Ramen

Wah the ramen at Ippudo was very nice. Tried it for the first time with hubby and the 2 boys as a belated bday lunch treat from hubby (while the girls we're still not home from sch). I think it's the best ramen I've had so far. The thick, savory, flavorful and fragrant miso based soup was excellent.

Hide and Seek

My kids love playing Hide & Seek. They laugh, the squeal, and even give obvious clues to the seeker on where they are hiding (!?!) . 😅

-

Sometimes people who hide far, far away really just want to be sought and found. 

I see weird people

And I don't know what to do with them. I don't like them, I'm weirded out by them.

To think that I used to want to be a counsellor. How can i sincerely want to be one when I actually avoid the real people that i come across in my life who are not "normal" emotionally/mentally? 

A counsellor is supposed to talk to these very un-"normal" people, have empathy, and try to help them.

Fail lah. I can't do it. I don't want to do it.

It'd take a miracle if were to end up one eventually. It'd take lotsa work to rekindle that once-childhood ambition of mine. God's work, not mine. Only if He calls, because right now, I'm totally not willing. Perhaps I thought too highly of myself last time hahaha.

It's CA1 season

And I have no time to grill, drill and torture my firstborn with big piles of assessment books. On her own, she has completed 4 practice papers of an English assessment book already without my constant nagging. 

I think she's 3/4 on her own in her revision already. I do try my best to mark and explain her mistakes if she doesn't get them.  

Sorry babe, Mommy's still too busy with the 4 of you kids, especially the super active 4th one. Plus all the laundry that you guys generate daily!! My goodness. 

My happy hour is when all the laundry baskets are TOTALLY EMPTY. 

She's walking again!

Phew! Thank God!

Made E take a few wobbly steps this morning and she said no more pain.

Before noon time she got over her fear of the pain and walked more. Her right leg muscles have gone kinda soft after not using them since Wed evening. So yay! 

Heng ah. Tomorrow is the last day of MC also. Gotta call up KK to cancel the appt with the bone doctor. :)))

$98 for A&E fees.

X ray didn't show any fracture lines. May be soft tissue injury. Fracture not ruled out but it's unlikely.

Tues see bone doc at KK.

Urgh how to take cab with E's foot like that?

There's a first time for everything

And today, it's the first time I see one of my kids in a wheelchair.

It sucks.

Reporting 'live' from KKH.

I wanna bubble wrap my kids forever

So that they don't have to face creepy people at the bus stop like I just did this morning. Weird man was spitting every few mins. Looked weird. He probably can't help it. But what if he decides to spit at people? What if my daughters had to take buses themselves next time? And weird people spat at them because they are mentally unsound? Argh. 

When I was in sec school or JC, I once sat in a bus on my way home where a man sat next to me on the aisle seat and he started snorting/laughing away by himself. Then he started rubbing something on his lap. I assumed he was rubbing his finger. Another passenger got up and saw what he was doing, paused, stared, and left. Then I realized it was probably not his finger. Argh. I was trapped at the window seat, and dared not move or change seat. What if he turned violent or touched me? I quickly left when the bus reached my bus stop. I didn't look at his lap.

So. Next time my kids will have to take public transport to go to sec sch. MRT means potential molestors who grab the chance to squeeze near you in the crowded peak hour train. Bus also same thing. I told hubby once that the 4 kids should learn stuff like taekwando at the neighborhood CC to help with some self defense confidence. He said no use leh. I see how. So far I only see 2 options. Taekwando or bubble wrap. Amazon does sell bubble wrap, right? 

It comes in waves...

D had huge nasty mosquito bites on his face one night while sleeping with us on our bed.

I killed the bugger the next day in the toilet.

N had a bad fall, skinned his knee. Pain from the wound made him limp around for half a week or so.

A put calendula cream on one leg after I told her it might help with her dry skin. That part of the leg developed angry allergy rash. Itched badly for days. She came down with fever and headache yesterday. Got well after getting lotsa sunshine (waited for cab for 45 min) and some rest after the trip to the Guide House to get her Brownies stuff.

E slipped on N's transparent sch file on the floor yesterday evening while carrying D towards me after I called D to come take his shower. E cushioned the fall for D and cried and screamed in pain. Probably a bad sprain. She's been hobbling and hopping around at home, and other times needing to be carried by me/Hubby from point A to point B.

It's been an interesting couple of weeks.

