Gathering... Bcos it is Phase 3

Traditionally, the SHSS girls and our brood meet up monthly. It would be grand affairs when it comes to massive festives like CNY and Christmas. Covid-19 threw the gatherings off track and it had been many months since we met. 

There had fortunately been a couple of meet-up since the restrictions eased. I have met up with Auntie S and SL on a couple of occasions. The kids finally got to meet some when the law allows 8 to gather. 

We had been thinking about the Christmas gathering and decided that we would adhere to the restrictions with an adult only gathering. We are law abiding leh. Just nice, there were 8 of us. The venue was decided at Cafe 2000 @ M Cafe, all thanks to Auntie T, securing a good hi-tea deal for us. For once (in a long while), the venue was nearest to me than the rest and we commuted by train from different parts of Singapore. 

This is the Punggol/ Sengkang gang. They are growing too big in strength, which signified more future gatherings in that part of Singapore, tsk tsk. There is an unspoken dress code and obviously somebody didn't get the memo. Lol.

Bcos there were no kids involved, the mummy had to lug all the Christmas gifts for exchange and lugged the gifts back. We already declared upfront to make sure that nobody buy big-ass gifts for ease of logistics. While my gifts for the ladies were not big, they were super heavy. The only recycle bags that I could find at home were damned-auntie looking. So there I was, looking very auntie, lugging the very heavy recycled bag and swearing under my breath on the train to Tanning Pagar. 

I was very pleased to arrive at the MRT to see that all the other aunties were also 大包小包 in various auntie-looking recycle bags. I totally blended in, 要多auntie, 就有多auntie. Lol. 

Then it was like a 5 min walk from the MRT to M Hotel but felt like 50 mins with the heavy bag. Never mind bcos I was super sure that I would have an easier time bringing home a lighter bag. 

The Hi-tea was valued for money with the special deal that Auntie T found. It was well-presented and triggered a long round of photo taking. 

I didn't have to even lift a finger and get all the great pictures. Hoho. 

The spread was good and I was starving. The chat-ups couldn't be better. 

Time passed so quickly and the conversations never stop. We got the gifts exchanged and my gift bag was definitely lighter. BUT, I had stupidly asked Auntie H to bring the P5 hand-me down exam papers for Zaky and they were a bloody thick stack and weighed a ton. Sob. 

We left M Hotel at 5pm and a few of us adjourned to Diaso and Don Don Donki shopping. I think my back almost broke and I was so glad to find shopping trolleys on Daiso. I secretly contemplated to steal one home. Haha. I was so glad when somebody suggested a coffee break at Toastbox. Me! Me! Me!

It was already 8pm when we finally left and the long MRT ride home with the heavy papers. 

I had fun and so did the kids, whom Daddy Lim happily brought to have a good dinner.

We all missed the gatherings and hope that life would go back to normal soon.

Mummy Lim

1st Day of School and Work

Lil Shauna started school on Monday while Zaky got an extra day off. 

We had been practicing tying braids only to have somebody pointed out that I had been trying Dutch braids for Lil Shauna and it has to be French braids for her school. Huh? Braids also go by country?!!? I thought "French" braid is simple a name for braids. Apparently I have to twist on top and not below and I had been tying Dutch braids for Lil Shauna for as long as I had been doing it.

Can you tell which side is which country's braids?

Lil Shauna had been anxious about 1st day of school. Whatever "I want to make new friends" was replaced by "I am an extreme introvert and cannot make new friends". Ok lor, win already lor. At least she found a WG schoolmate who lives in the next door condo and have arranged to go to school together on their 1st day. 

Bcos school is now further and she has to take public transport, she had arranged to meet her friend at the MRT at 6.20am. Bcos she hasn't learnt how to tie braids, yours truly was awoken at 6am to do so. Yes, I was very much half awake. 

Not bad lah, at least they look like some kind of braids. The young lady left the house soon after and then her friend was late. Zzzzz. Chey. Could have slept a while more. 

White uniform, white shoes. Confirm get dirty easily. 

Along with the big jiejie, many of the little ones were also starting school. 

Monday also marked the new year work day for us. Daddy Lim went through a turbulence year and has started a new career journey on Monday. For the past 10 months, he had been my WFH companion and it suddenly dawned on me that with him going back physically in the office and the kids in school, WFH will be very quiet and lonely. 

Lil Shauna was back from school at about 2pm and was starving bcos there were too many people queuing for food and she decided that she was not hungry. Ended up, she gobbled down lunch back home while relating the wonderful tales of her 1st day in school. She met her ice skating friend R and took the train together towards home.

