Rainbow

Rainbow

Charmaine was very excited about the rainbow as it was the first thing she wanted to share once she hopped into the car in the evening. On 25 Feb, on the way home from enrichment class, Glenda, Charles and Charmaine were singing about rainbow song in the car when they realli witnessed one.

What a good wish come true for the kids. It is such a beautiful rainbow that Charmaine just could not stop talking about it.

Photo contributed by Da Bo Mu with her Iphone. Photographer : Charles (age 5)

Your wish is my command

Your wish is my command

Charmaine had a rough night on wed since mummy was drilling her so badly on the ting xie.

Mummy a bit heart pain and decided to ask her for her choice of breakfast and snack for recess.

So here comes her wish as my command for donuts. Recipe from Shifu Pink at www.myhumblearts.blogspot.com

OVEN BAKED DONUTS
Ingredients :
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tub (150 gm ) plain yogurt (I change to strawberry yogurt)
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method :
1. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
2. Combine the egg, yogurt, oil, lemon juice and vanilla and mix well.
3. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
4. Coat the tube pans with nonstick cooking spray and dust with 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar. Divide batter among pans.
5. Bake at 200?C for 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
(1 Recipe is good to make 24 mini donuts)

Bento Trial #1

Bento Trial # 1

Charmaine requested for a bento with fried noodles. Aiyo how can a lousy cook give her fried noodles without test water on weekend to make sure it is acceptable for her.

So I request a compromise from her to settle for bread but will make it special for her. So this was what I was busy with in the morning, boil the cocktail sausages and fishball first.

In the meantime, I cut circles from the bread and spread with strawberry jam. I was excited to open ceremony for my nori punch for the eyes and mouth. Use the wheels of my car cookie cutter to cut the nose from cheese.

Using a toothpick, I poke half of the fishball and lay a slice of sausage as the ears for the bear. (pardon me it is a bear if you are wondering what it is)

Of course these 2 bear sandwiches is not going to be enough, topped it up with heart sausages and star mini sandwiches.

Lets pray for a good review from Charmaine today!

Lil Handicraft

Lil Handicraft

Charmaine's homework for the weekend.

"The children have a "mini project" to do today. I'd read the story "My Dad is an artist" to the children. It's about a father using scrap materials to make different sculptures of animals. The children are supposed to think of animals that they can make using any materials. They will have a show and tell next Monday. This project is also going to be in line with the next unit (Walking through the jungle)."

Ha ha do I assume it is to be done with daddy in order to be inline with the story in school. Of course not, this is a job daddy would runaway from with excuse , Aiyoh I not creative.

So mummy has to look around at any scrap materials at home. It is not too difficult since mummy sure has lots of scrap papers. It was quite a fun project and our little Lion in the Jungle is ready in just 20 mins.

Not fierce at all , a lion that does not roar but it is just a cute little craft done by Princess Charmaine with materials sponsored by mummy.

"Golden Words"

"Golden Words"

Recentlly Aden does not realli want dinner and keep asking for milk. He is truely a milk monster. As usual we like to tai chi to each other when he ask for milk. We went "ask daddy"" ask mummy". Today I told him eat pizza don't drink milk. He replied "I don't want to eat pizza mah. I want to drink milk."

Charmaine also cannot stand the 2 lazy daddy and mummy. She said "so who made for Aden yesterday ? The other should make today. Take turn mah."

Realli enjoyed talking to the 2 of them. Sometimes you just dunno to laugh or cry at what they says.

What He or She says

What He or She says

He says : 车来了, 快点, 快点
This is what he usually say when we are crossing the road. Today he probably cannot decide what he wants to say. He went : Car lai le, Fi dian Fi dian ( He probably wants to say Faster yet got a mixed up with English and Chinese)

She says : I have got 5 stars in Berries class. I am the only one with 5 stars and a Big star. The reason is because I went to toilet and spoke very loudly in class. ( Told her it is good, means she is confident so can speak louder, guess what is her reply) But the best way is to use a microphone hee hee.

These small little conversations are realli cute and meaningful to keep in memory.

Spelling

Spelling - Great Improvement.

Charmaine has always been good with spelling and always scored full marks in K2. She had setbacks for the first 2 spelling in P1.

Remarks from her English Teacher " I am very particular when it comes to the kids' handwriting so most of the kids did not score full marks because of the way they wrote the capital or small letters. Do reinforce this when you are revising the words with your kids so that they will remember to write neatly at all times"

Well what I felt was the teacher should mark it correct and not penalize them for hardwritting. This is spelling not hardwritting assignment leh!!! Then again the teacher must have her reason for doing so. Nevertheless, she scored her first full marks on 3rd attempt and indeed hardwritting looked neater.

Thank you Ms Mak for being strict with them.

New Lunchboxes

New Lunchboxes

This must be a 3 minute Bento craze in me. Just cannot resist boxes now. So added another 2 new items. Pooh 2 tier box with handle - cheap cheap only $3.30. Worth hor! how can resist!!

The Sanrio authentic Shinkansen one is $10 from Singapore bride forum.

Must put them in practical use soon!!!!

