A Party For A Princess

Little Bee's ultimate dream is to be a princess. She is a vision of royalty perpetually, enjoying decking herself up in little pretty trinkets and long dresses. Hence, when she requested for a princess party for her 4th birthday, I could not resist her endearing request.

Hence, on 28 November, we threw a little party for 18 of Little Bee's closest pals and cousins (together with the grandparents) - little kids whom she had played with regularly in our circle of friends. She was anticipating this party for a whole, constantly bombarding me with questions on how her 4th birthday party would be like. We selected the theme of "princesses and princes" for this party, and dressed Little Bee up in her favourite Disney princess, Belle, from Beauty and the Beast.

Finally, when the day arrived, she woke up bright and early to immediately exclaim excitedly "It's my birthday today!"

We decided to throw the party at JWT Kids Gym at UE Square this year, as I had previously enjoyed a few terrific parties at this same gym. Therefore, I was not to be disappointed by this party, as the folks from JWT Kids Gym really made the party so hassle-free for me! All I had to do was to order the food and cake, and buy the goodies for the party kids - and that was it! Hubby and I did spend a fair amount of time searching for individual presents for each kid, as the age groups of the party kids were too varied for homogeneous party bags, but we enjoyed the process thoroughly!

Some highlights of the party included:

1) Seeing Little Bee's friends trickling in, and the thrill on her face as she greeted them cheerfully, accepting their presents with a delighted smile while leading them into the gym like a gracious host.

2) The exuberant party host, Shah, and his helpful staff, who made the party so memorable for Little Bee.

3) The wonderful games that Little Bee and her friends enjoyed so much starting with a competitive yet crazy obstacle race, followed by a zany limbo contest that got the kids all exhilarated and warmed up. 

These kids turned absolutely delirious when the party host took out a gigantic colourful parachute cloth, involving the parents in the game. 

The highlight of the games was definitely the flying fox, with all the kids eager to launch from the start of the flying fox right into the food table for the cake-cutting session. Little Bee was the first to descend from the flying fox, accompanied by a tune from a Disney princess movie theme song. Talk about grand entrances!

4) I enjoyed the food break with all the kids eating and the parents idly chatting around them. More importantly, this break gave me some time to decorate Little Bee's 2-tiered princess castle cake with her favourite Disney Princess toppers - Belle, Aurora, Ariel and Cinderella!

5) The look on Little Bee's face as Papa brought out the cake, complete with candles and toppers, was priceless. The atmosphere was dense with the usual child-like excitement as everyone sang Happy Birthday to Little Bee, whose eyes could not leave the cake for a nano-second. Big Bee was right beside her, lending her support and gamely instructing her what to do.

6) Lest the kids thought the party was over with the cake-cutting session, more exciting games await them soon after. The party host gathered all the kids for a hilarious session of "dance and freeze" game, followed by a magical bubbles session where the entire gym was dim and filled with sparkling bubbles, enchanting all the kids from the very young to the big ones! Everyone was immerse in his or her little world, at one with the bubbles, chasing them and trying to burst them.

Intense fun followed after the idyllic bubbles session - the parents were all asked into the gym for a feisty foam ball fight versus the kids! Parents and kids, all armed with several foam balls in all sizes, stood in a face-off with each other. The moment the whistle blew, hysterical frenzy broke loose! The kids ignored all rules and dashed all around the parents, throwing the balls incessantly at us - it was a matter of time before the parents were fatigued although the kids were imbued with boundless energy levels! That was truly uproarious.

7) The finale was truly dramatic - but befitting Little Bee's gregarious nature perfectly. She was made to walk down a long red carpet to a little raised platform (where I was seated with all the presents for the little kids). As she strode regally along the red carpet, to the tune of another Disney princess movie theme song, holding a big bunch of balloons and surrounded by her closest friends and family around her, her smile had never looked more radiant nor luminous.

As she perched on the raised platform, calling out the names of each of her friend with gusto, giving them their presents and extending her arms to hug everyone, I could see how Miss Extrovert was enjoying being the centre of the party.

She might become more shy as the years grow on her, she might prefer much smaller parties, but for now, I am happy that she was elated with her 4th birthday party, hoping that this is a gem that would be indelible in her little mind.

Happy 4th birthday, my little one. Time is swift indeed, as I see you growing up from the baby we all fussed over to an (almost) big kid now. And to Little Bee's friends and cousins, she was ecstatic that everyone could join her to celebrate her 4th year in this wonderful world.

All the adorable princesses and princes at the party! 

Scientific Discoveries

Big Bee climbing a challenging structure at a secluded playground we discovered recently.

Big Bee attended 5 days of camp last week with the Discovery Vacation Camp where she embarked into the dynamic world of science, and emerged all the wiser with elevated interest in science, albeit a wee bit tired!

Each day of the camp was filled with multitudinous activities from 9am to 5pm - typical office hours! Hence, it was understandable that she came home every evening feeling rather fatigued from a packed day of exciting activities.

Through some coordination with the mothers of her primary 2 classmates, she had many friends in the same group within the camp, hence, it was more fun!

