Gingerbreadmum: Singapore Mum Blogger

I find myself looking out for little things to be grateful for throughout the day to keep me going. It energises me when naps are out of the question. It keeps me cool when I feel like I'm going to blow my top. It drives me to go go go for the kids when all I want to do is say no no no.

This week I'm grateful for....

... Little girls who enjoy reading

... Sushi dates with my first born

... Babies who enjoy sorting

... Impromptu outings with grandparents and cousins

... Little doctors and littler patients

... Kids who don't question Mama's spontaneous craziness that may sometimes include paints and dancing in the rain.

What are you grateful for this week? Ooooh and the weekend is so close I can smell it! It smells of fun outings and dinner parties!

This post is about my kitchen. Not about the things that come out of it (lovingly prepared meals and all), but rather the kind of things that go into it.

I prepare 3 meals a day. Plus snacks. So I'm in the kitchen a lot. I like being in the kitchen alone. It's my territory. It's my me time. Being alone allows me to move around freely without having to worry about little hands pulling on pots or little bodies beng squirted with tomato juice (I could have said fish blood but I think you get the general idea) or grating little fingers. Stuff like that.

The others though, neither understand nor respect this. They don't care if I have a knife, blender, or onion. They don't hear the splattering oil when I fry fish or the sizzle of the butter when I slide a piece of chicken breast on the pan.

No, this is the time, the best time, the no other time than now time, to ask me all kinds of crap.

Can I have some water? Go find your bottle

Where's my silver glitter glue? Go find your craft box

Fish have gills right? Do whales? Ask your father

They also need to, absolutely need to, tell me things when I'm in the kitchen.

Did you know that there's going to be a meteor shower over Slovakia in 2038? Don't care*

* friends on Slovakia, I mean no disrespect. I would love to hear about the meteor shower. But after dinner please.

I start work at that new place on this date, and will work Tuesday mornings, Thursday afternoons and all day on Fridays. If I nod, or grunt some form of acknowledgement, will you get out?

Calla stepped on my glitter and now there are little silver footprints all over the house! Tell your father

I repeat. Knife. Fire. Danger. Etc etc.

They reply with

I'm hungry! Can I have a snack? Just wait for your dinner

Sometimes the husband is home early and he watches the girls while I cook. But sometimes that doesn't last long and in ten minutes there is a baby clinging on my legs with her "pick me up, pick me up! Play with me!" eyes. Or the preschooler with her "Mama, Papa says I can watch 21 hours of TV". Or the husband with his "What's for dinner tonight?"

Dinner is the last meal of the day. By that time I would have already prepared and cleaned up over 2 meals and 2 rounds of snacks. I want dinner to be done quickly so that everyone can get fed and go to bed so that I can finally have time to myself.

So no I do not want to know what Captain Hook said to Mr Smee or what "open" is in Spanish. I don't want to talk about the weather. I don't want to remind anyone of anything that's going to be happening over the weekend. I don't want to do anything except cook and get food on the table without losing any of my limbs.

But no, I try waving my knives at them, I try sprinkling water on them, I try ignoring them but they just keep coming back. They're like zombies in the movies and I'm the only living meal available.

So finally dinner is done. Can I rest now? No. I have to ask the preschooler to set the table, the husband to clear all kinds of crap off the table, the baby to stop opening drawers full of dangerous things that we have yet to throw out. All that before dinner can be set on the table.

Then we eat. But two seconds after I'm seated I get up to bring drinks. Then before my butt warms the seat, "Mama can I have ketchup?" Then dinner is dotted by "Poppy don't forget to eat," and picking up Calla's toys from the floor.

But after that, it's finally bath time for the girls and I hand them over to their father while I melt into sofa. For about 5 minutes then I hear "Mama come see this! We look so funny with bubbles on ur head!" Or "honey I forgot the towel".

Not a full-time-working mum? Honey, it doesn't get more full time than this.

It could have turned into a really sucky day. It almost did.

The plan was to check out the new Sports Hub but here's the thing. Sometimes I plan everything down to the smallest detail. You know, military style: fall in at 0800hrs, march off at 0810hrs, stuff like that.

But sometimes, I assume too much and think that I can simply just go with the flow. Today was one of those days.

There were signs saying "No sitting on steps". So the big girl said "Sit on my feet, 妹妹"

We got there, and after a really long walk, didn't manage to see the amazing OCBC Aquatic Centre (it was closed), nor the new National Stadium (also closed). The girls had spied a new playground but it was (guess what) closed. So there I was with two tired and bored girls who thought I was the worst Mama ever for lying to them about this new fantastic place that possibly didn't even exist.

And then we saw it. The little fountain that was happily splashing away, minding its own business.

"Can we play in it?" my 6 year old asked.

I made a frowny kind of face. One that she understood rightaway. It mean "Um well, no because _____ (insert whatever crappy parent-like excuse here. It doesn't matter, because whatever reason I give, it's a crappy one to a child)".

As it happens, my reason was that I didn't have a spare set of clothes for her. But I did have a set for the baby, and our date brought spares for her kids, and I recalled seeing a clothing store closeby so I could really just zip in and buy a new and inexpensive dress for Poppy to change into after splashing around.

And so it took me 2 seconds to turn the frown into a huge smile and I gave my kids the go-ahead to go run in the fountain. Did they enjoy themselves? You bet. Am I hoping that they'll catch a cold or something? Of course not. What I'm hoping for is that they will remember being spontaneous as children, being carefree as children, laughing with their friends and not having a care in the world.

And that, my friends, is why I believe in seizing the day. Happy day seizing, everyone!

PS Said clothing store did not have a kids section so Poppy ended up wearing an adult sized dress for the evening! Oh well, she'll have lots to write about in her sketch book! And lots to laugh about when she's older :)

This article original appeared in the IKEA Family magazine (Singapore) last year. Yes, I wrote it. And yes, I drew the really professional-like pictures.

******

7 years ago, we moved into our new home, giddy with excitement. We had big plans. Radical plans. Two-DINKS-with-no-kids-on-the-way kind of plans.

The master bedroom was painted a deep red. Bring on the romance, I say! We had a beautiful four poster bed in dark brown, and draped deep purple drapes from the tops. Very Arabian Nights. We lit candles and had romantic dim lights (you know, the kind that made reading impossible. Mood lighting, I think it's called). Hello, sexy time!

Our living room, oh how I loved our living room. Here's what it looked like on the day we moved in :

We had a luxurious L-seat sofa with funky matching cushions, and a jet black coffee table. How cool is that. Oh how many wine glasses that table has seen. How often we propped our feet up on it as we watched hour after hour of late-night TV. Window grilles for our gorgeous wall-to-wall windows? And ruin our spectacular view? Goodness, no!

See that bookcase? See how neat it is? Oh no, those books that are not at straight? That’s all on purpose. Artistically angled. Oh, we had books. French classics for my husband, and prized possessions from my childhood – Aesop’s Fables with my 8-year old self’s handwriting on the inside cover, and a copy of When We Were Very Young, my favourite collection of poems. All proudly displayed on our white bookcase.

We also had one of those stylish wooden window frames, you know, the ones with the mirror inside? For an ‘I’m proud of my Asian heritage’ kind of statement. Was it from Bali? I don’t remember. It was nice. Our living room was nice. People who visited said it was nice. And we had people visiting often. Real people. Grown ups. Without kids. Like us. Then.

7 years have passed, and we now have two kids, aged 6 and 2 respectively. And this is what our living room looks like now, on any given day:

Living room as in most-lived-in-where-all-activities-take-placeroom? Doesn’t get truer than this, I tell ya. We wanted a minimalist look but the kids didn’t get the memo we sent.

So anyway. Here’s what has changed: The sofa. That’s gone. It was taking up too much space. Space that could be utilised for serious train track constructions. And it was too heavy to move each time we had to rescue a runaway toy from under it. So we got a practical 2 seat sofa. With washable covers. Here’s an important thing to remember when you have kids – drawings are always nicer when not done on paper.

