Rough And Tear Math!

Life had been immensely hectic for me, with crazy working hours, Big Bee's mid-year exams and Little Bee's increasing school load in preparation for primary one. Which is why I have absolutely no time to conceptualise comprehensive homelearning plans nor do much elaborate activities with the girls. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the light beaming at the end of the tunnel will shine brightly soon.

Meanwhile, I make do with whatever little time I have to spend quality time with the Bees. Which means hastily rigged homelearning materials which may not be the best in aesthetics but nevertheless, helped achieve learning outcomes!

Last month, Little Bee and I were learning about number bonds and addition, and I had absolutely no time to prepare anything fancy. Hence, I just pulled together some scraps of papers and toothpicks, and taught her the following concepts. She was tickled by the little bits of papers that I tore to make counting tokens, and loved this concept of learning where we tore bits of paper whenever we needed them! I just placed the final number (10 and 5), and she arranged the below bonds herself.

Colours Of Nature: Of Cygnets And Ducklings

They say swans mate for life. 

A family of swans and their beautiful, fluffy cygnets (photo taken by Big Bee)

And everyone knows the transformation of the ugly duckling. 

A group of ducklings gazing across the lake (photo taken by Big Bee)

Notice the gorgeous downy feathers of these adolescent cygnets? (Photo by Big Bee)

With so many beautiful fables surrounding the swan, we felt truly privileged to witness the exquisite offsprings of the 2 resident swans in our favourite part of Botanic Gardens, and another brood of ducklings that appeared mysteriously! 

That was almost a year and a half ago. 

I remember the Bees were so elated to play with the different varieties of birds, squealing in excitement and basking in their proximity to these feathered creatures. 

That was when that part of the Gardens was still relatively quiet. And now, with the completion of the MRT near the Botanic Gardens, many people throng the verdant grounds which used to seem so boundless and uncluttered. Now, the meandering emerald pastures are filled with people, and the atmosphere buzzed with liveliness and gay chatter.

Which is perfectly fine, as everyone should enjoy more time outdoors, especially in land-scarce Singapore. But I miss my tranquillity and quiet. And I think the swans miss that halcyon peace too. The cygnets and ducklings had undoubtedly grown into adults, and the cygnets are nowhere to be found, probably transported by the park authorities to somewhere else.

Only the ducks and the parent swans are left behind

Which is a wee bit sad because the park may be resonant with sounds of humanity, but the quiescent way of life for the swans and ducks seemed to be a remote past now. 

Still, we frequent Botanic Gardens for our breakfasts and tea breaks, immersing ourselves in the verdure and assimilating the serenity of the atmosphere. 

Oops, another addition to our family joined us - and disturbed the peace of the park further!

Here, we hope our girls could understand the virtues of soaking ourselves in the present moment, appreciating the beauty of nature, listening to the sounds of Earth around them, and listening to their own hearts through this stillness. 

I hope there are many more of such oases in time to come... 

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! 

The Fruition Of Parenthood

One of the gratifications of being a parent is to be at the receiving end of a child's appreciation and love. And what better way to experience this thankfulness than on Mother's Day!

This weekend was the culmination of an incredibly hectic week. Craziness at work from Monday to Friday, coupled with intense exams revision for Big Bee in the evenings, and then my weekend work practically started from Friday night till Sunday evening! So, it was an immensely fatigued weekend for me. Still, despite the 12 to 13 work hours per day that I put in over Saturday and Sunday, I always count my blessings that I am in Singapore and not overseas for work, so that I could still spend some time with the Bees at night and snuggle with them at bedtime.

Yet, what was most fulfilling after coming home with flagging spirits and a languishing body on Saturday night was to be presented by 2 very special Mother's Day gifts from the Bees. The girls were really dramatic. They sat me on the sofa, and started showering me with little styrofoam hearts (used for their craftwork). Then, each of them presented a little gift to me - Little Bee gave me an enchanting bouquet made up of a little teddy bear, and Big Bee presented an exquisite bear-y jewellery box to me!

I was so touched. Hubby had the fantastic idea of giving them $10 each to buy me a present in Popular bookshop in the afternoon, and the presents were handpicked by them, which made it even more meaningful and delightful. In addition, Little Bee also presented me with a little craft that she did in school for Mother's Day and a card she hand made earlier in the day. I felt so pampered!

Craft that Little Bee did in school

A card that Little Bee put together on her own

The next day, on Sunday, after dragging my feet home from an entire day of work, Big Bee quickly informed me, "Oh Mummy! I need to give you your Mother's Day card!"

What ensued was an unfolding of a splendid handmade card by Big Bee, which was beautiful. What was most moving was her message in a little book within the card (see below), and this made me realise that this is truly a time for rewards and sweet desserts of parenthood. All those years of nurturing, frustration, unconditional loving and fatigue all rolled into one enrapturing ball of inexplicable sweetness and satisfaction. I couldn't imagine that I would one day receive messages like these from my Bees, but I am delighted and moved beyond words that Big Bee had broken this barrier yet again. This will certainly be yet another memorable moment for me again.

She drew my 3 favourite books in the pop-up orange card, complete with their titles!

She wrote an acrostic name poem for me!

