The office had a Superhero themed D&D on Friday. The top that I had ordered through the 2nd SIL was too big because I feared S would be too tight for me, thus I ordered M. Thankfully, I was able to sell it to a colleague. 

This year, the event was held in Zouk, a place that I used to go every week but have not been in more than a decade! And of course, in it's relocated premise. We had fun, had a few very sporting colleagues who dressed up. We had a few expired/retired superheros. Lol.

And on Saturday, I didn't accompany the hubs when he brought the girl for ballet because I had a headache and we had a gathering at his relative's home in the evening. Thankfully, I stayed home because it did go away and I was able to meet them at the train station later. I had to return home after arriving at the train station when the hubs called to bring a new set of clothes for the girl because she had stained it. By the time I left the house again, it was pouring.

As for yesterday, we went to Tampines for lunch with the eldest brother and SIL after church and then proceeded to their house thereafter. We watched 'The Sound Of Music', a play that's going on now which I can't find time for. The girl was able to sit through it. I like to expose her to musicals like this. And then we continued and stay till dinner.

The girl takes a break from Abacus next month, which means more free time for me too. No need to rush for anything, although it's the hubs who walks her to the centre. But at least I do not have to rush to cook lunch just so it's ready once she reaches home. 

Less than a week and we're in December. How I used to look forward to it but not as much anymore.

We went to Orchard after church on Sunday because I had some shopping vouchers and thus wanted to get a thermos flask. M uses A LOT of hot water and even uses it to wash her face! Instead of boiling water everyday, I decided to use the vouchers to offset the purchase of a thermos flask with a bigger capacity. 

And since we were there in the afternoon, we didn't get to see the lighted Christmas decoration. So what we did see were nothing much really. Boring even. Quite a disappointment. Perhaps we should take a ride through Orchard sometime in the evenings.

M is still not steady when we go for longer walks. We had dinner at a nearby coffeeshop on Sunday and the lighted signages are still too bright for her. I also spot her leaning on hand railings when we had to stop because we brought K's bicycle for the girl to ride.

The 3rd SIL delivered lunch to M yesterday and since I noticed that M managed to cook her own lunch on Sunday, I suggested to the eldest SIL that she does not need to travel all the way from the east to do so but she insisted. She says that M is not steady yet and that she has committed herself to help out for at least the whole of November. Bless her heart.

I have no idea why M would want to stay over at my place. It's void of a human touch the whole working day which can be an extreme to Jerry's noisy place but at least she can retreat into her room. I am also concerned if anything happens to her, who is there to mitigate? M is now on a life-long blood-thinning medication as the Dr detected heart murmur at the pre-surgery checks. I hope she makes more sense of this and feel the same too.

With M recuperating at our place now, I am trying to make an effort to cook as often as I can. Ivy has taken onto herself to buy lunch for M everyday, which means she travels from Tampines to JE just to do so. Hopefully M gets well enough to go down to buy her own lunch soon because it's really a lot more time spent travelling from the east to the west just to buy lunch.

I cooked lunch on Saturday while the girl was at abacus class and the hubs hanging out at Macs just below the centre. However, she did quickly nap sometime after her lunch settled because she woke up too early in the morning because she was sleeping at the living room with the eldest SIL when the sunlight shines right through at the break of dawn. And when it was time to leave for ballet, she was so resistant and even didn't want to go!

After ballet, we had dinner with the Victors and Whites and ended up being treated for a post-birthday meal! I even ended up scoring myself a year's supply of 1/2 slab of spare ribs!

After church on Sunday, we went back to change and left the house again because we were off to the NIL's birthday that he was celebrating in the new EC that the family have bought. The hubs brought the girl for a swim as well as the youngest NIL but we had to use the guest bathrooms because the unit was still bare. Lol....Hopefully their house would be done up the next time we visit them because the design at the 'public' toilet has not been given much thought. There is no counter top for bags to be placed amongst other things.

Having seen their new apartment, I am liking ours more and more despite it being old. But the hubs still thinks it makes good investment when the BIL decides to sell it after 5 years. Well, I guess so.

I turned another year older as of yesterday. Birthdays for me are kept very simple. I do not like the brouhaha over it because I am not one who seeks after attention. Having said that, I realised birthdays for the other 2 SILs, from the hubs' side is the same although we do make the effort to 'celebrate' for the 3 brothers.

I wanted to go shopping in JB on my day off because I had cleared so much from my wardrobe right. The young one wasn't in our plan initially but when she saw the hubs and I dressed down, she started probing and looked so sad that I told the hubs to bring her along. So this girl happily changed out of her uniform and put on the outing clothes that I brought out for her.

Instead of the route we took when we went on an overnight staycation with the eldest brother and his wife last month, we decided to try out the causeway link service that was available at the interchange. I guess being on a weekday helped because it took us only 1 1/2 hours door to door. We were so early, most of the shops were not opened yet. But eventually, I did shop and am happy with my buys. And we managed the shopping by bringing along a trolley cabin bag! Professionals or what?! We could even get some supermarket shopping done!

The wait for the bus back took awhile because at least 4 that came by wasn't heading back to Singapore. Thankfully we had a few other Singaporean day-trippers who were waiting as well so it wasn't too bad. Knowing that we are all in it together....lol. We eventually reached home at about 7pm. Not too bad.