Matching cushions? Um yeah, when they’re not being used as make-shift trampolines, launching pads, and picnic mats. Stylish coffee table? Just made more stylish with personlised artwork, courtesy of our 6 year-old.

The wooden window? It’s still around. And providing entertainment to our kids’ friends. Every single child that has visited has tried to swing from it and rip it from the wall. None has succeeded. It rattles and threatens to break, the mirror is smudgy with countless fingerprints and let’s not talk about the dust that has accumulated in the grooves. But still, it’s remained up on the wall. The force is strong in this one.

Books? Yeah, we’ve still got them. How are they categorised now, you ask? By genre? By size? By colour? Umm, right now ‘off the floor and without any yoghurt’ suits us just fine. Whichever books get picked up are shoved into the lowest shelves for easy reach for the kids, but packed so tightly that the kids are not able to pull them out. The irony. On top of the bookcase? That’s home to whatever we don’t want the kids grabbing. So our educational certificates and the like.

Toys. Where on earth do they all come from! We’d like to think that we don’t have many toys, but not many can seem like a lot in a small apartment. And every single one of those building blocks, cars, train tracks, dolls and felt vegetables needs a home. Sheesh. Can’t they just go check out the classifieds and rent a place for themselves? No, it seems. We have to find a home for them within our home. And somehow, ‘on the floor’ isn’t a socially acceptable home for stray toys.

Oh well. Step by step. Life’s too short to be picking toys up from the floor. Right now, we’ll just enjoy our kids and their messes, and flop on our tired but happy bodies on our marker-stained sofas at the end of each day.

******

The author contributes regularly to IKEA Family publications but pays for her own furniture and meatballs.

Racial Harmony Day is coming up, did you know that? We never had Racial Harmony Day when I was a kid; I only learnt about it when my 6 year-old came back with a slip from her school, informing us that she needed to dress up "in any of the 4 ethnic costumes".

Over the years, she's gone in a sari, a Peranakan kebaya, and a cheongsam. This year I'm hoping to get a baju kurung for her. One year, her classmate claimed his white t-shirt and shorts outfit was "a Eurasian boy's outfit". Come to think of it, I have no idea what Eurasians consider their traditional outfit. Then again, I don't know much about Eurasians. Which is terrible. Particularly since I'm a mum to two first-degree Eurasians.

When we were registering the birth of my first-born, we wondered what to put in the "race" column. She's the product of a French-Canadian father and a Singaporean-Chinese mother. She will, undoubtedly, be classified as "others" her whole life in Singapore, but still, we needed to put something in her birth certificate, and "others" wasn't the answer.

In the end we settled for "Eurasian". Because it made logical sense since my husband's ancestors originated from France in the early 1600s, and mine, from China. So that would make a Europe-Asia equation. Hence the term "Eurasian". Her sister, born 3.5 years later, took on the same race even though the people at the registration booth tried to make us register her as "Caucasian". I know, my Asian blood feels slightly offended as well.

Anyway.

If you know me by now, I'm the sort who tries to make a lesson for the kids out of anything. So of course I would like them to learn about their culture. But here's the thing: I may learn to cook Feng or Devil's Curry for them but I most probably will never bring them to the Eurasian Association. Just because it doesn't make sense for me to.

Most Eurasians I know tell me they have Portuguese or Dutch roots somewhere along the lines. Some are able to pull out old photos of great grandparents - a Caucasian-Asian pair. Others have sharper noses and fairer skin.

But they all have one thing in common: they were all born into Eurasian families. They all grew up with an Eurasian influence, since one or both of their parents also grew up in Eurasian families, as did their parents.

That's where we are different. My kids are being raised by their father, who was born and raised in Canada, lived and worked in China, and now forging a new life with his family in Singapore; and me their mother, a Singaporean who grew up speaking Hokkien, taught by her kebaya wearing Peranakan grandmother.

They will learn Chinese values about filial piety and greeting elders before meals, as I did when I was a child. They will celebrate Chinese New Year and Christmas. They will count their great grandmother's kerosang as a cherished heirloom. They will speak English as their main language and hopefully be able to converse in Mandarin and French as well.

We're like any typical family I suppose, in the way we pass our values down to our kids, and share our heritage with them. It's just tricky that we're starting a brand new culture of sorts with them, and there's nowhere and no one we can turn to for a helping hand or guidance.

I guess it will also be confusing when they read History textbooks in school, if they continue with formal education in Singapore. We will probably have to remind them that the Eurasians that are referred to in the books aren't really the same kind of Eurasians as they, our kids, are. Now I'm starting to get a little confused myself!

If you're part of an inter-racial family, whether as a parent or a child, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Disclaimer: maybe I should just state for the record that I know there isn't a real country called Eurasia. In case this is your first time at my blog (in which case, hello!). I mean, of course I know they came from my womb. Well, just the two that I helped create. Not all the Eurasians of the world.

If you live in Singapore, there's a very high chance you're a foodie. Or in my case, a greedie. Today I'd like to share some tips on how to make the best out of a dinner with a big group of people - a particularly useful thing for non-foodie bloggers (like me!) to take note of. Because Heaven forbid that you miss out on all the good food just because you're spending time arranging plates and propping chilli slices for the perfect photo, right?

1. Wear comfortable, non tight-fitting clothes
Leave the well-fitting dresses at home and opt for looser outfits instead. Why? So that you can pig out without your tummy bearing witness, of course. Remember, elastic waist bands are your best friends.

With your elastic waist band, you will be able to enjoy dishes like 姜丝麻油鸡 Claypot Chicken with Ginger and Sesame Oil without any guilt

2. Always pretend to be pai say
Make a big show about offering the best parts of dishes to other guests. Say, "No no, please, you go ahead and have the biggest prawn/chicken thigh/crab claw" when actually you mean "it's mine and don't you dare take it". Meanwhile, maintain eye contact with and send telepathic brain waves to that elusive crab claw.

Is there typically a lot of meat on a fish head? No. So do your pai say act quick when a dish like the 亚叁鱼头 Assam Fish Head arrives, get it over and done with, so that you can quickly savour the goodness.

3. Don't forget to make small talk
And I don't mean with your phone. Ask the other diners about their day, their thoughts on the whole penguin book thing, and how crazy/easy it was to find parking. This is a good activity to engage in, particularly when there is an empty time belt between dishes, so no one is looking uncomfortably at the ceiling or floor.

A dish like the 鸳鸯芥兰 Yuan Yang Kai Lan (cooked in 2 styles) makes an excellent topic for small talk. "Wow this looks so interesting! I would never have thought of cooking vegetables like this!" Carry on.

4. Have a wet wipe prepared before you dig into your food
You will thank me when you're trying to clumsily tear open the pack of wipes with the base of your palms while your fingers are dripping with chilli crab gravy or prawn juice.

Hello 帝皇焗大明虾 Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk, I enjoyed biting into your succulent flesh

5. Don't faint before your meal
If the meal is set for a time later than your usual meal times, have a snack before, so you don't faint on your way there and miss the meal altogether. But don't have anything too filling or too yummy which would potentially ruin your appetite. Have something small and boring. Like cardboard.

Because missing out on something like the 京都排骨 Kyoto Pork Ribs with Yam Ring would be such a shame indeed

6. If you don't get what you want, don't be afraid to steal
Distract others and when they're not looking, steal their food. Like how one minute I was playing scissors, paper, stone with my little friend, and the next minute he realised his ice cream was gone. Remember, distraction is key and you have to act fast if you want to get what you want. Works with all kinds of food, though could be a little tricky with noodles.

Thanks to姑妈家 (Gu Ma Jia) Restaurant for making this post possible; I really enjoyed the meal, and the company.

姑妈家 (Gu Ma Jia) Restaurant is located at 45 Tai Thong Crescent, Sennett Estate, Singapore 347866. Tel: 6285 2023. Closest MRT station: Potong Pasir on the EW line. Limited parking space is available.

