A Reluctant Good-bye To A Fabulous Year

2014 had been a really rewarding and fulfilling year for us. It was filled with unexpectedly pleasant surprises and lots of learning experiences. It was a year of milestones for the girls - with Big Bee ending the fundamental primary school chapter in her life, and Little Bee walking an inch closer to being an upper primary girl (can you imagine my little baby heading towards upper primary?!).

I guess the biggest "hurdle" had been Big Bee's PSLE experience, but we started last year with the philosophy that the PSLE is just another exam, and that we should not compromise on anything in our lives for this exam. And I was glad we lived up to that. There was minimal stress and life still went on in terms of overseas vacations, weekend outings, gatherings with friends, extracurricular activities in school, etc.

Last year was a year that I witnessed tremendous maturity and growth in Big Bee. She grew from an angsty tween to a wonderful teenager-to-be who shared lots of gossips with me. It came with a price though. This year was the year that I fed myself on loads of young adult fiction, lingo, social media and movies, just so I could keep up with her friends and her. But it helped that we read and watched their stuff, because that opened up so many conversations and it felt kind of wonderful when her friends called me a "cool mum"!

Despite the PSLE, Big Bee got into the school netball team with loads of practices. I encouraged that because I think extracurriculars are what make well-rounded, healthy and well-adjusted tweens. For the first 7 months of the PSLE year, she was practising in school 3 times a week, only coming home at 6pm in the evenings. For the first quarter of the year, she was also loaded with piano and ballet practices - all of which helped her to destress and deviate her mind from academic work, she admitted to me. She also went on a research trip with her classmates and teachers to Hong Kong, and it really enriched her perspectives on social values.

One of the best things that we did was to prepare her DSA personal statements. That helped her reflect on her life and past experiences, and we were able to talk a lot about these past experiences and what she looks forward to in future. She also switched her goals from a typical top school offering the A-levels to her current dream school with a different, more analytical form of education. We are constantly thankful for what she had been blessed with and from now on, her future endeavours would be up to her to craft and shape.

As for Little Bee, primary 2 had been fun and leisurely for her, as always. We were extremely lucky to be blessed with an excellent form teacher for Little Bee, who was also her form teacher in primary 1. She is a caring, committed and warm teacher, and all the students (and parents!) love her so much! I believe this teacher is a great inspiration to Little Bee, who had done surprisingly well in her school work last year, despite her highly playful nature.

I am really happy that Little Bee - being her happy-go-lucky self - loves school and treats school as one gigantic playground. Being a highly gregarious and sociable girl, she also had lots of good friends whom she bonded with. Last year, she began to devote herself more to her dance CCA in school, and was delighted to be part of a huge charity concert on the last day of school. She had also completed her swim course and is now swimming well.

The Bees' reading adventures had been colourful this year. Big Bee read a total of 100+ books last year (yes, the OCD her kept a record of the books she read), and is very into young adult, dystopian series like The Hunger Games, Divergent series, etc. As for Little Bee, she is full on into Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl, having completed all of Roald Dahl's children fiction and Enid Blyton's Enchanted Woods and Malory Towers series. She had started on the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series, but still prefers Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl for now!

2014 had been fun and beautiful for the Bees - let's hope 2015 will bring lots of equally enriching experiences too!

Her First New Year's Countdown

Big Bee enjoyed her first New Year's countdown with Hubby and I for the first time ever! Although her actual first time was when she was barely one year old, when young and fun-loving Mummy carried her out of bed for a countdown walkabout!

As I was settling comfortably on the sofa, watching the countdown programmes on TV, I sensed someone slink behind me, and it was Big Bee! We cuddled excitedly and gossiped about those performers on stage as if we are best buddies. As the countdown began, she was also eagerly texting her friends on her mobile phone!

When the clock struck 12, she was more thrilled to be saying "Happy New Year" to her friends on the phone first, before turning to her dull, old parents. Welcome to the world of tweenhood! However, Hubby and I took all these in our stride, assured by our complete understanding that deep down inside, Big Bee loves us a whole lot more. Letting go and acknowledging their focus on friendships is so very important when raising tweens, thereby allowing them to maintain a solid channel of communication with us, yet not feel stifled by over-possessive parents.

In the end, she slept at a grand time of 12.45am - her latest ever! I am looking forward to many years of counting down the last minutes of the year with her thereafter :)

Happy New Year, everyone! How had your day been?

