Thank you, everyone!

Princess and Prince had a lot of Christmas presents this year, from our family, friends, church, neighbors etc.

In fact, Mummy Eliz was just jokingly telling Daddy Tiong that in their 3 years of life on earth, the amount of presents they received is more than what Mummy Eliz received her entire life.

To all of you kind souls out there, we could never thank you enough. Please forgive us if we did not manage to thank you personally.

PS:

Daddy and Mummy were so busy with the preparation of Christmas, that they did not prepare any gifts for the sister-brother pair at all. But well, the greatest gift of all is LOVE, and that is what we give them daily.

Mummy Eliz’s Little Boy’s rare smiles

Prince is the boy Mummy Eliz always dreamt of having, and he is such a cool little fellow. Always acting cool, and playing aloof.

On Christmas Eve, throughout our buffet dinner, he hardly smiled.

And then miraculously, a Christmas gift from Uncle Nic, seemed to magically transform him into another person. The little radio, with the music, was so attractive to him.

He kept smiling cheekily when holding onto it, he refused to let go of it, and he refused to trade it for anything in the world.

On Christmas Day, upon waking up at 12pm, while still feeling drowsy, he looked for it.

~ Princess excitedly looking at the radio ~

~ The next day, tightly holding the radio when still drowsy ~

Christmas Eve Countdown

For the past 15 years or so, Mummy Eliz had her Christmas Eve countdowns with her old friends from McDonalds. And naturally, no exception was allowed this year.

It was our turn to host the Christmas Eve countdown this year, and we had a total of close to 10 adults and 7 kids sharing a Christmas log cake together. Before cutting the cake, we sang loudly,

“We wish you a Merry Christmas; we wish you a Merry Christmas;
we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!”

And not forgetting, for the kids,

We wish you a lot of presents; we wish you a lot of presents;
we wish you a lot of presents, and a whole lot of cheer!”

Before the countdown, we had a fulfilling buffet dinner, and everyone came over in Auntie Peiyun’s mini-bus. That was a noisy exciting fun ride.

~ Princess getting all excited ~

~ Princess & Prince drinking from their Frosty Mugs gifts fm Joanne ~

~ Joanne w/ Setoh ~

~ Mervin w/ Uncle Nic ~

~ Daddy Tiong acting funny ~

Then after Auntie Peiyun left with her kids, the sister-brother pair opened up their presents from God-Pa Mervin, Setoh, Nic, and Joanne. Everything was in set of two, one pink and one blue. It was very thoughtful indeed, no sibling rivalry, no fight.

PS:

Thank you, everyone, for the nice countdown. Yes, we made it, even Mummy’s little boy stayed up past mid-night for the countdown.

X’mas Meal w/ Gran Siew Khim, Aunt Anne

Our first Christmas cake was at Globetrotters, after a nice slow warm relaxing and enjoyable dinner with Gran Siew Khim and Aunt Anne.

Princess got to know a really nice little boy there, a nice polite gentle fellow who played nicely with her, and even read to her. She certainly enjoyed the boy’s company.

Globetrotters is certainly a restaurant parents with young ones loved to patronize; we were happy to meet Uncle Kah Hoe, Auntie Shirley and friends there also having a Christmas dinner.

~ “Merry Christmas to you!” ~

~ Little Prince enjoying the cake ~

~ The nice boy reading to Princess ~

~ A very cute back view ~

"Making a brand new ending..."

"Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. No one can go back & make a brand new start. Anyone can start from now & make a brand new ending..... "

- The signing off signature of someone online

Uncle John’s RCIA Christmas Party

Imagine having a Christmas Gift Exchange with a total of 150+ people; just picture the presents stacked up together. A very pretty sight indeed.

Uncle John was the MC [aka Master of Ceremony] for his RCIA Christmas Party, and for the majority of the time he was performing his duty as the MC, a super fan [Princess Chelsea] was either holding onto his hand, or his pants, and following him all around, on the stage, off the stage, around the tables etc.

Daddy Tiong was not feeling too well after his blood donation, and thus, did not join us for the Christmas Party. Without him to control Princess, she went a little overboard when fooling around, and thus angered Lu-Lu Jieh-Jieh when she accidentally pulled off her earring.

Afterwards, when we reached home, she asked if Lu-Lu Jieh-Jieh would forgive her the way Jesus would. And well, Mummy Eliz is sure she would.

~ Refusing to leave Uncle John’s side ~

~ Princess wearing her new earrings from the gift exchange ~

"Love is patient, love is kind ..."

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."
-1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Mummy Eliz was pondering about the above bible verses, and was amazed at how well her mother-in-law, Gran Siew Khim, a God-believing humble lady, managed to demonstrate her deep comprehension of the above through her daily actions, despite not having any formal education.

Gran Siew Khim certainly would not be able to read the bible, thus Mummy Eliz remains amazed. And as Mummy Eliz always tells Princess Chelsea, Gran Siew Khim certainly is a great real-life role model.

Sport On! Kids Club X’mas Special

Princess is a Sport On! Kids Club Member, and as part of member benefit, she got to visit the Candy House to fill up her tumbler with candies, plus enjoyed a ride on a Kiddy Train at Changi Airport T3. The details are at http://sportonkidsclub.com.sg/EDM/caas.html.

Princess was especially thrilled to also pick up Uncle John and Lu-Lu Jieh-Jieh, who were returning from their week-long holiday in Hong Kong, who were dearly missed by all in the family, especially by Gran Agatha.

PS:

Auntie Jolene, sorry that we did not manage to ask you and Jaime along, it was a last minute decision to rush down. Gran Agatha was not feeling too well during the day, and thus, we thought we might not be able to make it down.

~ With her favorite Uncle ~

~ With Lu-Lu Jieh-Jieh ~

~ Proof that Little Prince was also there =) ~

~ Princess excitedly picking out the candies ~

~ Lu-Lu Jieh-Jieh giving her a hand ~

Ready to fly w/ Joanne Jieh-Jieh

If not for the discomfort of the eye pimple in the lower lid of the right eye, and not for the distractions from Prince, who is constantly asking to be carried, Mummy Eliz would certainly be left feeling really lost and abandoned, witnessing Princess boarding the cab, to look for her Joanne Jieh-Jieh, who is bringing her to the Science Centre.

Unfortunate Fatal Motorbike Accident

Our family friend, Elita’s younger brother met with a fatal accident last evening, his bike was trapped in between a bus and a lorry, and he was pronounced dead on the spot.

Mummy Eliz is speechless. She hopes she can say something comforting during the wake, but just in case, she says the wrong thing, she will leave all the comforting to Daddy Tiong [who is blessed with a higher EQ].

Christmas Kettling for Salvation Army

Yes!

Assignment accomplished.

For the first 45mins of our 2hrs duty, Princess dutifully performed her duty, passing out pocket calendars to generous donors. But once she spies her favorite adult friend, Joanne appearing to give some support, her playful self emerged.

It was then off to some ice-cream and arcade fun break with Joanne for the Little Princess. =)

Prince made a guest appearance for the last 30 minutes of our volunteer duty, and together with Daddy, did some Christmas Kettling.

~ Please donate generously ~

~ Youngest Kettler ever? ~

PS:

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Through this stint, the hope is for the kids to appreciate the above timeless statement, and also to hopefully encourage the spirit of community work in them.

This kettling volunteer work would be a yearly family event for us, to do some bonding while doing our very small part for the poor and needy.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Just another 15 days more to Christmas, a joyful occasion.

Whether you happen to chance upon this blog, or you are an avid follower of this blog, do leave a comment, just to wish us a Merry Christmas in return?

Christmas Idol Chasing round S'pore Part IV

Princess and Prince caught the Looney Tunes Meet and Greet session after a family lunch at AMK Hub. Surprisingly, it was not just a Meet and Greet, there was a short enjoyable X'mas songs presentation, plus stage games.

~ Looney Tunes Christmas Carnival at AMK Hub ~

~ Also caught Transformers at Taka; Cool! ~

Closer and closer to the Terrible-Twos

As Prince gets closer and closer to the Terrible-Twos, he makes it a point that he communicates all his wants and needs clearly. No longer just a quiet observer cum follower, he will scream and cry just to get his point across.

