Le SaSa Square

Perfect 10

2010-10-10T09:45:00.002+08:00

Today's the 10th Oct 2010 - 10/10/10. Happy perfect 10 everyone!

Ten ways to build your child's self-esteem

2010-09-06T11:12:00.004+08:00

(Article from BabyCenter.com - http://www.babycenter.com/0_ten-ways-to-build-your-childs-self-esteem_67755.bc?pe=bKbt5h&scid=pcbulletin:20080204:0:0:0&scid=mbtw_post3y_1m:858&pe=2UuxEob)

Nurturing your child's self-esteem may seem like a hefty responsibility. After all, a feeling of self-worth lays the foundation for your child's future as he sets out to try new things on his own. "Self-esteem comes from having a sense of belonging, believing that we're capable, and knowing our contributions are valued and worthwhile," says California family therapist Jane Nelsen, co-author of the Positive Discipline series.

"As any parent knows, self-esteem is a fleeting experience," says Nelsen. "Sometimes we feel good about ourselves and sometimes we don't. What we are really trying to teach our kids are life skills like resiliency." Your goal as a parent is to ensure that your child develops pride and self-respect — in himself and in his cultural roots — as well as faith in his ability to handle life's challenges (for a school-age child that may mean giving a dance performance for you). Here are ten simple strategies to help boost your child's self-esteem:

Give unconditional love. A child's self-esteem flourishes with the kind of no-strings-attached devotion that says, "I love you, no matter who you are or what you do." Your child benefits the most when you accept him for who he is regardless of his strengths, difficulties, temperament, or abilities. So, lavish him with love. Give him plenty of cuddles, kisses, and pats on the shoulder. And don't forget to tell him how much you love him. When you do have to correct your child, make it clear that it's his behavior — not him — that's unacceptable. For instance, instead of saying, "You're a naughty boy! Why can't you be good?" say, "Please don't throw the football in the house. A football is an outside toy."

Pay attention. Carve out time to give your child your undivided attention. That does wonders for your child's feelings of self-worth because it sends the message that you think he's important and valuable. It doesn't have to take a lot of time; it just means taking a moment to stop flicking through the mail if he's trying to talk with you or turning off the TV long enough to answer a question. Make eye contact so it's clear that you're really listening to what he's saying. When you're strapped for time, let your child know it without ignoring his needs. Say, "Tell me all about what happened at soccer practice, and then when you're finished, I'll need to make our dinner."

Teach limits. Establish a few reasonable rules for your child. For instance, if you tell him to wear his helmet when he rides his bike in the driveway, don't let him go without it at his friend's house. Knowing that certain family rules are set in stone will help him feel more secure. He'll start to live by your expectations soon enough. Just be clear and consistent and show him that you trust him and expect him to do the right thing.

Support healthy risks. Encourage your child to explore something new, such as trying a different food, making a new friend, or riding a skateboard. Though there's always the possibility of failure, without risk there's little opportunity for success. So let your child safely experiment, and resist the urge to intervene. For instance, try not to "rescue" him the minute he's showing mild frustration at figuring out how to read a tricky word. Jumping in to say, "I'll do it" can foster dependence and diminish your child's confidence. You'll build his self-esteem by balancing your need to protect him with his need to tackle new tasks.

Let mistakes happen. The flip side, of course, of having choices and taking risks is that sometimes your child is bound to make mistakes. These are valuable lessons for your child's confidence. So if your child misses the school bus because he was dawdling in his bedroom, encourage him to think about what he might do differently next time. That way his self-esteem won't sag and he'll understand that it's okay to make mistakes sometimes. When you goof up yourself, admit it, says Daniel Meier, assistant professor of elementary education at San Francisco State University. Acknowledging and recovering from your mistakes sends a powerful message to your child — it makes it easier for your child to accept his own difficulties.

Celebrate the positive. Everyone responds well to encouragement, so make an effort to acknowledge the good things your child does every day within his earshot. For instance, tell his dad, "Peter did all his chores today without prompting." He'll get to bask in the glow of your praise and his dad's heartening response. And be specific. Instead of saying "Good job," say, "Thank you for setting the table for dinner." This will enhance his sense of accomplishment and self-worth and let him know exactly what he did right.

Listen well. If your child needs to talk, stop and listen to what he has to say. He needs to know that his thoughts, feelings, desires, and opinions matter. Help him get comfortable with his emotions by labeling them. Say, "I understand you're sad because you can't go to the sleepover." By accepting his emotions without judgment, you validate his feelings and show that you value what he has to say. If you share your own feelings ("I'm worried about Grandma. She's very sick"), he'll gain confidence in expressing his own.

Resist comparisons. Comments such as "Why can't you be more like your brother?" or "Why can't you be nice like Evan?" will just remind your child of where he struggles in a way that fosters shame, envy, and competition. Even positive comparisons, such as "You're the best player" are potentially damaging because a child can find it hard to live up to this image. If you let your child know that you appreciate him for the unique individual he is, he'll be more likely to value himself too.

Offer empathy. If your child compares himself unfavorably to his siblings or peers ("Why can't I throw a football like Nicholas?"), show him empathy and then emphasize one of his strengths. For instance, say, "You're right. Nicholas is good at throwing a football. And you're a fast runner." This can help your child learn that we all have strengths and weaknesses, and that he doesn't have to be perfect to feel good about himself.

Provide encouragement. Every child needs the kind of support from loved ones that signals, "I believe in you. I see your effort. Keep going!" Encouragement means acknowledging progress — not just rewarding achievement. So if your child is struggling with a math problem, say: "You're trying very hard and you almost have it!" instead of "Not like that. Let me do it."

There's a difference between praise and encouragement. One rewards the task while the other rewards the person ("You did it!" rather than "I'm proud of you!"). Praise can make a child feel that he's only "good" if he does something perfectly. Encouragement, on the other hand, acknowledges the effort. "Tell me about the game. I saw you really hustling out there" is more helpful than saying, "You're the best player on the team." Too much praise can sap self-esteem because it can create pressure to perform and set up a continual need for approval from others. So dole out the praise judiciously and offer encouragement liberally; it will help your child grow up to feel good about himself.

Handicraft - Butterfly

2009-10-07T11:45:00.008+08:00

Clarissa and I made this butterfly out of cardboard core of kitchen roll, coloured paper and stickers. She had fun decorating it. It took us about 30 minutes to complete.

Eating her Favourite Spaghetti

2009-09-25T19:09:00.003+08:00

Clarissa loves spaghetti, esp. the ones with tomato based sauces. Watch how she eats spaghetti (on 2 different occasions).

Clarissa Sings

2009-07-31T11:02:00.010+08:00

It's been a while since I last blog :-)

Clarissa's turning 2 next Wednesday, and I'm excited! She's going to have a small birthday celebration at my mum's place tomorrow. The timing's good, coz' my sister and nephew are back from HK for holiday. I'm sure the 2 cousins - Aden and Clarissa - will have lots of fun during the birthday party!

Clarissa can sing a few songs now, and these are her versions of the Happy Birthday Song and 泥娃娃, cute!

