Self Care

Life had been so busy.. so, so busy. I finally moved my butt to do what I had to do.

Hitting the big 4-0 milestone also means the increased risk of health-related issues. Afterall, all the body parts had been in use for 40 years and that is a long time. Haha. I got an appointment with APH. I had used them for a couple of health screening and found them efficient; an one-stop facility.

The clinic is "conveniently" located at Lucky Plaza, which isn't that convenient for me. I had to "get lost" 1st upon exiting the Orchard MRT station like I always do. How long ago was my last visit to Orchard? Very long for sure.

I opted for a more comprehensive examination this time including the due papsmear, pelvic ultrasound, ECG and mammogram. Yes, my 1st ever mammogram. I had to fast for 8 hours to get accurate blood test result and was invited to a simple bfast at the pantry after the blood test. Oooo... the bread and instant teh tasted extra nice.

I had to keep a full bladder for the pelvic ultrasound and that was uncomfortable. It did remind me of the time that I was pregnant and I still don't enjoy having somebody pressed down on my bladder when I also needed to pee. I was very glad that I didn't wet the examination bed.

What was the most uncomfortable was definitely the mammogram. The nurse kindly informed that there will be some discomfort bcos the panels will compress the breasts for pictures. Discomfort is understated; it was real pain. The mammogram consist of 4 shots, 2 different angle each side. The nurse had to indifferently position my breast on the panel for the shots. Momentarily, my breasts felt more like slabs of pork or mutton. Lol.

After the painful experience, I was told to wait while the doctor view the pictures in case they were not clear and had to be retaken. Sob, that was exactly what happened. The nurse said that there was some overlapping tissue and a picture of a particular part had to be retaken. This time, the machine pinched me. Poor me. I had been violated by the machine. Haha.

The whole examination took the entire morning. Should there be no adverse finding, they will send me the report in 5 to 6 weeks' time. This is the time where no news = good news.

The same evening, I finally made time to go dye my hair. My white hair had been growing everywhere like wild grass. It had been 4 months and I just couldn't find time to spend 2 to 3 hours at the salon.

Ok! I finally looked "young" again! The only thing left is to visit the dentist. *Shivers*

Mummy Lim

Ice Skating 185: So Stuck

We had SISA ice class y'day and it required delicate coordination bcos Zaky too had his basketball at 5pm. We thought we better attend this one as we would be skipping the weekend classes.

I had to take grab hitch home from work to pick the boy and then grab to the CCK sports hall. Daddy Lim picked Lil Shauna from home and we all eventually met up at the rink. Phew.

By the time Zaky and I arrived at the rink with ths tabaoed dinner, Lil Shauna was all ready to hit the ice. She has full support from us.

She is so stuck at her axle jump and camel spin; I have seen her do those for like weeks. Yawn. Oh and that dreadful broken leg spin too. Zzzzz.

I wonder when will she ever get it. She is so stiff like a piece of wood, wait, maybe the wood is more flexible than her. If I could spin, I bet I could hold my camel spin longer than her despite my old bones. Hahaha.

So after footwork, she was like trying for the axle jumps over and over again. Towards the end of the class, it was the camel spin over and over and over again. There was one (only that ONE) camel spin that looked quite decent. The rest? My grandmother can spin better. Haha.

Zaky got so tired and bored.

I doubt he would want to tag along the next time. Haha.

Mummy Lim

Big People Only Hike

This is a significant year bcos most of us are hitting the milestone big 4-0. There were serious discussions on doing special stuff in celebration - photo taking, big people only gatherings...

We stopped bday gifts for years. We have come to a point in life where we are able to buy most needs and wants without having to wait for special occasions. This year, we revived it. Receiving gift (big or small) during bday just made bday extra special. I also realised the beauty of online shopping; everything can be bought online! No need to step out of the house to buy b-day presents leh.

What we did differently this year is also the Big People Only gathering. I missed the 1st one in the beginning of the year bcos of Zaky's TKD competition. The girls were raving about hike without kids. *Pout*

Finally I had the chance to indulge in one; I planned for a 2nd Big People Only MacRitchie Reservoir hike when it was my turn to organise. Hohoho. The response was good initially. Then there was feedback of haze and baby who didn't sleep well and the 3 Muskateers were left in the end. Hahaha. Never mind, we pressed ahead.

