~ Nativity Open House cum Art & Craft Exhibition ~

It is Open House Day in Nativity Church Kindergarten and the school also take this opportunity to show case the students' art exhibits. Parents are invited to come to give their support as well as rapport with the teachers and understand how their children are learning in school. Gladys is very happy that Daddy & Mommy are going to school with her and she gets to see her friends.

Every classroom has been beautifully decorated with all kinds of art works made by the students. It is so vibrant, cheery and innovative. Really appreciate the teachers' effort in putting this up. The children have did so well!

Among all the different artworks, we have to go 'hunt' for Gladys' masterpieces. :) It's not too hard to look for her name. We are so proud and glad that she is learning happily in school.

Gladys loves her friends as well as her teachers. ^_^

There was also a mini music lesson where parents are encouraged to participate with their children. We get to pick a different instrument and played with the music. This is what the children do during their music class. A lot of sounds, happiness, fun and enjoyment. ^_^

~ Anlene supports Strong Bones ~

In conjunction with World Osteoporosis Day 2010, Anlene is holding a roadshow at Ang Mo Kio Hub (25th - 31st Oct) where public can get free bone health checks. We happened to be around the area and stopped by to take a look. After completing the registration, you only need to place your right foot onto a machine where it will measure the aspect of your bone quality within 3 minutes. Following that, a healthcare professional will review your results and provide advice on how to strengthen your bone health.

As the health checks are for the adults, Denver and Gladys went to 'roam' around the other stations while Daddy and Mommy are waiting for the reviews. Where did they go??? Getting free samples of milk!!! Oh my!! Those milk are meant for the adults but they took quite a few cups till the emcee commented that Gladys is "DRUNK"! Later on, the emcee even interviewed Gladys over the microphone if it is tasty. Gladys was so excited and shouted "YES!". They even answered a simple question and each got a free packet of Anlene milk.

So how did Daddy and Mommy fare for the bone checks? GOOD! Hubby's reading is at 3.3 while I'm at 2.3 which are in the Low Risk range. ^_^

Generally, women will lose calcium faster than men especially after birth and as age increased. (over 30s). Apart from ensuring sufficient intake of calcium and vitamin D to strengthen our bones, here are some other points to note.

- Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol.
- Reduce the intake of caffeine. Coffee, tea and some soft drinks may decrease the absorption of calcium.
- Avoid eating too much salty snacks as sodium can cause bone loss.

Stay healthy and happy. :)

~ October Woes ~

Looking back at all my previous posts, October seems to be the worst month to date. Hazy weather, sickly at home, stress at work and going through a busy examination month with Denver.

I have been feeling restless and unable to sleep well at night. Well, life is full of ups and downs and I hope I'll pick myself up soon since a couple of holidays and vacation are approaching. Hopefully everything will turns out to be better and I can feel happy again. :)

~ De-stressing moment @ Sakae Sushi ~

The month of October didn't start well as it should have been. We have been down with Conjunctivitis for 2 weeks at the beginning of the month and I was feeling pretty upset. On the second week when Gladys caught the eye-infection again, I was struggling with a busy work schedule while looking after an attention-seeking daughter.

I felt so bad for neglecting her and didn't even have time to cook a proper meal. Gladys only has bread, cereal, steamed bao and snacks for breakfast and lunch for a couple of days. I skipped my meals and was feeling pretty drained out from work while still recuperating from my sored eyes.

After we all got better, Hubby suggested that we go Sakae Sushi for dinner. I guess he knows that eating my favourite food can help me to de-stress and I definitely need it at that point of time. After skipping my breakfast and lunch earlier, I am totally famished!

I had plates and plates of sushi and handrolls and that really helps to lighten my mood. :) We also picked another new pink plate to try.

Since I was feeling a little moody, I played with my food and made different faces on the sushi plates. I think the waitress who saw me finds me really WEIRD. Opps. :) Which one is representing how I'm feeling? I can't really decide.

I'm glad that Hubby took me out to eat. At least I can take a little break and enjoy a proper meal. Good food definitely helps me to recharge.

~ Love for Donuts! ~

Did I ever mention Denver and Gladys love eating Donuts? Well, basically the kids enjoy all sorts of sweet, yummy, tasty food. Donuts is one of them. Whenever we pass by a shop selling donuts, Gladys will bug me to buy 1 for her.

Tonight, we have a special supper treat. Compliment from Hubby's good friend. A box of 12 donuts from Donut Factory! Denver and Gladys are SO HAPPY that even though they brushed their teeth and it's their bedtime, nothing will stop them from taking a bite. They choose their favourite donut flavour and even 'reserved' which donut to eat tomorrow. Daddy and Mommy have to take the 'unwanted' pieces.

Can you guess which one they chose? ^_^

~ Final Year Examinations Preparation Week ~

After being sickly for a month, it's time to get BUSY. Apart from being busy at work, I'm also tied up with coaching Denver with his studies and looking through his homework. Last Tuesday to Friday was PSLE marking days and Denver got tons of worksheets from school in preparation for his final year examination which is starting next Monday to 1st November. (Listening Comprehension, Composition, Spelling, Maths, Chinese etc). I got to take almost 2 hours every night (after work) to go through all his work. TIRED!