泥娃娃:

We had a Memorable Aussie Getaway to the Gold Coast and Sydney

2009-05-10T19:55:00.008+08:00

We are back from our 9-day getaway to the Gold Coast and Sydney. The autumn weather in Australia was fantastic with temperatures varying between 20 to 25 degrees C.

It was a memorable trip as we got to experience the following:

1. Watching sunrise in the Gold Coast, right from the comfort of our hotel room - unblocked view!

2. Admiring the Sydney Opera House from our hotel balcony.

3. Spending time with Clarissa, and discovering that she knows many new words, eg - "See you later", "Let's go", "Zou ba" (in mandarin) which means "Let's go", etc.

4. Meeting my suppliers

5. Our face to face with kangaroos at Currumbin Wildlife Santuary in the Gold Coast.

For now, I've got close to 1000 photos to download and sort out. Stay tuned for them :-)

At T3 Flying off to Sydney in 30 mins

2009-04-30T22:58:00.009+08:00

Les, Clarissa and I are now at the Business Class Lounge, waiting to board our flight to Sydney in 30 mins' time. So exciting! It's our 2nd time travelling with Clarissa, and compared to our last trip to Hong Kong, which was in last August, Clarissa is now more aware of the surroundings, and is certainly more curious and exploring the places at T3 and the lounge :-) Will update soon on our trip to Gold Coast and Sydney when I'm back. This is a trip combining business and leisure, coz I'll be visiting my suppliers when I'm in Australia. I know Les is looking forward to a good break. Stay tuned ...

Clarissa is 20 mths old Today

2009-04-05T10:13:00.012+08:00

She's a toddler now, and someone having a mind of her own, though she might not be able to verbalise her thoughts fully. But from her body language, I'll be able to know what she's requesting for.

She likes to pose for photos, and repeat after what we say (she's picking up every word we speak, therefore we've got to be extra careful with our words :-) She's cheeky sometimes, and loves to "entertain" us with her words.

She my little helper at home now. She loves to bring light items like the cork insulator board, her plastic bowl and spoon to the kitchen for me after her mealtime. I'll also entask her to keep her toys, and she enjoys doing that.

She can now recognise and say nos. 1 to 20, alphabets A to Z, and her vocab has increased. I enjoy teaching her new stuffs everyday.

Seeing Kois for the 1st Time

2009-04-04T22:55:00.000+08:00

It's Clarissa's first time seeing kois. We brought her to the Koi Pond @ Suntec this evening after dinner. The Kois there are so much larger than the last time I saw them (must be because of the constant feeding by members of the public). She loves the kois, and were not afraid of them. She wanted to touch them, and couldn't stop saying "fish, fish"!

Time not Enough ...

2009-04-03T12:54:00.013+08:00

I'll have less time to blog from now on - busy with Clarissa and my the other "baby" - that's my business "Little Toez n Kidz".

Clarissa's going to be 20 mths old in 2 days' time, and I'm spending more time with her these days to do activities together (sing, read, eat, play, you name it).

My business has also passed its infancy stage, and I'm ready to take it to the next level. I've more retailers representing my brands these days, and yeh, working with them takes up a substantial amount of my working hours. Customer base is also growing (thank God, despite the economic downturn), so you can now understand why I'm having less and less time to blog :-)

Anyway, I will still try to find time to record the happenings in the Lee family.

So fans of this blog, don't forget us, ok. Visit us from time to time. (Now I wonder if we've got fans, haha. I think my mum in law is one of them.)

Here's a video of how Clarissa says "God bless you". Now, whenever we sneeze or cough, she'll say "God bless you" without fail. She did that one day out of surprise when I sneezed. She must have heard us say that and learnt from there. She never fails to surprise us with her words these days!

Like yesterday, when she bumped into me, she said "sorry". I was amazed, haha!

She also loves to "talk and talk" these days - sometimes mumbling to some words that Les and I don't quite get. But it's fun to listen to her.

Saying "Amen"

2009-03-16T09:19:00.010+08:00

Clarissa and I pray before her bedtime everynight (started when she was a few months old). Now, she will say "Amen" after I say "In Jesus' name we pray" :-)

She's picking up so many new words now, and it's so fun hearing her say them.

Some interesting ones include:

Very good

Nos. 1 to 10

Bus

Strawberry

Happy New Year

Hello Kitty

Minne

Mickey

Tigger

Power Outage

2009-03-08T10:33:00.017+08:00

It's been a long long time since I experienced power outage at home. At 10.30 pm last night, all lights and the TV went off. I thought it was only a power trip. Les checked the switch board, and it was not power trip. He turned the switches on the switch board on and off, and the power did not return. He went to check the power meter along the corridor. The meters of our unit and our next door neighbour were not moving. Soon after, I saw some residents of the same 2 units of other levels standing along their corridors. It was power outage for the same 2 units of every floor. Interesting. Les called the Singapore Power, and was advised to inform the Town Council instead.

Finally the tea lights at home were put to good use. We lit a couple of them for the hall and kitchen. Afraid that the ice lollies in the freezer would melt while we wait for the power to return, I ate one. It was so cool to have ice cream in the dark and that's my sinful supper!

We waited till 12.30 am, still no power. We decided not to wait and went to bed, leaving the switch of the side lamp in the hall on (so that when the power resumed, we would know). I was not that tired, and Les was jokingly asking me to wait till the power returned. Soon after he finished his sentence, the side lamp came on. It was such a "magical" timing!

What a "romantic" Saturday night we've had :-D

It was this dark in the hall. That's the feflection of tea lights on the TV screen

Tea lights in the hall

My ice cream supper in the dark

My Dates for Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T22:33:00.004+08:00

Les and Clarissa were my Valentine's dates today. Last Valentine's Day, Clarissa was only 6 mths old. I'm glad for this year, she's old enough to join Les and I for Valentine's dinner :-)

We went to Dome cafe @ Dempsey Hill. I wanted to revisit Dempsey Hill at night, so wish granted today :-) We had a great time there!

PS, Les, thanks for the HP mini laptop. Love it, and will definitely use it to check emails when I'm on the move :-)

Clarissa's 1st Movie with us

2009-02-13T23:45:00.016+08:00

Tomorrow's Valentine's day. Les and I had our first movie date with Clarissa tonight. We caught the movie "The Other End of the Line" @ Cathay Cineplex, Causeway Point. T'was a romantic movie - http://www.fandango.com/theotherendoftheline_117392/movieoverview, starring Jesse Metcalfe and Shriya Saran.

Les and I were very excited to find out how Clarissa would react in the pitched dark cinema. Turned out that she's ok with the dark and the volume of the movie. She's kind of bored in the middle of the movie (imagine a 18-mth old sitting in the cinema "watching" a movie of such theme, they'll definitely be bored), so Les and I took turns to place her on our laps. She stayed quiet throughout the movie, which was really nice. We got to enjoy the whole show and the pop corn! Our next movie with Clarissa will definitely be one with animation :-)

Brushing CJ's Teeth

2009-02-11T15:48:00.000+08:00

It's easier to brush Clarissa's teeth these days, now that she can understand my instructions of asking her to open her mouth to show her teeth.

She's got 12 teeth now (the 2 pre-molars on her left upper and lower jaws have emerged), so oral care (ie, brushing of teeth, and rinsing of mouth) becomes really important.

