteers were very surprised to find the P1 and P3 children running round and round in the hot sun during contact time. All the teachers were in the meeting and the school was left to only the prefects to keep in order. So they suggested conducting a programme where parent volunteers take charge of the classes and teach them life skills and values through different elements of education.

And so SPARKS was born. VOICE (I'm not sure what it stands for) is the programme for the P3 classes, it is more structured and PVs have to go for some training.

Because I had to look after Ruvie, I couldn't go for SPARKS during the first term. However, I managed to coax him to attend to Nursery at Ray's old kindy, so now I have some free time to do SPARKS. I began in the 2nd term.

It is fun, although at first I got rather overwhelmed when dealing with 6- and 7-year-olds who are as yet unfamiliar with self-discipline and patience. Usually there are 2 PVs attached to a fixed class, but there was one lesson where, due to shortage of staff, I was on my own with my class. I'd almost lost my voice by the end of that SPARKS lesson.

By the end of this term, my class has come to know me better, and I can remember at least half of their names. I think it's got a lot to do with understanding the other party's capabilities and character, and adjusting of expectations. I'm also helping the management team in organising activities for the next term.

I think if schedules permit next year, I will continue to volunteer for SPARKS. It's sad that half of the PVs are volunteering to get their child into the school the next year, and out of the regulars, a few are not-so-regular. Of course, everyone has their commitments, as do I, but I've learnt that having a permanent teacher attached to a class is really more beneficial than changing the teacher at every lesson. Much like caring for a young baby.

Here's to the next term of SPARKS.

Meatballs

I was hunting for a better meatball recipe after my first batch failed (quite some time ago), and after browsing a few on Allrecipes, here's my final. These are absolutely scrumplicious!

Ingredients:
1 kg ground beef (or substitute half pork)
2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 red onion, finely minced
3 - 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup water
Butter for frying

Method:
In a large bowl, mix beef, bread crumbs, cheese, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, before adding eggs to incorporate. Add water, mix well. Form meat mixture into balls slightly smaller than golf balls, about 50 balls.
Over med-high heat, melt butter in a wok or frying pan. Brown balls in batches, remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Let cool, then split into batches and store in freezer.
To reheat, set oven to 180 deg C and bake balls 10 - 15min.

Yay, school is out!

No more schedules for me! For one month at least.

Stuff we have planned for the hols - trips to the Zoo, Bird Park, and Science Centre. We've been to all these places before, but the kids just want to go again and again. We haven't even covered the whole of the Science Centre yet.

The end of semester brought us all a very pleasant surprise - Ray's top in class. Praise to God. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the ranking in her report book. However, since the first semester makes up only 30% of the final grade for this year, she'll have to work hard to maintain her standard.

I can still remember all the frustration we went through with revision for the exams, especially with Mother Tongue. Argh. And so careless! With Maths, and even English. (Some of the P1 kids I know that are attending other schools don't even have exams! But my old school hasn't changed at all.)

We told ourselves not to expect too much, after all there were no exams or ranking in her kindergarten, and this kindy believes in making learning fun, so that children will not develop a fear of education. As long as she understood all the principles and passed, that would be enough.

Initially, we set a certain score for each subject, which if she reached, she would be given a special prize. But she said she didn't want it because she didn't want to work hard. Good grief!

She was given a book by the school to set her targetted grades in, and exceeded all of them beyond our expectations. Her highest percentage was in ---- Chinese! And not English as we expected.

Well done Ray. Have a happy hols, but don't forget you still have to help with chores.

The Maya Padded Slings are so beautiful

I just received a new batch of Maya Padded Slings this week, with an upgraded design (they listened to feedback and redesigned the shoulder area so it's more like the Moms In Mind sling now). It's definitely much more comfy than the Original Maya Wrap.

And I caught myself thinking as I was unpacking them, wish I had another baby right now so I can use those lovely colours!

Gulp. I read once on Asiaparents that women are able to forget the pain and intensity of childbirth, and we go on to have more children, especially after we see or carry a young baby from another family.

