We are still in business

Dear Readers

We hope you are still following us. We are sorry for the lack of updates for the past month. Mommy has been very busy at work and last week, she fell, sprained her ankle, tore her ligament and was bedridden for a while.

Thank goodness she's better now and is back at work (erm.. so will probably take a while for updates to come in).

We celebrated Dylan & Daddy's birthday on 18 August. Dylan has a little celebration at Lao Ma's place on 14 August where he has a 3D cake. On his birthday, Daddy brought him and me to Polliwogs at East Coast Park to play. Polliwogs is a very fun indoor playground. Wait till you see the photos we took there.

So, stay tuned!

Cheers,
Tessa

Happy birthday Dylan-boy (Part 2)

Today is Dylan's birthday - the REAL day! Not to forget, it is also Daddy's birthday! We have TWO birthday boys!

Daddy and Mommy took leave from work to bring Dylan and me out. I was "excused" from school as well. Yeah!

Since we had so much fun at Polliwogs the last time, Daddy decided to bring Dylan and me back there.

Before we head to the playground, we had a sumptuous breakfast-cum-lunch at Waraku.

Happy Birthday Dylan-boy!

Today wasn't Dylan's birthday. But since it was the weekend, Mommy decided to do a small celebration for him at Lao Ma's place.

The goofy birthday boy

Pauline godma also joined us in this little celebration. Shihan and me helped Dylan sing the birthday song, make a wish, blow the candle and cut the cake. Shijia is unable to help as she is still a little baby.

Happy birthday my dear baby Dylan-boy!

Fun at Polliwogs!

Happy National Day!

Today is our country's birthday! And to celebrate this special day, Daddy brought us to this wonderful indoor playground at East Coast Park that he got to know from the internet. It is called Polliwogs.

It was a very warm day, so we are glad to be having fun indoors. Dylan managed to have fun as well although he was unable to run about like me.

After we left Polliwogs, we took a short walk at the beach. We saw tents everywhere! Daddy and Mommy said we can try camping one of these days! I can't wait!

Kids Kampong @ Pasir Ris

Daddy brought me to the Kids Kampong at Pasir Ris today to feed the fishes.

It was a very very warm day. At first, I was reluntant to do anything. But Daddy was very encouraging. All thanks to him, I had a lot of fun!

There are also chickens and rabbits waiting to be fed as well!

Building Sandcastles

Daddy and Mommy brought Dylan and me to the East Coast Park to build sandcastles today! Yippee!!!

It was erm... sandy and messy, but a lot of fun!

Congratulations to Siao Mommy & Michael!

Today is Siao Mommy and Uncle Michael's wedding lunch reception at Sheraton Tower Hotel.

Mommy and Daddy took Dylan back home to Sengkang last night because Dylan is needed to open the bridal car door for Michael. I stayed back in Clementi with Yeye and Ah Mah, and will make our way to the hotel the next morning.

I heard that Dylan has to wake up early in the morning to be at Lao Ma's house. I missed out on the fun at Lao Ma's house as well as the couple's outdoor photo shoot at Katong.

I arrived early at the hotel with Yeye and Ah Mah, and there were no one around! It's so boring at first. Luckily Mommy arrived soon with Daddy and Dylan-boy.

There were many relatives and family friends who joined us at the reception. It was quite fun throwing flower petals at the couple when they marched in. I even joined Mommy on stage as the emcee!

Shihan and I had a lot of fun dancing and playing around.

Siao Mommy is so pretty. She looked like a princess. Shihan is a princess too. I am a ballerina.

Don't we all look great?

Girl Power

We took the little ones - Shihan, Tessa and Dylan - to the Upper Peirce Reservoir Park in the evening for a walk. Shihan and Tessa love to go out together; they simply enjoy each other's company.

When Gevin told the girls that they are going to see the monkeys, Tessa immediately imitated the actions and sounds of the monkey, "Hoohoohoo
ahahah!!"