See her teeth brushing routine :-D

Loves Bread

2009-02-10T15:18:00.000+08:00

Clarissa loves bread! Whenever, we go to a confectionery shop, the moment she sees loaves of bread, she'll exclaim "bre..a..d" (drags the word "bread" - sounds really funny).

Hear how she says "bread" in this video:

CJ is 18 mths old now

2009-02-08T20:37:00.000+08:00

Videos of CJ:

1. Naming items in books. Not exactly how some words should sound, but I know what she meant, haha!

2. Saying "Mummy" (also can say "Daddy", but not caught on tape :-).

3. The way she pronounced her name on 5 Feb 09, sounds like "Kisa":

4. Few days later, She got it, and added "Cla" to the way she says her name.

My Birthday

2009-01-28T22:32:00.003+08:00

CNY Day 2

2009-01-27T22:21:00.001+08:00

CNY Eve and Day 1

2009-01-26T21:26:00.001+08:00

Water Baby

2009-01-25T21:38:00.004+08:00

Photos and videos taken of 2 different swimming sessions - on 2 Jan, and 25 Jan 09. Clarissa certainly had fun during both sessions.

2009-01-12T21:55:00.000+08:00

2009-01-08T22:52:00.002+08:00

Our Unforgettable Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T23:55:00.001+08:00

The Weekend

2008-12-21T21:42:00.005+08:00

Saturday, 20 Dec: Christmas party at my parent's place

Ah Yee got something from Gap for Clarissa (what's inside the box? Will only know on Christmas day! See Clarissa in her Santarina outfit and her new hairdo!

Clarissa's deep in her thoughts :-)

Sunday, 21 Dec: Christmas shopping at Vivo City

Clarissa's Christmas presents from her Daddy - Mega Blocks and toy set for building sand castles

Admiring her Christmas presents. Also loves wearing the Santa hat!

DIY Hanger for Clarissa's Hair Clips

2008-12-17T09:30:00.014+08:00

This is the DIY hanger I've made this morning for Clarissa's hair clips. Finally, there's something to help me organise the ever growing number of hair clips Clarissa has. It doesn't help when I'm also exclusively distributing the Amelie B Handmade hair clips from Australia on LittleToez.com. Not meant to advertise here, but they are so unqiue and well made when compared to the mass produced ones. I'm now a fan and have bought many for Clarissa! They've been very well received by my customers and many designs are already sold out. A lot more new designs will be added in 2009. Opps, by then, this DIY hanger will no longer be enough to hold all of Clarissa's clips. Have to get down to DIY some more hangers ... haha

Made out of a brochure cover and ribbons - festive looking and yet environmental friendly :-)

Left row: Amelie B Handmade clips, Right row: mass produced ones. Which are the ones you like?

Bear, Dog or Monkey?

2008-12-03T14:18:00.009+08:00

I received this photo via the email from an ex-colleague today. The moment I showed it to Clarissa, she said "Bear "!

How cute is that! Haha!

These dogs do look like teddy bears after wearing the bear's ears or rather monkey's ears?

Incy Wincy Spider

2008-11-09T13:46:00.009+08:00

Watch Clarissa do the actions to the lyrics of the Song "Incy Wincy Spider". The way she moved are hands and fingers are so amusing!

First Time to Dempsey Hill

2008-11-08T21:54:00.002+08:00

Leslie brought us to Dempsey Hill this late afternoon. Dempsey Hill is just opposite the Botanica Gardens. It's Clarissa's and my first time there. Nice place, with many restaurants, a grocer (Jones from Australia), an art gallery, a few antique shops, Ben & Jerry's, and Go Go Bambini (an indoor Children's playground). The area is quiet and serene (maybe only quiet during the day). The ambiance after night fall is rather different, according to Les, who were there once for dinner with his visiting colleague. We did not stay there for dinner but adjourned to Great World City. I will definitely go there again on one of the evenings to see for myself the difference in the atmosphere ;-)

Birthday Celebration

2008-10-26T22:01:00.006+08:00

This evening, we celebrated my mum-in-law's and my mum's birthdays at Hung Kang Teochew Restaurant. It's my first time there, and the food and service was great!

Clarissa had a good time strolling within the restaurant when most of the customers of other tables had left. She also "invented" a new game while at the restuarant, ie continuously kicking the rubber band she found on the floor :-)

Clarissa has Graduated from Gymbabes!

2008-10-18T20:24:00.009+08:00

Today is the first time Clarissa's attending the Walking to Two class, having completed her Gymbabes program. She started Gymbabes since when she was 9 plus months old, and this program I feel has definitely helped her in her motor skills, and her ability to walk stably at 1 yr old. She's also become more sociable and vocal as a result of attending the class. It also promotes parent and child bonding. Leslie and I have been attending the class with her without fail, except one week when Leslie was overseas. You remember the Hoki Poki song and her actions that I posted just a while ago? She had learnt the song from Gymbabes, and is able to recognise the lyrics and remember the actions.

Each gymbabes class will start with baby massage, action songs and nursery rhymes, followed by "working out" at each station.

She was chosen to represent her gymbabes class in the Tumble Tots Olympics in September, but too bad she couldn't join as we were in HK that weekend. But she did make it to the final 12 of the photo contest held in conjunction (the photo you see on the right hand column is her entry).

Now that Clarissa can walk stably, the principal of the school prompted me last Saturday that it was time for Clarissa to move on to the Walking to Two class. I also felt that it's appropriate as the activity stations which encourages crawling no longer appealed to Clarissa.

Today's 1st Walking to Two class is slightly different from Gymbabes. It started off with working out at the stations first, followed by "circle time", ie action songs and nursery rhymes.

There's this shapes corner that Clarissa's fasinated with - it's a wooden board with shapes cut out. One has to place the same shape of the little cushion through the shaped holes.

She still couldn't forget the toys and plastic balls she used to play with during the Gymbabes class, and though they were all kept in a toy box in a corner, she was able to find her way there, and took some of the toys out to play, haha!

Anyway, she had fun today at the new class. At the end of the session, her teacher gave her a graduation certificate for completing the Gymbabes class. Her first cert., apart from her birth cert :-D

Clarissa would probably continue the class till she's 2, coz it provides good workout for both her and me :-) Am already thinking of enrolling her in some accompanied play group when she turns 18 mths but not earlier. I believe that it's time for her to learn through play, but not from any formal class as yet. For now, it's learning with mummy and daddy at home and during outings :-)

Busy Busy ...

2008-10-17T21:56:00.000+08:00

I guess I'll have less time to update this blog from now on. Besides taking care of a curious toddler, more time is now required for my business and customers and the many products that Little Toez is distributing and retailing now. My friends told me being busy is good, it means that my business is brisk. I'm grateful for the supportive customers that I have! I've even made some friends from my group of customers. So much mummy talk whenever I meet them for self collection of their purchases.

But do visit Le Sasa Square once in a while, as there will be new posts from time to time for special occassions and events :-)

No no, I'm not that busy to the extent of this lady in the photo, and my house is not in a mess :-D

This picture describes me best - doing the balancing act of being a mummy and managing my business everyday ;-)

Nice MV Movie

2008-10-16T11:38:00.004+08:00

Nice MV Movie based on the song "崇拜" by 梁靜茹.