Ahhh... But I do not fear childbirth. Perhaps the only thing I would like about having another baby is the labour and childbirth itself. I want to have a successful VBAC, but Paul says chances are slim. My doulas think otherwise.

In any case, what I DO NOT want to go through again are
tandem nursing
the first year of EC
the struggle to lose weight and slim down (I'm still trying to do this!)
re-losing my "freedom" (now that kids are older, I have a little time to myself between sending and fetching them after school)
the worry about finances
guilt from neglecting the first 2 kids

AND not forgetting
Ruvie still so sticky to me
my business
CONFINEMENT (I'm not putting myself under my mom's control again about what to eat etc)
not enough rooms to split between the children
no more car after this one
insurance

Heave big sigh. So thanks but no thanks. We're stopping at 2. For the sanity of all of us. Unless, of course, God wants us to have one more, in which case I can't object. I take my hat off to Barbs, Pat, Serene, Sam, Rita, Pam!

开始缺乏智慧了

左边下部的牙龈好疼啊！

HL说他看到一个白白的东西要长出来，所以我想应该是吧。

看能拖多久才去看牙医。

Update: It was just an ulcer on the gum at the back, behind the last tooth, cleared up after about 4 days. Pshaw! And there I was getting excited over nothing. Lack of vitamin C.

Please pray for Jill

I just got to know that a friend's second daughter, who is only 2 years old, has been diagnosed with a rare type of kidney cancer. I was in tears after I read her announcement on the La Leche League Singapore site.

How heartrending it must be to see her very young child in pain, and have to go undergo all that chemo and take so many drugs to prevent the cells from spreading.

And again I told Rayzel (the first time was the school bus accident which took the life of a young boy), the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. We never know when we will leave this world, so better start getting your life right with God.

Dear Kelly, although I know you live your life in the hospital these days and won't have time to read this (probably don't even know about my blog), we are praying for you and your family. Please do not give up your hope and faith in our Lord Jehovah Rapha.

Aspartame

HL PLEASE READ THIS.

Aspartame is made of

1. Aspartic acid (which becomes aspartate in your body) - 40% by composition

Aspartate, a neurotransmitter, facilitates the transmission of information from neuron (nerve cell) to neuron, however, too much of it in the brain stimulates the neurons to death. The scariest thing about this is, you don't notice symptoms till at least 75% of your brain cells are gone.

2. Phenylalanine - 50%

This is an amino acid (basic protein compound) that is normally found in your brain. However, eating aspartame, especially together with carbohydrates, can lead to excessive levels of phenylalanine in your brain. So what? This can reduce the levels of serotonin, a hormone which regulates sleep and is also a neurotransmitter. Then you get sleep problems, anger, anxiety, and emotional disorders such as depression. Can also cause schizophrenia and make you more susceptible to seizures.

3. Methanol - 10%

Poison alert! Methanol is oxidised into formic acid and formaldehyde in your body. Formic acid leads to a rise in blood acidity, and formaldehyde, a toxin, allergen and carcinogen, is what we used to "fix" tissues for biology, or you can say to "preserve" the dead fish or whatever animal. I'm unable to check right now (dinner cooking downstairs) but IIRC formaldehyde is the main preservative used to "embalm" the cadavers for med students to do dissection. If you've been to the Body Works exhibition you'll remember there's a funny smell in the air - that's the formaldehyde. It stinks! And if you get some of it on your finger, the skin and underlying nerves will die. At least, that's what my tutor told me d:)

From Wikipedia - "An aqueous solution of formaldehyde can be useful as a disinfectant as it kills most bacteria and fungi (including their spores). It is also used as a preservative in vaccinations. Formaldehyde solutions are applied topically in medicine to dry the skin, such as in the treatment of warts. Many aquarists use formaldehyde as a treatment for the parasite ichthyophthirius."

Eew! As a preservative in vaccinations???

Symptoms of methanol poisoning include vision problems, headaches, dizziness, nausea, queasiness (did I get this word right?), weakness, numbness, memory lapses.

