Project Everyday

At Ginger Garden inside Botanic Garden. It would be fun one day to stand under a real waterfall!

Baby taupok!

A very lousy pic of a very special night. Jireh’s first World Cup! Tonight’s Gross Happiness Index is 10 (Jireh)+ 8 (Graham) + 7 (Me) - 5 (Isaac) = 20! It was way too late for Isaac and he was tired and cranky and going crazy. So I let him eat peanuts even though I usually don’t give in to their hunger pleas after meal times. I’m still getting the hang of making choices to optimize family happiness. Meeting everyone’s needs is impossible, so I told Jireh,”You know, we take care of each other in the family. So sometimes you get what you want and sometimes you don’t. Tonight Isaac had to stay up late so we could watch soccer. At other times, you have to compromise ok?” Being a mother/leader/prime minister is so tough! #omchooxgoals

After our hike to Graham’s office, we ate dinner at a Jap restaurant in the office tower. I ordered a salad so that I could share it with Amber. The poor girl had nothing to eat today because my fridge is still empty after church camp! To my surprise, she loved the avocado! So I was focusing on holding the slippery fruit for her, and when I turned around to get another slice from the bowl, I noticed another stack of thinly sliced avocado inside. I said to Graham, “Oh you gave your avocado to Amber?” But it turned out that it was the waitress or chef who had noticed Amber’s enjoyment and promptly added another half avocado to our bowl - how’s that for excellent customer service?! #unigallery #ohchooxeats

Aircon detox part 2: we scooted, biked, and walked from Stadium to Nicoll Highway today. I packed along Isaac’s new bubble gun for which we paid RM20. It’s battery operated, flashes a light, makes a choo choo sound, and blows a gazillion bubbles - it’s a hoot! Isaac discovered if he aimed the gun on the floor, the bubbles stacked up, and they could scoop it up with their hands! Thankfully we were outside the office tower so I could let them have their fun. I try to let them try out their own play ideas, even if it’s unconventional or messy, as long as it’s not a public nuisance. In this case it was soapy water in an open area so I figured it was ok. #ohchooxurban #ohchooxplays

Part 2 of air con detox: we scooted/biked/walked from Stadium to Graham’s office this evening. Isaac’s new bubble gun shaped like a train, his absolute fave - it’s battery operated and it blows out a gazillion bubbles. He discovered that if he aimed the gun on the floor, the bubbles pile up and they could scoop it up with their hands. Ha ha... thankfully we were outside the office tower and I didn’t have to be a killjoy and stop them. I try my best to let them have fun, no matter how unconventional or messy it is, as long as it doesn’t become a public nuisance. #ohchooxurban #ohchooxplays

Unpacked all the puzzle books we brought along for in-car entertainment on the way to and back from camp. They are so fun! I especially loved doing crosswords together - I read the clues, Jireh (or Graham when he doesn’t know) answers, and I write the answer down. Jireh’s favourite is Sudoku which Graham taught him how to do. These books were all from Popular bookstore, love it! #saynotoipad #ohchooxplays

This morning’s watermelon situation. Everyone was munching on the juicy fruit, including my recovering-from-tummy ache-boy who also didn’t want to take a photo with all the Jie Jie’s. Colleen’s watermelon cannot be seen, aiyah! And just like that, the camp is over; back to the plough tomorrow. #bcbabcc2018

After our quick visit to the zoo, we went to Jalan Tan Hiok Nee for lunch, which was recommended to us by the hotel staff. The char siew beats any char siew in Singapore hands down. We also visited a hipster ice cream place, so hipster it was closed when we arrived, and only opened at 1pm after our lunch. But it was worth the wait: my lemon ginger ice cream was the perfect antidote to the greasy lunch we had. 😋 We returned to the hotel significantly happier with ice cream in our tummies. Now that I know I need an air con detox during church camp, I shall plan for that next year. Thank God there’s an inexpensive zoo nearby this year and yummy food as well!

After the quick visit to the zoo, we had lunch at Jalan Tan Hiock Nee which the hotel staff told us about. The char siew beats any char siew in Singapore hands down! Then we popped by this hipster ice cream cafe, so hipster they were closed when we first arrived and only opened at 1pm after we had lunch. But it was worth the wait: my lemon ginger ice cream was the perfect antidote to the super greasy lunch we had. 😋 We were all significantly happier after ice cream in our tummies, then we promptly returned to the hotel for Isaac to crash and nap. 😴

I needed some aircon detox so I asked/forced Graham to bring us to the Johor Zoo. When I told him the entry fee was RM5 he rolled his eyes and burst out laughing; but it turned out that it is actually even lower at RM2! The zoo felt like Haw Par Villa with animals. ‘Nuff said. I’m pretty sure animal activists will be up in arms over this place, which felt more like a circus, with animals as objects of curiosity on display for humans to see, touch, and feed. There’s one thing they did have which Singapore Zoo doesn’t, and that was the camels, so I took a photo with them. Aircon detox success and we didn’t have to spend a lot of money which Graham approves!

I love this girl to bits! Before I had Amber I was totally cool with being a boy mum and I was prepared for three boys. But the nursery rhyme is true - a girl is all sugar and spice and all things nice - so I’m just grateful I get to experience both! She tugs at my heart strings in totally different ways than her brothers do and I love it. 💝

💙💖💙

Sometimes when I’m not feeling frustrated with him, I see how he is handling so many big emotions and feelings about his new sister - doubt, fear, anger, insecurity, love, playfulness, joy - and I just want to scoop him up in a never ending hug to tell him I will always always love him and he will always always be my favourite second born baby. Until the next scream fest... let us hold on to love. I thank God for wisdom and clarity to see all these, because it helps me know we will be ok no matter how bad some days can be. And most of all, God deeply cares. For all I know and have experienced of God’s love, I know I’m only on the tip of the iceberg. And my biggest hope is for me, for all of us, to have the strength to understand the depth, height, length and width of his love for us. #omchooxlove #omchooxprays

Now that Amber can leopard crawl, she can go everywhere! The family dynamic feels different with her actively taking an interest in things by shimmying up close, really close. We bought this set of Snakes and Ladders where player’s balls really slide down snakes and move up ladders (two ladders you can reposition yourself on the board!). Amber was on the mattress at first and complained, as if saying, “Bo joi?!” Once I put her on the floor, she went straight for it. Oh dear soon the boys would have to take all their blocks, duplo, and card games far far away from her. #ohchooxplays

I made her a perfectly round pancake but she just looked at it and didn’t pick it up at all. Then I gave her some cut up pieces and she immediately started eating them. Ha ha! Why?! We had caramelised banana pancake this morning and I topped mine with walnuts for added goodness (my brain needs it). #ohchooxeats

We had dinner with my folks tonight and ordered a $30 place of fried Hokkien mee and the lard comes in its own saucer! And then we shocked the waitress by ordering another $20 plate after this. We also ate a $12 followed by a $8 plate of fried youtiao with sotong paste. AND THEN we finished off with chocolate fondant cake at a nearby Hoshino’s and I also had iced black coffee. We finished only at 9pm. Part of me still can’t believe that I’m now staying out for dinner this late; I used to be antsy if we are still out with the kids at 6ish 7pm! But I’m convinced I need it now for my mental wellness -and thankfully Jireh who is the most sensitive out of them three is now able to stay up past 7pm. I have also accepted that with three kids, someone is bound to be hungry, sleepy, or has an unmet need. It just is. That has helped me greatly to make better decisions for the overall wellness of the family as a whole unit instead of stressing over every dilemma that comes up - it is a very new and interesting decision-making process for me! #omchooxlove #omchooxlessons