White Sneakers

The white sneakers trend had been around for a while. Lil Shauna would love to buy a pair but I didn't allow. She already own so many pairs of sneakers and trainers and only get the chance to wear them during the weekends. 

After working from home for such a long time, I struggled with shoes whenever ad hoc occasions there are for me to go back to the office. These rare occasions are usually casual dressing and I don't see the need for high heels. After much thought, I decided that white sneakers, when paired properly, can actually look pretty decent.

Lil Shauna 赚到 and was super happy when I told her the news. Why? We have the same shoe size leh. Even before we got them, she already booked the shoes for Saturday. Which Saturday? EVERY Saturday. Hahaha. 

Though it was theoretically my shoes, I had let her made the choice. My only criteria is that it had to be mostly white and classy. She finally decided on this pair that was on 30% discount and cost us $63. Good buy! 

Lil Shauna had the honor to 开张. 

I reminded her time and again to take care and keep the shoes clean. Daddy Lim jokingly said that Lil Shauna should wear plastic bags over the shoes. Hoho. 

It is really tough to keep them clean. Bcos I tried to do so myself today; I wore the shoes to meet the girls for lunch.

Then met up with with Daddy Lim and the kids thereafter at Kallang Wave. It was so stressful. Lol. I had to remind everybody and anybody who walked too near to me to be careful. Muahahaha. 

Mummy Lim

Blind... Cannot Avoid

Lil Shauna's eyesight is greatly disparate between her both eyes. The last we checked in February 2021, 1 year after we switched to the Hoya lenses, her left was at 450 while her right was at 200 (it was L 375 and R 200 in February 2020). The Hoya lenses were doing their job for her right eye but not the left. The optician said that she probably has lazy eyes. He asked that she tried patching her right eye for 30 mins a day to train up her left eye muscle and to come back for review a month later. 

I didn't think that Lil Shauna would be disciplined. On the 1st day, I had reminded her. Then, to my pleasant surprise, she had set her alarm and consistently patched up her right eye for most evenings. I was hoping for good results. 

It had been 1.5 month since she started patching and it is time for review. On the way to the optical shop, Zaky started telling me that he thinks his eyesight has worsen too bcos his vision is blurred despite his glasses. This is the 2nd time that he has told me. Don't like that lah, their poor mother cannot take it. 

The verdict... still need to change glasses. Sob. There is a slight improvement on her left eye to 425 but that is still a 50 degrees difference from her current len. Cannot siam le. Interestingly, the optician said that her right eye can see just as clearly at 175 and suggested that we reduce to 175 since Hoya is myopic control lenses. Her asti went up (from duno what) to R 75, L 150. The optician advised Lil Shauna to watch her posture. 

We eventually decided to keep her right at 200 bcos the lenses are super expensive and I cannot take it if she comes back a few months later to tell me that she cannot see. We are $500 poorer! We bought 2 pairs at $470 each in February 2020. 

Busy choosing her big, black, round frame. All look the same to me. 

Other than the new glasses, we had to top up her contact lenses. Total damage (inclusive of glasses) - $665. I am so glad that I can claim $400 from my company insurance.

Now, how about Zaky? His eyesight suddenly improved after I clean his lenses at the optical shop. Zzzzzzz.... Seriously? The optician checked his eyes and assured that they didn't deteriorate. I can never understand how they can continue wearing their glasses and not clean them even when they are like stained and fingerprints filled. Zaky said that he cannot tell. Really? Anyway, I am just super glad that his eyesights didn't worsen. 

Mummy Lim

The Very Last One

I remembered Zaky growing his 1st tooth when he was very little and then the other little ones spout soon after. I remembered very clearly bcos I was breastfeeding him then and it is not fun when you have teeth sinking into your breasts. 

He is also the one with more oral problems including a baby root canal. Bcos he started growing teeth early, I think they also seem to drop off earlier. I had always thought that molars are not replaced; I don't remember dropping my molars. Only when Lil Shauna started dropping hers, I realised they do. Molars are like so huge and the thought that they dropped surprised me. I never keep any of Lil Shauna's molar. 

Zaky started dropping his by teeth a number of years back and then there was a long pause. I had thought that he was done. In recent years, his molars started dropping and then I thought that he was done again. Just last week, he said that another one was shaky. Huh? How come so many de? I was relieved when he confirmed that it was a baby tooth, the very last one. 

The shaky tooth irritated him for a week and he even bugged me to bring him to the dentist. This kind no need dentist lah. So he was constantly whinning and wiggling the tooth and finally! 

Look how tiny it is. This little one went to storage along with a few of the tiny ones that I had remembered to keep, including a few molars. 

With this, we have officially replaced the baby teeth and pls take care of the adult ones bcos not only the dentist is expensive, dental problems are very painful. I know bcos my cracked tooth is and is still sitting wrapped in the metal band, waiting for the next step. Not looking forward. 

