Thankful Thursdays #4

So here I am again, on a Friday though, blogging about Thankful Thursdays. Which is ok cos technically I blog about the whole week of things to give thanks for. So here goes!

This crazy week I’m still thankful:

- that even if sometimes I want to throw the laptop ( or TV, if I could lift it) at him, I have a wonderful husband who loves me and does attempt to understand me. This week he’s been helping me out with out-of-whack LittlerLam who has been waking at 5am and screaming and refusing to go back to sleep. Which wouldn’t be a problem if she slept at 7pm. But she sleeps at 1030pm or 11pm during festivities so that is a problem! Hubby has been very patient with her cos I will throw in the towel after singing, rocking and patting her for an hour. So I’m very thankful that he’s there to take over, even tho he leaves for work at 730am.

- for Chinese New Year. It’s always nice to meet up with cousins and extended family members thar we only ever see once a year. This year I finally met one of my cousin’s 5 children all at the same time! I’ve never seen them all at once in person and the eldest one is already 19! Woah! Of course, CNY always reminds me how blessed we are in terms of material things. The red packets my kids receive from all the family and friends, and the bountiful tables of food all remind us that we are enjoying the fruits of our forefathers’ labour, here in Singapore.

- that my parcel arrived on time! I ordered some clothes from Carters for my girls & it had to be sent it to my friend’s place in US, of course, since they don’t ship internationally (and I don’t trust Vpost). It was due to arrive only today, but the problem was that my dear friend would already be getting on the plane today! So we prayed that it would somehow arrive early, and it arrived yesterday! So thankful for small thing like these and also for good pals that will lug stuff back for me

- that LittleLam enjoys art and drawing as much as I do and really shows a flair for it

Lastly, I’m thankful that I recovered in time to eat the new year goodies! Heh!

新年快乐！Happy Lunar new year!

We’ve been so busy over the past 4 days of Chinese New Year that I haven’t had time to blog! So here’s a quick pictorial summary of what we were up to:

First Lo Hei

The Lunar New Year festivities (aka feasting) have officially begun! Tonight we had our first Lo Hei (basically a Singapore Chinese tradition of tossing a salad with some sweet sauces and other condiments & reciting relevant Chinese phrases to bring luck, wealth etc…) at a restaurant. I don’t believe in luck and fortune, but it’s all in good fun and the kids also get to have an excuse to create a mess with food and get away with it!

We had our extended family reunion on my Dad’s side tonight cos having it a few days before the actual new year because it was easier to get everyone together. And also easier to book a space at the restaurant. I think many families had the same idea though, the restaurant was packed to the gills! Food was good though- we had yu sheng, contraband sharks fin soup (no choice have to eat since the poor shark already died!), steamed fish, crispy chicken, braised pork with veggie, mandarin sauce prawns and a unique Boston lobster and noodle dish. For dessert we had red bean pancake but I was so full I could only eat 2 pieces even though I love that dish I didn’t take many pictures of the food cos I was too busy eating and getting my kids to eat, so I leave you with just a few highlights. I can foresee my tummy working overtime this new year!

Thankful Thursdays #3

This week I’ve got a big thing to be thankful for, and also heaps of other small things! Praise the Lord for an abundant life

So this special thursday, a few days shy of Chinese New Year, I’m thankful that:

1) The renovations at my new place are largely completed! And I’m really loving how it looks (with some limitations of course)

2) we managed to self-transport 3 large George Nelson Bubble Lights from 2 different locations, & somehow managed to install them right (hopefully!) I so love the look. (this will be a separate post in itself, and I’ll do so when I’ve got the time to upload the pictures)

3) I managed to go for a date with the hubby and actually spent more than 2 hrs together having 2 proper meals in restaurants & not having to struggle with feeding a kid

4) I got to eat the Foster’s English Rose Cafe’s afternoon tea set which I have been craving for since last year! Mmmm scones!

5) we own a car. I don’t know how I could have done so many things in such a short time frame without one. Not to mention the convenience it gives when bringing out the kids. With the MRT system being a little unreliable lately, having a car is such a blessing!

6) despite falling ill, and losing my voice, I did not spread the virus to my girls! So thankful that they are well.

7) I am always surrounded by family. Though sometimes I gripe about never ever being alone, but I realise it is a blessing to be bothered (oops, loved I mean)! ;p

8) we have air-conditioning. Seriously, the weather has changed dramatically this month! From our cool windy and rainy days in Dec, now we face the sweltering over-30 deg celsius days and 99% humidity . So glad I can still afford to pay the electrical bills of aircon usage!

9) Making some progress in learning to hold my tongue and not react, but give some time to think and cool off before deciding what to do. Grateful that I managed to see some benefits of waiting before reacting.

10) LittlerLam is now walking so quickly and steadily!

Tea for one

I’ve been silent on this blog, and literally for the past week because I came down with a nasty cold that developed into a full-blown flu. For the past few days now, I’ve been croaking, whispering and speaking now with a rather raspy voice cos of my bad cough and sore throat. I’m particularly bummed about being ill at this time because we are days away from Lunar New Year. And for many of us in Singapore, that means a time to dig in to a whole lot of yummy biscuits, cookies, Bakkwa, mandarin oranges and big family feasts. But because everything is generally “heaty” as we Chinese believe (the body is a balance of yin and yang, heat and cold etc..), people who are having sore throats are already very heaty and banned from eating the goodies. Or rather, eat and suffer the consequences!

