Little Miss Chatterbox

I was out shopping with my older daughter the other day, and we came across T-shirts from the Mr Men series. She insisted that I had to get the Little Miss Chatterbox Tee for little D. Why? Because Little D likes the colour pink, and IS a little chatterbox.

Little D has become really chatty nowadays. She sure can go on and on talking about anything under the sun. But I am not going to tell her to stop, coz I know, there will come a day when she decides to share less with me. I am so glad that she wants to share all her knowledge and happenings in school with me.

Recently, I have been meeting up with my friends from school. And everytime Little D will want to know what we did when we met. So, I tell her that we chit-chat. We catch up on the past and fill each other up on what's happening in our lives now.

"So you chat?" she asked me. "And for soooo long?", she says. "So that makes you a chatterbox too!!"

Guess most of us Mums are chatterboxes in our kids eyes ... just that we dont realise it!!

Happy Chatting!! ;)

~

My moody teen

When my friend, who lives in the Isle of Man, last visited Singapore, she commented to me that her teenage daughter was always grumpy. Her daughter was 13 then. Last year, when she came to visit again, I missed meeting up with her, as we were away on holiday. However, she updated me that her daughter was still "her same old grumpy self".

Over the weekend, my girl turned 13. We went out for lunch to celebrate her birthday, and some time during lunch, hubby turned and looked at her. Guess what? She had this grumpy look on her face and took offence with her dad looking at her!!

Why was she so grumpy? ~ he wanted to know. Hubby had made special arrangements for us to have lunch at this restaurant, and even pre-ordered her favourtie for her - foie gras - as they did not usually serve it at lunch. Shouldnt she be really happy??

My response, was that, our little girl was now offically a teen, and thus entitled to be grumpy for no reason! I read somewhere that many teenagers tended to be moody and grumpy due to the changes that they were experiencing in their bodies and lives. Teens are new to the surge of emotions that can come with the increase of hormones during puberty. So this affected their moods - and hence the grumpiness.

So I guess, we will just have to wait for her to out-grow her moodiness. It helps that we have a fun loving four year old to keep us sane in the meantime.

Is your teenager always moody too?

:)

Great advice to take heed.

Just thot that I would share Warren Buffet's New Year Letter.

I know its a little late, but better late than never:


Here's what he said:

We begin this New Year with dampened enthusiasm and dented optimism.

Our happiness is diluted and our peace is threatened by the financial illness that has infected our families, organisations and nations.

Everyone is desperate to find a remedy that will cure their financial illness and help them recover their financial health.

They expect the financial experts to provide them with remedies, forgetting the fact that it is these experts who created this financial mess.

Every new year, I adopt a couple of old maxims as my beacons to guide my future.

This self-prescribed therapy has ensured that with each passing year, I grow wiser and not older.

This year, I invite you to tap into the financial wisdom of our elders along with me, and become financially wiser.


Hard work:

All hard work brings profit; but mere talk leads only to poverty.


Laziness:

A sleeping lobster is carried away by the water current.


Earnings:

Never depend on a single source of income.


Spending:

If you buy things you don't need, you'll soon sell things you need.


Savings:

Don't save what is left after spending; Spend what is left after saving.


Borrowings:

The borrower becomes the lender's slave.


Accounting:

It's no use carrying an umbrella, if your shoes are leaking.


Auditing:

Beware of little expenses; a small leak can sink a large ship.


Risk-taking:

Never test the depth of the river with both feet.


Investment:

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.



I’m certain that those who have already been practicing these principles remain financially healthy.

I’m equally confident that those who resolve to start practicing these principles will quickly regain their financial health.
Let us become wiser and lead a happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Warren Edward Buffett (born August 30, 1930) is an American investor, businessman, and philanthropist. He is one of the world's most successful investors and the largest shareholder and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He was ranked by Forbes as the richest person in the world during the first half of 2008, with an estimated net worth of $62.0 billion. Source: Wikipedia

Growing up

Some people cant wait for their kids to grow up. They start treating them like adults from a young age, exposing them to adult situations, dressing them like adults, cant wait for their teenage children to have boyfriends/girlfriends, allowing them from a young age(pre-teen) to read novels like Da Vinci code, and books by Sidney Sheldon, etc

As for me, I am the opposite. I want them to be the young innocent child I have always known. Exposure to the adult world can wait. No harm to wait a year or two. After we have discussed certain things, when they are already stronger in their religious faith and are more critical about what they read.

No harm that could arise from this waiting, right?

