Baby Stuffs I

As the mothercare's discount will expire on the 28th this month, we have to make our purchases by today as papa's not free tomorrow.

Since Renee's not feeling well and papa's got a dinner appointment, we didn't have the luxury to look around much, so we've only managed to get what's more essential... - 1. Baby cot(wanted the cot bed but can't, due to space constraint) which turn out to be a very good buy 'cos the discount was even allowed on top of its already offer price!  2. Electric bottles steam steriliser(I used the conventional boiling way during Renee's time but now with more cooking done, I think this would be better).

Hopefully we'd be able to get the rest of what we'd need at the Takashimaya baby fair this Thursday(there's also a sales going on at Mothercare from that day onwards).  Meantime, I'd better work my brain engine to try and recall what we have to buy(def not bb clothes[not even the 'outing' clothes] as besides Renee's hand-me-downs, Elsie has just passed me a 1st bagful recently) since I'm getting tired alot faster now and more shoppings/walking are definitely not desired...

Fever

Either it's due to sleeping late or the lack of drinking enough water or perhaps even the combination of both(which is a high cause of heatiness), Renee came home after our visit to my mom's last night with a high fever(we heard that her cousin, JX was also hving fever, thus they did not go down).

In fact, when we got to my mom's, I had already noticed that her body was rather warm and I should have not bought her down to KFC for dinner, :(...

Today, although her temperature has gone down alittle but as her theory lesson's held in an air-conditioned room, she came out telling me that she didn't feel up to it for her practical session.  However, a last minute check(I've forgotten that we're supposed to check the notice board ourselves, thus only found out today), I realised that her masterclass(MC) is just next week!  So, no choice, she'd still have to go to her practical lesson...

Probably due to the fever, she's forgotten the last few lines of the piece she's supposed to play during the MC, without looking at the scores(just like exam/performance)  However, she played another piece much better and her teacher asked if she'd like to change it to the latter one.  She panicked and replied immediately with fear that she doesn't want to have to remember another piece.  I reminded her gently(since she's unwell, heee)that since she's unable to remember the former piece fully, there's no harm trying the other piece but she wouldn't relent, so we left it as it is.

On the way to returning the new chin rest as it's not that comfortable as she'd thought earlier(and it's making her position looked funny according to her teacher.  I had to spend some time re-fixing the old one back, haiz.), I spoke to her about her teacher's suggestion and that since the teacher finds her playing i that much better, she should really give it some consideration but of course, I'd leave the decision to her.  In the end, she agreed to give it a try.  It's only 6 days to the 'performance' and she's still hasn't recovered, I can only cross my fingers and hope that she'd be able to do it...

Back home, as what normally happens, her fever temperature went up again at night and since I'm the one whom have to worry over her at night, I decided to grant her her wish to sleep with us so I need not walk in and out of her room like the night before(hard to depend on maid to do such things, anyway, it's simply not my style if I can help it)...

Keys Collected

Finally, we've collected our keys to Parc Mondrian today.

Other developments aside(there are of cos better ones), after moving into the currrent premise, we find PM's better, hahaha - the space, its furnishings, unblocked view from our enclosed open terrace which gives it a modern yet resort feel, security features, facilites  and their layout/designs, etc...(we were also given a gift which we wld be collecting soon, so those whom will be visiting us in the near future will know what it is, hehehe)  However, we'd need to figure out what to do with this unit since we're also committed here...  Shall leave this to hubby, not my job! :D.

Crying for Papa

On Friday night, whilst on the phone with her papa, Renee'd told him that she did not want to cry(I guess he must have asked if she's cried) but the minute the phone was passed over to me, I heard her sobbing beside me and hubby asked me to pass the phone back to her before we hang up...

As we looked on at the photo albums, she'd muttered "papa..." each time his photo came ino sight and finally, she lost control and cried again, oh man!  That's when I told her that we shall stop looking at the photos and go to sleep.

Yesterday, a last minute decision and we took a cab over to my mom's.  I guess the gathering at my mom's might have helped and her crying bout did not re-occur tonight.  In fact, she was even yawning whilst on the phone with her papa and had fell asleep almost instantly thereafter, :). (perhaps she knew that her papa would be coming back tomorrow, :>).