I am so glad that she enjoyed school and the earlier anxieties dissipated. She funnily talked about a sea of white students and how everybody looked the same in the same uniform and hairstyle. Haha. Of course she lamented about how her school shoes have blackened after a single wear. 

Zaky joined jiejie on Tuesday to head back to school. We just got his hair trimmed over the weekend.

Bcos Daddy Lim now have to be at the workplace super early, the boy also have to wake up earlier and leave the house earlier. He says that he reaches the school by 6.30am but have the other kids who take the school bus to accompany him. 

With the big and small boys also gone, it was indeed a quiet WFH day. All of them were at work/ school the entire day; Lil Shauna had some orientation while Zaky went to the student care. I better get used to that. 

Ever since we shifted, Zaky had never tried taking the public transport home on his own. He used to have jiejie and simply followed blindly. So the 1st day of school also become his orientation to go home via public transport. I met him at the interchange, fed him and ran a couple of errands at JP. We took a break for him to climb around at the playground and I have to constantly remind him not to split his pants. Hoho. 

With that, the 1st school day was also successfully completed for Zaky. Everybody survived. Yay!

While everybody is away at work/ school, I found my companion. Hi Cookie!

Mummy Lim

Squeezing in Last Bits of Fun

The school holiday is coming to an end and we have been trying to squeeze in as much fun as possible. Like any other holidays, the kids thought that it is too short. I beg to differ; maybe bcos there was no overseas holiday and I see them so much while WFH, I thought that the holiday is too long. Haha. 

We had been doing so much activities in the last 2 weeks. On Christmas Eve, we visited the Doraemon display at the museum with the Fs. 

Only Zaky was left in the pictures bcos jiejie was happily taking pictures with the Fs. 

On Christmas Day, we had hotpot at my brother's place. Yummy!

On Boxing day, we dated C & T for the Amazing Castle followed by the Soul movie. The Amazing Castle is interesting according to the kids. I think it is somewhat like the Running Man in Seoul. Anyway, while the kids run around in the Amazing Castle, I was happily drinking Bubble Tea with Auntie S. 

Daddy Lim had a "day's off" and joined us for dinner at Suntec. 

The kids, who happily squeezed into the kiddy ride. Luckily nobody got stuck. 

On 30th Dec, Boo invited the girls for a sleepover. The kids had a blast at Playnation before meeting up with AN and ER.

The "meeting" was short lived before the girls took a grab to Boo's place. 

长大了, so independent le. 

The boys were not invited and had been whining about how unfair life is. Lol. The girls definitely had a blast.

The boys also not bad lah, there was good food.

Then we headed to an Escape Room. I didn't think that the Escape Room was well set up bcos we couldn't solve the puzzle and had to keep asking for clues. Haha. In fact, I think I solved none. Hohoho. I was the liability. 

After the Escape Room, dinner was also digested and we went for another bite. Die, it's the season to be eating, lalalala. 

Then it was a long MRT ride home with Zaky. 

Daddy Lim happily had another "day's off". 

Lil Shauna had a nice gathering with the girls. She said that they chatted until 4am but she couldn't remember what they talked about bcos she felt asleep at 1am, woke up at 2am and zombified until 4am. Haha. She only remembered that they were IG live streaming at 4am, which probably isn't very wise. It sounded like calling an ex-bf drunkenly. Lol.

She was well fed by Auntie H before I picked her after lunch. 

The boys are so jealous and had wanted to plan a boys' sleepover which unfortunately didn't take place. Next time lah. The kids said that it felt like AN and ER didn't even leave at all and it felt like y'day that they just met up.

Zaky had been nagging to go for trampoline. I had been wanting to bring them to Bounce only to realise that the tickets were like fully booked out. Finally, we headed to Katapult at ORTO for the last bit of fun before school starts. 

I am quite sure that they have enough fun le. Fully charged up for the new school year! Yay!

Mummy Lim

Discovering Morning Open Ice

With the covid-19 capacity restrictions, it is almost impossible to get slots for the kids to practice on ice unless they have lesson. Lil Shauna used to hit the ice 2 to 3 times a week but is now reduced to 1 or even none at all. It is bad, so bad. 

The date for her Elementary test had been set on 26 Jan 21. Her program has been firmed and while she can do most of the elements, she still struggles with her camel, sit, scratch combine spins and unfortunately, a critical component in passing the test. As the test date draws nearer, she had been whining and whining non-stop about how stress she is. I concluded that what she needed is simply more ice practice to gain confidence in the elements. 

A few weeks back, we attempted the impossible. We dragged the kids to the rink at 8ish in the morning to q, hoping to get a slot for the ice. Lil Shauna grumbled when I dragged her out of bed, asking me why she had to come along. Bcos the kids should work for the slots if they want to go on the ice; it is hard work and not just privileges dropping from the sky. 

