Renee is 6!

Since we're still not supposed to participate in 'celebrations', we could not hold a birthday party for Renee.  Luckily, she's also not requested for one, except that she would like her aunts to come over to our place for the simple cake cutting(main reason? : she wanted a swim!).  However, as it's near CNY and everyone would be busy the next week, my sisters wanted to go to my mom's today and thus, we bought a cake over.

As her kitchen's damaged during the move, she was rather sad and so, when aunty Lili asked her what she'd like, she thought about the kitchen set.  However, the pink one she saw online wasn't available in Singapore and another similar one would be quite costly, I told her that we shan't ask for that especially when we're not throwing a party.

She was still rather upset this afternoon(din get to swim today, hahaha) but her 'unhappiness' was quickly diminished when we arrived at my mom's.  The sight of presents and a dinner at the restaurant downstairs further enhanced her mood and her answer's a definite "Yes" when we asked later if she's happy today, :D.

For her birthday present, she's got 3 additional Enid Blyton story books, a pair of pink HK shoes(her request), a pink kitchen - though it's much smaller/shorter/single-sided, but it's selected based on my request for just a small one due to our limited space here, hahaha.  Actually, I'd wanted them to just get her a table top cooking stove but this would keep her occupied for the time being.

*No pics taken - dunno why my camera's battery always play out on me when I needed to take some photos, hahaha.

Settling Down

It's been > than a week now and we're finally settling down into our new premise, slowly...  Still some boxes here and there but at least it's no longer as many and the place's not so cramped up like the past few days.  I am also recovering(fell ill due to insufficient rest since last Mon - everyday slept for only about 4hrs!).  Hopefully we'll be able to clear up the rest by next week, :).

Packing!

We had wanted to pick the maid(Yunita) up in the afternoon today but our ex-cleaning helper, PX had offered to bring her over and they both arrived shortly after 10 this morning.

We started packing right after PX's left(she even gave an early angpao to Renee for her coming birthday and even offered to help us pack when she found out that we have not started at all...).  Both papa and the maid did most of the major packing of cos, whilst I tried my best with Renee's stuffs/books at the study/here & there.  We were all already tired by mid afternoon but only me and Renee took the break(errm, Renee already stopped after packing her books into the 1st box and complained of backache, hahaha) but that break made me unwilling to return to the packing, hahaha.

Our packing carried on til slightly after 8 in the evening and papa decided to call it a day...  I had wanted to shower Renee myself to show Yunita on how I normally do it, but due to tiredness, I decided to let her take over and guide her from there which was quite ok - although I had been chin cai abit as I didn't want Renee to catch a chill with me opening the door constantly, :).  Shall try to 'improve' tomorrow - especially the hair washing part(I had told Yunita "ok already" qte soon - when Renee had appeared to be shivering from cold lor...).  Then, Renee came out of the shower insisting to dress herself(I've told her that she could get aunty Yunita to dress her if she like but she changed her mind after the shower, saying that she's shy and that she's already a big girl, hahaha)

When Yunita had gone for her shower, I noticed that Renee seemed to be waiting for her and when the former finally emerged, she quickly went into the room to talk to her, hahaha.  Then, she started playing with Yunita and wasn't willing to go to bed at our agreed time - 10pm.  However, a pact is a pact and she finally relented when we reminded her that aunty is tired after a whole day of packing.  Then, funnily, Yunita went along to watch Renee brushing her teeth(I heard her asking "why you standing behind", hahaha) and when Renee's done, she wanted to watch Yunita in return hahaha but the latter said that she'd do it after she's fallen asleep, hahaha.  Probably feeling tired also, it didn't take her too long  to drift off to dreamland and I told papa that this girl is surely going to wake up early tomorrow morning, in the hope to play with aunty again, lolz.

*Oh no, Renee's kitchen set had been damaged in the process of packing! Such a waste when it can still be put to good use for another 5yrs or more! haiz...

First Nafa Violin Lessons

Today's Renee's very 1st Nafa lesson(both practical and theory) and as parental involvement is also required by the school, I sat in with her whilst papa waited outside(at the teacher's premise).

As expected, there were already some correction of posture and playing style, and Renee was alittle confused at first, not knowing how to react as she'd been taught otherwise.  However, as the teacher did not appear to be as fierce as what she's anticipated, she quickly relaxed and when we told her to forget what she's learnt before and concentrate on the current techniques, she tried to adapt...  Obviously, there're more getting-used-to to come and I just hope that it won't take too long, :).

Teacher Xu  had not informed me earlier on which books to obtain and thus, I had only brought along whatever Renee's learning from and as for the scales book, she asked for grade II's(which luckily, was what she's been learning before we went for the audition).  Then after a few rounds of playing, she said that Renee should not need to go through the grade I exam 'cos she's more advanced for this grade but then she'd need to pass Nafa's internal examination first, before being given the approval for the next grade's exam.  And when I told her that actually, Renee's already gone for her ABRSM grade I exam, she looked abit puzzled(probably wondering why she's still taking grade I now, hahaha), then commented shortly that she's very young but can skip to grade III the next round(if approved of cos).  It's ok for us 'cos it's also not our wish to push her too much and the priority now is to correct her playing style/techniques.

