Ice Skating 225 and Elementary Test

Lil Shauna competed in the Preliminary level ice skating competition for 2 times over the last 3 years and was about to enter the same level competition last year if not for Covid-19 that stopped the competition. To be able to compete in each level of competition, the skater must be able to perform the x required elements and naturally, the elements and dance steps become more and more difficult and complicated as the level advances. 

The next level for her is Elementary and interestingly, the skaters have to pass the respective level tests before they are allowed to participate in the Elementary (and subsequent above levels) competition. To Lil Shauna, the killer element has to be the camel combination spin. 救命啊. She struggles with a spiral and let alone spinning in the spiral position. That had been what's stopping her from advancing to the Elementary level for a long time. 

Coach had decided to start preparing her for the Elementary test last year but plans were delayed due to Covid-19. Maybe it was a good thing bcos we ended up with a lot more time to "train that camel". 

To do the Elementary test requires a 2 min +/- 10 sec program with music, as if she is to enter a competition. We used the same music that we had prepped for the supposedly 2020 Preliminary competition, just lengthen a bit and voila! The test date was finally set on 26 Jan. 

Lil Shauna was a bunch of nerves as the test date drew near and the amount of ice time reduces due to the rink entry restrictions. She was convinced that she was doomed and would flop the test. Yours truly came to the rescue and found her extra ice time since December. This includes the painful queuing at the rink at 8am on Sunday mornings to be able to get her a slot when the register opens at 9.30am. #妈妈真伟大 #妈妈很难当

This queuing itself is a roller coaster ride. Despite being at the rink as early as 8am, there is no guarantee in getting a slot. I have seen people starting to q at 7am. Just last Sunday, I was there slightly before 8am and had to put Lil Shauna at the 5.15pm session bcos our usual 12.45pm session was fully booked. Ended up, we spent literally the entire Sunday at the rink, from Zaky to Lil Shauna. There had been other days that I/ we Q for 1 over hour to not get any slots at all. Heart pain. I heard that the rink is turning their booking system online and couldn't be more glad. The online booking starts this Friday and I do hope that the system holds up. 

Lil Shauna was definitely a lot more confident with the extra ice time. In the recent practices, her camel combination spins were a lot more consistent. 

We had a lesson at 7.30pm before the test at 8.30pm. Lil Shauna was in her costume - the same one that I was rushing to buy bcos the original order was stuck in China due to Covid-19 and finally arrived in time but the competition was cancelled. Chey. She hasn't got to wear it on ice since. She snipped off her hair late last year and heng I found enough hair to bun up. She complained that the bun was off center. Never mind, just tilt you head one side lah. Mummy so cleber.

She had a good hour of warm up and practice before finally her test at 8.30pm. The buckle on her costume kept coming loose and we thankfully found double sided tape to secure it right before the test. I am so glad that I bought the competition usual-barangs along. Wearing skin tight clothing is out of her norm and she was constantly tugging here, pulling there. Spoilt le. She was the 3rd out of the list, starting with the Elementary testees before moving on to the more advance levels. 

As usual, I took on the videographer job as she did her program. I was as nervous as her and had to hold my breath as I see her grace through her program. It does look ok. There were a couple of mistakes but it generally looks alright. 

The results were immediately released and the examiner said that her camel combination spin was below par but she was given another chance to try. As she waited for her turn again, she was practicing her spins again and again until she complained of this soreness in her thigh. Poor thing. 

I had thought that she would need to do the entire program again but was only required to repeat the camel combination spins. She got it this time and passed! Yay! We were finally preparing to leave the rink at about 9pm but not before pictures. 

Now that she has passed the test, she happily pose for me. 

Yes, she's a young lady already. The costume is very well padded too. Lol. I literally saw her grow up in the rink over the last 7 years. From the little girl who doesn't open her mouth to talk to her Coach for *years* to the recent months where she started making friends with other skaters on IG and then on ice. I am super glad of her new friendships and saw how she has grown much closer to some of the skaters. That is also what sports is about, isnt it? 

The next step? I heard that the next competition is coming up in March, provided that Covid-19 doesn't whack havoc. She was all "NOs" but I thought that she already have an advantage with the extra practices in prep of the test. Don't waste, don't waste. Meanwhile, I shall indulge in my mummy's pride. I have watched and re-watched her test video 10,000 times already, posted on FB so that it would come back as memories and struggled to post on IG bcos young people now don't do FB. 

Mummy Lim

Another Gathering

With the Covid-19 phase 3 restrictions, it is the perfect reason to exclude the kids from our gatherings. Not that we don't want, but only 8 pax is allowed. Muahahaha. 

We just met up for Hi-tea in December but that was for Christmas. Now that it is January and the new year, it is a different reason to meet. Hohoho. 

The plan is always involving food and Auntie S found us a Korean steamboat buffet @ Goro Goro Centerpoint. Centerpoint leh. I don't even remember when was the last time I stepped foot into Centerpoint. For sure, it was a lot more quiet as what I remembered it to be. 

Bcos we were all starving from no bfast to whack the buffet, we confirm whack and didn't remember to take pictures of the food. 

