Primary 1 first time in March 2011

April brought back home this piece of test schedule last Friday. Despite only 4 subjects to be tested in this semester, there is quite a lot of preparation to do for this whole week. One subject is divided into 2 papers, one paper is to test the comprehension and another paper is to test writing.

Start from today onwards, until Sunday, we are going to do more thorough revision with April on BM, English, Chinese and Mathematics. Stress.......

2 years shy, and I

turning big 40. Today is my 38 years old Birthday.

When the clock strike 12am, I received my husband's greeting call, and very early in the morning, I received my sister's greeting SMS.

Up to now, I have received many Birthday wishes through phone, SMS, emails, my FB wall and as well as in person too. Thank you everyone. I am so happy to be blessed with all your best wishes.

Colleagues had given me and another colleague whom Birthday also in February a lunch treat of western food.

My best friend, Cannie gave me a red comfy sleep wear from La Senza.

My youngest aunt in Australia gave me a very nice Crystal Healing laces.

I have also got myself a line dancing shoes, which I wish to have long time ago. Putting on this pair of new shoes, I certainly can dance better now.

I also got myself a set of HBS facial product to retain my youth and beauty, ahemmm...

I added a few new items in my wardrobe too, today and  yesterday. I bought all these new clothes with the sponsor from my husband.

My two darling daughters gave me this piece of small little note.

Thanks for remembering the day and thank you everyone.

She is back

to her normal self, after lying still on the bed for the whole Saturday. When  doctor confirmed that April has  throat infection, she absent from her Saturday replacement class and took a rest a home. Her fever was finally gone on Saturday evening. We called up her classmate to get the home work for her. It is true that she can't afford to skip any class or any home work, as her first test for Primary 1 is in March.

We stayed at home the whole Saturday evening, guiding her to complete her home work. Though she has no fever, she was still lacking of appetite. When I insisted her to eat, she claimed that the food was tasteless. May be the medicine that the doctor prescribed has affected her taste bud.

Sunday evening, we went to the family karaoke session for an hour. April is taking part in a singing contest in May, she requested us to let her practise singing Karaoke. When I saw April singing, laughing and screaming at my Little May, I know her throat has completely recovered.

Home cooked Sunday lunch

When stay at home mothers claimed their off day from cooking, working mother like me would stay home and cook on weekends. We normally ate at home on weekends, and either my husband or myself was the chef. Recently, he always fights with me for the spatula and wok. Since he enjoys cooking so much, I just let him be the chef.

 We boiled lotus root and cranberry beans soup in slow cooker on Saturday night.

 Long bean omelet.

 Canned bake bean with fried eggs, potatoes and onions.

 A big pot of Chrysanthemum tea to ease April's sore throat.

The combination of these dishes was quite bad actually. Bean, bean and bean only. Wakakakaka! It is ok, I like beans.  

When she is quiet and moody

April came back from school yesterday. She didn't talk as much as she used to be. She looked moody and tired. She lose her appetite. Despite of no appetite, I forced her finish the food and sent her to her UCMAS lesson. Coming back home, she stayed up late till 11pm to finish 5 types of homework, as she still has to go to school for the Saturday replacement class on the next day.  

The mother's instinct, I know she is unwell and I let her sleep with me yesterday night after taking a dose of paracetamol. She developed fever mid of the night, which I could feel by touching her forehead and I heard her coughing a few times through out the sleep.

I just mentioned about the last visit to the paediatrician was in May 2010 here . It is really a taboo for me to mention about their improvement in health and growth, and now she really falls sick. I should forever stop talking about this. T____T.

I am working today, Her father is going to bring her to the clinic. Probably, she may need to skip the replacement class today.

My little May got mild running nose 2 days ago. I hope she won't get bitten  by her jie jie's bug. She slept with her father and she made no complain to the extra attention that I gave to her jie jie last night.

Last post on CNY 2011

Last Tuesday was the public holiday for Prophet Muhammad's Birthday. April's primary school held a CNY celebration and invited parents and students to attend.

I didn't buy any Cheongsam for April and May this year, but they asked me for it. I have no choice but to get one from Giant. I didn't buy for May, as May still can wear her last year Cheongsam.

There were 4 students be the MC of the night. I hope that one day I can see my girls on stage like this.

Lion dance was the first performance, and this was the first lion dance that we saw this CNY.

While watching the performance on stage, we also helped ourselves with the food from the buffet.

Apart from the above pictures, here the picture of what we ate on Chap Goh Meh.

MIL cooked us fish head rice vermicelli. CNY is over, it was time to exercise more and eat less.

Happy Chap Goh Meh

Today is the last day of CNY. I plan to go to the Guang Yin Temple with my gang to make another praying before the CNY is over.