Weixian strapped the two girls down at the back of the Vellfire and they were very happy to be sitting together all by themselves at the back. Both of them were chirpy and asked to watch Barney. They were giggling throughout the drive, obviously enjoying themselves.

Along the way, there were monkeys roaming the roads, but the girls aren't able to see them from the windows. When we arrived at the park, they were looking out for monkeys and were asking to see them. I told them that they will have to go and search for the monkeys themselves. And off, they go, hand in hand.

The two girls were entertaining each other. They hugged, they laughed, they ran, they chased dragonflies, they stopped to examine the bushes, they posed for the camera... they simply had alot of fun! And Dylan just can watch the two sisters in Daddy's arms.

The girls are so adorable and innocent to watch.

They were very excited when they discovered a dog. The dog owner was a kind lady who stopped the dog and allowed the girls to pat and stroke the dog.

The two girls followed the dog and even stopped to pose for the camera (taken by the lady's friend)!

The evening sun emits perfect lighting for photography, making all of us look extremely beautiful. Haha!

The girls finally saw the monkeys and announced that it is time to go home! They marched in line, one after another to the car, stopping at the washroom to wash their hands before we head home for dinner.

Family fun can be so simple. An hour is all it takes for the girls to enjoy themselves and bond.

Happy Birthday Mommy!

Today is Mommy's birthday!

When I woke up in the morning and Mommy has already left for work. I had wanted to wish her a happy birthday. Ah Mah said that I can wish her when she's back and we could sing Mommy the happy birthday song! Ah Mah and I had ordered a yummy hazelnut chocolate cake for Mommy. I'm sure Mommy is going to love it!

I have a new version of the Happy Birthday song which I created. It's more like a birthday rap! I hope Mommy will love it too!

I was feeling very excited the whole day and was looking forward to going home after school to see the birthday cake.

I rushed up to Mom when she entered the house in the evening and welcomed her with a great big hug and a loud "Happy Birthday Mommy"! But I was a little disappointed when Ah Mah said that I'll have to wait for Daddy to get home before we can sing the birthday song and cut the cake.

Finally, Daddy's back and we can start our mini celebration!

I sang the birthday song very loudly. Dylan joined in too by clapping his hands enthusiastically. I made a wish together with Mommy and helped her to cut the cake.

Yummy! The cake is soooooo delicious!

Ah Mah, can I have another piece please?

A Daddy's Love

How did we spend Father's Day?

Well, Daddy spent it with Tessa sitting on his shoulders watching Dora & Friends at Forum the Shopping Mall. Mommy had Dylan in the kangaroo pouch and was busy snapping photos!

It's amazing what parents do for their kids, isn't it?
It's more amazing watching the father and daughter duo. There is this chemistry between them that is indescribable.

Happy 10 months old to Dylan-boy!

He is no sweetie pie, he's our super-duper-mega-adorable-but-diasterous-meat-pie!

Tessa-jiejie was into long names recently. She is now affectionally known as super-clumsy-ballerina-princess-mouse-tessa-lee-yu-tong!

Scruffy Murphy's again

We are back to Scruffy Murphy's again and this time round with Tessa!

The weather was a little gloomy but very windy! It was a nice weather to chill out with our loved family!

After breakfast, we took a walk at the beach. It was so fun! Daddy and Mommy said that we can come back soon to cycle! We can't wait!

Staying alert!

A few days ago, I read a news article about a 2-year-old little boy who died after his mother reversed the car into him. He must have been excited to know that his mother is home and have run out to receive her.

Such a tragedy.

This puts me on a high alert that similar accidents can happen to Dylan and Tessa if we are not careful. Especially when the kids are at Lao Ma's house.

Just a brief moment of folly or carelessness can cause you the life of your precious child. I really should not take things for granted.

Usually Hubby is the more cautious one. He will always advise me not to let go of Tessa's hand on the road, even if it is just at the car park and it may seem like there are no vehicles around. He also read about the accident and again cautioned me about the kids when they are at Lao Ma's house.

Yes, I will be mindful to be careful.

June School Holidays

As Tessa and Dylan are not at the school-going age, the June school holidays really didn't make much of a difference to us.

