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.