Our Family: Birthday 'Celebration' at the School

We were still comtemplating if to 'break the rule' and let her have another cake cutting at the school when we learnt that her pre-N classmate, Nicole will also be celebrating her birthday there. But I told hubby that the school teachers will know how to handle the situation and they will not let Renee feel left-out by getting the kids to sing the birthday song for only the child with the cake. He was relieved after hearing this and stuck to the traditonal notion.

It was raining this morning and when Renee's changing into her uniform, she told me that she'd have to put on the Kinderfit attire('cos they didn't manage to have their Kinderfit session y/day) but as I see no instruction in the comm book, I told her to just put on her dress uniform(actually, I was still thinking if I could let her put on home attire since it's her birthday-she didn't do so last yr either). She hesistated, probably fearing being scolded for wearing the wrong outfit. To calm her nerves, I told her that I'd bring the set along and will change her in school if needed. She even gave up her white colour tiara hairband(she had emphasised that it's this one, probably fearing that I'd not allow her to if I've mistaken her choosing the SnowWhite one, haha) in case she really needed to wear the tee + shorts, :).

When we got to the classroom, I passed Mrs Ong the bag of birthday favors and my camera(requesting her to help take photos of her distributing to her friends on our behalf) but the minute Nicole arrived in her home attire, you should see the initial shocked but immediately disappointed look on her face! I felt for her and asked if she'd like me to get her her home clothes, she nodded only after I've asked her the 2nd time but Mrs Ong feared that it might be too troublesome for me. It's just about 10-15mins drive and so I left for a quick breakfast with hubby at PP before I went back, grabbed her clothes and rushed back to the school.

Renee had started to feel better after I've changed her but as we were walking back to the classroom, we saw Nicole's mom waiting outside, with a cake and also a bag of birthday favors. Oh man, Renee's mood changed again, hahaha... I chatted with Nic's mommy for a while but as I see them getting ready for their snack-time, I thought it's perhaps time to get her cake n stuffs in and I tried to help out abit since I was there.

When they placed the cake on a separate table, Renee stood up, walked towards me and asked "mommy, where's mine?", Oh man... I replied "you said you didn't want one at school so mommy didn't get it. You already had yours at home and you can only have 1 cake cutting, remember?" She looked like she's going to cry but being her, I saw her controlling, so I tried to make her feel better by telling her repeatedly that it's ok.

She was told to stand beside Nicole 'cos there was only 1 chair provided but later when they saw her standing there awkwardly, they quickly put another one for her too. Good thing the mommy and the other birthday girl were very nice and they let Renee to join in the cake session. Renee was of cos feeling abit 'out' as it's not her cake and I kept repeating 'it's ok' to her... She didn't smile during the photo taking session and when it was time for all the classmates to join them(it was 1st the girls, then the boys and then the whole group), I had to make monkey faces to tease her to smiling and finally managed to catch nice pics, :D.

Then it was time to blow off the candles - Nicole had graciously allowed Renee to 'help' her(oh, such a nice girl! It's no wonder she's soo well-liked by her classmates dur their Pre-N yr) but although Renee happily joined in later, she didn't really dare to 'overdo' it since it's not her cake, she didn't really manage to blow off the candle but she was already feeling better.

When Nicole was distributing the cakes, Renee walked quietly back to her seat and remembering the heart and bear shaped-cut bread(in case of party and she can't take the party food) I've packed for her, I asked if she'd like to have them. She was delighted and ate them 'proudly', hahahahaha. Actually, I've only rememebered to do this just before I went to bed last night and I'm glad that I did, since it'd somehow helped her regain some 'dignity' I supposed, keke. I've had my share of embarassment myself too, when I had unknowingly 'declined' the slice of cake Nicole's brought to me 'cos I've just had a really really full breakfast but recovering fast, I quickly took the cake and apologised : "Oh I'm sorry, I'm not supposed to reject", lolz..

When they began having the school's porridge, I got up to leave but when I phoned hubby to report to him on the 'situation'(from his text messages, he must have been anxiouos about how Renee was feeling, lolz), he said 'don't have to come back lah, u'd be going out immediately if you come back now, what for?", and it's only then that I realised it's already 10am, lolz. I went to re-park the car after putting the balance packs of birthday favors(some were absent, but I'd tot it's usual to leave them in sch til the kids return? Anyway, i just followed suit, lolz) 'cos I've parked very near the school-bus lot.

Luckily I'd gone back, 'cos when I was told earlier that the birthday favors would only be distributed when it's near going home time(as usual), I noticed that they seemed to start giving out Nicole's and when Zhuo laoshi saw me standing outside, she asked if I would like to do so as well. Not wanting Renee to feel left-out again, I quickly agreed and then it became abit messy, with both of them distributing their own favor bags, hahaha.

It was all well at the end and it's thanks to the nice gestures rendered by all, that my girl's no longer feeling that sad.

When I met Nicole's mom at the door earlier, I was pleasantly surprised when she asked why we had only joined in so late(3rd week). She had remembered me telling her last year that we'd be switching Renee over to the am session this year! Later, whilst waiting for the class to end, we both chatted outside and guess what, I found out that her name's the same as 1 of my close friends, Vicky! Also, her eldest daughter is also named Renee and today's also Nicole's actual birthday! Oh man, how many co-incidents can we get in a day huh? Lolz...

On my way home, I heard Janice calling me but as I was driving without the ear-piece and my mobile's in the smaller handbag, I couldn't pick it up. When I checked the phone later, I realised that she's actually text-ed me(and I was still at e sch!), asking me to wait awhile for her as Jerome has a self-made card and a present for Renee but I've missed that message! Oh man... I called her back and asked if she'd like to meet up somewhere so I could also pass her the extra birthday favor I've packed for him but she said she needed to run errands and will pass to us another day. I'm ok with that but guess what, she phoned me up again and said she'll drive over to our place to hand us the present, awww... I suggested that she go get her stuffs done first and come over with Jerome after his class and they did. Renee had a nice though short time playing with him at home, :) and she even played the violin for them!

Hubby managed to come home early and we went to Swensen's for Renee's family birthday dinner - I've heard so much about their birthday firehouse which they give to the birthday person and I wanted her to experience it. She even ate up the kid's meal we've ordered for her, hurray! She's really 'grown' up, lolz...