A Month Of Free Rein

The June holidays had been gloriously unfettered. I took half the month off to spend time with the Bees, and the days were long, luxurious and languorous. We went on a very short trip to Cambodia, and then spent all our time back here in Singapore. Although I always enjoy new experiences when travelling overseas, I discovered the beautiful virtue of leisurely days spent at home. No agenda, no hurriedness, no deadlines to meet. And I don't just mean me. The Bees had the time of their lives not worrying about their school schedules and homework as well! 

However, this is the PSLE year after all, so Big Bee - being the disciplined girl she is - did immerse herself in some light revision. But no drilling, whatsoever. I believe in letting her enjoy the June holidays to the fullest, before the intensive PSLE revision this coming term. Play helps to boost brain power, in my opinion! 

This holidays were epic in the sense that we had plenty of playdates with different friends of the Bees. There were trips to the malls, outdoor playgrounds, movies, concerts, Adventure Cove, Universal Studios, Starbucks - just plenty of opportunities to bond with friends. We spent loads of time with the cousins as well. Little Bee attended an amazing zoo camp with a close cousin of hers, and there were play dates where the 2 generations of cousins gossiped incessantly. A very close cousin of ours got married, and we had the time of our lives bonding and having plenty of fun and laughter at the wedding. 

On the family front, we played lots of board games, we had many lazy mornings spent at Starbucks (Big Bee has a latest teenage addiction to frappuccino, and could not stop drinking them!), we read plenty of books and watched home movies. Simple activities but plenty of bonding. 

Life is leisurely and carefree, days are long and beautiful - and we could forget about the usual hassles of living in a fast-paced society for a while. Here's to more holidays with zero agenda! 

Of Felicity And Gatherings

One of the best things last month was that we managed to catch up with lots of family and friends for fun gatherings. The Bees are lucky in that they have lots of cousins and childhood friends to play with - other children who had stuck with them since babyhood, and who had grown up together with them. I thought this gives very special meanings to their first understandings of friendships - that friends grow and blossom together, and that - try as they should - friendships should really be all about long-term cultivation and sustenance.

We were lucky to have connected with our usual 3 groups of friends and families last month.

1) The Cousins
They had been hanging together since they were infants! Not only did the Bees have lots of girly cousins to play with (we need more little-boy cousins!), the grandmothers (all sisters!), who are usually chaperones of such gatherings, can use these beautiful opportunities for well-deserved gossiping and chatting!

We met up on the Thursday of the March school holidays at my house for a day-long of playing and swimming. Everyone was so reluctant to leave each other at the end of the long day!

2) PF and kids
These children literally grow up together from babyhood. Playing with baby toys like building blocks, bumbling baby gibberish together, exploring the world together and building sandcastles as pre-school kids, and now, as 3 of them are trundling into their teens, their idea of play is now playing chess and sitting around, chatting and gossiping. I am glad that the tiniest one amongst them - Little Bee - is being accepted wholeheartedly and is holding her weight very well with these big guns!

We had a great playdate on the last Friday of the March school holidays for a whole afternoon of Kinect and chilling between the girls. By evening, the hubbies as well as Eugene were back for a cosy steamboat dinner where the adults were busy chatting and eating on our dining table, whereas the 4 big kids ate rambunctiously and talked amongst themselves in another table! Talk about independence!

3) The Clique's kids (wow, it rhymes!)
The mothers (us!) had been very very good friends for 27 years. 27 YEARS!!! Oh my! And although our busy lives sometimes prevent our kids from meeting all that often, we still hope our kids will continue to hang out with each other until we are old, toothless grandmothers. I am glad that we are all meeting a little more frequently as our kids grow older.

On Good Friday, all of us trooped down to LP's house for a sumptuous dinner as well as fun and games for the kiddos. The adults had such a wonderful time catching up and gossiping, whereas all the kids (7 in total!) screamed, ran, chuckled and had a blasting great time in LP's house. We vowed to have more of such gatherings in future!