Transformation

We spent a homely, peaceful and quiet New Year's Eve by ourselves - bonding as a family of four, giggling, chatting and quibbling at times :) The weather was treacherous, with rains sleeting down incessantly. The last day of 2012 did look a little gloomy, a little melancholic, as if the high heavens were crying their hearts out for the end of this year.

Because of the rain, we stayed home the whole day, attaining some quiet time to get to know ourselves and each other, laughing over old photos, playing board games and just lazing around in general, which was such a luxurious thing to do in this society of rapid pace these days.

In the evening, I decided it was time for Little Bee to bid farewell to her long, luscious locks - in readiness for primary school this week!

We headed towards a nearby hair salon, with Little Bee almost bursting with her signature zeal and thrill. She sat through the whole session with big smiles on her face, and after all her hair was chopped off, she fluffed her stylish bob in a haute couture mien, and claimed she loves this new hairstyle!

This was probably the final item on our to-do list for Little Bee in preparation for primary school. As we chomped on a simple dinner at an adjacent restaurant, Little Bee could not resist touching the short ends of her new hairdo, grinning brilliantly and exclaiming loudly, "It feels so soft and fluffy!"

Little Bee pointing to her bunch of cut hair in the salon!

As I gazed at her dazzling optimism, I know that this beautiful image of her at this stage of her life will be etched in my mind indelibly. I hope that she will forever be so full of spirit, gusto and grand enthusiasm for life, even in primary school!

The Sunshine Moments of 2011

We spent a very quiet New Year's Eve, busying ourselves with re-doing the girls' bedroom to a brand new theme and spending the evening looking at photos of our recent holiday. Warm, snuggly and intimate. 

As 2012 looms ahead of me, I read through some old blog posts (and were amazed at how fast time slithered past as always) and reflected about some momentous instances in the past year. 

Here are my top favourites:

1) We went a little overdose on holidays this year, probably in a bid to escape from hectic working life in Singapore! But these holidays sealed our close family bonds and allowed us to spend unfettered, unobstructed time with the Bees. 

We had a languorous time with ourselves in Penang, doing nothing but chilling out, eating and soldering our nuclear family ties. 

We decided to bring the entire extended family on a longer trip to Taiwan (which I had yet to publish my post!). It was so gratifying to see the 4 grandparents' eyes lighting up every morning to see their beloved Bees. And we managed to spend 7 days of precious time with all our parents in a stunning and beautiful country with breathtaking natural scenery.

And we loved our latest holiday to South Korea where we spent a very quiet but memorable Christmas, away from everyone we know, only to hole up in a rural small town.  

I am never really very good at travel blogging, but will try to publish posts on the last 2 holidays soon!

2) I am thankful that Big Bee got into a special performance class for next year, whilst maintaining my usual level-headedness that this is but her first step in a long odyssey. And more importantly, as her parent, I need to inculcate the values of working hard and expecting the best, yet, if the best is unreachable due to whatever reasons, it is perfectly fine so long as your family loves you and you are healthy and happy. Strange, juxtaposed lessons to impart...but challenges are synonymous with parenting! 

3) Little Bee had just turned 5, and had grown and grown in K1- much to both Hubby's and my chagrin. Nothing wrong with her becoming more self-reliant, more worldly-wise, of course. But...we will miss her little baby self, her chubby cheeks and her pure immaculate innocence as she stepped onwards to K2 next year. She is a lot more independent now and somewhat cynical at times (just like her big sister), albeit with frequent dazzling sessions of absolute charm and baby naivete. She is popular in her K1 class and has many best friends. Her teachers adore her and had also discovered her love for performing, so we shall see how they nurture her in school. She had also commenced her ballet classes last year...and is enjoying every bit of her classes. 

4) Meanwhile, Big Bee has matured beyond description, and is now deep in tweenhood as she turned 9 this year. She is now like my friend, and sometimes even my mentor. I look to her for advice on some issues and she never failed to dish out sensible advice. When I go crazy with Little Bee, dancing and singing around the house, sensible and no-nonsense her would shake her head as if barely tolerating these 2 mad childish females! She stopped bringing my home-prepared lunch boxes to school, which was a little sore point for me, preferring instead to buy food with her friends in the canteen during recess. Yet, at times, her enthusiasm, excitement and love for adventure shines through - and I never fail to cherish these 2 sides of her personality. 