On rides on buses, mrt and taxi, he will point to the door and scream “Go!” while at the same time jerking his body towards the door.

When he wants something, like a drink or a candy, he will scream “Take!”

When Mummy is out of touch [not out of sight, just out of touch], he will scream “Mummy!”

His separation anxiety is certainly at its peak now, ever since Daddy went for his reservist; Mummy is now like oxygen to him and poor Mummy now has a crack line between her left arm and her left shoulder, from the constant carrying.

And well, and this, one day shall pass. One day, he will want his friends more than Mummy.

Standard Chartered S'pore Marathon 2008

Despite the fact that we ended up sunburn, we could not deny that we had a fun-filled day.

Daddy Tiong completed his half-marathon run, and Princess Chelsea, her 750m Kids Dash. It was a sure test of determination for the little lady, as 750m was not really a short distance. She stopped many times for a walk, but nevertheless completed the whole distance.

The tagline for this Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2008 is a very cool “Run Your Own Race”.

After the run, Princess asked a really smart question, as in why should she run? Well, Mummy Eliz’s answer was, like how the tagline goes, that this helped us to focus on what we wants in life, and to achieve it. The whole idea is not to compete aimlessly, but rather to “Run Your Own Race”.

~ Proudly holding Daddy’s completion medal ~

~ Prince was there, completing the race, carried by Mummy ~

~ Princess with Daddy, who encouraged her on ~

~ Hydrating herself with some 100Plus ~

~ 5 minutes before the start of the race, at the Starting Point ~

PS:

Mervin, thank you for joining us on the 750m Kids Dash despite just finishing your 10km run yourself.

~ Just past the End Point, Princess flushed and tired ~

~ Getting well-deserved high5s from the volunteers ~

PS:

Surprisingly, the fringe activities were really cool, but more like a mini-carnival. There was bouncy play, shrink art, games booth, toy pony rides etc. We would surely be back next year.

On How To Get More Done In A Day

http://buildingupmoms.com/2008/02/08/how-to-get-more-done-in-a-day/

"There are two little known and highly unpopular secrets to getting more done in a day for SAHMs!

1. Stay at home more than going out!
2. Self-Discipline" [content continues on site]

Agreeing with what is written, Mummy Eliz typically restricts outings to 2 a week [to conserve energy as a tired mummy equals a cranky mummy], but as this is the holiday season, she kind of over-planned.

Late in the week, Daddy Tiong informed us of Kids’ Day at Microsoft. There would be magic show, sand art, badge making, Bouncy Play, face painting etc. Princess would also get a chance to visit Daddy’s work cubicle.

How could we miss that? And so we went ahead and squeezed that into our already jamming packed schedule.

~ In the Bouncy Play Pen at Microsoft, One Marina Boulevard ~

On Choosing Friends fm Building Up Moms

From: http://buildingupmoms.com/2008/02/15/choosing-friends/

"Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Cor 15:33

"Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; " Psalm 1

I have been thinking about this for a while. These verses remind us that who we mix with has an effect on us - good or bad. We need to be mindful who we choose as friends. " [content continues on site]

Mummy Eliz is a fan of Building Up Moms, a site maintained by a mother to 7, without a maid, and home-schooling all her kids. She chanced upon the above url one day, and it certainly triggered a lot of thoughts.

What if friends of our kids displayed hurtful behavior or uses hurtful words? How should we then react?

Well, a saying that Auntie El learned and practiced that has helped her get through difficult situations and reach out to many kids over the years, which she kindly shared online helped to shed some light.

And this is how it goes:

"Treat *your* kids as if they are somebody else's,
and treat *somebody else's* kids as if they're your own."

Christmas Idol Chasing round S'pore Part III

The audience at Lot1 was really packed, and Mummy Eliz's decision is never to go back there again for any shows as she found the crowd management there to be the worst she had ever experienced.

~ Lot1 for the A Very Barney Christmas show ~

Lifelong character building & devt

The latest buzzwords these days in the parenting world include Right-Brain Stimulation/Development, Whole-Brain Stimulation/Development, and enrichment centers like Shichida, The Little Neuro Tree are certainly enjoying brisk business.