There were some very interesting activities, some of which Big Bee enjoyed tremendously - a field trip to Kent Ridge Park where they trekked in the dense foliage along a tiny trail, identifying creepy crawlies and attempting to search for a carnivorous plant. There was also a field trip to a pest care centre that she particularly enjoyed because she could see various reptiles and all kinds of pests (like centipedes, snakes, etc) as well as learned how she could get rid of these pests at home. She told me she asked many questions about pest control to the centre manager (since our home and estate had been invaded by all kinds of animals ranging from snakes, monitor lizards, bats, etc!) and I am really happy that she was not shy to ask questions with new teachers.

They also did numerous experiments and projects relating to physics, some chemistry and biology, and it was gratifying to hear her telling me new knowledge she had gleaned each day. Just this evening, she was eyeing a piece of chicken bone over dinner and asking me for permission to immerse this bone into vinegar for a few days so that it would turn rubbery and flexible, instead of remaining brittle.

Looks like she would be a regular in future camps! :)

There's Something Different In The Air...

The weather is turning cool and wet, temperatures are gradually waning - the chill in the tropical air really brings out the year-end Christmas anticipation. 

You know Yuletide joy is imminent when we see the city transforming into a haven of twinkly fairy lights, ablaze with charming triangular Christmas trees laden with an enchanting diversity of glittery ornaments. We know the year is eventually winding down to a relaxed pace when we hear ubiquitous Christmas carols everywhere, when shopping malls are packed with non-stop wondrous shows and activities, when people walk with broader smiles and more sprightly steps. 

The Bees ambling in the midst of festive cheer at Orchard Road a fortnight ago

I love this year's Christmas light-up in Orchard Road - the entire road was blanketed under a magical cloud of shimmering white, blue, pink and purple fairy lights. It looked so divine and charmingly mesmerizing. 

Last Tuesday, we put up our Christmas tree, with the same theme as the past 2 years - Silver Baubles. As I read through the Christmas blog entries over the last 2 years, I was struck by how rapidly the Bees are growing. When we first put up this old tree in our new place 2 Christmases ago, Little Bee was but a tiny toddler, waddling to put up silver balls. Now, she cheerily tried twirling sprigs of holly around a branch. 2 years ago, Big Bee could only decorate the bottom half of the tree. Now, she could reach almost to the top of the 6-foot tree when she extended her arms.

The journey of time. The swiftness of time. 

Merry Christmas in advance, and cherish the month of December! We do have a whole load of activities lined up for ourselves in this month of merrymaking, and I am sure looking forward to these. 

While I Was Away...

A fortnight ago, I had to be in Guangzhou for work over an immensely precious weekend which irked me to no end. As a working mother, weekends are probably the rarest and most treasured commodity for me to spend unfettered and uninterrupted time with Hubby and the Bees. Furthermore, in the 4 days that I was away, I had to miss Big Bee's grade 2 CSTD exams and Little Bee's final N2 assembly performance in school. What luck indeed!

Hence, I was very perturbed for weeks before that, but am glad that Hubby used this opportunity to spend extra bonding time with the girls in a very hectic weekend! 

Here were what I missed out with them: 

1) Big Bee's CSTD grade 2 exams

Hubby brought Big Bee to her 5th ballet exam on Friday (including the RAD ballet exam she took in school early this year). You would have thought the girl would be calm and jaded by her 5th exam, but Miss Perfectionist was as usual a jumble of nerves the night before the exam day, as well as in the hours leading to the exam. She had been scoring distinctions in all her previous ballet exams, so let's see how she fares this year, although I am always quick to advise her that we just want her to enjoy these exams as fun opportunities for her to perform solo. 

2) Ghim Moh market

On a bright and cheery Saturday morning, Hubby brought my mum and the Bees to the Ghim Moh market for a bout of scrumptious chwee kueh and other delightful hawker fare (we are old-fashioned Singaporeans when coming to local food, preferring the noise and clamour of hawker centres over sterile food courts!).

Hubby fell in love with the colourful hustle bustle of the market and its surrounding environs which are redolent of an old, nostalgic Singapore that is fast vanishing right under the pressure of barren modernity. They browsed around the many neighbourhood stores and the Bees had a fantastic ride on an electronic jeep around a square, along with other thrilled kids in similar rides (remember these car rides in the 1970s and early 1980s!?).

3) Coffee break and movie date

Hubby was excited to go on a date with the girls. After the Ghim Moh market adventure, he dropped my mum back at her home, and looked forward to some personal time with the Bees. He brought them for coffee and cakes at TCC, followed by an enchanting night under the stars in a drive-through movie showing Shrek (once again, this was so retro, reminiscent of 1970s and early 1980s in days long gone!). 

Unfortunately, he told me it started raining halfway during the movie, and he was stuck with 2 active girls eating their dinner in the restricted confines of the car, much to his chagrin! Luckily, the skies cleared up thereafter, and they were able to revert to their perch outside in the crisp cool air. 

4) Shopping with the girls on Sunday

As expected with daddies and little girls, Hubby was lured unwittingly by the clever Bees to buy a whole load of toys on Sunday, much to my displeasure. I am not one for buying bulky toys, preferring instead to indulge in homemade toys or crafts. They went on a shopping expedition with the original and innocent purpose of buying a birthday party present for Little Bee's friend. 

However, as all daddies who go all soft inside and wobbly around the knees when confronted by beseeching, doeful eyes of the daughters, Hubby bought a whole load of advanced Christmas and birthday presents for the Bees as well, much to their delight! I am very certain they were glad Mummy's not around to stop Papa as usual. 

5) Little Bee's N2 performance

On Monday, Little Bee has her final N2 assembly performance before she moved on to K1 next year. She was a bundle of hopping excitement when my mum, Hubby and Big Bee were there. As I watched the video afterwards, she was gamely showing off her family to all her friends, and kept waving enthusiastically at them from the performance area all throughout the assembly. With her signature sunny smile and big lit-up eyes, she did not display a sliver of shyness or stage fright at all. 

Looked like a flurry of activities indeed. Thanks so much and well done, Hubby! :) 

Farmhouse Collage

One of our favourite art activities would be to indulge in some collage making. For the current "Farm Animals" theme, we decided to make a collage of a farmhouse and its surrounding farmlands. 

The Bees had a blast deciding on the colours and texture of the collage papers to use, and this activity helps to reinforce individual creative expression (they were given free play to use different colours and textures of paper as well as modes of collage - rolled up, flat, curled paper, etc). 

For Little Bee, it is also good to strengthen Math concepts through the sorting of the right colours in the appropriate visual areas and shape/size/quantity definitions. Sticking copious amount of small pieces of paper within the parameters of the visual outlines also helps to heighten her fine motor skills, which will come in very handy for neat handwriting in the very near future.

Big Bee's farmhouse collage. Types of collage papers used: aluminium foil, crepe, cellophane, translucent wrapping paper, thick coloured paper. She rolled up the collage papers for the horizontal fence and the hay peeping out of the aluminium farmhouse window for a 3D effect. 

Little Bee's farmhouse collage. Types of collage papers used: aluminium foil, crepe, cellophane, translucent wrapping paper, thick coloured paper, cotton wool (for the clouds). She rolled up the collage papers for the door and the little orange and red flowers on the grass patch. 

More importantly, it helped to keep them busy while they sat alongside each other, observing their respective works and enhancing their patience. We spent about three evenings working on the collage, about 30 minutes each night, and it was nice to have a little project to look forward to after work. 

I also try to display their completed works of art in conspicuous places so that they could be imbued with a nice sense of achievement and a feeling of continuation. For this piece of work, I decided to stick them onto the stairs of their bunk bed, and they do stop to admire their own artwork whenever they step into their bedroom.

Our First Decade Together

Towards the 3rd week of October, I casually made a remark to Hubby when I was away in China for work that we would spend the 10th year of our customary wedding away from each other. When I arrived in Singapore on the midnight right after our 10th anniversary, Hubby informed me with zeal that he had arranged for a weekend surprise to celebrate a decade of being together!

All married couples would know that marriage is more hard work rather than the romanticized glory of walking away, hand-in-hand, looking eternally glamorous and sexy, into the dazzling sunset.

Well, it was somewhat like that in our years of courtship and the first year of being married. And then we had Big Bee. And Hubby went away for a couple of years to work in Beijing, whereas I stayed behind in Singapore with Big Bee. And then he came back and we had Little Bee. And they both turned our world utterly topsy-turvy. Our marriage was filled with much tribulations - it was not entirely an easy bed of sweet-smelling roses. We went through roller-coaster rides of exhilarating highs and depressing lows - as all marriages, I am certain.

Yet, we tried our best to nurture and strengthen the marriage like what we would do to a young sapling. And now that we had emerged into the 10th year of a tree in its young adulthood, I thought we did pretty satisfactorily - gone are the perpetual, palpitating emotions of wild, passionate love (although we do enjoy instances of that sometimes, thank goodness). Enter the slow-burning, coal-red fires of companionate love mingled with heady romance. Companionate love that is built on working around each other's polarised personality traits, compromising small aspects of each other to ensure two pieces of a jigsaw fit beautifully into a brilliant design.

And constantly stoking that coal-red fire to ensure a constant warmth with frequent (not merely occasional!) flares of adoration. Easier said than done, as most married couples know (especially with kids, who are the dousers of amorous romance!).

But we try our best to sneak little moments of quality, private time for each other. Little dates after the kids sleep. Dates comprising of midnight home movies (who said dates must be in public cinemas?), of occasional once-a-year weekend escapisms with the grandparents as babysitters, of gleeful real movie dates or suppers when my mum can babysit the Bees, even of late-night supermarket trips! Small regular quantities of these elixir are wonderful panacea for keeping the romance alive.

Not all is rosy though - for we do sometimes fight like teenagers, but that's another story altogether :)

So, for the 10th year of such hard work, Hubby mysteriously asked me to pack a weekend bag, and whisked us all to the new Fullerton Bay Hotel for one night's stay in their gorgeous room facing the Marina Bay Sands! Complete with the Bees in tow, of course!

