Birthday brunch at The White Rabbit - pictures intensive.

Instead of doing the usual, which is dinner, we decided to have brunch instead for my birthday. We figured out it would be easier for J cos of his bed time and also we didn't want couples out for a romantic time to throw us dirty looks when J starts "sharing" his excitement, ie. screams & yells. So we headed to The White Rabbit, a beautifully restored chapel in Dempsey to chill the Sunday afternoon away.the much talked about Mac & Cheese on the left and Benedict Eggs on the right. Both were yummylicios. No complaints about the food, it was really quite good but the service needs to be improved. There was this rotund waiter, who couldn't wait to snatch the menu from our hands, even though it was very obvious we were not done with it yet. tsk tsk..

this is a recent problem we have with J. He has started staring....in a pretty hostile way. Wx confessed one day that it could have been him who got J on this bad habit. There are times when J misbehaves, Wx will glare/stare at J, so he figured out that was where/how J picked it up and you know what's the funny thing. J has exactly the same look as his dad when he does this. No kidding.

and the little one has gotten more animated. see what he did when we asked him to pose for the camera.

and the little sweetie giving mummy a bouquet of flowers..

he was very careful with the flowers, watchful of his every little steps, lest he fell and crushed the flowers

getting a bit tired........

back home for the cake cutting in the evening...

look what fun he had with the cream

yummy yummy!

tada...J's creation.

playdate with aidan

Jarrett spent a Sunday afternoon playing with Aidan. See the two of them making attempts to "interact". I think the adults had more laughs thou...

J having a ride on Aidan's toy horse.

backdated post: East Coast Park

For once we decided to be healthier and make a date with the kids at East Coast Park for some outdoor activities, like cycling, playing with sand etc..but alas..God had some other plans for us. We were only cycling for around 30mins before it started to rain. Needless to say, that put a stop to all activities we had in mind. With the kids, we made a dash to Waruku for dinner. Brenda had made reservation for a private room, so that the kids had space to roam about and play while the adults catch up and ate.

They say the way to a man's heart is through the stomach. Well, the way to a toddler's heart was biscuits. See the 2 kiddos so happy...I don't know about Mervin & Kayden, but Jarrett definitly takes after daddy.

putting on my shoes

J's showing more and more independence each day. He's already taking off his shoes by himself now, and is now trying to master the much more difficult skill of wearing his shoes.

trying to figure out which one goes where.

err....getting a little confused....

argh..........I need some help here!!!

Little J's growing journey

Out for brunch on a sunday with papa and mama

strolling with papa at the esplanade

I'm all grown up, dun need to hold my hand ok....

making use of my tools

I really couldn't wait for J to grow up, I had to start using the tools I bought, so tada...I made Japanese for lunch. I wanted to buy classic Jap bento boxes for us, the adults, but I just don't have the time to go shopping in Takashimaya or any of the Japanese department stores, so I could only make do and use a normal plate.
See top left hand corner...we had car shaped eggs! Made that with a really cool gadget which can mould eggs into shapes. There's many designs out in the market, like stars, hearts, bunnies, and even hello kitty. Also made some rice, shaped nicely with the rice moulds and unagi which is Wx's favourite. I also made some cold tofu and miso soup, but nothing special about that, so no pics..I jus want to show the car shaped eggs. hahaha...

Free beauty samples

I've recently caught the BB cream craze. So while surfing for some feedbacks on the products today, I stumbled across this site Fr3b.com which is amazing. You can get free beauty samples here, which is great cos you get to try the stuff before committing to a full size product.

All you have to do is sign up, pick the samples you want and check out. The samples are free but you'll have to pay for postage/handling fee which is a rather fair deal. I've already picked out the items I want (2 BB creams, and 1 beauty essence)....I'll be looking out for the postman the next few days!

Check it out!

random ramblings......

