Lessons on friendship

Sometimes you think as a parent, you have to be the one setting a good example and that you are the one teaching your child(ren), but at other times, I really do learn a few things from my daughter.

Last month, when I picked her up from school one day, she declared to me "I AM REALLY CROSS WITH ROSIE" (Rosie is her best friend in class).

Why?
Because she doesn't want to be my friend anymore, hmmph! She said I'm not her friend anymore! (Crosses her arms in annoyance)
Why did she say that?
I don't know, she just said that to me. 
Oh, that sounds a little mean, but did you argue with her?
No, she just said that to me.
Well, sometimes people want to be left alone, maybe she just wants to be alone that day. Don't worry, you'll be friends again.


Then the next day, I was a little worried she is still upset from this incident, so i tried to tiptoe around this issue. So instead, I asked her how was her day and she said "Oh, Rosie is my friend again!"

Really? How did that happen?
Oh, I said sorry to her.
Said sorry? Why did you say sorry to her? I thought you said you were not mean to her yesterday?
Yes, I wasn't mean to her, but I think if I said sorry, she'd be my friend again!
Oh.. so what did she say to you?
She said sorry too. So we are now friends.

And then, my heart fluttered, with a million butterflies. She's so forgiving. And so sweet. It just takes a simple "Sorry" to mend a relationship! And that is my lesson in friendship showed to me by my 5YO daughter that day.

Anyway, Happy Children's Day (20 November) and may we always be reminded of the kindness children show to us everyday.

I dance because it's not groovy!

I was listening to one of my current favourite songs from Faye Wong (duet with Eason). Shean Wenn was dancing and shuffling her feet to the song.

Me : You like this song, don't you?
SW : No, I don't. 
Me : Oh? Then why are you dancing to it then??
SW : If I am dancing like this, it means I don't like the song. See? See how I am dancing?

@.@

Then another Faye Wong's song comes up. She stood still.

SW: Oh, this is my FAVOURITE SONG! See, I am not dancing. If I am not dancing, it means I love the song!

@.@ @.@ -____-"

Remember remember, the 4th of November...

Having some silly fun with Shean Wenn

Happy Movember!

Fragrant Tea Leaf Eggs 茶叶蛋

The weather has started to get wonky again, sunny for two days and then rainy for the rest of the week. And this morning, after coming home from sending both Meng off to the station and SW off to school, I came home and rain started to pour. In such weather, all you want to do is curled up in a blanket infront of the TV! I've also felt like having some tea-leaf eggs... The first time I made it was six months ago and I can still remember how tasty it was. 

I have seen it in "Mummy, I can Cook's" blog and was really amazed at just how easy it seemed and since I have all the ingredients in my kitchen, there is no reason why I can't do it. I brewed my 茶叶蛋 (Tea Leaf Eggs) for a good 3-4 hours. The longer you brew/marinate, the better it taste.

The end result : Beautiful marbling effects and tasty goodness all in one egg! I will always remember how its fragrance will draw me into the Chinese Herbal shops in Malaysia, always buying more eggs than I can eat. But really, who am I kidding? I will always be able to finish all of them, even if it means eating it the next day.

(Shean Wenn enjoying the tea leaf eggs I made in April) 

I have followed Shu Han's recipe here.

Easter Break at Peak District : Day 1

We spent our Easter Break last week at the Peak District with some close friends of ours. The journey from London to Peak District takes about 3.5 hours drive. It rained the WHOLE day but we didn't let it dampen our spirits.

Here's the British Countryside, as seen from our car on the M1

Signboards to our destination, exit 26.

We have arrived at Bakewell! A picturesque town nearby to our accomodation. It was still raining when we arrived, and hungry! We quickly found a place (Italian) to eat and that place did not disappoint - the good was good!

I was so hungry after the 4-hour drive that I could eat a horse! 

After a very long wait, my main course finally arrived. We waited a little bit for our starter and this main course. When the starter arrived, we were extremely pleased that it was so good. My main course of Pan Fried Sea Bass Fillet (comes with warm caponata, new
potatoes, gremolata dressing) was extremely good, and matches our expectation after the starter. I guess it was all worth the wait.

 

The kids had ice-cream each after their main course.

 After a satisfying lunch, it's time to head out... let our legs run free! (Afterall, we've been stuck in the car for almost 4 hours)

After a short walk in Bakewell, we drove to Darwin Forest Country Park - our accommodation for the next 4 nights! What an amazing place. We booked a log cabin with 4 rooms. 