SO..... in WHAT can you find Aspartame?

Sugar substitutes eg. Equal, NutraSweet - use these to kill ants in your kitchen, hah!
Diet drinks eg. Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi
"Sugarless sweets" eg. Lakerol, Ricola, Eclipse (DH's current fav)
Chewing gum
Some brands of yogurt
Some vitamins (Redoxon!) and cough drops

So always check the INGREDIENTS on what you buy, "Sugar-free" may not necessarily be healthy, nor "Diet" foods and beverages. Don't eat or drink anything that has "Artificial Sweetener" on its ingredient list. Less calories but more toxins, is not the way to go.

(And they always taste very artificial.)

步入考试的忧虑

女儿上了小一，我们也开始为华文而烦恼。毕竟用华语跟孩子们沟通并不是我们家庭的习惯。

虽然她幼稚园的老师教得非常好，当时对华文字的认识与发音都从零而进步了许多，还是担心她应付不了小学的华文。

当然临时抱佛脚是没用的，可是这段期间我猛地在帮她补习。

喔！发现我真的对她不耐烦。她也常不专心，放空。竟然还在我解释的时候，用铅笔当着我的面，画画！

我必须告诉自己，别气，她只是个小孩子，心里当然想着玩耍。不能对她有太过分的要求。

我也是过来人，小学的华文根本就是一头污水。

一直到我开始收听华语电台，学唱华语歌，才开始对华文有更深厚的兴趣。

这几年来，也是靠收看台湾许许多多的节目， 因而扩大了自己的知识。真后悔，多希望小时候就能够与华文有更多的接触。

好头痛啊！希望，他们不会重蹈我覆辙。

The Dangers of Excessive Childhood Vaccinations

Got this from Mercola.com
By Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.

"I find it interesting that there exist an incredible double standard when it comes to our evidence versus theirs. The proponents of vaccination safety can just say they are safe, without any supporting evidence what-so-ever, and it is to be accepted without question.

Yet, let me, or anyone else, suggest that excessive vaccination can increase the risk of not only autism, but also schizophrenia and neurodegenerative diseases, and they will scream like banshees – Where is the evidence? Where is the evidence?

When we produce study after study, they always proclaim them to be insufficient evidence or unacceptable studies.

More often than not, they just completely ignore the evidence. This is despite the fact that we produce dozens or even hundreds of studies that not only demonstrate the link clinically and scientifically, but also clearly show the mechanism by which the damage is being done -- even on a molecular level. These include cell culture studies, mixed cell cultures, organotypic tissue studies, in vivo animal studies using multiple species and even human studies. To the defenders of vaccine safety -- our evidence is never sufficient and, if we face reality -- never will be."

I shudder whenever I think of those 5-in-1 and 6-in-1 vaccines. To give a vax is bad enough, but to give ALL these live and attenuated viruses AND their toxin-laden preservatives and additives into the young, young body of an infant younger than 6 months old, and THEN to repeat the darn thing at least twice over the course of the next year or so?? I wouldn't do it to myself, much less imagine doing it to my kids.

I confess that there was a time when I took all of this for granted, which is why Ray has got all her jabs ON TIME up to about 9 months of age (but never the 5 or 6-in-1). It MUST be okay because

1. it's been done for so many years

2. the government says it's ok

3. I had them and I'M fine

4. my parents are nurses and they know what's best

5. (this comes as an afterthought) I don't know anyone or their kids who has autism, ADHD, dyslexia etc. Heck I'd probably never even HEARD of these disorders at the time.

Then I met the right people, who taught me to think for myself and question the "facts" and BOOM! it all changed. (So much for the "thinking-out-of-the-box" I was supposed to have learnt in school.) I learnt to trust my natural instinct (heh!) and make my own deductions based on my own research (ok I didn't do any studies but I read the studies of others).