On falling sick...
22 days, I kept tab. It was a full 3 weeks where everyone (almost) took turn to fall sick. The last was me. I am actually quite impressed I could last that long before succumbing to the super duper bug. First was Jarrett, then Wx, then my father-in-law, next was my mother in law and even Wx's bro and then finally, me. I took so many days off during the 1st 2 weeks cos obviously everyone else was not able to care for the one super duper cranky toddler who refused to eat! Darn..i tell u, each time i manage to fatten up the kiddo, some virus will surface and wiped off the weight. We tried coaxing him to eat and drink with various method, at one point, we were even tempted to force feed, but of cos we didn't. The poor fellow (or was it us?) was brawling the whole house down (poor neighbours), that we just didn't have the heart to force him to do anything else.

On natural food therapy
In my quest to get the little one well, I adopted a pot of oregano. I wanted to use a more natural way to help J heal from the viral infection besides all those vile medicine. I am one who believe God has provided us with cures and solutions aplenty in nature, it's just up to us to discover, believe and make use of what is given. But of cos, He also provides us with doctors, so we still go see Dr. Yap lah...
Anway, this is what Oregano can do:
Has antibacterial properties and helps relieve chest infections, coughs and catarrh.

I have been adding a few leaves to the veg stock or J's porridge, together with a clove of garlic.

Garlic:
Has antibacterial, antiviral and anti fungal properties.

Also, Shiitake mushroom:
Has antibacterial, antiviral and antiparasitic properties and is a natural source of interferon, which provides protection against viruses. also a good source of germanium, an element that enhances immunity.

Prior to getting the fresh oregano, I would add a pinch of dried french mix herbs to the stock. Boy...I never knew how that one pinch can add so much flavour to veg stock. I am so in love with my french herbs. It has a permanent shelf space in my kitchen now.

So J's fully recovered, I don't know how much the oregano and garlic helped but I am definitely sticking to the way of using food to help boost my baby's immune system. Not only is it more healthy, it also adds more flavour to the food which helps to whet the little one's appetite..so it's one stone killing 3 birds! I think I am one of those fanatic mama who beams with pleasure whenever the kiddo finishes his meal.....

ok...too tired to continue, so this is one abrupt ending...I'm off to bed..

sharing "culinary" tips

emails b/w 2 mummies on the quest to feed their babies right:

Question:

Hey you bot sakura chicken (fresh) from ntuc before right? Do you get them to chop up the chicken or bring home a whole and slaughter before you cook?
Best,
Idiot chef

Reply:

haha...idiot chef,

jarrett's mummy usually buy the whole chicken n chop it up herself at home. but as she doesn't own a chinese chopper nor does she noe how to use one, she often employs the help of the scissors, failing which the help of her hubby to tear the poor chicken into bits and pieces.
she'll also skinned n de-boned the chicken at the same time, saved the bones (with bits of flesh on it) to make chicken stocks for jarrett's porridge and if she's feeling ultra wicked, she'll also save the fats with skin (gasps!) for roast/grill chicken for the adults.


Best Regards,
Amature iron chef...LOL...AHHAHAHAHAAA...................................

Reply from idiot chef:

Dear Amature iron chef

Many thanks for sharing the ‘Best Ways of Handling an Organic Bird’.

I will try asking the staff at NTUC for help before battling it out myself…. kekeke

Ta!

Best,
Idiot but so wicked chef

Never underestimate the power of retail therapy

My 2 boys are sick. While the hb is almost recovered, the little one still has some way to go before a full recovery.We are not sure who gave what virus to who, but it's sure no small bug. Both grandma and grandpa are also sick now.
The last weekend was truly most exhausting. Taking care of 2 sick patients with household chores was no joke. Ever heard of the saying "Be careful of what you asked for"? God must have suddenly recalled my earnest prayer for patience.

"Ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find"

Both my bro and I believe that when you ask for things like patience and wisdom, it is often not handed out on a tray. Instead, there'll be lessons to teach you the values you seek. It happened just too many times. I am now much wiser and think twice if not thrice before asking for anything. LOL.

