Kids make friends easier than we do….

This is our kids first time meeting each other (though it isn’t our first time meeting Vernice Tan). On normal days, I don’t even speak to my kids ABOUT my (facebook) friends’ kids. So, they aren’t aware that I secretly help them make a play date with Calista! 🤭

It was just a week ago (cannot tell too early or else keep bugging; but at the same time need tell early abit to give her picture of our plans in the week) that I started telling her about Calista. Then coincidentally we watched ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ 🤣 last Saturday when Nikki wasn’t well. So, I introduced Noelle to ‘Singapore’ and telling her about OUR friend who is staying in Singapore who is coming over to visit us. And they are ‘soooo far’ that they have to come on an aeroplane! 😆 I showed her Calista’s photo few days ago and we made a card for Calista (in which she drew Calista – forgot to take that pic of her drawing🤦🏻‍♀️). It was even sweeter – on Wednesday when we were having lunch – Noelle told me to reserve the wantan that we made for Calista on Friday (I told her I will make something else!😂)

Noelle got more excited when I told her that we would meet them at Paradigm Mall – plus playing in Milky Way Play Space! 🤭 She got very excited especially yesterday night and couldn’t fall asleep easily.

So today we finally met. It was much joy to see two of them running to one another to hug each other when they met. They held each other’s hand to the play space. I find it very reassuring when Noelle took the lead and encouraged both Calista and Nikki during their challenge. They mingle with one another just like yesterday’s friends.

When we were about to nap, I asked Noelle if she likes Calista, she told me ‘Calista is nice when she ties her hair. But almost like me when never tie hair.’ 🙄🤔😆 I have no idea what that really means! 😝 (but re-reading the sentence/answer – I think she interpreted my question as ‘how Calista LOOKS like?’🤦🏻‍♀️🤭)

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My gung-ho daughter (as always) 😆😆 – slightly less than a month to her official 6 years old!

She has been mentioning about this (Milky Way Play Space at Paradigm Mall) for some time and up for the challenge. So when Vernice says she will be visiting, I suggested this place to meet and ‘play’!

Noelle did it with a breeze! 🤣 but ain’t going for second round today🤭😝 (but wants to come another day🙄)!

My apprentice daughter – hitting closer to her official 3 years old in 29 days time😁😁

Bravery up one level today! 😝

When we first saw this play space months ago, she never eyed it and even said ‘no’! But when her jeh jeh says she will want to try, Nikki of course wanted to follow. And yes Nikki did it also today! 😁😁😁

THE beginner on trampoline 🤣🤣🤣

Mammimo bread

Fallen in love with making rectangular box bread 🍞- regular loaf. And this is the best texture bread loaf ever from my kitchen!

And I named it ‘Mammimo’ 😝

We can finish a loaf a day! 🤭🤣

Recipe:

Sponge dough ingredients:

200g bread flour

20g milk powder

4g instant yeast

150ml (one) egg and water

Send to Bread maker, dough mode

Once done kneading, take out and rest for an hour

Ingredients to top into the sponge dough:

65g bread flour

40g sugar

1/2 tsp salt

30g unsalted butter

Send to bread maker, dough mode

Once done kneading, take out the dough and put into the rectangular baking pan with cover. Rest for another hour.

Bake under preheated oven of 180 degree celcius for 50-60 minutes. Once done, remove from oven, shake it and remove from pan. Let it cool before slicing.

School break activities with three little girls

Room keeping

Having fun while folding blanket <video>

Visiting the fish shop

Buying some fishes and releasing them into community pond

Eating out together – banana leaf rice and roti canai

Doing the dishes <video>

Doing artwork together

Measuring ingredients for bakeries

Preparing lunches

How to fold wantan <video>

Swimming

Making kefir drink

Having time together – playing lego

Learning how to scratch parking ticket

Playing musical instruments

Windsor bread

We made Windsor bread today.

Recipe adapted from: https://oladybakes.com/2018/10/11/windsor-bread-%e6%b8%a9%e8%8e%8e%e9%9d%a2%e5%8c%85/

I changed the ingredients slightly:

Video <here>

They helped shape the dough before taking nap.

Noelle helped with weighing the ingredients.

Focus on building life skills this school holiday 😁😁

(Since day in day out during school days, too rush and too tired – there are many things that it would be ‘faster’ if I did it myself; motto: Slow down (though I still ‘faster laaa’ to them🤭)

What we did in the morning:

– scratching parking ticket 🎫

– buying baking stuff

– walked to bank, diy shop and supermarket (no pic)

– making pizza 🍕 of the week

– preparing lunch (today’s pan fried salmon and mashed potato)

Noelle gets one small piece of salmon and two big scoops of mashed potato (actually I know her ‘required’ amount). Seeing her sisters having noodles, she told me she wanted noodles too. I say ‘can but until you finish off whatever in your plate first and then I will cook another round of noodles for you.’ Yes, she managed to finish off everything. When I confirm with her if she wants the extra noodle after that, she says ‘no’! So, I told her – ‘see, don’t request when you are not done with your food (that’s what usually hungry people do – cos hungrily greedy). Finish up all first and then only decide if you want more. Or else food will be wasted; or you got to force yourself down with the food!’