But one thing I know is - I must still LEARN. TO. LET. GO!!
(but slowly at my own pace ... heehee!)

My daughter turns 13 this weeekend.

~~

Want a hero?

No. not me. I dont want one, dont need one.

Funny thing happened during one of the soccer games last week. The team was down 1 - 0 when the coach decided to make a substitution. He was briefing the boy on what he wanted him to do when the boy's dad interrupted and said: "Son, go in there, get the ball and score the goal we need. Dont be afraid to go for the ball. Remember, go in and fight! Dont make me Malu, ah!"

I thot to myself - poor boy. Now he has a real big burden on his shoulders. Not only does he have to take care of the team, but also have to take care of his dad's "face". But that's what the team needs, and that's what his dad wants. I hope the poor boy can deliver.

But if it had been my son going in, I think I would have said: "Just give your best. No need to break a leg and be hero. Come back with your ankle intact! Come back in one piece. I dont need any injuries. Ok, son? Remember, no injuries!!"

Maybe, thats why there are more dads than Mums at those soccer matches.

(The team eventually lost 2-0).


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here I share the song:

Bily Dont be a Hero - by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods - a top hit in the 1970s.

The marchin' band came down along Main Street
The soldier-blues fell in behind
I looked across and there I saw Billy
Waiting to go and join the line
And with her head upon his shoulder
His young and lovely fiancee
>From where I stood, I saw she was cryin'
And through her tears I heard her say

"Billy, don't be a hero, don't be a fool with your life"
"Billy, don't be a hero, come back and make me your wife"
And as he started to go she said "Billy, keep your head lo-o-ow"
"Billy, don't be a hero, come back to me"

The soldier-blues were trapped on a hillside
The battle raging all around
The sergeant cried "We've got to hang on, boys"
"We got to hold this piece a'ground"
"I need a volunteer to ride up"
"And bring us back some extra men"
And Billy's hand was up in a moment
Forgettin' all the words she said

She said
"Billy, don't be a hero, don't be a fool with your life"
"Billy, don't be a hero, come back and make me your wife"
And as he started to go she said "Billy, keep your head lo-o-ow"
"Billy, don't be a hero, come back to me"

I heard his fiancee got a letter
That told how Billy died that day
The letter said that he was a hero
She should be proud he died that way
I heard she threw that letter away

A real soccer mum

I used to be one of those soccer mums - running all over, up and down, sending my children to and from classes, running to the shops and market and home.

But since the start of this year, I have become a REAL soccer mum. Since my son made it to his school soccer's team. Now, I even venture out to the outskirts of Singapore, and soccer fields!! Where ever his soccer games takes him ... and me included! All along a "katongite". I am now venturing further, to places which were once just names to me, all the way to other end of Singapore, which were previously totally alien to me. Like a soccer ball, I am rolling all over Singapore!

But you know what? I am the only soccer mum around. All the other supporters at the soccer matches are dads!!

If I could turn back time ....

Remember the song by the same title, written by Diane Warren and made famous by Cher?


Well, here are the lyrics to the song for your enjoyment!

If I could turn back time
If I could find a way
I'd take back those words that've hurt you
And you'd stay

I don't know why I did the things I did
I don't know why I said the things I said
Love's like a knife it can cut deep inside
Words are like weapons, they wound sometimes
I didn't really mean to hurt you
I didn't wanna see you go
I know I made you cry, but baby..

chorus:
If I could turn back time
If I could find a way
I'd take back those words that've hurt you
And you'd stay
If I could reach the stars
I'd give em all to you
And you'd love me, love me, like you used to do

If I could turn back time
My world was shattered, I was torn apart
Like someone took a knife and drove it deep in my heart
You walked out that door I swear that I didn't care
But I lost everything darlin then and there
Too strong to tell you I was sorry
Too proud to tell you I was wrong
I know I was blind, but darlin...

If I could turn back time
If I could find a way
I'd take back those words that've hurt you
and you'd stay
If I could reach the stars
I'd give'em all to you
and you'd love me, love me, like you used to do

Ahhh...

If I could turn back time...
If I could turn back time...
If I could turn back time...
Ahhh baby...

I didn't really mean to hurt you
I didn't wanna see you go
I know I made you cry, but oh

If I could turn back time
If I could find a way
I'd take back those words that've hurt you
If I could reach the stars
I'd give'em all to you
and you'd love me, love me, like you used to do

If I could turn back time

If I could find a way

and maybe, maybe, maybe you'd stay

If I could reach the stars

I'd give'em all to you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Well, if I could turn back time, this is what I would have done:

- wore sun block from an earlier age. Then I wont be worrying about skin cancer from all that sun tanning done during my younger days.