The Bees were squealing in delight, bouncing on the hotel bed as usual. We spent the whole of the weekend chilling in the comfortable and luxurious room, and staring contentedly at the stunning scenery comprising of the Marina Bay and the entire Esplanade/Marina Bay Sands skyline. We also lingered in the near-desolate pool, jesting around, and soaked in the splendid jacuzzi with a breathtaking view of the bay.

We strolled blithely along One Fullerton, absorbing the sights, smells and sounds of the beautiful city we live in, and indulged in a decadent Japanese dinner, sitting alfresco just beside the bay. The Bees were lapping it up, and we blissfully told them the stay was in celebration of our 10th wedding anniversary. Hubby and I stood many times on the balcony during the deep night as the Bees slept, our arms around each other, admiring the splendour of the hotel as well as the eloquent silence of the city that was winding down eventually.

Before I left for my business trip in China, I remembered lamenting to Big Bee that I would not be home for Mummy's and Papa's 10th wedding anniversary. She was curious and asked what a wedding anniversary was. In return, when I was back home, she presented Hubby and me with a handmade anniversary card, which was the best outcome of our years together :)

Here's to more decades to come!

Little Swans

Big Bee was selected to perform as one of the little swans in a short performance of Swan Lake. These little swans were selected from the primary 2 ballet CCA in her school, and they accompanied 5 beautiful, graceful swans picked from the primary 3 girls. Swan Lake was one of the performances showcased in a concert that the school had organised for parents, with proceeds going to charity. 

I volunteered to help out with hair and make-up on the day of the performance, 30th October, and had such an enjoyable time with the girls and the other parent helpers. We had to tie their hair into intricate French braids and then bun these braids up. I was terrible at it, but some mummies (and one father!) were really astute in tying excellent French braids. 

I was much better at make-up, applying stage make-up for the girls. The mummies set up a chain of stations, and it was quite hilarious seeing the girls queue up at the foundation station, then the eyeshadow station which I was at, and then proceeding to blusher station and then the lipstick station which I helped out as well.

The girls looked resplendent and gorgeous in their white tutus with little furry headbands - just like elegant white swans! They were torn between the feelings of thrill and disgust at the thick and vivid make-up - and it was such a gratifying feeling seeing the girls in their regal and breathtaking costumes, juxtaposed against the girls' exhilarated and cheery excitement! 

Left: The girls taking a group photo after the performance Right: Fooling around before performance. None of them were feeling any jitters at all! 

We spent a good 6 hours in school, but it was so fun! Hubby and Little Bee joined us in time for their dance item. Their Swan Lake performance went on beautifully, and us parents were beaming with pride to see them transformed into professional ballerinas on stage, pirouetting without missing a beat! 

Farm Stories

In our homelearning of "Farm Animals" theme these 2 months, I created a mini book and named it "Little Bee's Farm Book". Inside the book are 6 stories that I encouraged Little Bee to spin out from her imagination - all based on the theme of farm animals, and from her perspective of what she had learned in this theme. As she told me her stories, I would write them down in the mini book, and then read those stories back to her and Big Bee, much to her delight.

I thought this is a fun way to encourage imaginative thinking and lays the foundation for creative writing in future. We used this same method with Big Bee when she was 4, and I am heartened that Little Bee enjoyed this activity as much as Big Bee last time! 

Here are the stories she devised all on her own, complete with her own titles, without any editing nor prompting from me, hence the funny grammar!

1) EGG MAN

One day, there's a man walking in the farm. The man saw the chicken. The man takes a lot of eggs. He is the egg man. There are a lot of things in the farm. I like the farm.

2) THE PIG

One day, there is a man selling pigs. The man said he must catch a lot of pigs today. He said, "I like the pigs. I feel like eating them." The pigs said, "NO!" Then the man said, "Later, I want to catch you OK!" The pigs said, "NO!"

3) THE COW

One day, the milkman came. He squeeze the milk from the cow. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. The milkman takes the milk and put inside the bottle. After that, he put the bottle into the van. This is for the baby. When he goes home, the mummy takes the bottle to feed the baby. The mummy wants to take the baby outside to play for a while. "I love you, baby," the mummy called. The baby tells the mummy, "I love you, Mummy!"

4) THE DOG

One day, there is a dog man selling dogs. But people don't want to eat dogs. The dogs look after the sheep. The dog tells the sheep, "No coming out!" The sheep called, "I want to go out!" The dog called, "No! No! You cannot come out! No please! NO PLEASE!"

5) THE CAT

One day, there is a little cat. The little cat, the mummy, the papa, the jie-jie and the aunty cats said, "Meow meow!" The kitten feels like eating fish and mouse. The kitten said, "I find lots of mice and lots of fish!" The kitten shares all the food with the family. 

6) THE HORSE (she dedicated this story for her jie-jie who loves horses a lot)

One day, there are lots of horses in the farm. The horses neigh, "Neiiigggghhhhh!" The farmer and the horse must take a lot of things today. The horse neigh again. The horse laughs because the farmer always kiss the girlfriend. Kiss kiss kiss. The farmer tells the girlfriend, "I love you!" The girlfriend said, "I love you too!"