😳

Well ya, the more kids I have, the more drama I'd have to handle more often. And that, my friends, forces me let go of the small stuff and focus whatever time and energy I have left on what's more important. Their health. Their character. Their dependence on God for all things. That God is in control of their lives, even when we, their parents lose control of what may happen or has happened to them. In the arms of Jesus, they are safe, come what may. I really ought to tell my kids that more often. 

Ok signing out. Time to help tackle their homework and give some sayang to those who need it. 😘

Is there a difference between homosexuality and same-sex attraction?

Worth a read. 

http://www.todayschristianwoman.com/articles/2014/february-week-1/homosexuality-versus-same-sex-attraction-is-there-differenc.html

I wish my gay friends all of God's redemptive love. Nothing can separate you from His love. 

If no hormones, then what's inside their chicken?

McD's ad in the ST today made me happy. It said that their chicken meat is hormone-free. Seriously huh? That new chicken burger with cheese looks tempting. Now I've got less guilt to stop me from feasting on their fast food. Their fries--still the best!

But I wonder how they grow their chickens without hormones. I mean, don't tell me McD can afford free-range chickens and all that? No hormones, steroids, antibiotics? Healthy grains and worms for their meals? I'm just wondering. 

Weekend is coming. Perfect timing to try out their new burgers with Hubby and the kids (oh what a bad mama I am! Blpth!). I wonder if it's too early to let D have his first Happy Meal? Heheh. Nah I think I'll still cook porridge for him. 

How can a tired mom stay connected with hubby

Yes, it is tough. Exhausting. Trying. 

Having babies, young kids, school-going children is tough. On a single income, with a few rare dates with Hubby each year only. Little sleep, fluctuating hormones at play, and pressures at the workplace. 

But still. we are blessed. God meets our needs. 

http://theresurgence.com/2014/02/12/how-can-courtney-the-tired-mom-stay-connected-with-hubby

Being unreasonable

Just as I expect not to be forced to wear a tudung as I am not a Muslim, likewise I cannot force non-Christians to accept what the Bible says, despite my faith in it, that it is all true and good. 

So if you are LGBT and a NON-Christian, it is UNREASONABLE, pointless and wrong to force you to follow what the Bible says. Whether 377A stays or gets repealed, it should not be done directly in response to any religious group. If you are not of the same faith, why should another person's religion dictate what is right or wrong for you? You obviously did not sign up for it! I'll be extremely pissed off if some religious group tells me that I can't hold my husband's hands in public because their religion said so. Like, SIAO AH?! None of your business!!! I don't answer to your deity or god! 

But if you are a Christian and LGBT, get into a community of Bible-believing friends. You are not alone. And you need not walk alone. God loves you. Jesus died for you. You need not hide from Him. He knows your struggles and He's still there. Always waiting with wide open arms. Do you take His Word for it? 

忍 忍 忍。。。

Fellowship

It is one thing to say that we have fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ. We have common ground, beliefs, mindset, worldview. We understand where each other is coming from. We try to encourage and support each other in our spiritual walk. We spend time together, commune with each other, enjoy each other's company.

But when 1 John 1:3 says:

"that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ."

It sorta blew my mind away. I can have fellowship with God. Fellowship with Jesus. We are on the same page. I am on the same page as Jesus! Same worldview. We have common ground. I can commune with Him, speak with Him, enjoy His company. I can get encouragement from God. Supported by Him. Me, a mere, imperfect, un-extraordinary person with a sinful nature, can commune with God. He gets me. He loves me. He sees me for who I am, blemishes, OCD, laziness and all. He sings over me, delights in me. 

Only because of the cross, only because of Jesus' sacrifice, can I fellowship with Him.

What precious fellowship! 

---

This post was inspired by Pastor Ed's sermon on 1 John 1-4 on Sunday.

Class Reunion

So my JC class had our 20th year reunion last Sat. The coolest thing about it was that our form teacher turned up too and she still talks the same way as before! When she was our teacher, she made GP fun, easy and interesting. She gave me confidence to write better essays for my GP with the little positive and encouraging comments that she left beside my marks for some of my essays. And I think that confidence and interest continued after JC, which partly made me want to be in the Arts and Social Science faculty in NUS. Yup. A science student since sec sch to JC then suddenly I plunged into sociology, philosophy and psychology. No regrets at all. 

Thank you, Mrs Heng. Your encouraging comments made all the difference. I wish I had thought through this earlier and told you on Sat! 

Happy 20th year, dearest SC2! 

Church camp

We're going after all! There's actually a family suite option that can accommodate our family of 6 (!!?!)!! It would not have been possible in the previous church camp location. 

Let's see how we can go beyond survival mode for this camp (like we have been for the previous camps) and try to actually be a blessing to the church people... We try la. Only God can enable that. 