Disclaimer: For the record, I was very well behaved during the dinner and remembered my manners.

From all that I've seen, heard and read, it seems to me that parents of children who are to be registered for Primary 1, fall into 2 categories:

There are those who work everything through as a couple. Those who keep their Primary School report cards (seriously, they should really tell us, as 12 year olds, that our report cards would be useful one day, no?). Those who plan their home-buying to coincide with the schools they want their kids to go to. Those who copulate on certain dates and times of the lunar cycle so they can have two children of the same gender, to be able to get them into the same school.

Parents who are on the same page, every step of the way. They spend hours pouring over school lists, debate about who's to volunteer, and drawing circles with campuses, marking "1km" in red and "2km" in blue on the maps over their dining tables.

Note the stance adopted by the man. His feet a placed shoulder width apart. His hands are on the table. He's immersed in the conversation. Note the woman's hands. She's got her hand on her chin. She's thinking hard about something. And it's probably not about her thinning hair.

And then there are couples where one parent is more - shall we say - involved in the process, than the other.

Note Man's innocent "Quoi? Moi?" hand gesture, and Woman's universal "You're sleeping on the sofa tonight" placement of hand on hip.

Oh we belong to one of the above two :) What about you?

Oh by the way, hook up with me on Facebook and find out all that's been happening in the land of the Gingerbreadmum. And if you'd like to vote for me at the Singapore Blog Awards, here's the link (I'm in the 'Best Individual Blog' category, under the Editors/Judges choice!)

And if you've enjoyed these drawings, here are more!

If you're wondering about the drawings: I've so been inspired by this mum. Her writing is hilarious and her drawings sometimes make me pee in my pants. But before you go all copycat-kiss-the-rat on me, you may like to read her FAQ page where she states that she 'is not the first ever human to draw pictures', and that she too was inspired by and accused of copying someone else.

One day, out of the blue, the 2-year old happily decided that she was a big girl. She ditched her diapers, went straight to the potty, sat on it and did a poo.

We were elated. Wow! And without any help from us too! We'd save a ton of money on good-girl stickers! We wouldn't need to borrow potty training books from the library! Oh how we celebrated! How we jived and high-fived! How we moved and grooved! How we boogied and woogied!

But we'd broken the golden rule of parenting: We had jinxed ourselves by celebrating too early, and soon after came the days of "No-yike-puntees!"

Now she's diaper-less at home (but yes, appropriately covered), and heads to the potty on her own if she needs to pee. Where she will (no prizes for guessing) pee. Oh and use up half the roll of toilet paper, play with the flush or use her thumb to block the faucet, watching the water spray all around. Fun times, folks, fun times.

But wait, I mentioned pee.... so what about poop? Ah. Here it comes, folks. My explaination I mean, not the poop.

So here's the truth: I have a partially potty trained toddler. She's cool with peeing in the potty but when it comes to poop, the potty is the enemy. It's like her tiny butt and the potty are repelled by opposing magnetic forces.

"Potty is enemy! No yike potty!"

She won't poop in a potty, but will in a mobile potty, in the form of a pants diaper, one that she sticks her feet in and pulls up. And then she'll scrunch up her face and do what she needs to do in a half-squat in a little corner somewhere, and stick her hand out and command in a strained voice that I "don't come here! Stay away!". And we laugh. We laugh because as ridiculous and frustrating this sounds, we remember the second rule of parenting, and that is that every stage will pass.

*****

While putting on a pants diaper may be easy, there are still several things to look out for. Newer parents, you may want to take special note of this:

Ill-fitting diapers may result in big messes that may stain your pants/sofa/car seat permanently.

Consider yourselves duly warned.

Now that I've got your attention, may I proceed to sharing some things to look out for when putting a pants diaper on your baby? Thank you.

If you, like me, have an active child, you will not regret paying attention.

These must be the cuties mascots I've seen in a long time! Think you can help Airy and Softie turn plain diapers into Drypers Drypantz diapers? Take part in the Drypers"Breathe Easy Breeze" game on Facebook for a chance to win an array of prizes!

"I'm free as a bird!"

1. Make sure pants diaper is put on the right way
Make sure that the side that says "back" is on your active baby's bottom. There's a reason for it - the back is designed a little bigger to fit baby's bum and capture pee and poop more effectively. It's not rocket science. Sure you laugh now; you won't be laughing when you're squirting disinfectant on your mattress.

If you, like me, have an anti-potty toddler, try teaching her to recognise the front and back of the pants diaper so that she can put it on by herself. With Drypers Drypantz, it's easy: the back of the diaper shows a big number (the size of the diaper your child is wearing - keeping bums clean and learning numbers at the same time! Score!). Proper placement of pants diaper on baby ensures utmost freedom of movement for baby! Hooray!

Comfort is a very subjective word. I can actually feel my own hamstrings stretch when I see her sitting like this

2. Make sure pants diaper fits properly
Are you a fan of a wedgie? I'm guessing not. So don't make your baby go through that. It's not only highly uncomfortable, it's also a big fashion boo-boo. While you're at it, you might want to check that the waistband of the pants diaper isn't twisted or folded - it should fit above the baby's navel - and check the fit around your baby's thighs.

For babies with thighs of the more um, voluptous nature, make sure that the gathers are pulled properly and not folded inwards. For slender babies, take special care to make sure there are no gaps around the thighs and waist; you might even consider tucking baby's clothing under the waistband for a better fit*

* This tip also applies to anyone who needs to be dressed in a shirt and pants: Tuck your shirt INTO your underwear (and not just your pants) to ensure that it stays in snugly. And I neither deny nor confirm that my husband does this**

** He does not. Not even when I plead and plead just so I can find out if it really works.

New Drypers Drypantz now has Comfort Fit™’s properties comprising of a softer cloth-like material and added breathability in the diaper, especially around the waistband, which helps to avoid red marks while reducing pressure on baby's tummy and allowing baby to enjoy greater comfort, air circulation and softness.

When babies are on either end of the quiet/active scale, it's pretty safe to say they're happy in their diaper. It's when they fidgit for no reason and claw at their butts or try to tear their diapers off that you should really check.

3. Check for tell-tale signs that something's not right
When put on properly, a well-fitten pants diaper does not restrict your baby's movement. Instead it gives her utmost freedom in movement. An ill-fitted diaper however, can literally be a pain in the butt. It's easy to forget about the diaper because it's usually hidden under a layer of clothing. So remember to take a look around when you're changing kiddo's diaper, and keep an eye out for redness around the waist and thighs, rashes and pressure marks: That could simply mean that baby is growing well and putting on some weight, so you might want to consider getting a size bigger.

If you find that she's pulling her diaper up constantly, it could be either than it's too loose or that it's too heavy. Either way, it's time for a fresh diaper!

******

Drypers Drypantz are available at all participating supermarkets and hypermarkets at an exclusive, special trial price of only S$10.95 for a limited period of the month of July 2014 only. Grab yours quickly, or ask for a sample through the Drypers Facebook page.

*Disclaimer: I've received Drypers Drypantz to test out for purposes of review and am being compensated for this post, so that I can buy more mobile toilets for my baby. All opinions are my own.

The IKEA Expedit shelving unit is on sale, did you know? It's the big thing with many squares - great as room dividers, great for toys, great for books. It's every homelearning parent's dream bookcase, and something I've been dreaming for for ages. I never got round to buying one because it's just a tad too pricey for my liking. But IKEA seems to be discontinuing the Expedit range so everything is going at a steal, and now that it's priced at $99, I found myself rooted at IKEA's bookcase section today, and salivating.

I love it, I really do. But Max thinks it's a bit well, massive. Which is true. He's asking me all these grown-up questions like where will we put it, and what will we have to get rid off so that we can fit it in our home?

