Here’s What I Am Busy With

..Teaching the kiddos and taking care of the family, managing the home and juggling these with events that crop up...and this [look below]:

There was tons of experimentation and learning for a computer idiot like me - switching to wordpress, getting hosting and playing around with css etc and getting a template that just suits me and my purpose. So you can guess, I took quite a bit of time to figure things out.

This year is a year where kids and I are attempting to steam again in our learning - or at least that is my goal for 2013. Starting this site and writing in it gives me a daily mental workout. Looking at the world with a conscious lens to learn and enquire makes a lot of difference.

I find that I now walk the path of life more aware of all its nuances compared to just walking. The purposeful walking makes us a better man when we reach the end of our path. I am convinced. It has been an interesting learning experience for me and more to come. 

So feel free to pop by to Our Learning Gym [a phrase I borrowed from one of the seminal books for me “What’s the point of School”]:)

We really do love Japan

A prelude - We came in search of Sakura but they were early this year. Still, we enjoyed ourselves yet again.

Japanese Mint Museum [You can't imagine how crowded it was]

Where we left off - London in March

We have been up to our globe trotting ways again - the first was on the account of missing the family and the other on the account of Sakura.

Snapshot of the family who is missed and who misses us:)

I am thankful for a day spent at Lower Slaughter Manor, near Swindon with the family. As we travelled along the romantic road, out of the city, towards Cotswold, we were greeted with rolling hills and plains. Albeit dry and cold, it was a refreshing and much needed reprieve. The well executed lunch and tea was what brought us to Lower Slaughter Manor in the first place. But it was the other things that made the day. Conversations and time spent over our meal was much appreciated and treasured. Watching the kids play with gay abandon in the gardens was therapeutic in a chaotic way.  And ...of course, visiting the Swindon factory outlet nearby was the icing on the cake. 

We were glad we made the trip:)

Sarah, You are 6!

Dearest Sarah,

You are so so so very precious to us - Daddy, Mommy, Sammy and many family and friends. 

To Daddy, you are his very sweet and precious daughter. The daughter who is dependable and trustworthy, able to prioritize and do the right things at the right time; even if it means staying awake past midnight to catch up with Daddy after a hard day's work. You are the calming presence for him when things just don't seem to go the way as plan.

To Mommy, you are her right hand and her eyes. You think ahead for mommy and help her plan and remind her when her failing memory takes over. You always make mommy realize that it's nothing that mommy did to have a daughter like you but that God has so chosen to give you to her. 

To Sammy, you are his guardian angel and a greater friend than he would ever know. Wherever he goes out in public, your eyes would follow him and your heart would beat. While you get upset with his mischievous ways, you would always rescue him from getting into deeper trouble. 

I could go on....but for now we thank God continually for blessing us with you for 6 years and counting!

You are much loved
Daddy, Mommy, Sammy and your family and friends

Note - This is kinda telepathic. I have been meaning to post this picture of Sarah and Joash because it's a photo that so defines her - a little girl who remembers the little kids and takes care of them. And as I read Auntie Chiao Chyi's entry to Sarah, I realize it was perfect entry to this photo. So here is Chiao Chyi's entry 

http://chiaochyi.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/blessed-birthday-sarah/

Sarah turns 6 today, and it’s the only birthday we’ve missed so far, because she had her birthday party in the UK last year!! 

Sarah reminds me of the journey the family entered – the path of parenthood. The role of aunt and uncle, dad and mom. She’s the first baby we ever had around us in very close proximity. The first baby we looked at in bewilderment when she was screaming her lungs out the first few weeks after she was born, because we had no clue what to do with her!

Sarah is the sweetest little girl I know. She is also Hannah’s bestest friend. And she loves babies – well, Aunty CC had 2 more other than her best friend cousin Hannah  and she dotes on Josiah and Joash, hugs them and sings to them, like the big sister that she is. Her motherly instincts are very strong too. She’s the mother hen protecting her brother and all her cousins. Her heart is always bursting with love. To be honest, I find very little fault in Sarah, compared to all the children I’ve come to know.

