a good first week...

I suppose Bryan had a pretty good week... 

He's been labelled "smarty pants" in no less than 3 days! 

On letter sounds - 

Ms Julie: What sound does this letter make? 

Bryan: Ms Julie, I know that already. You taught me in your class last year. (Actually it was 2 years ago.) 

Ms Julie: Which letter does your name begin with? 

Bryan: B. 

Ms Julie: So what sound does it make? 

Bryan: (almost in exasperation..) Ms Julie, you know that I know this one... it's "b". (Making the "b" sound) 

Ms Julie told Mommy, Smarty pants #1. 

On dinosaurs - 

Ms Julie: Well, the triceratops were plant eaters. So that means they ate leaves, for example... 

Bryan: (interrupted his teacher) Excuse me, Ms Julie, only the diplodocus and brachiosaurus could reach up high to eat the leaves on tall trees... 

Ms Julie: So what did the triceratops eat?

Bryan: Ermm, they could eat grass. Or maybe leaves of some bushes... 

That was Smarty pants #2! 

Omigosh! How's he gonna keep his mouth shut when he's back in a Singaporean kindergarten/primary school when the teacher has something to tell the class? 

Btw, Bryan hates it when he hears that he's been labelled smarty pants. So Daddy and I said... SP! 

Aren't we glad he can't spell???!!! 

who am i?

After dinner. 

Kristin: Mommy, look at me! I'm a dentist! 

Mommy, Daddy: Whahahaha! 

Ruegen... part 1

Have always wanted to visit the northern part of Germany. Actually, I was thinking more of Westerland, after having heard so much from my German friends who have beautiful childhood memories there. 

Not too long ago, however, Alan and I saw a programme on Ruegen. Immediately, we knew we would like this German isle, which is by the way, the biggest German island in the Baltic sea. 

I haven't had this feeling for the longest time - feeling so strange and different in a place, though I don't feel out of place because the people there are the friendliest at all time! I mean, we were the only Asians around! I guess being in Frankfurt, an international community, has made me forgotten about the German I know, while Ruegen reminds me that I am in fact back in Germany. Guess I just needed this special dose of nostalgia! :) 

Of course, being at the beach again brought pure joy to the kids! See it for yourselves! 

 

Who would have thought of making a sand angel? 

This boy is definitely gonna miss the fluffy white snow when he's back in sunny Singapore for good!

Yep, the sand's really fine and soft! With a little bit of sun, it would have been perfect white sand and blue seas... but as luck would have it... err... nope! Just fine and soft sand! :) 

back in Carl Schurz School...

At last... summer break is over! The kids are back in the preschool again! Finally, I can catch some breath. Besides, I think they're bored with sticking around Mommy 24/7 since June 26th! 

Everything went smoothly. It's been our ritual to take a photo for the first day. Too shy to bring my new huge camera, but when I saw another mom armed with her DSLR, I immediately regretted my decision! 

Nothing new in school too. Bryan's teacher is Scottish and has taught him when he was three, while Kristin's teacher is an Indian lady who's born and raised in England. So perhaps not a very pronounced American accent for this year? Well, it's a good transition back to Singapore after all, isn't it? 

At drop off, I could see tears welling up in Kristin's eyes - someone who did not even shed a single tear when she went for her nursery class last year! I knew she was giving me a tough time again when she clung onto me like a koala! She never does anything like this to Daddy. Somehow dropping off Bryan first did help. By the time I got back to Kristin's classroom with her and told her to pose in front of the classroom door, she was all smiles again. Phew! 

chai tow kueh...

Not too long ago, Stacy dropped by with her sons for a play date. The kids had a great time as usual, while mommies were happily chatting away, catching up. Stacy also brought along some home-made chai tow kueh because she knew we would miss this special kueh-kueh from home.

I had no idea how much Bryan misses this kueh. The next day, when I pan-fried the chai tow kueh for lunch, my son couldn't stop until he had had his 5th helping! It then dawned on me that this was on his weaning menu and he's been eating carrot cake and pumpkin cake as young as 18 months when he was back in Singapore. Of course, Kristin didn't grow up with such comfort food, so needless to say, it wasn't so much for her palate either. 

Anyhow, I dug out the recipe that my mom wrote to me when I was still a student. The last I made chai tow kueh was probably 8 years ago... but it can still do! So here's my version of carrot cake. Anything for my kids, I'll cook... :) 

audrey cooks...

For all you absolute foodies out there, 

this is a pure banquet line-up: 

Audrey cooks... 

Salivating... 

secret of "painless" days

Alan's been gone since Aug 2, afternoon flight. Basically, he was gone all of Saturday. He will be back on this Sunday, arriving however at 8+ pm in Frankfurt. Yet another weekend spent travelling. 

How's the company ever going to be able to compensate family time and the aches and pains that I have at the end of each day when the kids are finally in bed? 

We were in Provence in early July. I got myself a pretty expensive jar of Lavender Tonic Gel for tired legs. 12.90 Euro for 100 ml. This miracle rub has been keeping me going for the whole week. Well, it isn't that Alan hasn't been travelling much. In fact, most of the time, it would have been so anyway. He would be gone over the week, with perhaps a couple of sleep-overs at home. The children never seemed to miss him. And there was school everyday. 