Mummy Lim

Happy Bday to Me!

After I turned 25, I lost track of how old I am. Each time, to recall, I literally have to do the maths by using the current year to minus my birth year. Hoho. I actually thought I was turning 43, only to have somebody wish me happy 42nd bday. Ahh.. 我算错了, 赚到.

It had been a while that I asked for a bday gift from Daddy Lim and I hit him jialat jialta one time. I had my 1st ever LV wallet when I left K to join F 7 years ago. The wallet was like a gift to myself. I have to admit the wallet is valued for $$ but I haven't been taking good care of it in the recent years and the flap has started to warp, including other wear and tear. It is time...

Last weekend, we made our trip to LV Ion. Dressed in tshirt and shorts... 

Never mind, what was important is that we bought something. The shopping was done very quickly and the wallet was delivered on Tuesday. 

Yeah! 左边拍，右边拍...

Goodbye to the old LV, you have worked hard. 

I also got a very unique bday gift. I saw this at my brother's place some days back and was very excited about it that my brother said that he must get it for my bday. Hoho. 

The golden ramen pot. Hohoho. 

We finally 开张 recently but for the wrong kind of 面.

My bday passed quietly. Daddy Lim and I were busy with work; the kids were busy with school, tuition and CCA. I started the day with a jog in the park - precisely 6.42km. 

And celebrated with a teh-si, taking up 1/3 of my calories burnt. Zzzzz.

The day ended with cakes. Chomp, chomp. 

Happy bday to me!

Mummy Lim

Pretty Nana

Lil Shauna would probably kill me if I had post this when my blog was opened. But now that it is private.... Muahahaha. I am risking my life now. 

The results for the competition is still not out. For the 1st week, I checked the SISA website like every day. I am sure I am not the only one, until SISA has to announce that the results will take at least ONE MONTH. Wah lau, what kind of inefficient marking? In the past when it was live, results were either released right after the skater completes the program or a few hours later. Even if the video has to be sent overseas, I don't see how it would take one month. Anyway, with the competition done, Lil Shauna can't be bothered with the results. Good lah, no stress. 

Though the results are not available, the pictures are. Hoho. We can purchase them and they are available for viewing. 

I thought of buying them but decided to save some money since we only want them for keepsafe. I grab shot from from the screen. Cheapskate. Hoho. 

I am very nice and post only the very pretty ones. 

We were discussing if her camel was good enough. Got 90 degrees? Hoho.

The ending. She looks so pretty with that little smile. 

Mummy Lim

Mosquitoes!!!

Some time ago, I read on the LV fb group, of neighbours complaining about mosquitoes. I didn't think much about it since our family was doing well and didn't get attack by the mozzie army. 

The situation was so bad such that the GRC (or duno what) stepped in and offered to issue some kind of insect repellent. I didn't go and collect bcos no mosquito leh. 

Then it finally hit us. Maybe all the other families had set up their repellent and we stupidly become the easy target. The hives that we thought Zaky suffered from, are confirm mosquito bites. Hoho. He earned a day's MC from that. 

It was so bad that we wrote in to the LV MA and NEA. The MA was surprisingly fast in responding. They called and emailed back to say that NEA had already come down on many occasions and confirmed that the breeding grounds are not within LV but in some open fields nearby. So the only thing that we can do is to use insect repellent. Funnily, they at least assured that these blood suckers are observed to be Culex mosquito, usually bite at night and do not transmit dengue. 

These Culex mosquitos give small little itchy swells and tends to bite a few in the same area. 

They fly darn fast and so much more agile than their Aedes brothers. It was almost impossible to try to smack them and each one we smacked deserves a mini celebration. 

It had become so bad that we have started on mosquito repellent as well. 

How long ago have I last used a mosquito coil? Popo is so surprised that this is still sold in the market. It smelled like normal burning paper. I thought I remembered it smelling better. The kids were very fascinated. Zaky spent a good 5 mins observing and helping to blow at the flame to speed up the burning. Zzzzz. 

Daddy Lim bought this lemongrass diffuser that smells not too bad and we are taking turns to have it in the rooms for try out. 

Did they help? Barely. The mosquitos 更上一层楼 and are still biting. The trick is really to close the windows by evening time and hope that any that flew in from the balcony will stay in the living room. 

NEA responded too and offered to spray some duno what repellent on the wall bcos mosquitos tend to rest on the wall when they enter the house. Spray on all the walls in the house would mean that their staff will have to come into the house and walk all over. I pass. Popo will go crazy. I am sure she will rather we get bitten to death than to have people come and walk all over the house and into the room to spray repellent. Haiz.