Bcos Auntie TL wasn't able to make it, her slot was immediately taken up by the littlest of the lot. I was impressed by how much he had and he is free somemore. Good ah!

It was so much food and we were so full such that we needed to wash the food down with coffee. Round 2! 

While we ate a lot, we chatted even more and laugh so much too. It is always so nice to meet up with the ladies and it is amazing how we never run out of conversations. I had to leave earlier to rush to the rink to take care of Lil Shauna. It was so difficult to peel myself away from the laughers. Never mind, we are meeting up again soon for CNY! Hohoho. 

I heard some of them had round 3 too!

Mummy Lim

All Looking the Same?

Ah Yee says that when Athena saw my picture with only my eyes showing, she thought that it was her mummy. 

I do hear people telling me that we have some degree of resemblance and we sound similar (which I totally didn't think so), but got so alike meh? 

To proof the point, ah yee sent us this. 

Hahaha. Really look quite alike hor. 

Ah yee went on to say that maybe if my brother take the the same picture, maybe it will be very similar too. Hohoho. 

My brother really did! 

Hahahahahaha. Look alike? Muahahaha. 

Mummy Lim

Eyebrow Nth time

My eyebrow embroidery usually last about over a year to 2. I tend to drag the interval bcos $$ aside, the 蜡笔小新 eyebrow takes about a week to normalise. Walking around and going to office with thick, dark eyebrow is not my thing. 

My last embroidery was in June 2020, when the Govt announced that we can be "released" from home. Couple with WFH, there is no better opportunity to do the eyebrow. 

I had it done at Avone Beauty at JP, when JP was still just an elevator ride away. I like the shape and thought that it was nicely done. It had been a good 7 months and my eyebrow are still good. But I remembered that the package that I bought came with unlimited touchup. That is too good to go wasted. With the continued WFH, getting a touchup is a no brainer. 

A different beautician served me this time. Kelly's tag says that she is the branch manager wor. She is really skillful and got the brows drawn in mins. The rest of the time was spent waiting for the numbing cream to take effect. 

My touchup was the exact of the original purchase, which is a combination of 绣 (strokes) and 雾 (dots) embroidery. It was the familiar ziak, ziak, ziak as she puts on the stroke. I was glad that it was painless but was happy too quickly bcos the dotting that follows were painful despite the numbing cream. Kelly says that the dotting is more painful as it is more focused/ concentrated, covering most of the visiable area. She seemed to be dotting and dotting and dotting forever. 

Imagine if the white slabs are my new brows. Hohoho. 

The newly mint brows were narrower than expected. 

I like the shape and that it wasn't as dark as the previous times I had them done. They actually looked quite natural, such that I didn't feel embarrassed taking the train home. 

It is day 3 and they are recovering nicely. It really seems like the down time is shorter this round. 

Yay! Perfect timing for CNY!

Mummy Lim

 

One More Item Sold on Carousell!

We once had the idea of bringing all the bicycles to somewhere and cycle together with the kids. At that point, the kids still had little bikes but we would still need a bicycle rack to do so. Daddy Lim then started his research bcos he will never settle for an anyhow car rack. 

I left it all to him and he eventually bought some atas Thule bicycle rack that can carry 2 bicycles. The bicycle rack flew all the way from US ok, don't play, play. To be able to mount the rack onto the car, he then separately order this special hitch for our Forester and had to bring the hitch to some car workshop to have that fit into the car. Yes, 大工程. 

The car rack weighs a good 30kg. Bcos we don't transport the bicycles every other day, we chose to mount the rack on and off the car whenever needed. Ya, imagine carrying 30kg to and from the car whenever needed. No fun. We ended up having to think 2x, 3x whenever there is a chance to use the car rack. Then the car rack is of this weird shape and it is another hassle to try to make it fit as squarely in the storeroom corner as possible. 

Things got worse when we shifted to LV bcos the storeroom seems to be smaller or we have more things that we kept in the storeroom. Then for whatsoever reason, we had to have the hitch removed when we sent the car for inspection. This also means that we 1st need to have the hitch installed back before we can use the car rack. Ya, not forgetting that we had to lug that 30kg thing. Zzzzz. So for now, we have to find space in the storeroom to keep the hitch.

With all the logistics needed, the chances of using the car rack again is fairly remote. The kids are older now with bigger bikes and can just cycle lah. I had been nagging at Daddy Lim to sell the rack and of course he has been procrastinating no end. He grumbled about having to take the rack out for pictures before he can post. Zzzzzzz.

One fine day, I decided that I would do it instead on Carousell. With a screen grabbed from the Thule website and one from my old blog post, I got the adver up. Tadah!

It wasn't as hot selling as the kids bike but there were a couple of genuine interest and within the day, we sold it though I supposed quite cheaply. The buyer has the same model car and took the hitch as well and we fulfilled our purpose of "clearing" the car rack from the storeroom. Bingo. 

So, I have now added on a 3rd thing that I have sold on Carousell. Hahaha. 

