Sharing?

During lunch one day. Daughter, aged 9 excitedly announced,
"Jamie brought a puzzle game to school today.
For 50 cents, Valeria and I get to play with the game during recess"

Have been pondering since.
Is this, entrepreneur in the making.
Should this be encouraged?
Then when does sharing begins?
When does the lesson of humanity begins?

Kaffir Or The caterpillar?

As soon as new shoots emerge from the plant, Mrs butterfly will carefully deposit her eggs on the underside of the tender succulent leaf. The last time, the whole plant was stripped bare by just 4 caterpillars. The result, immense delight on the childrens' faces, seeing butterflies emerging out of the cocoons.
This time round, just as the plant is taking shape, one egg was found on sunday.
This morning, the cater pillar has emerged.
Will it be the kaffir or the butterfly?

Baby makes three

Once in a lifetime a parcel so dear comes along. To nurture and awed in amazement. Before your very eye a fine young lad he will one day be.

Welcome to the world little Gabriel

A Dose of bitter

An occasional dose of goodness in this fruit Not a dish the children look forward to though. As in life, maturity and wisdom comes from the varied bitter sweet experiences .

Small bites

Up to 1,000 calories a mooncake(according to the health promotion board) My favourite, lotus paste with one salted egg yolk has 790 calories. 2,000 calories, is the recommended daily intake for women. Have to sharpen my knife, quarter it twice and savour it over a week.

On talking

When having a cuppa tea with a friend pouring her woes,
I must give her all my attention
I must ask the right question
Be kind with my remark
Be gentle on my advice
Inconspicuously seattle the bill and
see her home.

Apple pie cinnamon buns

My craving has been nothing but healthy all along. I just found out today. When St cinnamon, was still around, I would always grab two traditional cinnnamon buns for lunch that's until I saw how huge a butter dollop they diligent placed on the flatten dough before rollingup kneading it. I stopped. Much too fattening!!!
And an apple pie to finish off a scrumptious dinner. Esp when the pastry simply melts in the mouth.

Cinnamon has been found to help the body become more sensitive to the insulin produced by itself. Boosting the mechanism of dealing with sugar by as much as 20 times.This write up by micro biologist Pooja Vig can be found in the ST sept 13 of the MYB pg.17

Helpless

Tom delighted by the new arrival moved in for a closer look. All four sound asleep under Tab 's watchful eyes. Unplanned but not unwanted. For the next few days, while Tom was no where to be seen, Tab was busy shuttling all four, one at a time from hideout to hideout. Has to be cool , dry and cosy and away from preying eyes . Once all four have had their fill and sound asleep, Tab would quietly tiptoe away for a moment or two. Swiftly she moved around looking for scaps to quell her hunger.
One night, Tab instinctively woke up, the smell of rain in the air. The drain will be flooded in no time. Quickly she grabbed one at a time by the mouth, off she went looking for a temperorily shelter. Hastily, she deposited 1st born under a covering.
Next morning, Tab was rudely woken by a *beep* just above her. Quick out of the hideout. One at a time she shuttled them away. To her horror, upon her 3rd trip back to the spot, laid in the middle of the parking lot little kitty in a pool of blood.

Spotted

Spotted at the parking lot a two door subaru Definately would like to have a spin in it.

Fried rice paradise

Decided to clear the fridge. Out with the cold rice
Out with the lap cheong, the fishcake and sausages
For colour it's the bag of mix vegetable
Heat up the heavy base wok till the water drops dance on the surface
Few quick dash of oil, in goes the an egg or two
Then the lap cheong, fishcake and sausages
Hmm... so fragrant now the rice goes in
A swift saute in goes the mix vegetable
A dash of dark soya, light soya. pepper
And presto!!!
Fried rice for lunch.