Oh I don't know! I just know that I want one so that I can put all the girls' learning stuff in there, and put globes on top of it and lean back and look at it and sigh because our home would be perfect, and our lives would be perfect, all because of that IKEA Expedit shelving unit.

Oh look at that. Everything's so neat and organised. Nothing spilling out, nothing there that doesn't belong....
Oh and I have to clarify each time I draw this that those aren't my sagging boobs. Not to say that I don't have them. But that's not the point.

This evening as I put the girls to bed, I was half-heartedly talking to them while scanning the room to see what we could move/keep/donate. Surely we could get rid of some stuff! We have so much!!!

I looked at each piece of furniture - the chest of drawers with the faulty rail that causes the bottom drawer to get de-railed occasionally, the changing table with the changing shelf removed so it's now a bookcase, the more modest and smaller sized 8-squared Expedit that's now jammed with Poppy's school stuff and craft stuff and activity stuff including the "fun box" from the time she was home for over 2 weeks with HFMD, Calla's cot with one side removed so it also doubles up as a little reading/snuggling spot for us, the double-decker bed that's been fliped top to bottom, bottom to top countless times, the tall toy storage unit with removable plastic drawers with bottom drawers filled with little plastic animals, Duplo blocks and wooden train tracks and top drawers filled with I don't know what - dust probably.

And finally, the thin mattress protector on the floor that I was lying on. It's not even a mattress; it's a mattress protector, which we brought over from our room, so that we can all camp together sometimes. Sometimes, 'sometimes' slowly morphs into 'a couple of days, or even weeks'.

Perhaps the cot could go; the girls have that double decker bed now so we don't need a cot anymore. But that would mean I won't get to sit there with them anymore. Perhaps we could do with a smaller chest of drawers. But we got this one even before we had Poppy and it's seen us through zero to two kids so that's quite special isn't it? Or perhaps the toy storage? That's big and cumbersome and a little bit of an eyesore. But I love seeing the kids going to it and pulling out the buckets of toys.

For every piece of furniture I thought I could part with, I remembered the history behind it. I remembered why we bought it in the first place, and how it's served us. I see all the things that it holds and even if it's something that we no longer use, it's still something that has been a part of our lives. It may have been bought after a long process of deliberation, or on a whim. It may fit beautifully with everything else or stick out like a sore thumb. It may be fully utilised, or simply a dust collector. But it's part of our lives.

And then again, I looked at everything in the room, everything that was bought at a different time, all these mismatched things, and then at my two sleeping children, and suddenly I became kinder to all these things that I was in such a hurry to throw. Because in a strange way, amidst all its imperfections, I suppose my life is rather perfect.

So I suppose, no Expedit for me now for a 'perfect life'. Or maybe I could just buy it and keep it flat packed under my bed until we move to a new place. If we move to a new place. Or maybe not :)

If you'd like to vote for me at the Singapore Blog Awards, here's the link (I'm in the 'Best Individual Blog' category, under the Editors/Judges choice!) And if you've enjoyed these drawings, here are more!

I will come right out and say it. I'm an Auntie. I love going to the wet market because most things are cheaper at the market, as compared to the supermarket.

I have a relationship with the stall owners there that simply cannot be replicated at a supermarket. I have a fish guy (he guts and descales them for me!), a meat guy (I choose my slices of meat and he minces them for me!), a fruit lady (she remembers what I like!), a veggie guy (he gives me free spring onions and coriander!), a chicken guy (I even know his mother!) and am pretty chummy with the dried goods stall folks as well.

But most times I am with a kid or two who are either more interested in things on the floor or are cross with me because market time = no playground time.

However when this Mama shared that she made 5 dinners with a marketing budget of $50 recently, she got me thinking: $50 a week x 4 weeks is $200. That's reasonable for a family of 4 isn't it? So for the past week, grumpy kids or not, I kept my strict budget in mind on my marketing trips, and this is what we ate:

Day 1: Katsu-don with broccoli on the side (recipe below)

Day 2: Stir fried udon with salmon, carrots, xiao bai cai and miso (recipe below)

Honey and soy air fried chicken wings, steamed fish and fried cabbage with carrot and glass noodles (recipe below)

Beef burgers with oven baked fries (recipe below)

Fried wantans, steamed fish with tofu, and pork rib watercress soup (recipe below)

Recipes!
Day 1: Katsu-don

Ingredients for tonkatsu
Chicken fillet (I used breast)
Breadcrumbs (I used panko)
Salt and pepper
Egg
Flour

Ingredients for gravy
1 tbsp miso paste (I got one that says "Dashi type")
1 small onion
Spring onions
1 cup water
2 tbsp mirin
1 egg

For the tonkatsu
1. Use the back of a heavy knife to pound on the chicken to tenderise it
2. Sprinkle salt and pepper over it and set aside to marinade for half an hour
3. Lightly flour the chicken and then dip it in egg, and then press it into the breadcrumbs
4. Set chicken on Air Fryer basket and cook for 13 minutes at 180 degrees C
5. Once chicken is done, cut it into strips and set aside
* Start off with 12 minutes, and if chicken is not cooked enough, increase cook time by a minute each time so as not to overcook

For the gravy
1. Slice (not chop) onion finely
2. Add water, onions, miso paste, mirin and bring to boil
3. Once onion is soft, add egg and stir gently
4. Just before egg is cooked, add spring onions

Place tonkatsu on top of Japanese steamed rice, and pour gravy over. Itadakimasu!

Day 2: Stir fried udon
Ingredients
Udon
Salmon (I usually buy the tail because there are less bones there)
Carrots
Xiao bai cai
Miso paste
Mushrooms
1/2 cup water

How to make it
1. Finely slice carrots, onions, mushrooms, salmon
2. Heat oil and fry salmon and onions. When salmon is almost cooked, add mushrooms
3. Mix miso paste and water then pour in, with carrots
4. Add udon and leafy veggie. Cover for 2 minutes
5. Serve!

Day 3: Honey and soy air fried chicken wings, steamed fish and fried cabbage with carrot and glass noodles (with rice)
Ingredients for chicken wings
10 chicken wings
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp soy sauce

How to make it
1. Marinate chicken wings in a zip lock bag with garlic, honey and soy sauce for an hour at least. I usually do it overnight, turning occasionally.
2. Place chicken wings in Air Fryer basket and cook at 185 degrees C for 12 minutes, tossing wings regularly (just open the basket and give them a shake every 3-4 minutes)
3. Serve

Ingredients for steamed fish
Fish (I usually buy pomfret but my fish guy suggested I try a 'small ang go li' instead and I loved it! Firm and sweet meat, yum!)
Ginger
Tomatoes
1 tsp sesame oil
Water - optional

How to make it
1. Make 2 cuts on fish on both sides. This allows it to cook better
2. Drizzel sesame oil over it
3. Place sliced tomatoes around fish and sliced ginger on top of fish
4. Place a small dish (like the kind you use for dips) in wok and add water around it. When water comes to boil, place plate with fish on the small dish. Cover and steam at medium heat for about 8 minutes, depending on size of fish.
5. Fish is done once you poke a chopstick in the flesh and chopstick comes out clean
6. Optional: I like lots of gravy on my rice so I also like to add a bit of water to the plate

How to make cabbage dish
1. Fry minced garlic with sliced carrots
2. Add 1/2 cup water and sliced cabbage
3. Add salt if desired, then glass noodles and simmer for about 2 minutes or until glass noodles are cooked

Day 4: Beef burgers with oven baked fries
Ingredients for beef burgers
1 pack of hamburger buns
Cheese slices
About 300g minced beef
Carrots
1 small onion
Breadcrumbs
Egg

How to make it
1. Mix minced beef with finely diced carrots and onions
2. Add breadcrums and egg to the mixture
3. Set aside for about half an hour
4. Use your hands to shape the meat into patties
5. Pan patties in olive oil for about 2 minutes per side, depending on size of patties
6. Serve on toasted buns with a slice of cheese

Day 5: Fried wantans, steamed fish with tofu, and pork rib watercress soup (with rice)
Ingredients for wantans
200g minced pork
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
White pepper
5 water chestnuts (or 1 small onion if you don't have any water chestnuts)
Wantan skin (I like the square ones but round ones are fun too)

How to make wantans
1. Mix minced pork, sesame oil, soy sauce, white pepper and finely chopped water chestnuts (remove skin!)
2. Dip a clean finger into a bowl of clean water and dab around the edges of the wantan skin
3. Place a small portion of meat mixture in the centre of a piece of wantan skin
4. Fold wantan skin from a square to a triangle and press down firmly on the edges to seal
5. Pan fry wantans on low fire in vegetable oil. They fry rather quickly and should need only about 1-2 minutes
6. Pat dry on kitchen towels to soak up excess oil if you like

Ingredients for water cress soup
Pork ribs
Water cress, cut into managable pieces
5 red dates
1 handful wolfberries
4 cups water
1/2 ear of corn

How to make water cress soup

1. Boil water in pot. Once water is boiling rapidly, scoop some out to pour over pork ribs
2. Add corn to pot
3. Wash red dates and add to pot
4. After about 5 minutes of 'soaking' pork ribs, remove ribs and add to pot (do not keep the water in which the ribs were soaking)
5. Once everything comes to a boil, add wolfberries and lower fire. Simmer for about half an hour
6. 5 minutes before meal time, add water cress and simmer then serve

Everything I know about being a human being changed the minute I had kids. Nothing has ever been the same again. Even little things like waking up from sleep. Do they give me a chance to wake at my own pace? No, I spring out of bed at the sound of CRASH!- "Mama!!!"

Sure, I get to do some things I'm familiar with. Like reading. Except I used to read stuff with fewer pictures and more words.

But in any case, here are some more examples.

SLEEPING
Once upon a time, you used to snuggle in bed. Or read, or watch a movie, or do whatever it is you do to make babies. I don't know about you but in our house, babies arrive by Stork Express.

After kids, we had more and more night time activities. But let's just say they are nothing of the stork delivery sort. Oh yes, night times are loads of fun. Here's what one of our typical nights looked like, not too long ago.

SHOPPING

Before kids, spending an hour in a store deciding whether I should choose between a light or dark blue blouse, or size S or XS (oh those were the days), was nothing. In fact, it was done often. After kids, I count the grocery run alone as a special treat. Fusilli or penne? Oh I could so enjoy this. But the kids go just about everywhere with me, even to the personal care store where they (the store, not my kids) sell um impulse items at the counter. One such occasion led my daughter to ask me about um, "sexy time"; I wrote about it here.

SWIMMING

Oh swimming. I don't swim myself, but of course, there was the occasional hang out in the sun, lounging on a deck chair with a big hat. Ahhhh. Now swimming means an arm float in one arm and a swim board kiapped under my armpit. Sorry, KIAP is a word that doesn't exist in any other language. I can't explain it. "Squeezed between", I guess?

Anyway, a big bag of stuff and very few of those things are actually for me. The shower after the swim? With slippery kids and wet public pool floors? Hell. Or close enough.

MEAL TIMES
Eating with kids must be, hands down, my favourite activity ever! Not. Once upon a time I could eat with two hands. Though it's now such a distant memory that I may have to attend some crash course of sorts just to remember. I used to be able to read a book with my lunch. I used to be able to chew my food at a pace I desired.

Now, well, stuff like this happens.

Anyway, kids are awesome and we love them! Well, most of the time.

Not confident to read Chinese books to your kids? I hear you. It can be rather demoralizing for an adult to not recognize half the words in a Children's book!

Here are some ways in which I've overcome my fear (me as in a "potato mum" who's had nothing but a string of Fs in Chinese class) of reading Chinese books to my kids. And now they are a regular feature in our library haul!

1. Don't be afraid of the words you don't know. Substitute! Don't know the name of the elephant? Simply call it an elephant!

2. If there are too many unfamiliar words, don't bother trying. Simply use the pictures available and tell the story in your own words. Use words you're familiar with of course

3. Include lots of dialogue in the story. Get your kids to join you in calling out for the characters.

4. Make characters come alive by asking your kids questions like "松鼠在干什么?"

5. Make sure the kids ask you any questions they have in Chinese (why should you be the only one who's struggling!). And your answers should be in Chinese too. You'll learn together!

I have to say, I'm quite enjoying reading Chinese books with my kids now! The more you do it, the more confident you'll be. Enjoy!

This post is the first of the FUN FOR FREE SG series, brought to you by a group of mum bloggers! For the complete list of venues, go right to the bottom of this blog post. To kick off this series, I'm very happy to share about one of my family's favourite hangouts: Tiong Bahru Park!

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As a child, I went to Tiong Bahru Park every other weekend before visiting my late grandmother who lived a short walk away from the park. It's changed a lot since then but I'm so glad to now live nearby and that my children now enjoy the same park I did when I was a child.

Tiong Bahru Park is a humble park in a humble neighbourhood. I love how the dynamics of the park change according to the times of the day. On weekday mornings for instance, if you're early enough on a weekday, you can catch the regular Taichi group practicing their graceful moves. Or the Aerobics group filled with people of all ages. But my favourite has to be the line dancing groups. They're so fun to watch. What's amazing is that these groups all do their thing concurrently and we hear a mish mash of tunes and rhythms but nobody bothers anybody; everyone just gets along in perfect harmony.

The main attraction of this 3.9 hectre park is the train wreck right in the middle of the playground. You can't miss it and neither will your children. The train wreck is a whole lot of fun for bigger kids and adventurous toddlers. If you have a tiny tot, do go up with her because the train carriages are steeped at an angle and there are open holes to ladders that might be dangerous for the tiny ones. Not that it will stop them.

For a good number of years, I believed this to be one of the rare parks with a playground that had sand. Absurd as it sounds, fewer and fewer playgrounds have sand, and more and more have that funny spongey (though extremely safe and easy to clean) flooring instead. Now it seems that many other bigger playgrounds and parks have sprouted up, and a good number of them with a considerable sand play area too. Hooray!

Many playgrounds of old were home to either a set of swings or a merry-go-round, and Tiong Bahru Park has both. One of the nicest things to watch is a group of kids on the merry-go-round. Somehow, they manage to work out who's smaller and is therefore ushered onto the merry-go-round, and usually the bigger ones automatically volunteer to give it a good push. Very often, parents are not even in the mix. I love it.

If the immense sand area isn't enough for your little ones, there are swings and little kiddy rides that they can hop on as well.

The park you see today has been located at the very same spot since 1967! But it's been renovated twice since then, most recently in 2000. Now there seems to be some construction going on as well, and the foot reflexology area as well as the exercise corners are affected. But not to worry, the playground's still around, as is the jogging track.

On a good day, the little pond is nice and clear and you can spot little fish and turtles. All around, you can spot other kinds of wildlife too. Like the occasional squirrel or iguana.

A tip? Weekdays are generally quieter as compared to weekends. From our experience, Monday mornings are the worst days to visit - that's the time when we see all the litter that's left behind by the weekend crown. So do us all a favour and pick up your trash as you leave ok?

Not sure what to bring? Here's our list of things we bring whenever we visit this playground!

Details:
Tiong Bahru Park is located between the areas of Henderson/Bukit Merah/Tiong Bahru. Limited parking is available, but it is a walkable distance from Tiong Bahru MRT station on the East-West line. Toilets are available but are not always in the best of conditions. There's a water cooler but it's been faulty for as long as I remember.

It is serviced by the following buses: 32, 33, 16, 63, 64, 851, 120. Just look out for the train wreck; you won't miss it!

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What do you know about Queenstown? Apart from the big blue and yellow building from Sweden. Check out Princess Dana Diaries tomorrow and be taken on an awesome heritage trail around Queenstown!