Hoki Poki Song

2008-10-13T13:32:00.007+08:00

Watch Clarissa do the actions of the Hoki Poki song, unrehearsed, funny and cute!

Les' Back from Seattle

2008-10-13T12:05:00.015+08:00

Les' back from Seattle last night. He was there for work for a week. Glad that he's back.

Gifts he got for us, thanks Dear :-

Clarissa got her beaver from Vancouver (Les had a transit there) the moment she woke up this morning: (see her tired look :-D)

Smoked Salmon from Seattle (needs no refrigeration, wondering how it taste?)

The Way She Sashay / Toys Galore

2008-09-20T22:50:00.016+08:00

We were at United Square this evening, coz Les wanted to shop for his working shoes. Glad that he had managed to find a pair he liked.

There was an atrium sale for toys and kids' apparel at United Square. Clarissa had so much fun sashaying from stall to stall, helping herself to the toys and doggy balloons. We didn't buy any toys for her from the atrium sale, as she has already enough toys at home, and some of the toys received from her birthday are still not "touched" yet, planning to "release" them to her slowly :-D.

My dad and youngest sis joined us later at Novena Square for dinner. My mum's in HK with my other sis. I was just talking about new toys for Clarissa, and there you go, my sis bought her a Minnie from HK Disneyland and some outfits. Her Ah Yee's been showering her with plenty of gifts. Lucky Clarissa!

Videos of our HK and Macau Trip

2008-09-09T23:44:00.012+08:00

Clarissa's 1st flight to HK:

At the Venetian IR, Macau:

Clarissa's 1st Overseas Trip - to HK and Macau

2008-09-09T15:03:00.026+08:00

We were in Kong Kong and 0.5 days in Macau during the weekend that just passed (5 to 8 Sep). Besides sight-seeing, we were also there to visit my sister and her family, and one of my suppliers.

Besides being Clarissa's first trip to HK, it's also her first time on an airplane. The experience with Clarissa on the airplane turned out better than expected. She's was ok with the air pressure, the meal, and managed to nap in the bassinet.

Les and I had an enjoyable time with Clarissa in HK and Macau, spending all 3.5 days 买东西, 吃东西! I was especially glad that we had finally managed to find time to visit Macau after so many previous trips to HK.

I supposed Clarissa was not aware that she was in HK, but she definitely knew she was not at home for the last 3.5 days and was "kai kai'ing most of the time!

Let the photos tell of the great time we've had in HK and Macau.

Day 1 (5 Sep): -

Day 2 (6 Sep): -

Day 3 (7 Sep): - 0.5 days in Macau

Day 4 (8 Sep): -

Our flight was at 8.30 pm. Therefore, we still had one whole day to do some last minute shopping. Home sweet home at 12.30 am ;-)

My Friend from Taiwan

2008-08-26T17:34:00.001+08:00

The weekend of 15 to 17 Aug was spent eventfully showing my friend, Daiyan from Taiwan around Singapore. It's his first visit to Singapore, and Les and I were all geared up to show him the best of our little island, as he was only here for 3 days, 2.5 days to be exact.

I knew Daiyan from attending Jingmei Baptist Church while I was working in Taipei in 2000 for a year. Between after I left Taipei in 2001 and now, I was back in Taipei 2 years' back. So, it's been a good 2 years since I last saw Daiyan.

It was initially a bigger group of Taiwanese friends who'll visit Singapore, but in the end, only Daiyan came. I hope the rest will visit Singapore soon.

Friday (15 Aug):
Places we went -
The Singapore Flyer (1st time on the Flyer for all of us, including Clarissa. It was a great experience to be on the Flyer and we had a good bird's eye view of the City. Daiyan had enjoyed himself and took lots of photographs.) --> Fullerton Hotel --> Raffles Place --> One Fullerton --> Merlion Park --> Riverside Point (Jumbo Restaurant was a long long wait) --> Dinner at the Jumbo Restaurant at The Riverwalk instead (Fuxing joined us for dinner after work) --> Clarke Quay --> Newton Circus Hawker Centre for supper

Saturday (16 Aug):
Places we went -
Vivo City --> Sentosa --> Vivo City for dinner at The Chicken Rice Shop (food was good) --> Harbourfront (Daiyan wanted to bring back some Bak Kwa for his friends and colleagues)

Sunday (17 Aug):
Home sweet home for Daiyan. According to Daiyan, he had a great time in Singapore. I believe he's even happier as he had managed to take lots of photographs of his favourite subjects - Airplanes and Buses (interesting passion, isn't it?) ;-)

Clarissa's 1st Birthday Celebration

2008-08-25T13:55:00.008+08:00

I've finally completed organising the photos and videos taken during the series of events of Clarissa's 1st birthday celebration. For relatives who were present, I thank you for your generous gifts for Clarissa. Enjoy the photos and videos!

1st Aug (Friday)

Leslie, Clarissa and I checked into Costa Sands Resort, Downtown East. My parents came in the afternoon to help out with the preparation of the BBQ for the next day. They left after having dinner with us.

At 7 plus, we brought Clarissa for her first proper haircut at Juniors League, Parkway Parade. She behaved really well during the haircut. To "reward" her for good behaviour, we bought her a birthday balloon.

Clarissa slept well that night in the play pen provided by the resort. Both Leslie and I were equally exhausted by the grocery shopping for the BBQ.

2008-08-25T13:01:00.003+08:00

2nd Aug (Sat)

We woke up at about 8 am and had breakfast at MacDonalds. More grocery shopping followed.

In the afternoon, we dropped by White Sands for my haircut. By the time, we returned to Downtown East, it was almost time to start preparing for the BBQ. I cleaned the BBQ pit, while Clarissa took her nap. Leslie was the "ant terminator" ;-)

Soon, my parents, mother in law, relatives and friends arrived. We started the BBQ fire early at 5pm. The fire was good for the BBQ by the time most of our relatives arrived. My dad, uncle, aunt and cousin Weijun did most of the BBQing. A big thank you to them! My mum, mother in law and cousin's girlfriend Jailing were busy busy entertaining Clarissa.

Cousin Lee Heng and wife Juliet also brought along my niece Fides. I had not seen Fides since CNY. She has grown up to be a very happy baby!

At 8.30pm, we had the cake-cutting for Clarissa. The birthday cake (chocolate with blue berry jam) was ordered from Creative Cakes. We love the design and taste. Clarissa also had her first taste of cream cakes. I think she loves it!

We finished the BBQ at about 9.30 pm, which was considered really early for a BBQ session. Our relatives stayed around to chit chat. We all had a good time catching up with one another. Food prepared was surplus and our relatives brought food back for their supper.

3rd Aug (Sun)

We checked out of the resort at about 10 am, and had breakfast of toasted kaya bread at the ehub of Downtown East before we headed home. It was a good getaway for us and Clarissa's birthday celebration was a day worth remembering!

2008-08-25T13:00:00.000+08:00

Video taken during cake cutting

2008-08-25T12:56:00.004+08:00

5th Aug (Tue) - Actual Day of Clarissa's Brithday

Leslie's still on leave today. We went to the market in the morning. I wanted to buy a roast chicken drumstick for Clarissa, and ended also buying half a roasted chicken for Leslie and I.