– doing the dishes

– weighing ingredients for our bakes

Dreamworks – Find the Fun, Trolls @ Sunway Pyramid

Short clips <here>

Thank you Sunway Pyramid, Dreamworks and unifi for the few hours of fun today!

Last day of Kindy!

Noelle officially graduates 🎓 from kindy today!

Today will be her last day in school, though she can still attend school as usual in December (already paid in advance)! 🤭🙄 But she chooses (and I also prefer her) to stay at home – to spend time together!!😆😂

I even told her that if she stays on in December for classes; she can have her birthday party in school. 🙄 She rather forfeit the birthday party! 😅 (at least she has experienced once last year, plus seeing how her friends celebrate in school – all year round, guess she knows it is just a ‘normal’ day afterall 🤭😝)

Yeah to myself too! ✌🏻I will have one month slight break from all the daily rush! Looking forward to spending time with her (and sisters – together-gether! 😬) They are only young for so little time; let’s not sacrifice it!

– it was just like an ordinary school day despite being the last day (I see many of my friends’ kids are having children day’s party🙄) – actually not very surprising about this from the kindy

– if given another choice, we will still send her to this school – because the very first thing – the principal NEVER ever discriminate us for sending her only for a year to school (compared to some other academic kindies that we enquire), it more or less kept the healthy meals principles (except for some birthday parties), and they are more on character building (well balanced concept)

– anyway, Noelle did bring home some bad habits/ characters – which I have been undoing them

– one thing for sure – her angmoh English turns Manglish 🤭🤣 this year (and it influences Nikki to speak the same way)

Her graduation gift from me – stationeries supplies for primary 1 🤭🤣

Banana oatmeal muffins

Recipe:

Topped chocolate rice for the elder girls

The two little girls love them!

Especially the baby (15m4d)

Video <here>

Our first 3D Christmas tree 🎄 😆😆

Theme: Recycle. Reuse. Reduce

Using empty bottles and toy eggs (as baubles)

– while my kids still entertain me with these kind of stuff 😝😝

Video <here>

Vocal practice day: Our first ‘official’ karaoke session with the kids

We planned to take them to karaoke for some time. But we were also ‘accumulating’ the number of songs that we can sing together (besides nursery rhymes 🤭😝😂). Finally, we made it! The kids need a lot of time to warm up – as it was their first time! And we funnily/ happily sang some nursery rhymes and picked their favourite Disney cartoons songs – to get them into singing. We spent four hours there (when we initially target to finish in three hours).

At our usual outing time, it is happy hour – so the rates are cheaper. We only paid for two adults (RM26 per adult) and a kid (at Neway) – with some simple buffet lunch and free flow of drink. Kid is half price of the adult’s price and based on height.

This is definitely a stress relief session – because – even if we screamed at each other, it won’t get noticed! 🤭🙄😆 With a room to ourselves, they can run around. Better still, it came with an attached toilet! 😁

Video: Who’s the karaoke queen? <here>

Happy 15th month old to our littlest baby!

Norrah has undergone one of the most challenging weeks in her life this week! She had on off (mild) fever since late Monday night (mostly at wee hours). But she put on a brave front and stayed active (though very clingy and cranky, plus resisting solid intakes)! When her fever returned yesterday (Friday) evening (4th day), we decided to bring her to the emergency ward to do a blood test. At the ward, her fever actually shoot up to 39.8 (and immediately given a suppository)! 😥She was very agitated with the checks especially the ear thermometer and finger pulse test. She was more calm with the blood taking on her finger tip. A breathe of relief when she was tested negatives for all the influenza A, influenza B and dengue tests! We went further to check with the paed – and was diagnosed with bacteria infection (looking at the blood cells/counts test), prescribed with antibiotics (her first). Her fever did return at wee hours 1am to 3am; after the bout, it hasn’t return till now (🙏🏻touch wood)! Hopefully this signifies the end of her fever bout!

While I was mostly calm in handling her fever (fever is not a disease but a sign of something not right), I would say it wasn’t easy as the days went by – with her ongoing fever. One day after another. Thankfully I have people who gave me mental support when I am vigilantly checking on Norrah!

I certainly found the guilt of bringing her along for our ‘we time’ (hours away from home) – some may judge me as ‘irresponsible’ (that’s the guilt) – but thankfully I was reminded ‘don’t treat your sick kid as sick and they would be alright’ (I almost forgotten that I gave my friend this advice last time😂). Secondly, I still have friends who are not fever phobia – where I can find support and reminder on ‘day 4 or day 5 fever to send to dr?’ Thirdly, my hubby has ‘improved’ 🤭🤣 as in he is more steady than me this time round (never pester me to send to paed until I personally suggest ‘let’s go!’) – I have to admit that I lost my cool yesterday as we were sending Norrah to the emergency ward. Finally, after knowing me for years, the paed (who ‘enjoys’ prescribing medicine, actually we are back to the same paed as he gives a thorough check plus he fees are reasonable) actually agreed that we can do without the flu medicine. I did not agree with flu medicine since Norrah’s flu is at tail end! And I am glad I stick to it!

With this chapter ending, I am sure Norrah’s immunity is up a level!