Elsie and Chloe 5th Birthday

They turned FIVE! Started preparing their goodie bags since Jan as it need to be shipped in from China. EC had been asking me when is their birthday since Jan! Finally the day had arrived and they were so excited about the celebration in school with their classmates.

Their goodie bag items. We had never liked chocs/candies in goodie bags because EC tend to cough easily after eating sweet stuffs. So their bday bags are usually stationaries. The parents will love me so much isn't it? Such healthy and useful goodie bag items!

All nicely packed for their classmates!

This is their very own special goodie bag items. Slightly different from their friends'

Chloe wanted a strawberry shortcake cake. The cake topper was bought specially online and it can serve as a toy later. The bike wheels can move really fast and is scented with strawberry smell.

Elsie wanted a princess cake. Cake toppers reuse from their 1st year old birthday cake.

All smiles when they saw us enter the school with their lovely cakes and goodie bags.

With their classmates. 10 boys and 9 girls (one was missing as she went back China).

Simply love this girl, Oren (bottom pics). Resemble like my niece but much smaller in size. Her birthday is also in Sept 2008! Same as Seanna! Too bad her last day with the school was 31st May as she will be going to an international pre-school. But just in time to celebrate EC's birthday before she leave! I met her mum on Monday and I told her about the birthday celebration in school for EC. As Oren is on half day childcare, she told me she will bring Oren back at 3pm for the celebration. She told me Oren always mention about Elsie and Chloe at home! Indeed I saw her in school at 3pm as she's always out by 12pm! Her mum came to pick her up at 4pm, just in time as the mini celebration had ended. Good bye Oren! Hope to bumb into you someday at Clementi.

The girls happily distributing the goodie bags to their classmates. The kids were trilled when they saw all those pretty stationaries.

Back at home, bathe and open their presents before we leave the house for dinner.

Their open-ed gifts from many of us.

Dinner was at Swensens to enjoy their lifetime promotion of having free firehouse ice-cream on the actual birthday date. Poor Chloe is only allowed to enjoy a few mouthful as she's still coughing.

31st May, night:

Auntie Gek Eng and family came over to our house to pass EC their birthday presents. Very pretty disney dressing table and 4 toy buses from the Korean cartoon 'Tayo Bus'.

The kids had a great time tearing the wrappers.

Thank you Auntie Gek Eng!!

The Tu-Tu mission impossible

13th May mark the day the mission impossible begins. I was taking my afternoon nap and Andre woke me up to show me his pacifier. "tu-tu spoilt!", he grumbled.

I was kind of expecting this pacifier will not last because I can feel the side of it is starting to wear and tear after prolong washing and sucking. Indeed on this date, it gave way and side of it spilt into two resulting in a small hole. This gave me a hint that it's time to really train him to wean of the pacifier. Mission impossible task came early by 2.5 months.

He still continued to suck his defect pacifier during the day but he didn't suck for long because of the air escaping from the hole. It just doesn't feel right for him.

At night, Hui cut the top a big hole and this makes the pacifier totally impossible to suck anymore. This night was his first time sleeping without the pacifier in his mouth. We kept repeating to him that the tu-tu is spoilt. LL, he took quite awhile to fell asleep without his favourite comfort in his mouth.

Midnight, he started to cry loudly and in search of his favourite pal. He couldn't stop crying and Hui had no choice but to stuff the spoilt pacifier into his mouth. Silence immediately and he fell back into deep sleep. That was how dependent he is to pacifier!

The next day (14th May) I'm almost determine to get him wean off the pacifier. Whole day the pacifier was not in his sight although I did brought to mum's place. The spoilt and the new (just in case he really cannot survive and totally refuse to nap, I will have to give him the new one). The day nap was successful. He fell asleep without it. Playing during the day time, well done! He didn't look for it. After finishing his last milk at night and getting ready to sleep...

Andre: "I want tu-tu, I want tu-tu!"....
Daddy: "tu-tu spoilt. Throw away"...

He fell asleep reluctantly.

Midnight he woke up again crying for it. "tu-tu spoilt"..Hui kept repeating. Again he fell back to sleep after a long whining session.

Day 3, kept the pacifier away from him again. This day seems much better. He didn't mention much about it. I started to get annoying by teasing him "Andre, where's your tu-tu?". He replied "tu-tu spoilt. Throw! Ah ma, buy!". Seems he still holds on to some hope that his friend will reappear some day.

Night time falling asleep was a breeze. He didn't ask for it. He did not wake up in the middle of the night crying for it. Mission impossible is almost possible.

Day 4, I tease him again about his tu-tu. He rolled his eyes and refused to answer me. Nap time and night sleep was quick with no pacifier and no mentioning of it. I think he understands now that he had to bid farewell forever to this friend of his for almost 2 years.

Day 5 (17th May), the 5th day the pacifier was out there in a corner containing dust. I did not bring the pacifier to mum's place since Thursday and he had never mention or ask about it anymore. Not in the car, not during nap, not during play time and not during night sleeping time. 

This mission seems smoother than I expected. I thought he would take longer to wean it off since he's so much more dependent on the pacifier than his sisters. Well done, son!

And the counting of tutu-less days continues....

Dear Mr Pacifier,

My son did a great job to wean you off. Thanks for your support in comforting him for the past 21.5 months! You had done your part. Time for you to retire. Good bye!

Regards,

Andre's mummy

Mother's Day

Since EC started school, I had been receiving Mother's Day gifts from them. Last year they bake cookie in school. This year they made chocolates! Last year I had one Mother's Day card from each of them. This year I had TWO from each of them! Thanks my darlings! The drawings are getting better and better!

Surprise that the chocolates are quite tasty!

Heartshape mashmellows are complimentary from the teachers.

Chloe's 1st card to me.

Chloe's 2nd card to me.

Elsie's 1st card to me.

Elsie's 2nd card to me.

Friday 10th May, brought mum to Marina Square Lerk Thai for Mother's Day dinner. Food wise was ok but I still prefer Bali Thai. Shop around awhile before all head home to rest.

After the dinner, we cut the cake at the restuarant. This cake was bought for charity purpose and I bought 2. One for mum and another for MIL. Read more at Operations Smile.

Very nice Valrhona Chocolate Banana cake.

It taste better at room temperature compared to eating it chilled.

Sat 11th May, had Mother's Day dinner with Hui's family at Uncle Leong seafood restaurant at Punggol Promenade. Food was good but comes with a price.

The crabs were the highlight for that day. Big and juicy!

We never fully understand the love of our Mother until we become Mother ourselves. Now I know.

Happy Mother's Day to us, the wonderful Mothers!