When we opened the door to our home, K sighted her favourite aunt at the sofa and screamed. Abandoning her shoes at the door, she ran in and gave her such a tight hug. This girl. The house has been pretty much of a party for her since after M's surgery. Furthermore, the eldest SIL was staying the night and yes, the girl had to sleep with her and the hubs had to bring out her mattress and pillows to the living room.

Anyhow, that was how I 'celebrated' my birthday. :)

The saying 'Distance makes the heart grow fonder' sure runs through for me towards M.

M went for a cataract surgery yesterday and had to report to the hospital early morning. Couple of weeks before, she decided to 'recuperate' at my place after the surgery. I do not know why but after 'talking' with her with the eldest brother, we figured that she wanted the peace and quiet at my place compared to Jerry's. Anyhow, since she had to report at 7am for the surgery, she came along with Esther on Monday evening with her big bag load of stuff.

The eldest SIL, bless her, volunteered to come over to my place in the afternoons to buy lunch for M as well as cook dinner during M's stay at my place. But she could not do so yesterday which was fine because I can do it anyways, like how I've been doing it all the time. But she did come by in the afternoon and helped me make soup for dinner. The eldest brother accompanied M and brought her home.

Esther came by yesterday too and met me at K's school to pick her up. We went back home and I just had to prepare another dish for dinner. And then the eldest brother came over quite late and stayed over to accompany M for her follow-up check this morning.

All was fine until this morning when I saw M using her hands to sweep off milo powder off the kitchen counter top. I told her to use the kitchen counter rag and then she starts arguing that her hand is wet so the milo powder will not be swept onto the floor and that she has been doing housework for so many donkey years. Really, I do not need this. Not especially on a working morning. She used to put a newspaper on the table while she snacks on biscuits instead of using a bowl. So now, I always provide her with a bowl. And then the 'memories' of her staying with me after I gave birth at our previous home replayed in my head.

The eldest SIL consoled me by saying that it is different this time because I'm not stuck at home unlike the time I was in confinement. But I still need a place of refuge and comfort in my own home right. I do not want to end up not talking to her again and thankfully I have K to spend my time and pay my attention to now. 

Oh Lord, please be with me throughout.

The hub's youngest brother and wife would have received the keys to the EC at this point of entry.

After church yesterday, the 3 of us popped over to their place. The SIL has been busy packing with her sister as they would need to handover their current home to the new owners by end of November. So with the minor carpentry works and lighting that is required in their new place, time is very tight for them. 

The youngest BIL has amassed so much sports attire, it was like doing a clearance sale. Because of his job, he gets a lot of sponsored items from a particular brand and the hubs took some for a single mother colleague of his, who I've also given some of my own clothes to. And he took some for himself. I took a few pieces for my brother too. And the SIL gave me a pair of new working heels. K didn't miss out anything too. Except that she doesn't know. Haha...the SIL passed her some of her son's unused P1 workbooks. 

Talking about clearing, here is part of my loot that does not fit over my hips anymore. :( Thankfully, I could pass some of my tops to Esther.

We visited the hubs' mother yesterday after work. I met him and K below the PIL's block after I was done with some grocery shopping and yet I ended up waiting for them. When they arrived, we went to the nearby coffeeshop to buy dinner. The FIL was not in which meant that the MIL can manage on her own afterall.

And today, the hubs brought the girl for her abacus class while I did the chores and cooked lunch. 

The girl has always been requesting for fried rice whenever we eat out and it's been a while since I made this dish. So, I decided to cook it. Previously we were eating the reddish type of brown rice but I feel it too hard for fried rice. Now that we are using the brownish type, the texture is so much better.

Made more than enough that I could confidently have M lunch at my place today and the hubs had 2 full bowls of it!

And after ballet, the 3 of us together with M and Esther who came after her lunch, popped by M's estate and had dinner. Paint works look like it's 80% complete so I guess she will be able to move in before CNY. In fact, her estate has organised a resident get-together for the new block at the nearby CC tomorrow.

Another achievement unlocked!

The hubs text me in the late afternoon yesterday to say that he will be home late. I asked if he's going to have dinner with us and he said yes...so I decided to cook. Afterall, I've got the shabu shabu pork collar marinated from the night before. You see, when I have to do pick-up duties, I do not cook as I feel it too rush. And so, after picking the girl from school, we went straight home and I cooked while she occupied herself with other things.

And we had dinner on time! But then again I left work earlier because the boss is away on a business trip. I do not think I can cook if I leave work at the usual time I do usually. But I guess I should give it a shot.

And in the evening, after reading a chapter of Tangled to the girl, I decided to try on some of my working pants. I ended up trying them all for fit and then some. And I can no longer fit into most, if not all my working pants! Save for 3-4 pieces out of 15! And some have not even been worn! That's a good lot to be given away! It's so strange. I can somehow still wear clothes from the youth section from some high-street brands but my muffin top is overflowing from my working pants. This lot were really just taking up space from our move to Redhill to here and to be honest, I haven't worn my working pants since.

Are they upsizing clothing sizes? I guess I really need to renew my wardrobe. Especially my working clothes. 

Oh well. Oh! Welcome November!