Denver recently finished his Oral examination too without much preparation or help from Mommy since he was staying with my inlaws when we were all being quarantined at home. He self-studied and I think he was happy without Mommy nagging at him. Hahaha

It is revision week and only 1 more week to go before we are FREE! Denver and Mommy can't wait for the exams to be over and welcome the HOLIDAYS!

~ Haze Haze Go Away! ~

We just recovered from an eye infection and the haze is causing irritation to our eyes. Due to the Sumatra fires, with an increased in the number of hot spots, the haze condition has worsen.

The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) has hit over 100 earlier this evening, reaching the unhealthy range.

PSI Value	PSI Descriptor
0 - 50	Good
51 - 100	Moderate
101 - 200	Unhealthy
201 - 300	Very unhealthy
Above 300	Hazardous

NEA has advised the public to reduce vigorous outdoor activities, and people who feel unwell should consult their doctors. Those without underlying conditions may also experience eye irritation, sneezing and coughing.

I was working in Tuas 2 days ago and the haze condition in the West is definitely worse than in the North and East area. I can even smell the burning scent within the office.

Haze condition is expected to continue for a few more days and here's a helpful Haze Health Guide link.

http://www.asiaone.com/Health/Health+Matters/Story/A1Story20101020-243236.html

Hopefully we will get to smell the fresh air and see the clear blue sky again soon!

~ Burning hot weather ~

The weather for the past few days has been terrible. Apart from the humidity, it is scorching hot with temperatures around 34-35°C. The good thing is my laundry is getting dry faster but we are keeping ourselves away from outdoor activities during the day and drinking more water.

Due to the heat (even at home), we are also switching on the air-condition more frequently. Last night, the kids snuggled with us inside our room so that we only need to on the aircon in 1 room to help cut down the cost of the electrical bills. Denver welcome the idea very much since he has always wanted some company.

It's almost year end and hopefully the temperature starts to cool down a bit.

~ Physically and Mentally Tired ~

Have not been updating my blogs lately. The past few days have been extremely busy and tiring. I have been struggling taking care of Gladys at home and at the same time working.

One moment Gladys will says "I'm Hungry!", "I want milk.", the next moment she'll say "Mommy, play with me", "I want to watch TV", "I want to play games". Very often, I cannot fulfill her needs immediately and she starts to get upset. I cannot even have a decent teleconference meeting without her screaming, shouting or calling me. I got so moody and frastrated that she also got a scolding from me.

Not only that, I am also trying to work with a worn out vision. Can't really stare at the computer for too long as my vision will starts to get blur. But so many issues happened at work that I have to force myself to work it out somehow and only to find myself all tired out at the end of the day.

It has been a chaotic week and it's FRIDAY! Gladys is finally back to school today and we took Denver back home last night. Hoping to have more rest during the weekend before I start a new battle for the coming weeks.

~ The "Sickness" Cycle continues... ~

I HATE to say this... but I'm really tired and overwhelmed with the series of illness episodes. Fever.. HFMD... Conjunctivitis...Gosh.. Is there an epidemic going on within our house!!? I simply cannot believe it. Even with our best effort during the past weekend to disinfect and clean up the house, what do we have?! Gladys being sent back home from school today with another eye infection.

A BIG BIG SIGH...... We are back to square one (again) and this is exhausting me out. Since this morning, I took time off from work, went back to the clinic, looked after Gladys, separated Denver and possibly another round of clean up this weekend. When is this viscious cycle going to stop?

Going to miss Denver again and not sure how am I going to cope with working and caring for Gladys at the same time. Denver just had his oral exam today and his year-end exams will be in another 2 weeks time.. I guess he is pretty much on his own to self-study (without Mommy nagging and monitoring him) and hopefully he continues to stay healthy.

There is something to be happy about that happened during this sickly episode. Gladys has been diaper free for a week! We have been giving her midnight wakeup call to pee and although she had a couple of 'accidents' and wet the bed, Gladys has been pretty cooperative. Yesterday, she even wakes up on her own and goes to the toilet! Kudos to her! I believe this time she will be permanently saying GOOD-BYE to diapers.  

~ Recovering and Disinfecting ~

We are on the road to recovery (after the conjunctivitis incident). My eyes are still a bit reddish but not infectious any more. Doctor says it will take another week for the blood vessles within my eyes to clear off. In the meantime, I think passerby still find me 'scary' to look at.

This virus not only has put Gladys out of school but also Hubby and me out of work for a week! We are lucky that Denver was separated from us just in time and did not fall as a victim like us. Even though we are confined at home, it has not been easy. The irritation on both eyes has blurred my vision, caused a lot of discomfort and impaired my daily activities. To ease the pain and uneasiness, I have to close and rest my eyes and also indulge in taking short naps.