About Princess Dana Diaries

"PrincessDanaDiaries" is the blog by the homely couple, Angie and David, who has been happily married for 15 years. They write about the beautiful and trying moments of everyday life – friendship, family, faith, food, travels and interesting walk-abouts right here in Singapore. Angie and David's daughter, Dana is 6 this year and they welcomed their newborn son, Alexander last month.

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Can't get enough of FUN FOR FREE SG venues? Here's the whole list - 31 days of free fun in Singapore! This list will be updated regularly; you will be able to click on the location to be brought directly to the blog post when it goes "live":

1 Aug: Tiong Bahru Park by Gingerbreadmum
2 Aug: Queenstown Heritage Trail by Our Princess Dana
3 Aug: Jurong Regional Library by Finally Mama
4 Aug: Maritime Gallery by Peipei Haohao
5 Aug: Singapore Philatelic Museum by Kids R Simple
6 Aug: MacRitchie Reservoir by A Juggling Mom
7 Aug: Fire Station by The Js Arena
8 Aug: Esplanade + Merlion by Prayerfull Mum
9 Aug: Bukit Batok Nature Park by Meeningfully
10 Aug: Lower Pierce Reservoir Park by The Kam Family
11 Aug: I12 Katong - water playground by Universal Scribbles
12 Aug: IMM by Mad Psych Mum
13 Aug: Tampines 1 Water Playground by Amazingly Still
14 Aug: Sengkang Riverside Park by Itchy Finger Snap
15 Aug: Jacob Ballas Children's Garden by Toddly Mummy
16 Aug: Sembawang Shopping Centre Playground by Joey Craftworkz
17 Aug: Animal resort by Raising Faith
18 Aug: Botanic Gardens by Mum's The Word
19 Aug: A surprise! by Mummy Ed
20 Aug: A city trail by Scrap Mum Loft
21 Aug: Road Safety Park by Miracule
22 Aug: Marina Barrage by J Babies
23 Aug: Gardens By The Bay, Children's Garden by Finally Mama
24 Aug: Changi Airport T3 by Mother Kao
25 Aug: Pockets of Nature by Mum in the Making
26 Aug: City Square Mall or Nex Growing with the Tans
27 Aug: Pasir Ris Park Ingspirations
28 Aug: Gdns by the Bay Supertree Grove by My Lil Bookworm
29 Aug: Vivocity Play Area by Amazingly Still
30 Aug: Punggol Promenade + Punggol Waterway by Chubby Anecdotes
31 Aug: Westgate Wonderland by Xavvylicious

Disclaimer: I love my kids, I really do. But it doesn't change the fact that they are horrible bosses. Also, if you know of someone with horrible bosses, won't you share this with them?

What about your bosses? How bad are they? Oh pray, tell!

And if you've enjoyed these drawings, here are more!

I hope you've been enjoying the FUN FOR FREE SG series of blog posts, brought to you by a group of mum bloggers, so far! We're sharing on one fun and free venue a day in the month of August, just for you. For the complete list of venues, go right to the bottom of this blog post.

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As a teenager and young(er) adult, I often thought about how cool some other countries were so cool with their various displays of public art. It was only after I had kids and brought them out for our "discover Singapore" expeditions that I realised our little country is full of art as well! If you keep your eyes peeled on your next outing, I'm sure you will be able to see some really interesting ones.

Here are some of our favourites

Orchard Central
Situated on Levels 11 and 12 of Orchard Central Shopping Centre, this hidden roof top garden is home to a really fun and colourful display. "Let's go to a paradise of glorious tulips" by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is simply too happy and fun to miss.

This piece is part of a set of sculptures by local sculptor Victor Tan, called "The Stair, The Clouds and The Sky". I love how they're all made of wire which allows us to see through them, making the surroundings part of each piece. Just be careful when you look at this one because you'll be on actual stairs!

Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road Singpaore 238896
Closest MRT station: Somerset on the NS line

Tiong Bahru Community Centre
I'm sorry I don't know the name of this sculpture, but I do remember seeing flyers everywhere asking us to donate our old household items for an art exhibition. This was exhibited at Seng Poh Gardens for a while, and then moved to a hopefully permanent location within Tiong Bahru Community Centre. Some of the things aren't fastened on as tightly as they were at the start, but that just means more fun for the kids!

If you're in the neighbourhood anyway, why not try out the Tiong Bahru Scavenger Hunt that I did up a while ago? (Note: You'll need to print out the activity sheet prior!)

Tiong Bahru Community Centre
67A Eu Chin Street Singapore 169715
Closest MRT station is Tiong Bahru on the EW line

Clarke Quay
I love these sculptures located outside The Central. They're so cute that my kids will hug them each time we go past. They used to be dangerously placed over a small pool of water; thankfully they're all on dry land now! They face the Singapore River, and are located close to an ice-cream shop so there you go, a lovely evening all planned out for you.

The Central
6 Eu Tong Sen Street Singapore 059817
Closest MRT station is Clarke Quay on the NE line

Singapore Botanic Gardens
The Singapore Botanic Gardens is home to plenty of art! Its more famous ones include Girl on the Swing and Mother and Baby, but this particular one is interesting because unlike the other two, it's not given a dedicated area. It sits on a patch of grass very near the famous Tembusu tree, almost like it wants to blend in with the surroundings, which really fits what it is actually, a sculpture of kids at play.

"Chang Kuda" by Singapore sculptor Chong Fah Cheong, showcases 3 pairs of boys at play and horsing around while on piggyback.

The Singapore Botanic Gardens

1 Cluny Road Singapore 259569

Closest MRT station to this particular sculpture is Orchard on the NS line. Other parts of the Garden may also be reached by the Botanic Gardens station on the Circle line.

Boat Quay
Can we have a blog post about sculptures and not include THE sculpture of Singapore? We cannot. And so here we are, with one of da man - Raffles standing tall and proud at the supposed spot he landed way back in 1819.

Raffles Landing Spot at Boat Quay
Located behind the Asian Civilizations Museum, 1 Empress Place Singapore 179555.
Closest MRT is Raffles Place on the NS/EW line.

I love this one along the Singapore River. Named "First Generation", this bronze sculpture depicts life back in the early days where kids would swing from trees and dive into the river to cool off. It's really interesting to be able to be part of all this action.

First Generation is located at Cavenagh Bridge, right outside the Fullerton Hotel, along the Singapore River.
Closest MRT is Raffles Place on the NS/EW line.

This is one that I keep passing on the bus but never really stopped to look at. It kind of looks like a huge Christmas tree decorated with people. Actually "the sculpture's layers upon layers of figures in an upward spiral motion represent the population's high energy and a continious cycle of progress". Named Momentum, it's made of steel and made by Israeli painter and sculptor David Gerstein.

Momentum at Raffles Place is located at the traffic junction of Collyer Quay and Finlayson Green.
Closest MRT station is Raffles Place on the NS/EW line.

Singapore Changi Airport

While this particular one isn't counted as a sculpture, I thought I would include it anyway because it's such a fun piece - The airport has so many pieces of public art that one might mistaken it as an art gallery! Our favourite is the Kinetic Rain display at Terminal 1. Beautiful bronze droplets move in slow fluid movements to form different shapes. Just lovely.

And for more reasons of why we love our airport, see here!

Singapore Changi Airport

Airport Boulevard

Closest MRT station is Changi Airport on the EW line

There's lots more art on our streets and I can't wait to point them out to my kids! Do you have any favourites?

Tomorrow, Jolin from The Js Arena will take you to the Fire Station! Jolin is a full-time working mother to two boys. She captures and documents memories of her motherhood and parenting journey on The Js Arena. On weekends, she loves to bring her kids to places around Singapore. Join her tomorrow as her family discovers the Siren, Fire and Water!

