We met Kenneth and Gaye at the Woodlands food industry yesterday morning after dropping K off at Jerry's. The hubs had arranged to meet up with the couple to do some meat shopping. After about 2 hours odd, the hubs and I left with frozen salmon, frozen cod fish, frozen soup, frozen risotto, frozen beef balls etc and packed them all into the freezer until I commented that we need to get a bigger fridge. We also passed the 3rd SIL a pack of frozen salmon and cod when we picked K up after lunch.

While the hubs had a wedding dinner to attend, I brought K back to Jerry's place after laundering the washing in the evening. The 3rd SIL had bought tickets for the Mid-Autumn celebrations at their estate. Despite it being lantern festival, K and Esther only held their lanterns for all of 10 minutes before they got distracted with the playground. The age gap is about 6-7 years between E & K but I'm glad they can play together as I can leave them while I have some time to myself.

The 2 girls ended up playing with 2 other girls and then K had a fall. I didn't think much of it although she was crying for quite a while. She didn't sleep well either during the night and needless to say, neither did I. I had to get off my bed roughly about every 2 hours to see to her. 

Today, she had her left arm at a crook but the hubs and I didn't think much of it as she wasn't complaining much. But when it affected her nap in the afternoon, I suggested we bring her to KK. The hubs wanted to bring her to a family clinic but I reckoned that it is likely she'll need to go for an x-ray. 

Thankfully, after the x-ray, there are no fractures or anything worse than that. The Dr reckons that it is more of a sprain but have put her left elbow in a cast to prevent K from moving too much. We'll be back on Thursday to remove the cast and hopefully before that, the pain would go off.

The children from K's childcare were given a 'project' to do for the coming Mid-Autumn Festival. And we are usually so tired from work at the end of the workday that we left it to today, thankfully it's the Hari Raya Haji public holiday, to get it done. But we did spend the other days 'conceptualising' the design of the lantern, one that should be made from as many recycled materials as possible. Which was the main requirement from the school.

And because of the haze too, we were stuck at home. So it did give us plenty of time at home to craft the lantern. I 'provided' the materials and basically, the hubs made the lantern while K was tasked to colour the cardboard cores of toilet rolls and a kitchen towel. The hubs, I must say, is definitely the more creative between the 2 of us. And the 3 of us ended up very happy with the 'Birthday Cake' lantern.

Despite the haze, we went out for lunch at the NTUC hypermart and it is days like these, we feel it best to stay out in air-conditioned malls. Lol. We have the units installed only in our bedrooms and not the whole house so it's not very possible to be stuck in the room the whole day.

On our way home, K fell asleep and continued napping all the way home. Dinner was home cooked food and then it's back to work tomorrow again.

K saw her first flow of blood this morning. After the hubs had showered her, somehow a small bottle of body lotion which he wanted to put back in place toppled his bottle of perfume in the vanity cabinet of the common bathroom. I was bathing when I heard the shattering glass. 

Seconds later, I heard the hubs' stern and loud instructions to K NOT to step where the glass is. And then she started crying. And I reckon she was crying from his panicked tone rather than from the blood. Of course, I had to be summoned right. Getting dressed while your skin is still damp is really quite a challenge especially if you are not putting on something 2 sizes bigger. 

I got out, carried K from the hubs as the entrance of the bathroom had become dangerous ground. I quickly brought her over to the master bathroom, rinsed her down once more, concentrating on her feet, where a glass shard had cut with the blood flowing out constantly. I was trying to comfort her at the same time and thankfully after about 3 minutes later, the flow slowed down and when it stopped, we had to convince her to let us place a plaster.

The hubs, who used to plan events, panics whenever something happens to K. I had to tell him to imagine he's alone because he would be shouting out to me and causing more tension. I, on the other hand, or so I believe, am the calmer one. I did not utter a single word at all and quickly took K from him, brought her out and tried to comfort her. I think the hubs' constant anxiety over K always makes the situation worse. Well, at least we should try to pretend everything is ok right. Because when a child starts crying, everything else will seem to go downhill from there.

September is good for slow weekends. 

Yesterday, we brought the lever of our kitchen tap back to the shop that we bought our household sanitary from as it was loose and we couldn't operate the tap properly without the lever. After the staff told us how to fix it back, we drove to the mall near the new National Stadium. Had our lunch there, did some grocery shopping and went back home. K fell asleep and knocked out from 5ish to 7ish and thus slept later in the evening.

After the usual lunch with family after church today, we went to the youngest BIL's home. The hubs had bought mooncakes and I feel that we should bring a box to them. We had wanted to pay them for letting us stay over at their place but was rejected. The hubs had pushed a $1000 bill into the SIL's hands but was firmly rejected and returned. Coincidentally, the MIL and the 2nd BIL with his wife were there too so we stayed for awhile, allowing the hubs some bonding time with his brothers.

We left at about 3ish to a warehouse sale and then proceeded home, empty handed.