 This also sets me thinking. I used to make beautifully crafted cards for my mum during Mother's Day all the way until university. Somehow, along the way, with all our busy-ness, these cards stopped, to be replaced by little packs of impersonal and meaningless ang pows once I graduated and entered the work force. I wonder how my mum felt? She diligently kept all my cards in a little box and would talk about them to the Bees. 

I think it is time to make a handmade special something for her soon....

Thank You, Ms Blyton

Enid Blyton had been my inspiration, my addiction and my obsession when young. I attributed a lot of my fantasies and my imagination, as well as my love for writing, to her. Hubby was equally fascinated by her delightful stories of enchanted forests and magical trees when young. Needless to say, Big Bee's captivation by her was all-consuming, devouring one or two of her books a day. However, she is gradually moving away to other more "mature" genres like CS Lewis, Shakespeare (the easy-reading, abridged ones, of course!) and other classic books - as well as a whole load of so-called "cool" tween reading like Diary of the Wimpy Kid, which features very high on my list of disapproved books, which probably made her even more drawn to the series!

And I am happy that Little Bee had finally followed our footsteps when she rummaged through our bookshelf last week, and dug out one old Enid Blyton book of her sister's, claiming she wanted to read it.

Thereafter, she took the book and started reading in her room silently. Unlike her sister, she wasn't that enchanted as yet, but I think her interest in reading had been activated by the many Blyton books she sees around her, as well as the many story books she brought back from school on a daily basis.

Let's hope we are cultivating yet another bookworm, for the power of our imagination and creativity can only be unleashed in our minds through reading, and definitely not through those modern electronic playthings like the iPhone, iPad or even good old TV.

My April Baby

Today, I celebrate a full decade of being a parent.

Today, I think back to that fateful day 10 years ago when I first cast my eyes on a tiny newborn and was overwhelmed by the immensity of responsibility over another life.

Today, I want to thank my firstborn for paving the way for an unwitting plunge into parenthood - the myriad joys and bountiful love speckled with little moments of bittersweet anxieties.

Happy birthday, Big Bee - what an amazing and phenomenal journey the past 10 years had been with you.

Looking forward to more decades ahead :)

*****************

Dearest Big Bee,

The short verse above was written in Facebook on your birthday. Was it just months ago when I first missed my period, and waited anxiously for the pregnancy indicator on that magic stick, only to be shell-shocked that I was pregnant with you - less than a year into your Papa's and my marriage? Was it just days ago when I saw you emerge from my swollen stomach, stunned, overwhelmed, my normally dry eyes brimming with dampness? Was it just moments ago when chubby you celebrated your first birthday, and started to walk? Was it just seconds ago that I could carry you in my arms wherever I went?

And now. Now. Look at you. A strapping young lady almost reaching my height. Instead of arms to lift you into my embraces, my arms surround you in a shoulder hug. Instead of a lap offered to a crawling you as a respite from all your large motor movements, we now sit in comfortable silence side-by-side, our hands - almost similar in size - in each other's laps. Instead of listening to your early evening colic cries, I now turn a listening ear to your daily gossips about school, teachers and friends. Instead of singing lullabies to you, I now chat with you as an adult, an equal, my friend.

Ten whole years.

These are uncountable seconds of boundless joy, love and happiness. Of course, there are also minutes draped in anxiety, in frustration, in tears, in anger. But most of all, these are hours that are indicative of a lifetime of eternal felicity with you, my first born.

An entire decade.

These are days of teaching me to be a first-time parent. For showing the way to nurture my (lack of) patience. For cultivating responsibility in a formerly bohemian me. For demonstrating to me what selfless love really is.

These are months of seeing my beautiful baby gradually but steadily transforming to an adorable and plump toddler, a sprightly yet reserved kindergardener, a level-headed and organised yet fun-loving primary school big kid.

An unbelievable decennium.

So, in this very instance, we are almost equals. I may nag at times. You may rant sometimes. I may be those typical kiasu and petty mums once in a while. You may seethe about how I don't treat you like a young independent lady. I may behave like a crazy teenager at times. And you. Oh my. My grown-up little girl. At those times, you do behave like you are the mother and I am the silly daughter. You are so judicious and mature.

But I hope you will understand that I am just trying my very best to let go and give way. Yet maintaining a precious bond of eternal friendship that means so much to me. Those little giggles. Those wonderful long chats over our solo lunch dates. Those beautiful moments when we just connected over raucous guffaws and exhilarating laughter. 

And I hope we can be the best of friends, till eternity.

A very happy decade of friendship and love to my firstborn. And you are just lovely by being no one but yourself. 

Big Bee from day 1 in her life to 10 years old. The numbers represent her ages through the years :) 

Our Founding Fathers

Life had been crazy, crazy, busy-crazy at work, yet I try not to sacrifice on family time spent in the evenings and over the weekends, which means I also have a lot to blog about!

Big Bee did another Social Studies project for school, with the theme of "The Early Settlers", and this time, she conducted her own research all by herself, with no guidance from me. At Big Bee's insistence, Hubby and I brought Little Bee for her violin lessons, leaving Big Bee alone at home to do some online research. By the time we were back in an hour, she had already completed her research, with her findings nicely typed and formatted on 2 pages of Word document, about Tan Tock Seng! My big girl is indeed growing up real quick, becoming more independent, and not needing her good ol' parents anymore! :(

Here was what she did. She bound the book in a nice little layered notebook, but I did not capture any photos of the final product.