Up On A Hill's Peak

Last month, over the Easter long weekend, my cousins and I coached up to Genting Highlands, staying at Resort Hotel, for a short but much anticipated break. The adult cousins looked forward to lots of catching up and chatting, and the little cousins looked forward to lots of playing together! We were also lucky because my mum happened to come on the same trip with her friends (although she was so busy we hardly met!) and Irene's parents also came along on the trip (same, the grandparents were all so busy that they could not meet us!).

Some memorable moments from the trip:

1) An early coach ride

Waking the family up, bleary-eyed, at 5am - in the dark dawn - to get ready for an early morning coach ride starting at 6.15am.

2) Napping!

Relaxing and napping loads on the bus while the big girls giggled and chatted among themselves. What a contrast to our previous trip where I had to share a seat with toddler Little Bee!

3) Theme parks galore

Spending lots of time with the cousins and my 2 nieces, Chloe and Val, in the indoor and outdoor theme parks.

The girls outside the open-air theme park

The little cousins had great fun bonding with each other, trying out all sorts of rides from carousel rides, a ferris wheel, bumper cars, an indoor roller coaster (erm, only Big Bee and me tried out this ride!), baby choo choo trains, rodeo rides, flying dumbo/airplane rides...you name it, we tried it!

Both my girls loved the bumper cars! Here, Little Bee was seen trying to deftly avoid another car, otherwise she would usually go around bumping others! 

The girls also had a swell time at the carnival stands, trying our hands at so many games stalls, trying to win little gifts!

It was so relaxing just strolling around and deciding on the rides to take. Furthermore, the theme parks in Genting Highlands have none of those long queues that we find in Disneyland or Universal Studios, and that made it a lot more enjoyable!

4) Taking a stroll along memory lane

The adult cousins reliving their nostalgic memories of coming to Genting Highlands together as children - as we paddled boats around the large tranquil lake that had been in existence since we were little kids!

It was so idyllic to sit back and just paddle the boat with our legs languidly (although I had to paddle a little harder because my "partner" on the duo boat was Little Bee, whose legs could not reach the paddles!). The lake was serene and placid, and it was so nice to paddle near our cousins, with the little cousins waving excitedly and shouting each other's names whenever we paddled closer to each other!

After the boat ride, we then ambled around the edge of the lake, retracing the steps of yore when we were young. We then took the antique car ride, amidst much nostalgia, and I could just sit back and enjoy the scenery because my "driver" was Big Bee!

5) Food, glorious food!

Malaysia has one of the best foods (for me) on earth. We took every opportunity to gorge on palatable delights, and the climax was reached on Saturday afternoon when all of us were feeling rather lackadaisical after a whole morning of theme park rides - so we decided to go for a cheap hotel buffet! The result was plates and plates of scrumptious local and international goodies, from char kway teow to fried bee hoon, from ice-kachang to delectable cakes! The adults stuffed our faces until we were speechless with bloated stomachs!

The girls munching away at high tea!

The kids used the opportunity to munch on sinful sweet cakes, and fooled around together a lot. A classic scene involved all 4 of them sitting on an adjacent empty table, as if conducting a meeting, with them giggling and chatting incessantly. Another classic scene involved Chloe and Val posing as models with Little Bee acting as a photographer, directing them around!

6) Easter egg hunt

Hubby and I bought 12 colourful Easter eggs (with little sweets inside), and hid the eggs all around our hotel room. Thereafter, we invited all 4 girls to search for the eggs, and boy, what energy and enthusiasm permeated the room, with the girls frantically and excitedly searching for the bright little eggs! After they found the eggs and the activity in the room settled a little, what ensued was crazy play between the girls and Hubby, while all of us watched in amusement. That was certainly a welcomed reprieve from the constant activity in the theme parks!

7) Foot Reflexology Delight


The best thing about having older daughters is that they are now able to fully appreciate the marvellous concept of spas with hubby and I! On Saturday night, four of us went to a foot reflexology spa. Hubby, Big Bee and I had the best foot massages ever, in a dim ambient setting. Little Bee was so patiently sitting in another comfy chair while quietly talking to me at times that I felt really bad that she couldn't enjoy the massages yet (the therapists told us that she is a little young for foot massages). Still, this is a good indication of future holidays!