Exuberant Carnival

Our "Egg Toss" games stall

Big Bee's school organised their annual funfair on 28 October, as a celebration of their last day of school and the finale to the many months of hard work for the final exams. I was volunteering as a parent helper, manning a games stall called "Egg Toss". It was a simple game where the students had to throw brightly-coloured ping pong balls into empty egg crates. 

The empty egg crates where students had to throw their ping balls into. 

Very cheap set-up fees, and we charged $1 for a game of 5 tosses, complete with prizes that all the parents chipped in with funds to buy as a school. 

Our decorated "Egg Toss" games stall :) 

The students were thrilled with the different tiers of different prizes. As a parent manning the prize station for a while, it was very amusing to see how the kids were excitedly selecting and comparing their prizes! The game drew a lot of word-of-mouth, probably due to its relative easiness and great prizes - so we made a whopping $700 in one morning, all for the good of charity :) 

Some classes' parents were really impressive, decking their stalls in a fantastic theme. Check out this "Fairy Finger Food" stall selling food, with angels as their parent volunteers, complete with themed aprons and fairy wings for the students in the class! 

I lifted some pages from Big Bee's diary to provide her perspective on the funfair. It is fairly long, with 6.5 pages from her diary, as she told me she wanted to preserve every single detail of that day. Enjoy reading!

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Pages from Big Bee's Diary *unedited*

Yesterday, it was my school fun fair. It was the best day of school! Mummy went in with me to school because she was a parent volunteer. She was having a games stall at the concourse. Her games stall was called "Egg Toss". Mummy went to the concourse to find the other mummies who were also helping out at the games stall. 

I went back to class. Then, I went to my flag raising. After my flag raising, we went to start the fun fair! I went with my best friend, Rachael. We first went to Mummy's games stall. Rachael and me played Egg Toss. It was very fun. After that, we went to another game at the quandrangle. I had to throw a ball into a hole. I won a prize. Rachael played that game too. 

After that, me and Rachael took a walk in the canteen. We found a nice cupcake stall. We could decorate our own cupcakes. I had a vanilla cupcake while Rachael had a chocolate cupcake. I put some strawberry icing on my cupcake. I also decorated it with sprinkles and little, sweet stars. I put a pink butterfly on the nice cupcake. 

After that, I went back to Mummy's games stall to show Mummy what I did. We ate the delicious cupcakes. It was nice and sweet. Rachael and I decided to ride something together, so we went to a ride called "A Time To Ride". Rachael called it the friendship ride. There were some animal floats - a giraffe, a cat and a kangaroo. The floats were like real cars. We could steer the floats round the courtyard. 

Although the queue was very long, me and Rachael still wanted to ride it. We waited for over twenty minutes, and finally our turn came. We sat on the cat float. I drove the first round, while Rachael sat beside me watching. Rachael drove the second round. It was like bumper cars, for we kept bumping into things. Rachael and I thought it was so fun that we wanted to go again. Unfortunately, the queue was super long, so we decided to go for another game. 

We went to a rather interesting game. The game was called "Money Catch". We went inside a door, into a small box. There was wind underneath to blow the money up. We had to try to catch as much money as possible. A parent volunteer helped me to count my money after the game. I won a prize. It was a pinball machine. Unfortunately, it spoiled. I threw it away. 

After that, I went back to Mummy's games stall to rest and drink water. I played one game of Egg Toss. Then, Rachael and me ran to the courtyard to ride the animal floats again. The queue was still very long, but we waited for half an hour. Finally, it was our turn. While I drove the first round, we saw Rachael's sister selling some nice bookmarks. She sat down on our kangaroo float for a while. Half way while we were finishing our first round, we saw our principal. She said hello to us. We also met our vice-principal. She took some photos of us. 

After we finished the ride, Rachael and me saw some yummy biscuits at the canteen. I bought two biscuits. They were the shape of a schoolgirl. They were wearing my school uniform. After that, we went to Beauty World. It was at the hall. Rachael and me bought a hairband each. The hairband was like a small wig. I tied up my hair with the hairband. 

Big Bee proudly showcasing her snazzy hairband! 

After that, I went back to Mummy's game stall. I saw Popo and Annette. Mummy followed us to the hall. Annette bought a clip. The clip had a plait tied to it. It is orange colour. After that, we went to the courtyard. Annette went to a balloon stall. She wanted a flower bracelet balloon. 

Then, we went back to Mummy's game stall. Rachael did not want to go to the haunted house. I wanted to. My friend, Analisa, went with me to queue for the haunted house. The queue was too long so we did not go. I went back to Mummy's game stall. Popo and Mummy bought some popcorn. 

After I finished my popcorn, I went back to class. We tidied our classroom. I wiped the tables and took out the staples on the notice board. After an hour of cleaning, I went home. 

Gleeful Cherubs

On 19 October, I volunteered as a parent helper at one of Little Bee's school field trips. This would be her 3rd field trip but my first time volunteering. Previously, with Big Bee, I helped out with several field trips and found the experiences enriching and uplifting, especially in getting to know their classmates better, allowing their classmates to know me better and to inject some sense of pride and happiness into the Bees, as all children felt whenever their parents helped out in school. 