We had bfast and I went to peek at the rink after the kids were settled at the table. At 8.15am, the q outside the rink was at about 10m long and this is when the registration starts only at 9.30am. Zzzzz. We didn't have a choice but to join the Q. Ended up, the slots for the entire day were fully taken up before we even reached the register. We had a very upset Lil Shauna, who then believe even more that she is doomed. Lol. 

It is not the end lah. I promised her that I would book her extra SISA ice to practice. The SISA ice online booking has resumed and the earliest sessions start 9 Jan. Then I remembered that she sometimes go on JCube morning full ice lesson with Coach Raymond and saw those on the Rink's calendar. Heng, I moved my butt to call the Rink and found out that those were open sessions also for advance skaters to walk in. While there isn't a real definition of "advance skaters", there would be plenty of skaters who would be jumping and spinning and amateurs are advised to stay away. 

Zaky had been wanting to skate with jiejie but no such luck bcos usually one of them would be taking lesson at one time. Why? The pocket says so. Thus, he was really excited to do the open ice with jiejie. I was pretty worried for I have seen how advance these skaters are and how crowded the ice could be. Nevertheless, we attempted, reporting to the Rink before 7am for the 7.15am session. Zaky was reminded times and again to stay out of the way of the advance skaters. 

I had to keep my eyes on Zaky the whole time. I saw jiejie teaching him a couple of drills before going off to do her practices. Zaky was fine generally until he tripped and fell. Then he was so grumpy and I took the opportunity to pick him off ice and send him off for bfast with Daddy Lim. Hoho. Lil Shauna handled the crowded ice much better though it irritates her much. 

The next open ice, we conveniently skipped Zaky. I think it is safer and more peaceful for everyone that way. The rink was again very crowded but I think some practice is better than no practice. 

This morning, we hit back the ice for the last open ice practice before school reopens. Oh yes, I was absolutely stone from the lack of sleep, having gone to bed at 3ish after the RI. It took a couple of nudges from Lil Shauna before I managed to crawl out of the bed. 

It was an absolute pleasant surprise to find an empty ice. Lil Shauna was so thrilled. Though the ice slowly filled up, it was still much emptier than the earlier 2 sessions. 

Despite skating for so many years, Lil Shauna hasn't made many skating friends and her practice sessions are usually quite lonely. For once, I had to thank IG and she had been following some same age skaters and started chatting with them on IG. These are K and E and they were competitors once. 

Ice practices are definitely more enjoyable when there are companions. Though they spent a lot of time chit chatting, the girls being more advanced than Lil Shauna also taught her a tip or 2. Lil Shauna also didn't forgot her purpose on ice and practice the needful. 

Like I had expected, the practices absolutely helped to boost her confidence towards the upcoming test. She has 4 more lessons and a SISA ice practice session before the test. I think she will be fine. 

Mummy Lim

Last RI 2020

It had been a long while since we attempted a RI. The last one was in early October and we had to take a Grab home from ECP bcos of the rain. That unpleasant memory did zero to prompt another RI, plus the rainy season kills whatever motivation left. 

Finally, somebody jioed. It does sound like a nice way to end 2020 and start the new year. Tadah! Some of the group wanted to attempt a 150km ride, starting with LP1. We planned to roll at 5pm with those heading to LP1 starting at 3.30pm. Did Daddy Lim and I do LP1? Siao ah? Hoho. I have never cross 115km and I am not sure I wanted to torture myself that way. 

The weather wasn't too kind though and it started raining, then pouring, since the afternoon. It then turned into this intermittent drizzle. Ended up, we had to delay the start time twice. Just when we thought we can start, the drizzle would start. It was like the sky was teasing us. 

We finally rolled off at 7pm. The roads were wet but at least there was no rain. 

Fortunately, the sky decided to be nice to us for the rest of the RI and the roads dried up quickly as well. The weather was fantastic for the rest of the way. Woohoo!

What is the most enjoyable of an RI? The supper break. Hohoho. 

Sadly but truely, the lonely TMCR follows shortly. We had a strong rider and he was pulling us at 42kmh at one point but I had to drop off. Cannot lah, I thought I was going to vomit. Lol.

Daddy Lim's legs started cramping up after TMCR, which was still a long way home. Some of the guys went on to complete the RI with another LP1, clocking 200km!!! Us? We went home to sleep in our cosy bed. Hoho. 

With that, our 2020 ended with a blast. It was a little sad that we were hidden under the trees at midnight and couldn't catch any of the fireworks. We did see the flashes of the fireworks though and heard the bom, bom, bom. Haha. Happy New Year!

Mummy Lim