8) Breathtaking vistas

Early in the second morning at around 6.45am, Hubby whispered and gestured me to walk outside with him to "look at something very beautiful", in his words. I was intrigued. Leaving the 2 girls sleeping in the dark room, we tiptoed out to the lift lobby which was a few steps away, where there was a huge window which served as an excellent viewing gallery for nature's greatest show - sunrise! Captivated, with our arms around each other, we observed the stupendous unfolding and resplendent transformative colours of one of nature's most astounding miracles. We were bewitched by the dense tangerine gathering of clouds, by the enchanting sea of misty lavender clouds with murky peaks of other lower hills peeping through, by the gradual but alluring changes of sunlight across the gorgeous vista.

On that morning, while having breakfast by ourselves, we were lucky to discover an exquisite glass house beside Coffee Bean and Tea Leaves where four of us were inveigled by brilliantly azure skies, virginal white clouds and lush verdant alpine trees.

We strolled around, loving the chilly nip in the air and the sharp, tangy pure air of the hill top. Wondrous indeed!


This was such a fun and relaxing trip that the cousins are already planning our next getaway together! 

A Garden Wedding

*Back-dated post

The first day of 2012 was spent amidst much love, joy and happiness - with the Bees being flower girls for one of Hubby's cousins.

It was a beautifully romantic wedding, held in a magnificently pristine glass pavilion on Sentosa, surrounded by lush, verdant foliage. The Bees were part of a lovely wedding party comprising of 6 bridesmaids decked out in vibrant yellow and one little page boy who was Little Bee's age. Big Bee was the flower girl in charge of sprinkling velvety rose petals down the aisle, ambling primly behind Little Bee who was shyly (and embarrassingly!) leading the whole entourage, whilst holding the hand of the little page boy! Oh, the blushes and flustered expressions from Little Bee were a sight to behold!

The glass pavilion for the wedding ceremony, set amidst lush greenery!

The embarrassed couple!

The cheery flower girl with her basket of rose petals

In the evening, only Little Bee and the page boy were required to walk down the aisle as harbingers of the bride and groom. Little Bee was grinning all throughout the rehearsal, fooling around with all of us. However, during the actual walk-in, she looked cheekily uncomfortable and shy!

Hubby said he finally understood how it felt like to see a daughter walking down the aisle, haha.

The bride and groom were rather innovative in preparing snippets of entertainment for the guests, and one of the Bees' favourites was a dress-up photoshoot where the girls could don on crazy wigs, glasses and props, take photos and then getting the photos laminated and delivered to them halfway during the dinner! Check out some of their guises that night:

What a beautiful day - heartwarming and touching, filled with so much love and felicity!

Ladybug Lifecycle Wheel

Val popped by our house with my aunt 2 Thursdays ago, and I came home early from work to do a little craft work with the 3 girls. I simply love working on crafts with a group of kids, as it enabled me to observe the diverse team play and peer observations between a bigger group of kids. Am waiting for Chloe to come by together and form a bigger group soon! :) 

We worked on a ladybug lifecycle wheel, and the girls loved the final output, which was entirely their own work. All I had to do was a little guidance and a whole lot of encouragement. 

The craft was really simple, and we finished everything in under an hour! 

Main materials: 

2 small paper plates

1 fastener

1 black construction paper, cut into an oval shape for the ladybug's head

Glitter glue

Red poster paint

Black marker pen

1) First, the girls painted the outer shell of the ladybug with one paper plate, and whilst the paint was drying, we took up the second paper plate to illustrate the 4 stages of the ladybug's lifecycle. 

I explained the 4 stages briefly to the 3 girls before they started drawing and writing out the stages. Once again, as with the apple tree lifecycle craft, a paper plate would be perfect to demonstrate the cyclical nature of lifecycles. 

As Val is younger, I printed out the 4 stages for her to stick on the plate and she was able to articulate to me the 4 stages in chronological order immediately. She was also able to write down the names of the 4 stages as well. Well done, Val! 

Meanwhile, the Bees were busy drawing out the various stages and writing each stage down. This took around 20 minutes.