While acknowledging that such enrichment classes are definitely great to have, Mummy Eliz hopes that all parents see the importance of Character Building and Development too.

A wholesome character, a humble and serving spirit is priceless, as in life, it is not academic that bring us success but the child's character.

Pre-X'mas Party Australian Style

Auntie El arranged for a small pre-Christmas Party at Sentosa beach, complete with gift exchanges, picnic, sand-castle building, water dipping and pot-luck etc.

This is definitely our first Christmas Celebration, and hot it certainly was.

~ Crossing to the Southern Most part of S'pore ~

PS:

Thanks for the ride, Auntie Chern, and your Sarah is definitely a sweet gal, the two little gals enjoyed her company so much.

Another Zoo Outing w/ Auntie Jolene & Jaime

This time round, Princess enjoyed the Elephant at Work & Play Show, and got a little wet when the playful ladies sprayed water onto the audience seating area.

The boat ride was also a new experience, but it is not something Mummy would pay to go on again, as it was certainly a pricey ride.

~ A signature picture for all zoo-goers, on the Ben & Jerry’s cow ~

~ Enjoying the Elephant at Work & Play Show ~

~ Rushing to board the Ah Meng Boat ~

It was nice to see Princess and Jaime playing harmoniously together for more than an hour at the Rainforest Kids’ World Wet-Play area. From time to time, Princess would run happily to Mummy, reporting that Jaime pretended to be her grandma and fed her food etc.

PS:

Thanks for the ride, Auntie Jolene.

Picnic at Marina Barrage with Friends

We arranged for a picnic at the Marina Barrage area with God-Pa Mervin, Setoh, Jolene, and Jaime, and enjoyed the gallery, the beautiful view, the great water-play area, and the cool breeze.

Almost 4 hours were spent there, and to our friends who came along, thank you. It would never have been the same without friends.

~ Prince enjoying the water-play area ~

~ Artistic picture of the brother-sister pair ~

~ In the gallery showcasing about Sustainable S'pore ~

Christmas Idol Chasing round S'pore Part II

After a quick dinner on Friday, we managed to then rush for a photo session with Pooh and Friends, and it was then that Mummy Eliz realized that it had been a good long year since her last visit to Taka.

How time flies!

~ Pooh and Friends at Taka ~

~ Dora and Diego at Parkway Parade ~

Last Day at Deerland Montessori Education

Princess was sad, she said she would miss her teachers, and Mummy Eliz was happy that at least, our paths had crossed once with them.

~ With Sarah Jie-Jie who helped out during holidays ~

~ With Mdm. Lum ~

~ With Mdm. Lim ~

Deerland Montessori Education Centre

This Friday would be the last day of Princess’ final term at Deerland Montessori Education Centre, and Mdm Lum [her favorite teacher], kindly helped to capture some pictures for memory’s sake.

Mummy Eliz really like Deerland, as the teachers there are really experienced, and they are really flexible with the days / timings. And lessons are not too restrictive or rigid.

~ Smile! ~

~ Having some reading done ~

Christmas Idol Chasing round Singapore

December is a time of joy and celebration, and not forgetting spending. Thus, shopping malls, in their attempt to lure bigger crowds, would organize free performances, and Mummy Eliz must say that some of the performances are pretty good.

Catch us out in action, around Singapore, catching the performances, and having personal Meet & Greet Sessions with some of Princess’ favourites.

~ Catching Sesame Street Live! At Marina Square ~

~ Strong Daddy Tiong with his two precious darlings ~

~ Princess with Hello Kitty! at Junction 8 ~

Our visit to St. John’s Home for the Elderly

The 4 weeks co-op wrapped up with a visit to an old folks home. There was caroling, and distribution of little cute hand-made Christmas tree decorations for the old folks. All the mummies helped out in one way or another, and together, we had fun.

~ Ready, Set, Go! ~

~ Singing “Deck the Halls” ~

~ Singing “Jingle Bells” ~

~ Pretty Hannah showing the old folks the Diorama ~