For lunch, I prepared Mee Sua and 2 red eggs for Clarissa. Mee Sua and red eggs are must haves for one's birthday. You'll see in the photos and video how much Clarissa enjoys the chicken drumstick and mee sua.

In the afternoon, we went to the Picture Me studio at Suntec City to take our first studio family photos. We also brought along Clarissa's birthday cake for the photo shoot. We had lots of fun at the studio (will post the photos later).

For us, our greatest joy is to see Clarissa growing up happily and healthily and there are so many great moments we have had with Clarissa over the past 12 months. Clarissa's birth has definitely strengthened the bond between Leslie and I. I'm so glad that we are family!

2008-08-25T12:50:00.006+08:00

See how much Clarissa's enjoying the mee sua and roasted chicken drumstick!

Meeting Baby Alysha for the 1st Time

2008-08-24T20:11:00.014+08:00

I brought Clarissa to Xindy's place this afternoon. It's our first time meeting Baby Alysha. Actually, I had wanted to visit Xindy and baby Alysha way before Alysha turned one month old, but Clarissa happened to come down with a slight cold on the day we were supposed to be at Xindy's place. So drag and drag until today, then finally passed Alysha's baby shower gift to Xindy ;-)

Xindy's hubby Gary was also in, and Baby Alysha was sleeping sweetly when we arrived. I could see that Xindy's coping well with her new role and enjoying herself with Alysha. We, without failed, shared our experiences of being new mums, while Clarissa had a good time walking around and exploring their living room.

Xindy and I kept prompting Clarissa to look at cute Baby Alysha, but she seemed uninterested. Probably at this moment, she's only interested in "the baby" whose picture is on her diaper's packaging :-)

Happy Mummies!

Baby Alysha in my arms

Xindy said "it's like you've got 2 kids" when she took this pic

Kids exchange ;-)

Clarissa's happily exploring their living room

God is Good!

2008-08-20T13:19:00.023+08:00

There have been many great things happening to our family these days and I have to thank God for them.

Clarissa's going into toddlerhood (at least she's considered more independent now), I’ve finally realised my dream of owning my business, and Leslie moving on to the new job of his dream in an American company. Congrats, Dear on being offered the position of Director of I.T. I’m very sure it’s THE JOB for you. I’m also sure that God has arranged this position for you.

For me, I’ve been very busy lately, sometimes up to my neck, as I’ve just secured the Oobi Baby&Kids apparel from Australia to be retailed on LittleToez.com. Lots of information to digest for the new apparel line, but I’m enjoying the process very much.

Father Lord, thank you for everything! And I know all these blessings are from you. I would like to share this song "God is Good All the Time" by Don Moen.

Cute Kids

2008-08-18T10:53:00.007+08:00

My Mother-in law sent this video to me this morning. Some scenes do remind me of Clarissa's actions sometimes, haha!

New Look of LittleToez.com

2008-08-09T14:13:00.006+08:00

How do you like the new look of my online store www.littletoez.com?

It's Confirmed - Clarissa can Walk Stably Now!

2008-08-06T14:55:00.007+08:00

Yes, Clarissa now walks around the house freely and independently with breeze! One moment, she might be in the living room, the next moment, she will "cruise" to her room. My place's not that big, but having to "chase after her" can become quite a good workout for me. The consolation now would be she doesn't fall on her butt that often anymore, so I'm willing to let her walk around and explore the house, as long as she's in safe areas. I'm glad that she had mastered her walking exactly at 1 yr old.

Happy 1st Birthday, Clarissa!

2008-08-05T23:31:00.005+08:00

Happy 1st Birthday to you, Clarissa! Mummy and Daddy will always love you.

I'll be posting the events prior to and on Clarissa's birthday soon. Lots of photos to tidy up too. So, stay tuned!

I've Finally Realised the Dream of having my own Registered Company!

2008-08-04T19:40:00.013+08:00

On 4 Aug last year, I was eagerly awaiting the birth of Clarissa at Mt Alvernia Hospital. Today, 4 Aug 2008, I was eagerly waiting for the birth of the Business Registration No. of my company from ACRA in the afternoon. Yippe! The company registration only took a while (compared to the 10-hour labour I went through this time last year), and I'm pleased to declare today, I've finally realised my dream of becoming the owner of a registered company. Introducing my company - Little Toez n Kidz (Business Reg. No. 53122414K). You would have already guessed it by now - www.littletoez.com is the online store of Little Toez n Kidz.

I'm so happy that I don't have to work for employers (at least for now). I now only "work" for my customers, suppliers, family and myself. Operating my own company has definitely allowed me to put into practice all the knowledge and experience of my previous jobs - editorial, administration, marketing, customer service you name it. Most important of all, I thank my God who has opened so many doors and opportunities for me. I've also been blessed to have met many great suppliers and customers who have supported my business. And not forgetting Leslie and Clarissa for their support in my business endeavour. It's double happiness for me as I'm looking forward to my girl's first birthday tomorrow! God is good, all the time!

1st Haircut at Junior League

2008-08-01T22:05:00.008+08:00

We brought Clarissa to Junior League, Parkway Parade for her 1st haircut. Since the last time I trimmed her fringe, it had grown, almost reaching her eyes. She's also approaching her 1st birthday, so it's high time that she had her first proper haircut.

We took the last queue number (No. 4) when we arrived. In the end, we became No. 3 'coz the little girl before Clarissa was procrastinating to have her haircut. The hairdresser then prompted the little girl's mummy to let Clarissa have her turn first. During the haircut, Clarissa was sitting on my lap. She's very well behaved throughout, and that did make the hairdresser's job easier. There was also the Barney video to keep her entertained. Although the hairdressers at Junior League are specialised in kid's haircut, but I can imagine the difficulty in handling a kid who's uncooperative. Clarissa looked so much neater with her bob hair-style now. It was an enjoyable experience for Clarissa, Leslie and I. I think it won't be for another few months before Clarissa needs another haircut.

My Cooking

2008-07-31T10:57:00.000+08:00

I've finally found time to organise the photos of some interesting food that I've prepared thus far. I love to experiment with different recipes and cooking methods. Cooking one-dish meals and using the oven is currently my favourite way of preparing our food. Taste wise, I think you would have to ask Leslie. Presentation and looks wise, you'll be the judge :-)

Clarissa in R & R Mode

2008-07-30T08:11:00.003+08:00

Take it easy, R & R = rest & relax like Clarissa ;-)

LittleToez.com

2008-07-22T20:00:00.041+08:00

What’s this URL doing here? I’m ready, are you?

Announcing the opening of my online business – LittleToez.com http://www.littletoez.com

LittleToez.com - an online store specialising in unique and quality baby fashion. For a start, I’ve launched the cute and unique KM Baby Socks line on LittleToez.com. (LittleToez.com is the sole distributor for KM Baby Socks in Singapore.) New products to be carried by LittleToez.com are in the pipeline. Visit www.littletoez.com for the product catalogue.

Doing away with costs, such as organising ribbon cutting and hiring loud lion dance for the opening ceremony (Haha!), immediately translates into savings for my customers. LittleToez.com is also able to offer unbeatable prices for similar products found in major retail stores. Trust me as I’ve done my research.