The plan was to meet at the amenities center. Aunty S nicely screenshot the map including the Meetup point.

Since I had time in the morning, I took a train to meet Auntie S at Bishan MRT and bus 156 together. Happy morning! No kids! I was lost on what to pack; usually there would be a truckload to carry when we hike with the kids.

Auntie S is familiar with the route as she does trail running in prep of her Spartan race. Since there were only the 3 of us, we intended to walk a little faster.  As usual, a customary picture before we start and looking very much alive.

The hike consists of a small portion of boardway and then trail tracks after that. I thought we were walking fairly quickly only to clock average speed of 5km/hr. Auntie S' Strava clocks impressive 9+km/hr average speed during her trail run training that that is much faster than my treadmill running. Hohoho. Don't play play.

Auntie SR commented that we were too slow and should aim for 6km/hr or it would take us too long to complete the trail. Wah! Come! We soon increased our pace and broke into a jog at times. The trail was tough with the uneven steps and loose stones. With that, we only clock 5.3km/hr.

At certain point, Auntie S broke into a jog and I followed, plugging in my headphone in prep but it all come to a halt when Auntie SR asked why were we jogging when it was supposed to be a trail walk. Haha. Win already, 黑白讲. But she was right, it was meant to be a "leisure" hike.

Auntie S' joy must be oogling at the other fit trail runners. From time to time, she will point out how fit this or that one is. Lol. Some of them were really good, you can feel their "wind" when they run past!

We continued to some break point before deciding to U-turn. The full 10+km route would take us too long to complete. With a short water break, we started our hike back. The way back felt shorter. Tadah!

We made it back! Still looking very much alive!

The hike wasnt as tough as I imagine. In fact, I had wanted to do the full hike if it not for the lack of time. However, the trail was really not easy on the knees and ankles. My right ankle hurts for the rest of the day. Old already.

Our hike ended with a McD bfast at Bishan. Life is good! Bfast without kids tasted extra nice; nobody is fighting over the hash brown. Hoho.

It was definitely an interesting hike without the kids and having to entertain the countless "are we there yet?" and "how much longer?". We had baby snake, monkey and even wild boar for companion.

The aunties didn't allow me to stop to take picture of the wild boar. Auntie S was worried about being attack and Auntie SR said that she had no more energy left to run away if the boar decides to chase us. Haha. Instinctively, I started wondering which tree can hold my weight and whether wild boar climb trees too. Lol.

I should get the kids to start hiking too in prep of the Mount Hallasan (Jeju) that I had planned to hike during our year end holiday. This particular route is not children friendly as it is too narrow. Time to organise another tree top walk. Hoho.

Mummy Lim

Not so Little People Gathering

It is time for our regular monthly gathering and the kids always look forward to meeting up.

Venue is always an issue. Trying to contain the kids indoor (somebody's place) is like seeking for self-destruction. This is especially so when the group is getting bigger, both in number and in size (big and small people alike). Outdoor venues often is dependent on weather and while the bigger kids can run amok, the smaller ones require additional supervision. Thank God that my kids are way past that stage. Hohoho.

I had suggested that we go to the Gardens by the Bay for our gathering. There is a free water play, which works well in this hot weather and some outdoor play structure. That place must be jinxed for our gathering. Whenever we put that as our gathering venue, it will rain. This time, it didn't rain but it is still not feasible bcos of F1. Duh!

While cracking our head over another good venue, Auntie T suggested T'Junction. It is the Natveens' Ministry place and she would be able to book the venue for us. It is the 1st time that we are having the gathering at the venue.

The T'Junction is filled with board and card games.

The boys were crazy over the mini pool table and table soccer.

We bought Sarpino pizza for dinner and it was just around the corner. Super convenient.

Then we finally taught the kids how to play nerds.