Back home, I entertained K with her pretend play and mopping the floor at the same time, the hubs decided to take over the cooking after a short nap. He even washed up after! And he did the cooking yesterday evening as well! 

Much love but more of these times please.

We had another additional public holiday this year. In addition to the National Day's celebration, we had Friday off for polling. The day before, the hubs had suggested asking Jeremy and his family over for dinner, as well as Jerry's. So after we performed our national obligation, back at Redhill, we went for breakfast, marketing and then to the supermarket. 

Dinner wasn't fantastic, unfortunately. It was my first try at beef stew but I will try it again. I was having a headache and did not have much time to prepare. But the stew turned out great the next day! Time really makes all the difference. Thankfully, the family were very forgiving and thankfully, it's not that the food was beyond consumption.

The hubs and I then stayed up to watch the election results, although he caught 40 winks in-between, and were up till 4am! The results surprised everyone and I believe for the ruling party as well. But all is good, we have a stable government and all that we had wanted was a few credible opposition voices.

We didn't do much on Saturday thankfully. After breakfast at the market area, we brought K to the playground with the plan to sort of tire her out so that she will take her afternoon nap. Thankfully, she did and also yesterday. I hope I don't jinx it by saying it. In the evening, we went for peranakan buffet at the invite of the Victors.

Today was the usual lunch after church and then back home. While I cleaned and mopped the floor, I allowed K to watch a show but the quality was quite bad towards the end of the show, that she switched it off herself. Lol. After that, I went through some activities with her and am a little upset that she is not consistent with recognising her alphabets. A younger girl in church seems to know all her letters although she can't really speak. K, on the other hand speaks fairly well but is not consistent in recognising the alphabets.

At 1 point, I raised my voice a little higher and the hubs woke up from his nap. And then he took over and went through writing 'a' and 'b'. He had bought an activity book where the child can follow the outline of the alphabets and learn to write. Another child I know, of K's age, can already start writing her name! Anyhow, I hope we do not lose patience with K. I know a lot of times we tend to forget she is only 3. I hope we can make it enjoyable for her and not end up with causing a negative reaction from her. 

I am hoping for a slower September but it started out filled with activities again. On one hand, it is good to occupy my energiser baby but on the other hand, it still doesn't knock her out during the afternoon naps.

After Friday's morning outing and long walk, we went to the zoo yesterday with the energiser baby's ex-childcare mate. It seems that G still misses K and at times asks her mummy to call K. So we thought it'll be nice to bring them out together. Afterall, how many 3 year olds you know are so sentimental? The 2 fathers were with them at the waterplay area and again, the hubs feels that the water is dirty. So maybe the next time we go to the zoo, we will try to avoid the kids zone. We started the day at the River Safari first and took part in the activities created for the pandas' birthday month. After lunch, it was the zoo, zoo, zoo.

And today, we left church earlier for Hannah's birthday party. The hubs had helped to book a function hall at his colleague's condo when the Victors requested his help. So, the kids all had fun in the pool and Gaye thoughtfully packed water guns and pool related goody bags for each child. K chose the 1 and only boat and a ball. And at the end of the party, Gaye gave her another bag with a water gun, some foam darts and some other kid stuff. 

And as if it wasn't a full day enough, the Victors invited us to their home for dinner. We left at 8ish and I was totally knocked out. I don't know about K. Now, when it's time for ME to sleep, I'll do just that. 

The work week after our trip kept me so busy that I had no time for anything else. Thankfully, I could still leave office on-the-dot. And because I needed to take a day off today as K's school is closed for a Teacher's Day D&D, I had to get my pending work all cleared so that I can have a peaceful 'long' weekend.

I had plans for today. But this clueless mummy was caught unaware that probably all junior schools and childcare centres are closed today because of Teacher's Day. After breakfast, K and I took the bus, just the next bus-stop down, to Kidstop. A new spot for kids 18 months - 8 years. But by the time we arrive, the morning session was full already and I didn't want to go back again in the afternoon. I had to assure K that we could return anytime as we stay so near and asked her to count how many bus-stops did we have to pass. I will definitely bring her again, when there is another centre closure at her school. 

And so, I decided to bring her to the water-play area at IMM and we walked all the way from the Science Centre through the happening shopping centres, past the spanking new hospital only to realise the last bridge connecting the building to IMM was blocked off. Yes, there is direct access from Jurong East MRT station all the way to IMM. Talk about accessible! Anyway, it was a long walk and we stopped by the Starbucks in the hospital to reward K with a cake of her choice and a drink for me! There are numerous play areas in the shopping centres that we walked through but because I wanted to go to Daiso in IMM, decided IMM it is. But what luck we had! The water-play area was closed for a major renovation! And so we spent time in Daiso and more than an hour there! But I did reward K with a play dough set with cookie cutters.

We took the bus back home, bought lunch back and what was supposed to be nap time became another 'tug-of-war'. My child, no longer takes her afternoon naps at home! Thankfully, the hubs came home early and spent time with her so that I could cook dinner.

Tonight's meal: