There goes my clean record

15 years of driving and I met with my first accident today.

THANK GOD no one was hurt.

I was very angry with the other driver initially as the light was in my favour and she had turned into my path, coming from the other direction. By the time I saw her appear in my path, I just couldnt brake in time. She just stopped and looked at me as I crashed into her car. She then just sat there not knowing what to do. I was furious as I had 3 children in the car with me, and one was not mine, and I was concerned as to whether they were hurt. Fortunately I had reminded them to put on their seatbelts just as I started my engine. My friend's child doesnt usually wear his seatbelt, but because I requested, he put it on to oblige me, and I Thank God for that. My own son, N complained of stomach pains initially as his full weight was held abck by the seatbelt. Fortunately, the pain has since gone away, and it is not whiplash. Apart from my son, the other 2 children seemed fairly ignorant of the fact that an accident had occured and continued playing on the iPad, oblivious to what had happened.

But, now I am no longer angry with the other driver. She too didnt want an accident to happen. She told me that she didn't see my car at all and assumed it was alright to turn, as there was a car waiting to turn in the opposite direction. She apologised for causing the accident.

Anyway, I hope that will be my first and last traffic accident. I lost half a day because of it, waiting with her for the tow truck, going to the police station to make a report, sending her home in my hubby's car, and then sending my car to the other end of the island just to submit my insurance claim and for the car to be repaired.

I know it wont be ready in time for the new school year, and it would be very inconvenient for me without a car. But as long as no one is hurt, my family and I will just have to try to juggle all our schedules and make do with one car.

To a better new year. I just crashed the old one out!

The New Year is just around the Corner

Since Christmas, time has been rather short on my hands, especially with MIL away on holiday and my older two at a Chess tournament, hence my lack of posts. OK, I am just making excuses. But honestly, that was how I felt.

The new year is just around the corner, and I feel hardly ready for it. I have yet to pack Little D's school bag, nor gotten ready her snack box for school, a wallet for her pocket money, pencil case, etc. And I have not psychologically readied her for school like I did the older two - walking her through all that she needs to know!! AND I just realised I forgot to buy her school socks!!

And my son still has national service to perform over the these two days, which leaves me with hardly anytime to do the things I have to do :P

So, I just want to wish you all A Happy 2011, and may God's Bountiful Blessings be upon you and your family!

Christmas Lunch

Well, another Christmas, and another cap in the hat. The very first time I cooked Christmas lunch for the family. And this was the menu, a simple one:

Starters:
Foie Gras with apple on toast
Stuffed Calamari with seaweed served with a sweet chilli sauce

Mains:
Roasted Chicken
Pan Fried Salmon with lemon slices
Fish fingers (as requested for by my children)
Pasta in tomato sauce

Salads:
Ranch salad
Cucumber salad with a spicy sauce

Dessert:
Longans on ice
Christmas Log cake

Drinks:
Bubbly! Champagne for the adults and Sparkling apple juice for the kids!

As you can see, most of the dishes were really simple - just pop-it-in-the-oven or straight-out-of-a-can simple! I didnt attempt anything monstrous nor beasty like Jomel did. Why? Because I lack the skills, because the decision to cook that lunch was pretty last minute and I wouldn't dare to cook it for guests without first having tried it out beforehand!

And did everyone enjoy the meal? Honestly I dont know. My parents have never been the sort who praised, never had, and never still, and I guess my siblings are the same. I will only know if they reject my offer the next time I offer to do it.

All I can say was: I was pretty pleased with myself.

Merry Christmas!

Andy Rooney once said:

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly.


And I must say, I took his advise. I have let that mess stay through the year in my home.

OK, I guess now it is time for me to clear that mess, and prepare for Christmas so that we can re-create it again this Christmas!



May Peace be your gift this Christmas and your blessing all year through!
Have a Blessed Christmas!
Love, SAHM and all in her glorious home!

Yoohoo! I won!!

I don't believe it but I won! I won a leather pouch by Missy Mao Mao!

