10 Hare-rowing Minutes

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10 August 2017, Thursday

Finally facing the frightening task. To cut Marsh's (Marshmallow's) nails. Long overdue by at least 3-6 months! Inspiration came from A1's attempt on one (Yes, just one!) last night, while watching National Day Parade on TV.

So, how many people does it take to cut a rabbit's (Or at least Marsh's) nails?

Comfortably, four. … One to hug her, one to scratch her head and make her go "aaaaahhh…" and relax, one to hold my handphone light so that it shines through the nails, and one to perform the harrowing deed.

Still feasible, three. … Depending on the angle of the cut, the task of angling and balancing the handphone light tossed among the remaining three.

We made do with three.

Three legs and fourteen nails later (Four on each hind foot, five on front right, and one of five on front left), I decided the risk of getting nipped by a scared bunny was too likely. She had already tried a couple of times as we worked on the last foot, which happened to be a front one – too near Marsh's sharp front teeth.

Four more hare-rowing nails to clip … another time.


The only little bits of hard rabbit nail parts I managed to round up after the clipping.

Valentine’s Day’s First Outing

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14 February 2017, Tuesday

No car. But, thanks to Grab and Uber, Dad, Mom and I were able to visit Grandma’s niche in comfort. It was her 16th death anniversary.

Before and after.

Heading Out

Took GrabShare by mistake. With three of us, it should have been GrabCar (ie cost-wise between GrabShare and GrabTaxi). Driver was kind. Rejected incoming GrabShare booking and completed our ride.

Wanted to top up the $4.50 difference (if we had selected GrabCar). Smallest change Mom and I had was $10. Gave him anyway. He tried very hard to return the cash top-up, and then to return some change, saying it would not have cost that much anyway. I was just as determined. The man was kind and honest; deserved the extra change (and positive feedback on Grab app).

Sniffing For Flowers

As usual, we had gotten there without flowers. When we had a car, it was a matter of detouring to the next-door cemetery insearch of random flower stalls. Today, no flower stalls on the way there (the Cemetry we passed by on the way had completed its exhumation works).

After asking some staff at the place for the nearest stall – and turning down their repeated offers to snip some flowers from their garden – Dad and I walked some distance to the Christian and Catholic cemetery in the diagonally-opposite junction. Mom stayed behind as her rheumatoid arthritis would not have allowed her to keep pace with us. I got a $3 bouquet (Smallest bouquet so that it would fit the narrow-mouthed vessel for flowers at Grandma’s niche). We walked back.

Housekeeping

Spent time shifting plastic flowers and adding the real ones we got. 

All done. Time to go soon. Not now though. Not yet.

Just A Little While Longer

Lingered to admire the place. I believe each of us felt a sense of reluctance to leave, knowing another year would pass before we (or just some of us, if schedule got busy) would visit again.

It was an exceptionally windy and cool day. So comfortable and peaceful that, Dad commented, students could take their books here to study. The same idea I had when we first brought Grandma’s ashes here.

Since our last visit, they have made some changes to the place.


See You Again, Grandma

Time to head home. No GrabCar nearby to accept our booking. After a few attempts, switched to Uber. Pleasantly surprised we managed to get an UberX ride out from such a rural (perhaps too morbid to some, or even tabooed to the superstitious) part of Singapore. Also pleasantly surprised to find Uber had a $3-off promotion.

Thanks to Grab and Uber, we could head out to The Garden of Remembrance, and make it back in good time (and with energy left) for lunch, work and other activities each of us had in our typically busy day.

Spelling Money Away

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12 February 2017, Sunday

Went through my 9-year-old’s Maths file. Her Maths teacher had asked the class to take home their Maths file, to keep at home for revision for upcoming Topical Review as well as Continual Assessment 1. Flipping through the pages and pages of worksheets, I found this!

Learning to write cheques!

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not ridiculing this. Cos it is great! Kiddos see mommy and daddy write cheques. And here they do it in the part of the syllabus where they have to spell out numbers. They’ll then understand why it is just as important to learn to spell out numbers accurately. They’ll see the practicality (the “adultness”) of what they are made to learn. They’ll be less resistant to the learning.

Still, it’s just funny in a cute way, that 9-year-olds are learning to write cheques when it’s another seven or more years before they can legally apply this skill.

The Impossible Affair

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16 November 2016, Wednesday

7:20pm. My mobile rings. It’s A2, asking where I was. … What transpired was so endearingly typical of A2 and so amusing I just had to WhatsApp S about it.

Musings

It’s impossible to have an affair when you have four kids that can check up on you anytime, anywhere!

