Lost in Transition

My sister and her boyfriend arrived in UK yesterday without most of their luggages. They checked in 5 but only 1(!!!) arrived. When they went to the 'Lost Baggages' counter, the staff managed to track one which was delivered to my home later in the evening. The rest were still missing. Despite endless calls to the office, there were no further news on their lost luggages. Luckily, they'd bought travelling insurance. This morning, my sis made a call to the insurance company in Singapore. Not only did the lady ask for a callback number so my sis need not incur extra long distance call costs, she also reassured my sis that she'd do the tracking from her side. Less than 1/2 hour later, we received a call informing us that all the remaining 4 luggages had been found and would be delivered later in the day. I thought that since there wasn't any news after 24 hours, there was little chance they'd be found. I'm surpised my sis and her boyfriend seemed unruffled when they lost their bags even though they contained their certificates and many other important and prized possessions. All the luggages had arrived, just in time for our trip tomorrow and they can make claims from their insurance companies for delayed baggages.

On a funny note, we'd been telling the girls to be good and behave prior to my sis's arrival. If they don't, she'll leave the presents behind at the airport and they'll get nothing. Not only were the presents left behind but loads of other things too! How uncanny!

Good news!

This is a very important week for Adrian. He awaits the outcome of 2 papers he submitted for conferences and his favourite football team, Liverpool, is playing against Milan in the Champions League tonight. I am very happy to say that both his papers had been accepted, which means that (more importantly) he's one step closer to writing his thesis and (less importantly), we're all going with him to Barcelona in July when he attends the conference. We're fortunate that the dates coincide with Louisa's summer holidays and yay! the tickets have just been booked.

Our baby sister, Qi, is probably on her way to the airport now. I can't believe she's leaving US for good. She'll arrive in UK tomorrow morning with her boyfriend. On Saturday (start of half-term break for Louisa), we'll be driving (all 7 of us) to Devon and Cornwall. I'm so glad I'm finally going to The Eden Project. We'll also be going to St Ives, Penzance and Land's End. I can't wait to 'steal' my sister's new camera.

Wretched Wednesday

Today is, by far, the worst day of my life. No, the girls were really good even though Adrian had gone to Edinburgh. But I have NEVER EVER encountered so many bad incidents in one day! I'm feeling really lousy and don't want to go into the details.

I also received a call from my girlfriend today asking me to go over to her new place during the day to help her clean and hoover her house because they are running out of time and the new carpet's arriving. Thing is I have my parenting class to attend tomorrow morning and had planned to bring Lavigne to the library after that before picking Louisa up from school. Friday is no good either as I'm going out with my sister. I don't want her to think I'm unwillling to help since she'd helped us when we first moved here. I have now decided to bring Lavigne with me to her new house after my class tomorrow. Not ideal because a house under renovation is certainly not a place where a child should be and the drive will take about one hour both ways which leaves me with little time to clean since I have to come back to pick Louisa from school. But I don't have much choice. I have to reciprocate her kindness. I wish I'm better at negotiation and am more assertive but that's just me. Sometimes I wish people can be more understanding towards those with children and that life is not the same compared to pre-kid days.

Big friend, little friend

One's 7, the other is 2. Yet they get along really well. Alex accompanies Lavigne everywhere, helping her up the slide, brings her up in the child house, puts on her sandals for her....the list goes on. She's what her Dad says she is - 'maternal'.

For you, Qi

Today marks a significant day in your life.
You will bid farewell to your life as a student.
4 years, such a long time, yet went by so quickly.
It had been a journey which wasn't exactly smooth sailing.
Yet you demonstrated such courage and perseverance to shine through.

I admire your fortitude
I revere your strength
I marvel at your maturity
You are certainly not like what some people say about 'youngest-child syndrome'
Pampered
Spoilt
Immature
Such are not your characteristics.

As you come to the end of this journey,
A new one is waiting to begin.
Bring with you all that you have learnt
From books
From people
From sights
Embark on the exciting new chapter of your life
With aspiration
With hope
With an open mind

You have done us proud.
Congratulations to you getting your Masters!



(Sorry, you've not had your commencement for this year so I used the previous year photos)

Nasty Cold or Hayfever?

I can finally breathe properly today and stop blowing my nose every other minute. I started having a runny nose just after my mum left about 3 weeks ago. I don't usually like to take medication unless I feel like I'm dying. You see, I'm not very good with swallowing tablets. The capsules and tiny ones are OK but not the biggies like Panadols. I used to have to break them into 2 to take them (I can hear laughter). Adrian always boasts to me he can swallow a couple at one go with just a sip of water. No jerking back of head, nothing. I remember when I was in Primary 5/6, my GP started prescribing me 'adult medicine'. Sometimes I'd ask for the syrup form and when I was too embarrassed to do so, I'd throw my medicine into the sink and wash them away. No joke!

This episode of cold (or so I thought) was so bad (terrible headache too), I made myself ate 2 cold panadols a couple of times a day. I didn't break them into 2 but I still took them one at a time. I was so proud I announced to Adrian and he had a good laugh. The panadols took the headache away but my nose were constantly stuffed and runny. I'd suspected it could be hayfever since my eyes itched and were watery too.

The real scare happened 2 days ago. On my way to pick Louisa from school, my upper lips started to tingle and swelled a little. I could feel my throat getting dry and itchy, a really strange sensation. When I reached home, my lower lips started swelling too. What was scary was I felt my chest tightening and my heart rate climbing. I quickly googled for the symptoms of hayfever. All the symptoms matched except for the swelling of the lips. I hurriedly took an antihistamine, got the girls to watch some telly while I lay down to rest. Thankfully, about 1omin later, the symptoms started to clear. It had been raining these past few days so that helped the situation. I am now convinced I had hayfever and I don't think I'm going to do extensive gardening this year.