So, it was on a hazy dusky day (unfortunately, the haze from Indonesia was rather severe on the day of the field trip!) that we set forth to West Coast Park. It wasn't a very exciting destination, compared to all the other funner places they had been, but this term's theme in school was "Children Of The World", so I guess the gigantic playground at West Coast Park would really be an ideal venue symbolising what every child in the world would love! 

It was so heartening to see the little kids getting really excited in the classroom before the trip, anticipating an entire afternoon of playground time. Little Bee was already giggling with exhilaration on the way to school, and in class, the rest of her classmates were hopping around in full glee! 

It was hilarious on the bus, listening to the two N2 classes singing nursery rhymes at the top of their voices, and watching each pair of kids chattering innocently to each other. 

They were immensely well-behaved once we reached the destination, walking quietly in pairs and patiently ambling to the heart of their mirth - the colossol sandy playground! 

Once they were "released" officially into the playground, you could hear them squealing away in cheeky delight, all running to the liberty of clambering up all sorts of different structures that they fancied. This was the first time I accompanied a field trip where the children did not need any formal guidance or supervision, so it was truly relaxing strolling around, helping Little Bee tackle a steep ladder or her friends with some other obstacles. 

After some time at the open playground, the group made our way to the flying fox. When I told Little Bee that we were going to try the flying fox, she looked worriedly around and asked me if foxes would bite little children! Haha! 

Most of the little kids were rather frightened by the seemingly eternal distance that they had to spend on the flying fox. Besides, given their short little selves, I am sure the flying fox seemed like miles from the sandy ground! However, Little Bee was filled with unusual courage for her petite little frame. She was the only one in class to try the flying fox twice, hanging on for dear life on the menacing contraption! It was great fun, and she descended the flying fox twice with giant beams on her cheery face. 

The little kids were fooling around a lot on the sand, taking out their socks and shoes and dirtying themselves all over. It was rather tiring and challenging for the 2 parent volunteers and 2 teachers to manage a class of 12 messy and boisterous children!

Hence, it was with much relief when we settled down for a little picnic teabreak, although we adults did spend a fair amount of time cleaning up the children before that! Little Bee's appetite was really good, relishing off 2 fluffy buns and 2 packets of succulent dried raisins. It was truly gratifying to sit on a picnic mat, chatting idly with these cute innocent angels, and laughing at some of their jokes and antics! 

Time really zoomed by swiftly when we had fun. Soon after the picnic, we had to go clean up the children at the nearby toilet in MacDonald's, before adjourning to the bus for another fun ride back to the school. Little Bee and one of her good friends Olivia were really laughing hysterically on the bus, and it was so amusing just to watch them having such tremendous fun. 

Little Bee told me she really loved it that I helped out at the field trip, and I am sure I would be back for more field trips next year! 

A Happee Day For Little Children

On a halcyon Sunday morning, with sprinkles of fluffy cumulus clouds and gentle, placid sunshine, our family descended upon a very Happee Day in Hort Park. This was an event conceptualised and organised by a very altruistic and gracious blogging mum, Daphne from Mother, Inc. The entire event was a beautiful gesture of love and compassion for 30 (or more) families from the Children's Cancer Foundation. The abundant actions of  kindness by so many volunteers who made the event an exciting one with an exhilarating atmosphere of fiesta and festivity was truly inspiring. 

We were there as "helpers" where we were supposed to mingle with the parents and children with cancer, but we ended up enjoying ourselves so much that I felt almost apologetic! I think it was also uplifting to be mingling freely as one with the patients and their families, not treating them any differently, giving them warm smiles with our kids playing boisterously alongside theirs. Because other than the dreaded illnesses inflicting them, these children need acceptance, love and fun - just like any other kids in the world. 

And that was what they had - the entire event was filled with non-stop fun and conviviality. The helpers and guests alike were enjoying themselves tremendously. What was really touching was how the "true" volunteers - face-painters, mascots, balloon-sculptors, caricature cartoonists, performers and many more - seemed to be enjoying themselves thoroughly, beaming smiles of warmth and cordiality. 

The Bees hobnobbed with all the different children to frolic around in the gigantic bouncy castle, ran in the wide open grass patch, decorated cookies and watched the fantastic Ironman and his dancers in full captivation. 

The Bees decorated cookies and Big Bee decorated a whole big cake! 

Big Bee decorated a big beautiful cake while Little Bee had her arm painted with a gorgeous pink butterfly. They both had caricatures drawn, which resembled themselves so much! 

Little Bee had a butterfly painted on her arm, and both the Bees had cartoons drawn of their faces! 

And we met up with such an engaging and quirky balloon sculptor who created a Cinderella balloon for Big Bee and a butterfly for Little Bee. 

They posed with mascots from all sorts of fables - from Pooh Bear to Bugs Bunny to Ironman to Flash to The Incredible Hulk to Batman! 

In the bouncy castle and with the mascots! 

All in all, as "helpers", we did not help much except to participate in the many bustling activities! What an event - spawned by a big-hearted mum and her hubby, publicised purely through fellow bloggers and by word of mouth, yet touching the lives of many more. We are looking forward to the next Happee Day, and hopefully, we could help in even more meaningful ways! 