As a result, Daddy and Mommy did not really pay attention to the various activities and events happening around town during this period. We only realized last Sunday that we have missed meeting Barney and Friends. How sad!

So to make up for it, Daddy & Mommy plan to take the kids to see Dora this weekend!

For the benefit of any papa or mama who may be reading our blog, you can refer below for the various happenings.

Dance with Dora
Forum The Shopping Centre
4 to 19 Jun 2011
Mondays, Wednesdays to Fridays: 1pm & 5pm
Saturdays & Sundays: 1pm, 3pm & 5pm
Meet & Greet 5:35pm (daily except Tuesdays)

Kung Fu Panda
Ngee Ann City -Takashimaya Square
15 to 19 Jun 2011
1pm, 4pm & 7pm daily

Sangokuden
Ngee Ann City -Takashimaya Square
21 to 26 Jun 2011
1pm, 4pm & 7pm daily
(21 Jun, 1pm session reserved for DBS/POSB card holders)(No show on 26 Jun, 1pm)

Picnic with Flippy, the Penguin
Plaza Singapura -Main Atrium Level 1
15 to 17 Jun, & 19 Jun 2011
1pm, 4pm, 7pm

Bob the Builder – A Birthday Surprise
Millenia Walk -The Great Hall
16 to 19 Jun 2011
Thursday & Friday, 1pm & 7pm
Saturday & Sunday, 1pm, 4pm & 7pm

Bob the Builder – Meet & Greet
Millenia Walk -South Galleria
25 & 26 Jun 2011
Saturday & Sunday, 3pm to 3:20pm

Hello Kitty’s Celebration
Central
3 to 19 Jun 2011(Wed to Sun only)
Wednesday to Friday, 8pm
Saturday & Sunday, 4pm & 8pm

A love measured in memories

As Father's Day draws near, I thought I want to post a tribute to my Dad who has been my pillar of strength and who has instilled in me strong values.

What I like most about Dad is that he is always there. We are not well-to-do. To make ends meet, Mom and Dad worked two jobs each, and yet almost every other month, Dad had to ask for advance salary from his employer.

Life got better for us after Dad got his taxi license and started driving a cab for a living. Mom was then able to stay home and took care of me. Mom was the disciplinarian at home then and she watched over my studies closely to ensure that I did my best to go to good schools. I was caned even when I scored 99 marks for my tests/exams so long as the 1 mark deducted was due to carelessness. That was how I was trained since young to set high expectations for myself and to be meticulous in my work.

Every night, I would stay awake to wait patiently for Dad to return home. Sometimes, when he got home a little later, I would get worried and would cry for him. I remembered back then in our old home in Bedok, I like to lie on him on our green sofa to watch TV while drinking milo. As a taxi driver, he was working every day, rain or shine. But he would always find time to bring us out during school holidays. Every day, he will find time to have breakfast with me before sending me to school. Quite frequently, he would take the trouble to pick me up from school and drop me home. Dad has NEVER beaten me. He has scolded me before, but never had he raised his hand to beat me. So the image of him has always been that of a loving, doting father.

Dad lost both his parents at a young age and has to quit school to fend for himself. He vowed never to let his child go through what he went through. So no matter how tough life was, I was given all that I needed and much more than some of my peers. I went for piano classes, tried out ballet classes. Dad even bought me a piano and cramped it into our 3-room flat. I never felt even a tiny tinge of inferiority.

Dad taught me integrity - we worked hard for what we want. We may be poor but we never need to beg and borrow from anyone. We stood firm and strong on our own feet. 做人要有骨气，人穷志不穷。

Dad taught me generosity. True wealth is never about how much money you have, how big a house you own, or how much jewellery you wore, it's having a generous heart.

Dad taught me independence and trust in myself. Since young, I was taught to do things by myself. 靠自己才是最实际的.

Dad taught me strength and perserverance. He said, through adversities, you will only emerge stronger.

Dad taught me gratitude. 饮水思源 - that's what he always say.