I was visiting Danielle's web page when I saw the double zipper bag and I thought "it's just beautiful". I thought to myself I could do with one like that. The fabric used is by Thea and Sami, which I thought was beautiful. But when I saw the price, I decided that it was above what I could pay to indulge myself, especially with the recent huge cash outflow due to Christmas shopping, the year-end school books and uniform buying, and our recent vacation. But when the contest on Danielle's blog came out to celebrate her 100th post, I decided to take part. Mine was comment number 8, and you what? The chinese believe that the number 8 is a lucky number, as it sounds like the word "luck" in Cantonese. Guess it was indeed a lucky one for me! So my prise is the leather pouch, not the zipper bag that I wanted, better than nothing.

What a wonderful Christmas pressy for me. Thanks Danielle! The pouch would be put to good use. I LOVE IT!

What did I get myself into?

Every Christmas we have lunch at my Mum's. This year she suggested going out.

But I vetoed it! why? The buffet she suggested costs twice as much as it normally would ($80+++), and the food is not all that fantastic for that price. Also, it would be crowded, and they do not take reservations, and that would mean we would have to go early to queue for a table!

And you know what? I offered to cook Christmas lunch instead!! I really dont know what I have gotten myself into!! And this decision was only made YESTERDAY!!


Now I really have to get my act today. The house looks anything but Christmassy at the moment. I wasnt planning to put up the Christmas tree this year, so I guess I will just have to whip out that small table top one.

I havent even decided on the menu yet, and I will have to do the marketing, prepare and cook ... and lunch is never easy coz we will be out for a Chrismas party the night before which means we would be home late! And we dont have much time between waking up, going to Church in the morning for service, and coming back to cook in time for everyone to eat! HELPPPPPPPPPPP!

6 Shopping days to Christmas

And I am almost done with my shopping.

I was at the mall last night to collect my new spectacles (the lao hua yan (presbyopia) has gotten worse, so a new pair was absolutely necessary!!), and managed to do some shopping!!

Well, when I was at the optician, N said he wanted to go to the bookshop, and his MeiMei (little Sister), D went with him. But en-route to the bookshop, they stopped at the jewellery store (without my knowledge at all). I only found this out from the little one later.

They wanted to get me a diamond pendant, a cross with a little diamond in the middle!! (Just the thought of my two little ones wanting to buy me something just brings tears to my eyes!) It cost $139, on sale. N wanted little D to contribute $39 and he would pay $100. But little D said she had no money. All her money was with me. So they couldnt buy it :(

As we were going back to the car after shopping, we went by THAT shop again, and little D mentioned that they wanted to get me a pendant, which I immediately told them not to. I told them to save their money for themselves! And when I was brushing my teeth before bed, Little D came to me again with a brochure from the jewellery store showing me the two pendants which were going at $139 . It really brought tears to my eyes!!

Am I doing the right thing by not allowing them to buy me a gift? I dont want them to spend SO much money on a gift for me. Any small gift would make me happy (it's the thought that counts, not?) even if its homemade.

But if I dont let them buy it, would it mean that they would take it literally and never ever buy me anything for the rest of my life?? Ah well, guess I will take it as it comes. The fact that they even wanted to buy me something (this is the first time in all these years!!) already makes me very, very happy!

Milestone

There is a man who snores in my bedroom every night. Not always in bed with me, cause he knows that when he has a busy night with calls from the office, my sleep will be disturbed by those calls. He will then sleep on a mattress on the floor so as not to disturb my beauty sleep. I thank God for such a thoughtful man!

A patient father to our children. A loving dad that sometimes pampers his children too much.

Thats the man I married, 20 years ago on this day.

They put me to shame :(

She works.

She runs her household with no help: doing the laundry, housekeeping, cooking, washing, etc

She awakes at 5.30am everyday to do her morning walk /jog.

Leaves the house at 7am to commute to work by bus.

She attends church service every morning at 8am, then walks to work, and is in the office before 9am.

Her sister does the same, except that instead of walk /jog, she swims as she has an arthritis problem. Attends church service daily too.