- not allowed my Australian residency status to lapse. The I would have the option of living there with my kids, where the education system is not as stressful as it is over here.

- started having my kids at an earlier age. The my kids will be all grown up by now.

- not allowed motherhood to lull me into this state of physical inactivity! (ie continue my active lifestyle from school days!) Then I would be more fit, and have the energy to do more physical activities.

- ate healthily from an earlier age. The I wouldnt be worrying about my cholesterol levels!

- gone to one of those famous cooking schools to learn cooking when I was living in NYC. Then I would be able to cook all those yummy meals without haivng to worry about getting a reserrvation at those top end restaurants, or even paying an arm and a leg just for a nice meal!


What would you do, if you could turn back time??

You know you have ....

... had one pineapple tart too many when:




... your throat starts to feel scratchy,

... you have pineapple breath,

... you dream of pineapple tarts chasing you,

... you have minor eruptions on your face,

... you have many empty containers of which once contained pineapple tarts,

... you begin to sound like Rod Stewart and you arent even trying!!,

... and you feel a need to blog about them!!

That usually happens towards the end of CNY, like about now! And I am definitely one of those. I really cant imagine how many tarts I have consumed. But every time CNY comes around, I seem to go about trying to get the best tarts. Besides making my own, which I must say, taste-wise, ranks pretty high this year, other pineapple tarts that rank highly on my list are:

- those from LE cafe in Middle Road
- those made by this lady living in Marine Parade
- those made by my aunt
- those made by another aunt's friend
- those made by my late Godmother - hers was really the BEST!!

Had a good pineapple tart lately??

Pun Pictures

Got this in an email. See if you can guess what they are:





























Well, here are the answers if you havent already figured out what they were:

Egg Plant
Dr Pepper
Assaulted Peanut
I-Pod
Hole Milk
Gator Aide
Card Shark
Pool Table
Light Beer
Knight Mare
King of Pop
Tap Dancers

As for the last one, I do not know what it is, but it is something you wish those who are a pain in your "you-know-where", has on their toilet roll holder, esp when they have the runs!!

Chinese Painting

In an effort to make Mandarin class more interesting, Little D's mandarin teacher introduced her to Chinese brush painting. Here is a sample of what she has painted so far.


A bird




Tadpoles




A Butterfly




A snail



An ant



A lantern



Fishes





Do you think I have a "Chen Jun"in the making??

Moove it

I have been noticing cows popping up all around Singapore recently. It is the work of this company called Moove Media.

But their latest cows are really cool! They carry auspicious CNY words and can be found where there are nice greeny pastures - eg the open space across from Ngee City, Katong Park, along Adam Road, Orchard Road across from Concorde Hotel, etc.

(Sorry for the poor shot, but it was taken whilst I was driving!)

I would have loved to Mooove one of those cows to my lawn at home as part of my CNY decorations, but alas there is a sign that accompanies them that says the cows are under surveillance!

Chinese New Year

With the CNY coming to a close in a couple of days, here's my take on what CNY really is:

- a time to really clean up the house and hide our mess so others can come see how well we managed to hide that mess,

- a good excuse to go out and get new clothes, a new hair do, and pamper ourselves with a manicure, pedicure and facial.

- a time to test our patience, esp when we go queue for that super-famous bak-kwa or nian gao,

- a chance for us to show off our cooking and baking skills,

- a time of transfer of wealth between parent and child,

- a good excuse to over eat,

- a time to meet up with relatives many of whom we only see once a year,

- and of course, a couple of paid rest days to spend with the kids.

What's does CNY mean to you??

.

Little Mysteries

Life is full of mysteries. Mine isnt any different. Here are some of the little mysteries in my life:

1. How come a little 4 year old never forgets to put her dirty clothes in the laundry basket, but her older siblings never remember?

2. How come clothes keep going missing? Socks come back as a loner, towels do the disappearing act, etc.

3. How come when I take the "drowsy" version of cold medicine it leaves me wide awake at night, unable to sleep??

4. How can a person forget to brush his teeth both in the morning and at night, even when you remind him??

5. How come money can disappear so fast from my wallet, even when I didnt go shopping?

6. How come when you need something you can never find it, and when you have given up looking for it, it is staring right at you?

7. How come when I am late or in a hurry, the traffic lights always turn red?

If you know any of the answers to these little mysteries, please share!

;)