New PJs

I don't usually buy the same set of outfit for the girls but because this PJ was so cute and CHEAP! (£1), I had to get it for both of them. This has to be my favourite photo of them together thus far - smiley faces, sweet, adorable and natural.

Doodling

While waiting for Louisa to come out from her ballet class last Friday, I got Lavigne to 'draw' in the car. Since she's rather good at drawing circles and I'd shown her how to draw a simple face before, I asked her to draw one for me. She drew a big circle, added 2 eyes, a nose and a mouth and proceeded to show it to me. Of course I praised her for the effort. She went on to ask me, 'How about some ears and hair?' 'Good idea!' I told her. So here's the end result which in my eyes is pretty good.

Mum's Daily

Birthday pics

As promised, more pics taken on my birthday last week.

My bowl of salad consisted of just sweetcorn, beetroot, lettuce and pineapples (lots and lots of it, do you know I'm nuts about pineapple?).

Close to my heart

First heard this song today and like it very much. Naturally, since I have 2 daughters. It's along the same line as Butterfly Kisses, only this one is from the mother's point of view.

Martina McBride's 'In My Daughter's Eyes'

Bob's Carlisle's 'Butterfly Kisses'

Feeling crafty

There's a couple of projects I'll like to get started with but haven't got round to doing so. There's Louisa's bag which I've already got a design and materials, my chair cushion cover, some task charts and my work corner wall feature. Been having this stupid cold and fluctuating temperature for about 2 weeks now even after popping so many tablets. I wonder if it's the hayfever since I get itchy eyes too. I think I'd better get cracking before the visitors start arriving and I'll be too preoccupied to do any crafts then.

Grand Designs

I seldom watch the telly since the girls came along. If I do, it's usually gardening or home improvement programmes. One show which I really love watching is Grand Designs. It's really amazing to see how people take upon house building projects and create some truly wonderful living areas through sheer determination and hardwork which sometimes take years. I was awed by last night's episode. Not so much by the hexagonal building itself (though it was a very unique and unsual one) but by the houseowner who built his own house almost single-handedly and literally with his bare hands. I wouldn't bore you with the details but you can read about it by clicking on the 2nd link.

This man who's a carpenter had no prior experience in building a house but he managed to construct his own eco-friendly home (with some help from friends and his wife) using materials sourced locally. What I like most about the house is the centrepiece of the house - a staircase which was carved out of the trunk of an eight-hundred year old oak tree salvaged by, you've guessed it, the carpenter himself.

This skilled craftsman even went on to build many things inside the house, the doors carved with different motifs, the kitchen cabinets, the chairs and tables.

The lady of the house, who is afraid of heights, bravely got on the top of the house and helped lay the roof tiles. That house is truly made out of devotion, commitment and love. The interior looked like something from a fairy tale to me. What's truly admirable is the couple lives a self-sustainable life, growing their own food and fuel even to the extent of recycling the waste from the house. Being pampered with everything that I've got, I don't think I can live like them.

(all pictures taken from www.channel4.com )

The Parrot

It used to bug Louisa that Lavigne liked to repeat everything that she said when the little one just started talking. Now, she drives me nuts by repeating things I say, in particular orders/ commands/warnings I give her.

Me: Will you please stop doing that?

Lavigne: Will you please stop doing that?

Me: Can you please sit properly while eating?

Lavigne: Can you please sit properly while eating?

Sometimes she doesn't stop after one sentence. She'll repeat every single sentence I say until I stop talking. It is irritating yet funny at times (if I'm in a good mood). She's certainly becoming more and more defiant.

Other than being a parrot, she is also a one-word inquisitor - Miss 'WHY?' I met this couple at a friend's gathering when Louisa was only a baby and they told me that at around the age of 2-3, children will ask 'why' to everything. I was prepared for Louisa to bombard me with the word but she didn't go through that phase. She'd ask 'why' but not endlessly.

Lavigne is certainly going through the 'why' phase now. When I say 'Oh, the weather's lovely today'. She'll ask 'why'. I'll then try to explain to her that 'it's sunny and the sky's all clear and blue'. She'll go 'why'. I'll rack my brain and say 'Because it's not cloudy and there's no rain'. She'll continue with a 'why' again. When I can't explain something anymore, I'll just tell her 'That's because that's the way it is'. I'd learnt from parenting class that the reason a child continously asks 'why' is because he/she didn't get an answer to a question. It's true to a certain extent but I think a lot of times, my little missy was just trying to be cheeky or like the couple had said, going through the 'why' phase. Some things have just no reason or explanation to them though I can't recall any offhand now. On certain occasions, you can tell she's just mindlessly asking the 'whys'. I have a tactic though, if I remember to use it. That is to ask her 'why' back. It breaks the incessant one-word question from her and gets her to think.

Spooky

Something spooky happened in the house yesterday morning. I was about to bring Lavigne out for a Kindermusik session when I heard the kettle boiling. It was strange because

1. I certainly didn't press the button to boil any water;

2. Lavigne was with me all the time;

3. We'd just come down from upstairs;

4. There wasn't anybody else at home.

There was only little water inside so it boiled quickly and I heard the button went back up again. It gave me the creeps then but luckily we were on our way out and I didn't give it much thought after that.