If you ask me how actually my CNY 2011 was, I will answer, "My CNY mood in 2011 was just so so only. "

Nevertheless, I have a wish list for the Bunny year.

1. I can sleep earlier every night.
2. I can keep healthy, fit, young and looking good.
3. I can be more patience, passionate and grateful to all my loved ones.
4. I can excel in my line dancing and yoga lessons.
5. I can manage my stress and temper better.

To all my friends, Happy Cap Goh Meh and Happy, Happy Everyday

Gala night 2011

Last Saturday, I attended our company CNY annual dinner. In fact, I seldom attended any function without my kids and my spouse tagging along. The company dinner and colleagues' wedding dinners are two occasions that I have to trouble my personal home assistant a lot.

I needed to take a few hours before the dinner time to get myself ready for the function. Those few hours I would concenstrate only with the hair do, make up, and dress up. I would totally shut my eyes and close my ears to all my children's antics.

Here my personal home assistant fed the girls my MIL's fried rice.

After finishing the fried rice, my personal home assistant fed the girls MIL's dessert, the "fucuk barley".

Thank goodness, they were well taken care by my personal home assistant.

Before the make up was smeared, Before the food was served, I took pictures with my colleagues, a.k.a my lunch mates, a.k.a my blogger friends Yvonne and Hayley.

When I was having fun with the rest, my home personal assistant was still  busy attending to the girls at home. Paiseh!

For the food pictures, you can hop to Yvonne's entry here.
For Gala night 2010 pictures, you can click here.

p/s: To my personal home assistant, my chauffeur, my only one, my valentine and my white knight, thanks a zillion. I owe you a lot ...

Anti litter

I pass by this street every morning when I drive to work. This street is actually at the corner of my house. I used to see a lot of rubbish were thrown at the road side, and it was even more trash during the spring cleaning season right before CNY. One fine evening, when we went out for dinner, my husband asked me to take a look at the sign board which some one put there.

Since this Anti Litter Sign was placed there, the rubbish is getting less, but not yet zero.

I guess those people who still litter do not afraid of life threatening decease, poor and bad luck.

Anyway, everyone should have the Civic Pride to care for the hygiene and the beauty of the environment. It is always our job to pack our own trash and dispose it properly.

My Valentine

I have a scheduled post today. I took it out and replaced with this. Some thought occupied my mind when I went to bed last night.

Yesterday 14 Feb was the Valentine's day. I expected no surprise from my husband. I was right, he wasn't aware of this date, but if he aware also he wouldn't express anything. He didn't wish me "Happy Valentine's" when he saw me in the morning.

As usual, on 14 Feb morning, he made me papaya + milk juice and took me out of the house. I was the one who kissed him and wished him "Happy Valentine's", before driving off to work.

On 14 Feb night, when the kids had gone to bed, he cut me a plate of pineapple and kept half of the pineapple to mix with banana for making juice on tomorrow morning.

Now, I am typing this and feeling want to go to the toilet, as I have just taken a big mug of pineapple + banana juice half an hour ago.

So, should I say my Valentine's Day is just like any normal day, or should I say I live everyday like a Valentine's day?

Quoted from Eugene " 最浪漫的事，是陪你慢慢变老"

The supplement for my kids

*Edited*
It has been a long time that I want to mention about this topic in my blog. I keep procrastinating as I am quite 'pantang' phobia to talk about my children's growth and health openly.

April and May's Paediatrician(PD) is in Hospital Columbia Asia. When both my kids were less about 3 years old,  they get cough, phlegm and running nose often. They both were on Singulair, Ventolin and Seretide inhaler before. They also got the nebuliser a few times in the hospital when their cough and phlegm were too serious.

That time, I forbid them to take cold drink, ice and ice-cream, and I strictly watched over their diet.

Their last visit to the PD was in May 2010. Within these 9 months, they only got mild flu or mild fever once or twice. I gave them the flu medicine and paracetamol that I kept at home.

I am certainly happy to witness the improvement in their immune system and general well being. Here, I would like to share what I give them as their supplement, and I believe it improve my kids' health.

Vitamin C from Natural Factors 500mg for each chewable tablet. I break the tablet into 2 and give half to each of them. This vit. C is sugar free, so it is a bit bitter to chew. April complained a lot about its taste, but I still insist her to take it everyday.

I feed them one big table spoon of the Scott's Emulsion after meal, and I make them a glass of honey every day too.

On weekends, I boil them Chrysanthemum tea, or Barley, or Loh Han Guo drink.

Other than the above mentioned supplement, I also believe a well-balanced diet and plenty of fluid daily are essential to maintain the kids' health. I am not forgetting to give them fruit as snack in between meals.