Mummy Lim

One Week in New School

It had been over a week of waking up early. Lil Shauna wakes up at 5.30am every school day morning except for Thursday where school starts one hour later. As for me, I had been up at 6am too and my 1st task right after I bounced off from the bed is to French braid Lil Shauna's hair. She said that the girls will learn how to French braid their own hair during the orientation, which is taking place from today to Friday. Let's see how good she is after this week. Haha. 

We are still trying to remember her school knock off hours. Bcos I am the only one at home now, I often found myself pinning for her return. Then I will happily prop myself at the dinning table, trying to strike a conversation with an uninterested teenager who is having a late lunch and scrolling IG. 

Life at the new school hasn't been too bad. She said school (work) hasn't really start but now that the excitement is wearing off, the new school isn't that enticing anymore bcos it is so tiring to wake up so early very morning. 

I have never experienced the difference between a "good" school vs a "normal" one. The most well-known primary school in the JW area has to be RLPS, that once produced a top PSLE scorer and consistently produces good PSLE performers. It was a tough competition to enroll in the school and we stand no chance at that point with us living more than 1km away from the school. 

Our kids went to WG. I heard that it was one of the academically stronger primary schools in our area. Daddy Lim and I even become gate keepers and story readers to gain priority for school admission. It was only then that we realised that WG is just another neighborhood school. Their CCAs are also so limited. Fortunately, the kids are doing well academically. 

It was when Lil Shauna advanced to secondary school that I felt the immerse difference. The school conducted an online orientation last week. I remembered clearly the Principal reminding parents to expect drop in grades despite the kids (likely) to be from the top classes in their primary school. Wooh... We were briefed on the compulsory CCAs too and how under the MOE LEAPS 2.0 program, students who do well in CCAs will get up to 2 points deduction for JC entry. The teacher then went on to tell us how they would aim for the students to achieve the 2 points off. If I heard clearly, he said that 95% of their students managed to do that. Double wooh... I am really impressed. 

Last but not least, I received a notice from the school y'day about early release on coming Monday for the students bcos the 2020 Secondary 4 cohort did well for their O levels. Lil Shauna came home and shared that the average was 12.1 points. Their average is better than my O levels results. Haha. 

The school gave me all the confidence that I needed for Lil Shauna to do well. I had thought about applying for DSA for Zaky bcos his Chinese CMI and it would probably drag his overall score down. The thing about the dreadful PSLE is that we can never really guage how the kids will do though it should be easier to guess this year as it is no longer based on T score. The school that I had in mind had been newly established 10 years back and has a different teaching approach. Having said so, I wonder if Zaky will do as well as jiejie and go into a good school that will nurture him academically. 1 more year to go. 

Mummy Lim

Ice Skating 6 and Skating Together

After Lil Shauna's outburst of how doom she would be for her Elementary test, we have ramped up the amount of ice time for Lil Shauna. On Sunday morning, we booked SISA ice for her to self practice - her very 1st SISA ice without Coach. The SISA ice was at 7am, which meant that Daddy Lim and I were out of the bed at 6am. Yawnz. 

The ice was fairly crowded for SISA ice. I was working on my laptop to reply a couple of emails and then ended up spending the rest of the time chatting with 2 other skaters' mummies and exchanging tips. Hoho. I didn't see how Lil Shauna's practice went. She said that it was ok. Ok lor. Lol. 

Miraculously, we managed to get Lil Shauna back into the ice for practice in the afternoon. It had been such a long time that we had both kids on the ice at the same time. Zaky had his lessons and jiejie was happy to just skate around and practice her stuff, meddling with Zaky's lesson at time, chatting with R and J at others. 

Zaky learnt the entry to 2-foot spin as well as the lunge. Coach got jiejie to demonstrate the spiral much to get protest. After all these years, she still hated the spiral but definitely did it well after all the camel spin practices. 

Zaky got the lunge but have way to work on the 2-foot spin. I still think that he really need a lot more practice to build up his foundations. He is like "so messy". Haha. Maybe bcos Zaky is used as a comparison, I was so awed by jiejie when I saw her practicing. Lol. He obviously sets a very low standard for jiejie. Haha. 

Then Lil Shauna, R and J all started doing the basis 2-foot spins and lunges like they were beginners. Lol. There were plenty of laughter and I saw Lil Shauna enjoying herself, hugging Zaky and chatting with her peers. She definitely is enjoying the companionship. 

The ice time was followed by off ice practice. Zaky has started off ice training together with the rest last week. I like that bcos it gives him the reason to do some core exercises, jump around and hopefully lose some weight. His tummy has worked "so hard" during the school holidays and d have become so much rounder. 

The restriction on skaters is still very much intact. I was hoping that the limit would be increased in phase 3 but bo leh. The rink still requires people to q and physically register for a slot starting at 9.30am. Last Sunday, we saw patrons starting to Q when we arrived for SISA ice before 7am. A significant Q was already forming when we finished SISA at 8am. Sob. I read that there is a NEW reservation system from February 2021 onwards and I really hope that it is better than the current one. If it had been one off, I probably would have q for my kids but how to do that every weekend to get a slot for ice practice? Haiz. 救命啊.

Mummy Lim

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