Of Ghouls and Demons

The dusky, lavender gloaming was filled with the ominous promise of an imminent storm with rising winds and angry rolling grey clouds. Chatters could be heard at the estate's main hall - a low muffled orchestra of restrained yet excited babble. The scene gradually opened up to a massive gathering of hair-raising ghouls, sinister demons, creepy witches, gruesome vampires, macabre mummies and menacing monsters. 

Take a closer look, and this gathering of creatures from the dark actually comprised of small, child-like beings, many of whom were impatiently waiting for a list of homes whose families had gamely volunteered to participate in the tricks or treats festivity. 

Welcome to the Halloween party of our estate - no doubt one of the most exhilarating events of the year, especially for the children who could give themselves a good scare and a fantastic excuse to run wildly about in pitch darkness, yet collect an avalanche of sweets and goodies from the adults!  

This year, the crowd was bigger, the costumes were equally creative and the participating homes were fabulously decorated in the most innovative of ways. It was an event not for the faint-hearted - with most of our corridors and stairwells shrouded in total darkness, so that the children can truly experience the malignant spookiness of Halloween in the perfect ambience. 

Big Bee dressed up in her usual witch costume, and this year, she covered her entire face with her long hair, blending in with the eerie crowd. 

Little Bee opted to be a white angel - the pure radiant ray of light in the midst of all these darkness. 

The Bees went about trick-or-treating in the early part of the evening with their friends, Aurelia and her sister. I went along with them to experience the fun, and it was certainly rather spine-chilling when we knocked on houses replete with chilling decorations of skeletons and bats in complete darkness. And then waiting with palpitating anticipation for the door to slowly creak open, revealing different specters of all varieties, beckoning scarily to the children. However, the ultimate reward - SWEETS - usually instilled much bravado into children of all ages, including the usually timid Little Bee!

The Bees with Aurelia and her sister

PF came with her family, so the adults had dinner by the poolside while Big Bee dashed about madly with Eugene and Claire all around the estate, getting spooked by phantoms of all shapes and sizes. I decided to put Little Bee close by my side over dinner, for fear she would be too startled by abrupt phantasmal apparitions! She had a wonderful time chomping on french fries and my burger, while the bigger kids were rushing about in the dark. 

Big Bee, Claire and erm, Eugene! Little Bee was too spooked by Eugene's mask and did not want to be near them for photo-taking!

Some interesting stories emerged from them: a ghastly demon jumping with a bloodcurdling scream out of a spookily decorated house in darkness, scaring the living daylights out of the kids. A long-haired witch who kept beckoning at them to "come closer....come closerrrrrr..." to her door, and the courageous kids did just that - all in the name of treats! And a sweet family who displayed an entire tub of fragrant, warm popcorn for all the visiting kids to grab a fistful of the crunchy delights! 

Haven amidst fright night - the Bees grabbing fistfuls of divine popcorn!

The final reward: a whole pumpkin tub worth of chocolates (for me!), sweets, jellies and many more! Very sinful indeed. 

The Bees were trading treats with Eugene and Claire 

Hubby is quite intent to participate as one of the families dishing out goodies next year. And I wonder what I should dress up as....! 

Snakes and Ladders

One evening after I brought Little Bee home from her school's field trip, I was shocked to find a colossal snakes and ladders game, crafted lovingly out of a wooden board from Little Bee's old discarded baby cot!

Big Bee demonstrating how big the board is! 

Hubby and Big Bee worked on this splendid craft over a couple of hours, with Hubby drawing the boxes on the board with a black permanent marker, and Big Bee filling in the entire game with her perfectly drawn ladders and snakes, all placed at strategic intervals! 

The entire family, including Little Bee, tried our hands at the game that evening - amidst much success. The huge board allowed easy access by all of us to throw the dice and place our tokens, and let all 4 of us enjoy the luxury of space when playing a family board game. Wonderful indeed! 

Hubby informed me his next project with the Bees would be a labyrinth, along the likes of Dungeons and Dragons, I assume - using the other boards of that same discarded cot! 

October Reflections

October was a significantly eventful month, filled with ups and downs, highs and lows. All kinds of activities on the social, family, school and work fronts combined to make October a month of hustle and bustle. Here are some of the highlights in chronological order:

1) Big Bee's final exams  

2) A weekend getaway with my cousins at the Changi Village Hotel

3) A long weekend cruise with both sets of parents

4) Big Bee's release of results and streaming into her primary 3 class, with new classmates next year. Thank goodness she would be in the same class with her best friend since kindergarten days!

5) Little Bee's field trip with me as a parent helper

6) My work trip to Shanghai and Nantong, an up and rising city to watch for in China

7) Our 10th wedding anniversary celebrations :) 

8) Big Bee's school funfair where I was a parent helper at the games stall

9) Start of Big Bee's long, luxurious year-end holidays! 

10) Halloween fun with friends

11) Big Bee's Swan Lake ballet performance in a school concert with me as a parent helper

12) My birthday celebrations with my dearest family :) 

13) Our attendance at Happee Day, a wonderful event for children from the Children's Cancer Foundation, organised by an amazing and fabulous mother, Daphne from Mother, Inc. 

