Today's main dish: Steam Herbal Chicken.

The hubs' relatives had a 'family' photo shoot at the usual relative's home yesterday. There were 55 folks altogether! Including the 'pioneer generation', the middle aged, the young adults and kids. It's like a time-capsule of sorts. In 20 years time, there will be another photo shoot and this time, the middle aged will be the ones sitting. Lol.

When we joined the rest who were already there in the function hall, K was still a little guarded cos technically, there were about 50 people in there already. Thankfully, she warmed up pretty fast when the jie-jie she likes came to carry her. K's school was having a graduation concert as well but as we have some holiday plans next week, I didn't want to tire her out with so many activities so I did not sign her up for it. Besides, we had to pay for costumes and such. And we heard the kids had to report to the auditorium about 3 hours before the start of the concert! I rather K takes her nap and wakes up happy rather than end the day grouchy and then causing the hubs the be all anxious and irrational.

And after lunch today, Jerry and his family dropped by for a few hours. Joshua and Esther was pleading with Jerry to let them come over as it was the holidays now and Gideon did very well for his PSLE too. So K missed her nap and played with Esther. 

When it came to her sleep at night, all she took was 5 minutes to knock out. Lol...

So, my birthday week has come and gone. Other than an unintentional chocolate mousse cake that Lynn had gotten for me and the hubs and K singing me a birthday song and K insisting on having a candle and blowing it out with me, the whole week just passed by without any other fanfare.

In fact, I wasn't looking forward to it at all! Kenneth said turning the BIG 40 calls for a celebration but really, I do not want to go around announcing the fact that I may be approaching mid-life. Sure, with today's pace of life blah blah blah, mid-life doesn't start at 'mid-life' anymore. Nothing is really much of a norm but still! All I wanted to do was to sleep in and forget that I have ended my 30s.

Some friends are just so sweet to say that I have 'maintained' myself very well and that I do not look 40 at all but how can anyone turn away from reality. 

Ok, let's not talk about this anymore. It just emphasizes what I do not want to be the blaring truth. Life goes on.......and pray, that I do age gracefully or not age at all! Lol.... 

Lunch I made on Saturday, inspired by another mummy's blog. Something different and yet very simple. 

K had almost the whole thing to herself! And needless to say, 1 wasn't enough for the hubs. The wrap wasn't big enough. Next time, I shall look out for actual pizza base.

The bestie is back in town for about 2 weeks and we caught up on Friday evening with Yvonne. We had starbucks while waiting for Yvonne to arrive and then instead of some fancy restaurant, we went for really simple hawker fare at the hawker centre at People's Park! Lol....good thing the bestie's husband is now stationed in Macau so she can savour her asian delights and travelling back here is so much more convenient.

All we did yesterday was drop by Lynn's place after K woke up from her nap. Lynn had been asking us to go by and see her newly renovated place. So we spent a short time there before we went off for dinner together. 

And after lunch today, we picked Lynn up again to view some household stuff before we dropped her at her aunt's and back home we went. 

A quieter weekend compared to last week's crazy packed weekend. And with the year-end rainy season finally descending on us, we rather stay in but unfortunately, it doesn't do much to make K nap faster and longer. *bleah*

Conversations with K

A few days back, while K was doing her little business, she declared that she wants to marry Lucas. (!!!) Yes, our jaws dropped but of course we know better than to take it seriously. She went on to say that both her playgroup mates, Zander and Ko Kai, will marry each other. I then explained to her that boys cannot marry boys. So, if you are into the alternative lifestyle and strongly object to my belief, this blog is not for you. So bugger off.

Yesterday evening, the hubs brought it up, out of amusement and asked K if she told mummy who she wanted to marry.

K : I want to marry Lucas.

Me : Whyyyy? Daddy will cry when you get married.

K : 'Cos I love Lucas.

Me : You lurveeee Lucas? Does Lucas know?

K : Yes, we can talk to each other very well. (Good that she knows communication makes a good relationship)

My, she's only 2. Ok, if you want to be specific, she's 32 months old now but still! I thought children only play this married game when they are in kindergarten!! My heart will break too the day she walks down the aisle....and baby, so will your daddy's.

I took the morning half off work today for the annual Crabtree Christmas sale! I met Lynn there and she brought her friend along. And I'm glad she did! This time, again, I spent over $500 and had to lug 3 big bags of stuff. 

I remember last year was torturous with the cab ride. I practiced a lot more self control this time round with the help of colleagues whom I helped buy some stuff. Otherwise, I think I'll just buy whatever I see because of the nice packaging!

And I'm glad I'm not the only sucker for nice packaging. Lynn confessed to it too but I can see she has more will power than I have. Lol....I have another 30% birthday discount till the end of this month. Anyone needs/wants anything, let me know! :)

We had such a busy, busy weekend! And I'm glad to have taken the day off today but have sent K to school anyway as we're going shopping in JB!

Anyway, Saturday started off as usual, with us going marketing and then to the playground. But because we were caught in the downpour and were stuck at the market for a bit, the playground was still wet so we didn't allow K on it. It was almost 11am when we reached home and I do not know why I was suddenly so tired that I had the hubs buy lunch instead. I wanted to take a power nap but there were so many things in my to-do list that I couldn't take a restful nap. 