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Can't get enough of FUN FOR FREE SG venues? Here's the whole list - 31 days of free fun in Singapore! This list will be updated regularly; you will be able to click on the location to be brought directly to the blog post when it goes "live":

1 Aug: Tiong Bahru Park by Gingerbreadmum
2 Aug: Queenstown Heritage Trail by Princess Dana Diaries
3 Aug: Jurong Regional Library by Finally Mama
4 Aug: Singapore Maritime Gallery by Peipei Haohao
5 Aug: Singapore Philatelic Museum by Kids R Simple
6 Aug: Sculptures of Singapore by Gingerbreadmum
7 Aug: Fire Station by The Js Arena
8 Aug: Esplanade + Merlion by Prayerfull Mum
9 Aug: Bukit Batok Nature Park by Meeningfully
10 Aug: Lower Pierce Reservoir Park by The Kam Family
11 Aug: I12 Katong - water playground by Universal Scribbles
12 Aug: IMM by Mad Psych Mum
13 Aug: Tampines 1 Water Playground by Amazingly Still
14 Aug: Sengkang Riverside Park by Itchy Finger Snap
15 Aug: Jacob Ballas Children's Garden by Toddly Mummy
16 Aug: Sembawang Shopping Centre Playground by Joey Craftworkz
17 Aug: Animal resort by Raising Faith
18 Aug: Botanic Gardens by Mum's The Word
19 Aug: A surprise! by Mummy Ed
20 Aug: A city trail by Scrap Mum Loft
21 Aug: Road Safety Park by Miracule
22 Aug: Marina Barrage by J Babies
23 Aug: Gardens By The Bay, Children's Garden by Finally Mama
24 Aug: Changi Airport T3 by Mother Kao
25 Aug: Pockets of Nature by Mum in the Making
26 Aug: City Square Mall or Nex Growing with the Tans
27 Aug: Pasir Ris Park Ingspirations
28 Aug: Gardens by the Bay Supertree Grove by My Lil Bookworm
29 Aug: Vivocity Play Area by Amazingly Still
30 Aug: Punggol Promenade + Punggol Waterway by Chubby Anecdotes
31 Aug: Westgate Wonderland by Xavvylicious

We've had some good times with the IKEA Kura reversible bed. You know, the bed that every 5 year old wants to have, and every other kid already has?

In the past 2 years it's been with us, it's been flipped from high bed to low bed over and over. It's been a princess fort, an ice cream parlour, and internet cafe, a fruit shop, a costume shop. We've had some fun times, yes.

But the little one is quite a climber and liked to give me frequent scares by jumping on the top bunk, plus getting in and out from the bottom bunk was not fun for my knees. So we put it up for sale, and before we knew it, it was gone. We said our goodbyes but the sadness and emptiness didn't last long because we now have the space to do this:

Now we have the girls in a Kritter bed and a Hensvik cot with one side removed, placed side by side in what my mother calls "hotel style". The original idea was to get them a little bedside table in between but I figured an overturned Trofast box would do the trick as well.

The problem was that I'm not very good with walls, plus there's that little protruding part on the wall that makes putting stuff quite tricky. The good thing though was that it created a natural divider for us to place the beds and 'divide the space'. And once I decided that since it's their room and their wall, it should be stuff that makes sense to them that's up on it, it became easier.

It started with this, one of our favourite quotes (it's from the movie Turbo!). I love it, spelling mistake and all - it just makes it more real and 6-year oldish don't you think?

On each of their respective sides, I've included a piece of their art work, a indivdual photo of them as well as a character that they are currently into. She's a fan of Tintin these days, so there's a picture of the first every Tintin book she's read up on her side of the wall - I considered buying a comic and tearing it up for this purpose but I couldn't bear it! In the end I managed to find a high res version online, and printed it in A5 size, stuck it on some cardboard and got Poppy to decorate the border.

Something I've been telling Poppy for a while, and that I hope she'll remember, is "我就是我,我很特别!"It means "I am me; I am special". It's up on the wall too because I really want her to be reminded of it every day. As they grow, I know it's inevident that they will meet people along the way who will make them question their self-worth and doubt themselves. I really hope that by teaching them from a young age that it's ok to be different, and that they should always love themselves, it will make a positive difference. I really really really hope it to be true.

Poppy loves reading and can often be found curled up with a book in bed.

On Calla's side there is the result of a marble painting activity that we did, and a picture of Peppa Pig and her family - she loves the books and the shows. She also enjoyed sticking the pompoms on the photo frame with me. I love how she says goodnight to Daddy Pig, Mummy Pig, Peppa and George every night :)

There are also old pictures that Poppy drew of us, so they're up on the walls, stuck on with washi tape, and Calla likes pointing out the animals as well. Priceless!

In between their beds, the bedside table holds their night light, and the books that we/they are reading at the moment. The little one is fascinated with the table lamp and likes to flick the switch on and off a couple of times before bed.

There's also a picture of their hand prints to remind them (and more so, me) how small they really are, and how fast they grow. And finally, a picture of them two together playing at the beach, something they really love doing.

Do they like their new room? They certainly have been hanging out in there more often! And as for me? Oh, I love it :)

School kids are probably going to have a fun day at school this Friday playing games and celebrating National Day. But there's so much more to Singapore than simply dressing up in a red t-shirt and buying a pair of white shorts!

Here are some things we've been doing to learn about our country!

1. Singapore History Powerpoints
I summaried a century of history into 4 Powerpoint slides for Poppy, called "the story of Singapore". Who said Powerpoint slides were only for work presentations?

2. Lapbooks
We've made lapbooks about other countries, and other topics that Poppy's requested for, so why not one about Singapore? Fun facts like how old Singapore is, what are the common surnames, and how makes up our population were some things that we included. And lots of pictures of course.

Oh and did you know that The entire lyrics of the national anthem are printed in microtext on the back of the $1,000 note.Let me go check my $1,000 note now! Oh wait. I don’t have one. Oh well. Will someone lend me one perhaps?

3. Excursions
Where better to go than to the place where our Founder landed! The Boat Quay/Clarke Quay area has lots of statues under the "Merchants of Singapore" series, which would probably be interesting for kids to see/climb around at.

4. Baby book
This is something Poppy and I made for Calla last year (when she was 1 year old!). We used red and white paper and together drew and wrote out the words that were related to us and our country. It was nice to take it out and look at it again now that Calla is talking more and able to recognise these things.

5. Flag fun
I'm a little ashamed to admit that I needed some refreshing when Poppy asked me what our flag symbolised. For those of you who don't remember either, the red represents brotherhood, white stands for virtue. The crescent moon represents a young nation on the rise and the five stars stand for Singapore's ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.

6. Merlion
Did you know that there are 3 Merlions in Singapore? The one at the mouth of the Singapore River is the original, and closeby there's the baby one, and then there's the huge one at Sentosa where you can pay to climb up to its mouth or top of its head!

7. Songs
If you've got a school-going child or two, chances are you've been hearing familiar tunes from your childhood for the past couple of weeks. Thank goodness I remember bits and pieces of Chan Mali Chan, and my 6-year old has graciously decided to teach me whatever she knows of "Home".

My non Singaporean husband told me today that it's interesting how we have national songs. I suppose he's right, even though some of the songs are of um questionable lyrics. But in any case, we're having fun singing them at home now.

Remember Chan Mali Chan? Di Tanjung Katong? Singapore, Sunny Island? 小人物的心声? Five Stars Arising? And of course the um, slightly more cringe-worthy ones? Dig deep into your memory banks, I'm sure you'll remember them! If not, Google will surely be helpful.

For the record, I never actually learnt the following song in school. A cousin taught me. But thanks to the catchy tune and easy words, kids can learn it (or at least clap along) really quickly! Poppy had fun with this little fill-in-the-blanks activity too. And the day after we learnt this, we visited Collyer Quay, Raffles Place and The Esplanade. We took the bus, of course :)

8. Local food
I realise that we very seldom order the usual 'local dishes' when we're out, so my 6 year old hasn't tried nasi lemak, or char kway teow or briyani. So these days, our 'cafe' is serving our local fare instead of the usual fish and chips and cupcakes. You know, the National Day special :)

Also, I'm slowly introducing local delights to the kids. Like chee cheong fun and chwee kway. Tiong Bahru Market is supposed to have a very famous one.

