At the library

Candid capture of the sisters enjoying each other's company 😊

Yx was reading and pointing the contents of the book to meimei, who paid v ernest attention.

Admin instructions for movie night

My Wyx is growing up

Today afternoon, just like on a typical Saturday, we come home after the girls' lessons and lunch, wash up. Wifey brings wye to the bedroom for her nap. I run the washing machine. Yx is big enough to be left on her own, I took a nap.

We all napped for close to 1.5 hours. During this time, Yx did koobits on the laptop, played with toys, took out cars and placed them in a different arrangement "给妹妹一点idea", helped herself to teabreak, took pics and selfies with my phone (see pic at the bottom), this whole time without waking us/ asking for any help at all. 

I know Yx is capable of being left on her own, in the security and comfort of our home. She has shown that she is. I know she's grown to be independent in that sense. This afternoon routine I described has been so for longer than I can remember.

But I felt different about it today... Maybe it's because it's been a while since we had wholesome, quality time together... maybe because we've been more focused on the little sister's needs lately... Maybe because Yx's birthday is round the corner.... it suddenly hit me that our first-born is picking up independence with every day, she's no longer the "baby" who depended on us for every need and whom we fussed over every other minute. 

Perhaps today, she was physiologically 1.5 hours away from us.

Maybe next year, it will be 1 day.

Not too long later, 1.5 days... Before we know it, it'll be 1.5 weeks... then maybe months...

Gosh I'm going to miss her so much.

Invitation to Father's Day celebration?

Looking forward to a wonderful day with my loved ones 🥰

The way you look at me

Raise a daughter who looks at you this way 😍

My girls made me a flower pot

31.1.23 - I came home from work and the girls giggled, asked me to close my eyes and pulled me to a corner. "You can open your eyes now!" They chirped and handed me this - a plastic tub wrapped in pink paper decorated with their drawings and scribbles. Accompanied by a hand-written card. 

They explained that my many plants were in need of a flower pot, and so they made me one. Apparently they made this all by themselves including painstakingly wrapping and gluing the pink paper around the tub.

This flower pot most probably won't find itself sitting on my garden rack, but it most definitely found its way to my heart 💓

Yx can cycle!

Grateful to my dad who picked yx up during the December hols for bicycle lessons and patiently taught yx to cycle successfully! She was able to ride independently on the 3rd lesson. Bravo!! 👏

I was reminded that my teacher was also my dad, I was late to picking up cycling and only did so at P3. Vividly recall during a lesson I fell off the bicycle once and I was furious at my dad I said, "你讲不会让我跌倒的!" lol oops sorry 😂 I'm glad yx didn't suffer any falls under his tutelage and it's heartening to see my dad passing on his wealth of experience and knowledge to his grandchildren. Even better, I noticed dad has found a new mission to be motivated of, instead of slouching in his armchair most bit of the day...

Yx's first composition

Yx funny reply

Last night, as usual I read a book to the girls before bedtime. It is a book about the human body, and it described the heart is made up of muscles.

I turned to Yx and told her, "我喜欢吃chicken heart leh."

I was anticipating Yx to react with a shock reaction, but no. Instead she remarked as a matter of factly, 

"我喜欢吃 Pizza Hut."

I LOL!!!

Sunday night reflection - Baking with Nainai

Wifey needed to rest her hands so I brought the girls out for lunch at White Sands. Ye did a Slidey Dumptey at Saizeriya (she slid down the cushioned seat and sat on the floor underneath the table lol it was super hilarious cos she was halfway in her sentence "姐，你记得。。。 *plonk!*“ ） lol, then we spent about 40mins at the library followed by 20mins at Pets Corner where the girls just erm, watched the animals 😂

Both girls were v cooperative throughout and I enjoyed their company. They've recently grown closer together and are each other's closest chit chat and singing buddies. I need to commend Yx the most as she is the most thoughtful and helpful sis: offering to take ye's mask; lending a hand when I commented I had too many bags to take by myself; holding ye's hand while guiding her through the carpark. Love them both so much!

Mom was available that afternoon and so we headed over for baking session! Magicmom bathed and changed them, involved the girls in the baking (whilst dad took pics and a vid), prepared tea break for them, and also cooked dinner for all of us. 

Amazing energy mom still possesses. We're all so blessed with her showering love and may my parents be blessed with good health for many, many more decades. ❤️

Happy birthday wyx7!

Our darling first-born celebrated her birthday once more, she turned 7. Actually requested to go on the Ferris wheel but being locals we know how just not value-for-money it is (plus we've been on it once already) so we went for the next best alternative which was also a ride high up in the sky - cable car! 

Bought the klook package that includes a set lunch at Arbora restaurant and a cable car round trip ($35 for adult, $25 for child). It happened to be a Monday so the lack of crowd made the day more enjoyable and leisurely.

Happy birthday, darling Yx! You're really such a joy in our lives. You adapted great to p1, though I know u detest the waking up and sleeping early, you don't throw tantrums about the routine and I really want to thank you for being understanding and supportive. We constantly nag (homework, sharpen pencils, pack bag, keep your files etc) and that is because we want you to cultivate a habit and hopefully good habits help u be more prepared for school which will help u excel, and enjoy school more. Every morning, I walk with u to school and I appreciate and cherish the quiet moments we share during that short few mins, holding your hand, crossing the road, bidding u a good day at school. Watching you walk into sch looking quite cute carrying that huge pink bag, makes me proud; proud of how tall u have grown, how mature in thinking you are, how defiant you are when u claim u are fine carrying the bag on your own as you are "used to the weight". Along the way to sch sometimes u share with me the issues u face (xxx teacher is fierce, don't like Chinese etc), I try my best to emphatise and offer u advice, but what I hope u learn for yourself is how to deal with them emotionally, grow stronger and be more resilient, figure out how to cope in different situations/people- all these u have to learn by yourself, I kid u not it won't be easy, you will suffer disappointment, rejection, unhappiness; and u shall learn because these will help u as u grow up, and papa promises u that as u grow through the phases of life, papa will always be your listening ear and to be someone u can trust, your confidant, your best friend and tea break buddy. 

Wishing you lots of smiles and laughter always, like ur kind heartedness deserves. ❤️