This brand new (only 2 months old) lodge with waney edge larch, has oak floorboards throughout the living area and bedrooms. It has two double and two twin bedrooms. One double bedroom features a flatscreen TV. The light airy lounge has full length patio doors. The lounge is beautifully furnished with the latest soft furnishings. It has two modern, fully fitted bathrooms. The contemporary kitchen has stainless steel appliances and all the mod-cons. 

Double bedroom that Meng & I occupied. Views out to the countryside. ♥!

Bathroom #1.

The kids already "choped" this room... see their respective teddies/soft toys occuplying the bed! This was the other double bedroom, but comes with its own flat-screem TV!

We were so smitten by the place.

 

Shean Wenn was smitten by the fireplace.

Beautiful larch (a type of log used to make the cabins in Darwin Forest Country Park) throughout the cabin.

 Outside on the patio.

3 of us outside our rented log cabin : This brand new (only 2 months old) lodge with waney edge larch, has oak floorboards throughout the living area and bedrooms. It has two double and two twin bedrooms. One double bedroom features a flatscreen TV. The light airy lounge has full length patio doors. The lounge is beautifully furnished with the latest soft furnishings. It has two modern, fully fitted bathrooms. The contemporary kitchen has stainless steel appliances and all the mod-cons.

 In the evolution spa, they have a swimming pool & above it, a state-of-the-art gym (much better than MY GYM!).

Kid's playground!!!

Climbing stuff.

A stream runs parellel to our lodge, not too far away. So breathtaking.

The woods area near to our cabin. You can see our cabin in the background if you look hard enough.

At night, Laura made pasta! It had been a great day. Day 2, we explored the Peak District. I'll upload more tomorrow.

Test : Resisting Temptations

Today while I was on the laptop, Shean Wenn came to me asking me to let her watch her favourite youtube channel by Ochikeron on my laptop. Then I decided to test her :

Me : No, go watch it on daddy's iPad.
SW : No I can't! Daddy said I can't play with it today because I played on it yesterday
Me : Don't worry-lah, mummy says you can.. just go play on it.
SW *pauses for 2 secs* : No, he will know and will scold meeee...
Me : Don't worry, he won't know if I don't tell him. You don't tell him too, ok?
SW : No, he said I can't play with it today so I won't, Mummy!

You would agree she did very well on both aspects : Realising the consequences of her actions (or it could be a deep fear of her father!) and being able to resist temptation.

I told Meng about this and he smiled. He said I am terrible to do that to her. But hey, she will get tempted in life, esp when she goes to school later. At least we can be sure for now that she is able to stand firm on her opinion. Actually this is not the first time that I have seen her standing firm - but that is another story for another day.

Diane von Furstenberg for GAP

The DVF range for Gap just launched last week. I saw their e-mail on my inbox on my mobile but didn't pay much attention to it until a friend of mine texted me to say that she has just been to the shops and the range is selling out FAST. That evening, I sat infront of my laptop, glued to it. OMG, I am in awe. With a few clicks, the dent left by it in my wallet has been done. The parcel arrived within 2 days and Shean Wenn tried on the goods - I must say I am so pleased, esp with their signature DVF pattern (the tights and on the flip flops)! Their jacket which I LOVE has already been sold out in the first 3 days. All these designer collaborations with high street retailers is really selling well.

Tell me it's all worth it!

End of Spring Term 2012 : 30 Mar

Shean Wenn's kindergarten held an Easter Day event on their last day of the term it was the usual - circle time, songs singing, meals around the table with home-cooked pastries and fruits & water. The top photo shows Shean Wenn holding the hand-puppet she made during King's Children time. She now also learns sewing (yes, with a real needle) and has sewn a felt daffodil. Will show photo another time.

The highlight of the day was of course the Easter Egg Hunt when, for about 20 mins, the kids ran about in the garden, bathed in warm sunlight (but yet not so hot that it melted the chocolate Easter eggs) searching under bushes, trees and hidden nooks for the hidden eggs.
(Shean Wenn with her basketful of Easter Eggs she found around the garden! Her teacher says she's the "Queen" of Eggs-finder which made her very happy and she has thence repeated the story many times the whole of that day)
After the Easter Day event, I brought the girls home and had lunch. It was such a sunny day that I thought it would be a waste if we stayed in - so I brought them out to the park about 5 mins drive away. I actually meant to bring them further to Canary Wharf but halfway there, I realised I left my mobile phone home and had to make a u-turn to get it. So I wasted about 15minutes doing that and decided to just go nearer home.
The girls get to run about, scoot around and played in the playground for a bit before I told them to head to the cafe. On our way there, I could hear them already hinting me for some ice-cream. Oh, talk about plotting their way!