9. Orchids
I don't have much patience for flowers, but the next time we're at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, we're going to take some time to chec out the orchid gardens. More about the Singapore's national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim here! Fun fact: did you know that it's named after Ms Agnes Joaquim who bred this hybrid, and the grave of Ms Joaquim is located at the Armenian Church on Hill Street?

10. Language
We're learning to say fun and random things in Singapore's four main languages! For example, "ketiak" means "armpit" in Malay, "哎呀 ! 我的妈啊!" means "oh my gosh!" and "vanakkam" means "hello, how are you?" in Tamil. Tip: listen carefully to MRT announcements to pick up some really fun things!

Happy National Day, everyone!

This was our scene earlier this afternoon:

Poppy was playing with her Lego set while Calla was entertaining herself with her container of oats and um, stuff. The girls occupied themselves for quite a while so I took the opportunity to pop some ingredients for beef stew in the slow cooker.

Then Poppy decided to join Calla and while the little one was happy to let her sister join in the fun, didn't like the fact that her older sister was trying to take over, run the show, and steal all her oats.

So there were cries, there was snatching, there was pulling and there was "Mama- Mama"-ing.

I stepped in and asked Poppy to give in to her sister because it was her toy to begin with, and I reminded her that Calla had left her alone when she was playing with her Lego set. Ultimately she did let go but very begrudgingly and stormed off to find something else to do.

I was hit with the sudden realization that I had done what I told myself I wouldn't - I was taking sides.

It wasn't the first time either. I'm ashamed to admit that sometimes I simply ask Poppy to give in so that Calla would be pacified. Because it's easier. I explain to Poppy (sometimes in a less than patient tone) that Calla's only two years old and Poppy's older and wiser so she should set a good example.

To Poppy, I must look so terribly unfair. It must surely seem as if I'm favoring her little sister. As an older sister myself, I know that feeling, and I know that it sucks. Whenever she withdraws and hides somewhere with a book, I see myself as a child; I often did the same.

Like most other parents, I try my best to be fair to the kids. Both are given equal opportunities for things and sometimes one has to tag along for another's activity and I try to balance it as much as I can.

But it's the little daily things like fighting over toys or arguing to see who gets to eat the last cookie that I sometimes act faster than I can think. We are not the kind of family that lets the youngest win everything simply because of age (though sometimes I do tell Poppy that before Calla came along, we almost always let her be the first player during games because she's the youngest), but sometimes, I unconsciously pick something from my firstborn and give it to the baby.

Could it be that while I'm trying so hard to teach them to love themselves, I'm also the one who's sending conflicting messages about them not being "worthy" of the said items and having to give them up to someone else? Or is that thinking too much into it?

I could ask them to work things out on their own, but there's a limit of sorts because they are but 6 and 2. I don't want the 2 year old to get bullied by the more worldly 6 year old, nor the 6 year old to always feel the need to give in to the 2 year old.

I don't have a solution to this, but like everything else, I guess, this is a work-in-progress thing. I only hope I can find a workable solution before one of them throws me an "it's not fair! You prefer HER over me!" comment!

Parents with more than one, what do you do to maintain fairness? Pray, tell!

*Disclaimer. Of course I don't mean that those who have kids should not be given jobs.

A few days ago I wrote about why children are horrible bosses. Then I realised that as parents, we ain't so great ourselves either! Enjoy.

Pinch of salt, guys, pinch of salt.

It's our own fault you know - we choose to put ourselves out in the line of fire.

Everyone else keeps their work tucked away nicely within their offices but we, we choose to flaunt the things we do out in public. So it's no wonder that strangers feel inclined to judge everything we do. Sometimes they even feel the need to come up to us and tell us off. You know, just because our way of parenting just gets on their nerves and it just seems that we have absolutely no idea what we're doing.

In any case. Here are some types of mums who seem to be targetted a lot. Introducing the "mums who have a bad rep" series! I start with the one who pushes a stroller that's the size of the tank. Never mind her reason, people see the tank and immediately, she's the enemy.

(We've got a little stroller that we hardly use but it works really well as a hat hanger at home. When out, we tend to keep clear of these tank-like strollers)

It doesn't matter if she has battled with herself about whether or not giving her kids a fun spontaneous playtime might result in them catching a cold. Go ahead and click your tongue at the mum who lets her kids jump in puddles and play at water fountains.

(Guilty! Some water fountains are really fun. But we draw the line at those without spraying jets and those that look yucky)

Doesn't matter if it's an isolated case, or if she's had a long night of kids throwing up on sheets followed by a big Murphy's Law kind of day. If a mum yells at her kid, oh it's so wrong that every stranger on the street must do his/her public duty by virtually tsk-ing about her on Facebook. No no, everyone else has a reason to yell but not the mum who spends all day and night with the most frustrating and unpredictable of people.

Guilty! Do I roar sometimes? Yes. Do I scream all the time, everyday? No. I am capable of speaking in low tones and in gentle words as well)

She's on the phone when her kid is at the sandpit. Gasp! That's not allowed! Sure, every other person in every other occupation is allowed to scroll a little in Facebook or upload their lunch in Instagram, but no, not the mum at the playground. And heavens forbid if her kid calls out for her and she doesn't hear him. Because we all know that surely everyone jumps up and runs to their bosses the moment they call.

(Guilty at times! Mostly it's to take pictures of them or to answer an important message. Hardly random scrolling on Facebook. I'm usually smiling and nodding at them a lot, and sitting on the park bench? Haha. That'll be the day)

There you are minding your own business and there she is, sitting on a bench, breastfeeding her baby! In public! What has the world come to! Feel free to gawk and point and give comments like "Can't you do that in a nursing room that's either smelly or used by someone who's not meant to be there?" or "Please train your baby to ask for milk only at home", because that will only make her feel less uncomfortably and awkward.

(Guilty! I've breastfed my baby at the Istana, on park benches, in restaurants, at the beach and on public transport. I've always used a nursing cover though. Sometimes it's out of necessity. Sometimes it's just because the nursing room's too dirty or taken up by people who work around and simply want to fill up their bottles at the dispensers, or occupied by folks taking a nap or making important calls. I get it, it's nice and comfortable and quiet. The perfect place to you know, nurse a baby)

How absurd that someone would choose to sling her newborn and keep her hands free to do other things. When you see one, it is your right as a random stranger to go up to such a mum and ask "Are you sure your baby can breathe in there?", because what does she know - she's only the baby's mother and can't be trusted to make well-informed, researched upon decisions, be it on baby slings or anything else concerning her baby's safety and well-being

(Guilty! 6 years and 2 kids and I've only ever raised my voice at one unsolicited comment - a lady on the bus gave me the stink eye when I boarded with my baby in one of those cloth slings. Then, when she didn't get a response from me, proceeded to tell everyone on the bus about what a horrible mother I was to put my baby in that because clearly, the child is not able to breathe in there. And she went on and on about it. So I snapped and told her off across the rows of seats separating us. In Mandarin too.)

Guilty of anything yourself?

And if you've enjoyed these drawings, here are more!

Enjoying the Little Things

I've Got a Knife but Nobody Cares

Carpe Diem

Welcome to my Home

A Country Called Eurasia

Foodie Tips for Non-Food Bloggers

Primary 1 Registration

When the Potty is the Enemy

My Imperfect Perfect Life

5 Family Meals for $50!

Life - The Before/After Kids Edition

Potato Mum's Guide to Reading Chinese Books

Fun for Free SG: Tiong Bahru Park

Horrible Bosses

Fun for Free SG : Sculptures of Singapore

Home Improvement: A New Bedroom!

10 fun ways for kids to learn about Singapore

It's Not Fair, and I'm to Blame

Parents make Horrible Employees

Mums with a Bad Rep