It's tough converting the people around me. Most of them have the exact same mindset that I used to have (see points 1 - 4 above), and old habits die hard. Few like to break out of their comfort zone. Even fewer dare to challenge the powers that be, in Singapore. In the end, I'm satisfied if I can at least have the final say over my own children. Thanks to Amy, who really taught me that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

F&N refuses to disclose source of Fresh Milk

I was doing some simple "research" on fresh milks available in Singapore recently, and found that most brands of fresh milk state their source of milk clearly on the carton. For example, Farmhouse is from Australia, Brownes is from Indonesia etc.

However, I checked a few times but never found the source for Magnolia Fresh Milk, possibly the most popular brand of fresh milk (and generally the most costly). So I decided to do some digging. I looked for the telephone number of F&N Singapore, distributor of Magnolia milks, and called their customer service hotline.

When the operator (or whomever) answered, I said I was calling to find out where their milk came from. So I was transferred to another person, a lady who asked me WHY I wanted to know their sources. Well, basically because I want to know where the milk I drink comes from, which country.

She replied that she was unable to disclose their sources, but it COULD come from a few different countries. I pursued by asking whether it is from the Australasia area or Indonesia, but her only reply was, "I cannot tell you". Dodgy, ain't it? She later said that countries may include Vietnam, Thailand and a few others, and that the milks come into Singapore and are packaged here after quality control.

So now I have a picture of different qualities of milk coming from different tubes into one central tank and getting all mixed up and swirled around. Ew.

In any case, I've never thought it was worth spending those extra cents on that brand, although Magnolia Fresh Milk always did taste good and has the longest shelf life for fresh milk. (Side note: does this mean that they pasteurise their milk beyond the usual temperatures? Another uh-oh). I used to get one carton of Fresh Milk and one Chocolate Fresh Milk (yeah yeah, I know it's got milk solids, but it IS yummy!) whenever there was a "2 for" offer, but since our Bangkok trip I've discovered Meiji Choc Milk which we all like (and is cheaper but has a shorter shelf life), so Magnolia has left our lives for some time.

So one of my short-term goals in life is, find a continuable source of RAW MILK, or at least get a taste of it.

Only Fermented Soy is Healthy

Non-fermented soy products such as whole soybeans (fresh or dry), soy milk and even tofu, are not good for us, because unfermented soy contains various toxic compounds:
#1 is phytic acid (phytates) which binds to certain minerals in our digestive system, hindering their absorption.
#2 is haemagglutin, which causes red blood cells to agglutinate and inhibits oxygen take-up.
#3 enzyme inhibitors - hinder protein digestion.
#4 but probably the worst - they contain high levels of isoflavones (aka phytoestrogens), which mimic and can block the oestrogen in our body.

Fermenting soy drastically reduces the level of isoflavones, reduces the phytic acid level, and also improves the essential amino acid composition in the soy product. It even creates natural probiotics! So what are the great soy products to eat?

1. Miso
2. Nattou (I've always wanted to try this but didn't have the guts)
3. Tempeh (something I never liked since young but will put aside my prejudice to try again)
4. Soy sauce (go for trusted brands of traditionally fermented soy sauce and beware of chemically processed ones)

Must limit myself to one cup of soy milk per week.

Sesame Street - Rubber Ducky

And here's Ernie's Rubber Ducky, for your benefit, kids.



OH!
Rubber Ducky
You're the one
You make bath time
Lots of fun!
Rubber Ducky
I'm awfully fond of you! (bobobodeo)

Rubber Ducky
Joy of joys
When I squeeze you you make noise
Rubber Ducky
You're my very best friend it's true

Every day
When I make my way to the tubby
I find a little fella who's
Cute and yella
And chubby
Rubba dub dubby!