The gathering was a very tiring one bcos there was so much shouting and energy used regardless of whether we were playing Taboo, Gestures or Nerds. My partner for Nerds was Seth, Zaky was with Cailyn and Lil Shauna with Boo. Surprisingly, despite his tender age, he played well, catching on the rules easily. I am so impressed.

There was so much fun. We ended off the night with a mini cake cutting for Auntie H; the last "baby" in the group to turn 40.

The kids are definitely growing up. We saw the older girls huddling around and catching up during dinner while the youngest group ran around in their own make believe fun. Speaking of which, the kids just bought new school shoes to replace the old ones that havent been that "old". Zaky has now "upgraded" to the big kids' look school shoes. Yes, that converse wannabe school shoes. School shoes only last for a few months now. I remembered my school shoes can last for an entire year. Are the shoes super lousy now or the kids are eating the shoes?

Soon, the day will come where the kids no longer follow for our gathering. I am not sure if I am looking forward to that.

Mummy Lim

ActiveSG Basketball

Long, long time ago, Zaky was interested in basketball. That craze even made Daddy Lim buy him a freaking pair of Air Jordan, which of course was lightly used and now passed down. Occasionally, he still threw a couple of loops at the basketball court but nothing too serious.

We will be stopping his TKD when the term ends in September. His 2nd pom results will be released about 1 month later and the graduation ceremony 2 months later. That didn't stop him from wanting a break but prompted me to look for something else that will keep him active. He needs to burn some fats lah.

While googling, I came across the ActiveSG Basketball classes. We tried one of their classes once (5 Sundays I think) during the craze days and Zaky found it boring bcos he had to join the "baby" group due to age categorization and the lessons were focused on basics and foundations. Now that he is older, the corresponding classes do more exciting stuff and he was all gamed to go back.

The lessons are really cheap; catered for the masses. The classes are over a 3-month period and there are 3 classes per week! All  for $130! That works out to be $3.6 per class! While it is not compulsory to attend all 3 classes per week, we should at least attend 1 or 2 classes each week. The classes are on Wednesday 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am. It is really tough to bring him for 3 classes per week but I think once or twice would work for us.

His 1st class started on 11 Sep. Given that we would be going away that weekend, I made arrangement to bring him to the 1st class. It was a mad rush and we barely made it to the CCK sports hall on time. Upon arrival, we saw that all the kids were in the ActiveSG uniform and further delayed by running off to the office to collect the uniform plus a free basketball.

Yes, everything included in the $130!

Zaky was reluctant to join the class when we finally made it back to the hall, uniform and all. He didn't know anybody or know what was going on. Many of the kids were from the previous seasons or I assumed the coach did a good job briefing before we arrived and were participative. Zaky was on the verge of tears when I rushed him to join them. He finally did when the group break up to do a new drill. The Coach was also kind enough to show him some attention upon sensing his distress.

As he wasn't new to the game, he soon warmed up and participated actively. I though he was a bit of a show off (read: doing it fast but messily). Hahaha.

I know cap sleeves!!! Why would anyone make jerseys in cap sleeves? The cap sleeves totally emphasised his fatty arms. He put on more weight from Hanoi despite being super picky on food. Zzzzzz.

Lil Shauna tagged along as it was the school holidays and she had been cooped up at home the entire day. She was hoping to catch a breather but it was a very hot breathe of air - the sports hall was indoor but open air; the hot air was totally trapped. So much so that I had to send her to the KFC for a snacks and air con.

Zaky enjoyed the class a lot especially towards the end where the kids got to shoot hoops in the format of a game.

He was so proud that he was the last 6th to be eliminated.

For the price that we paid, the classes were totally worth it. The big group size was expected and I think it is a good session to train up his basics. The only complaint that I have is the totally user unfriendly ActiveSG website. I had problem tracking the registered class after I had done so. The only proof was my bank transfer; there was like literally no trace of the booking made in the website. Then, there was no news until a couple of days before the 1st lesson. I even have to call up the Sports Hall to make sure that I wasn't dreaming this whole registration thing up.

We are heading back for class on Saturday. Yay!