But this post is not supposed to be about what I cannot eat, but a good eat that I discovered. Or rather a good drink. Because of the state of my throat , and also my emotions/thoughts yesterday, I decided to take a time out for myself. Just to eat lunch in a nice place alone, and read my bible and attempt to journal. It was all by accident that I ended up at Relish (an up-class burger cafe) at Cluny Court. I ordered a yummy Blue Cheese and William Pear burger and polished it off (scaring some people I think) and the waitress recommended me a Gryphon Lemon Ginger Mint tea when I croaked my order to her! That was a fantastic tip because I totally fell in love with that tea! Somehow it managed to warm me (the aircon was really cold there), and yet perk me up and soothe my throat at the same time. The smell was also divine. This definitely makes it to my list of top teas, which I must blog about one day

Hi 5! in Singapore

This was supposed to be posted a long time ago, but my iPod touch crashed while I was about to finish typing it up, and, well, the whole post disappeared. So I never got round to re-writing it until now. So pardon the belated-ness!

Both my girls are fans of Hi 5!, so when the Aussie singing and dancing group came to Singapore in December, I gamely decided to brave the crowds and take them to watch a show. The best thing was that it was free, right in the middle of Millenia Walk, and you didn’t have to buy anything from the shopping centre to be allowed to watch.

Uncharacteristically, we actually arrived early. And even early enough to join the queue to be the first 50 families to get passes to take photos with them. I must admit at first I was even unsure that it was the real Hi 5! Cos I thought it was too good to be true that they’d fly in and do free performances in the mall, but it turned out that it really was the real Tim, Stevie, Lauren, Fely and Casey. And I also have to concede that I am actually very impressed with their singing and dancing ability and stamina! I think I am a new fan too!

Thankful Thursdays #2

So here I am again, facing a rather challenging Thursday, yet having to reflect on thanksgiving. At first it seems hard– I have been feverish, sneezing non-stop, having a sore throat and trying, in all that not to get baby LittlerLam infected with the virus– but then I realize I still have so many things to thank God for! So here goes:

I’m thankful that:
- hubby came home early ie: before 8pm today to rescue me from collapsing from exhaustion and illness!
- My fever is down
- school has started for Littlelam
- I don’t have to juggle my work and kids at this stage of life (since I’ve stopped my regular work-at-home job and am employed now solely by my kids to pick up after them)
- my parents are not very elderly & are very mobile and I don’t really have to look after them!
- my girls are playing together well now (ok, most of the time anyway)
- I’ve realized how while having two kids is double the trouble, it’s double the fun as well!

I realize I probably don’t say it enough ( or at all!!) but I love my girls so very much! Thank You Lord for this blessing.

How to make a car out of a box

Littlelam’s school holiday project this term was for to make a craft related to the theme of vehicles. Our first attempt over the Dec season was to use small boxes and turn them into little vehicles like cars and buses, but because everything was too rectangular, the whole fleet started looking like weird buses. Besides, we never got round to creating the base ie: the roads and city. So we sort of gave up halfway. And I forgot all about it.

Fast forward to the 1st day of school. I realize too late that she has yet to complete a project, and I have a brainwave! My neighbor walks by my door about to chuck an old cardboard box into the recycling bin, and I quickly ask her for it instead. And here’s what we did with it:

Thankful Thursdays #1

Ok so I’m not exactly in the mood right now to be thankful. But, I made a commitment, and what better way to ease myself out of this foul mood than to take a step back, breathe and start counting my blessings!

Over the past week, I’m thankful that:

- LittlerLam is getting more and more steady at walking and is a joy to watch
- LittlerLam is calling me “mama” with the most endearing tone, and coming to hug me
- I got to meet up with some wiser, more mature church friends who blessed us with a wonderful home-cooked dinner
- my mother-in-law came by this morning with McDonald’s hotcakes and chwee kway (not from McD!!) for breakfast
- I managed to get a gelish pedicure, plus a facial within the past week! Woah! Much good me- pampering
- renovations are progressing along and I feel I can trust my contractor

I think there are lots more but for now, this is good and the source of my initial frustration is now asleep, so writing this WAS a good idea. Me likey.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Love in unexpected places

Today as I was supervising the renovation & construction works that were underway in my new place, I was given a surprise. A good one, thankfully, and not the horrid ones that usually come with dealing with contractors.

Up on my new feature brick wall, was a white brick, and on that brick was a clear heart shape! I knew that the wall guy couldn’t possibly have carved it in, because it was a random part of a pre-fabricated brick. When I saw it, I felt a sense of assurance from God, that indeed He is there. Even through this grueling renovation process. Even through our doubts and fears regarding this apartment. And even when we eventually move in. I am not one who is easily caught up in signs and wonders and I am very careful of ending up falling prey to New Age beliefs, but as I prayed, I believe it is just a beautiful reminder of His love for us. (And my devotion material today also happened to be on love!)

I was also reminded that there is indeed beauty everywhere, even in this fallen and depraved world. We just need to pay attention.

“…but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” – Joshua 24:15

“Unless the Lord builds the house, They labour in vain who build it.” – Psalm 127:1