Above all, Dad taught me love and the importance of family. I have very strong bonding with Mom and Dad. We were like friends. And up till today, Mom and Dad will still hold hands when they are out. They showed me how mutual respect, trust and love can sustain a marriage, even in tough times.

I always say that I want to marry a man like my Dad and looking at my hubby now, I do see some resemblance. Hubby is also a family man, a loving husband and a doting father.

I happened to read this article on the Dads for Life website (dadsforlife.sg) and thought it was a very touching story to share.

And to the 2 most important men in my life, Happy Father's Day!

A love measured in memories
by Jason Wong

A large part of my working life was spent behind bars - as a prison officer. For 17 years, I was surrounded by inmates from different backgrounds; drug addicts and hardcore criminals, among others. I saw first-hand what bad or absent parenting, especially fathering, could do to children and adults.

I knew early on in my own family life (picture), from watching these men and their lives, what kind of father I wanted to be. In recent years, I have been working with at-risk children and youths and multi-problem families, and have been struck by the absence of a father-figure in their lives.

My professional life has taught me a simple principle I hold very dear: It is easier to build boys and children than to fix men and adults.

A few years ago, I did what an article suggested: Close my eyes and recall scenes of my dad and myself.

What I "saw" was me waiting eagerly outside my house for dad to return (he worked in a shipyard) because I missed him; him holding my right hand and teaching me to write Chinese characters - he was educated only up to Primary 4 in China; me snuggling up to his side at night to hear stories of his childhood and how he came to Singapore; his constant advice to me to study hard, not to smoke and drink.

I think about what I would want my daughter and son to recall if they were put through a similar exercise years from now. I hope they would be images of lasting memories we have created for ourselves, of time spent together, playing board games and bedtime routines.

I am reminded of a saying that "if you want to be in your children's memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today".

My commitment to family life was not a natural occurrence. Some years ago, I had a terrible day at work. And what do fathers do after a bad day? We come home and sit in front of our favourite "box" - the Xbox, the computer, the television.

Mine was the TV. This was how I de-stressed. That night, I was watching an early episode of American Idol where contestants made fools of themselves.

My wife asked why I was not helping her with the kids. I didn't want to bother her with my work problems, so I kept quiet. That night, we didn't talk to each other.

The next day I received a long email from her in which she expressed her unhappiness. In the last paragraph, she shared that, while everyone else looked up to me, at work or within my other circles, no one knew what I was like at home.

This was my wake-up call - no point being a hero outside and a zero at home!

I stopped watching TV (I've since resumed watching a bit as my kids are older now). I read to my children, play board games with them and tuck my son into bed at night.

A couple of years ago, I received the best Father's Day gift ever. My son gave me a hand-drawn card. Each page had a picture and a sentence like "Thank you for reading books to me" or "Thank you for telling me ghost stories". When I held that card in my hand, I knew it was all worth the sacrifice.

My dad has been my hero. I am what I am because of the sacrifices he made for his family. I spent a fair bit of time with him at the hospital early this year when he was being treated for cancer. Once, while I was following him closely on a trip to the bathroom to make sure I'd be there to catch him if he fell, it dawned upon me that that was what my dad did for me when I was a little toddler - walking behind me, watching me carefully, ready to dive forward to catch me.

On another occasion, when he was staying with me after his discharge from hospital, I took him downstairs for a walk.

All of a sudden, my dad turned to me and, with a twinkle in his eyes, said: "When you were young, I took you out for walks. Now, you take me out for walks."

As we rested on a bench, my 10-year-old son came up to sit with us. My dad looked at my son and said in dialect: "Your dad looks after you now. Make sure you look after your dad when he is old, just like what he is doing for me now."

My son smiled and nodded, and flew off to play again.

The richness of a father's love is best measured in the lasting memories we leave for our children.

These memories will one day guide them and comfort them as they comfort me.

Jason Wong is part of the team involved in setting up the Dads for Life movement.
http://www.todayonline.com/Columns/ParenttoParent/EDC110529-0000007/A-love-measured-in-memories