Mummy Lim

Short Escape to Hanoi Day 4: Museum of Enthology

Hooray! We have pick and choose bfast!

We lugged the kids out of the bed early in the morning so as to maximise the last day in Hanoi. We had requested for the hotel to arrange for a car to the airport and it was picking us up at 1pm. It cost us USD20 and it would have been slightly cheaper if I had booked through Klook... all in the name of laziness. Haha.

The plan was to visit the Museum of Enthology, which opens at 8.30am. It was the only museum that we had targeted bcos it looked children friendly on its website. The museum was 6km away and it would take us 20mins by car. Yes, the traffic was painfully slow. The easiest way was to take a cab. According to the hotel staff, it would cost about VND100k to 120k by cab and helped us got one.

The ride was enjoyable bcos we were traffic watching. There were many interesting things to see - we saw family of 4 on a bike, a mummy with her toddler on a self-made baby chair (yes, on the bike). We even saw this PMD on the road!

The cab fare was indeed VND100k. The museum is made up on indoor and outdoor section. The moment we entered the museum, this interesting structure greeted us. I think it has to do something spiritual.

The museum is a lot about the different ethnic groups in Vietnam. The kids are now older and able to tolerate museum better. We saw the water puppets; the characters are the exact of the show the day before.

I selected this museum bcos I thought the outdoor exhibits looked interesting. There were many actual size ethnic group house replicates. I found it very interesting but the kids obviously didn't enjoy my enthusiasm and whined about the weather. Zzzzz.

So interesting, right? Silly kids.

The kids were only excited when they found this balancing beam.

It was true that the weather was really hot. We ended off the trip with a cold coconut and coke.

There were many Vietnamese families with young kids in the museum. I guessed the big and air condition space is ideal.

We found a cab at the door and checked that it was charged by meter before we boarded the taxi. This taxi was smaller than the one that we came in. The driver was very friendly and was introducing us to the city as he drove.

It took about the same amount of time to arrive back at the hotel but the meter was at VND270k!!??? We paid nevertheless but felt very much like a carrot. Well, I supposed the extras can be deemed as "tour guide" fees.

Right when we were at the hotel door, we saw a small crowd gathering by the road. Upon better look, 2 ladies seemed to be selling frogs! They were killing and skinning them. Eeeeeewwwww....

It was nearing noon by the time we got back to the hotel room. The hotel allowed us a late check-out at 1pm. The kids were happy to finish the remaining 2 cup noodles so that I didn't have to lug them back. Daddy Lim and I bought lunch back to supplement.

We had some last bit of time to freshen up and packed up before the car to the airport. The kids were asked to rest and soon Zaky was in lala land.

Soon, Lil Shauna followed.

The ride to the airport and the immigration was uneventful. Zaky saw a playground and was excited...

... only for a moment. He is too old for that lah. Not long after, he was back on his gadget. Chey.



The flight was easy as well. The kids had downloaded enough movies on Netflix to self-entertained themselves. Plus the meals that I had pre-purchased, I had happy kids.

The flight was 20 mins later than scheduled. By then, exhausion was slowly setting in.

The boys were hungry again and wanted to have a bite, which we did before we got a cab and were finally on the way home. The kids dozed on the cab and we were home at about 10.45pm. The kids showered and went to bed in prep of school the next day while Daddy Lim helped to unpack.

It was then that I realised that my office hp and Zaky's hp were missing! I checked them when we alighted from the plane. Daddy Lim was carrying my bag while heading to the taxi and my bag was in the boot. He also carried my bag when we reached home. T.T My guess was that the phones had dropped in the taxi's boot but there was no way to surely find out.

We spent the next hour trying to remember the color of the taxi in order to identify the taxi company and then calling/ messaging the different possible taxi companies but to no avail. Sob. The next day, we even asked the condo for CCTV footage and successfully identified the cab.

The taxi company replied that they located the driver but no phone was found. Sob. It isn't a big deal for Zaky, he now inherited my old slightly cracked screen Samsung S8+ but it is fully functional. The trouble is the company mobile phone. Haiz. What a way to end a holiday. Zzzzz.

Mummy Lim