But this time round, it's different. It's the height of summer. Very hot - think unbearable heat without air-con! There's no school, i.e. the kids are with me 24/7. My cleaning lady is on home leave! And I promised to help a friend take care of her daughter for two days while she packed to move to another city. 

My secret of keeping the household straight, caring for three kids for a couple of days, running errands, bringing Bryan for a haircut and the kids to the doctor's all in one week lies in this tiny jar of purple essence: 

Strangely, even without gym, physiotherapy and stretching exercises, I managed to clean both bathrooms, scrub down the shower, vacuum and mop the whole apartment, fold some 7 baskets of laundry and counting, sort out the kids' toys, cook many meals, do groceries and wash the patio floor. Phew... what a busy week! Yep, that's right, it's my vanity holding myself in the highest esteem. :D

a bouncy castle of sort

When Alan brought Kristin to the bouncy castle a week ago, she was there barely 10 minutes and left. Daddy said she did not dare to let go of his hands.  

Aug 3rd, it was our last opportunity to immerse ourselves in this summer adventure playground. So it didn't bother me that Alan wasn't around to come along. Anyway, other than the first visit, I had been there alone with the kids on two separate occasions. What's more when there's company of 4 others (2 adults and 2 kids)?

Sometimes I wonder if the kids are making things difficult for me... All the heart-attacks I had whenever she fell too near the edge or someone was bouncing close next to her...

Anyway, this clip is for you, Daddy.

Last Day of the 4th Year

This looks like a simple and fun activity: You don't pedal with your feet, but "wind" the train with your arms. 
It was part of the set up at the adventure playground in the city centre. It's been two great weeks of fun for all the kids in Frankfurt. We were at the adventure playgrounds about 4 times altogether. The first week was wasted mainly at home since it was rainy and cold.

Anyway, back to the FUN activity we've seen from the clip above, on the last day of visiting the playground, I was a little distracted that I allowed Bryan to try it out again all by himself.
Reasons being: 1) I was tied down to a tantrum-bursting girl who was nothing but unreasonable, whining for Pocky Sticks and clinging onto me like a koala! 2) Bryan had done it before. He should know the drill.

Bryan was about 5 kids down the line after Kristin had gone for her trial. About 5 minutes after he was on the track, I heard him screaming and running towards me, asking if there was blood on top of his left eye. What? Again? Yes, there was blood and a cut, hopefully not too deep. And I just chucked Kristin her Pocky sticks, left her to my friends and ran towards Bryan. It was almost at the same place where he hurt himself two Thanksgiving ago. Thank God, his sight was spared.

Prior to this accident, Kristin also had a slight bump, on her right eye, where her double eyelid cuts. Hers was just a slight abrasion. Nothing serious.

While I brought Bryan to the First-Aid station, my friends saw another boy sustaining similar injuries. So, parents, never let your child board this train, no matter how much fun it promises.

In case you're wondering why Bryan looked a little strange on his 5th birthday video clips, it's the new scar that he will have to live with for the rest of his life. Not only does he have one, but two of those scars to remind me of God's grace and the preciousness of sight!

My son, when will you learn to be more cautious with life?



P/S. Call me superstitious but just a couple of days prior to this accident, Bryan mentioned about having a theme of pirate for his birthday on Monday. And on the night before the previous accident, he announced to Alan and me that he wanted to make pirate his ambition. The next time he mentions anything about pirate, I would think thrice about leaving home for any errands at all!

5 years - some milestone indeed!

At birth, Bryan weighed 2.775 kg 

and was 50 cm long. 

His head circumference measured 33.5 cm. 

At 5, Bryan weighs 21.6 kg 

and stands at 113 cm tall. 

One round his head is 51 cm. 

Oh boy, has he grown or what! 

cake-cutting..

Well, we all know that brownies have sticky, chewy tops.

So this plastic knife wouldn't cut through, lest you think my son was really "sawing" the cake!  

Anyway, you might have noticed by now who couldn't wait to sink her teeth into the brownies! 

clips redeeming or not...

Bryan was given strict instructions to let Kristin blow out all candles. 

This girl just can't wait for her birthday to come... 

She just told me today during dinner, "And Mommy, for my birthday too? You will bake a cake? Make my birthday come tomorrow, ok?" I replied, "But Daddy won't be home yet. He'll be home for your birthday." She said, "Oh! Ok."

Bryan's 5!

Yes, he is.

Unfortunately, Daddy is travelling. So this was a quiet affair tonight after dinner.

Here are some photos and video clips for you, Daddy!

The cake:

Kids helping to decorate the cake:

The happy Birthday Boy with his little sister:

Mommy and kids:

The birthday song (Take 1):

The birthday song (Take 2):

This is taking a long time to upload. Have been trying from 10pm - 1am.

Take 2 will follow. Well, you'd have guessed it anyway. A more peaceful take of the birthday song. :)