Orange Butter Cake

Orange Butter Cupcake

Q at 7-11 last night was crazy so I decided not to buy the bread for breakfast liao. No choice, have to start the engine for baking. So many mandarin oranges at home so here we go for the first clearance - Orange Butter cake. Just to make look better for Charmaine, added the butterfly candies bought from sunlik. Exclusively for her, daddy and aden does not have them. Hee Hee.

Ingredient
250gm salted butter
100gm castor sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp orange zests
250gm self-raising flour, sifted
100ml fresh orange juice

Method

Using a electric whisk, cream butter & sugar until light & fluffy.
Add in eggs gradually and beat till combine. Add orange zest and mix evenly.
Fold in flour, alternate with orange juice in 3 batches.
Fill in cupcake cups up to 3/4. Bake in preheated oven at 160 deg cel for 25mins. Rest cake in oven for 10mins before cooling completely on wire rack.

P.S. Recipe from Peng's kitchen, just modify it to put in cupcake cups instead of tin.

Pooh & Hello Kitty Breakie

Pooh & Hello Kitty Breakie

What is more important than making my lil princess breakie / snack during recess interesting and putting that smile on her face.

Since she slept late to finish her journal last night, it was a lil challenge to pull her out of bed. Lucky the Pooh Faced bread turn her grouchy face to smiley one.

So mummy gotta to crack her coconut more to create more innovative food. But daddy wouldn't be happy with all the crumbs that are wasted. (Next time, will be more hardworking to transform them by frying them to replace bread crumbs for soup or croutons for salad.)

First Journal in P1

First Journal in P1

Teacher has returned a jotter book since last Friday for my princess to input her journal. Aiyo she simply forgot about it completely. How did we find out?

Managed to have some private moments with her in bed chatting about school then she says her classmates has submitted the journal etc. Then I asked what about her ? As usual, she goes "Oh, I forgot". So she climbed out of her bed and finished this lil journal of hers.

It is about the bear which she made 3 years ago at Esplanade. Entry to her journal :

I made my own bear and dressed it. I gave her a name. It is called Dreamie. I always hug her in bed very tightly. When I hug her, I have good dreams. I love her very much.

New Kids in Household Block

New Kids in Household Block

Done a mini shopping spree at Kai Kai - Chinatown Point today during lunch. Not too bad for the wallet today, just $29.30 after 10% discount. Thanks to Hwee for her discount card.

Additions to the household family, I introduce Pooh Bread cutter- $8.90, Tomica and Hello Kitty Sauce Container - $6.90 each and Hello Kitty Chopsticks with case - $9.90( just to be fair to my Princess Charmaine since we will bring Thomas training chopsticks for Aden whenever we are out). Price before discount.

Charmaine, look out for new Pooh Bread design tomorrow.

Wat's for cooking ?

Wat's For Cooking ?

Already nua the whole CNY, been lazy. No scrapbooking, no baking, little housework done and even the kids meal is takeaway. Only job that cannot be escaped is to prepare Charmaine's breakfast and recess snack daily Mon to Friday.

Better make up to them before they become so deprived. So 2 meals prepared in a day but it is realli easy ones.

Kiddie Bento for Sat Lunch

Looks like what is served in restaurant ? Sushi rice moulded in cube with alternate sprinkled with nori and sesame. Steamed Chicken marinated in teriyaki sauce with kyuri moulded in bear shape. Tamagoyaki moulded in shapes of heart and stars.

Soba for Sat Dinner

Soba with soup and tofu. Just to make it more interesting, garnished with Hello Kitty fish cake and seaweed. Boy, the fish cake sure cost a bomb at $7.40. Sorry Aden, no Keropi. Could not find so please make do with Hello Kitty.

Reading Literacy

Reading Literacy

Aden is always running away from books from young. But I need to get him started somewhere. Charmaine is such a good and easy baby and loves books, just dun understand why Aden is totally opposite.

So extra effort is needed. Target is to spend 30 mins with Aden and 1 hour with Charmaine for reading. Charmaine is introduced to Enid Blyton and she willingly picked it up as her best friend in school Hannah says she should be reading more difficult books. So if she likes the book, will be getting more for her.

Let's start easy with Aden. Last night I managed to read to him with his participation. It is a very great achievement I felt as he will repeat after me and respond to the story. Like where is Eric, he was able to tell me Eric is the dog. To reinforce, I read the books to him again while waiting for daddy to get ready this morning. He did not resist again. Great, he will soon be ready. I am so motivated.

Further enhancement in the car is the Your Baby can read throughout the journey to school. No more Kungfu Panda or Incredibles. It is too violent for him as he was picking up all the punching and gun shots.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!!

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

Age is catching up. More candles to blow for my birthday cake.

Second birthday treat comes from Bee Ling and Sandy with a cake and birthday pressie - working bag from the gang including Yvonne and Lena. Thank you thank you.

What did I do in the first 5 hours of my birthday. Ha ha I was scrapping all the way. Not sleepy so I decided to finish up this very backlog mini album which is a class I attend way back in May 2008.

Check out my Lil Chua - One of a Kind. A Album on how you are so alike.
Selections of photos shortlisted by hb, capturing our memory on how our 2 lil ones look so alike.