Friday dessert

300g of warm mash sweet potatoe
300g of glutinous rice flour
2 tbsp of tapioca flour
200ml of pandan juice in water
Mix it, knead it , roll it into bite size balls, stuff a pc of gula melaka inside.
Drop them into the boiling water. As they float to the top, pick them up tumble them over the white grated coconut.
And What do you get? Ondeh ondeh of course!! My favourite nyonya dessert. If you like it cold pop them into the fridge. Promise it won't harden.

A busy friday in the kitchen with Shan.

A break

After a day in the kitchen having a popping time, its the library the next day. Today it's the swimming pool. Spending time with Shan on this short break while keeping the house very quiet. Twinkle toe is turning into a recluse studying for her 'O' level prelimary exam, starting on monday next. Tomorrow? Ah...she is having her table tennis practise then zoomm.... off to her ballet.

Popcornpopping!!

Was looking around for a bottle of popcorn for popping. Finally found a packet of dried raw popcorn. Must admit this is my first attempt at popping corn.
Add the corn into the pan cover the lid turn fire on low and listen. After about 20 *pops* open the lid, Yikes!!! disaster. Most of the corns have not only not popped but burnt.
2nd try. Listen for the *pops* Same result!
Hurried to the world wide web for help.
3rd try. Only this time, 2 table spoon oil was added as instruced(silly me, should have known better). Then the corn. Listen for the *pops* Still burnt but this time more popped!! Guess, the instruction was not explicit enough or my corns were not fresh.
*sigh*
Nevertheless, I had great encouragement from the children who took handfulls each time they walk pass the popcorn bowl.

Yummy keratin

Horrors!!! in the health section of the papers today, biting nails to ease boredom, anxiety or sheer comfort can lead to losing a finger.
This happens when bacteria creeps into the nock and crany of the broken jagged nails. Invades broken skin around the nail.
Telltale signs includes
Redness, Warmth, Swelling and Pain.
Hand infection such as necrotising fasciitis, starts as a skin infection and spreads and spreads resulting in skin loss. Skin grafting may be required or worst amputation.
My son is an insistent nail biter!!! What am I going to do? *sigh*

Kiwi

Recently a local supermarket in singapore has been selling kiwi fruits by the cartons.
It's the latest heart health fruit.

"Two Kiwi a day keeps the clotting at bay"

A barrel of laughter.

In The sunday times yesterday. 1 set of parents in a 2 bathroom 3 bedroom maisonette no maid (I assume) has 4 lovely girls and 4 strapping boys provide 3 square meals minus unhealthy MacD and KFC with 5 pairs of hands to cart the groceries in 10 bikes divided by 10 users equates to

A family of love laughter and fun. My heartfelt admiration to the Kwok family in Pasir Ris.

Loving is caring

Having a child is NOT about incentives, priorities or obligation to family or country.
It is all about providing the child unconditional love, quality bonding
It is all about giving the child your time your attention It is all about nurturing the child's mental and holistic development
It is all about teaching the child on our culture and tradition

We chose to have them, and therefore it is us not
The maid to mother them
The teacher to educate them
The telly to enlighten them
The friends to bond with them
The hawker to provide their daily meals
The mall to entertaiment them.

In return the immense love received
Pride on watching babe grow to a fine adult
Joy to witness the 1st step and the 1st word uttered
That is what bringing up a child is all about

Lastly.....

One last piece of advice on the last swimming lesson.
How to put on a life jacket in the water.
Finally after 14 lessons, the 9 year olds are able to at least swim a width of the pool. An accomplishment for many.

Quilt

Mum came avisiting last week. With her, quilted bedcovers for the children. When not tending the garden, she would keep herself busy. This time around, she had decided to clear her closets off all the bits and pieces of cloth. These quilts are liken to a cloth pictorial diary. A piece came from my children's baby clothing, mum had sewed. A piece came from the cheongsam she made for someone 's wedding.
That's mum. A gutsy lady brimming with ideas and energy.

seasonal friend

"People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up or out to force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
It is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an un- believable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real!
But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway); and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. " Anonymous

Thank you dear friend, for being a part of my life....it's time to move on.