Mother's Day with Love

Last year, for my first Mother's Day 'present' from Infant Care, Miss K (who was 9 months then) came back with this piece of artwork.

On it was written these words:

To my dearest mum,

Sometimes you get discouraged

because I am so small

and always leave my fingerprints and

footprints on furniture wall

But everyday I am growing

I'll be grown someday

and all those tiny prints

will surely fade away

So here's a little footprint

just so you can recall

exactly how my feet looked

when I was very small

After reading it, I teared; I felt so blessed being a MUM.

This year, Miss K came home with a Love Scribbled Balloon attached to a laminated picture card.

It is a very simple gift but being able to get to "see" the makings of this 'Mother's Day gift' definitely made the gift extraordinary~!
We get updates in the form of a blog written by her teacher-in-charged every week.
These photos are courtesy of Miss K's teacher, Cynthia.

On one side is  written 'Happy Mother's Day' and on the other, a picture of mum and daughter with a really nice quote from A little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mothers.



The hubby brought us to this highly rated Greek Restaurant along Bukit Timah Road - Blu Kouzina for my Mother's Day Dinner.

We had the Spanakopita as starters which was really yummy, Miss K loved it.

For the mains, we had a Salamaki Souvlaki, a 800g Red Snapper which was really fresh and grilled to perfection and grilled jumbo prawns.

Ended the meal with a nice homemade Baklava.

That meal brought back memories of our courtship years in Europe and of our visits to Greece.

It was a wonderful Mother's Day :)

Extreme Parenting?

During a departmental lunch yesterday, a few collegues were discussing about the controversial "Chinese Parenting" book written by Amy Chua, a Law Professor at Yale, Battle Hymm of the Tiger Mother.

No TV and videogames, No Playdates, Insist on physical labour, MUST only get As in school....Is this the 'right' way to raise smart and successful kids?

Its surprising to hear (from some of my colleagues) that one might be partially "forced" into this parenting style in order to keep up with the Singaporean Education System.

One colleague told me this story:
Daughter came back from primary school, with her first report card, she scored 75-80% (on average) for her subjects, so parents were really happy.
Daughter was sad.
Why? 'Everyone else' in class did much better than her!
Daughter pleaded to go for extra tuition and music classes as 'everyone else in class' goes for tuition and enrichment classes.

My childhood memories were often filled with lots of fun things;
Lots of care-free days chatting and baking with mum in the kitchen.......
Running around the garden, plucking grass, wild flowers and leaves for 'masak-masak' session with the siblings while dad mows the lawn.......
The whole brood cycling to the beach to see the sunset........
Going for swim-dates with my friends and family, fooling around the pool and beach (I miss the beach club)....
And what I love best, putting on my Brownie uniform and using Brasso to polish all my badges for Brownie sessions every saturday....

Will Miss K be able to enjoy a rich and fun-filled childhood, like what I had?

I really identify with Corsage's blog entry I'm a Chinese Mother Too.
I pray that God will lead me each day, so I will have the wisdom and knowledge to bring Miss K up well, to be a Godly child and Blessed in all aspects of life.

Goodbye 2010...

My journey through 2010 was a tough ride through motherhood- firsts are always difficult.

Staying home taking care of Miss K for 7 months made me lost my head so many times; I felt so helpless...(also helped me loose all the pregnancy weight, and more!) but I really thank God for always being there for me, for hearing my cries and teaching me patience with each passing day.

I have never felt so happy going back to work in April. Work has given me a space of my own where I can have some 'me' time. I feel that I am more patient and I spend better quality time with Miss K as a full time working mum.

On the other hand, I also have other issues at work which made me think, at times, whether is this really where I belong?  did God put me here for a purpose? If so, why do I feel so dissapointed and the things I do go unseen/un-appreciated?

Anyway, on a happier note, a few photos to wrap up 2010.

Mum was the one taking care of Miss K (and me) for the first 4 months of her life. I owe mum so much! If not for her I dont think I will survive the first 4 months and I would have given up breastfeeding.
Thanks mum for always praying for me and for your love and care for Miss K.
I like this photo of Miss K and mum best:

Miss K has been the best thing that has happened to me. I never knew what a mother's love is until Miss K came into my life. A child is definitely a blessing.
My little one is growing up so fast!
Let me leave you with a collage of Miss K and the weighing scale.

This has been a blessed year.

Christmas Stockings

This was Miss K's first "homework" from school. It was supposed to be a parent-child christmas home activity.

I was so busy at work that week the assignment was given, I totally forgot about this (we were given 2 weeks to complete this) until Miss K's teacher called me one day passed due date and told me that she was the only one who has NOT handed in her stockings!

First thing which came to my mind - go BUY one and hand it in!

When I went to fetch Miss K that evening, I asked for more 'info' as to what type of stockings needed, etc. all the instructions to the 'assignment' (i know, so typical of me!) and one thing the teacher said which made me realised that I have been neglecting my little girl was "Miss K is very inquisitive, she loves art and craft, she always looks forward to these activities in class, sometimes, she will walk over to her younger friends and 'help' them with their work, I'm sure Miss K would love to make her christmas stocking with mummy".

OK,... I thought, I must (strike out) the BUYING idea. No more buying, MUST be something BOTH of us can do together i.e. handmade!

I slept on the idea for a night.

Next evening, I gathered some recycled materials which I have at home and in office and we both sat down and had really lots of fun making the stocking! Miss K loves to thread the ribbons in and out of the punched holes on the paper-stocking. I cut out some shapes and she helped me paste them on!

Yes,...indeed it was a fun christmas activity for mum and child. No $$$ spent, just got to get some creative juices flowing and lots of glue.

LEFT: Front View of the personalised Christmas Stocking
MIDDLE: The final product on our Christmas tree
RIGHT: The back view of the stocking (too tired to do more elaborate decor)

Weekend with Ee ee

My sister and bro-in-law are both here for the weekend before flying back to Ireland. Miss K enjoyed the weekend with her Ee ee....such a shame I didn't manage to take a photo of them this time round!
Here's one which I took way back when they visited in April:

Ee ee, Miss K misses you already!