5) Hubby and I managed to meet another time in Beijing for one night in April during both our work trips for a little couple time. And we also managed to escape to Bintan during our anniversary for a night. There were also a few occasions when we requested my Mum to stay the night in our house, just so we could indulge in a little supper and movie, and even a happening concert, to regain our connection and solidify our emotions without distractions. I definitely love these moments. 

6) Work-wise, I am grateful for an exciting and new portfolio at work, which is something that I had always wanted. Yet, I am even more thankful that I am travelling much lesser for work now. As my frequent flyer status dwindled down the tiers year on year, I rejoice in the fact that this is a powerful indication that I am with my darling Bees most nights of the year, instead of some cold, impersonal hotel bed. 

7) On the homelearning front, we had covered the themes of Space, Solar System, Planet Earth and Lifecycles this year. I hope to continue to work regularly with the Bees on fun homelearning, whilst balancing the dry, more academic aspects of homework and assessment books (urgh). We are also doing more painting at home, with me as art teacher and the Bees attending art workshops for the first time this holiday (they love it!). Being all-rounded individuals is so important for character development and ultimate experience of everything in life. The Bees also became flower girls for the first time, and would be flower girls the second time on the first day of 2012 :) 

8) Gatherings with close friends are getting lesser with everyone's busy schedules as our kids enter primary school. But yet, I am thankful for holiday breaks to catch up with friends and for all the random occasions throughout the year when my cousins and the Bees' cousins would meet and have fun! 

9) Hubby had acquired a new hobby - marine fishes! So, this past year had seen a slew of new pets from octopuses to starfishes to seahorses to all sorts of colourful marine fishes! He had become quite an expert, and had imparted quite a lot of knowledge to the Bees as well! Thanks to him, we now have an teeming and lively aquarium with marine life to admire every day.

10) I still love all those simple outings in Singapore when we would traipsed to the myriad parks around our sunny little island, indulged in alfresco picnics, immersed ourselves in performances and museums, or simply relaxing at home with breakfasts and homecooked meals. 

2011 had been a lovely year...but I am still reeling from the feeling that it had soared past us way too rapidly! 

Posing with lionesses in one of our many zoo trips

What were your most significant moments in 2011? 

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

We are back from a magical, white Christmas in South Korea. It was snowing and freezing, but our little family of four spent a quiet, warm-hearted Christmas in a desolate but quaint little town. Love it! Merry belated Christmas and a joyful countdown to the new year!

As The Year Winds Down

Today is the last day of 2011. So much had happened this year, but yet so little had changed. The year seemed to throttle past us in such a swift manner that I seemed to be stumbling along, making poor attempts to catch up with time. 

It felt like it was only yesterday that we were busy with festivities celebrating the arrival of 2011. And now we are making preparations to bade farewell to that very same year. Where had all the time gone to? 

And sadly, when I look at my children now, I am sometimes jolted with surprise. I mean, they both look so big now, even when their images in my mind are those of them as little babies. And they will forever be my little babies to me, no matter how old they are.

Sometimes, I have this uninhibited urge to rub my eyes furiously and relook at them again. Just to make sure those years of growing up in such a rapid pace were not figments of my imagination. 

I will not take stock of 2011 yet. For there is still one more glorious final day of the year left for me and my family to enjoy. 

The only way to battle rapidly trundling time is only to enjoy every second of the present, to indulge in the now and the current - and not to let our minds be distracted in any way. Easy thoughts to utter, a whole load of effort to implement, of course. 

But just for now, I would like to let my mind be transported pleasantly back to a week and a half ago, when I was on leave from work and being truly able to enjoy the sheer joys of spending extended and luxurious days with Hubby, the Bees, my parents and my closest friends in many different ways. Days spent like this were longer and more beautiful. 

This year, we decided not to put up our Christmas tree, so Hubby had this brilliant idea of chasing these triangular emblems of peace and joy all around town and encapsulating these Christmas trees in myriad shapes and sizes in photos with the Bees. 

Truly on a blazing trail of twinkling enchanting trees. 

The Bees were able to appreciate the different embellishments of the diverse trees and we did a little craft on Christmas trees. But most of all, they learned about the true spirit of Christmas, which was not what all these rampant commercialism of gift exchanges and crazy shopping was about. 

Which was why, for the first time in years, the Bees did not receive any Christmas presents from us this year (only one from Santa for being good little girls - haha - and another from a gift exchange at a gathering with good friends). 