I have started to allow my girls to enjoy some cold drinks and ice-cream, especially on hot weather.

So, during this CNY, whenever I prayed, I only wish for good health and harmony for my family, and nothing else.

And Today is the Valentine's Day, Happy Valentine's to all of you.

2011 CNY food that I like

Chai Buey (菜尾/一品窝)

MIL make a huge pot of chai buey - a soup or stew with all the leftover ingredients from the reunion dinner on the first day of CNY. It was generally consisted of meat (chicken, roast pork, duck), vegetables like mustard green(gai choy "芥菜" - kua cai in hokkein), and all the other leftover from the reunion dinner. Other than the leftover, MIL also put in tamarind juice, dried red chillies, peeled "assam keping", salt and sugar for better taste.

I savoured a big bowl of rice with only this chai buey for days. I love digging the goodies to find the best treasure from it. The slightly spicy could really tickle my taste bud when I sipped the sour soup. Yum yum!

Folks, do you love chai buey too?

Kuih Pie Tee

MIL too make Kuih Pie Tee filling herself on 2nd day of CNY. She bought the kuih pie tee top hats from market.

I couldn't part with this Kampung Koh garlic chili source when taking these kuih pie tee.

This New Year, my two girls have finally tried some new food. They both took a lot of Kuih Pie Tee, so indirectly they took a lot of vegetable like carrot and turnip.

April saw me taking pictures of kuih pie tee, she said, " Let me demo how to take this kuih pie tee, then you put my pictures up in your blog. Ok?"

I was chuckling to myself while taking these series of pictures.

She wanted to make an expression to show how yummy the food was. Ain't she looked hilarious?

3 of us walloped the whole plate of kuih pie tee and felt so satisfying.

Yee Sang Chicken Porridge 鱼生粥

The 7th day of Chinese New Year is 人日 (Yan Yat) which means the birthday of every person in this world. Every year this day, MIL makes Yee Sang Chicken Porridge (鱼生鸡粥) at home.

When I reached home after a long tiring work day on the 7th day of CNY, this big bowl of hot steamy Yee Sang porridge was laid out awaiting for me on the dining day.

Our first time on the 9th day of CNY

It has been so many years that I couldn't sleep peacefully on the 9th day of CNY. I hate to be the victim of the noise of the fire alarm, house alarm, car alarm, dog bark, fire cracker, "red bomb" and also human. So, I decided to join in the fun to create more noise to the street. Wakakakak!

Since my husband and I are not hokkien, we prayed to the Jade Emperor of Heaven in much simpler way. I bought apple, pineapple, mandarine oranges, Ang Ku kuih and sweet glutinous kuih. Of course, I also prepared some paper gold, tea and incense as well.

Luckily my girls didn't need to go to school on the next day. They got to stay up late to watch how happening my street was for the night.

There were more than 10 houses in the 'lorong' that I stayed, who prayed to the Jade Emperor last night.

My very simple first time celebration on the Jade Emperor's birthday. I am sure we can do it better for the years in future.

"Huat ah! Huat ah!...." I kept hearing this from my neighbourhood when burning paper gold. My husband and I were still too shy to shout this out loud. Hehehe! May be next year.

We went back to the house when it closed to 1am. Yawn....I will take a half day leave today in the afternoon, I hope I can take a nap to recover my sleep loss. "Huat ah!...Ai Kun..." (yawn)

2011 CNY 2nd and 3rd Day

On 2nd day of CNY, after praying at the home alter to symbolize 'hoi ni' (开年）. We started the CNY visits to my aunty's house.

My girls enjoyed the pistachio while watching their favourite Tom and Jerry show on ASTRO CH616.

After taking so many pistachio, I forced all of them take a big glass of water.

 My two princesses used their sling bag to carry a lot of Angpow from house to house.

April and her cousin brother (my sister's son), they both are born in Monkey year.

Pa Pa was very tired. He took a nap with his two princesses on his laps.

On 3rd day of CNY. The Chinese Recreation Center held an CNY open house party in the club. We were served with varieties of hawker food.

My girls get to choose their favourite drink from a big container.

Left the club, and  continue for several CNY visits before returning home to take some rest.

On 3rd day of CNY evening, I invited a few of April and May's ex-classmates, and also Yvonne's kids to my house to play 'pop pop' together.

I was also happy to see Little Chowder, and this round I heard him calling me "Aunnnnnty" for the very first time. He is always cute.

The kid get bored with the 'pop pop' very soon and decided to come in for more happening games. I was actually quite afraid of tidying up the mess. Pardon me, as I have no maid at home. My husband was already occupied by cleaning the 'pop pop' waste and dust outside the house. So, I only allowed them to read books.

I was seriously a devil mom and a bad host. Sorry kids, I know it.