Marketing of products has always been my passion, and what other better way to continue to do it for a long time to come, than to have my own business. I’m ready, ready to receive your support and referrals. Drop a comment to the web designer (yours truly) if you have any thoughts on the contents.

PS: Advertisements and news of LittleToez.com have gone out, causing a temporary very low stock situation. If you’ve friends who wish to make a purchase (via the website or email to me), for those designs that happen to be out of stock, new stocks will arrive in 2-3 week’s time.

For a limited period only, purchase 3 boxes (6 pairs/box) or more in a single transaction, and enjoy 20% discount (tell all your friends about it!). I have a ready email template if you wish to use to email to your friends and colleagues. Send me an sms or email to me @ littletoez@gmail.com. Thank you.

Email orders to this address too: littletoez@gmail.com

Recent Cute and Comical Shots

2008-07-20T22:53:00.005+08:00

Barney Ride

2008-07-19T22:10:00.000+08:00

When Clarissa enjoys doing an activity, she'll either laugh a lot, or choose to remain silent (just like how she was on the Barney ride @ Parkway Parade). I believe she did enjoy the ride.

Able to Walk a Longer Distance Now

2008-07-16T21:55:00.013+08:00

Clarissa is now able to walk on her own for a longer distance before she "places her butt on the floor" ;-) It's fasinating to watch her getting more stable in her walk each day. Clarissa 加油, 加油, 加油!

Video taken this evening

Laughing Clarissa

2008-07-13T21:59:00.003+08:00

Clarissa's laughter in this video is contagious! A few moments before this video was shot, she had just discovered that she could flip the lid of the Baby Wipes container open by the press of a button. She must have felt very excited with her new discovery, and couldn't control her laughter!

Practises her Walking Day and Night

2008-07-11T11:45:00.010+08:00

I now use 3 words to describe Clarissa's current favourite activity - "Up", "Walk" and "Butt". "Up" - stands up, "Walk" - takes steps forward, and "Butt" - then down on her butt. She can do these 3 steps over and over again, day and night, with perspiration all over the heard, and still is not afraid of landing on her butt. Luckily she's got her diapers as shock absorber, haha! As the saying goes "Practice makes perfect", so I'm letting her rough it out on the floor, and she'll probably master the art of walking soon. Clarissa 加油!

Clarissa can Walk a few Steps without Support!

2008-07-09T15:02:00.013+08:00

This afternoon @ 2.59 pm, Clarissa was next to me playing on the floor and the next moment @ 3 pm, she stood up from sitting position and began to walk about 3 steps towards the high-chair without any support and appeared quite balanced and stable in her steps. Wow, I was in awe seeing her do that for the first time (happened too fast for any photo or video, haha!).

I certainly feel very privileged to be able to witness Clarissa taking her 1st independent steps! All the way, my girl!

Clarissa Knows/ Can Say these Words

2008-07-08T10:34:00.003+08:00

I enjoy teaching Clarissa a lot, and now she knows quite a number of words. She'll either say them, or make the action representing the word when she hears it. I hope to add more to this list soon by teaching her more new words. Meanwhile, in summary (I might miss out some) -

She can say:
1) Mummy - her version sounds like "Mehm" or "Ma"
2) Daddy - her version sounds like "Dab"

3) Mum mum - says that when she's hungry

4) Baby - her version sounds like "babe", and is able to point at the picture of baby on the diaper packaging

5) Fish - her version sounds like "sh" and is able to point at the picture of fish in her books and a small picture of a fish on my t-shirt

6) Bear - her version sounds like "beer"
7) Dog - makes the sound "mmmm" as in a dog barking
8) Cat - also makes the same sound "mmmm" as in a cat meowing
9) Owl - makes the sound "ooo" as in owl oooing

Actions she makes when she hears these words:

10) Elephant - raises her arms to be an elephant's trunk
11) Nose - points to her nose
12) Mouth - closes her mouth

13) Smile - opens her mouth, showing both her upper and lower gums
14) Jump - jumps by moving her legs up and down while standing
15) Cross arms - folds her arms
16) Wave - waves her arms up and down
17) Hands - raises her hands
18) Toes - moves her toes
19) Clap - Claps with her hands
20) No more - waves both her arms
21) Hug - places her head and hands on us
22) Dance - moves her body
23) Stand - stands from sitting position
24) Mushroom - points to the pictures of mushroom picture on the playmat (was able to do that since she was 9 months old)
25) Balloon - points to the pictures of balloons
26) Flower - points to the picture of flowers
27) Apple - points to the picture of apple amongst other fruits in her books
28) Chew - chews her food
29) Drink water - reaches for her sippy cup and drinks water from it

30) Gongxi Gongxi - places both hands together and moves them up and down
31) Bye Bye - waves her arms

32) Hold - will hold onto the items that we want her to hold
33) Very good - understands that I'm complimenting her when I say very good, and she'll show good behaviours
34) No - now understands the meaning of "No". She'll stop an action when we say "No", but if she enjoys that activity so much, very unlikely she'll stop although she hears the word "NO ....", haha!

Some interesting actions of hers with the words mentioned above:

Clarissa's 11 Months Old Today

2008-07-05T10:02:00.010+08:00

This is how she looks like now:

Leslie and I are looking forward to celebrate her 1st birthday in 30 days' time.

Meanwhile @ 11 months old ...

* Her hair has grown longer - due for a haircut when she turns 1 year old next month.

* Can stand from sitting position without support, and loves to practise this new milestone of hers.

* Loves to smile (with upper lips lifted and eyes forming a line), esp. when she sees us aiming the camera at her, so it's been more rare to get a photo of her not opening her mouth these days. She'll also smile when we say the word "smile".

Hugs from Clarissa

2008-06-28T08:05:00.006+08:00

I just discovered that Clarissa could now understand the term "hug". When I asked her to hug mummy, she would place her head and hands on me - her own version of hugging - so sweet! I wondered how she got to know the term, coz I did not teach her - could be she's been listening to Leslie and I say the word when we hug her or would it be the Barney "I Love You" song? There's a line in the song that says "A great big hug and a kiss from me to you".

Clarissa in her New Dresses

2008-06-27T13:06:00.001+08:00

Update on the Mozzy Bite

2008-06-26T11:47:00.007+08:00

Having applied the cream previously given by PD, the dot on Clarissa's cheek had become smaller and the redness had gone down.

A Peck on her Cheek by Mozzy

2008-06-24T22:26:00.009+08:00

Clarissa woke up this morning with a red dot on her left cheek. Opps, the mozzy must have had bitten her last night while she's sleeping. Besides the cheek, mozzy also bit her hands. Poor Clarissa ... I was wondering if she's feeling the itchiness from the bites, but it seemed she went through the day without scratching her face or hands. Mozzies have definitely increased in numbers due to the warm weather these days and they love kids ...

Trip to the Singapore Flyer

2008-06-22T20:29:00.019+08:00

We brought Clarissa to the Singapore Flyer this afternoon. We were there just to explore and have lunch (at Popeyes), and did not go on the Flyer. We thought of waiting for Clarissa to be older before we take our first flight. My impression of the Singapore Flyer - awesome engineering and architecture. It's definitely a great addition to the landmarks and skyline of Singapore!