On our way to Gramercy Music after the practical lessons, I told Papa that Renee was soo engrossed with the teacher's playing and he commented that this teacher's playing sounded alot better too.  Well, she's with the SSO afterall, so I guess there's a definite difference...

Despite our stops to 2 stores(Gramercy at Katong and Synwin at Marina Sq), some of the books are still out-of-stock(for more than 2 months now) and although we were still early for her theory lesson, we arrived late due to the traffic jam. And due to that, I didn't get to speak to the teacher about the un-obtained books nor did I get to tell Renee which book she's to use today.  I was still looking anxiously outside the room when I realised that I had been too 'kangqiong' when I saw her settling down to her table and taking the correct book out, heee...  With papa waiting downstairs, I went off straight away, for our tea break but only returning later to find that most parents actually waited outside the classroom for the lesson to end!  I guessed this would be what I'd be doing when papa doesn't/can't take us there.... :(

Later in the evening, I received a text from the teacher requesting us to go for the practical lesson the next Monday 'cos she has a rehearsal the next Sunday and I was thinking, perhaps this might be an opportunity for us to change to a weekday's for the future lessons - not sure if it'd be more convenient but it would most likely be better for papa, lolz...

Where Are We Going?...

Following the delay on the arrival of the maid to our home(we didn't submit the trsf application earlier - anyway, we don't really need her so early.. - she should be able to come over by this weekend, I think...) and as we have yet to receive the TOP notification on our new place, we have for the past 2 days, been looking at some alternative apartments.

We had seen 3 units yesterday and have arranged to view another 2 today.  But, upon viewing the 1st one of today's(also at Shelford Rd), we decided to take it on despite the fact that the price is the same as the others even though it's rather small in terms of size.  The reason we chose it over the others is 'cleaniless over space', it's a new development(just TOP not long also), plus the basic electrical appliances provided are new - so minus the headache of constant repairs or even replacement.  However, due to the constraint of space, we now have the 'headache' of needing to plan carefully on how to allocate(even adding) our stuffs to the new place, in order to maximise whatever space we've got there but Renee is already very excited and looking forward to moving in next week, lolz.  I've tentatively put the resuming of her maths and S&D classes on hold til after next week as we'd be very busy til we've moved in(I think I'd probably even have to put the registration of additional courses like Chinese and maybe even English? til mid year when things would be more settled after baby's born).  And for now, to give us more breathing space, we're now crossing our fingers and praying hard that the TOP of our new place won't come sooo sooon! *crossing fingers*, pleeaasssse... ^_^

Once we've moved in, I'd have another headache - the search of a confinement nanny, arrrgggghhhhh....

More Gifts? More Books?

We went to my mom's yesterday and Renee finally got to see the gift which her cousin, Irene jie jie had bought for her during a recent trip to Europe.  Surprisingly she had not pestered me to let her open up the gift the minute we got home but she did ask me this afternoon, if she could play with it when she sighted me opening my eyes - I've been 'sensing' her coming in and out of the room, probably hoping to catch me awake from my nap, lolz.   However, I've over-heard papa telling her that she'd still need me to teach her how to go about with it since it requires 'sewing technique'(actually not really) but when we finally got on to it, I found out that I can't even help her decipher the instruction 'cos it was in French! hahaha.  So, we ended up doing it our own way, heee.

we both like this, :)

Later in the afternoon, remembering the Enid Blyton's story books I've promised Renee, I told papa that we have to go to the bookstore today(thinking that we might be be able to get e 20% discount on top of its offer price but too bad..., hahahahaha).  Not willing to venture further, we headed to C. Pt but by the time we got to the store after our dinner and trip to the library(children r so good life, mommy borrows book from the Lib and we'd have to buy hers, lolz), the que to the cashier was already very very very long! - probably it's becos it's the last of their 3 days special 20% discount .

Renee was very excited about the books and couldn't stop at only 3 - it's on a 3 for S$12 offer, else I would have just let her get 1 or 2 only, since more would add on to the chore of our packing soon(oh, cld I just get 1 or 2 instead of its promo? 'cos  it's actually cheaper to get them individually on the 20% discount, :>) but she finally settled for these :

Happy New Year!

It's the new year - Happy New Year, Everyone!  Hope/Wish all's well for Everyone from this moment on! :)

We're enjoying a wonderful view of Fireworks from our home now and the 'sparks' are alot nicer and different(different from those on tv too-frm the live celebration sites & r qte special...)  from previous years this year!(this might be the last time we get to watch live fireworks in the comfort of oru home).