Big Bee's 4 stages

Little Bee's 4 stages. Oops, she got the spelling of "larva" wrong ;)

2) Upon completing the 4 stages, I assisted all of them, using a fastener, to attach the 2 paper plates together - and we had a wheel! 

3) I used a stapler to help them attach the ladybug's head which is just an oval-shaped black sheet of paper. It will be more aesthetic to glue the head on instead, but stapling was much faster and more fuss-free!

4) I got the kids to draw and colour black spots around the ladybug, and for the Bees, I got them to write down "Lifecycle of a Ladybug" on the plate. It was tricky to write on an uneven plate, especially for Little Bee. This took another 15 minutes. 

5) Then, we used silver glitter glue to draw the ladybug's face. I had to assist Val and Little Bee with this because it was really tough to squeeze out my silver glitter glue - so both their ladybugs' faces look similar! 

Voila! We had a brightly-coloured ladybug lifecycle wheel in less than 60 minutes! It was really fun and entertaining, and the Bees told me they love this craft! Try it! 

Big Bee's ladybug

Little Bee's ladybug

Val's ladybug

Fiesta!

End October and November were school carnival months for me. I always love to participate in school funfairs because they enabled the Bees to witness another side of their usually academic schools, to see their teachers in another light, and to view their schools from another more holistic perspective. 

Big Bee's School Carnival

I had been helping out as a parent volunteer in Big Bee's school funfair since she was in primary one, and on 29 October this year, I was once again in a sweltering hot stall in the school canteen, selling giant fishballs and fried beehoon to throngs of happy students and perspiring parents! 

This year's primary school carnival was much bigger and better. There was a huge new section with large-scale amusement rides that got all the students really excited. Lots of screams and squeals emanated from thrilling rides like mini pirate ships a la Viking, colossal swift spinning wheels, gigantic slides etc etc. I strolled around the thrill rides with Big Bee and her best friend, and they were truly energised by these rides!

I also got Big Bee to help out at the stall so that she knew the "pleasures" of hawkering food - and she took a whole big tray of fishballs to sell around the school! We managed to sell more fishballs this way :) 

As big girls, Big Bee and her best friends dashed around the school all by themselves, exploring different facets of the carnival, leaving Little Bee, Hubby and I to our own devices. We eventually left the carnival much earlier without her, and picking her up only after the carnival ended its run at 3pm. 

You can read more about the carnival (with more photos!) in Big Bee's blog entry here. 

Little Bee's School Carnival

On 18 November, the Bees and I descended upon the East Coast for Little Bee's school carnival. Contrary to Big Bee's carnival where big kids ambled around with friends, Little Bee's carnival was full of parents accompanying little kids. It was noisy with happening music and a DJ (who is a teacher!). It was really delightful seeing all these little kids enjoying themselves with a huge plethora of activities from beauty stations to bouncy castles to fun fair game stalls, AND the weather was surprisingly cool, thanks to a cloudy, overcast sky. It was truly enjoyable. 

A rainbow on her arm! 

Vain Little Bee getting pink hairspray! 

I met my cousin Fio with little Val, and the Bees scampered around the whole carnival with Val as well as a friend of Big Bee's. Fio and I can just sit and chill - how marvellous! I also bumped into a few friends like LP and Viv, and was happy we could all chat a little. 

Little Bee with her teachers, sister, friends, classmates and cousin! 

Because of the weather, this was one of the rare years that I stayed till the carnival ended, and I brought them for a much desired (by them!) KFC lunch in a nearby restaurant. They were munching on chicken pieces, giggling and chatting away, and behaving so amiably and loving together that I could sit back and observe them with a little secret smile in my heart, rejoicing that they are finally independent - yet regretting the passing of a wonderful baby phase. 

Parenthood is indeed bittersweet...

Merriment In The East

On Nov 19, the cousins got together for some family bonding, together with the grandparents - all thanks to Irene who invited us to her chalet at Downtown East! 

She booked a cosy and spacious corner room, and from the moment the little cousins met, it was non-stop, intensive playtime!

Travelling all the way to Downtown East imbued us with that sense of adventure, as we rarely venture into this part of Singapore. The resort feel of Costa Sands lulled us into the mood for holidaying and vacationing, and it is wonderful that we could indulge in such retreats without needing to travel overseas! 