And when papa finally got home this afternoon(just on time to send us to her violin classes), she jumped with joy the minute she heard the main door clicked open and shouted, "Papa, Papa".  The latter then told me that he could tell she was near tears already but she hid it well by not looking at him directly, hahaha.

Papa's actually very tired but seeing his darling daughter had really missed him so much, he even consented to a family dinner at Tony's(needless to say, it's Renee's choice) after her lessons, :).

Papa's Away

Renee has been requesting to co-sleep with us for the past few weeks and her Papa had happily allowed that(citing the reason that she'd not be a kid forever and in the future, she won't want to slp with us anymore - hey, this was what I've said to him in the past!).  However, her requests got to a point when it had became too often and I felt the need to put a stop to it, least she might get too used to it(although she had expressed that she'd readily move back to her own room when her sibling's born).

With the need to change this habit, I've agreed that she could sleep with us once a week and when Papa's going away for the trip - which she had been looking forward to, oblivious to the fact that she'd miss him during his absence from home, hahaha.

This trip, initially to be made on the Christmas' Eve, was delayed til this weekend, and for the same reasons as thought through earlier and perhaps an additional - my tummy's gotten bigger, haha, both Renee and I stayed back...

Last night, before Papa got home, I reminded Renee the 'reality' of having her wishes come true - sleeping with us(me) means that her Papa would be away from home and that she'd surely miss him.  That finally got her thinking and she said to me "mummy, why you tell me the sad thing?", hahaha.  At bedtime, I guess she must have thought that he'd be leaving in the morning, she had requested for an extra night on our bed and waking up this morning, looking alittle panic when she didn't see Papa beside her, :).

When Papa finally left home this afternoon, she pouted but didn't cry though...  And soon, the idea of Papa not being around was forgotten, lolz.  To further distract her, I 'sacrifice' my needed nap and played/read with her, and her play with our helper after dinner was certainly helpful.

When it was time for our helper to turn-in, she asked for bread and wouldn't 'give up' even after her supper.  Seeing that they were still chatting in the room and feeling hungry myself, I asked our helper to cook us a pack of instant noodle and Renee was overjoyed, like it's some kind of rare delicacy, hahaha.  As it's the first time she's eating it with its accompanied seasoning, she shared it heartily with me and had drank a whole cup of water due to its 'saltish-ness'(only put in 1/2 pkt of the seasoning) and had ended up feeling bloated, hahaha.

She's still not willing to go to bed, sitting beside me, even at this moment as I'm typing and had insisted that I fulfilled our pact - to look at all the albums of her baby/toddler photos, :D.

New Chin Rest

Without Renee 'playing' with Shuen after their maths lesson today, we even managed to grab some groceries before Papa came to pick and send us to MS to pick up her violin.

After a quick dinner at BK, we headed straight to Synwin and we even got a new chin rest for her(the same prob might occur since it can't be placed in the centre) as the connector(duno wat is it called, heee) of the existing one's very rusty already.  Although Renee's given it a try at the shop, I reckon it's still too early to tell if she'd really find it as comfortable as she'd claimed.  However it will be, it'll have to be the 1 more thing she'd have to get used to, on top of the techniques...

Violin Under Service

2 weeks ago, Renee's teacher told me that I needed to bring the get the upper part(can't rem the term nor do I know how to explain hahaha) of the instrument filed lower 'cos it seems that it's causing Renee some problem when pressing on the area for some flat notes.

This violin was purchased by her previous teacher on our behalf and we had already noticed this problem then but nothing was suggested and so, Renee had carried on playing it, hurting her fingers whenever she tried to get the correct tune for the few particular flat notes, :(.

Last Sunday, the teacher asked if I've already got the violin fixed but, as she wasn't entirely sure if that could be done when she told me about it, I had not acted on it!  Suddenly remembering it yesterday, I told hubby about it and since he's got some free time today, we brought it down to Synwin(instead of Gramercy as suggested by the teacher).  We were told that we'd most probably only be able to collect it tomorrow but just an hour after we've got home, they sent a text to me that the violin is ready!  To think that we were still within the area('cos we'd walked over to Suntec city) for that few hours, haiz...  No choice, we'll have to try and collect it after her classes tomorrow and hopefully we'd have the time to let them fix up the new chin rest for Renee to try(been wanting to change it for her since some time ago).