Anyway, Wx tried his best to help and was a gem for doing some of the chores despite the drowsiness from the medicine. It was just our luck that the part time domestic help wasn't able to come over when we needed her most. The most difficult part of the weekend was to ensure J was well hydrated and fed. He refused most food and drinks and even when he did accept any, it was at most tiny sips.

Needless to say, by Monday, my hair's almost all gone (I need to start saving for YunNam) and patience sorely tested. I was exhausted and irritated and both Wx and I were ready to snap off each other's head. If there's such a term, I think I had a mother's burnt out. So....serious therapy was required to get my balance back. No lah....dun start shaking your head, I didn't run off and buy myself a new Dior bag or new shoes (maybe I should have? Duh...). I went for a bout of cheap retail therapy. I went to....Diaso!
And look what I got! Such amazing things they have for $2. I didn't have to break my piggy bank or my "vow" to watch my spending what with the bad economy..actually I subscribe to the school of thought that spending is the tool to ride out a financial crisis. The above was written more for Wx's peace of mind, so that he knows I'm not going to break the bank and spend J's education fund.

Well...back to my loot...I'm so pleased.

Bento tools....I am at this Bento crazy stage...I can't wait to start making crazy cute bentos for J.
So though he can't appreciate cute train shaped pancake or Pooh's sandwich yet, I better start practising now. It's no easy feat to make those super duper cute bentos k...

and just when I was wondering how to bring cool snacks for J on a hot day without lugging the cooler box/bag, ta...da....i found this cool snack box! It comes with a gel pack which can be frozen before use so that it helps to keep the temp down..I'm gg to try this soon to see if it works..darn..my bro's so rite...i'm getting more and more aunty..imagine getting excited over a snack box..i am such a sad case.

this is how it looks like inside.

I even got J some books and ahem....haha..i know I m crazy...i also got him a colouring book but aiya..it's never too early to start him on some fun ya..I'm gg to try doing it with him this weekend and prob end up colouring it myself..but what the heck..it's nice to relive my childhood once in a while..

So ya..the therapy worked. I' feel rejuvenated, whole and well. I'm back on tip top mothering mode. I say the economy needs more people like me. Forget about the spa, send me on a shopping trip! I dun need my gucci, I'm jus as happy with a very cool cookie cutter. hahaha

to the zoo.....

We brought Jarrett to the zoo on the 4th of lunar new year. Had the week off and it was packed full of activities, mainly for the little one. Small J had lots of fun, the adults were happy that he was happy, the weather was lovely....and besides a little horrifying encounter with a wild snake, it went great. There's not many pictures thou, cos the camera died...5 mins into the zoo. sigh.........

feeling a little sleepy..........

with daddy and grandpapa

while waiting for the tickets..father & son had fun posing for the camera

Pictures long overdued

Pic of me with the little one @ his birthday party

waiting for daddy..........

his first reunion dinner with the adults.

Thank you Aunty Jean

Precious Jean took the time to pop by my office to pass me Jarrett's birthday pressie. So thoughtful of her, especially with her ultra packed schedule as a TCM doc. Less than a year into her practise (or is it slightly more than 1 yr? Sorry my brain's growing smaller as I write this), I can already tell the changes in the way she speaks, really like a sinseh wor..i am so impressed. haha..

Aunty Jean's thoughtful presents

"I can read my own card ok....I've been watching Baby Can Read"

Woohoo..what's in there for me?

"clap clap" THANK YOU Aunty Jean! Muack!

Argh........guess what I was doing when mummy and daddy had their dinner.

Jarrett's a "movie" star!