I have help at home, I do not do the cleaning, laundry, washing, yet I dont exercise on a regular basis, tho I awake as early as them, if not earlier.

I only attend church service during the weekends.

Shame on me! Why cant I be as disciplined as them and put my time to better use.

Time to consider my resolutions NOW! How about you?

Living in the wrong time zone

Many of you already know about how I awake at by the unearthly hour of 4.30 every morning. Well, when I was on holiday, I didnt! I woke up at about 7am each day.

But now, back from vacation, I am back to waking at that hour again!!

I am now totally convinced that I am living in the wrong time zone. I would be normal and awake at the usual 7am most people do if I werent living here!!

My precious one

Yes, it's my precious little one's birthday today!!

Yes, the child who I most worry about has achieved another milestone ... she turns 6 today, with no fractures for the last 5 years 11 months. And I THANK GOD for that.

Praying always for her good health and God's bountiful blessings on her.

During our recent vacation, this little one has been looking out for jewellery all the time. At our first stop, she asked to buy a necklace with 3 hearts on it from the gift shop. So I got it for her, and she wore it on most days.

Mid-way during the trip, when we were buying a gift for a friend, the man at the shop asked her if she wanted anything. He was going to give it to her for free. She again chose a necklace. This time the pendant was in the shape of Australia with little pink colored stones all around it.

And I know when I ask her what she wants for her birthday, she may tell me: "Diamonds"! So, I am getting a pack of cards to stand-by ... just-in-case!

Yes, it's friday already. Have a great weekend ahead!!

Almost had free spending money ....

We almost had $1250 of free spending money for our hols ... but we were too late. We hesitated and then it was gone! DANG!

As you know many airlines have stopped flying the A380 because of some problems a Qantas flight encountered recently. Well, when I booked my air tickets some 3 months ago, the flight that we were meant to be on was a A380. But due to the problems with the Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines, many airlines have now grounded their A380 planes. As a result, some passengers are bumped off their flights, as replacement airplanes do not carry as many passengers as the A380.

We had earlier done an internet check-in for our flight. When we went to the airport to drop off our luggage, we had a very chatty girl doing the check-in.

We talked about how our seats got changed to due to the different seat configuration. She then told asked that the airline was asking for 16 passengers to change flight to a later one, some 3 hours later. She then asked us if we were interested.

We considered what we would do for that extra 3 hours, whether we should make our way home. We considered whether our car rental booking would be affected, we thought of all the things the extra money could buy us ... think shopping!! And then we decided we would take it! But alas, that 3 minutes spent considering was 3 minutes too long because by then, they had found their 16 people already!

Well, que sera sera ... we didnt get that extra spending money. But it would have been good if we did.

Beginners luck

I have always been a spectator during mahjong games.

Mahjong is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players (with some three-player variations found in Korea and Japan). Mahjong is a game of skill, strategy and calculation and involves a certain degree of chance. In Asia, mahjong is also popularly played as a gambling game (though it may just as easily be played recreationally). Source: Wikipedia

But during this last vacation, I was "forced" to play coz if not there would be no game for the rest being one player short.

Two of the players were professionals as they confessed to having played in the "pro league". The third was my husband who enjoys the game but has not played for more than 10 years, and he only plays in "friendly" games.

We played for two evenings after dinner last week.

And the big winner was the rookie, me!!! Yippee!

That's really personal service!

We just got back from vacation. Yay! Had a great time with the family and chilling out with some friends.

On our flight out of the red dot, the flight stewardess asked me: how should I address your children?

So I gave her their names: S, N and D. I never expected her to address them personally every time she served them, but she did! That's what I call good service!

My oldest was surprised too. She asked me how the stewardess knew their names and I told her. Oldest then said to me: you should have told her to address us as: Your majesty, your royal highness and prince charming!!

On the return flight she reminded me again that if I were to be asked how they were to be addressed, I was to do as she told me. But alas! The service on the return flight was not as personal. The flight stewardess took the easy way out and called all the children "Sweetie"!