Their conversation goes like this :

"Oh, it's such a hot and warm day today."
"Yes it is!"
"Do you know what will be good for such a HOOOOT day?"
"I know! Maybe some ice-cream?!"
"Yes, Ice cream is a good idea"

It goes on repeat. I pretended to ignore them and answered with "You can have water" or "We'll see"

So they walked into the cafe, and headed straight to the two ice-cream chillers. Kaye : "Can I have one scoop of chocolate ice-cream and one mint please?"
Shean Wenn : "Can I have one chocolate and one vanilla?"
Me : "NO. You both share. So choose one flavour ONLY"
SW & Kaye : "That's not fair!.... " and starts to protest.
Me : "Then you shall have none!"
SW & Kaye : "Ok then! We'll have chocolate!"

Kids, they do know how to bargain!

The most interesting conversation that day however, was while driving to the park. I overhead the two of them chatting behind.

SW : Kaye, I wonder who laid all the Easter Eggs around the kindergarten just now?
Kaye : I know, it must be my sister!
SW : Your sister?
Kaye : Yes, she's a rooster (born in the year of the Rooster)!
SW : Joyee can't lay eggs?!
Kaye : Yes, she can! She's a rooster. Chickens lay eggs.

I almost laughed out loud when I heard it. They are really an interesting bunch of little people!

Hair today, gone tomorrow

Little Miss Princess has always wanted to keep her hair long. And I have been trying to delay that as long as I could until last year when I thought I'd just give her the chance to keep it long. So the last time we had it cut in November, it was just a trim to ensure the hair is neat & tidy for my brother's wedding.

Her hair is almost shoulder length now and earlier last week, we thought we'd bring her in to Karen to get her fringe cut & a tiny trim at the back, just to keep it tidy. But in the morning, as I was still fast asleep on my bed, she ran in telling me "Oh mummy, I am going to cut my hair short later, into a bob!"

"I thought you want to keep it long?"
"No, it's OK, I've changed my mind. So now I want my hair short mmkay?"

So her dad and her trotted off to the hairdresser's after that and they called me after their haircut. I asked hub how does she look? He said to ask her myself, and passed the phone over to her.

"So, how do you look now, SW?"
"I look very nice mummy!"
"Did u tell Karen how to cut your hair?"
"No, she knows what to do. She knows how to cut bob-cut (yes, infact that's the only hair style Karen knows*). And do you know? Faye Wong has a bob cut too.. i look so pretty!"

When she came back - I was surprised. Karen has trimmed off more than I had liked but I still told SW she looks very beautiful and she has made the right choice to keep her hair short! During lunch, I asked Meng if he'd been brainwashing her to get it cut short? He said no, it's her choice. But I still told him off for not monitoring Karen when she cut her hair because it was a tad too short. He laughed it off saying "It will grow" (at which I rolled my eyes). (Pre-Haircut : In her self-designed Princess outfit made using blankets, and back view of her braided hair)

(Post Haircut : Short Bob)

*Karen the hairdresser, only knows how to cut a bob for women. But I must say her bobs are very good... just that, it is always a very short bob. (At the ear level)

Early reading : Recommended blog read

As a long-time reader of Lilian's blog, I have, at times refer to it for inspiration for "educating" Shean Wenn on various subjects. I just recently found an article that she wrote about her techniques of teaching reading to her kids. Her eldest son started reading at 3YO and Sean, her second son started reading at 3+.

Wrong Side of Thirty: For Stef: About early reading

Thanks for the insights, Lilian.

"I Love You Infinity Plus 9"

Yes, so the Little Missy has learnt the word "Infinity" from her 2 friends - sisters Joyee & Kaye few weeks ago and has been using it quite a lot lately.

This afternoon, after being reprimanded by me for trying to destroy one of the new books that I bought for her, I found her standing infront of the kitchen one hand holding her Bunny soft toy named "Hoppy" and almost bursting into tears. I knelt down and stroked her hair. "Yes, darling?"

She burst out into tears and mumbled "I only love you twelve"
"What? Oh, I love you too!"
"No! I love you only twelve", she said adamantly between sobs.
"And I love Hoppy infinity plus nine!"

Then I had a conversation with her about that - she said that she didn't think I was nice to "raise my voice" at her about the book. But I still told her, it's ok, I still love you. :) And went on about how she should be respecting her things - whether it is toys, books, or even food.

It's funny how she thinks she is punishing me now by loving me Infinity-plus-three less than her Hoppy. Haha. Well, in no time she'll love me Infinity Plus Nine again! I am sure of that!