Waving "Bye Bye"

2008-06-21T22:04:00.005+08:00

Clarissa's version of waving goodbye, ie by moving her hands up and down.

Shirt from Miami, Florida

2008-06-18T21:20:00.003+08:00

Clarissa's Aunt Huimei got her this top from Miami, Florida. I definitely like the words on the shirt. It goes "When I grow up, I want to be just like my Mommy".

Family Outing to Sentosa

2008-06-15T21:05:00.021+08:00

Clarissa visited Sentosa for the first time this afternoon. We were there with my parents, sisters and my nephew Aden. We took the Sentosa Express from Vivo City to the island, and were glad the weather's especially sunny when we reached (coz it's been raining in the afternoons for the week). We took a 10 minute stroll from the Imbiah Station to the Merlion. Visitors were soaking their tired feets in the fountains along the Merlion Walk, which I don't recall one's allowed to do that previously. Anyway, it's been more than a year since I was on Sentosa.

We waited till early evening before we went to the Siloso Beach coz the sun was really strong in the late afternoon. We wouldn't want the little ones to get sun burn. We made a brief stop at the souvenir shop of the Songs of the Sea (the current musical fountain), and my Mum found the little Oscar handbag very cute and bought it for Clarissa. She said Clarissa would be able to carry the bag when she's slightly older. Thanks Mum!

Aden had fun on the beach, playing in the sand. Clarissa had Leslie and my sister cooling her down with fans. Lucky her! We left Sentosa at about 6.30pm, and took the Sentosa Express back to Vivo City, where we had dinner in this Thai restaurant called Thai Accent. Food was nice, but my Mum preferred the green curry we recently had at the Bali Thai Restaurant, Suntec. Before we left the restaurant, the fathers - my Dad and Leslie - were each presented a limited edition of Eau de Perrier directly imported from France. The poster outside the restaurant stated for every $100 spent on Father's Day, customer would be entitled a bottle of Eau de Perrier, but I was pleasantly surprised to have the restaurant giving away 2 bottles to us!

Happy 1st Father's Day!

2008-06-15T10:38:00.007+08:00

Clarissa wanna wish her Daddy Happy 1st Father's Day. Leslie's Father's Day gifts included a 5-minute video clip that I produced and "narrated" by Clarissa, a card and "Back to the Old Skool" CD. I bought the gift while Les' in the US. Les told me he's been wanting to get the same CD. I'm happy our minds think alike!

Les, enjoy your day, 'coz you deserve it, for all that you've done for Clarissa and me. Thanks for everything, Dear!

I also want to wish my Dad a Happy Father's Day! We'll be going to Sentosa this afternoon with my parents and sisters to celebrate this special day.

Back from the US

2008-06-13T21:24:00.000+08:00

Leslie's been outstation for close to 2 weeks and he's back this morning. Clarissa and I have been missing him a lot. But thanks to msn video call, we were able to "see" one another on msn almost everyday.

While in the US, Les had the chance to visit the Osh-Kosh shop. He bought for Clarissa 4 outfits from there. Amongst them, I love the pink jumper suit and blue dress. He also got Clarissa 2 nice tops from Gap. Good choices!

Besides the outfits, Les also bought a Barney DVD and plush toy for her. He got me a Coach sling bag (thanks Dear, I love it!).

More Photos & Video

2008-06-11T20:41:00.002+08:00

My signature smile when taking photos

I'm now tall enough to reach Daddy's hi-fi!

Clap my hands

10 Months Old Today!

2008-06-05T08:41:00.025+08:00

Time flies ... Clarissa's 10 months old today. She's grown from a fully-dependent newborn, to a pretty much "mobile" baby.

This is how she looks like now:

@ 10 months old, she:

* can stand for a while without support
It started 2 weeks ago. There was an evening, after she rose up from the floor by holding onto my legs, she remained standing for a while without support. It happened in split seconds, and I was rather speechless by her action ...

* is fully mobile
She could now "cruise" freely and safely in the house either by crawling or standing against furniture. The coffee table and sofa are amongst her favourite. She also moves around with her chair.

If She's bored with her toys, and I happen to be in the kitchen for a while, she would crawl from her playmat to the kitchen to look for me. I still find that so sweet - baby yearns for Mummy!

Happily moving around furniture

Moving around with her chair

* "talks" a lot
She's getting more vocal now, making a variety of sounds - low pitch, high pitch ones you name it.

* loves gadgets
She likes to have her hands on gadgets, like the remote controls, calulator, laptop, etc.

* still naps twice a day
She still naps twice a day - once in the late morning, and once in mid-afternoon for an average of 1 to 1.5 hours. It's beneficial for babies to still nap at this age - essential for their brain development.

* does not like certain sounds
She would want me to carry her whenever she hears the sound of the food processor in operation or grass-cutting.

Misc Videos @ end of 9 Months

2008-06-04T08:21:00.003+08:00

Look Who's Talking?

2008-06-01T22:39:00.006+08:00

Clarissa's getting more vocal these days, with more variety of sounds. Her voice can get quite high-pitched, just like in this video.

Calling "Ma Ma"

2008-05-31T21:22:00.005+08:00

I thought Clarissa's first "Ma Ma" in this video sounded Hokkein (just like how I would call my mum), haha!

Learning Fast

2008-05-25T21:58:00.006+08:00

Clarissa's been observing what I do with the laptop, and now knows the existence of a laptop, and it's components - keyboard, screen and mouse. I'm constantly amazed by how fast Clarissa's learning new things each day. Babies' minds are like sponges, they absorb new knowledge at the speed beyond what we can comprehend.

In the video, we can see Clarissa "typing" on the keyboard, points at the screen, and the next moment, she's "Manoeuvring" the mouse. It's of no wonder these days kids are computer literate from a very young age, 'coz they've been watching their parents work on the computer since young.

Saying "Mum Mum"

2008-05-22T21:40:00.013+08:00

Here's Clarissa saying "Mum Mum" caught on video. You can also see her mouth moving 'coz she wanted to eat. I thought in certain part of the video, she sounded like "Ma Ma" in Mandarin. Looking forward to the day when she can call me Ma Ma! Sure it'll bring tears to my eyes ;-)

New Tricks up her Sleeves

2008-05-21T20:45:00.000+08:00

* Knows how to clap, and understands the term "clap" and will do so when we ask her to show us

** Loves to imitate our actions

I was showing her how to brush teeth and

she also moved her toothbrush up and down

Off We Go to the Beach!

2008-05-19T20:40:00.025+08:00

The weather's getting warmer these days. To cool us down, what's better than the sea and ice-cream? I suggested having gelato at Geláre, Marine Cove. Marine Cove is at East Coast Park. Clarissa's now old enough to go on her first trip to the beach.

We left for the beach in the later part of the afternoon, which was less sunny. It's public holiday today and Marine Cove was bustling with beach goers. It took us a while to get a parking lot. I had not been to Marine Cove for almost a year now, and some of the shops had changed. The place I feel is a bit run down. The management should consider having it revamped, like what was done to Big Splash (now Playground @ Big Splash).

After the ice-cream, we strolled along the beach. This time round, Clarissa did not play on the sand, which I'm sure she'd love to. We'll have a proper picnic the next time we visit the beach.