Then again, it’s a privilege to have close relationship with one’s teens, pre-teen and learner-teen.

Earlier on, after school & stayback

4pm+. The kids’ friends I and H visited for a short impromptu playdate. Cos I offered to take them with me when I took A4 to English tuition at LitPlus, and walk them home (nearby) from there. This would give YY a bit of peace and quiet at home, without anymore send-&-pick duties.

The plan for after the playdate was to just send I and H home, and head home right away. So the boys’ pleas to continue their playdate at I and H’s flat were overridden by YY (I and H’s mom) and me. YY’s rationale that there was school the next day stopped all arguments.

So A2 decided to turn back home, instead of walking with us to the busstop. A3 came with us, and then decided to join me on the entire journey. I did phone A2 to let him know the change of plans, but he still preferred to stay home.

~7:18pm. (I remember it was around 7:15-7:18pm only cos we were looking for the 3rd-night super moon, and A3 figured it was too early to spot the moon) It was after all these drop-offs, after the bus ride home, as A3 and I were walking the last stretch home that A2 phoned.

Doing My Bit for My Girls

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19 August 2016, Friday

Only ONE day left to vote!
By 20 August 2016 (tomorrow).

Please Click + “LIKE” + Spread
My girls will be in a dance competition. 10% of points come from FB LIKEs.

Every LIKE helps!
The scoring scheme puts our groups’ small headcount at a disadvantage. Please help us level the playing field.

A1’s group. They have worked so hard, rehearsing so many nights after long days in school. on non-regearsal nights, the girls have even organised their own practice sessions.

A4’s group. For many of them, this is their first ever competition. despite being so young, they have a rigorous rehearsal schedule to keep to.

 

Competition Scoring Scheme

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19 August 2016, Friday

My girls are participating in a dance competition.
… 10% score comes from FB LIKEs.
… 20% score comes from audience votes.
… 70% score comes from judges’ decisions.

Looking at our groups’ headcount … and then at our competitors’ bigger headcount … we are already disadvantaged.

Their bigger headcount means …
… they have more social networks to tap on for FB LIKEs.
… they will get more audience votes.

Won’t you help us level the playing field and give us your FB LIKEs?

Like these FB posts, please?

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17 August 2016, Wednesday

Only 3 days left. Please help … My girls (A1 and A4) are participating in the 6th Singapore International Youth Dance Festival on 21 August 2016, Sunday. 10% of points come from Facebook LIKEs. Please help click these four links below, and LIKE the photos? Could you help spread the word too? Last day for liking is 20 August 2016, Saturday.

Thank you for all who have helped / will help, and those who tried / will try.

 

I Can Run, But Cannot Hide

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6 August 2016, Saturday

My herd is already between seven and almost-15 years old. Yet, I continue to not have toilet privacy. Within the five to 10 minutes that I was holed up, I’ve been paid not one but two visits. And by the two oldest too!

A1 wanted to know if the hair salon was opened today for her to cut her hair. “Yes. But, this being a Saturday, it may be crowded.”

A2 wanted to know when he could have his escape room-style outing with best friends JQ, J and JW (and maybe another new friend from school) for his belated birthday celebration. “I dunno. Maybe next Saturday? You go arrange and confirm with your friends when they can make it.”

In that short time, two “major” tasks were achieved. The throne’s the best place to make decisions from.

The Cheeky Monkey

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25 January 2016, Monday

Approaching the Year of the Monkey, it seems a monkey has made its presence known at home.

 

Feeling like banana for a mid-afternoon snack, I went into the kitchen and what did I find?

 
The whole skin of a banana still on the comb, intact except for one clean slit! How was it possible to get to the yummy bits inside thus?!

I had an inkling who the monkey was, but couldn’t verify with him as he was with his brother at the “exercise playground”. And if it weren’t him, it had to be the other monkey who was with friends at the playground.

Since our helper had a higher chance of knowing who did what in the kitchen, I checked. “Did A3 eat a banana just now?” “Did A4 eat a banana just now?” On both counts she wasn’t aware if they did. Darn! I’m no closer to the answer.

Sharing the funny find with A1 and Mom, I couldn’t talk properly, tickled pink each time I opened my mouth to talk.

Just then, I heard the boys come in through the main door. “Mom?” one called out. Ah, I can now satisfy my curiosity. Gently, so as not to spook him into defensive mode, I called back, “A3, come here. Did you eat a banana just now?”

With a “no”, he joined me in the kitchen, curious why I asked. Clearly he wasn’t the perpetrator for he was just as amused at the find. A2 came after and also found it funny. … Eventually, the culprit owned up with a cheeky smile upon her return.

A4!