And so I got up, dump K's laundry into the washing machine and then the hubs came home and I fed her. 

When K was up from her nap, we left for the hub's childhood friend's place for their baby's full month celebration. We were there a little earlier and left even before the 'party' started to go to another party. The next one was at the Joseph's. It was both a catholic confirmation party as well as a birthday celebration for the dad, whose birthday is on the same day as me but a good 10 years older. Lol.

When we had to leave, K cried. She was enjoying herself with the girls. In fact, she didn't want to leave either when we were at the baby's 1st month earlier although she didn't have anyone to play with her then. But thankfully, we do not give in to her for it poured so heavily a while after when we were on the road.

As for yesterday, we headed to expo after church to check out an exhibition that was going on and by the time we left, it was about 5pm, way off K's naptime. After dinner in the evening, I brought her down to Janice's with some of my birthday cake and K played so well with Jazlyn. 

It's really nice to see them play together so well. At least there were interaction between the 2 girls. With the Pannu's daughter, it was like seeing them together but not really playing together. 

Any by the time we reached home, it was past K's bedtime. We allowed K to sleep in today as we're both on leave. For a change, she had breakfast at home and then both of us sent her to school at about 9am before we drove off to JB.

I took the afternoon off today, in order to avoid the company's 'birthday celebration' for November babies. They usually buy a huge cake from Cedele and then whoever's birthday falls in that month will stand in front, while the rest of whoever is in the office will sing the birthday song. No thanks, I've gone past that stage. 

So, I went for my hair-cut and took off quite a bit. My curls are gone now and I now sport slightly below shoulder length hair which I used to have. Am liking it! :) 

The hubs, who was supposed to have a golf game, cancelled it, as according to him, he felt so bad pulling a last-minute one on me, expecting me to pick K up when I've told him earlier that I'm taking 1/2 day off for 'me-time'. However, he messaged me in the middle of my hair-cut to say that he'll be picking K up and wanted to meet me at the salon. But I had made plans, after the hubs told me about his game, to meet Lynn for dinner. I had planned to fetch K after my hair-cut, drop her bag at home, changed her and head out again. But since the hubs was able to pick her up, I went home, did a bit of craft work, changed and waited for them to come home.

After changing K out of her uniform, the hubs sent both of us to Merchant Court Hotel where we met Lynn for buffet dinner! Once again, I am thankful for an easy eater. K is such a foodie and ate so much that later on, she told me she needed to poop. Lol....

A couple of evenings back, after K had her shower, she wondered out to the living room to bring her daddy into the room. She always asks for him to come into the room and then her daddy will end up falling asleep before her. (!!) 

Anyway, the hubs was watching some infotainment on tv about milk and decided to let K see where milk actually comes from. Before the cows came on, the hubs asked K and her reply was 'From the bottle.' It was funny hearing the straight answer with such innocence.

And I digress. K always asks to lie on mummy's lap whenever it's her milk time. Sometimes I get called up while in the middle of washing dishes or something I want to finish first and so I tell her to start first but she'll whine. And I get irritated and walk myself over with my mobile and while she's lying on my lap, I surf impatiently. I know, I'm so mean. Anyhow, that's not the point. I just want to say it's so amazing that babies and even now, that K is now a toddler, she can drink from her milk bottle non-stop! 

Meaning to say the teat does not leave the mouth at all for whatever amount of milk that she is drinking. Her milk intake is 200ml and she finishes it in less than 5 minutes! Isn't that amazing? I think I take twice that time just to finish my mug of milk. Lol...

Beautiful bunch of flowers that the eldest SIL bought for K, as she said, when they came over for dinner on Saturday. A reprieve from the haze and hot weather creeping up despite us being in November!

Where's my nice, lovely, cool year end weather that usually makes it's round this time of the year?

We invited Jeremy and Jerry's family over for dinner on Saturday evening and it started early when Jeremy and Ivy arrived at 4ish. The 3rd SIL arrived later with the 3 kids as Jerry had to work. While K had fun playing with Esther and Gideon, I was busy in the kitchen.

I prepared chicken stew earlier and then left it in the thermal cooker so when it was about 5ish, I started on the Salmon Fish Head curry and Stir-fried Mix Vegetables. The hubs' 'contribution' of the oven baked nuggets was the much needed addition to the 3 dishes. I was so busy that I forgot to take pictures of the food! *bummer*

Jeremy commented that it's been a long while since they've had my cooking and went on to say that it's been a long while since I cooked! Which of course, I needed to correct him and I can tell he was impressed. Lol. Anyhow, I was so tired when they left that I did not bother to mop the house! 

And yesterday, when we came back home from church, I took a short nap with K before I mopped the house. And in the evening, we invited Zul over for dinner with the hubs cooking this time but it was a much scaled down affair as we had chicken stew and the curry from the night before. 

A nice change to be staying at home, but just as tiring, especially with the haze level threatening to go up again. :(