1st Balloon

2008-05-17T22:42:00.013+08:00

Clarissa received her first balloon while at Vivo City this afternoon. There was the Wolkswagen roadshow going on, and one of their staff passed a balloon to her. We thought she would be too young to be interested in balloons, but to our surprise, she reached out her hand and held it immediately. This "new toy" kept her busy for some time. One moment, she was examining it, the next moment, she was swaying the balloon in the air. It's fun to watch! Now I can understand why balloons are always given out during roadshows and carnivals, coz kids just love them!

We also popped by next door to Harbour Front. I wanted to see the newly opened Mothercare flagship store there. There were a few of those kiddo rides near the shop. I thought it would be fun for Clarissa to sit on one of them. We chose the Cookie Monster ride. The monent we placed her on the ride, her hands reached out for the steering wheel and started turning it. It's as though she just knew what to do with the steering wheel, without being taught. She must had been watching her Daddy move the steering wheel while she's in the car, and now, imitating what he did. In the video, she's full of expressions while steering her Cookie Monster "vehicle" and was obviously enjoying herself on the ride!

New Cup for Clarissa

2008-05-16T09:42:00.006+08:00

We bought a new cup for Clarissa. It's for her to drink water with. It's got My Melody printed on - very sweet. She enjoys drinking from this new cup, as can be seen in the video.

New Camera

2008-05-16T09:15:00.013+08:00

Leslie got me a new Canon camera - an IXUS 950 IS. He also bought a memory stick of a larger capacity - 4 GB, so that I don't have to do downloading to the labtop that often when I take pictures and videos of Clarissa. Very thoughtful of him, thanks Dear! Now with 2 cameras, he can then bring the other one on his overseas trips.

Compare the picture quality of the 2 cameras

(pics taken with both cameras on macro mode) -

Verdict: New camera is definitely better,

coz we're looking at a 915 versus a 65,

8.0 mega pixels versus a 6.0!

New camera (photo taken with existing camera):

Exisitng camera (photo taken with new camera):

Haircut by Mummy

2008-05-15T22:49:00.013+08:00

Today, I trimmed Clarissa's fringe. It's rather long already, and almost touching her eyes. She's quite cooperative throughout the whole haircut, which made my job easier. She looks much neater with the shorter fringe. Looking forward to her hair growing longer, so that she can sport a bob.

Collection of Videos

2008-05-13T12:20:00.007+08:00

Mother's Day Celebration

2008-05-10T21:38:00.025+08:00

We were at the Plaza Market Cafe, Swissotel The Stamford this afternoon for high-tea to celebrate Mother's Day with my mum-in-law. I haven't been to the Market Cafe for a few years now, and they still serve Peranakan spread.

Glad that we were allocated with a corner table, away from the crowd. The buffet spread was good. Taste wise - the appetisers and deserts were good. I like esp. the appetiser Thai sweet sour prawns. Yeh, of course, I didn't give the durian pudding that they are famous for a miss. It tasted just like eating the fruit, with an additional milky taste to it. T'was a relaxing afternoon spent over good food, yum ...

Clarissa's enjoying the teething rusk (watch out for her leg towards the end of the video, haha!)

Celebration Already Started Last Weekend

2008-05-10T21:15:00.006+08:00

Les had to do usher duty in church on Mother's Day. Therefore, we celebrated with my mum earlier on last Saturday. We treated her to dinner at the Thai Bali restaurant, Suntec. It's our first time there. The food was good, except that the restuarant's under-staffed for the weekend crowd. I liked the tahu-telor, fried to a nice crisp. The green curry was full of flavour (anyway, I've always liked green curry, hee hee!).

My 1st Mother's Day Gift

2008-05-08T20:57:00.006+08:00

Leslie came home this evening with a surprise for me. It's a Precious Moment figurine, named "Moms Are The Greatest Gift of All". This is my early 1st Mother's Day gift from Leslie and Clarissa. He bought the figurine a few days ago and had to bring it back from office today 'coz he'll be working from home tomorrow. It's so sweet and thoughtful of him! I love Precious Moments items, and this would be the new addition to our Precious Moments collection at home. Thanks Dear or rather my 2 Dears at home! No word can really describe how much I love the 2 of you!

My wish for this Mother's Day is for all mothers whom I know of, esp. my mum, my mother-in-law, my sister, my sis-in-law and Aunty Daisy to have a very special day 'coz all of you deserve it! I also wish for Clarissa to grow up happily and healthily!

Show Me the Mushrooms

2008-05-06T08:19:00.008+08:00

I taught Clarissa to identify pictures of mushrooms on her playmat, and she's able to point at them when I asked her to show them to me. It's great to know that she's processing what's being taught to her.

9 Months Old Today!

2008-05-05T10:16:00.000+08:00

This is how she looks like now:

Developmental milestones she's achieved:

- Her lower teeth has grown.

- Able to crawl and stand while holding onto a support since 7 plus months old and continues to do so these days.

More crawling and standing actions:

Keeping Fingers Crossed ...

2008-05-04T22:56:00.007+08:00

We are always intrigued by Clarissa's new behaviours. Two days ago, she's started crossing her fingers. She only does that to her left hand. It's interesting to watch ...

Who's Cuter, Clarissa or Piglet?

2008-04-26T20:02:00.006+08:00

We were at Tangs Orchard last Saturday. Leslie wanted to buy the Disney Piglet for Clarissa as she's born in the year of the pig. In the end, I think the size of Piglet's too big for Clarissa, and we ended up not buying it. Probably, we'll get it for her when she's older. I managed to take some photos of Clarissa with Piglet. Cute!

Leslie brought us to the Island Cafe for dinner. It's located within Tangs. It's my first time there, and I must say the ambience is lovely and has a resort feel to it. The restaurant was renovated when the rest of Tangs were faced-lifted. The food is reasonably priced and yummy!

Can't Get Enough of her Gongxi Gongxi

2008-04-21T22:20:00.002+08:00

I'll say "Gongxi Gongxi" and Clarissa will put her hands together and move up and down. This gesture will certainly come in handy next CNY! I still can't get enough of this cute action of hers. It's so interesting these days to see Clarissa's learning new things real quickly and responding to what we say to her!

Clarissa and her Elastic Band

2008-04-13T21:49:00.000+08:00

Clarissa has just created a new game for herself - ie to pull and release the elastic band of Daddy's bermuda! She's having so much fun! I wonder how Daddy feel - being snapped by the elastic band?

Gongxi Gongxi

2008-04-13T21:18:00.003+08:00

Clarissa greets you "Gongxi Gongxi".

I can Stand

2008-04-12T15:04:00.001+08:00

Clarissa will practise to stand whenever she finds a support. Whenever she's in her cot, she'll attempt to stand by holding onto the side railing. Recently, she has succeeded and I can see that she's having lots of fun doing so. Fun aside, she'll need maximum supervision whenever she's in the cot.

Tower is Falling Down

2008-04-12T13:07:00.007+08:00

Clarissa has just received a kiddy table cum storage, some books and toy from her Grandaunty Daisy. She loves the books and toy. Thanks for your thoughtfulnless, Aunty Daisy!