Since we are all feeling better today, it's time to disinfect the house before Denver gets home. We refilled our disinfectants, sprays, hand wash, tissue boxes and started cleaning since morning. From door knobs, toys, keyboards to remote controls, switches, handles, we tried to clean up as much as we can. Vacumming, mopping, washing the bedsheets, sofa covers, blankets, towels etc.... It looks like we are doing spring cleaning for CNY! It is a lot of hard work and hopefully, we will not be plagued by another viral incident. (at least making sure that the source is not from our home!)

~ Drawings - Missing Denver ~

It has been 3 days since we seen Denver. Due to the Conjunctivitis virus, Denver has been living with my in laws for the time being. Gladys has started to miss her gor gor and says she wants to make a present for Denver since yesterday.

It's funny and contradicting. Whenever Denver is around, Gladys will fight with him for TV channels, chance to play the computer games, food and almost everything. Now she is home alone with us, I guess she felt the loneliness that no one is around to play and fight with her anymore. :) Time for her to appreciate her brother more.

And so, she started drawing a picture as a present for Denver. I was busy washing up as she gets on to work, scribbling on a piece of paper all by herself. I am delighted to see the lovely drawing that she drew earlier (without me telling her what to do). I teach Gladys to use the marker pens to outline the pencil mark first before using the colour pencils to colour the picture. This will make the drawing more prominent, colourful and lively. A little surprise for Denver when he comes home in a few days time. We all misses you!

~ Conjunctivitis ~

Month of September was fever and HFMD.... going to the start of October and what do we got?? Conjunctivitis! Gladys started to have yellow discharge from her left eye on late Sunday night. It started to swell and by the next morning, both her eyes are teary and swollen.

I started to develop similar symptoms on my left eye on Monday afternoon and quickly went to see a doctor. It was diagnosed as Conjunctivitis and I was given antibiotics and eye drops. I tried not to infect my right eye but very soon, both my eyes were infected. :( Even hubby got the "pink eye" as it is highly contagious.

Luckily, we separated Denver just in time and sent him to stay with my in laws for the time being. I am glad that Gladys' condition wasn't as bad and her eyes aren't as reddish as mine.

There are many websites and information on Conjunctivitis (Pink eye). It is basically an inflammation on the clear membrane that covers the white part of our eye and the inner surface of the eyelids. Pink eye can be pretty scary looking as it spread rapidly making the eyes are extremely red and bloody.

Conjunctivitis can be caused by allergies (e.g. Pollen, dust mites) and also by bacteria and viruses responsible for colds and other infections (e.g. Ear, sinus, sore throats etc). Till now, I'm not sure what has causes pink eye to trigger within our family but we planned to do another round of clean up in the house as soon as we recover and before Denver comes home.

It has been difficult for the past few days. I never had eye infection before and "pink eye" is causing extreme discomfort to me. My eyes are teary, irritable, painful with occasional burning sensation. It felt like there are sand particles in both eyes all the time and yet there is nothing I can do about it except to take my medication, applying the eye cream and dripping eye drops.

I always have difficulty applying eye drops and do not like water getting into my eyes. Because of this, I have to force myself to drip eye drops everyday! Daily activities have been affected and I am feeling a bit down. Haven't been sleeping well and every time it takes a while to open my eyes because of the dried yellow musces on my eyelids. I'll need to use warm water to wipe my eyes gently before I start my day. I am praying that I'll feel better tomorrow ... if not, the doctor will need to refer me to another specialist. :(

~ Visit to Daddy's office ~

It is a lazy Sunday afternoon and we didn't plan to go anywhere today. Hubby needs to do some work in the office and so we tagged along. The children thought that going to Daddy's working place will be fun and interesting since they haven't been there since Hubby moved to a new block.

Well, it hasn't been exactly as fun as they thought it would be. First of all, there is no air-condition, no snacks or food, and only messy tables and stuff lying around. The only 'interesting' thing is exploring and running around the cubicles, playing hide-n-seek, games of tic-tac-toe, and enjoying a cup of hot milo from the vending machine.

Would they consider visiting Daddy's working place again? Maybe not. Hehehehe. ^_^

~ Make it a Happee Day for Children with Cancer ~

As parents, we all hope to see our children spend their childhood happily, grow up and be in good health. Unfortunately, there is also a group of children who are battling with cancer every single day. They too wish to live normally and happily like other children, but aren't as fortunate. Families with cancer patients are also facing the long, hard battle as it takes a lot of strain and toil from them both physical and financially.

Mother, Inc (By Mommy Daphne) has worked with the Singapore Children's Cancer Foundation to organize a mini carnival at the Hort Park on 31st October (Sunday). Apart from raising some funds, it also helps to bring some cheers and joy to the little children.

If you wish to contribute, here's how:

- Join in the event on 31st Oct! (Be a volunteer or you can bring your kids too!)
- Help to donate to the Children Cancer's Foundation
- Spread the word and help publicize this event! (on Facebook, Twitter, personal blog etc)

For more information, please visit Mommy Daphne's blog: http://www.motherinc.org/happee-day/make-it-a-happee-day-for-children-with-cancer/