High Teas

Maternity leave is the time for pretending to be a taitai and high tea is the traditional mark of the high life.

Probably my last high tea with the hubby and number two and three at The National Kitchen by Violet Oon at the National Gallery before I head back to work. The kuehs and peranakan delights are heavenly! D day is on 19th Dec as I check in to office before everyone else checks out for christmas hols.

This precious four months have been the best, with a new helper on board, I have been finally able to enjoy the leave. Although I had little "me" time, i really enjoyed bonding with the newborn. Funny I never thought newborns were much fun. I hated it when Aly was newborn, I was a new mom and she was always crying 24 seven and I never knew what to do with her. With Ashley and her sweet and easy going temperament, I really hate the idea of returning to work now.

Anyhow I have spent the past months dutifully breastfeeding and being the caregiver for the little tot. But finding the little time slots in between to bake and cook, scrapbook, blog and yoga. Little Aly benefitted most as my mom said with the personalized violin practice sessions where I was her dutiful piano accompanist.

We managed through all the year end concerts, camps and what not, mainly for Aly...thankfully Asher too young still to join the fray. Most importantly, this was a good time to catch up with family and friends without thinking about work all the time. The high teas, buffets ans great food was a bonus! But all that said, having a kid is too difficult a price to pay for the four months of maternity leave, so I hope I can safely say now, "it's a wrap" and sadly I know I must return to reality soon but its been a really really nice four months :)

We always forget

No matter how hard I try,
to remember each moment passing by.
Each smile, every laugh, every cry,
Fades quickly as time goes by.

I close my eyes and try to recall,
the days when you were so small.
With each new step, you grew so tall,
and these are now just memories on my walls.

You would smile at me with your eyes,
I was your everything and you were mine
You would hug me ever so tight
As I chase the monsters in your dreams at night.

Will this time i carry you be the last?
Why does time fly by so fast?
Strangely, it never feels that way always
Until it is too late to rewind the days

We always forget..though I wish we didn't
Time is a passage with no stops to linger
I wrap your small hand in mine today
and I dearly pray we will always stay this way.

dedicated to beautiful Alyssa, Asher and Ashley.

How Ashley came to be

Nobody warned me 2016 was going to be an exciting one too...

Sometime in late 2015, my very dear friend and colleague shared with me the sudden news that she was expecting her third child. At that time to be honest it was "Omg Omg...how are you going to survive..." interjected with lots of sympathetic laughs. A scary scenario I couldn't even envision.

So she shared with me her story of pregnancy...she had a dream last night...she dreamt I was pregnant. What?!! Not herself but me...I swallowed and I felt my hair rising and I laughed nervously. She got spooked the morning after and got the pregnancy test kit out to test and indeed...jackpot. Unbelievable...I did not know how to react except to gloat..."did you not prevent"? Seems like the timing of the cycle was "off"...

A week passed and auntie red did not arrive...UH OH...cannot be. I was super sure my cycle was accurate and punctual. I couldn't bear not knowing, so i tested...a very super duper faint double line. Listen to your parents when they tell you never to laugh at other people because what goes around comes around. It's true!!! I told my colleague...of course it was her turn to laugh...so yes dreams do come true.

The upside was we had each other for company which turned to be the best ever from that moment on and up till now where we share the latest happenings on pregnancy woes, milk vomit and poop colors with each other. Her little Emily and my little Ashley came into the world in 2016 three weeks apart, two beautiful girls...the stuff dreams are made of.

On a side note....I recently discovered a hilarious wadsapp chat to my husband two months before my pregnancy. The photo attached below. Never say never...That said, I am so blessed to have Ashley...a pleasant surprise but a very much treasured gift from God.

Asher starts school

Little asher boy is 2 years and 8 months and started pre-school last week. And the poor little guy has been crying his eyes out for a few days now. Unlike his indifferent jiejie two years ago, Asher is still rejecting the notion of school being fun and nice. We have been wrestling him into his school uniform since he started despite preparing him for the big day months ago.

In fact he follows big sis to school for drop off and pick up everyday for the past year but obviously, going to school himself is a different ball game altogether. Haha...of course we shrug it off as most folks tell us this is perfectly normal but we also really hope he will grow to love the school routine soon.

(updated in Sep16)

As I write this updated entry now, we have almost come to the end of Asher's first year at school. He spent every morning from day one kicking, screaming and crying and have to be carried in by one of the teachers. Until finally in April, in the week he turned three where he declared he was three years old and would not cry anymore. He still does occasionally do it once in a while and definitely the more emo one out of my kids.

Asher has since come a long way now. While he is not as precocious as his big sister, he is also a fan of using big words and complete sentences. Math doesn't seem like his cup of tea though as he always misses the number 16 while counting to 20 (Aly at this stage was already into times tables and division). Asher also refused to speak Mandarin altogether. However, his observation skills and ability to put two and two together is no weaker than his sister.

Asher's favorites are cars, trucks, trains, snakes, dinosaurs. His favorite TV shows are Blazer and the Monster Machines, Thomas the Train, Chuggington and Robocar Poli. He loves his lego and toy brachiosaurus and Robocar Poli toy characters. He loves to eat sweet stuff especially chocolate and chocolate cookies.

Asher is super affectionate and tells me and his daddy that he loves us everyday with accompanying hugs and kisses. With his handsome korean good looks, I definitely don't mind all the attention from this cutie pie!