Gosh... Already June 2022

I know, I know, I have been really tardy with the updating of the blog...gosh...

Ah...The bosses at this indoor playground at Hillion asked us for a favour. They wanted to make a promotional video and feature big kids enjoying the playground too.. So on a bright and sunny Mon, before Chinese tuition, these big kids spent almost two hours in this teeny weeny playground, having lots of fun with those beads...Gayle loved it so much that she bought one pack home...What is this sensorial thing that this generation is crazy about? gosh...

Tong did not play there though. He went to play at the Pokemon machines and saw this cute toy at the shop. Oh...recently, he did something quite... hmm...interesting. He bought fake 5* Pokemon garole disks from Shopee and used them to win real 5* disks and actually sold a few to an adult on Carousell and earned $105! Not bad for a 10-year-old boy. I liked that he was willing to let go of the powerful cards. Some of us hold sentimental value for the things we own and act irrationally, but he truly showed that he was entrepreneurial and gutsy. Talking to a stranger adult at 10? Negotiation and closing two deals? Impressive...Yeah...I think he came up with this novel idea as I gave him a dressing down for spending all the extra money he got and I told him he had to think of other ways to generate money. ha

This little lass looked so lanky and big now. bought second-hand rainbow skechers sneakers for her and she adored them...

Mei loves to send gor gor to tuition classes...and mama to work. She would wake up early to go and have breakfast with me. She loves the fishball noodles and can finish almost the entire bowl all by herself!

Mei has got up to all sorts of antics recently...she is no wallpaper...She called her brothers 'boys' in a boss way sometimes...that day, Lindy agreed to something I said with 'ya man' and she asked, "Why did you call my mummy 'ya man'?"

She has been playing with the busy books meant for older kids and she could complete two books at one go when she was in the mood... she was sleepy when we were out one day and she tucked her gummy burger under her to keep it safe... LOL

She thanked me say, "Thanks Mummy, you are the best. You are good." Ya...coz I made honey drink for her...heh warm honey drink with 5 dried longans...she would call ah gong and leave a message to thank him for the yummy pomelo...she would call Waipo to say that the food she cooked was yummy...she would leave voice messages for Er Yi, bei kor po and the rest to tell them that she loves them...

She has been growing braver too....She had to go to the dentist again and said, "I am a big girl. I can be brave about this thing." and she was truly brave that day. She was arguing with Jie once and it went on for a while.

Jie: Night

Mei: morning  (and so on and so forth)

Jie (decided to trick her): Morning

Mei: YES! (the GEPPER outsmarted by a 3-year-old)

She would fall asleep in the most unglamorous ways ...  and talk in the cutest manner, like using OMG! When we played 'I Spy',she answered H for Harry Potter...and T with 'a thing'

She was NOT asleep. She pretended to be asleep and told me to take a picture. At the foodcourt, she heard a bell ring. I asked her and Jun why they would press the bell. Jun: Don't know. Why?  Mei: Coz food is coming. (P1 outsmarted by the sassy girl)

She is helpful and loving. Mei: I will help you turn off the water. Jie: Thanks. Mei: My pleasure. Who taught her to say such things?

While Ah Ma complained that she squirmed like a worm when she tried to cut her hair, she was as still as a statue when Wai Po did it. I must say, I was awed by Waipo's ability to tame this girl and hair-cutting skills. She is truly amazing eh?

Had a zoom lunch with my colleagues and took a photo of Mei with the lunch set to send to the chat. Was pleasantly to see her cute little photo in our staff room. Made me happy and sad at the same time coz it was so nice to see her adorable little face, and sad coz I wished I were home instead. 

She really...brings us....much much joy...

Here she was among the clothes, trying to help me hang the little socks and underwear

Oh a butterfly landed on her that day! Tong's friend, Cheen Yik said that she would have 7 years of good luck. WE CLAIMED THAT.

Tong is growing up beautifully too. He has become really helpful and accommodating...he does not argue as much and in Aunt A's words, becoming an angel without wings. a chubby cherubic angel...

I had had a very long week of extra lessons and work commitments and he said he wished I could have taken a day of leave to rest and relax...and to go to Malaysia to have fun too...so thoughtful...

He perks up and gushes excitedly "Auntie A" every time we see this standee even though we have seen this standee at various places multiple times...Auntie A is very tickled

Jun was the star student of the term for his class! He was selected as the peer support leader so I guess he must be behaving really well in school! I am glad that he has adapted to the new routine...and hope he thrives...

Jie had her first MJ game and her tiles were really good. I guess that is what they call "beginner's luck"!

Oh we went for a photoshoot! Mei was excited at first but refused to cooperate later one...and even cried...

But we have got some good shots!

Yay...back to frolicking in the pool...Jie has been working really hard. She is constantly doing papers...and I am thankful that she is a good role model for the siblings and is so self-driven to excel...ah...Jie definitely inherited mama's excellence-driven gene...ha

Back to church! Mei did not want to go to church initially. But she saw them going to their own classes and she said she wanted that too. We booked a slot on the spot and in she went, waving cheerily and walking away with the teacher bravely. No tears at all and she has been enjoying church since. That day, while she was waiting for me outside the toilet, she sang, "hosanna, hosanna". Cute

Aunt Rashid came to visit us!

Took the train to Suntec after church

Gor gor and Mei, the bosom buddies

Does she look like Xiaoyi?

Other outings

Went hiking at Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve

Zoo with Er Yi and You You

photos of animals and nature taken by Jie who recently got a phone with a data plan. heh... a few months later, we got tong a phone with a data plan too coz he would go to Kester's place to play badminton or go to the pokemon machines to play while we shopped at NTUC or walked around, so it was better to be able to contact him...

This chimp was so hilarious...he put the leaf on his head...perhaps using it as a little brolly? He sure looked cheeky, like the naughty student that every class would have

a butterfly landed on Tong! 

Celebrated ah ma's birthday

Dylan was not in the picture as he was having stomach flu...

West Coast Park

OH i have not been updating the status of the pandemic for a long time. We could take off the mask when we are outdoors. We can gather in big groups once again! 

WOW, how nice it was to have this gathering at our place...papa is really proud of our home. he loves it. We love it very much too. Such a conducive place for gatherings...ample entertainment options - video games, KTV, mahjong, cards...3 TVs...gosh everyone asks why...well papa's explanation: WHen there is a big gathering, one is for Mei to watch shows, one for the big kids to play video games and one for the adults to watch news or matches 

The sheer number of shoes

OOOO cousins' shot

Celebrated Mother's Day at Marzuki

                                       

BBQ

Dinner at Xiaoshu's place at Dawson

Went to San Yi's house to play

JJ;s birthday party

Yes, the first birthday party we attended ever since the restrictions were lifted..

2 years of living in isolation...now the malls are bustling again...traffic is bad during peak hours...the restaurants are full again...it feels as if the past two years were just a dream...a nightmare...and life is finally back to what we knew...except for the wearing of masks in indoor places...

Thank you Lord for watching over us and keeping us in divine health...WOW so half of the year came and flew by...before we know it, it will be CHRISTMAS...ah, and I have already started buying presents : ) Always better to be early than late. 

We are going to the Changi Chalet tomorrow...Papa has planned for a cohesion day for his colleagues on Thurs, we will go in the evening for the BBQ and then the extended families come on FRI... we have not been going out much this June holidays...we have been doing revision dutifully almost every day...sure hope that the chalet stay will be fun (though I felt my life was shortened a little by having to pack for myself and the 4 kids...gosh such a lot of packing for a 3-day trip...roll eyes)

Lord...thank you Lord...thank you Lord