Rubber Ducky
You're so fine
And I'm lucky that you're mine
Rubber ducky I'm awfully fond of you

Sesame Street - Somebody Come and Play

This is the original version of the song, by Joe Raposo



Somebody come and play
Somebody come and play today
Somebody come and smile the smiles
And sing the songs
It won't take long
Somebody come and play today

Somebody come and play
Somebody come and play my way
Somebody come and rhyme the rhymes
And laugh the laughs
It won't take time
Somebody come and play today

Somebody come with me and see the pleasure in the wind
Somebody see the time is getting late to begin

Somebody come and play
Somebody come and play today
Somebody come and be my friend
And watch the sun 'till it rains again
Somebody come and play today

So the US Government has conceded that Mercury does cause Autism

When will OUR government do the same? I have no idea how far behind we are on these issues (for example, do we still have thimerosal in our vaccines?) but I'm not counting on us being up-to-date enough.

*Flu shots contain thimerosal as a preservative.
* Thimerosal is 50% ethylmercury.

I am very thankful that Ray, who has had every recommended shot so far, shows no sign of adverse reactions. Ruvie has always been more sensitive to everything, so he's only just had the first 3 DTPs and we're now waiting for another year before the booster is administered.

In America, there are ways to legally avoid vaccines, such as the Religious Vaccine Exemption and the Philosophical Vaccine Exemption. What exemption grounds do we have? Allergy to thimerosal? Do we need a doctor's letter for that? I would really want Ruvie NOT to take the MMR. I am currently collating all the suggestions and experiences of other moms before me, and hoping I can find a way out of this situation.

I'm glad for one thing at least - HL supports me on this. It would be tough to choose to walk this way if I were alone.

UPDATE: Pat has reminded me that it's not just about mercury. What about Aluminium, another neurotoxin? If we're cracking down on all Aluminium cookware and such, what about Al in vaccines? I'm not sure whether this link is still working, but it's definitely worth reading.

And of course, there are the vaccines themselves. Live and/or attenuated viruses, all to be introduced into the immature immune system of a young child, preferably before the age of 2. Gulp.

Time of the month

There are a few days each month that I am always very happy, because although I get some discomforts such as cramps and backache, I am reminded again of how much I love my Mooncup, and how it has revolutionised my life.

Ever since puberty, I have had to deal with itches and broken skin, because my skin is very sensitive, even to my own bodily fluids. Ten years of sports training served to make that worse, and although tampons were available, I simply couldn't overcome the mental stigma to use them (it didn't help that getting to know my own body was more or less a taboo, so I had no idea where which part was).

I finally started using tampons sometime after the birth of my first child (heh heh, knew my parts better then), but the dangers of Toxic Shock Syndrome were always printed very clearly on the packaging, and you may be sure I never forgot them.

It was certainly a great relief to find the Mooncup just before I conceived my second child, but I held off on getting one at the time because I hoped to have a VBAC (didn't happen).

So here I am with my B Mooncup, having itch-free days, doing my part for the Earth, saving money for my dear husband, and setting a good example for my daughter (she knows where it goes). Only thing is I tend to forget to empty often enough on my heavy days, so dark-coloured underwear is a must.

Ok, I think it's almost time to empty again d:)

Thank you Ginny, for bringing in the Mooncup to Singapore so many years ago, and for allowing me to carry on this splendid tradition.

Another Milestone for us

My Ruvie will be officially attending Nursery at Changi Bethany Kindy, beginning tomorrow. Sniff sniff.

I brought him down today with his sister for a trial session as agreed with the new Principal (who was Ray's K2 English teacher, congratulations Principal Patsy! May the Lord bless you with the vision and passion which He has prepared for you, to lead this school, and may you bring it to greater heights under His guidance and will.)

At first, he began crying when he saw that there were little children in the classroom, and wanted to go back to the car, but I "manhandled" and carried him in. He sat on my knee with his fists in his eyes and refused to look at anything at all. Finally, Teacher Rose brought over an animal puzzle to tempt him with and we managed to get him to forget the others and begin to play. Shortly after that he was fine so Ray and I "escaped" to the office to enrol him officially.

When school was over, that little boy was smilingly holding onto his teacher's hand, and nodded his head when asked whether he'd like to come again tomorrow. Hallelujah!