...and there were more activities like parties and Children's Day celebrations, etc, for the Bees! 

What a marvelous month indeed...and lots to update in the blog!  

High Seas

2 Fridays ago, we went on a weekend cruise to nowhere on SUperstar Virgo. With our little family were both sets of our parents, Hubby's sister and our helper. The Bees were ecstatic with such a big crowd consisting of everyone who loves them dearly, and were hopping, giggling and squealing incessantly!

As we boarded the ship, the weather was a breathtaking sunset with golden rays of brilliant sunshine that illuminated all our faces with dazzling radiance. Everyone was filled with blithe effervescence and vivacious anticipation for the herculean ship to start sailing. It was enlivening to see all 4 grandparents so relaxed and contented just to be close to the Bees, laughing and chatting with them. 

Some indelible highlights of the 3-day, 2-night cruise: 

1. Perpetual eating!

With 6 meals served every day, eating became a never-ending activity where the families bonded with each other. Hubby and I were very heartened to see our 4 parents gossiping like old friends, right down to telling each other hilarious tales about their respective courtship days! We discovered many tidbits of information that we had never heard before! 

It was a blessing that Rosilyn, our helper, came along. When the kids slept on the first night, all 4 grandparents, my sister-in-law and us lingered around the ship till the early hours of 2am! We gorged on the delicious supper buffet with more chatting, strolled on the alfresco decks of the ship, and Hubby went to the casino with his father, my mum and sister-in-law while I sat in the comfy lobby area with my father and mother-in-law (a funny combination, right?!), chatting into the wee hours of the morning! 

I particularly love the alfresco breakfast on our last day - lounging on the open-air deck, feeling the fresh sweet morning air on our faces and chatting languidly with the gentle sunrays emanating through the open decks. 

Hubby and I also loved the bustling, outdoor BBQ buffet dinner on the second night, right beneath the stars. We were all awed by the splendid array of food, from local favourites to exotic delights. Tastes of the grilled beef, Hainanese chicken rice and heavenly cherry crumble still resonated vividly in my mind! 

2. Open decks

I love strolling around the decks of the gigantic cruise liner, staring into oblivion at nothing but the vast, boundless blue sea that stretches unto infinity. Seeing nothing but the interminable ocean made me realise that humanity leads such a fragile existence - long before the humans transformed the world so drastically, the omnipresent oceans were the first occupants of the planet. And I am sure long after we humans are extinct, the celestial oceans will still endure. 

Humans are nothing but miniscule chess pieces in the prodigious chessboard that represents our world. Yet, sadly, we had been creating such destruction and chaos since we occupied the earth. 

Anyway, it was really gratifying to hear the gentle lapping of the waves against the giant cruise liner, and to observe the little ripples and motions of the ocean far beneath us. Entirely soothing. Wonderfully relaxing. 

In fact, the gentle balmy breeze caressing our faces was so lulling that our parents were snoozing on the open deck in the afternoon of the second day! 

3. Captivating shows

Our parents really loved the enthralling nightly performances which were highly entertaining. On the first night, we were treated to a dazzling display of acrobatics and musicals depicting life in the old imperial Russian regime. On the second night, we were lured into the mysterious world of magic and illusion with a dramatic magic performance. The grandparents gawked at the performers, the Bees were dumbstruck at times, and Hubby and me were just contented in the knowledge that everyone enjoyed themselves. 

4. Recreation for the Bees

We indulged in myriad leisurely activities with the Bees, as a celebration of the end of exams for Big Bee! Big Bee and I went swimming one lovely evening in the kids' pool, where she enjoyed many rounds of the slide. I had the rare opportunity of soaking in a warm jacuzzi tub right at the edge of the ship, staring into the frothy waves as I immersed into the enveloping comfort of the warm water. Divine bliss indeed!

Meanwhile, the Bees also spent an enjoyable hour creating some handmade crafts with the hosts from Superstar Virgo, together with 5 other girls (where were all the little boys!?). Both the girls created their crafts independently, with a little help for Little Bee, and both of them proudly showed off their completed 3D butterflies to me! 

The Bees also participated in some stage games. It was truly amusing to see both of them onstage, with Big Bee grudgingly and shyly partaking in the competition, and Little Bee animatedly enjoying herself! In the end, both of them won a medal each - it was really delightful for them. 

5. Where time stops for us

Finally, it was the tranquil midnight stroll with Hubby on the second night that I truly cherished. We went to the top deck of the liner, and allowed the wind to flirt capriciously with our hair, whipping it wildly. We sat down on 2 lonesome deck chairs and chatted like the good friends that we are. It was rather chilly but we relished being away from the glare of the lights and noise of the crowds, indulging in some quiet, romantic moments with each other. Away from the madding crowd indeed. 

Going on a cruise is an excellent way to truly unwind. With limited activities onboard, we had no choice but to amble along slowly, paying more attention to fellow cruisers and feeling time crawling to a standstill. It is also a fuss-free way to bring the children for a vacation, unlike faraway holidays where we had to lug lots of luggage and dashed about to sightsee. 

We should be back soon, I foresee :)