Jarrett got a role in this year M.O.Defence ad. Ok..I am not too sure which kind of ad, but it's a video..and I am told it will be played on the 15th Feb when the M.O.D. starts its exhibition. It's not going to be air on national tv, but it's kinda fun shooting the mini. short ad this afternoon. My niece and newphew were also "invited" to take part. So all of us, my sis and bro included, made our way to Neil Road for our on screen adventure. The whole thing didn't take long, it was quite informal and simple. We just had to carry Jarrett between us, said some simple lines and give Jarrett a big "MUACK" with him doing nothing but being his charming self. The only misadventure we had was the smack he gave me at the end of one take.."ouch". I'm dying to see how that turned out. I've yet to see any clip, so I guess I'll just have to turn up at the ceremony on the 15th and try to catch a glimpse of the Ng's on screen.

Meanwhile, some shots of father and son goofing around outside the studio and our short Chinatown exploration.

Jarrett's 1st bento box!

Jarrett's 1st bento box. I am so excited about it cos it says more exciting meal plans in future! He is slowly proceeding to more solid stuff, not porridge all the time. Just the other day, I made him tofu and egg custard. Faint..so excited to use my "culinary skills" (LOL).
So anyway, instead of puree fruit which I always give him when we are out, I have prepared wheatgerm bread and fresh blueberries. ok..so it's not a proper bento, more like a snack box, but what the heck, I am happy to show his cutsy box and his cool water bottle. He has refused to use his mag mag straw no matter how hard we tried, so we are going ahead and using his Shinzi Katoh bottle.

And he's 1

my little baby turned 1 on Tuesday. No longer a baby but a toddler. It's amazing how 1 year just flew past. The past year had truely been amazing for us. Jarrett brings with him so much joy and love into our lives. Parenthood has taught us many things. The most important for me - patience and I finally understand the unconditioned love parents have for their children. No matter what he does, we still love him, thou there are times I want to pull out all my hair in frustrations.
We clean his butt when he poo, wiped up his puke and still plant lots of kisses all over his face before we send him to bed. Even if he drives me mad with his fussiness at times, I'll forget all about it once he plants a kiss on my lips, or give me one of his "cannot see eyes" grins.

At times, I feel overwhelmed with the love I have for this little guy. It's like I just want to eat him up so he'll stay inside me..lol..for months I didn't dare to voice this out, thinking I'll sound like a manic..until one evening, Wx asked me if I have such thoughts, cos he feels the same too! Waahahaha...

We didn't hold a big party for him, just a small one for both side of the families. We wanted to surround him with people who loves him best and I'm glad we did. It wasn't too fussy and the little guy had fun showing off his new toys and his first few steps. Pics coming soon..

Reporting from Paradise

We are missing Jarrett.....alot....sobz...

3 times in 6 years

Wx & I are off for a short break this week. 3rd time in 6 years, we are truely madly in love with the Maldives. So maybe for the next 20 years, all we can show you guys of our vacation pics are blue seas and clear skies. No matter how hard we try to plan our vacations for other countries, we somehow still end up dying to go back. The last time we managed to get to Bali, we didn't really like it one bit, except for the lovely resorts we stayed in. The comparisons started the min. we left the airport..We did really try to pick another location this time, infact we went right on and booked us a 5D/4n at a really nice boutique resort, X2 Resort in Koh Samui. I was honestly looking forward to my pte pool and lounging in my bath tub. But darn..the protests in BKK made us cancelled our trip cos the folks at home threatened to disown us if we insist on going.

So well, it wasn't tough changing our plans. Infact, Wx was secretly very pleased with how things turn out and ahem, I am not complaining too. LOL..

And no...Jarrett's staying home with ah ma. This is a romantic trip daddy & mummy.

Jarrett's education fund

I've recently aquire this craziness for Japanese zakka stuff. They are all so adorable and makes me happy just looking at the cutsy illustrations. So to spread this "happiness", I've decided to bring in these products from zakka land and set up my 1st blogshop. It's not a big business, more like some fun project, and whatever profits will go into Jarrett's education fund. hahaha..
So guys, please help me spread the news and check out VanilaPod!