We had a simple yet scrumptious lunch, comprising of delectable local delights like Penang char kway teow, curry fish head, nasi lemak and many more that we could not resist! 

It was serious soiree for the little cousins after lunch, with 5 recharged and boisterous girls indulging in some gleeful fun. Val brought along her little friend, Isabella, who was alone with us the whole day! 

I bought a packet of "blowing balloons" that journeyed straight out of our childhood days. Remember those tubes of gels where we use little straws to blow into really malleable yet fragile balloons?? Well, the kids went crazy over this when Irene, Fio and I blew these balloons for them. Big Bee was really good at blowing tremendously large balloons - even better than the adults! 

But the other little cousins who are much younger tend to deflate the balloons inadvertently rather quickly. We finished the entire packet of almost 15 tubes in a jiffy - with very tired mouths from blowing too many balloons! 

It was swimming time after we had usurped all the tubes of balloon gel, and we were truly thankful that the weather was wonderfully balmy yet not too sunny for a great swim! The girls were squealing and chuckling in delight, and had a truly fun time splashing around in the pool.

 

Dark ominous clouds loomed over us, and eventually large angry drops of rain pelted down on us in the typical late afternoon shower that was so ubiquitous this month. 

Back in the chalet, we squeezed all 4 little girls into the shower cubicle while Big Bee watched us bathe them in delight. It was like a factory production line - Irene would spray water on them, followed by me shampooing all their hair, then Irene would soap their bodies and we took turns to shower them clean. Then Fiona was in charge of towelling all of them dry. What hilarious fun! It was truly a sight seeing 4 little girls of similar height, stark naked and giggling, in a little shower cubicle. 

It was tea time once we got the girls nice and squeaky clean. Thanks to Irene's mum, all of us could indulge in some nice warm homemade green bean soup and fragrant pandan cake, as well as homemade agar agar from my mum! Slurp! The rain was pouring intensely outside but it was truly heartwarming and cosy within the chalet. 

All fun things must come to an end, and as the rain trickled to a halt, we bade farewell to each other but I am certain we would be seeing a lot more of each other during the December holidays!  

Dinner Under The Kites

A few Sundays ago, the cousins and I traipsed down to Marina Barrage for an alfresco dinner and a stint of kite-flying. Unfortunately, the kiterunner in our family - Hubby - was away for work, so the Bees did not have a kite to launch into the enchanting twilight sky! 

All of us brought along some food for the picnic - scrumptious chicken rice and roast pork with eggs by Irene, mouthwatering rojak, popiah and hokkien mee by Fio, and juicy grapes by me. We laid out the mats and played around a little with CC entertaining all the 4 active girls using his solo kite. 

Before long, we sat down comfortably and dug into the local feast with much gusto and relish! Yumz! The Bees, who are accomplished food connoisseurs, sat right beside me and joined in the food attack, not caring much about running around in the green meadow nor flying the kites. 

I always enjoyed Marina Barrage, despite the crowds. The scenery was breathtaking with the glittering Marina Bay Sands on one side and the placid sea on the other side. We were immensely lucky to have exceptional weather that evening, with the setting sun creating bewitching shafts of brilliant tangerine rays. 

The lavender skies above us were dotted with a kaleidoscope of kites, and there was a constant gentle breeze wafting all around us. What a mesmerising evening indeed. 

Big Bee took this photo, with one of the little girls holding the toy. Toy courtesy of Irene! 

The Bees soaked up the beguiling atmosphere, smiling, laughing and chattering incessantly with their cousins. 

We finished up the food eventually, as the dusky and mysterious gloaming descended on us. Twinkling lights came to life in Marina Bay Sands but Marina Barrage was shrouded in murky obscurity, making the kids squeal with excitement, thrill and a little dash of fear in the imminent darkness. 

We will be back very soon for another night under the kites! 

The Dogsitters

2 weeks ago, the Bees became dogsitters for Max, the adorable chihuahua! All thanks to my cousin Irene for this opportunity! Her family went for a holiday, and I grabbed the chance to look after Max, her dog, so that the Bees could fulfill their dream of having a dog at home.