Another divorce

Just heard that Hubby's cousin is going through divorce. Wish it wasn't so. Poor toddler that's caught in the middle. Sigh. Why??

Not a real SAHM (yet)

Me. Spoiled rotten since day one that I became a Mom.
Most of the time my MIL is around to cook for me and my family, be it at our old Senja place or now at her home. She cooks on most weekdays for us and Hubby cooks if needed on weekends.I can't cook much. My repertoire is limited. It's porridge, pasta, soba or udon. If I feel adventurous I buy the Prima Taste chicken rice premix and cook chicken rice. Somtimes I make salads, because no fumes, no frying, no cooking! Just chop up fresh ingredients! Sometimes I do butter rice. The only decent dish I can present to other people is braised pork belly (recipe taken from a local mom's blog). That's about it.

I have full respect for the real SAHMs who to the market by themselves (with or without baby/toddler/kid in tow), come home, chop up the meat, freeze them, think of recipes to use for the week, cook the dishes, feed the kids, wash up, etc. ALL BY THEMSELVES! So siong! I was telling the CG ladies last night that I hope I'll be ready to handle all these myself after I move out. It is a happy problem I guess. It's about time I grow in this area. Hope the skin on my fingers can tahan all the washing up. The CG ladies said I should get the kids more involved in the washing up. Maybe I should. But the anal/perfectionist/OCD part of me about hygiene and cleanlines has to relax a bit more first. I am anal enough to NOT continue with my previous part time cleaner's services after I realised she didn't wash her hands after pee-ing. She just flushed and opened the door! She was only in charge of ironing clothes but still?! Gross. Not even washed with water. I expect hand washing with soap and water after any toilet use u know. But I digress.

Will I survive all the cooking and laundry chores after we move out? Should I outsource the ironing? Especially after D drops his morning naps eventually? Perhaps. I'll give it my best shot and pray that I still remain a joyful Mom and err, pleasant wife when the rest of the family comes home from school. I hope they'll like my daily cooking. Haha. If not we can always order McDelivery... :P

Getting old

I can't believe that I said "Hymns can be very powerful" to Hubby today.

10-15 yrs ago I would've scoffed at being "forced" to sing old-fashioned hymns.

Nowadays I whistle/hum songs like Crown Him with Many Crowns... Because the words do mean so much more.

Of course I still do like contemporary worship songs. Just not the loud and noisy ones that the youths seem to prefer nowadays. 

I sound like an auntie and I don't care. Blpth. 

CNY weekend

I spent most of CNY eating at my parents' place as my in-laws went to China for holiday. 

Reunion dinner was at my parents' place. 

CNY day 1 lunch and dinner was spent there too. 

CNY day 2 dinner was there (we had Macs for lunch after the kids spent their morning doing homework and preparing for ting xie and spelling.

Today is CNY day 3. We went to church and then da pao-ed wantan mee home. After that we spent the later afternoon at Marina Barage with Hubby's ex-uni classmates. His biotech classmates look mostly the same! Except for a slight paunch here and there for the guys and slightly less youthful looking skin for us females, they all look almost unchanged. The kids had a wonderful time blowing bubbles there, playing football (until they were stopped by me and a security guard respectively). D had the most excellent time walking around on the big grassy area. It was nice and cute to see him toddling around happily on grass for the first time. We are that urbanized. Then his toddling progressed (or is it regressed?!) to crawling on the grass after he became comfortable with the feeling of grass. That fella then decided that not only was dry grass nice to hold in his hands, it was also nice to put in his mouth after I told him NO MUUM MUUM!! At one point he fell face flat down and had grass all over his body, cheeks and mouth. Yes I think he ate or tasted grass. As a 4th time mom I think I'm less anal about stuff like that now and just laughed it off. I think it's good to build up his immunity, no? Boys need to get dirty and icky sometimes! N had fall too when he slipped on the ball he was playing with. I think there was some mild grass burn but it was cool and somewhat reassuring to see him sweaty and dirty with grass here and there. The girls enjoyed playing football too. All thanks to Hubby's ball sessions with them previously. We went to West Coast Plaza for dinner at Sakae. We were pooped out by then. I like! Haha.

CNY has been peaceful and pleasant so far. I do question the logic behind celebrating new year of any sort (why the big hooha over a new year? What exactly are people celebrating about? A change in the number? Huh?) but I love the break from routine, the excuses to buy new clothes and shoes, and the great food (that my parents lovingly prepare) that CNY brings. 

Happy CNY!