Just recently, we ooohed and ahhhhed via watsapp over Sarah’s first tooth that she lost. That moment made me rather emotional. Sarah losing her first tooth! Sarah turning 6?! A big milestone, just like the time we watched her boldly take her first step, to get a sip of juice. Then watched her jump, and skip, and do hula hoops. I’m thankful and blessed to be a part of the past 6 years of her life.

Blessed Birthday, Sarah! You certainly are God’s gift to the family. Shu Shu David and I love you so very, very much!

Universal Studio Singapore

This blog has been rather dormant because I have been rather active on another web front. More on that another time. Well, kids have gone on quite well in their studies and we finally made a trip to Universal Studio as a celebration for finishing Level 1 of All About Reading. Yay!

Did you know that I am a great fan of Old School Sesame Street? Haha...well, I had a great time taking photos with the characters as much as the kiddos. Sammy loves to snuggle up with the characters:)

We are already making plans to head back there when we complete Level 2 and kids are hoping Hannah would be back by then.

Daddy's 69th Birthday

May God bless my Daddy and Mommy more years to enjoy their grandchildren [and children]!

Blessed Chinese New Year!

Thanks rel, love the photo!

Thank You For Praying

To everyone who dropped me an sms, email, watsapp...thank you. I am well, very well actually. I know I kinda scared my family and loved ones with that bout. Dan and I are really thankful to God for the good and quick recovery. Thank you for praying:)

A Time Out that God knew I needed more than Myself

Since we came back from Cameron, I kinda switched onto 6th gear and tried to be a superwoman to get the house a little more ready for the CNY. It was a good time to do up the house and pick up from where we left off two years ago. From buying a carload of furniture from Ikea, to supervising the gardeners, to the electricians, the the contractor, to teaching the kids and getting my exercise routine on the roll. It finally took a toll last Saturday, rather unexpectedly. 

We were looking forward to our very first trek into the mangrove swamp. On Saturday morning, we heard rain fall outside our windows. At 7 am - quite an unusual phenomena. We were not exactly prepared for rain to dampen our trip. But we knew we couldn't fight the rain. The rain just poured and poured. Since 7 am, I was up. And I was not feeling too comfortable. I have been tossing around because I could feel my temperature rising but still lazing around the bed with Sarah, Sammy and Daddy. Then without much warning, I felt my teeth start to chatter and the body started to shake involuntarily. Tried as I might, I couldn't muster enough strength to stop the shaking. By this time, Daniel has sprung out of bed highly alert and I knew that his brain was working. Sarah upon seeing me in this state, burst out crying. This went on for about 10 mins or more but it felt like 30 mins. Everyone was deployed to see how to help me.

What hit me was an upper urinary tract infection.

That Saturday, we all headed back to my daddy and mommy's place where I was to begin a week of close monitoring and recuperation. I felt exhausted and thirsty and literally slept through my weekend and the rest of the week, my body recovered slowly but surely. 

It was a time out that I did not plan.
It was a time out that God was in control and He knew better. We shudder to think what would happen if I started to react involuntarily in the middle of a mangrove swamp with no medication or help in sight. The rain held back our plans.
It was a time out that I could repay my sleep debt.
It was a time out that I could spend time with my parents.
It was a time out that I could remember my family and friends who love me and would always cover me in prayers.
It was a time out which taught me (us) to slow down.
It was a time out that reminded me of the 206th (Sarah's fave number) time that I am not a superwoman. 

It was a time out to remind me what is truly important in my life.

It was a time out that was much needed. And only God knew that. 

Our 'Cool' Field Trip - Cameron Highlands

When everyone is busy settling into the new year, our strange family is going off on a holiday:) So to make it sound more official to our kids lest they think that life is so good (hah), mommy decided to call it a field trip. In reality, this trip is a breather for Dan before a hectic year begins again. 

This trip is cool is many sense of the word. Cool because it is off peak. Cool because Cameron Highlands is cool. Cool because there were so much things for us to observe and learn and discover. Cool because we could do all the above with family. We love it! Minus a couple of car breakdowns [haha] and some harrowing curves, everything went well. And we would do it again anytime.

Strawberry picking, chilling out at the beautiful Boh Tea plantation where we learnt how tea made it from the bush to our cup, bumping into strange looking butterflies and moths every other day, spotting cobra lilies and wild orchids and enjoying the cool weather - how can one not love Cameron Highlands. 

Cool!