The cousins and Max

And how excited Big Bee was! A week before Max was due to come to our house, she borrowed 3 books on chihuahuas and read all about them. 

Hubby and I used to have 3 dogs between us, and we truly cherish the companionship of our furry best friends. It is indeed sad how our eternally-loyal dogs' lives are so much shorter than ours. 

Anyway, on the night of Max's arrival, we were all thrilled to see a dog in the house again. However, poor Chloe cried so sadly when she realised Max was not going home with her that night, poor baby! 

Throughout Max's stay, we bonded closer as a family when all 4 of us went for regular walks with sprightly Max, who is so active for his majestic 14 years of age! Irene must be a wonderful caregiver for him! 

The look on Big Bee's face was truly priceless as she held onto the leash and walked Max with beaming pride. Little Bee was a little more nonchalant, whereas Hubby and I were both pretty excited too! We constantly greeted Max as he snuggled in his little corner in our home. 

Our dogsitting only lasted for 3 days. Furthermore, we had to depart for Penang on the final day, so my mother helped to look after Max. But what great fun we had - thanks, Irene! :) 

Sand Angels

Last December, on the 17th, Fio and I brought the kids to Sentosa, together with our mums. We had the most fantastic time from 10am till almost 6pm! We started our day by relaxing at the Palawan beach, making sandcastles and sand angels, just like what my cousins and I used to do in Sentosa as kids. 

Can you spot the sand angels?

I really cherish the bonding lunch at the adjacent foodcourt. To see 3 generations of grandmothers (who are sisters) and cousins sitting together, munching on scrumptious food at our old haunt (our mothers used to bring us to Sentosa very frequently too) - this is truly priceless. 

We ambled around Sentosa before we chanced upon a story-telling session for "The Gingerbread Man" at the Images of Singapore area. That was when I discovered Little Bee's flair and passion for showmanship! When the story teller asked for volunteers on stage, she was waving her arms so desperately! Eventually, she was selected to sing "Jingle Bells" and she did it with much gusto and bravado, with everyone clapping in rhythm to her singing! Bravo, Little Bee! 

Big Bee is the brainy one. After much persuasion from me, she participated in a quiz on stage - and won a prize as well. So, we have 2 happy girls with early Christmas presents from Sentosa! 

Big Bee went to the Butterfly Park with Fio as I have this irrational (and ridiculous) fear of butterflies and moths. She had a great time with Yiyi Fio, taking photos of the gigantic butterflies and screeching whenever any behemoth butterfly fluttered past her! Meanwhile, the rest of us had a great time resting languidly at the cafe outside, slurping ice-cream and sipping coffee! 

We ended the long but wonderful day with a stroll around Resorts World, awed by their colossal Christmas tree and soaked with relish in the overall joyous holiday mood! 

Ushering 2011

New Year's Eve

We spent a peaceful, quiet New Year's Eve at home, preferring to spend the last day of 2010 in the warmth and cosiness of our home with the Bees. We prepared mushroom soup, roast chicken and some vegetables. Hubby laid out the table in the balcony with a lovely lustrous candle and sparkling apple a la white wine. Then we dined in serenity alfresco-style. Lovely! 

Big Bee wanted to count down to the new year so badly with us and stayed up till 11.30pm. Even Little Bee was up and about till then! However, the poor girls could not keep their eyes from closing, and even when I tried waking Big Bee up at 11.55pm, she was oblivious and apparently still immersed in her dreamland.

With the girls fast asleep, Hubby and I then watched the fireworks from the comfort of our sofa, snuggling against each other, ready for a new year ahead :)  

New Year's Day

My maternal cousins and I had a dinner gathering near Irene's and my mum's homes, together with all the maternal uncles and aunties. It was such a jolly potluck get-together, with so much food as usual. The 7 kids (all girls!) played so well together, while older relatives ate and chatted. Our generation of cousins were either busy chasing after our children or chatting away, and it was so fulfilling to see all our kids playing so well together! Thanks to Irene for bringing out the electric car, bicycle and alphabet mat so the kids had a blasting great time from 5 to 9.30pm!