For the next 2 school days I will still have to stay at the school, but outside the classroom, "just in case". Recalling Ray's first day at CBK, I didn't even stay with her. We took the school bus together, then before I handed her over to the teacher I told her to follow instructions and I would meet her when the school bus brought her home. And that was that. But then she's always been very independent, and had already made a friend on that first trip to school, so there was no need to worry.

I will seriously be entering that juggling phase that I've seen my friends go through, most notably Rita, heh heh. Bring #1 and #2 to pick #3 from school , then send #1 to school then #2 to school, then go to ILs to pick up #4, then to the office/shop, or some such. I've always marvelled at how well-thought-out their schedules were!

I will really get some "free time" inbetween, so I hope to take up some volunteer work with Ray's school, signed up so long ago but have had no chance so far to really participate.

Here's to the next mile!

Time to say Goodbye to my Bosch washer

Since December last year, my faithful Bosch 5kg washer has been tripping up the whole house's electricity. At first, after restoring the trip we could still use it, but with this current wet season, it's happening every time we try to use it, and today, it's just running longer than 5 secs without tripping.

Our repairman said it's due to the moisture in the air (tis true, only on rainy days), but after hearing that it's about 5yo (we got it when we moved to staff quarters in 2003), he says he will have to come and take a look and advise us duly.

But we highly suspect that it's time to bury it in peace. We're now looking at the Bosch WAA12165. I can't find its specs on the net! Only lists and lists of product models (some in Arabic I think), and no product specs page. Bosch International's website is also not giving me the info I need, neither is Bosch Singapore. Argh!!

But I like the image d:) Only thing is it's bigger this time - 5.5kg, so... costs more lor.

Update 19 Mar: 'Tis good to have a washer again. I realised as I was hanging up my first load, that I get depressed when I can't get my laundry done, or haven't done any for at least 3 days. Now that loads are getting cleared, I'm a very happy woman!
p.s. i probably sing best when i'm hanging up the laundry.

Egg cartons

My family buys 10 eggs on average of once a week and we end up with all these plastic egg cartons. They're not recyclable (no recycling marking) so the only thing I can think of is to return them to the egg farms so they can be reused.

However, doing that will cost time, money and effort, so I'm wondering whether I can strike up an agreement with one or other of the egg farms, to give me a certain discount off a new packet of eggs for every carton that I return to them. Or perhaps with Fairprice (I'm pretty sure Sheng Siong can't be bothered to do much about conservation).

In return, the farm can be assured of my loyalty to their brand, and I can also help spread the word. After all, every bit of conservation helps, and I expect there are millions of plastic egg cartons being throw away each day.

I do wish that there are predecessors I can consult though.

Tiramisu

I watched this on a David Rocco's Dolce Vita last year I think. His has alcohol but mine doesn't. Easy to make, easy to remember and so unbelievably yummy! Valentine's Day is coming...

Ingredients:
5 egg yolks
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tub (500g) mascarpone cheese
5 egg whites
About 30 ladyfinger biscuits
2 cups espresso (unsweetened)
Cocoa powder or chocolate shavings for garnishing

Method:
In a medium bowl, beat yolks and sugar till lemony. Thoroughly mix in mascarpone cheese.
In a large glass or ceramic bowl (no plastic bowls), beat eggwhites till stiff peaks. Fold in yolk mixture.
Dip half of the ladyfinger biscuits quickly into the coffee (do not soak) and use them to line the bottom of an 8X8" baking dish or cake pan. Spread half of the egg mixture over the bottom layer of biscuits. Repeat with remaining biscuits and egg mixture. Cover with clear wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Sprinkle with chocolate shavings or dust thickly with cocoa powder before serving.

Blocked duct!

After almost 7 years of breastfeeding, here I am with a blocked duct, which I have no idea came from where. There were no signs of blebs or blisters, nor have our nursing patterns changed. But I had some pain in the nipple the last couple days when Ruvie nursed, and today when I was having my shower, I felt a sharp stab of pain when I was washing.