The haircut

As requested, here's the pic - the best I can put up(to show the length w/out showing her face, hahaha)

Coolness, Scooter and... Happy Valentine's Day, :)

Unable to bear the heat which will only worsen as the months go on, Renee had been requesting for a haircut since last week.

Myself too, after cutting the few inches off in December, I had thought to go for my next hair-cut next month.  However, I too, couldn't stand the heat and finally, we got Papa take us down to my previous stylist this afternoon for the much needed cut, :).

Just before we left home, Renee was unwilling to leave and had wanted to stay home to play with our helper 'cos she's thinking that we might 'miss the chance on the haircut' again this time round but after our re-assurances, she relented and was very happy when we told her that we'd go straight to the salon after our lunch, :).

She had wanted to go for a normal bob cut but after seeing mine(not too much diffrnt from e bob), she decided to opt for the same but as Papa was in a hurry to go(he complained that we took too long, aiyoh, 2 pax - 1 1/2 hrs for a proper haircut leh!), Renee's hair is less 'boppy' than mine but the style's there and she's very satisfied, hahaha.

When Papa sighted her cut, he likes it though he had mentioned earlier that we should perhaps let her keep it long('cos she's wanted to keep it long for the whole of this year) 'cos I've said that there should be no keeping of long hair once she starts formal schooling but I retorted that since it's her decision on the cut, we should be glad that she's sensible enough to choose practically over vanity now...  And when he came back to the salon again as we were ready to leave, he also puzzled me with a question - "why didn't you let her have the same style as you?" and I was like "huh? it's the same what" and then he said "why cut off her fringe, should let her keep the fringe like you, nicer".   OMG, she's been spotting short fringe since the time she's been keeping longer hair!  Don't tell me he didn't notice that? hahahahaha, so funny.

Doubling her happiness, Papa, whilst waiting for us, had gone window shopping and spotted a scooter.  Knowing how much she's always wanted one, he bought it for her, together with the protective guard set and they're all in pink! Renee's very happy, hahaha. One thing missing though - the head gear/helmet! aiyah...

The protective gears



It's the Lunar New Year!

1st of all, our Family wishes everyone/reader a very happy and prosperous lunar new year!

It's been 3 weeks(n slightly more) since we've 1st moved in here and we've finally cleared the walkway of all the boxes, just before the start of the LNY! :)

As usual, we all gathered at my mom's on the 1st day of the LNY but for our family, we 1st have to make a stop at my BIL's to pay our respects to my late FIL.  Then it's makan, mahjong and chit-chatting time for all thereafter.  The 2nd day started off with more mahjong and cards games at my eldest sis, Ellen's and the 3rd, at my brother, CH's.  Surprisingly, the gatherings this year all ended pretty early - 9pm+(maybe becos there aren't any 2nd rounds going on this year due to us being further away from them now...SK & Hougang r much much nearer...), :D.

Now that the first week 'craze' of the LNY visitations are over, I'm to begin my search for a preshool for Renee.  Although we find that she learns much better via the enrichment courses way but I'm losing the energy to bring her around and after speaking with some gfs, I feel that it is also perhaps better to get her used to at least some hours in a school again, to get her prepared for the long hours at primary school next year - poor kids these days...

I've tried contacting some of the preschools around this area but it's sooo hard to find a suitable one as well(I had thought that it was difficult to find a good one at SK then) and most of them are montessori based, haiz...  I guess I'd have to widen my search beyond this region and go to the Novena/Newton area - afterall, I'm more prepared to let her go on the school bus now that she's much older.  Again, she's asked for a childcare facility(mainly 'cos cc has more time to play) but I'd rather that she goes to a preschool setup and with enrichment classes available on some days for the extended hours, to get her used to longer hours schooling.  If anyone of you know of any good Kindergartens with good curriculum and teachers around our area and/or Novena/Newton region, do let me know ya! :)