Mummy Lim

Singapore National Figure Skating Competition: Elementary

It is finally D day. We have done all that we could in the limited time that we had. On Good Friday morning, I went to bed at 3ish after RI to wake up at 7ish to send Lil Shauna for her last ice skating lesson. She didn't do well with her only chance to skate with music and Coach made her do a few more times without music. She was of course super stressed and was super sure that she would lose. We can only think positive - to compete with herself than think about winning.

Like the last competition, there is an optional official practice session (by level) before the actual competition starts. There is like 4 mins to just do warm up (like in competition) and then skate once with music. That's it. Lil Shauna totally has no recollections of the last competition's official practice.  

Bcos the competition is in the morning, the official practice starts as early as 5am! Lil Shauna's session was at 6.15am, which also means that we needed to be at the rink at about 5.45am for warm up and prep. Did we go? Of course, bcos we needed all the practice. 

The sky was obviously dark when Daddy Lim dropped us and left for work. Coach already told us that he wouldn't turn up. Hoho. Coach so cleber. There are only 4 skaters for the Elementary competition and 3 skaters turned up. I kept reminding Lil Shauna that she needed to do her elements during the precious 4 mins but she ended up doing none except her footwork. Zzzzz. She said that she thought 4 mins is a long time. Got big clock at the rink dey. 

Fortunately, the skaters skating sequence was as per the competition and Lil Shauna was the last and they could continue to practice while the skater practiced their program with music. She was finally ready when it was her turn and she did great, better than most times when she practise with music. While they were at the session, I overheard the other 2 skaters' parents chatting. The girls, who are 8 and 10, had only been skating for 4 years! Lil Shauna had been doing 6 going 7! To give her some credits, the parents also talked about the amount of time that they have committed to the sports and there is always a strong co-relation. 

The session finished at 6.35am. The sky was still dark when we left for home. I am so thankful that we live so near to the rink, unlike some skaters who have to stay on and waited. We took the opportunity to rest and do some work before starting to prep again at 9.15am so that we can be back in the rink by 10.30am. She reminded me to tie her bun properly and not slant one side like her Elementary test. Hoho. 

All done. Pictures time. Front pose.

Stretching pose.

Back pose.

Skating pose.

Close up. 

On the way to the rink!

Bcos of Covid, the number of spectators is limited. Each skater was only allowed one guardian, who would be granted entry to the spectator seating at level 4. Only young skaters' guardian were allowed into the rink. I didn't bring Zaky bcos of the restriction only to realise that I would have better views standing outside the rink. Then again, Zaky would have grumble no end if I had made him stand that long. 

Lil Shauna did most of her warm up outside the rink as she was only allowed entry 30 mins before her competition at 11.18am. I was busy watching the other more advance level skaters compete and went ooooo and ahhhhhh... They are really so good. 

Coach was with her as she waited in the waiting area and was led to the rink when it was the Elementary skaters' turn to warm up. I was waving wildly as she skated past and feeling mega proud. 

This time, she remembered what she needed to do during the precious 4 mins warmup. 

It was finally her turn.  She had to stand by the rink side while waiting for her name to be announced. 

Just like any of her competition, I was a brunch of nerves as I watched her do her program and tried to film her with my shaky hands. I ended up with a lousy video as I was blocked at certain part. Luckily her school senior was watching her on live streaming and even helped to record screen. That video was taken professionally. 

She completed her program nicely and didn't fall down for any of her jumps. Hoho. Falls are common and we even practice how to recover quickly if she does fall. She ended her program too soon though and kept turning circles at the end to burn time. Haha. Did she win? We don't know as the judges didn't fly in due to covid and the videos needed to be sent to the judges for assessment. The results will take some time to come in. Will she win? I am not sure as the other skaters' elements are harder (though they are younger), meaning a higher technical score and they did well too. 

Whatever the result may be, Lil Shauna was obviously very relieved that the competition was over. So much so that she happily asked me to take her picture thereafter. 

Zaky came to JE to meet up for lunch. In celebration, we had a hearty Curry Monster, complete with dessert. 

I have watched her video over and over again, indulging in mummy's pride, sending it to family and friends and proudly posting it on FB. Win or not never mind. What is important is to see her showcasing all her hard work during the critical competition moment and she did just that. Super proud.

This afternoon, we met Coach for off ice. He commented that Lil Shauna did well for the competition, much better than the usual practices. Ya, I also think so. He also said that her timing was spot on. Is it? I thought she was too fast and he commented that she ended her last sit spin too quickly. Nevertheless she had done well. 

The next upcoming competition is the interschool competition, likely in July. Of course Lil Shauna is all "no, no, no" and mummy is all "yes, yes, yes". We needed her to represent her school and I think it would be helpful for the Leaps 2.0 program. 

Baby, mummy is super proud of you whatever the results will be. You have worked hard and done well. Let's go chase after that double sal and broken leg and whatever more challenging jumps and spins and start preparing for July competition. Hohoho. Love you.

Mummy Lim