Heavens! Hiding sinisterly on the underside like a scheming serpent, was a swollen duct, right to the base of my breast. Upon massaging, it seemed to be clear nearer the nipple, but was there was quite a big lump at the source.

So begins my nightmare. I have always been afraid of plugged ducts, and vividly remember the early days of nursing Ray when I was so engorged and had to see a Lactation Consultant (Sister Linda Ho, thank you!). I also had a blockage just after I weaned Ray, about 3 years ago. That one did lead to mastitis, but thankfully, the fever didn't last very long and the whole thing was over pretty soon (though not soon enough for me).

As anyone who has nursed a baby for at least 6 months will know, once you have a blocked duct, the sooner you clear it the better. It will NOT just go away on its own. Ray and HL have both helped to massage the blockage, but the very last bit is just not going away yet. I'm hoping Ruvie will do HIS bit tonight and keep nursing that side (he's always changing sides every 30 secs).

Ahh... Breastfeeding is a rocky road indeed.

We are shopping for a HDB flat

And it's crazy!!! Everyone's asking for cash terms of $40K but most are closing at about $35K. We have a rather low budget for the cash price, but now are willing to increase it if we can find one with less renovation for us to change, eg. flooring, bathroom tiles.

Meanwhile, it's fun and exciting to think and plan for the kitchen, bathrooms, and wardrobe. Our IKEA catalogue is getting rather beat up.

Fused Plastic Bag Tote side 2

Right I am unable to put more than one image in one post because I'm uploading them via Flickr, so here's the other side of the tote. Featuring Ruvie and Dad, courtesy of Ray.

I am so gonna use it when I next go grocery shopping... tomorrow, hiak hiak.

Now working on making another, taller tote with a larger base, better for groceries.

Fused Plastic Bag Tote side 1

My very first try at making a tote out of fused plastic bags. The bag
itself is from those HUGE red plastic bags my potties come in, and
the handles are from Xmas season Fairprice grocery bags. The silver
flower is the inside of our fav Nong Shim Korean noodles wrapper, and
the doodles are courtesy of Ray.

Practical Tips to Reuse your Plastic Bags

Kitchen and wastepaper bin liners

Protect your table when doing art and craft projects. Cut the bags up so you can lay them flat.

Shoe covers for wet/muddy places - put your whole foot, shoe and all, into the bag and tie the handles around your leg snugly.

Variation of the above - if you need to put on wet shoes or boots, put a plastic bag over the driest layer (socks or foot) to keep your feet dry.

Donate them to your local library so they can give out to patrons to carry their borrowed books / movies / CDs in (still checking up on whether Sg libraries will accept)

Donate them to your local thrift store eg. Cash Converters

Fuse a few sheets together under a sheet of paper to make a Tyvek sheet (a thicker plastic material) and use the result to make reusable shopping bags, wallets, cushion covers, waterproof linings for wet bags etc. Instructions at
http://mooneatsun.blogspot.com/2007/09/fused-plastic-bags-tutorial.html

Make a "bean-bag" out of plastic bags in a cloth exterior

Make a sock ring or napkin ring by twisting it then joining the ends neatly. Works well as towel rings too.

Tear them into strips to make a ball of plastic bag yarn, then crotchet your yarn into bags, coasters, rugs and more!
http://www.myrecycledbags.com/category/plastic-bag-crafts/

Please let me know if you know other neat ways of reusing your plastic bags.

The Kimchi Dragon

Behold, this lovely urn has henceforth been christened The Kimchi Dragon. There are two dragons on it, facing a golden ball (you can just see it at the left side of the urn), or as Ray described it, "they're playing together, with the sun." I needed a large clay, glass or ceramic jar (no plastic containers please) to hold the kimchi for the first 3 days before portioning it and putting into the fridge. This urn is the perfect size and look for 1 large head of Napa cabbage, but I do wish it had a lid.

Kimchi 韩国泡菜

This has been perfuming the house since this afternoon. Wow... can't wait the 3 days to taste it. Right now it's still rather sweet. Accepting orders d:)