We are also spending a quieter New Year's Eve this year, just to wind down from a wintry holiday - so I am still thinking of what to do with our little family of four to ring in the new year! Pure simplicity, simple pure pleasures. 

Happy New Year, everyone :) 

Nutcracking Fun

We always try to watch a full-length ballet performance towards the end of every year, usually by Singapore Dance Theatre. Last year, we treated ourselves to a 3-hour performance of Sleeping Beauty, where the Bees were entranced by the familiar storyline and beautiful costumes. I remember Little Bee was dancing and pirouetting to the music in the dark, emulating the sinewy ballerinas! 

2 years ago, Big Bee and I were fascinated by the popular Christmas ballet of the Nutcracker. And this year, the entire family of 4 trooped out early on Sunday morning to watch this year's version of The Nutcracker again. As always, the haunting and mesmerising Tchaikovsky music captivated us and immersed us in a spellbinding cocoon of rapture. 

However, I was a wee bit disappointed by this year's adaptation - which was not as elaborate as the version 2 years ago, with the storyline a little thin. The techniques were not particularly striking as well, and the leads were relative unknowns in Singapore. 

But still, the Bees were enchanted and this annual ritual gave them some fodder of inspiration for their ballet journeys. I am also thankful for Hubby who is usually more than happy to join us. 

After the performance, we had the wonderful opportunity to stroll around Esplanade, admiring the beautiful skyline and revelling in the cool, year-end weather. 

The Bees in pure glee on the rooftop of Esplanade

We also made our wishes at the wishing spheres of Singapore, with the Bees writing down their wishes for the imminent new year with excited alacrity. 

Big Bee's nice simple wish

Little Bee thought that these spheres are presents to the fishes in the Singapore River, so wrote something for them! It was hilarious to me. 

We showed them where their spheres will be, and we all looked forward to the countdown to the new year! 

Time passes so fast every year - it is definitely good to take stock of the year and look forward to another brand new year, while learning to wind down towards the end of the year :) 

Season's Revelry

One of the best part of the December holidays is that most of us were on leave and the kids were free from school and other enrichment classes. Which left us with much time to catch up with good friends and indulged in some jolly bonding sessions. 

Which was what we did in the last 2 weeks of December. Lots of gatherings with close friends. Plenty of gossip, catching up and laughter. Abundant action and giggling from the kids, some of whom made new friends. 

22 December 2010

We went to Viv's house for a long-awaited gathering - because Fon and Angela happened to be back in Singapore at the same time! So, Viv, Fon, Angela, Annie and I had a fabulous dinner at Viv's beautiful house - with the most scrumptious hawker food to satiate the tastebuds of our friends from far far away. Thanks to KL for putting so much mouthwatering food in front of us!

The 8 kids made new friends. As it had been years since we all gathered together, some of our kids played with each other when they were little toddlers and had clean forgotten each other (like Big Bee), some had never even met each other (like Little Bee!). Big Bee was very charmed by Andrea, and wanted to meet her again - they both got along mighty well. Children are so adaptable when making new friends. In no time, the 8 kids were zooming around Viv's house, jesting about, playing hide-and-seek, exchanging iPhone gaming tips and creating a merry din. 

Which left the 5 ladies (and KL) much chance to sit and gorge ourselves silly at the dining table, gossiping the evening away! I don't think we ever left the table except to go to the kitchen for drinks! 

Thanks Viv, for hosting us. We should do this more often! And it was truly great fun catching up with the ladies - I miss the gossips! 

30 December 2010

PF invited our family to her estate's early New Year's celebration, and we had another marvelous time feasting again! The kids went wild with balloon sculpting and games, and sped all around the function room. The 4 adults had a fulfilling time chatting and eating, while observing the crazy antics of our children with much amusement. I guess one of the joys of having big kids is that we now have a lot more time to spend with our spouses and friends - no more running after our children continuously! 

After the party, we adjourned to PF's house where the kids indulged in a game of Castle Panic (yes, Eugene bought that game after experiencing how fun it was when he played with Big Bee and Claire at our house on Boxing Day!). We left them pretty much to their own devices, and we adults continued our chatting and gossiping, before calling it a night at almost 10.30pm, which was way past the girls' bedtime! 

What an enjoyable week, filled with convivial bonding sessions with friends and merrymaking!